Congratulations to The Cars! WHAT?

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Boston's The Cars are one of my favorite bands, so I was happy to see that they will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. I saw The Cars in either late 1981 or early 1982 at Denver's old McNichols Sports Arena (either way, it was an insanely cold Colorado winter night.) It was the Shake it Up tour, so they opened with "Since You're Gone," and naturally, the setlist heavily favored that album. But that was not the most memorable thing about the show. (Nor was the fact that the great Nick Lowe opened for them!) No, the most memorable thing is still, to me, the most surprising thing about that particular concert as well: The Cars are, to this date, the loudest band I've ever seen. You might shrug and say "ok," but think about it. The Cars shouldn't be a loud band. Songs such as "My Best Friend's Girlfriend," "Since You're Gone," and "Let's Go" aren't exactly screaming "Crank it up! AND THEN CRANK IT UP SOME MORE!" But they did. I have seen a LOT of bands over the years. Heavy metal bands, punk bands, you name it. I once saw a speed metal band called Dark Angel. They weren't as loud. After no other concert have I driven home with my ears still begging for mercy. (Type O Negative was the only band that gave The Cars a run for their money, but I could still hold a conversation after their show.) Anyway, that's my Cars experience. Congratulations to them! Ive linked to a live 1979 performance of my favorite Cars song, "Candy-O." It in no way hints at the sheer power that I would witness a couple years later. But it's still awesome.