The Only Time I Spent All Night In A Ticket Line Was For A Prince Concert

The idea to spend all night in line was hatched after one or two, okay, after many beers.

It was in March of 1985, and I was a student at UNH, and was chatting with a friend (Mazz) who had turned me onto to Prince's music about his 'Purple Rain' album and upcoming shows at the Worcester Centrum.

Prince was an artist I was not expecting to like, but I couldn't help it. Purple Rain became his watershed moment, but I was hooked well before that.

Prince was hot at the time, and the shows at the Centrum were sure to be sold out, so after a few brews, at roughly 9 or 10pm on a Friday night, my friend Mazz and I decided to go to the Newington Mall and wait in line for the local Ticketron to open.

Armed with some beer (for liquid insulation), we took our place in line, and waited. It actually was a nice gathering of people. I had never envisioned myself waiting overnight to buy tickets to any concert. I never had any problem getting into any show I wanted to see.

But I knew Prince's concert would be special. I knew it would sellout fast. And I knew I wanted to see him. And this was a bonus, the Newington police came by with doughnuts bright and early in the morning apparently because we had all been so well behaved. That is so-not rock and roll. But a nice gesture nonetheless.

The concert was great, the memories even better. And another musical mind gone way too soon.