Best Opening Act You Sat Through .......

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by John B, Jan 14, 2018.

  1. J. R.

    J. R. Cat Herder

    Location:
    Kansas City, MO
    John "Cougar" Mellencamp opening for Heart - they didn't have a chance
     
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  2. Chemguy

    Chemguy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Western Canada
    Lindsey Buckingham opening for a Tina Turmer almost 25 years ago.

    He was pretty awesome.
     
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  3. mikestar

    mikestar Friendly Optimist

    Location:
    Capitol Hill
    Thin Lizzy opening for Queen
    Nazareth opening for Deep Purple
    Starz opening a few times
    Derringer opening for Aerosmith
    A bunch more I'm sure...
     
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  4. Jazzmonkie

    Jazzmonkie Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tempe, AZ
    Tower of Power in 1971 concert with Bo Diddley and headliner CCR.
    Boz Scaggs for John Mayall's Jazz/Blues Fusion
    Tim Buckley for Frank Zappa & his Petit Wazoo
    Leo Kottke for the Eagles ($2.50 general admission in a gymnasium)
    Doug Sahm for Grateful Dead
    John Sebastian for Steve Martin
    New Lost City Ramblers for Doc Watson
    Pancho Sanchez for Joe Liggins & the Honeydrippers
    Andrew Hill for Julius Hemphill
    Prince Lasha for David Murray
    J Geils Band for Yes
     
    Last edited: Jan 14, 2018
  5. fab432

    fab432 “To the toppermost of the poppermost, Johnny!”

    Location:
    Toronto
    Without a doubt the best opening act I sat through was in the early 1980’s when I saw City Boy open for Canadian band Prisim at the Edmonton Colliseum. Nothing short of spectacular despite no sound check!!!
     
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  6. Erik Tracy

    Erik Tracy Meet me at the Green Dragon for an ale

    Location:
    San Diego, CA, USA
    Wireless opening for Judas Priest in the late 70's, Golden Hall, San Diego.

    Completely blown away - tight, driving, hard rocking. The drummer blew my mind.
     
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  7. Malcolm Crowne

    Malcolm Crowne Forum Habitue

    Location:
    Portland OR
    You sir have won this thread I think.

    My paltry example can't compete, but: Try the Stones in 81, ragged and fairly unglorious on probably most of that tour, having the minor misfortune of being preceded directly by a white-hot, tight as a mo*****ker J GEILS BAND filling the Kingdome with all manner of honking, slamming shouting blooz-rock....with Peter Wolf's stage authority holding firm to an arena-scale level much less worn-out than that of Sir Mick an hour later...I hated to say it but Geils were "better than the Stones" that night (even though we all know that isn't in fact possible!:( :( :(
     
  8. Cheap Trick opening for:
    Heart
    ZZ Top
     
  9. Harry Hood

    Harry Hood Forum Resident

    Location:
    England
    Tin Lizzy (tribute band) opening for Sons Of Roses (tribute band). Halfway through Sons Of Roses' second song: "Hang on a minute, this is the same group!"
     
  10. yarbles

    yarbles Too sick to pray

    Wow. Care to expand on that? Heard all the circulating recordings, but still: wow.
     
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  11. Mike Reynolds

    Mike Reynolds Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    The best opening bands I saw were:

    Aldo Nova opening for UFO
    some unknown band with a terrific chick singer who sounded just like Janis Joplin opening for AC/DC
    Triumph opening for Journey
    The The opening for Depeche Mode
    Skid Row opening for Guns & Roses.
    Stevie Ray Vaughan opening for Jeff Beck ('89)
    Alice In Chains opening for Van Halen
    Santana opening for Jeff Beck ('94)


    For anyone who saw Van Halen open for The Rolling Stones at the Tangerine Bowl, I hate you.
     
    Last edited: Jan 14, 2018
  12. ralphb

    ralphb "First they came for..."

