The Doors in 1968 at the Hollywood Bowl. I was only 11 yrs. old. Went with an older cousin & friends. I remember Morrison starting & stopping during a lengthy version of "Light my Fire". |
Kiss with Styx. I think 1977 @ The Summit in Houston, TX |
Gary Puckett and the Union Gap in my high school gymnasium, '69 or '70? |
Funky Meters at the Warehouse in New Orleans. |
David Bowie 1975 at the Olympia arena in Detroit |
hmmm . Roger Waters - Pros and Cons of Hitchiking tour.
Not bad for a first show. |
The first I remember was Elton John at Kent State University's Memorial Hall. May of 1972.
"Mad Men Across the Water" was the only album out and he played that plus a great deal of "Yellow Brick Road."
The only better concert I've ever seen was Pink Floyd (1973)same venue and they played more than one song, in surround sound, from an album we'd not heard. Some obscure album called "The Dark side of the Moon". |
Led Zeppelin, 1970, Charlotte Coliseum. I was 14. They played most of first two albums. I was blown away and hooked ever since and have been pursuing live music - rock and jazz - for 40 years. |
Went to see ELP in early 1970 and got to sit on the front speaker stack next to the band shell at the East Town Theater in Detroit.
Yes came out first and I had no Idea who they were; they blew me away. ELP followed and were tremendous. I Decided it couldn't have been that good so I went back the next night (same seats) it was better! I have spent a lot on money on concerts since then and to this day none have been better. |
Hbarrel,
By 1972 (before "Madman"), Elton John had released (at least) 3 other records: "Elton John" (which included "Your Song", his first single that I can recall hearing on the radio), "Tumbleweed Connection", and a somewhat less widely seen LP called "Empty Sky".
Wasn't my first show, but I saw him just around the same time. The show was kind of understated, just EJ and a piano out front with a backing band behind him. IIRC, I liked it quite a bit. I will note that - more than any other performer that quickly comes to mind - he has come a loooong way. He wasn't even gay back then (at least as far as the audience was concerned)!
Marty |
Pink Floyd Edmonton 1970 2000 people with
Rory Gallagher lead up |
La Pesada del Rock and Roll in the Millington Drake Theater, Montevideo Uruguay. I was 14 years old. I couldn´t believe my ears. |
Count Basie in the early 70's at Waterloo Village, NJ |
Bobby Vinton at The Fountainbleu Hotel on Miami Beach.
I hated him...until I saw him in person ( and with my parents for God's sake).
He was amazing.
Seriously. |
Gerry and the Pacemakers,on the Pier at Great Yarmouth UK,circa 1968,my parents made me go,honest !! |
Eagles with Joe Walsh - Hotel California Buffalo Memorial Auditorium |
Saxon '82 - Eagle has Landed Tour Birmingham Odeon, UK. |
Santana . Brooklyn academy of Music . I would guess approx 1972 ? |
Denver CO in the late 60s ... Strawberry Alarm Clock and a rock-solid group called Buffalo Springfield. Such a night that was ... |
Kiss San Diego 1976 I think cheap trick opened for them |
Jerry Gsrcia, Seton Hall University Walsh Gymnasium, 1974. I was a snot-nosed Catholic high-school freshman - we snuck down in front after one song and I stood up against the stage inches away from Jerry, wondering at the 30-minute long version of Sugaree while older dudes dropped acid right next to me.
Shake it, shake it, Sugaree... |
chuck berry at my high school in ballwin mo in 1971. started at the top and went down from there. ha. roll over beethoven!!! |
Led Zepellin at the pavillion in NY.The drummer was so stoned he could hardly stay in the chair.Second notable was Mothers of Invention at the fillmore east.That was 40 years ago. |
Miles Davis, at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, KY circa 1961. Of course Miles couldn't actually STAY at the Brown, given the racial tone of the day, and even though Louisville was/is not Deep South, but the Northern Gateway to the South--those prejudices exsisted strongly back then.
The evening was more than a little bit interesting for a fledgling Alto Sax player such as myself--Miles arrives almost two hours late because of flight delays as we were told. We're all waiting patiently, when off stage right, I hear these incredible tones coming forth--chromatic scales. For those of you who aren't musicians, that is an excercise that you learn early on...all notes of a scale, sharps and flats, going from lowest to highest, then back down, quick, quicker, fast, then as fast as you can. It is good for the 'chops' AND allows your fingering to be mastered for adlibbing quickly.
