Yikes, I’ve been to tons of shows (big and small) and have never had an experience even close to that!
I live in Connecticut; I’ve only seen a few concerts in my state. (Phish, Emerson Bruford Wakeman and Howe IIRC, The Allman Brothers, and Jethro Tull.) Every other one has been at Giants Stadium, MSG, and Foxboro, which are all out of state. And all in different states, as a matter of fact. We’re packed pretty close together here in New England.
As a teenager, I traveled to East Rutherford, NJ (Giants Stadium) to see The Who (twice), Pink Floyd (twice), and the Grateful Dead (at least 5 times.)
I also traveled to Foxboro, MA to see the Grateful Dead (at least 3 times.) One time we made it a whole weekend. Approximately 6 buddies and our girlfriends went to one of the guys’ family’s second house (without adult supervision, of course) in New Hampshire on Friday afternoon, staying the weekend and driving to Foxboro to see the Dead on Sunday, coming home afterward. That was a damn good time. It was so hot that one of the guys passed out and got shuffled to the stage and removed by security, as per Large Marge’s anecdote. Then they opened the hoses on us, much to the delight of everyone in range.
And I know I saw one concert at Madison Square Garden, NY, but I can’t for the life of me remember who it was.
As a teen, I never saw a concert without being on acid, among other things. In my twenties, Phish started playing Jones Beach in NJ, and those were always fun.
Never being able to cross state lines for a concert as a teen? Overly sheltered, IMO.
That must have been some killer acid. Jones Beach is on Long Island. 
Growing up, I went to out-of-town and out-of-state concerts regularly. Chicago and Indianapolis were usually the places we went. We traveled to Hershey, PA to see KISS a few years ago. Our daughter went to her frist out-of-town concert when she was 13. She’ll be 18 on Friday and she still goes to out-of-town and out-of-state concerts.
By all means, go and enjoy yourself!
I grew up in Toledo, Ohio and have been to concerts in Cleveland (Rolling Stones, 1978) and Detroit. I saw the band Yes somewhere in Michigan in about 1984…if I recall, it was at a ski resort in the summer.
Dear Og, everyone who posted on this thread is making it very tempting for me to book a bus ticket to Chicago next weekend. Ellis Dee, I am quite oversheltered. If I do go to this concert, I’m nervous about drugs and alcohol and all that. Just thinking about it is making me nervous.
Even if I do go, there’s just one problem: Tickets. Did I mention that? Nervous laugh
Damn. Most of my favorite bands haven’t got any concerts.
It was scary for us, too. It was 23 years ago, but those kinds of stories were fairly common then, which is probably part of the reason why your parents (who likely are my age) don’t want you to go to a concert in another city. They remember the horror stories. I doubt that kind of thing happens today, though. I saw The Who a year later in the same venue, and it wasn’t anything like our experience at the Stones, so maybe it was just the band/fans. Though when The Clash came on (they opened for The Who), there was some slam dancing on the field, but I don’t remember anyone being carted off in an ambulance or anything …
1977, Kiss with Cheap Trick opening. I was 15 years old. I rode up with the neighbor’s kids, who were 8-10 years older. I had a lot of fun, great concert.
There was a lot of illegal drug use at the concert and with the people I went with.
I wouldn’t let my teen (if I had one) do the same thing.
But it was a hella good time.
whistlepig