Through the Past Dorkily: Summer Jam

Editor's note: Through the Past Dorkily is a recurring feature that looks back at the embarrassingly dorky diary I kept as a 16-year-old in 1984.

Sunday, July 8, 1984

Song of the day: Tom Sawyer (live) - Rush

This weekend was a total bummer! I didn't get a chance to talk to [cute girl] all weekend. I worked all weekend. I didn't even get through to Jeremy.

While I was working today, [hot female classmates] stopped by! [Hot female #1] even hugged me! Geez! They said they'd call me and we'd get together when I'm on vacation.

Hopefully next week will be better.

- The Barbarian

Monday, July 9, 1984

Song of the day: Battle Scar - Max Webster and Rush

Another boring day. The one good thing was when I called [cute girl]. We talked for half an hour. She's a babe!

Mom said she was gonna talk to Dad about taking out a loan to get me a car. I hope I can get one!

I couldn't get ahold of Jeremy or his girlfriend today.

- The Barbarian

Tuesday, July 10, 1984

Song of the day: Blues Breakers - Brian May and Friends

Top 5 at Five
1. Lights Out - Peter Wolf
2. Still Loving You - Scorpions
3. Round and Round - Ratt
4. Sunglasses at Night - Corey Hart
5. Back Where I Started - Box of Frogs

Got up at 11. Everyone was gone, including the car. Which meant I was stuck at home mowing the lawn and working around the house all day. Fun stuff. I finally got in touch with Jeremy. He said he had to tell me something in person tomorrow. I hope it isn't bad news!

We were gonna go to the mall tomorrow but then Mom has to come home and say she needs it. I couldn't get ahold of Jeremy to tell him so I'll have to call him when I get up. Drat!

- The Barbarian

Wednesday, July 11, 1984

Song of the day: The Warrior - Scandal

Top 5 at Five
1. Lights Out - Peter Wolf
2. Round and Round - Ratt
3. Cover Me - Bruce Springsteen
4. Still Loving You - Scorpions
5. High on Emotion - Chris DeBurgh

Well, well, well, Apparently I was well rested. Jeremy called twice this morning while I was asleep. The second time JP woke me up. I told him (Jeremy) that we couldn't go to the mall and then, half asleep, I asked him what it was he wanted to tell me. He said [cute girl] (like ex g-f) was still hung up over her old boyfriend (or something like that, I'm not too sure). But, he said, she liked me, too. OK, I said, and I went back to bed. But wait. Later, in the afternoon, I got a call. From [cute girl]! She said she asked [Jeremy's gf] for my number. I invited her to go to the mall tomorrow with us. She said she'd ask. But what encourages me is that she would go to the trouble of getting my number and calling long distance just to talk to me! That proves she cares. Now, if she'll dump that other bozo...

I've got my work cut out for me.

- The Barbarian

Thursday, July 12, 1984

Song of the day: It's All I Can Do - The Cars

What a day! I was zipping around all day! First, I had to take Mom to work. I got back at 10, couldn't get ahold of Jeremy or [his gf]. So I went to get my check but they didn't get them in till 11. Then I hadda get gas and then we finally got going. [Cute girl's] brother had to come as well. Oh well. We still had a good time. I bought the new Circus and Dio's new album "Last in Line." We went to Friendly's for lunch. I finally got back at 2:50. I then went to work. [Guitar dude] was back today. He said he might call me tomorrow. [Cute girl] said she'd call me and so did Jeremy.

I am officially on vacation. Yaaaah!

- The Barbarian

Friday, July 13, 1984

Song of the day: Walking on a Thin Line - Huey Lewis and the News

Top 5 at Five
1. Round and Round - Ratt
2. We're Not Gonna Take It - Twisted Sister
3. Walking on a Thin Line - Huey Lewis and the News
4. Lights Out - Peter Wolf
5. Missing You - John Waite

Today was so-so. We went to Haverhill and I got my pictures. They turned out alright. Other than that, not a helluva lot happened. [Cute girl] called me. What a babe. I haveta pick her up at 10. Good deal.

- The Barbarian

Saturday, July 14, 1984

Song of the day: S.M.F. - Twisted Sister

Man, what a day! I got up at 7:30 to see Mom, Dad and JP off. At 9:45, I left to pick up [cute girl] and [two other friends]. We got there just after 10 but it didn't start till 12:30. I bought a Ratt jersey.

The Lines opened the show. They were good, but they had a pretty short set. It took about another half hour before Lovely Lita Ford came out. Wow! What a fox! She blew me away! Good set, good guitarist. Next was Twisted F---in Sister! Loud! Outrageous! Fast! Those guys thrashed! Ratt was next. Those guys were the best! Awesome. They totally kicked butt!

Cheap Trick came out last. They cranked! I caught one of Rick Nielsen's picks! Yah!

It was almost unbearably hot: 90s, humid, sticky, ugh. It took an hour to get out. After dropping off [cute girl] and the other two, I got lost on the way home. I took the wrong road and ended up somewhere. I turned around, luckily, and came out on 111 in Salem! From there I somehow got on 125 and back home!

- The (SMF) Barbarian

Sunday, July 15, 1984

Song of the day: Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2

Didn't do much today. Got up at 11 and took the garbage out. Then I basically bummed out till 5:30. Me, Jeremy and [his gf] went to see Gremlins. It was great! After the movie, we went to her house and watched MTV till 10. Then we went home.

- The Barbarian

Monday, July 16, 1984

Song of the day: When You Close Your Eyes - Night Ranger

Top 5 at Five
1. Round and Round - Ratt
2. We're Not Gonna Take It - Twisted Sister
3. Back Where I Started - Box of Frogs
4. Cover Me - Bruce Springsteen
5. When You Close Your Eyes - Night Ranger

Boredom! I didn't do a thing today. It was humid and cloudy all day so we couldn't go to the beach. I should've gone to Florida.

- The (bored) Barbarian

Postscript: I didn't provide a lot of details, but this vacation was planned around the fact that my parents and brother were going to Florida for the week. I think I argued that I wanted to stay home and make some money, but really, I just didn't want to go on vacation with them. I also had some designs originally about throwing a big party, but thankfully I had the good sense to change my mind. That would have been a friggin' disaster. 

A similar refrain from the love interest about being hung up over her ex. I could really attract the winners.

So this was my first concert. I totally forgot that I went with this girl and her friends; for some reason, I thought I went with high school buddies. All I can remember other than the bands was roasting in the sun all day and not moving or going to the bathroom or drinking anything the whole time. The crowds didn't let up until Cheap Trick's headlining set because Ratt was on the rise then and CT was on a downswing. We moved up front for CT and it was terrific. Long freaking day. At least I didn't drink back then.

Twisted Sister was the real revelation that day. Just an amazing live act. And this is from later the same year (around the time I saw them open for Dio):