'they blew'em off the stage'

Pacific Gas and Electric opened for John Mayall at the Kinetic Playground (Aaron Russo's Electric Theater) in Chicago around 1969 and came out smokin'. I don't remember Mayall's lineup of band members at the time but do remember him being upset with the bass player's volume. PG & E went on to return many times, gathered a loyal following and never had a bad night any of the many times I heard them.

Just last year I saw the Jack White and the Raconteurs simply own the stage when they opened for Bob Dylan in Amherst, Mass. Dylan, on the other hand, might as well have phoned in his performance.

Allman Brothers at Stony Brook Univ (a long, long time ago). Opened for Chicago!

I bet Hendrix blew the Monkees off the stage!

At a multi-performer benefit for Bill Bradley's first run for office, Paul Simon was supposed to open and close the show, with several acrs in between his two sets. Patti Smith was next to last on the schedule and was so overwhelming that Simon didn't even try. He skipped the last set entirely and just intoduced " Biiill Braaaadley" in his best MC voice.

As a funny aside, Bradley was apparently unready for the early introduction and a few akward moments passed after Simon's dramatic intro. As the stage full of performers looked around in confusion for the real "headliner", Patti Smith pipes up

"So where the fuck is the guy?"

It was priceless.

Marty