music

"The Grateful Dead were using two drum kits [in 1969] and they came with two women who were dressed alike and kinda preppy looking. They put each one at a drum kit and I realized they were two flight attendants from Northwest Airlines that they brought with them. I was standing there watching them and Jerry Garcia came up to me and said, 'Weird enough for you?' "

Suzanne Weil, who booked Guthrie concerts from 1969-'76

"The Who, June 1969, fourth-row seats, Roger Daltrey's mike seemingly right over our heads, soaring Marshall stacks, Keith Moon playing snare on some guy's head as he tries to grab Pete Townshend's destroyed Gibson at the end."

Gary Diamond, Minneapolis

At a 1971 concert, "Miles Davis played only 45 minutes and the lights went up. Carl Eller was there in his wolf coat with the other Purple People Eaters but they were too hip to ask if it was over. Nobody wanted to pick up their coats and leave in case there was a second half. So they stood around by their seats as though they knew what was going on. But nobody did. We finally went out and announced it was over, and they left."

Suzanne Weil

"The coolest beginning I ever saw for a concert was the Mahavishnu Orchestra at the Guthrie. From blackness, the lights came up to John McLaughlin slowly rocking back and forth, incense swirling around him, playing "The Inner Mounting Flame" on a double-necked Gibson SG guitar."

Alan Johnston

"In 1975, a friend and I saw Bruce Springsteen at the Guthrie, and I've never needed to see him in concert again. We were 30 feet away and we were 20 years old. It could never be that good again."

Laurie MacLeod, Minneapolis

"My college roommate and I took two dates to see Bruce and band. Ended up with front row seats, directly in front of [saxophonist] Clarence Clemons. During a brief lull toward the end of the show, I yelled, 'Rosalita!' Bruce said, 'Now how in the world did you know we were going play that?' Clarence came over and high-fived me."

James Delaney, Alexandria, Minn.

"I saw Patti Smith's concert [in 1976] after I'd met her and her band at the airport earlier that day. I remember she walked out and spit on the Guthrie stage, saying something like 'Pete Townshend played here.' "

Jay Snyder, Edina

"John Prine was playing, I think it was 1976, and he forgot the lyrics. As he continued to strum his guitar, I shouted out the words to him. He smiled and said, 'That sounds good to me.' "

Greg Morgan, Twin Cities

"I worked behind-the-scenes as 'go-fer' for promoter Dick Shapiro. My Guthrie memories include sewing a button on a shirt for the Knack and crawling in the rafters while Warren Zevon played the piano to take a photo of him from directly above. After a Melissa Manchester show [in 1977], Dick Shapiro said, 'Lani, get out your camera!' Shaking for this moment, I snapped a rare photo of Melissa with champagne and Bob Dylan in shades and scruffy.

Lani Hanson, Minneapolis