Of course Miles' doing it was almost like "Music Magic", (sorry Chick) moreover it was a lesson, I never forgot...if Miles can play chromatic's I should sure as hell do it.
They played for a couple of hours--some guy in the back wanted to hear, "Bye Bye Blackbird" and screamed out his request at the end of every song. To his incredible patience (though not known for it), Miles played it--he and the whole group did a fantastic job--and oddly it was a personal highlight for me.
Miles was already a legend of sorts and certainly worth the $5.00 (if I remember correctly) for the ticket.
Later that fall, on New Year's Eve, I played my own first professional job, at a Catholic Church Dance, earning, what for me at the time was a fortune...$40. for a 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. job.
For a 12/13 year old boy, this was a launch pad for a love of music that's lasted a lifetime...and,he was pure magic.
Larry |
1977 - Joe Jackson on first US tour for look sharp - Asbury Park convention center in nj |
James Brown at the Sports Arena Toledo |
Focus, in a plush little theater in Maastricht, Holland in '72. |
Pearl jam in '02 (I'm a youngn) |
Nielson Pierson, then Cold Blood came on, then Boz Scaggs came on....Tower of Power was the headliner.
Cal Expo, Sacrament, CA
Wolfman Jack was the Concert MC. Spring '74 |
Bengla Desh concert August 1st 1971 night show. George Harrison sounded great and his voice was even better than his records and his guitar playing was incredible as well. The tickets were $7.50 for first promenade excellent seats I believe. Needless to say and unbelievable concert and a tough act to follow. |
Bachman Turner Overdrive. My mother made my older brother take me. Him and his friends bought me a pack of cigarettes and made me sit about 40 yards away from them so they could meet girls |
Chicago in Memphis at the Mid-South Coliseum. August of 1971. Tickets were $4, $5 and $6. I had just graduated from high school and this was my first rock-n-roll show.
I suppose I should add that I went to the Grand Ole Opry and lots of country music shows with my folks through the years. Even saw Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, the Carter Family and the Statler Brothers in 1968. But the Chicago show is what I consider the first. |
Blue Oyster Cult in Niles, IL (at an ice rink!)in '76. Rory Gallagher opened. |
Kiss in 1975. Can't remember the opening band. Don't ask why. |
Ry Cooder, Slide Area tour, Newcastle, England, 1982 was the first. Then it was onto The Boss' Born In The USA tour, Newcastle, Eng in 1985 and also Dire Straits' Live in '85 tour(same city). What a great way to start.... |
My first concert Was way too long ago.
|
The Monkees at Maple Leaf gardens in Toronto 1966.
After that things improved.
In 1967 I saw
Cream at Massey Hall
Jeff Beck Group (with Rod Stewart, Ron Wood , etc.) |
@ The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. I won tickets to KBLA 1500 am The Yellow Rolls Royce Contest and Everyone who was big back then performed. The Seeds,The Association,Sonny and Cher,The Turtles,Tommy Roe. I mean I can't remember them all and I didn't win the Rolls Royce. |
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The Boomtown Rats opening for Frank Zappa and the Mothers, I'm sorry to say I left during Zappa's first song. I was too young to appreciate him yet, 1979 or 1980. |
Styx, 1983, Kilroy Was Here tour, a pretty good show. |
The Monkees at Maple Leaf Gardens in 1966. |
Frank Zappa, May 1979 at Providence Civic Center. Probably $12 I think? |
Bo Diddley, Reading Fairgrounds, Reading Pa. During the 60's I was one stunned teen...WOW |
Judas Priest/Great White Joe Louis Arena June-13-1984. The mighty Priest had an off night, Great White was the better band. |
Aerosmith and Rick Derringer @ Selland Arena in Fresno California 1974 |
Pink Floyd Division Bell Tour. I was 17 if memory serves. Early 90's at Toronto's old Ex Stadium. I still have flashbacks. |
ELO, Deep Purple 11-Dec-1974. Dio was scheduled to open the show and cancelled at the last minute. $6.50 got me a dozen rows from the stage. Eldorado and Burn were the tour's featured albums.
A cello blew up during ELO's show. Ritchie Blackmore came back with an open, mostly full, dripping bottle of whiskey to use as a slide during the encores. The first of many awesome shows.
Relax, have an Oso Lupulin Maximus Imperial IPA and listen to some Legendary Blues Band... |
The Monkees and the Box Tops in Seattle 60's..it only got better from there! |
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I went to see Elvin Bishop and Lee Michaels in Fresno at Selland Arena in 1972. Great show.
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