I was going to “chat” this weekend about the recent unveiling of our new Monday-digital business model and all the interesting interactions I’ve had with folks — good and bad — but I decided against it for now. It’s been a heavy, difficult week because of those changes, especially for our staff in the Business Office on the front lines. So, I decided to write about something light and more fun instead. (And, we’ll get to the Monday issue another time.)

What’s the most memorable concert you’ve ever attended?

I’ve come up with a listing of my Top 10, and by looking at them, I realize that there are different attributes that make each so memorable: Sometimes it’s the artist; sometimes the venue; sometimes it’s the person or people you are with; sometimes the socializing before or after. In other words, a lot of things can make them special.

Also, as I have said many times when I’ve written about personal experiences, this is not meant to be an “I’m Mike Cutillo and look at all the great shows I’ve been to” column. It is meant to jog some of your own cherished memories during a time when I think we all could use that.

So here goes, from 10 to 1:

No. 10, The Doobie Brothers and Eddie Money, Aug. 25, 1978, the Onondaga County War Memorial: You always remember your first one, right? This was my first concert. The Doobies were the headliner; we didn’t know Eddie Money that well at the time, but of course he would develop into a superstar. Extra special side memory: My buddy Ken accidentally closed the car door on his date’s hand, so we were dealing with bloody fingers all night.

No. 9, Joe Bonamassa, March 3, 2022, the Landmark Theatre, Syracuse: Our first event with a crowd post-covid. He’s an amazing guitarist who hails from New Hartford near Utica. He put on an incredible performance, with his crew handing him gorgeous guitar after gorgeous guitar for each tune. Before the show, my wife and I were at a very crowded Kitty Hoynes Pub in Armory Square for dinner. They ended up seating us with another couple we didn’t know because we would have missed the show if we waited for our own table. They turned out to be very friendly folks who were friends of Bonamassa and his family. Extra special side memory: Our seats in the theater........

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