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

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

  1. mark_j

    mark_j Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    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.
     
  2. Muriel Heslop

    Muriel Heslop Night is young and the music's high

    Location:
    Canada
    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!!
     
    Drumaniac - R likes this.
  3. cj25

    cj25 Forum Resident

    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!!
     
    Greg Gee likes this.
  4. Sci-Flyer

    Sci-Flyer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scotland
    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.
     
  5. hammr7

    hammr7 Forum Resident

    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
     
    Fullbug likes this.
  6. jimmydean

    jimmydean Senior Member

    Location:
    Vienna, Austria
    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...
     
  7. wes4usc

    wes4usc Forum Resident

    Red Hot Chili Peppers opening for the Rolling Stones

    (Rose Bowl, 1994)
     
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  8. Old & In The Way

    Old & In The Way Active Member

    Location:
    USA
    Kevin Cronin solo acoustic opened for the Eagles around 1975. Kevin was good, but was a different kind of opener.
     
    carlwm likes this.
  9. Old & In The Way

    Old & In The Way Active Member

    Location:
    USA
    Muddy Waters opened for Sha Na Na. Should have been the other way around in my opinion.
     
    Tim 2, All Down The Line, jhm and 2 others like this.
  10. mbrownp1

    mbrownp1 Forum Resident

    Living Colour AND GnR for the Stones, LA Coliseum 1989
     
    jhm likes this.
  11. Crimson Witch

    Crimson Witch Roll across the floor thru the hole & out the door

    Location:
    Lower Michigan
    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
     
  12. veloso2

    veloso2 Forum Resident

    the alarm for u2 in 1984
     
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  13. Anno

    Anno Forum Resident

    Location:
    Penketh
    Blackfoot wiping the floor with the Scorpions on the Animal Magnetism Tour in Liverpool, I booked for Donnington shortly after!
     
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  14. maui jim

    maui jim Forum Resident

    Location:
    West of LA
    AC/DC with Bon opening for Aerosmith in 77?
    Plant opening for Who in 02
    Richard Thompson opening for Emmylou &Rodney couple yrs ago
     
    Greg Gee likes this.
  15. nikh33

    nikh33 Senior Member

    Location:
    Liverpool, England
    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.

    [​IMG]
     
  16. ries

    ries Forum Resident

    Primus opening for Rush. Roll the Bones tour in 1992
     
  17. LilacTeardrop

    LilacTeardrop "Roll It Over My Soul...and Leave Me Here"

    Location:
    U.S.
    Nice Thread, OP! :righton:

    Roseanne Cash for Bruce Hornsby & The Range
    *BR549 for Brian Setzer
    Brad Paisley for Brooks & Dunn
    :):):):):thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

    *Purchased their CD "This Is BR-549" that evening!
     
    Last edited: Apr 8, 2020
    Michael Bean and John B like this.
  18. Greg Gee

    Greg Gee "I tried to change but I changed my mind..."

    Location:
    Oklahoma
    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)
     
  19. newelectricmuse

    newelectricmuse charm, strangeness and quark

    Location:
    London
    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):
     
    Last edited: Apr 8, 2020
  20. Antenociticus

    Antenociticus Forum Resident

    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.
     
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  21. hhjack

    hhjack Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oak Park, IL
    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.
     
    Greg Gee likes this.
  22. John Fell

    John Fell Forum Survivor

    Location:
    Undisclosed
    I saw Bachman Turner Overdrive open for Van Halen. Bachman Turner Overdrive put on a great show that night.
     
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  23. dennis1077

    dennis1077 Forum Resident

    Morbid Angel (touring behind Covenant) AND Motorhead opening for Black Sabbath (with Tony Martin on vocals).
     
  24. The Cat 3

    The Cat 3 Forum Resident

    The Cars opening for Ted Nugent at the Pontiac Silverdome on 28 December 1978.
     
  25. The Cat 3

    The Cat 3 Forum Resident

    Cheap Trick opening for KISS at the Pontiac Silverdome on 13 July 1979.
     

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