Curious to as what members here would categorize as their best concert value ever.
Not a list. The one.
It may be because of the performer(s), the ticket price or a combination of both. Paying a high ticket price for the experience of your choice could very well be your personal best value.
Mine is a combination of the performers and the ticket cost. Was either my junior or senior year in college, I saw Son Seals open for Muddy Waters. The concert was held in a ballroom of the student union, a flat tiled floor, there was no stage. Everyone sat on the floor crossed legged.
Son opened with a soulful blistering 30-45 minute set. Really outstanding.
Then Muddy came out and for his entire performance was standing inches away from where I was sitting. Right from the get go when Muddy exclaimed "I'm a king bee!", it was a fabulous set of music. Muddy's set ran right at an hour.
The cost with student ID, one dollar.
That's mine, the magnitude and importance of the performers and all for one hundred pennies.
Yours?
"Is that a real poncho or is that a Sears poncho?"
That sounds like a great show.
I guess my best value would be my first Derek Trucks Band show, which was a free concert in my college student union, which happens to be a German Bier Hall (because Wisconsin). The stage was in the middle of the room.
(runner up was Summerfest 2005 - Oteil > dTb > Mule (w/Dave Mason) > ABB)
I know that many many of our members have been going to concert for decades so inexpensive ticket prices therefore aren't the same for everyone. But for me, I'd have to say that 1993 Neil Young with Booker T and MGs true 4th row after walking up to a ticketmaster agent counter the morning of the onsale date for something in the neighborhood of $27-35 with fees I'm pretty sure. As I remember the next year was when the Stones, the Eagles, Pink Floyd all toured and concert tickets were never the same and the close rows to the stage become "gold circle" and other kind of names that would become untouchable for the kind of money we paid for Neil Young in 1993.
Having just said that, I did spend some higher amounts for ABB tickets via the Big House Foundation that put me first or second row for a few shows. I am very very thankful to have done that!
@porkchopbob I was at that Summerfest show - great show and Dave Mason was definitely a highlight ...
So many shows it is hard to pick just one but I would have to say one of the most memorable where I walked out just amazed was seeing Ian Hunter with Mick Ronson on guitar at a small club (750 capacity) in New Haven, CT called Toads Place in 1989.
Hunter and Ronson were just amazing and as a bonus ex Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones opened with his solo band and played most of his new "Fire and Gasoline" album which just rocked.
I got there when the club opened and was leaning on the 4ft high stage right in front of Ronson.
Not sure how much it cost but tickets at Toads were not that expensive so may be $15-$20?
Runner-up would be ELP at the Yale Bowl in 1974. They setup the stage at one end of the bowl facing the grandstand so all the seats were reasonably close and they had a quad sound system with large speaker columns behind me in the stands which sounded amazing.
Funny you mention Steve Jones - saw him and his band in Chicago, and there couldn't have been more than 10 people in the audience ....
There used to be a series called Cheap Thrills in Toronto. I went to a couple of them, but the artists you saw were rarely the ones on the bill, but were always worth the money. One was Savoy Brown and Atomic Rooster for $1.99 at Massey Hall, but Atomic Rooster was a no show and Myles and Lenny subbed for them. It was definitely worth the $1.99. Savoy Brown was on their game and it was the Street Corner Talking tour with Dave Walker and Paul Raymond revitalizing that lineup. The second one was at Maple Leaf Gardens and the lineup was supposed to be Steppenwolf, The James Gang, Buddy Miles Express and RIta Coolidge and the Dixie Flyers. It was $3.99. Steppenwolf was subed out with Sly and the Family Stone and they also added Crowbar. I was bummed that I didn't get to see Steppenwolf, but it was a great show. Both James Gang and Buddy Miles blew me away, and the other 3 bands weren't bad either. Seeing Sly also got me one step closer to seeing all the bands that played at Woodstock! There was also another concert series back in the day called Beggar's Banquet that had some killer line-ups but I can't recall how much they cost so I have no idea if they were great value or not!
@sang, yeah when Steve Jones went on there were maybe 50 people in the club and maybe half that many watching him. Good for me as I was able to secure a primo spot leaning on the stage in front of Jones and later Ronson when the club filled up.
I loved Jones's bands set and think his Fire and Gasoline album rocks so went out and bought the cd the next day. Still a favorite of mine.
@allbrosca, envy you seeing the Walker era Savoy Brown as I think that band does not get enough love. I was not aware of them back then as I was too young so never saw them in their prime.
Simmons was still touring as Savoy Brown and I would see them a couple times a year with his new band in a small tavern here in Mass. Kim can still deliver the goods.
