First Concert: Steve Wertheimer

"The Spirit of '76"

Steve Wertheimer

Who: Deep Purple, J. Geils Band, Elf

Where: Houston Astrodome

When: August 30, 1974

How was this huge show in comparison to you having attended local dances and such in Rosenberg at the American Legion Hall, and is that Elf the one with Ronnie James Dio!? C'mon dude, who can remember who's in the act that went on at 7pm? This show was huge. Have you been to a public dance in an American Legion or VFW Hall? A light show in Rosenberg usually consisted of the cops pulling up with their police lights on.

The Dome was a totally different experience and because it was inside, there was no getting away from the contact high. I remember about five of us were packed in my buddy's '72 Cutlass 442 cruising to Houston from Rosenberg, getting our attitudes adjusted the whole way. My buddy with the car realized he forgot his ticket about halfway to Houston, a 45-mile drive, but being the bro he was, he said nothing until we pulled up at the Dome, dropped us off, and drove back home to get his ticket. He made it back in time for J. Geils and DP.

What effect did live music have on you at an early age in terms of your career path? Not sure if any of those big shows had any effect on what I am doing now. Now the Rome Inn and shows I saw there and places like Soap Creek and After Hours and the AusTex Lounge are a different story. Those shows and places molded me into what I am today. I have always been a small-town guy that appreciates the intimacy of a small venue.

Why is live music important to childhood development? You have a daughter and one can only imagine the shows she's seen through her parents! You have to have live music growing up. It's such an integral part socially. It's where you go and hang with your friends, and also a great place to educate other people who may have not had the opportunity to experience musically what you have. I love turning folks on to something new and fresh that they might not have heard yet.

Our daughter, who is now 12, is a big music fan. She goes to the club with me from time to time and as of the past few years started to really enjoy ACL Fest and is dragging me all over the place out there. I saw Grace VanderWaal last year because of her. At the same time, I've turned her on to artists out there like Gary, Leon, and Tomar. My daughter's first show we attended together: the Stones at Zilker Park in 2006!! She's 12 now, you do the math.