THE_REAL_SHAT

First Concert: Ozzy Osbourne, April Fool’s Day, 1981

I was 15, drove 37 miles each way in my ‘73 Pontiac Catalina (a living room on wheels handed down from my grandparents) with my little brother, had fourth-row seats, and didn’t know what that funny smell during the concert was.

At the time I was surprised that Ozzy never referenced that it was April Fool’s Day. Pretty silly now, knowing that he didn’t know what solar system he was in back then.

I followed through on my promise to call my mother after the concert. It was hard to hear her through the ringing in my ears, but I bet she was relieved that we hadn’t been murdered in the many nasty ways that she must have imagined.

And finally, I was too much of a doofus to know that I was witnessing the great Randy Rhoads playing live and in person mere feet in front of me.