@bill_graham I have been a huge fan ever since and have most of Kim's recorded output, yet I have not had the chance to see them again. He has rarely crossed the border and made it to Toronto and when he did I was not around. Hopefully I can rectify that after this pandemic cools down.
Mine was in San Diego, California back in 1980 when I visited Knott's Berry Farm and I was in a beer drinking contest and won four tickets to see West Coast Prost.
They eventually gave everyone who was able to down a giant mug of St. Pauli Girl German Beer!! So I got to see this band FREE!
This music is fun when you are full of beer. But NEVER see this kind of band after smoking a doobie. It's worse than hearing fingernails on a black board!!
I saw Stevie Ray the first time in Falls Church, Va just out side of Washington, DC. It was 25 dollars. I remember Reese sounding so very good on keys and was knew he was in a band with Dickey and Berry Oakley.
Here Reese plays a hot solo then Stevie breaks a string and his tech brings his number 2 guitar out and it is so darn smooth how they change guitars in the middle of the song.
A friend said he saw them change guitars the year before and it was incredibly smooth and the next song Stevie ripped the seat out of his pants playing behind his body and the tech came out and they changed his trousers mid song without missing a note.
I loved Jones's bands set and think his Fire and Gasoline album rocks so went out and bought the cd the next day. Still a favorite of mine.
I just watched some of his interviews online this past week. Do you think the Fire and Gasoline release is still available...or probably buy on ebay used or something? You've made me want to hear it.
horde tour 94. the bros, dave mathews,rusted root.
96 bros at the beacon. won two front row tickets from a radio contest.
the question was what beatles tune is on the dreams box set?
Don Henley - solo "The End Of The Innocence" Tour.
My first job our of college was as an assistant box office manager. ON St. Patricks Day, 1978 we did a show with Motrose, Journey, and Van Halen. Montrose was the headliner. Only sold about 4000 tickets and gave a green beer with each ticket. A year later, Journey and Van Halen were headlining.
Going to the state university at Stony Brook in the early 70's. For concerts, speakers and other activities we paid a yearly $70 Student Activities Fee. This was the major source of funding for numerous name act concerts that were never priced more than additional $3 for students. Performers included ABB, Grateful Dead, The Who, Byrds, Yes, Kinks, Hot Tuna, Joe Cocker with Mad Dogs and Englishmen, Van Morrison, Traffic, Poco, Leon Russell, BB King, Freddie King, Moody Blues (with Timothy Leary), early Chicago, Poco, Beach Boys (Surfs Up release), Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and many more. To conclude my first year there was a free concert by the Jefferson Airplane.
@dzobo:
"Going to the state university at Stony Brook in the early 70's. For concerts, speakers and other activities we paid a yearly $70 Student Activities Fee. This was the major source of funding for numerous name act concerts that were never priced more than additional $3 for students. Performers included ABB, Grateful Dead, The Who, Byrds, Yes, Kinks, Hot Tuna, Joe Cocker with Mad Dogs and Englishmen, Van Morrison, Traffic, Poco, Leon Russell, BB King, Freddie King, Moody Blues (with Timothy Leary), early Chicago, Poco, Beach Boys (Surfs Up release), Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and many more. To conclude my first year there was a free concert by the Jefferson Airplane."
NO ONE here will possibly top that for $3 each!!
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk has a free summer series every year (hope it returns post COVID in 2022). Usually it's some tired retreads WAY past their prime..........Eddie Money used to be there every year until he passed, and trust me, towards the end he was BAD (I only saw him once that was enough). But there have been some occasional gems too: Gregg Rolie, Mark Farner, Edgar Winter, Blind Melon. Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night put on a great show there, maybe 2006, and I was amazed at how great his voice sounded after his many years of heroin abuse (which got him canned from TDN). Obviously smack doesn't really effect your vocal cords. Here's a clip of Blind Melon at that 2014 show with Travis Warren singing. Original lead singer Shannon Hoon died of a drug overdose in 1995.
That is stel-lar dzobo - any memories of Timothy Leary w/the Moody Blues? You know he took many a trip on their we-have-liftoff intro to Higher & Higher, the 1st song from their space-travel 1969 record TOCCChildren🌎🪐
the Watkins Glen ticket was $10, which was considered a fan-friendly price - snapped mine up pronto🎵🎶
I think dzobo wins
concerts at college were $4.00
i saw Billy Joel before he was famous, Dickey &GS, Dave Mason, CDB Buddy Rich was free
I Won tix for Miles Davis
but, hands down #1 value was Simon& Garfunkel at Central Park
Just a great day in NY, great show
Actually did not attend that show but Leary's presence (while still a fugitive) was a headline story in The Statesman, the school newspaper. If I remember correctly he came on stage for 'Timothy Leary's Dead".
