Ladies and gentlemen
That's the English translation of Cindy Lair's intro to Stop! by Jane's Addiction. And thank goodness they had our back — because with no smartphones, no Life360, and the parenting standards in 1990, attending a concert as a high schooler was a very different thing than it is today.
We have more influence over your children than you do
But we love them...
Around that time, my friend and I decided at the last minute to go to Nassau Coliseum for an incredible bill: Sonic Youth and Social Distortion opening for Neil Young. All three were touring behind their 1990 releases. But getting to the show? It's almost laughable when viewed through the lens of modern parenting.
We were dropped off on the shoulder of Hempstead Turnpike, just outside the Coliseum's parking lot. We climbed a fence to get onto the grounds (no CCTV to worry about back then), presumably to dodge the parking fee. Adding to the complexity, we didn't have tickets. We'd heard on the radio that tickets were still available at the box office. No cell phones, no backup plan — just counting on our ride to stick around in case we came back empty-handed.
Luckily, there were seats. The concert was fantastic, the crowd was sparse, and no one texted anyone to say they'd arrived safely.
It's wild to think about now. Today, we track our kids' every movement and get anxious if we're not in regular contact. Back then, the grownups let us loose, crossed their fingers, and hoped everything went alright.
It's not like I thought my parents were especially lax. But on nights like that, we were left in the care of the band. And thankfully, they loved us enough to give us a great show.