Your first concert

[Chilly]

first and favorite was the In Flames "Reroute to Remain" tour here in Austin.

[Buftex]

My first was Huey Lewis and the News, circa 1987 at the Aud. I was 8 years old and I went with my parents and older sister. I remember really enjoying it, and the best part was that we didn't get home until around midnight, and my mom didn't make me go to school the next day!

 

My favorite...Too many to count that were all great times...But I'll go with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers / Black Crowes show at Darien Lake a few summers ago- it was a sunny, 80-degree July day, both bands played their asses off, and we had a crew of about 30 friends there. Good times...

 

 

Muddy Waters opening for Eric Clapton, at the Aud, 1978 I think. I was twelve at the time, and so excited to see Clapton (wanted to hear friggin' "Layla") I couldn't wait for the "old man" to get off the stage...god, I would kill to be able to relive that night....

 

I have been to a lot of really great shows in my day, so it is hard to pick one. I guess, gun to my head, it was seeing the Who, at the Aud, in December of 1979...one night after the stampede in Cincinnati. I had nose bleed seats, but was able to get 2nd row seats, when a kid at school was forbidden from going, by his parents. They were amazing, and so powerful...I remeber they barely spoke between songs, Townsend was manic on stage...very somber show...

 

Another would be seeing Neil Young with Booker T & the MG's backing him up, here in Austin (Irwin Center) in 1993. I had always been sort of lukewarm to Neil up to that point, but the show blew me away, and I have been a huge fan ever since. It is amazing watching him perform...

[billfan63]

first and favorite was the Reroute to Remain In Flames tour here in Austin.

First - 1976 Wings Over America - Nassau Coliseum

Best - Springsteen with the E-Street Band

[apuszczalowski]

First - Stone Temple Pilots/Red Hot Chilli Peppers w/ Fishbone opening the show at Darrien Lake

Best - Hard to say, Mettallica w/ Godsmack at ACC or Copps in Hamilton was great, Godsmack Rob Zombie and Shinedown was also great, Ozzy in Toronto during the "SARS" scare, Ozzy on the Second stage of Ozzfest this year. I don't know, I've seen so many

[erynthered]

First one: Lou Reed opened for The Kinks. I think it was around 1970.

 

The best? Too many " Bests" to list.

[Helmet_hair]

The Black and Blue tour about 1980. No wait it was Cheap Trick in 79, I think...it's all very fuzzy back then.

[IDBillzFan]

First concert was Billy Squier with Ratt opening.

My first concert was Pat Benetar at SPAC, and the little-known Billy Squier (who had just released "Stroke Me") opened for her. And kicked her ass, I might add.

 

Best concert? Sitting at the bar at The House of Blues watching Tony Bennett. As close to a perfect concert in the perfect concert setting that I could ever ask for.

[stuckincincy]

Best concert? Sitting at the bar at The House of Blues watching Tony Bennett. As close to a perfect concert in the perfect concert setting that I could ever ask for.

 

[Simon]

First: Iron Maiden, Ted Nugent and a couple other pop bands in Rich Stadium sometime around '81.

 

Favorite: Got to list a couple.....

'82- The Ramones in the filthy basement of some soon to be demolished pile of bricks in Pittsburgh. Every gangbanger in the city was there crowded together in this tiny downstairs with 7' ceilings and there must have been about 20 vicious brawls. The band never missed a beat and it was an awesome atmosphere in which to see the Ramones.

'82- Rush in support of Moving Pictures. 3 seriously talented and inspired musicians. Oh yeah, and cool groovy lasers too.

'86- Stanley Jordan w/ Bobby McFerrin in a small hall in State College. Uniquely impressive.

'87- The Grateful Dead in the front row of Red Rocks arena in Colorado. It was an OK show on a wet chilly night but being in the front row next to a stage that was about 6" high and in the midst of those awesome rock formations was very very cool.

'89- Blues Traveler in some hotel ballroom in Oregon right before thier first album came out. Those sonsabitches could p-l-a-y. I've never been that exhausted after a show and I have no idea how they went that strong for that long.

'94- Eric Clapton during his From the Cradle tour. Nothing but serious blues being played by a serious musician. A true virtuoso performance.

'98- My buddy grabbing a mike and clearing an entire karaoke bar with an "inspired" rendition of "The End". After 10 minutes he finally started jumping around and screaming about f'ing his mother and people were running for the exits. By the time he was done we had the whole place to ourselves; unfortunately there was no way they were going to serve us at that point. I still start laughing uncontrollably when I think about it.

Date unkown- Steely Dan in an outdoor ampitheatre outside P'burgh. I was about 5 rows back from Fagan/Becker and one of the sickest tightest bands you'll ever see.

[plenzmd1]

summer 1977,Rich Stadium,Blue Oyster Cult,Lynyrd Skynyrd,Nugent,Starz

Dam,

 

Dam, I was there also!!! But my first was Rush at the Niagara Falls Covention Center with Uriah Heap opening.

 

Best, by a WIDE margin was U-2 at Sheas Buffalo, wanna guess either 83 or 84!!!!

