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

 

I have two:

 

In 1983 I went to see The Plimsouls (Peter Case’s pre-solo career band) at The Garage, a tiny little "club" on Ventura Blvd. The room had filled up (elbow-to-elbow tight), and the opening act started their set. My woman and I both looked at each other, our mouths agape. It was Los Lobos, and they were great! Their debut album How Will The Wolf Survive? had yet to be released, but I sure picked it up when it was.

 

I went to see John Hiatt at The Roxy Theater on Sunset Blvd. during his Perfectly Good Guitar tour, entering the room just as the opening act was starting her final song. The ads for the show listed her name, which was unfamiliar to me. As the song started and progressed, I was stunned; the song she and her band were performing was a great one, and I knew I had missed a quality set of music. It was Sheryl Crow, whose debut album had not yet been released. Damn it!

 

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wolf_garcia
6,737 posts
 

In 1967 a friend I was visiting in Santa Barbara knew I was a Tim Buckley fan so he gets us tix for a concert. Tim opened the show (who knew?) followed by Jimi Hendrix and Moby Grape. I've never fully recovered.

whipsaw
762 posts
 

Al Jarreau opening for George Benson in the '70s, when I was in high school. subsequently saw him a number of times in small venues in Chicago, before he hit the big time.

What a talent!

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zappas
177 posts
 

1978 Erie PA. Van halen opend for Black Sabbath. 

lenmc2964's avatar
lenmc2964
241 posts
 

Rory Gallagher open for ZZ Top in 76

Steeley Dan opened for Rare Earth in 73

Cactus opened for Trapeze early 70’s

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stvgray
24 posts
 

In the fall of 1968, I went to my first rock concert, at the Kinetic Playground in Chicago. We went to see Spirit, at the top of the bill, with two other acts.

The first act came on, and the lead singer was WEIRD AS HELL - with continuous convulsive body movements and a massive, fantastic voice. He was a complete unknown in the US at that time ... Joe Cocker and the Grease Band.

In 1969, we went to see Randy Newman performing solo at The Quiet Night in Chicago. The opening act was a couple of comics none of us had ever heard of. One guy was a burnout, the other was a Latino ... Cheech & Chong. Pretty damn funny. This was two years before they recorded their sketch that went viral on radio, "Dave's Not Here."

 

 

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