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In New York City\u2019s live music community, Concert Joe is something between a familiar face and a living legend. The Brooklyn-based live music fanatic has made witnessing countless shows his life\u2019s mission, and after years of commitment to following the sound, he\u2019s forged strong connections to venues, promoters (including the legendary Ron Delsener) and fans alike. Last night, in a testament to his local renown, Joe and his legacy reached beyond the city\u2019s nightlife with a feature for CBS News New York.<\/p>\n
On air and online at 6:30 p.m., CBS 2 shared an interview between Joe and reporter Hannah Kliger and a look inside the treasure trove of his Brooklyn apartment. Between shots of his memorabilia, including bins of ticket stubs, walls of t-shirts and a framed poster of Beck\u2019s 2018 Relix<\/em> cover, he divulges the insight he\u2019s earned through his herculean feats of fandom. Among his most interesting suggestions is that he never listens to recorded music. \u201cIt\u2019s the difference between fresh food and frozen food,\u201d he says. \u201cRecorded is good, but not as good as live. Frozen food is good, but not as good as fresh.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe holds that he has attended more than 24,000 shows within his lifetime, and proudly digs up the receipts to certify his claim. To reach this unparalleled level, he says he\u2019s spent more than half a million dollars and taken out three loans. In 1992, he gunned for a feat worthy of pitching to the Guinness Book of World Records: Attending 1,000 concerts in a single year.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIn 1992, I went to three shows a night on weekdays and five or six per night on weekends,\u201d Joe wrote in a piece on his quest for Relix<\/em>. \u201cI skipped some shows that I would have otherwise attended so my 1,000th show that year would be Jorma Kaukonen at Wetlands. The celebrity.land was the first to publicize the 1,000 show attempt about a week before New Year\u2019s Eve. Larry Bloch, the late founder of the Wetlands Preserve, set a red ribbon outside Wetlands for me to walk through and also let me introduce the band that night. MTV used my ribbon-cutting photo for a story on MTV news for two days in the beginning of 1993.\u201d<\/p>\n While Guinness wouldn\u2019t budge, Joe and his widely known reputation have been documented by MTV, VH1, The New York Times <\/em>and more. Today, at 71 years old, he\u2019s still unwavering in his mission. This summer, he\u2019s been out at concerts for more than 50 nights in a row.<\/p>\n Read and watch Concert Joe\u2019s CBS News New York profile here<\/a>. Read his story in his own words in his Relix<\/em> feature here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n