The Stony Brook students put on some amazing concerts in the early 70's and would be hard to top for quality and price. I almost wish I had gone to college there as I lived an hour and a half from Long Island and it was a legendary party school.
But If you are going strickly by price I saw many concerts at the Schaefer Music Festival at the Wollman skating rink in Central Park NYC in the mid 70's and tickets were $1.50 for bleachers and $2.50 for seats on the floor.
The Allman Brothers played there but I was too young to go.
I saw dozens of amazing shows back then including Aerosmith, CS&N, King Crimson, Commander Cody, Foghat, Todd Rundgren Utopia, Mahavishnu, Marshall Tucker, Poco, Santana, Blue Oyster Cult, ZZTop, Uriah Heep, etc.
I would save up my minimum wage, $1.78/hr salary and take the train to Manhattan to buy a dozen concert tickets every spring as you could only get them at a few locations in the city.
We could go to the city early and go to a liquor store near the park and party in Central Park with other fans before the show.
Those were great times........
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schaefer_Music_Festival
This is not about specific tours or shows but no doubt ALL will enjoy these pictures!!!! . And Gregg and Duane were pretty darn good before the ABB was formed.
Bought a $15 ticket somewhere around 2004 to see DTB on campus at UPENN in Philly. Huge snowstorm that night. only a handful of people showed. DTB played for over 2 hours, and got to rest my elbows on the stage while I watched. A personal DTB show for $15.
When I went to see the Allmans / Tom Petty show in the summer of maybe 2009 (?) in Hartford, I was off to see one of the best double bills ever.
When I got word that the Derek Trucks Band would be opening, I was ecstatic.
When I arrived at the show and Jaimoe's Jassss Band was playing in an area at the entrance, I lost my mind.
@porkchopbob I was at that Summerfest show - great show and Dave Mason was definitely a highlight ...
That was an amazing night. While not rocket science, I wonder who came up with the idea.
Bob, too bad we didn't "know" each other at the time.
A couple of other things come to mind. All of the blues fests I have seen over the years. The Chicago Blues Festival used to be great but in probably the last ten years the talent level isn't what it once was. My favorites were The Detroit Blues Fests in the early 90s. The first year they had it, 1991, I went to two of the four days. I didn't see all of these bands but here are some of the ones that played. Albert King (my only time seeing him), Bo Diddley (same), Albert Collins, Gatemouth Brown, Champion Jack Dupree, Robin Trower, Savoy Brown, Lonnie Brooks, Junior Wells, Larry McCray, Charlie Musslewhite, Jimmy Rodgers, Sue Foley and a bunch I don't recall.
The other was The One For Woody show at The Roseland Ballroom in NY. I don't know how Warren did it but he pretty much played the entire six hour show with Phil & Friends, Black Crowes, ABB and Gov't Mule. Obviously bittersweet but a great show.
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
A couple more. There is this iconic place in Ann Arbor, MI called The Blind Pig. The place has hosted a ton of big names before they "made it". Really small. Couple hundred people tops. I think it was 1995 and I wanted to see Gov't Mule for the first time. That afternoon I bought their initial CD, popped it into my car's player and was taken aback. I was expecting something ABB-ish which of course it wasn't. The dTb opened. Derek was already playing by the time they let people in. Mule was one of the loudest things I had ever heard. I think it was $25.
The year before that I saw Hootie and the Blowfish were playing there for $20. I was sick as hell but I was determined to go. Made it through the opener then had to go. Missed a whole week of work with the flu. Really bummed about that as I never got to see them after that.
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
Now that you mention Chicago Blues Fest I saw Stevie Ray Vaughan for free there ...
"Best value" would likely involve a FREE show. Right?
I've paid money (big and large) for shows that were phenomenal. I've seen a bunch of FREE shows, too.
Naming only one? This certainly presents a problem. One of the greatest free shows - University of Alabama ... about 1972-73? They use to have a free show called the Rave-Up that coincided with Homecoming week. This particular year the show featured Freddie King, Boz Scaggs and Charlie Daniels. All played their own sets and then jammed at the end. I've probably seen a free show that was as good, but it's hard to come up with one right now.
I was in college (St. Edward's University) in Austin, Texas in the early 1970s and we used to frequent a place called Armadillo World Headquarters to see concerts or just hang out on their patio and eat nachos and drink Lone Star longnecks. One night we went to see a show there and I had never heard of the band, but it was just a $2 cover charge, which also entitled you to a plastic cup of Shiner beer. The band was phenomenal and I thought the singer sounded a lot like Van Morrison and we had a great time. And that was the first time I ever saw Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
