38 Comments
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Sabina Gazic's avatar

I love your confessions! Not seeing The Dead Milkmen backstage definitely belongs to one of Dante’s circles of hell! For the rest, say 3 times: God, our father in heaven…’ 😂

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

That was one of those I regretted almost instantly. :(

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Marmi's avatar

I also confess to loving New Edition!

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

So, so good!

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David Perlmutter's avatar

Why give up laughter for lent when you could give up food for funk?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlCEmd3wU3Y

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Andrew Smith's avatar

Fellow former gatekeeper here! Also: NKOTB had some moments.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

This is true.

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Chris Bro's avatar

Well played! Thank you

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Ryan Gonzalez's avatar

The Alvvays one gave me a good chuckle. I used to think The Grateful Dead were a heavy metal band and finally listened to them at 30 - boy was I surprised by their sound!

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

There was a stretch where finding new ways to miss a show became my superpower. It was almost comical. This one really bummed me out, though.

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Michael Maupin 🄾🄵 🅂🅃🄾🅁🅈🅂🄷🄴🄳's avatar

I'm embarrassed to admit I thought (at one time) Yes' Tales from Topographic Oceans was a spiritual guide to a better life. LOL.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Oh no! 😂

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Michael Maupin 🄾🄵 🅂🅃🄾🅁🅈🅂🄷🄴🄳's avatar

You think I made a mistake?!?

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Absolutely not!

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Michael Maupin 🄾🄵 🅂🅃🄾🅁🅈🅂🄷🄴🄳's avatar

hey wait. Can you sing the sutra that begins topographical oceans? "Dawn of the light..." it starts, I think but ends:

"And I do think very well

As the truth unflods you

Silently

They move time

Rainbows

Sunlight

Alternate tune..."

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Michael Maupin 🄾🄵 🅂🅃🄾🅁🅈🅂🄷🄴🄳's avatar

I grew up with Yes, Genesis, ELP, Pink Floyd, and oh maybe some Jethro Tull. And big King Crimson. Of that ilk.

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Francesca Bossert's avatar

I didn't go and see Supertramp in Geneva in...1978? because I didn't like the guy who bought me the ticket...but l still wish I'd gone!

I thought Madonna was going to be a one hit wonder.

However, I knew Coldplay would be huge the second I heard Yellow!

And I still love love love Ricky Martin.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

There are fantastic, Francesca! And yeah; Ricky Martin’s still got it!

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Francesca Bossert's avatar

He does 😍😂🤗

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Andres's avatar

I looove this! 100% with you on Radiohead.

Can’t quite believe you were a gatekeeper. I’m sure you were way nicer than most current gatekeepers and, importantly, that you made way more solid points than they do now.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

I was the *worst*. Just insufferable. I owe a lot of people apologies. 😭

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Andres's avatar

Well, look at it this way: with all the good you’ve been doing here, you’ve more than repaid whatever damage you may have caused back then.

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Beebe Sharkey's avatar

Blasting Kylie Minogue bops is hardly a sin. Turn it up! 😉

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Always!

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Dan Pal's avatar

I'm on the same page as you with some of these Kevin! I never saw The Talking Heads but I did see Huey Lewis & the News. I used lots of Aqua Net in my hair too! I've never been a big fan of Radiohead but I appreciate what they do. Mine own confessions off the top of my head:

-I've never seen Bruce Springsteen live

-My favorite female vocalists of all time are Cher and Melissa Manchester

-I don't get the love for Foo Fighters

-I'm not a fan of hip hop

-None of these artists have ever made my yearly Top Ten songs lists: U2, David Bowie, Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Adele, Billie Eilish, Green Day, or Coldplay

-These artists have made my year Top Ten songs lists numerous times: Cher, Melissa Manchester, Foster the People, Kakkmaddafakka, Datarock, Aimee Mann, The B-52s, The Killers, Matthew Sweet, Madonna, Tori Amos, and Carpenters.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

I don’t get the love for Foo Fighters, either! They just never landed with me. Melissa Manchester’s voice is in incredible! I only know a couple of songs, but still…

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Dan Pal's avatar

Here's my Melissa Top 21 (I added one in 2024!) No pressure to listen! https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/melissa-manchester-top-20/pl.u-WabZzXVidEMgj9

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Dave Purcell's avatar

Great list! Five of mine...

1. While I recognize their historical importance, I think The Beatles are overrated. Rocky Raccoon?

2. The first time I saw Elvis Costello was after my high school graduation, summer 1984. I remember none of it because my best friend was bored and kept buying movie popcorn bucket-sized beers. (Nick Lowe opened with Paul Carrack on keys and vocals and that was rad.)

3. I didn't like Bruce Springsteen until my late 20s when an older friend made me a cassette of deep cuts.

4. I think all Pet Shop Boys songs sound alike although I do like the hits.

5. I left the Sting/Peter Gabriel Rock Paper Scissors tour before the encore because it was lame.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Re #5: funny you should say that! We saw them on that same tour (at Summerfest), and it was pretty underwhelming. Not sure what I was expecting, but that wasn’t it. Some of that may have been down to the broiling temps, but still. We saw him on his last tour and it was light years better.

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Mark Edward Randall's avatar

I agree with you on Kylie Minogue.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Great minds think alike!

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Bob Tooker's avatar

I saw Mother Love Bone and Nirvana, thought they were terrible...

Saw BOC over 25:times and still don't think I saw them enough...

Queensryche up until Empire was the second best band out of Seattle...

Did not go to a Rolling Stones concert, just didn't care enough...

Saw Dio three times in four Days...

Was head of security at a Charlie Daniels concert...

Almost got knocked out in the pit at a Suicidal Tendencies concert...

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

I wouldn’t have made it 5 seconds in that pit…

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Bob Tooker's avatar

I will tell you the whole story someday... It was truly a night.

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Rocco Pendola's avatar

I used to think Bruce Springsteen was just another American stadium rocker (same as Steve)...

🤔🫣😁😂

The truth is so did I. I first discovered BIUSA in 1984, when I was 9. Then, I went backwards and figured things out.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

This is the way.

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Jan Harayda's avatar

I was a vinyl-will-make-a-comeback denier.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

This be honest, I was too for awhile.

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