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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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larsman's avatar
larsman
2,081 posts
 

@kqvkq9 - I moved to San Francisco in 1973 and I've been here ever since; I was in the retail and wholesale record business from '74 - '84 so I got to see a lot of shows for free. 

The New Riders weren't really any wing of the Grateful Dead; just good friends; they were a totally separate band except that they sometimes toured with the Dead, Jerry played pedal steel on their first album and when I saw them back in '70 or '71 opening for the Dead, Jerry played pedal steel with them there, too. After that, Buddy Cage joined, one of the best pedal steel players ever...

On the other hand, Jerry Garcia Band and Kingfish were certainly wings of the Dead!  

I wasn't here yet in March of '73 but I wouldn't have gone to that in Berkeley anyway; I'm not much into roots/Americana; the Grateful Dead is about as close as I venture there! laugh

larsman's avatar
larsman
2,081 posts
 

@jreiter - Styx opened for Marty Robbins??!!! That's inspired! Dang, somebody should start a thread about the most unlikely-billed shows they've ever gone to..

curiousjim's avatar
curiousjim
4,939 posts
 

In February of ‘74, I saw Billy Joel open for Harry Chapin. Joel was on his first tour for the Piano Man album.
 So much energy and great music that night!

”He Blew The Place Away!

jreiter
16 posts
 

@larsman ... that's a great idea! 

middlemass
928 posts
 

"Styx opened for Marty Robbins??!!! That’s inspired! Dang, somebody should start a thread about the most unlikely-billed shows they’ve ever gone to.."

 

I wasn’t there but how about Jimi Hendrix opening for The Monkees?

 

 

 

 

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