The Beatles, Baltimore, Sept 13 1964, my 12th b'day, my dad toook me. Saw them, barely heard them, constant screaming! |
Repulso, I have to give it to you. That first concert is as close as it can get (for me) to the best first concert I could have had. Being a Beatle junkie, it may beat mine, but then again: were you able to hear anything? |
Black Sabbath-1972-2 years old. My mom was a metalhead! She still has pics somewhere taken right on the stage-side of Ozzy. He's wearing that ugly brown suede suite with the fringe. She also took me to see Jethro Tull and T.Rex before I was even 5. |
Warrenh-
I have to agree with you, that is the first concert of all first concerts. I had a "partially obstructed view" ticket (behind a big pole), and as soon as the Beatles came out I ran down to a landing and stood there to be able to see them. But, as you say, there was little to be heard over the incessant, totally loud, consistent screaming that took place. It was possible to hear them between songs, and when Ringo spoke, and said something like "and now your old and out of tune Beatle will sing for you", and then went right into Boys, I was flattened. They played maybe 30 minutes total. Before they came out Bill Haley played, and I think Martha Reeves too (not sure now who it was), and everytime the beatles were mentioned there was screaming. The MC said a number of times no photos allowed, but in total honest, the entire time the Beatles were on stage it was like daylight, so many flashes, and in thos days cameras used individual little bulbs for the flash, had to be changed with each photo. My dad is now 88, I should ask hi8m if he recalls this concert. |
Unamplified and LIVE. I'm guessing the year and if it is correct I was ten years old. Afterwards went backstage to meet Satchmo and got his autographed photo along with those of all the band members. |
Louis Armstrong in Kingston, NY in 1962 (see above post). |
Mcrheist, yeah, the Carpenters were "not cool" in 1971. However, I have come to really appreciate Karen's voice, and Richard's arrangements were simply brilliant.
Maturity adds to one's wisdom, I guess! Check out the Carpenters " CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT"...you'll see what I mean about his arrangements. |
Deep Purple - Machine Head tour, 1972.
I still remember the experience. I was only eleven years old and I wasn't really sure what to expect. Good Gawd! That one event was seminal in leading me down the slippery slope of life (Drugs, Sex & Rock -n- Roll).
Thank god I've recovered. One of the guys that attended that show with me is no longer here. He never changed his life-style. I think of him with a smile every time I hear Highway Star (he was a true highway star, but he never slowed down).
Good thread.
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Interesting thread .. I'd have to say my first real concert was a regional band in northern Wisconsin known as the American Tea Company. The location was either the Depot in Merrill or The Hole in Tomahawk. This was 1967 or 1968. Can't really remember. The lead singer looked and sounded a lot like Jim Morrison, and they had this weird keyboard called a Hammond B3. ;)
I am still going to shows today. In the summer I work in security for Live Nation at Alpine Valley Music Theater in East Troy WI.
Trying to stay focused ... |
Dreadhead .. you have me beat...
My first Dead show 10/25/73 .. wall of sound show. Kinda muddy sounding, must have been all those McIntosh amps. ;) Just kidding!
I went with my girlfriend, who became my wife the next year. We left after the first set, I was too much into arena rock at the time to understand the Dead.
10/25/73 (Thu) Dane County Coliseum - Madison, WI
Set 1: Here Comes Sunshine, Black Throated Wind, Mexicali Blues, Tennessee Jed, Looks Like Rain, Deal, El Paso, Playing In The Band
Set 2: China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Me & My Uncle, Dark Star > Mind Left Body Jam > Dark Star > Eyes Of The World > Stella Blue, Weather Report Suite Prelude > Weather Report Suite Part 1 > Let It Grow > Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad > One More Saturday Night, E: Uncle John's Band |
KISS - Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto. |
1970 (or '71?) - Olympia Stadium - Detroit, MI - 5th row - Alice Cooper and Steppenwolf. When Steppenwolf played "Pusher", with that awesome Hammond B3 and the searing, ear-splitting lead guitar my life changed. I went from being a stupid teenage boy, to a stupid teenage boy with an obsession: loud, raunchy, fuzzy, BLUESY, funky, rock-and-roll. My virgin ears rang for days. I still love that kind of music. |
I had to dig deep on this one, it's embarassing .. my first real concert was the Supremes at Disneyland, September 1970. |
Gene Pitney. My sisters loved him before the Beatles hit! |
Cream. Madison Square Garden 1968. |
Be Bop Deluxe...anyone out there who've seen them in concert...especially the LIVE! IN THE AIR AGE tour [1977]? |
Had a ticket, but Be Bop Deluxe cancelled in Portland OR on that tour #$%^&*!#$%!!!!!... thanks for reminding me.
