Tangerine Dream at Avery Fisher Hall

my actual stub

On this date, 49 years ago, I had one of those concert experiences that only really make sense if you were young. Tangerine Dream, with a full-on Laserium show, at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City.

I was 16 years old—22 days shy of 17—and while I wasn’t a full-fledged Tangerine Dream devotee, I was into spacey music, prog rock, and whatever else my friends and I were smoking at the time. So, close enough. My friend Danny was the real Tangerinehead and is almost certainly the reason we were there. Besides Danny, I feel pretty certain that Luke and Ellen were there, too. Memory gets a little hazy (though not nearly as hazy as the air in the auditorium. See below.)

Two things stand out clearly. First: the laser show. It might feel cheesy now, but Laserium was a mind-expanding big deal back then, especially when paired with adolescent enthusiasm and a relaxed relationship with reality.

Second: the smoke. Alison “The Nightbird” Steele came out to introduce the concert and gently reminded everyone that smoking was not permitted inside the hall. This was met with boos, laughter, and a collective decision to ignore her entirely. Within minutes, the auditorium filled with so much marijuana smoke that the band, the lights, and possibly time itself disappeared. I vaguely remember even the band disdainfully commenting on it.

This stub (which is cooler than my boring Ticketron stub) is for sale on Ebay for $25.

And then there was the moment that still makes me laugh out loud. The guy sitting in the seat next to me nudged me and handed me something. In that communal, anything-goes atmosphere, I assumed it was a joint, or possibly a flask. Nope. It was a piece of matzoh. April 5th was right in the middle of Passover. Being handed matzoh at a Tangerine Dream concert struck me as the funniest thing I’d ever experienced, and I completely lost it.

The show has only grown in legend over time. It was Tangerine Dream’s first-ever New York appearance, apparently a particularly strong performance, widely bootlegged afterward. Hear it for yourself, if you like.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYmfA3JcBjw

Lester Bangs was there and later wrote his now-classic review, “I Saw God and/or Tangerine Dream,” which I’ll link to below.

Definitely one of the stranger—and better—nights of my youth.

https://www.villagevoice.com/i-saw-god-and-or-tangerine-dream/