Mine would be a concert that Johnny Winter And was headlining and I lucked into hearing Tommy Bolin with The James Gang which was a supporting artist.
Within a couple of years Tommy was gone.
Any recollections to share?
"My friends say I'm ugly I got a masculine face." Tom Waits
My very first concert: Went to see the Gregg Allman Band on the I'm No Angel tour. "And while we're here I guess we'll stick around for this Stevie Ray Vaughan guy too...."
went to see sly stone and the climax blues band opened.
went to see renaisance and sea level opened
went to see van morrison and rockpile opened
went to see 10 years after and zz top opened
went to see the marshall tucker band and the nitty gritty dirt band opened
I can't think of a show where I lucked into a great back up band but I did go to see Black Sabbath in Lincoln NE
on 1976-10-29 and the back up band "Boston" put on a far better show. Boston had just put out its first album
and I thought they would be good but Tom Scholz put on a great show and stole the night.
Black Sabbath @ The Hollywood Bowl 1972. Sabbath played for 45 minutes and left. Someone announced from the stage, "I am sorry. Tony Iommi is throwing up backstage." I was lucky to be there anyway. Captain Beyond opened and did a 45 minute set which was their entire first record from start to finish. They knocked the crowd backwards, standing ovation when they were done. I don't think anyone knew who they were, certainly not me. I owned that record within a week. Progressive rock band Gentle Giant was the middle act on the bill, way too out there for me.
That show taught me to never be late, always catch the opening act...............
Cool topic coot. I have an easy one. Probably long winded but, whatever. Read if you wish. 😀
Saturday April 1, 2000. Gov't Mule is playing St. Andrews Hall in downtown Detroit. It's an old church turned into a concert venue. I drove from East Lansing to get there. I came from campus and Michigan State was playing in the NCAA basketball national semi finals. I read who was opening for them. North Mississippi All-Stars. Never heard of them. I figure they were some band where they threw guys together so I stayed in a local watering hole to watch the game. I get to the venue and NMAS is playing and I was blown away. I got to hear the last two songs. The final one Warren sat in. I have the show and they only played six songs but they got an hour. I think one of them is called "All Night Long" and it was.
I'm telling my wife how great they were and she just kind of looked at me, like "okay, if you say so". So then Gov't Mule comes out, they play. Second set they come back and who is there but Marc Ford. Played the entire second set except the encore. For that Luther Dickinson did Yonder Wall with them. Unreal.
Interesting thing about Marc Ford. If you have an old issue of Hittin' the Note there is an article about why Marc Ford was there. If memory serves he was finishing up an album and needed Warren and Woody on a few songs so I think Marc came to Detroit so they could find a studio and record a couple of songs.
Anyway, NMAS were amazing and it was a very memorable night. 😉
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
Marshall Tucker/Dave Mason - knew all about the Tuckers & more but many I was with didn’t know much about em - rocked the house down (mid 70s BstnGdn) & crowd into delirium🤪 made some fans that nite - Mason’s set was real good too but the crowd was talkin about Tucker after that show🤩
@lee for years I assumed North Mississippi All-Stars was a collection of has-been rockers, like Renegades of Southern Rock or Ringo's All-Star Band.
@lee for years I assumed North Mississippi All-Stars was a collection of has-been rockers, like Renegades of Southern Rock or Ringo's All-Star Band.
Exactly what I thought. That's why I wasn't too concerned about not catching their whole show. I've seen them countless times after that and boy was I wrong.
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
Went to see Van Halen on their 1986 tour. On the subway ride in we found out Bachman Turner Overdrive was opening. We ran from up the escalators and in to the Omni and caught a 40 minute greatest hits set by BTO who sounded great.
Great thread
these warm up acts didn't out-do the headliner, but I became a fan
Grinderswitch opening for ABB in 74
James Cotton, opening for Johnny Winter '75
Marcus King opening for TTB
Wood Bros opening for TTB
Cabinet - preliminary band at Peach Fest 2014
Went to see Flora Purim and Miles Davis opened with John McLaughlin in the band. Way too cool! In addition, Paul Butterfield Blues Band with Mike Bloomfield opening for Muddy Waters
My son and I went to Slash at Center Stage in Atlanta, got down front and a new band to use called Taddy Porter opened, just a great, honest-sounding rock n roll band! We were blown away. And Slash with Miles Kennedy wasn't to shabby either!