First concert- Stumbled into a Ventures cover band at a giant picnic near an American Air Force base in Spain... (maybe it was the Ventures, it was about the coolest thing i ever saw or heard as a 10 year old). If that doesn't count it was Yes on the Tales from Topographic Oceans tour. |
The Spinners. Rubberband Man tour. |
I'm not embarassed to admit my first concert was...
Styx during the "Mr. Roboto" tour.
I was in 3rd grade. I bought a hat and a jersey shirt to prove it, too.
Too bad I couldn't go see Loverboy. I was jealous of my friends who did. "Get Lucky" was a totally awesome cassette. |
Yes warming up Grand Funk Railroad, July 24th 1971 at The Yale Bowl, New Haven, CT. |
Led Zeppelin,summer 1969,Pirates World,Dania,Fl.I won a free ticket off the Ft. Lauderdale radio station,seems like the dj was called something like 'Johnny Dark' or similar.Hard to remember,another lifetime ago.I can't listen to that stuff anymore.Must be an old pfart now I guess. |
The Alarm, 1985 at Irvine Meadows. To this day, I think they are one of the best "conscious rock" bands of all time. Too bad, U2 came out at the same time or else The Alarm would have enjoyed more commercial success. |
He had no idea who Hendrix was but that we wanted to go to the concert at the Dallas Symphony Hall to hear him was all good. He was a little surprised to hear the music later...... |
Hey Double4w, I saw a lot of concerts at Pirates World, but I don't remember Led Zep there -- can't believe I missed that one. I did see them 4/10/1970 at Miami Beach Convention Hall -- still have my ticket stub. |
Ncarv,don't mean to intensify your regrets,but L/Z was at Pirates World at least 3 times total that I attended,if memory serves me correctly.Then there was Jethro T.,Rod Stewart-Small Faces,Steve Miller,Blue Oyster Cult,Uriah Heep,and I could just about swear Fleetwood Mac opened for another band,before they were main attraction level.Then Ted Nugent,and heck I forgot most of them.Oh,was'nt Black Sabbath there also.If not I know I saw 'em somewhere.P.S.,I don't know of anything I still have from 1970.There are some things I wish I still had from those times. |
Ncarv,actually my memory is 'smokey' on that subject.I did some research,and have discovered that in fact I only could have seen L/Z once at Pirates World,in '69'.The only other time had to be the time in Miami which you referred to.It's a wonder I remember anything from those days. |
Double4w ... Yes, Fleetwood Mac opened for Deep Purple in 1974. Bob Welch did vocals/guitar.
Savoy Brown was part of the triple bill. Tickets were 4, 5, and 6 bucks.
I have a pouch full of ticket stubs from that era. |
Black Sheep in the early 70's with Lou Gramm on vocals well before Foreigner came around. |
Steppenwolf at the War Memorial in Syracuse NY in 1968.--Mrmitch |
Wagner Walkure, Seattle Opera 1974. The next year the whole Ring in english and German, then the next year as part of Sigfried, manually operating Fafner the Dragon.
But my first concert of the sort you're talking about was Talking Heads (and some video thing) at the Mudd Club, NYC 1978. My most fun concert was standing right in front of the Gang of Four (spring of 1980) in a tiny U.C Davis cafeteria side-room.
