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Bands you saw in concert before they were famous

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by Iron_chet, Jun 10, 2010.

  1. doctorx

    doctorx Member

    ZZ Top. Opened for Deep Purple in 1973, I believe.
     
  2. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    The NY Dolls are the coolest one I have seen on here. Did you see them before anyone knew who they were and was it at a venue even smaller than say, CBGB's?
     
  3. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    That would have been when October was out. I have heard them talk about how the tour was really strange. One city they'd be playing in front of a few thousand people and the next city they'd be booked into a small club.

    My first concert ever was U2 after War came out and I saw them at a relatively small college venue. I was 14 or 15. When I saw them again two years later, after the Unforgettable Fire, they were playing an arena.
     
  4. Bob Slydell

    Bob Slydell Active Member

    The only ones I can think of are My Morning Jacket and Josh Rouse, if you consider Josh Rouse famous.
     
  5. Huggy

    Huggy Well-Known Member

    If Mr. Friend O' The Friendless pops by this thread he'll have some names to add.
     
  6. cranberry

    cranberry Well-Known Member

    Ragu, unfortunately, memory is serving me incorrectly, I saw David Johansen play with the band with which he made his first solo albums AFTER the NY Dolls breakup. I come from Staten Island originally and worked at a WaWa convenience store by the ferry that some of the band members, including Johansen and drummer Johnny LaRocca (LaRocka) used to frequent. I was 20 and months away from my first newspaper gig. I recall letting LaRocca park in our lot rather than pay for parking at the terminal. He was the guy I knew best. Regardless, I saw them rehearse once at a venue whose name escapes me. Sylvain-Sylvain played guitar. No Johnny Thunders who, I think, was going through some pretty major drug issues at the time.
     
  7. Steak Snabler

    Steak Snabler Well-Known Member

    3 Doors Down --- They're from my hometown. The singer (Brad Arnold) actually went to high school with my younger brother; the rest of the band is from the next town over. Saw them a couple of times at local festivals before "Kryptonite" broke through on MTV.

    311 --- Saw them at City Stages in Birmingham in 1994, the year before they hit it big.

    Saw Whitesnake and Soundgarden as opening acts before they really hit it big, but they were already on major label contracts so I don't guess they count.
     
  8. finishthehat

    finishthehat Active Member

    The Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac? You saw them before they got famous?

    I saw Billy Joel in Seton Hall's gym, but he was a big enough name on the east coast then to play Seton Hall's gym.
     
  9. Dan Hickling

    Dan Hickling Member

    Coupla shows in Buffalo in the early 70's .... Aerosmith opening for the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Elton John opening for Procol Harum ... oh, and in my earlier lengthy stay in the Christian music field, was present at Amy Grant's first ever gig ... as a 17 year old singing a few tunes at a radio station sponsored picnic in Denver ... when the gig was proposed to her, a figure of $300 was mentioned ... she said, "but I don't have $300" ... ah, those were the days ....
     
  10. Wendell Gee

    Wendell Gee Member

    Saw Radiohead open for R.E.M. in 1995. "Creep" had already been out, so they weren't unknown, but they weren't exactly famous yet either.

    Dave Matthews Band and Hootie played my college town all the time when I was in school - before they hit it big. But I never bothered to go see them.
     
  11. cranberry

    cranberry Well-Known Member

    Loved Zappa and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Procol Harum, too.
     
  12. Big Circus

    Big Circus Well-Known Member

    I saw Kings of Leon a couple of years ago before they really blew up. They were headlining a decent-sized venue (Charlottesville Pavilion) and had released a few buzzed-about albums, so it wasn't like they were totally underground. But it was before "Use Somebody" came out.

    They're awesome live, by the way. As was the opener, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, who should be much bigger.
     
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