Your Largest Artist Seen In The Smallest Venue?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Jeff Kent, Jan 5, 2017.

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  1. lesterbangs

    lesterbangs Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern Indiana
    Bob Dylan at Messer amphitheater in my home town (Evansville, In)

    Seats 8,500, but seems unworthy of His Bobness
     
  2. Crispy Rob

    Crispy Rob Cat Juggler

    Location:
    Oakland, CA
    Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Old Princeton Landing, Princeton-by-the-Sea, CA in '96. Capacity: 150.

    They weren't big yet, but after that, probably Phish, at the Living Room in Providence in fall '89, I would guess it holds about 250 but was only half full if that. Caught them again there in May '90 on a double bill with Widespread Panic and the place was packed.
     
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  3. Scott S.

    Scott S. lead singer for the best indie band on earth

    Location:
    Walmartville PA
    Saw the Kinks in a small college auditorium.
     
  4. Claus LH

    Claus LH Forum Resident

    Roy Orbison at the Bayou in DC. For whatever reason, the Big O wasn't doing Wolf Trap or Merryweather Post like he would later on his "greatest hits" tours, so the little Bayou it was. Two sets, one of the best music experiences of my life.
     
  5. The Revealer

    The Revealer Forum Status: Paused Indefinitely

    Location:
    On The Road Again
    I saw REM open for the English Beat in 1983 at the Grand Theater in Detroit. Seats about 3000. Of course, they weren't big then, but it was a great show.
     
  6. Crispy Rob

    Crispy Rob Cat Juggler

    Location:
    Oakland, CA
    I was at that show too! I caught four of the OPL shows during that run of about 16 total, IIRC. Also caught one of the two Catalyst shows he did during that same period.
     
  7. Desolation Row

    Desolation Row Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oklahoma
    I'd need to think about this for a bit, but one that comes immediately to mind is Radiohead at the Metro in Chicago, on The Bends tour, with David Gray opening.
     
  8. drbryant

    drbryant Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    McCartney at the Apollo
    Stones at the Beacon Theater
    McCartney and Starr at the Beacon Theater (David Lynch Charity)

    I'm not that big a fan of large artists in small venues. Shows tend to be shorter, and the view isn't necessarily better (1st row in a stadium is better than 10th row in a theater).
     
  9. screechmartin

    screechmartin Senior Member

    Location:
    British Columbia
    I suppose you mean unworthy of the catalogue and the legend since the last few times I've seen him the performance has been pretty ropey.
     
  10. GoodKitty

    GoodKitty FloydM

    Location:
    Pacific
    PRIMUS 1996 in a Honolulu warehouse called The Groove at the time ... I believe it was the last gig of the Punchbowl tour and possibly Tim Alexander's last Primus gig for years ? In fact, I think I still have an uncirculated cassette recording of it made by the person I went with.

    FISHBONE in a Lahaina, Maui club in 1997 ... and again, I think I have an uncirculated recording on cassette.
     
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  11. Moshe

    Moshe "Silent in four languages."

    Location:
    U.S.
    Levon Helm at a bar.

    Donovan at Tower Records
     
  12. Buggyhair

    Buggyhair Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ann Arbor, MI
    There's a shopping center in Kahului. It was the only mall on the island in the 60's. There used to be a top 40 radio station there and they'd have visiting bands set up and play in the walkway. I saw The Byrds there just before David Crosby left the group. We just happened to be shopping there that day. There weren't very many people around. You could walk right up and touch them if you wanted.
     
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  13. Wild Horse

    Wild Horse Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    Glenn Frey giving an impromptu acoustic performance in a restaurant on Ventura Blvd. in LA.

    Pretty unexpected. I think he was just eating there or hanging at the bar and felt like playing. He was performing about 10 feet away from where we were eating. Lots of Eagles songs.

    My band's first gig was opening for Motley Crue back in about 1981, so technically we saw them perform in a small club (Troubadour) for about 30 people, but before they were famous.
     
  14. d.r.cook

    d.r.cook Senior Member

    Having checked the details, it was Wed., March 10, 1982, U2 warming for J. Geils, Alumni Gym, U. of Tenn. Students: $8.50, public, $9.50. Cap. around 2,000, I think (wood-framed, '30s era gym).

    A buddy helped load in, and said Wolf initially got out for soundcheck and said, essentially, we ain't playin' this dump. They did, and burned it down . . . I'd seen them a few times before in larger rooms.

    Bono looked about 12. Swung down on a rope from the balcony at one point. They clearly were a band going somewhere (I'd barely seen the name somewhere at that point), but the acoustics were not ideal for a band in that situation (warming up for a hottest-ever R&B/rock band) with a sound the audience wasn't quite ready for.
     
