You're going to laugh.....Warrant (opening for Motley Crue) They were so good I saw them 3 more times. Shockingly good live band. Jani Lane is a very underrated singer/songwriter in my humble opinion. Their studio records are very weak by comparison. Dog Eat Dog is the only one that even hints at their live energy.
Neat thread. Well I have two that immediately come to mind.The first would be seeing Book of Love open for Depeche Mode at Vancouver Expo in 1986.I already had many of their records so it wasn't like BoL was a new group to me at the time that I had to sit through.They really put on a fabulous show and the crowd loved them. The second was someone I had never heard of at the time.It was at a smaller venue in Vancouver called The Vogue theatre.We had third row centre seats for the Amanda Marshall concert in 1996.The opening act was another Canadian gal by the name of Chantal Kreviasuk,who has just released a single titled "God Made Me" from an upcoming album("Under These Rocks and Stones.".Just like the majority of the audience,I had zero idea who she was except for hearing that song a couple of times on the radio.She came out in a very big,flouncy dress and sat at the piano.It was just her,that piano,the microphone, her amazing songwriting and fantastic voice for the next 45 minutes and she blew the socks off of everyone in the house.You just knew this was a young lady with tremendous talent that was just getting started. I have since been to see her countless times and continue to be a very big fan.Now....if only we could get some vinyl releases!!
My first stadium concert i was 16 1978 If I remember right, muddy waters opened for eric clapton.Muddy got two encores maybe three I have been to hundreds of shows since and cannot remember another opening act having an encore. Muddy was fantastic as he always was!!
When I was younger opening acts used to be such a great way to discover new acts. The Stairs and the Milltown Brothers supporting the Charlatans in Glasgow Barrowlands 1992. Discovered both bands that night and loved them. Saw The Stairs again in Glasgow recently when they got back together. Never saw the Milltown Brothers again though. Broadcast supporting Stereolab in Glasgow around 1996. Discovered Broadcast that night and went on to see them about a dozen times after that. More recently really enjoyed Ulrika Spacek supporting Ride at Edinburgh Queens Hall in 2017.
Kate and Anna McGarrigle opening for Sippy Wallace, then Bonnie Raitt at the Boston Music Hall. (1977) Emmy Lou Harris with the Graham Parsons Band opening for Asleep at the Wheel in 1975. Went to see Asleep at the Wheel, didn’t have a clue about the opening act. Walked out half way through Asleep at the Wheel’s set in love with Emmy Lou. Jim Croce opening in Madison Square Garden for The Moody Blues (1973) Bruce Springsteen playing outside the Asbury Park Coliseum before scheduled concerts in the summer of 1972. Kenny Rogers and the First Edition opening for Quicksilver Messenger Service at the Bushnell in Hartford in 1969
not opening act... but i was at a giant sand concert in the nineties and in the middle of the concert joey burns and john convertion presented some songs as calexico... you could hear that there was something growing...
Kevin Cronin solo acoustic opened for the Eagles around 1975. Kevin was good, but was a different kind of opener.
TONS of great ones - memory may be sych that I've forgotten many .. ................> opened for Robin Trower > Jethro Tull Edgar Winter > J. Geils Band Albert King > B.B. King Johnnie Taylor > Albert King James Cotton > John Mayall Peter Tosh > Rolling Stones more to follow as I think of them
Blackfoot wiping the floor with the Scorpions on the Animal Magnetism Tour in Liverpool, I booked for Donnington shortly after!
AC/DC with Bon opening for Aerosmith in 77? Plant opening for Who in 02 Richard Thompson opening for Emmylou &Rodney couple yrs ago
In 2003 I was going along with a friend to see Snow Patrol (wasn't my choice, can't remember anything about them). There were two support acts. I forget the second one but the first was unknown to me, but turned out to be the most amazing young lady I had heard in many many years. Amy Winehouse.
Nice Thread, OP! Roseanne Cash for Bruce Hornsby & The Range *BR549 for Brian Setzer Brad Paisley for Brooks & Dunn *Purchased their CD "This Is BR-549" that evening!
Rory Gallagher opening for ZZ Top, 1975. Unbelievable! Climax Blues Band opening for Peter Frampton, 1978. Pete Haycock was incredible! Freddy King opening for Eric Clapton, 1975. Freddy was good that night! Trapeze opening for Yes, 1973. My introduction to Glen Hughes! Queen opening for Mott The Hoople, 1974. My introduction to Queen. I had never heard of them, later learned they swapped billing at some shows out west. Those are the highlights, seen many great opening acts, like the time I saw (early) Rainbow open for "I can't remember." ;o)
Here's one that comes to mind, supporting Squeeze - OTWAY & BARRETT - definitely an act you couldn't ignore! Beware of the Flowers (Cos I'm Sure They're Going To Get You Yeah):
I saw that pairing on the War tour at Newcastle City Hall, I thought the Alarm were the better band.... When I was at college we managed to get the Pretenders to play at Newcastle Poly in the week they had No.1 single and album on bothe sides of the Atlantic (Brass in Pocket/ Pretenders) We'd never heard of the support act called UB40. A bunch of us were upstairs in the bar whem this awesome reggae flooded the building. Needless to say we were downstairs in seconds.
For me, the only time a supporting act surpassed the headliner was Neutral Milk Hotel opening up for Superchunk in ‘98. Some other memorable ones include The Jayhawks opening up for The Black Crowes in ‘93, Taj Mahal opening for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in ‘95, and Sebadoh and Robyn Hitchcock opening for The Flaming Lips in ‘99. Lately, I recall being impressed with Japanese Breakfast opening for Slowdive in ‘17.
I saw Bachman Turner Overdrive open for Van Halen. Bachman Turner Overdrive put on a great show that night.
Morbid Angel (touring behind Covenant) AND Motorhead opening for Black Sabbath (with Tony Martin on vocals).