Opening Acts/Early Performances

[azskyman]

Got to thinking the other day about a strange combination of a main concert preceded by opening act that I attended years ago. At the time I thought it a really strange combination, but then thought....well, many pretty big names get starts as opening acts for headliners...and then go on to become a headliner themselves.

Just curious if any of you had similar opportunities to see big name entertainers during their "formative" years.

Three come to mind right now....

First, growing up in a small town of under 10,000 population, we had a little place where people who sometimes wanted a shot at becoming big time bands played. It was called the Redwood Rumpus Room. I know it brought quite a few teenagers in the door one Saturday night back in the 1960's when that place hosted a dance with a group known as Jefferson Airplane...and had this crazy blonde singer named Gracie Slick. Filled the place to capacity of maybe 200 kids that night!!!

A couple years back here in Phoenix, went to a cowboy steakhouse called Rustler's Rooste...south of town and atop a little hill that overlooked the city. Just by luck that night, a little known country group was playing. They were known as Rascal Flatts.

And the combination that still blows me away to this day.

While in training at Ft. Gordon, Georgia, back in the fall of 1969, there was an U. S. Army Band concert in Augusta one Sunday afternoon. Thought it would be fun to get a taste of some standup and cheer music to help me go to war by!

The opening act that afternoon was quite a shift from the U. S. Army Band. His name was James Brown.

Yoooouuuwww! I Feel Good...na na na na na na na,....

Got any stories of your own?

[Stephanie]

I can't say that I have seen an opening act that has become big later on. I've been to concerts with opening acts, and unfortunately, I haven't been as fortunate as you to see bands/performers such as those in their beginning years. That's so neat!

[streetsoldier]

I do recall seeing Billy Joel at the Kiel Opera House (packed audience, 1978) coming out "swinging"; seems that, when he first played STL, he opened for Loggins and Messina, and the crowd booed him off the stage.

They aren't booing NOW.

[GalvestonDuck]

Way back in the late 80's (before I cared a hoot about country music), Garth Brooks opened for the Judds at Rupp Arena in Lexington. It was a good sign for Garth when they had to schedule a second show because the first sold out AND I was told that many people left the arena after he finished performing. Obviously, not good for the Judds though...and they were a Kentucky favorite since they were from there. Go figure.

I finally got to see Garth during his "Sevens" tour. And if he had an opening act, I don't remember it. (Yes, I was sober...I was just in awe.)

[vbhoutex]

I had the fortune of seeing Billy Joel and Elton John at two different venues in KC in 1971 at an event called the National Entertainment conference. We ended up booking both into our venue here in Houston(Hofheinz Pavilion) within the next year. Of xourse the rest is history. When Elton John came to Houston my then fiance and I were heading into the venue to help finish setting up(make sure all was gong smooth-I was the house manager). As we walked down the hall into the arena we heard "Rocket Man" playing. I told he that it didn't sound like the ormal canned music we palyed while setting up and it wasn't. It was Elton himself sitting at the piano and praticing. We enjoyed about a half an hour of "private" concert that afternnon. To say the least it was awesome and we got to shake his hand and thank him too.
I chauffered George Carlin to and from a performance that year too.
We had a lot of up and coming groups on campus that year as well as the Rolling Stones(2 concerts). I saw so many different groups and individuals I really can't remember them all. They ranged the gamut of genres too. I even had members of the Grateful Dead at a party at my house after their concert. To say the least that was an incredible year.
I was even asked to tour with Lynard Skynard as part of the stage crew that year, but declined since I had just gotten married. Good thing I didn't because I would have been on the plane that crashed.

[furluvcats]

I had a friend in Daytona who was the Program Director for the hottest new radio station...he gave me two seats on the station concert bus to go see 2 shows...the first being a girl singing in a coffee shop in Orlando...We were sitting at a pub table having a drink while waiting for the act to start, and a young girl came and sat at our table and started chatting with us...it was no big deal...we're friendly folks...can't quite even remember what we talked about...it was time for the show to start, and the girl from our table got up , with a guitar, I think, and started her show...she was a young girl from Canada, who had recently lived out of the back of her car...your young, starving artist type...we really enjoyed her music, so afterwards I took a banner down from a wall with her picture on it, and had her sign it to our friend Doug, who wasn't with us, but we figured he'd like a picture and autograph of a pretty young girl...About 2 weeks later, she debuted on the radio, and we were kicking ourselves for not getting ourselves an autograph....the young girl from the coffee house show was, Jewel......

[Miss Mary]

We saw John Mayer perform at an annual original music festival in downtown Cincinnati, called Jammin' on Main. Local and regional acts were brought in (it's since been cancelled, low money maker) and we saw JM play, right before he got his record deal. Many in Cincinnati say this. Pretty cool when you think abou it. So now my daughter is searching for 'that' band to discover early before the rest of the world does, at Lollapalloza or the Warper Tour. I wish her luck with this b/c it is pretty neat to say you saw a musician perform to hundreds when they play to thousands now. A good friend of ours can attest to seeing Van Halen years ago of course, right before they made it too.

Mary