My most memorable ROCK moment

Went to a Byrds concert at the Ohio Theatre in '71. The opening act was an unknown piano player by the name of Elton John. Needless to say.....

Which reminds me, I went to an Emmylou Harris concert at the Circle Star Theater in San Carlos, CA in around 1977. Opening act was someone I'd never heard of called Willie Nelson. Great show, both bands.

I'll go with three categories:

Per Rockadanny, memorable fistfights.

Two fights - one on stage (Ray Davies and Dave Davies of The Kinks swinging away at each other before an almost totally empty Capitol Theater in Passaic, NJ) and one in the crowd. I was way back near the door at a Shirts concert at CBGB when a brawl started up front and began working its way back toward me. I squeezed out the door just before a guy came flying out to the street.

Small venues:

Genesis at the Bergen Community College gymnasium in November 1971 was my first full-on theatrical rock show. Flash pots concealing Peter Gabriel costume changes in a local gym were almost too much for a 14 year-old substance altered mind to handle. Won't forget that one any time soon.

Another unforgettable moment; my friend Randy Hill had Chuck Berry play in his backyard for a birthday celebration. CB more or less phoned it in for all of an hour, but it was still pretty startling to see him in that setting.

Musically:

There are a whole bunch of 'em, but Fleetwood Mac on the Tusk tour combined perfect pop, crunching punk, acoustic guitar workouts, and extended blues rock in a startling display of range. The crowd was so pissed when they didn't do an encore, that no one left for what seemed like a half hour. Just 20,000 people screaming "More!"

Wow. Hendrix, the Dead in Amsterdam, the Stooges in a fist fight, Chuck Berry at a birthday party? Although I have seen countless arena tours with most of the big name acts over the past 40 years, this thread makes me want to see even more. The problem I have is one of simple economics. Is it really worth $250 for me to go see the Stones or U2 again? At this stage of the game, I would rather go to a smaller venue and see someone like Big Head Todd or Railroad Earth for $30- especially if I don't have to stand up the whole time- except to dance of course.

This one may seem unbelievable,but it's true.My friend and I saw The Jimi Hendrix Experience at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium (now torn down)in 1967.The concert was truely amazing in sights and sound.As we were leaving the show through the interior tunneling system of the building.Who do we come upon but Jimi and bandmates in full flowering stage garb trying to find their way out of the building to their limo.We stopped to talk with them.They asked us how to get out of the building as they got lost.After helping them out with directions,we went on our way,never once considering to ask for autographs.From the Aud,we went to the Statler hotel to a restaurant there that served great burgers.As we were leaving via the main lobby,there's the Experience again still dressed in their show apparel waiting for the elevator to their rooms.So we stopped and chatted with them about the show,and of course being the dumb asses we were never asked for autographs again.They were very polite,but obviously looked very spent from the evening show.Looking back,what really seemed odd was that in both instances they were alone with no security escort and yet no one was bothering to pay much attention to them.An experience I will remember the rest of my life.