Relive The Glory Of The American Rock Festival

Fans recently shared memories from the American Rock Festival, which took place at Timber Ridge Ski Area on May 27, 1984. So, I thought I would share my experience.

When I was in high school, I heard the radio commercial for the American Rock Festival lineup, which included Ozzy Osbourne, Triumph, Quiet Riot, Night Ranger, Motley Crue, Ratt, and Accept. I thought my head was going to explode.

Concerts in the 1970s and 1980s

When I was a kid growing up in Oakland County, Michigan, during the 1970s and 1980s, the only big music festival I had ever heard of was Woodstock. I listened to Detroit radio stations and heard all the concerts that used to come to Cobo Hall, Pine Knob, Joe Louis Arena, and the Pontiac Silverdome.

Back in those days, bands didn't overplay the market; they would come one time, and you wouldn't see them again until the next album cycle. They also didn't have to put tickets on sale a year in advance, either. Most shows were advertised 4 to 6 weeks out.

There was no internet; you or a buddy would wait in line to get tickets at the venue box office or a ticket outlet. The tickets would go on sale and sell out. Sometimes shows would be added because the ticket demand was so high.

Read More: Iconic Guitar Solos Born in Michigan 

Tickets were a lot cheaper back then, and artists didn't play the same state 3 or 4 times in a touring cycle, which made the shows much more special. Plus, YouTube didn't exist to ruin the experience before you saw the show.

Fans Remember The American Rock Festival At Timber Ridge

When the American Rock Festival lineup of Ozzy Osbourne, Triumph, Quiet Riot, Motley Crue, Ratt, and Accept was announced, all of these bands were blowing up at the same time. Ozzy had those two giant records with Randy Rhoads, and Bark at the Moon was just released with Jake E. Lee on guitar.  Triumph had hit after hit on rock radio. Quiet Riot, Night Ranger, Motley Crue, Ratt, and Accept were the baby bands at the time. All of which had giant songs from their first records, blowing up the charts and radio waves.

As a kid in high school, it was hard to comprehend that every band I was currently listening to at home, trying to figure out how to play their songs on my guitar, was all going to be playing the same day at one show.

The American Rock Festival for my friend and me was similar to the movie Detroit Rock City, where the characters have a crazy day trying to get to a Kiss show. Matt and I piled into his LTD with hardly any money and drove to Timber Ridge Ski Area for our first rock festival.

Traffic reminded me of watching the Woodstock footage on HBO when cable TV came out. We sat in traffic forever. People were getting out of their cars and peeing in fields. I remember watching a couple of girls hold up a blanket to block the view of their friend taking a leak.

Parking was a nightmare, and we did a stupid thing by falling for a farmer who had cheap parking and pulled into his field, not knowing we were still miles from the venue. Then we followed a bunch of people into the woods and began walking toward the venue.

It was a terrible, muddy walk to the venue, but when we got there and saw all those people and saw that stage, nothing mattered anymore but rock 'n roll.

Watching Accept perform 'Balls to the Wall', Ratt performing songs from their iconic album 'Out of the Cellar', Motley Crue performing 'Shout at the Devil', Night Ranger rocking out to 'Don't Tell Me You Love Me, Quiet Riot performing 'Bang Your Head', and "Cum on Feel the Noize', followed by the hit factory of Triumph and Rick Emmett's amazing guitar work and then the legendary Ozzy Osbourne hit the stage.. This was a sensory overload for two high school kids who loved every one of these bands and every song performed.

The ski lodge at Timber Ridge was where the bands hung out before they played. I remember walking over to a fence and talking to Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee of Motley Crue. Those were the first two rock stars I ever met, and I couldn't believe they were right there talking to me.

I bought my first concert shirt that day, and when the show wrapped up, I looked at my buddy in awe of what we had just experienced.

We then had to get back to our vehicle. We began walking, and walking, then finally a truck slowed down and said, "Hey guys, hop on the bumper and we will drop you off at your lot. We thought, Wow, the rock gods are looking down on us.

We got to our car and began driving back, discussing everything we saw and heard that day. Halfway back, we realized we didn't have much gas and only a couple of dollars left between the two of us. This is when I thought I shouldn't have bought that t-shirt.

We actually had to bum a few bucks off someone at a truck stop to make it home, which we did with such relief. The American Rock Festival is still one of my most fond memories of all time when it comes to concerts.

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I'm not the only one who has memories from that amazing day in 1984. Fans recently took to the OldSchoolCool Reddit page to share their memories, which you can check out here.

👇BELOW: American Rock Festival 1984👇