The 5 Strangest Concert Moments I've Witnessed

I've seen around 250 shows over the past decade. Here are the five strangest moments during those shows.

5 Black Dice make the case for ear plugs
Andy Warhol Museum, September 16, 2005
This was by far the loudest show I ever attended. Not knowing the band's music at all, I dragged a friend along for what I thought would be a fun evening. Then Black Dice came out and played their freaky experimental music, with the volume cranked up to jet-takeoff levels. After about 3 songs, we had to get the hell out of there, lest we risk permanent hearing loss. So we headed up to the third floor of the Warhol - and we could still hear the band from three floors away! It was far more enjoyable from there.

4 Insane Clown Posse break out the Faygo and glitter
The Bomb Shelter, April 2003
I only went to this concert out of curiosity - and because the small agency I worked for had booked it. Those familiar with ICP know that during shows they have a habit of spraying red Faygo pop all over the crowd, then covering the audience with party glitter. I kept my distance from the stage but still left this show sticky and glittery. Equally strange was seeing the opening act - 2 Live Crew - play their infamous hit "Me So Horny" inside this small club in New Castle, Pa.

3 Slipknot inspire audience mayhem
Post-Gazette Pavilion, July 28, 2001
At Ozzfest 2001, Slipknot, wearing their trademark rubber masks and red jumpsuits, put on one of the most intense shows I've ever seen. As they came out for an encore, fans started heaving into the air everything they could get their hands on. They filled giant fishbowl-sized beer cups with giant pieces of sod and mud, and fired them towards the pavilion. These were seriously dangerous projectiles, and people who didn't have their head on a swivel ended up getting seriously hurt. There were literally hundreds of objects flying through the air at once. I was fearful at one point that a riot was going to break out.

2 KISS show that face painters are patriots too
Post-Gazette Pavilion, July 4, 2004
The most surreal moment I've witnessed came during KISS's July 4 concert. I never expected this band with the scary makeup and rowdy attitude to be starting "U.S.A.! U.S.A.!" chants, but they did. I was incredulous as Paul Stanley repeatedly encouraged everyone. "Come on, you love your country, let's hear it!" A few chants would've been great - it was the fourth of July, after all. But over and over for two hours we were asked to demonstrate our patriotism with mindless chants. It felt like I had been dropped into a NASCAR event.

1 Olivia Newton-John's comical ode to trees
Indiana University, October 26, 2003
First I have to explain why in the world I was at an Olivia Newton-John show. I make a habit of telling friends that I'll go to pretty much any concert, any place, that anyone wants to go to. I had a friend at the time who for some reason adored Olivia, so off to Indiana University of Pennsylvania we went. The show was actually better than I expected, but there were two hilarious moments I'll never forget: One, her ridiculously earnest ode to trees ("Don't cut me down/I am innocent/I need room to grow/I am your friend".) And two, a so-serious-it-was-comical acoustic reworking of "Let's Get Physical." I couldn't stop giggling during that one.