The best opening act you've ever seen & heard?

Freddie King opening for Elvin Bishop (if you think it should’ve been the other around, I agree). I was in high school -- it was either ’73 or ’74. That was some of the most intense Blues guitar playing I’ve witnessed in person, culminating in "Goin’ Down". I know Blues scholars prefer his earlier work with the cleaner-sounding P90 equipped Gold Top, but not me. I like the nastier tone he sported later on, with those big ol’ semi hollows and more gain. There’s a youtube video from some outdoor gig in Texas, I believe, from around that time, with a great version of "Ain’t Nobody’s Business". My favorite of the three Kings.

First concert I attended, everyone sitting on the floor in the gym at WSU in Pullman WA where loaves of bread, bottles of wine and joints were freely passed around. Warm up was a one man band, Duster Bennett, very fun performance, then John Mayall and his superb band.

Tommy Bolin, around 1974, terrible venue when it could of been in the really great opera house in Spokane WA, amazing performance from all members, warned up for Rush. Most were not paying much attention to TB but went nuts when Rush came on stage and quite frankly, they sucked, I had to leave. I really did not get it how little the audience understood the talent of TB and his band.

I was standing in line to buy tickets to see Jimi Hendrix when someone came out to tell us he had died, that was a sad, sad day.

Rick

 Jason Isbell joined him towards the end of his set and they performed a John Prine song together.

@wharfy , was it Daddy's Little Pumkin?  I like Josh Ritter a lot.  Girl In The War back in '07 is what turned me on to him. But sadly, I haven't followed up on him much.

Steve Earle and The Dukes opened for Bob Dylan.

@winoguy17 , Steve Earle is one of my favorites; I would have loved to see that.  What year was that?

March 18, 1973 Linda Ronstadt opened for Neil Young and so began my total love affair with her. A voice that touches my soul.

@tony1954 , and Linda Ronstadt is another one of my favorites!  I remember seeing a documentary about her (I think it was on CNN) and I kind of remember that the documentary talking about that tour (Young & Ronstadt) and saying that she did such a great job as an opener that Young had her alternate with him on who would open and who would headline.  If I remember correctly, he could get some extra rest this way.