"BAY RIDGE - It's always show time for a Bay Ridge resident who has attended over a whopping 24,000 concerts in his life. Joe Sarkis, 72, is known to many as "Concert Joe." His love for live performances started in 1971. Since then, he has kept a log of all the shows he's attended, saved ticket stubs, and collected memorabilia and a lifetime of memories."
"'They call him Every Night Charlie,' he said. 'In 1971, he turned 18 and was able to get into all the clubs, so he said he was going to go to a concert every night of the year. I think he did it for two years straight. Now he's done almost every night since, and he was the one who showed me how to set up a calendar and stuff.'"
Joe Sarkis has attended over 24,000 concerts since 1971 and is known locally as 'Concert Joe.' A 1970 wedding featuring Richie Havens and a 1971 show by The Byrds at Carnegie Hall sparked his passion for live music. He began attending affordable Central Park concerts and once bought about 40 tickets for roughly $60, launching his long-running habit. Sarkis kept detailed logs, saved ticket stubs, and collected memorabilia. He grew up on the same Bay Ridge block for 71 years and did not frequent restaurants or events until his twenties. Friends Charley Crespo and 'Ticket Stub Stewie' taught him how to organize and gain access to shows.
Read at Brooklyn Eagle
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