For me, there’s just something about walking into a house and smelling spaghetti and meatballs cooking on the stove. Add in a background whiff of garlic bread in the oven, and it’s perfect. I have always connected memories to homemade, carefully crafted family meals. I’ve also tied memories to music, whether it be in the background, someone singing “Happy Birthday”, or in a smoky, cramped, loud as can be concert venue.
My first concert was at the Asheville Civic Center and that’s where both of my passions collided. Mom had let us know a couple of weeks in advance that we’d be going to the Ingles Food Show. Being a little Philip, I didn’t quite understand what that meant, but I was game! After all, I knew the song “Wink”, and anything with food in the title couldn’t be that bad.
The day came and after a small trip through the tightly squeezed downtown streets of Asheville, NC, we had arrived at our destination. A small wait in line and we were inside and in the floor area of the Civic Center. And I was not prepared for what my eyes were seeing! Tables of food everywhere! And at the other end? A stage with speakers taller than any man I had ever seen. Mom quickly grabbed us by the hands and gave us our instructions, we were to collect as many coupons as possible. Aha, the catch, this was a work opportunity.
With our instructions, we were out of the gate faster than an NHRA dragster that just saw the green light. With our prior expertise of collecting samples from the vendors at the flea market weekly, we didn’t need much direction. I stuffed myself with cheeses, crackers, cookies, deli meats, cereals (hey, it didn’t matter, it was 6pm!), and all other kinds of bite-sized treats. Along the way, my white plastic bag became overstuffed with handfuls of coupons, surveys, and glossy slippery ads.
Suddenly, the lights began to dim and Mom pulled us to our seats in the upper section. Out strolled a lanky cowboy in a white hat and dark denim and the music started. It was loud! Probably the loudest music in the world. I pressed against the railing, drawing myself as close as possible to the spectacle. Looking down, there were people still on the floor amongst the vendors, they fearlessly were dancing, shouting, and singing. How do I get there??
After a few songs, the lights began to come on and Neal McCoy was thanking everyone for coming out. Something very unexpected happened next, he threw something from the stage. The people crowded amongst the tables began to scramble for it. Was it money?? Chocolate?? Ninja Turtle action figures?? Now the drummer was throwing something out too!! Ugh! I thought for a second if I climbed over the railing, I could probably drop to the concrete floor below, and, barring injury or death, grab my own souvenir which could possibly even be a WCW wrestling VHS tape! But, being the great mom that she is, she stopped me from joining the chaos.
The trip home I was filled with Oreos, Cheez-Its, Oscar Mayer Bologna, excitement, and a slight feeling of missing out. I’m not sure what coveted item everyone down there had to have, but I knew that one day I would get upgraded to floor seats, find out—and I would get it myself.
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