@lee for years I assumed North Mississippi All-Stars was a collection of has-been rockers, like Renegades of Southern Rock or Ringo's All-Star Band.
Exactly what I thought. That's why I wasn't too concerned about not catching their whole show. I've seen them countless times after that and boy was I wrong.
I saw Ringo's All Stars (with Todd Rundgren, Steve Lukather, Greg Rolie et al) about 8 years ago. "Washed up"? The show was exactly what I though it would be - Ringo doing Beatles tunes with a bandful of bonafide hitmakers each doing one or two of their own tunes. It turned out to be one of my favorite shows ever! Each player was an a-lister - all performed professionally. I had tickets to catch Ringo this summer in St Augustine ... I still HAVE the tickets!
Y'all are right as rain about the North Mississippi Allstars! I've seen 'em a bunch of times - including once as John Hiatt's backup band.
I caught Huey Lewis and the News opening for 38 Special. A tad mainstream, but they cooked!
went to see return to forever and flora purim and airto opened
went to see marshall tucker band and charlie daniels band and james cotton band opened
went to see roy buchanan and larry coryell and the 11th house opened
went to see gov't mule and medeski,martin and wood and col.bruce hampton and the fiji mariners opened
went to see frogwings and the derek trucks band opened
went to see gregg allman band and derek trucks band opened
went to see the allman bros band and the marshall tucker band opened
went to see the allman bros band and grinderswitch opened
went to see the allman bros band and rusted root opened
went to see the stills young band and poco opened
went to see the grateful dead and the new riders and willie nelson opened
1972, Neil Young Tour in New Mexico. Lady opened. People were asking, who is this? She was really good with a powerhouse voice. Linda Rondstadt.
Similarly, I went to the movie Mad Dogs & Englishmen to see Joe Cocker. The instant Leon Russell appeared on screen I was like, "Who the hell is that?" Life's never been the same. ❤️
I went to see the mothers of Invention and Chicago played second with the Youngbloods opening the show.
I went to see the mothers of Invention and Chicago played second with the Youngbloods opening the show.
I saw Zappa and the Mothers in Tuscaloosa 1974 - opening act was Tom Waits!
In 1970 went to see Mountain and the Allman Brothers Band opened. Same year went to see Traffic and Cat Stevens opened.
Went to see Dr. John and Joe Bonamassa opened.
Went to see Clapton and Robert Randolph opened.
Went to see Rolling Stones and Alannis Morisette opened.
Went to see ABB and Jaimoe's Jazz Band opened. Then Oteil & the Peacemakers. Followed by DTB and Govt Mule. 🙂
First time I saw Santana, Al Di Meola opened. Second time, Jeff Beck opened. First time I saw Eric Clapton, Robert Cray and Stevie Ray Vaughan opened. Phil Collins played drums in Clapton’s Band.
Love this topic. There have been many, but one that stands out: Col. Bruce Hampton and the ARU opening for Dixie Dregs.
also once saw Smashing Pumpkins and Pearl Jam open for the RH Chili Peppers.
I went to see the mothers of Invention and Chicago played second with the Youngbloods opening the show.
Super jealous --- that sounds phenomenal
Here are a couple I can recall. Went to see Robert Cray about 1990 and Sonny Landreth opened. I had never heard of him. He blew me away!
Went to see the Edgar Winter Group in 1972 and the Groundhogs opened.
Went to see Bonnie Raitt and the Randall Bramblett Band opened. ... okay, I really went to see Randall. 😉
went to see the grateful dead and the new riders and willie nelson opened
Same here - I knew NRPS but wasn't familiar with Willie. Have been a big fan ever since
Went to see Rush in December 1985 and the Steve Morse Band opened. Wow! Great stuff.
Went to see Heaven and Hell, and Queensryche and Alice Cooper opened. Alice stole the show.
Went to see a reggae fest, and David Lindley and El Rayo-X were wonderful.
Went to see Trombone Shorty and Charles Bradley opened.
We were like “what is this guy!?!?!” In a good way.
These were all when the opener was new and not well known:
Went to see English Beat and REM was the opener
Went to see Dylan and Tracy Chapman opened
Went to see ZZ Top and Alvin Lee opened
Went to see Elvis Costello and Larkin Poe opened
Went to see The Ramones and Talking Heads opened
Went to see the Monkees and some guy named Jimi something opened (Just kidding--only heard about that one!)
