Your Largest Artist Seen In The Smallest Venue?

Beck at The Distillery in Columbus.

Nirvana at Stache's in Columbus in 1990.

 

Elvis Costello solo first ever gig under that name at the Nashville Rooms in West London (supporting the Rumour)
The Jam at same venue.
Kasabian just before the first album in a Kings Cross Rehearsal complex basement 'club' with about 100 people.
got me thinking now. will have to post more later!

but probably most applicable in terms of thread title was U2 at The Bridgehouse late 79, a pub in East London where the only other people who turned up were the support band and reviewers Gary Crowley and Garry Bushell.

 

I love the memories this thread is shaking loose.

I wish Bernie Worrell were a bigger star. Every time he came to Chicago, he'd play small, intimate places with whatever collection of musicians he put together at the time. I saw him with the Woo Warriors at Martyr's in '98 or so, a really small bar where the stage is at floor level. Shook his soft, gentle hand after the show and got a personalized autograph.

 

The Kinks - North Shore Music Theater, Beverly, MA - 1995
Superchunk - Bluewall, UMass-Amherst - 1992
Pearl Jam - Student Union Ballroom, UMass-Amherst - 1992
Radiohead - SUB-UMass - 1993, 9:30 Club - 1998
Green Day - UNH-Durham Field House (1994) Tower Records (W. 4th St. NYC - 1997) Irving Plaza - NYC (2004)
Liam Gallagher - Rough Trade - Brooklyn - 2017
Noel Gallagher - Webster Hall - 2015
Aerosmith - Mama Kin's and the Middle East Downstairs - '94/'95
Public Image - Music Hall Of Williamsburg - 2010
Blur - Roseland (NYC) -'97 & '99
Oasis - Roseland (NYC) - '02
Cheap Trick - CBGB - '99
Robbie Williams (!) - Bowery Ballroom - '99
Mike Nesmith - Union County Arts Center - Rahway, NJ - '13
Peter Tork / Mose Allison / Charlie Watts (not together!) - Iridium, NYC
The Baseball Project - Maxwell's, Hoboken - 2012 (notable because both Buck & Mills were playing that night - half of R.E.M. back at Maxwell's!)

 

Yes House of blues in Cleveland. Asia same place. Jeff Beck
at Lakewood Civic Auditorium, Lakewood, OH,

 

I saw John Mayer at a bar in Chicago called Schubas. He opened for a guy named Cary Pierce (of Jackopierce). After his set he sat at the bar alone and anonymous for the most part, drinking his drink with his guitar case sitting on the bar stool next to him, while Cary Pierce played in the other room. My bet is he would have a tough time doing that nowadays.

Second would be The Rolling Stones at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago. Bono even came out a sang "It's Only Rock N' Roll" with them...it was cool.

 

We saw a few good bands at the Lost Horizon in Syracuse. Marillion on the Script tour. (Hung out with Fish and the band early on!) Probably 300 people there, tops.
We also saw Robin Trower ('84), and the Plasmatics(!) in '81.

Here's the "ABOUT"
The Lost Horizon was founded in 1976 by Greg Italiano and has since become one of the longest operational club-sized concert venue in Central New York. In its almost 40 year history this landmark venue has seen the likes of such legendary acts as Neil Young, Guns N Roses, Queen, Kiss, Ramones, Foo Fighters, Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, Fugazi, Slayer, Soundgarden, The Black Crowes, Dio and that doesn’t even scratch the surface!

 

Robben Ford at a small club in '90. 50 people, max.

 

If you count Billy Joel when he was with the Hassles, then it was some basement venue the size of a broom closet, and I don't even recall its name.

 

Tool - Orpheum Theater, Boston - 2006 (2700 capacity)
Marilyn Manson - Lupo's , Providence - 2012 (2000 capacity)
Ben Harper & Relentless 7 - Paradise, Boston - 2009 (900 capacity)

 

I saw them at a high school gym in Queens, opening for the Chambers Brothers.

 

Thanks for the info. I'm going back next year for the first time in 50 years. I have relatives (by marriage) who are Hawaiian, so I know from them how much things have changed there. We lived in Kehei, Paia (in a house where Mama's Fish House is now), and Waihee. Kehei has changed the most. There was hardly anything there when we lived there and nothing beyond there but empty beaches and cattle ranches.

 

So cool that you saw Elvis's first gig. Nice memory for you.

I saw The Jam at the Motor City Roller Rink in Detroit in 1980. There couldn't have been more than 120 people there.

 

I was at the Trocadero show, too! Yeah, that was slightly bigger but probably no more than 300 capacity or so. Only time I went there.

 

Green Day at a super-tiny club called the Paint Factory in Tampa, 1990.

 

Not counting in-store performances, Pearl Jam at Third Man Records in Nashville in 2016. Capacity is approx. 275.

 

saw a ton of bands before they were big in small clubs but as far as people already famous - saw John Fogerty and band in 1997 at the Hard Rock Cafe in NYC, some type of radio industry event. abbreviated show (maybe 9 or 10 songs) but very cool!

 

I saw Jane's Addiction on their '91 European tour in Vienna at a little club called Szene Wien, I think.
They were already huge in the states but not so much in Europe. Perry was upset that most of the audience seemed to be Americans.
I remember being enthralled with Stephen Perkins' massive drum sound.
Also saw Primus at the same venue.

 

Not really a venue, but I worked in the past for radio and we frequently had artists doing recording sessions in the radio studio which later would be broadcasted (similar to the BBC or John Peel sessions). The one that immediately comes to mind is a session by Roger McGuinn in the early 90s, with only me, a radio programmer and the audio engineer present, an audience of 3 people.

 

You must have connections.

 

Albert Collins at The Lone Star Cafe and The Ramones at (can' t remember the name of the hotel) basement in midtown, NYC, 1979.

 

I did see Clapton with the Allman Brothers at the Beacon(about 2800 capacity), both nights.

 

Although my firm represents McCartney on certain matters and I worked on a matter involving the Stones 27 years ago, all my tickets have been obtained on my own.

McCartney at the Apollo was an early entry package, so I paid a premium for that. The other shows were just Ticketmaster - Lynch benefit, I was able to buy decent seats for $250 or so; and the Stones at the Beacon i regard as my greatest victory (1 seat in the balcony for $27).

On the other hand, I've been completely shut out of arena shows, so you never know.

 

Paul Weller at the Roxy in Los Angeles back in 1992. The Roxy has a big reputation, but it's a tiny venue. Spoke to PW's father at length before the show -- wonderful man and incredibly patient with a gang of annoying 20-somethings. Got autographs on PW's debut album from everyone in the band but Weller himself!

 

I saw Radiohead at Rockerfellers in Houston. There was maybe 300 people there.
I also saw No Doubt at Deep Phat in Houston, as well. There might have been 30 people there.

The Radiohead show was right after Creep was getting some radio play.

The No Doubt show was also just after their first hit Just A Girl was getting radio play. Even though hardly anybody showed up to the show, Gwen Stephani and the entire band stuck around and talked to just about everyone there. My roommate at the time took one of the promotional posters off the wall and Gwen happily signed it.