    Location:
    Brooklyn, New York
    Far too many, especially if you count club gigs, but here's a small number:
    Steely Dan opening for ELO in 1974 at Alice Tully Hall
    Humble Pie opening for Lee Michaels Fillmore '71
    T Rex opening for Mountain Fillmore '71
    Mott The Hoople opening for Delaney and Bonnie Fillmore '71
    Queen opening for Mott in 1974 at the Uris Theater
    Sir Lord Baltimore and J. Geils opening for Black Sabbath at the Fillmore
     
  13. yarbles

    yarbles Too sick to pray

    Alice In Chains opening for Megadeth, Facelift/Rust In Peace.

    Layne had the most powerful voice I've ever witnessed live. Absolutely spellbinding.
     
  14. Andrew J

    Andrew J Forum Resident

    Location:
    South East England
    When was that?
     
    Last edited: Jan 14, 2018
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  15. davmar77

    davmar77 I'd rather be drummin'...

    Location:
    clifton park,ny
    Dixie dregs opening for muddy waters in a small club. Then johnny winter came out and sat in with muddy. What a great show and to top it off we were on the record company guest list.

    Another great show. Zappa as headliner with the original mahavishnu orchestra and Leo kottke as support.

    Larry Coryell and the eleventh house supporting return to forever.

    One more. The English beat and rem opening for squeeze.
     
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  16. Vinyl Richie

    Vinyl Richie Forum Resident

    Pearl Jam opening for Smashing Pumpkins and Red Hot Chili Peppers at the RPI Field house in Troy, NY in 1991. They weren’t even on the bill.
     
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  17. Jack_Straw

    Jack_Straw Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wichita, KS
    One that I remember really making an impression at the time was The Cult opening for Billy Idol. Right after the Love album came out, I think.
     
  18. Hey Vinyl Man

    Hey Vinyl Man Another bloody Yank down under...

    Iris DeMent opening for John Prine at Wolf Trap, 1997. She got off to an uncertain start, but the improvement was palpable as she hit her stride, even throwing in a joke about her boots being a little tight ("but they're the ones that go with this dress," and she was right, they did). Prine brought her back on stage to sing "Unwed Mothers" together and she did a fantastic job on it! I was off to Borders to buy The Way I Should the very next weekend.
     
  19. Jack_Straw

    Jack_Straw Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wichita, KS
    I saw Aldo Nova open for Blue Oyster Cult - probably around the same time?

    When was that?

    I remember Prince opening for the Stones on some Midwest dates. I think it was the ‘Tattoo You” tour, and IIRC there were some other very high profile openers on that tour.
     
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  20. sbeaupre

    sbeaupre Everything must go

    Location:
    Inner Horner
    ‘98, Fleet Center (Boston Garden). It was a co-headlining series of dates and they took turns opening for each other. Dylan won the bout on points, but it was close.
     
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  21. dave-gtr

    dave-gtr Forum Resident

    Joe Jackson (solo) opening for Todd Rundgren about 10 years ago, in Greensboro, NC. Todd wasn't so good that night. Todd made up for it last year, also in Greensboro, when he (along with Carl Palmer's ELP Experience, or whatever Carl calls it) opened up for a lackluster Yes.
     
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  22. Axis_67

    Axis_67 Senior Member

    Location:
    Virginia
    Living Color opening for the Rolling Stones in 1989. They put on a show that almost made me forget who I came to see.
     
  23. John Fell

    John Fell Forum Survivor

    Location:
    Undisclosed
    BTO opening for Van Halen
     
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  24. vivatones

    vivatones Forum Resident

    Michael Nesmith opening for the James Cotton
    Blues Band (Cellar Door, Georgetown)
    The Who opening for Herman’s Hermits
    (Memorial Auditorium, Chattanooga)
    Eric Church opening for Hank Williams, Jr.
    (Riverbend Festival, Chattanooga)
     
  25. autumn daze

    autumn daze I really don't belong here

    Location:
    Milton Keynes, UK
    I saw Beck play solo acoustic and opening for Radiohead in 2001. Blew me away with a load of tracks from Sea Change (I didn't know the album till a few years later so don't know if this was prior to the album's release). Supergrass and Sigur Ros were also on the bill that day.
     
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