Year Acquired: 1988 or '89
Location: Northway Mall t-shirt kiosk, source of many metal t-shirts.
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Sometime last year I realized I have a load of t-shirts. For more than half my life I've collected comic books, hockey cards, records/tapes/cds but I've never consciously thought of myself as a t-shirt collector. They just accumulated since I never part with things. Last year, once I had all my summer clothes unpacked, I decided to see how long I could go before repeating a t-shirt. I need more arbitrary rules for my life. Obviously, I washed and re-wore undershirts and gym shorts, but for my real t-shirts, I think it took me until October to repeat. I've decided that Memorial Day will mark when I pull out all my t-shirts and try my best not to re-wear anything until I wear all my shirts at least once. And thanks to recommendations from Penny and Jesse, the world is stuck with this blog where I will document the process.
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To start this process (i.e. ordeal for friends and family) I had to begin with a memorable shirt. Without exhaustive research I think this is the oldest shirt that I still wear. I do have a few relics tucked away in the attic that aren't in rotation, but this is the oldest that is regularly worn and definitely a favorite. I have many of the "black concert t-shirt" variety but this was my first. At the time of it's purchase in the late '80s, Queensÿrche was my favorite band. "Operation:Mindcrime" was just released and it was in constant rotation. My second or third favorite band was Metallica so when I saw that Queensÿrche was opening for Metallica on the "..And Justice for All" tour at the Civic Arena I asked my parents if I could go to my first concert. Not surprisingly, as a naive 8th grader I was denied. Oddly enough, less than a year later my parents allowed me to go to my first concert at the legendary Pittsburgh punk & metal dive The Electric Banana. Which I guess since it was smaller seemed safer than the Civic Arena?!?
Back to the shirt. As a consolation prize I couldn't go see Queensÿrche but I was allowed to get a shirt from the mall shortly after the concert. I didn't see the show, but I at least have the t-shirt...and still wear it 20 plus years later.
