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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Back in Houston, E & I noticed the Blue Man Group was slated for one night at the Cynthia Woods north of town....Venus Hum the opener for the show....

Enjoyed the BMG antics on the screen since they were still new to people, new enough that the CWPavilion was 1/3 full, with plenty of ’closer locales’.

VH was a solid opener....looking ’geeky’ on purpose, but tight and a good listen.

It’s the Pre-Opener-Act that was hilarious and set the tone for the night.

On time, a pair of LED reader boards, one stage left with the other at right began to greet the crowd followed by some banter between that drew participation and laughs from the crowd. This lead to the 2 units having a hissy fit, one whining about how the other was rude, back ’n forth, finally ’making up’....
...and intro’ing VH, with BMG having one of the best concert mixes I’d heard.

With that much percussion ’horsepower’ from the band behind the Blues’, it had to be.....including this little number...

Terrific show....came back to town a few months later, this time in Houston at the city’s main auditorium for 2 shows....

...that sold out in minutes. Word had got around....

Ah, well....RIP, BMG....

Camel opened for Foghat and Wishbone Ash back in 1973 or 1974 GREAT SHOW    Renaissance, open for an even more amazing prog band, Gentle Giant at the AKRON CIVIC        

Merle Haggard for Dylan.  Saw this show a few times, recognizing the rarity and greatness of both.

The year was 1984. I saw The Waterboys open for U2’s Unforgettable Fire tour at the Fox theater Detroit. They brought the heat that night. Couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I had never heard of them before that night. But didn’t want their set to end. They left me slack-jawed in awe of ferocity of their scorching set. Been a fan ever since but have never seen them capture that intensity again.  

Opening acts for the Rolling Stones in Ft. Worth in 1972 were the Staple Singers and Little Stevie Wonder. He stole the show.