  15. GoodKitty

    GoodKitty FloydM

    Location:
    Pacific
    That's awesome, I'd never heard that ! (Crosby was fired from The Byrds around Oct. '67) ... It must've been the Kahului Shopping Center (Ah Fooks supermarket, Toda drugstore...) which is still there but very modest ... The radio station I'd guess was either KMVI or KNUI ... I was moved to Maui as a five year old in 1971 ....
     
  16. Chazro

    Chazro Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Palm Bch, Fl.
    I went to see Paul Winter's Consort during the middle of the week in a tiny club called My Father's Place in Roslyn N.Y. The joint was half empty, was able to put my feet up on the seat in front of me. Opening act was an unknown dude from Jersey; Bruce Springsteen & E Street! Was one of the most incredible shows I ever saw! Within months, Bruce was gracing the covers of Life, Time, and Newsweek. He was SO good that I was incredibly dissapointed that the debut album was NOTHING like what I saw that night. And to this day, I could take or leave Bruce, my loss I guess.
     
  17. Buggyhair

    Buggyhair Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ann Arbor, MI
    I don't remember the call letters of the station, but there couldn't have been more than one or two top 40 stations on the island. I turned 8 years old in '67. We moved back to Michigan in '68. Yes, I think it was called Kahului Shopping Center. It was an outdoor mall. Is it still outdoor or is it covered now?
     
  18. The Revealer

    The Revealer Forum Status: Paused Indefinitely

    Location:
    On The Road Again
    Oh yeah! Fishbone at the Cubby Bear in Chicago across from Wrigley Field in '99 or so. Just a bar, no seats. I could practically smell Angelo Moore's sweat!
     
  19. AZRunner

    AZRunner Forum Resident

    Location:
    SW FL
    Here's another one, not nearly as fun as the one above. I saw Cheap Trick at the Chandler (AZ) Ostrich Festival in 1999 or 2000. I thought it was kind of sad at the time, but I've never been a Cheap Trick fan.
     
  20. zakyfarms

    zakyfarms White cane lying in a gutter in the lane.

    Location:
    San Francisco
    It was a great time to be a Neil fan in the bay area for sure.
    Just remembered, I also caught NY&CH at the Trocadero in SF 5/8/97.
    I'm thinking that place was larger than the OPL though.
     
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  21. GoodKitty

    GoodKitty FloydM

    Location:
    Pacific
    Kahului Shopping Center is still there and still "uncovered" but really I don't think I've gone there for anything in over ten years, it's pretty low-key ... There was a fire there, in the 90s I think, that destroyed Ah Fooks and more ... Around 1973-74 two other malls were built nearby, the Maui Mall and then (Queen) Ka'ahumanu Center ... the latter got a huge makeover, in the late-80s I think, which added an upstairs level with a cineplex ... Then Maui Mall got a cineplex which had it's grand opening in 1999 timed for the release of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace... This place has changed a LOT !
     
  22. PaulOnTheBeach

    PaulOnTheBeach Active Member

    Location:
    California
    While a student at UCLA, Ackerman Union used to feature lunchtime shows on the A level, basically a small outdoor patio. I dunno...40-80 people? This around 82-83. Saw Violent Femmes, Bangles, R.E.M., pretty sure a couple of others. Was great!

    Also, McCabes in Santa Monica is a very intimate setting (a guitar shop as a venue): Freedy Johnston, Robyn Hitchcock, Chris Stamey & Peter Holsapple, and The Jayhawks.
     
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  23. screechmartin

    screechmartin Senior Member

    Location:
    British Columbia
    Springsteen & Joel (together) at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York in 2008 (Obama Benefit). We were in the cheap seats, of course, but it was worth every cent of the $500 admission price---incredible show.
     
  24. topekatj

    topekatj Forum Resident

    Location:
    NorCal, Bay Area
    Well, before they hit the big time ('82 or '83) I saw Metallica warm up for Armored Saint and W.A.S.P. at the Uptown in Kansas City (capacity 1700). Also saw Ronnie James Dio Holy Diver tour (different show).

    In early 1989 before he was 'rediscovered' I saw Buddy Guy play at his original 'Legends' club in Chicago. At one point he headed toward the back door (midsong, playing his guitar "wireless"). I kicked the door open and he went up on the fire escape, still playing. The "L" train rolled past as he was playing. It was surreal, I was the only person out there with him for 30 seconds or so. We left after 3+ hours and the band was still going strong!
     
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  25. carrolls

    carrolls Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dublin
    REM live at the Olympia Dublin 30th June 2007.
    I remember Michael Stipe mentioned it was being recorded.
     
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