 

Honorable Mentions

Peter Gabriel Kleinhans maybe 80 0r 81

 

Gentle Giant Klienhans 80

 

Simon and Garfunkle Exhibition Stadium

 

Dave Brubeck Artpark

 

Dizzy Gillespie(sp) Trafalmordore Cafe (still can see that dudes cheeks! again early 86

[The_Philster]

First -Miami Sound Machine 1987 Chautauqua Institution

First concert in a real concert setting- 1989- Bon Jovi with Skid Row-The Pond in Pittsburgh (old home of the Penguins)

Favorite-2003-Bon Jovi with Goo Goo Dolls -MCI Center

[plenzmd1]

One other one I forgot, and saw them quite a bit while in high school was a Genesis cover band names Pegasus . . Saw them a few times while eating the magic fungus at a bar down on Niagara street . Thought they were awesome in the full gabriel outfits etc!!!Any body else remember them, and what was the name of the bar, long since shuttered

[Rico]

First: Alice Cooper on the Billion Dollar Babies Tour New Year's Eve 1973 at the Aud

with ZZ Top opening.

 

Best: too many to say, so I'll just list the most recent,

Iggy & the Stooges at the 9:30 Club in DC last week.

[GoodBye]

My first concert was REM back in the 90s some time. Favorite would have to be Amos Lee. Although Blue Man group was pretty awesome too.

[Cornerville]

1991: Grateful Dead, MSG, NYC

 

Best:

 

1994 Eagles, opened by Sheryl Crow, Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ

[diver]

Some band the pounded sticks on the stage and then Peter Frampton opened for Jethro Tull in Niagara Falls. I was there

[diver]

I don't remember what my first concert was. I used to sneak into Melody Fair all the time because I lived in their backyard. It was a riot. Saw many band back then. Franki Valli and the Four Seasons. The Byrds. and lots of singers my mom liked like Tom Jones and Englebert Humberdink. We used to sneak in all the time. I saw some ladie named Alice Cooper on the marquee and decided not to sneak in. Funny!!! I thought Alice Cooper was one of my mom's age singers. I know love Alice Cooper.

In the 70's went to all the Buffalo Summer fest concerts. Doobie Brothers opening for Chicago was one of my Favorites. Also saw CSNY at Rich Stadium and they estimated over 110,000 people. From my seat I saw them knock down the fence on the front side of the stadium.

I now see many classic Rock bands in Omaha. Lastest was Bob Dylan, Bob Seger and Eric Clapton.

[Pete]

First was Iron Maiden at the New Haven Coloseium around 1982. Fastway opened up.

 

Favorite? So many:

Any 80's Ramones show(I saw them 14 times)

Paul Mccartney at Foxboro 1989

U2 at Foxboro 1987

Neil Young accoustic Lake Compounce early 90s

Metallica in front of maybe 500 people 1985 Agora Ballroom

Janes Addiction 1990? Boston

Rage Against the Machine/Cypress Hill Hartford mid90s

any Dead show

[mcjeff215]

First one was Therapy? after Nurse -OR- Aerosmith; I don't remember which was first. The best show.... Ok, here it goes...

 

I've seen Metallica 16 times now. It's a habit of mine really. Two of those concerts were in Melbourne Australia, I believe at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (may have been Tennis Center for all of you Aussies we have here). I spent about 6 weeks with some friends out in Croydon, Victoria.

 

I used to run a Metallica related fan site (www.intersandman.com). About 4 months prior to my trip down under, I started posting "Play Killing Time in Melbourne!" on that web site and on various fan forums around the 'net. Mostly as a gag. I had bought tickets to that show months ahead of time - to two shows, they were playing back to back. The first show was uneventful.

 

The second show, though, was a blast. I walked up to the will call and asked if they had any tickets or passes for me because I had a "friend" that kind of worked for them. Surprise, they did. Nice. But they didn't leave just two, they left four. There were only two of us. I ended up giving the extra tickets/passes to a couple of teenagers that didn't even have seats to the show.

 

About 2/3 of the way through the concert, I heard the intro to "Killing Time." I had seen them 8 or 9 times at this point and had never heard Killing Time live. Could it be? Nah. They got about half way through the song and stopped playing it. I was excited, but not sure if it was "for me."

 

Well, as I had those passes, I went to the after show meet and greet. I didn't get a chance to bring it up with anyone as the lines were huge, never got to meet any of those guys. I think Lars and Jason showed up to sign autographs.

 

On the way to the car, though, we took the back way out. Half way down the side walk a black minivan pulled up and a big santa-clause looking guy got out and started pushing kids back against the fence. Kirk got out after the guy and proceeded to sign autographs for the lucky kids who just happened to be walking out late. He came to me and asked my name and whatnot.. I told him. He must have caught my accent (or lack thereof) and asked where I was from. I told him the 1 minute version of the story and he said, "Yes! You're Jeff? The Intersandman.com guy? We played what we could remember for you tonight, sorry we couldn't do more!" He then signed my shirt that I had with me and jumped back in the van.

 

Since then I've worked the fan club booth and whatnot at a couple shows. It's always very fun. Meet some cool people and swap some stories. Good stuff.

 

That was my favorite concert.

 

http://www.bootlegs.ws/met/met98-04-06.html

 

Jeff

[Buffalo Mike1]

First I think was Eagles- Hotel California.

Best Performance ( and I have seen alot) Grand Funk Railroad- super energy band!!

Best time- Aerosmith- when I worked for Disney. They did the soundtrack for Rock& Roller Coaster. Got to meet the Band before the show, had my pic with Stephen Tyler!!! Have killer pic of Stephen drawing an arrow toward this girls crotch - writing walk this way with a sharpie!!