Gregg |
The Beatles, Cleveland Municipal Stadium, August 14, 1966. I was 12 and went with my brother's friends. My next concert was five months later....The Monkees, Jan 15, 1967,Cleveland Public Auditorium!! (Not my brother and friends this time; me and two neighbors) Both were scream fests and I could barely see them.....BUT...I was there. |
Jimi Hendrix - 1968 Will Rogers Collisium |
Ted Nugent 198something in Albaqurque NM. with uria heap
....but my most favorite concert of all time was Jimmy Buffet alpine valley wisconsin 199something. It was a giant keg party and all parrot heads are cool cool. THey fed me burgers and they drank my margaritas. Just a whole lotta fun. |
Roxy Music, Spring of 1975, Akron Civic Theatre |
First rock concert was The Blues Project in April 1966. Early acoustic concerts included Peter, Paul & Mary, Bud 'n Travis, Glen Yarbrough, New Christy Minstrels. |
Drubin, The Blues Project were great! They had a song called "Never go back to Georgia" I was 10 years old in 1966 and I knew a great song when I heard one. |
Judas Priest & Slayer in 1988 - but that's not the punchline. I grew up in a small town and didn't really have access to concerts until I went to college. A buddy and I found last minute tickets and headed to the show in Phoenix in the early fall of 1988. Being over 100ยบ still, we dressed for the occasion - me in khaki shorts and sneakers wearing a Bloom County comic T-Shirt and my buddy wearing neon green sneakers, a pink "beach bum" cut-off shirt, and shorts that were the state flag of Colorado.
Yes, you can guess what we looked like.
Yes, our seats ended up center aisle in the second row.
Yes, we were surrounded by black t-shirts and long hair everywhere.
And yes, Rob Halford noticed us and gave a wink at the opening of their set. It wasn't until years later I learned the irony of that moment. |
My first concert was at Valparaiso University. We saw Black Oak Arkansas and Brownsville Station (no comments please) but the next week we saw Edgar Winter. We use to see Styx alot at the Hammond Civic Center for $2.00 when there was nothing else to do. |
Yes-Madison Square Garden 1974, Relayer tour. I'm not quite sure that show was ever surpassed in 34 years of concert going. I was not yet 15 years old. The Roger Dean stage set-up was surreal. |
Drubin, I made a mistake. I was thinking of the Blues Magoos. A NYC band from the same era. |
SAXON 1982 Birmingham Odeon, U.K. 'Eagle has Landed Tour' 12 years old at the time. Excellent gig!! |
Beach Boys mid sixties in Cleveland- Glen Campbell was touring with them and sang the high parts. The Lovin' Spoonful was the warm up band. The Beatles in 1966 may have been the same year or a year later. The best early concert, however, was Genesis Selling England by the Pound concert at an old, beautiful movie theater downtown Cleveland, tenth row center-probably not more than 500-1000 people there. They were using SAE amps! Killer concert-early 70's. |
An event sponsered by WFIL AM radio in Philadelphia, in the early 70's. I was the lucky caller who won tickets. I must have been in 7th or 8th grade. I remember Jim Croce, Jose Feliciano, the O'Jays, and I think, the Raspberries, playing there. The most memorable things that I took away from that concert were the image of Jim Croce so joyously playing, not long before his untimely death, and the crowd snaking around the floor of the Civic Center in a massive "Love Train" as the O'Jays sang that hit. Philly was about to become a fantastic place to hear live music in the 70's, during the heyday of the Electric Factory music promotion group. I went to many concerts, mostly at the concrete echo chamber known as the Spectrum. J. Geils, Steely Dan, Loggins and Messina, Zeppelin, Foghat, Roy Buchannon, among so many others. Ruined my hearing, but what fun it was. |
Boston.....Heart and Black Sabbath the fall of '76. Superb bands and shows. It was Boston and Heart's first US tour. Still kicking myself for not buying at least one t-shirt from that great concert! ;-) |
Elton John, bicentennial tour '76. Tenth row center; didn't appreciate the great seats. I was only 12, what did I know! |
Black Sabbath & Blue Oyster Colt in 1980 or so, I was so wasted, I still don't remeber much of it, LOL, Did bring home a drum stick though, still got it somewhere. |
Joan Baez on Boston Common in September of 1971. |
Elvis Presley at the Charlotte Coliseum in 1972. My parents took the whole family. Chinese food afterward.
The first I went to on my own was America. Poco opened for them. In Fayetteville, NC in 1975. |
jimi hendrix at the old minneapolis auditorium in 1968. the thing i remember most is the way he laughed into the mike....the laugh of a guy who felt he had the world by the tail..and godamn, he did |
Electric Light Orchestra at Madison Square Garden, in '73? 74? My big brother took me. They were at their peak and the light show was pretty amazing as I recall.
What was that smell in the air? I would soon find out.... |
