The first time I saw (and heard) the Kingston Trio was Sept. 19, 1995 on the campus of Western New Mexico University in Silver City, New Mexico. It was one of the top four concerts I have ever attended. (The others were Bob Dylan & The Band, The Rolling Stones and Leonard Cohen.)

And the line-up was terrific: Bob Shane, Nick Reynolds and George Grove. Also Paul Gabrielson, Ben Schubert, a drummer whose name I can’t remember and someone else too, who I can’t remember.
I drove over to Silver City (about two hours away from my house in Las Cruces) with a friend of mine who wasn’t a big fan of the Trio but was interested in hearing them live. We arrived early and grabbed seats down front in the auditorium about 6:00 or 6:30. I regret not taking a piece of paper and a pencil to write the songs, but “Oh well”. It was a terrific concert and I had one really good time.

When the concert was over (probably about 9:00), they announced that for a few bucks ($12.00 sticks in my mind), folks could stop at the bar at a motel in town and hobnob (drink, chat, get autographs and such) with the Trio and the rest of the band. The guy I was with offered to pay my way, but I still had a two hour drive ahead of me and I had to be at work at 6:00 AM the next day. I really regret it, but I had to decline. One of the many mistakes in my life.

Anyhow, it was an exceptional concert and I had a great time and I didn’t run the car off the road driving back home. Since then, I’ve seen The Kingston Trio probably a dozen times, the last time being a Dec. 14, 2014 Christmas concert with George Grove, Bill Zorn and Rick Dougherty and Paul Gabrielson in Albuquerque, New Mexico. You know, before the @#%&*(^%$#!@ marvinette times. It was really good too.