The first big rock concert you went to

[Big Kahuna Burger]

I've never been to a big concert. It's pretty sad, but karma seems to go against me here. For example, last year I missed the Allmans because my grandfather had just slipped into a coma (he's better now, and I'm glad I have my priorities in order) and DMB because I was on Martha's Vineyard. Luckily, I secured an 18th birthday present I won't soon forget--The Who. My parents are paying for me and my 3 best friends to go to MSG in New York (we're driving down to New Haven and taking the train from there) to go see them August 3. I'm pumped. What was your first concert and how did it go?

[Neil]

I saw Black Sabbath with Godsmack and Drain-STH opening at the Blossom Music Center in the summer of '99. The Sabb 4 are a little aged now, and Oz was sick, but I'm still glad I got a chance to see them. Geezer was why I originally wanted to take up the bass guitar.
Because I can, I'll ramble about some others. I saw the Smashing Pumpkins at Kent State on Easter Sunday in 2000. All right. I saw Colonel Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade and Galactic with Drums & Tuba opening in Cleveland in '01- that was damned sweet. My first introduction to Les. Galactic can groove like fiends. I love Drums & Tuba now.
I saw Oysterhead with good ol' Drums & Tuba opening at here at Purdue last November.
I hope to see Dick Dale in a couple of weeks. And guess what? I get to see the freakin' Who with Robert Plant's band opening in August! Not the same show as you, though. I'm excited and it's months away. They rock, and as a bassist, I wanna see John Entwhistle. Couldn't afford $80 pavillion seats, so I settled for $30 lawn seats. Maybe I should have sprung extra since it's the Who, but at least I'll save some hearing.

[AWB]

I've been to dozens.

My first was The Beach Boys in Denver, June 1984. Cost was $8. (!)

A bunch of friend and some of our parents went. My friend Troy's mom was in a section where she said she could've gotten high just by breathing a little deeper. A friend Bob who was on the field said there was quite a bit of casual groping going on, just short of all-out sex.

Funny thing: two weeks later, I saw them for free in Washington DC after James Watt got his head out of his butt and allowed The BB's to play on the SW corner of the Washington Monument. Just me an 500,000 of my closest friends. 8-)

[Tanaqui]

The first real rock concert (with a mosh pit) I went to was a Greenday concert last summer. It was awesome, but incredibly hot there. It was a comparatively small venue, and it was nasty even up in the higher seats. It must have been horrible in the pit... humid, too. The concert was good, though, as I said, aside from the constant sweat dripping down my face.

Unfortunately, where I live there's not a whole lot of concert action going on, especially during the non-summer parts of the year. The Pop Disaster tour (Greenday and Blink-182) didn't come anywhere near Oregon -- I was majorly bummed. Especially since my 'net friend from LA did attend and gloated about it for days afterward.

Tanaqui
(who only occasionally wishes she lived in a more populated area; like LA, for example! The Warped tour never comes here, either...)

[Yookeroo]

Queen in '77 or so. Aerosmith soon after. I think both were in the Fabulous Forum (SoCal).

[dreamer]

My first BIG concert was Metallica back in Seattle in 1986. The good ole days :)

[sim0n]

Grateful Dead-

age 6 or 7.

about 60 or so the years following (87-95)

[Neptune]

The one and only concert I've been to is Beatlemania.

[Dirty Earthworm]

I saw the Smashing Punpkins in Grand Rapids, MI in the summer of 1996, and then the next year I went to Lollapalooza in Val-Du Lakes, MI - Snoop Dogg, Tool, Devo, the Marley Brothers (Damian and Julian), and a bunch of others. It was great - Tool rocked. Sadly, I didn't get to see them the last time they came to my area, as I was broke when tickets went on sale and they were sold out by the time I got any money. In the summer of '98 I saw Soulfly at the State Theater here in Kalamazoo, with opening acts Incubus and Snot. (Incubus used to rock...) Other than that, just small shows from local bands. Always had a great time, though.

-Dirty

[White Lightning]

My first concert was... The Steve Miller Band's summer tour... must have been '95 or '96. Many shows since then, not too many big rock concerts. Steve Miller, Neil Young, Weezer. That might be it.

[Juniper200]

New Kids on the Block at the Joe Louis Arena, 1991. Whhhooo, what a night that was.

[dead0man]

My first BIG concert would have been The Black Crowes in ,I'm guessing here, 1992. Whatever year Lalapalooza II was. I was going to the crowes with my sister on kind of a double date. Me and her went to get the tickets. I was going to get me 2 Lalapalooza tickets (soundgarden, ministry, chilli peppers, several other bands I really liked that I cant recall right now) at the same time. My sister then informs me that she doesnt have any money and that I have to buy her(and boyfriends) crowe tickets too. O' well I thought, I will just go back tomorrow to get my Lalapalooza tickets. They were sold out by the time I got back. Son of a.... Any way, the Crowes kicked ass and even though I've been to dozens of "big" concerts since, I still say that is one of the best show's I've seen.
dead0man

[Osbie]

The first big concert I attended was Janet Jackson last summer in Minneapolis. A splendid time was had by all.

Imagine 20 billion young women chanting in unison:

What's up girl?

He stood me up again.

Again?

Mmm-hmm.

Well what's up with this guy? Do you really like him that much?

Yes honey, I LOVE him. He is FINE. He does a lot of nice things for me.

I know he USED to do nice stuff for you, but what has he done for you LATE-LY?"

Hee, hee, hee...

[widdershins]

Def Leppard on the Hysteria Tour in 1987 or '88. Went with a buddy from school. Opening act was Tesla, who I'd only heard of but never heard their music. All I remember about them was the lead singer saying, "Hello, Huntsville, we are Tesla!" and my shirt vibrating for 45 minutes because they were so loud. I only remember a few songs that Def Leppard played because the pothead sitting beside me fired up a joint the instant the lights went out. By the time Leppard came on the whole place smelt of pot. Apparently that guy beside me had something else laced in his weed. About half through their set, I started having nervous sweats and thought I was tasting blood in my mouth. When I told the kid I was with about it he told me to stop freaking out. Years later, a druggie friend told me it was probably PCP.

The next day, I couldn't remember 5 songs Def Leppard played even though I was a big fan at the time (I'm better now) and knew most of their songs by heart. :confused:

[Tattva]

If you don't count Peter, Paul, and Mary or Gordon Lightfoot from before I was 5, my first big concert was one of those all day fests in Omaha/Council Bluffs in 1997. Headliners were Foo Fighters and Creed. I think Gravity Kills made an appearance, also.

[plnnr]

Bob Weir at the Warner Theater in Washington, DC. Happy 18th Birthday to me! 6/9/82

[Anahita]

I can't remember the year, certainly it was the late 70's or very early 80's and I saw the Jam at the JFK in Philadelphia.

Here were the bands:
The Hooters (before they were national)
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Foreigner
The Kinks

It was incredible. I went with my best friend, Amber, and my parents waited out in the car. As I recall, the tickets were $7.50.
We saw all sorts of interesting things, people drinking, smoking, doing drugs, and for some reason, this didn't even phase us that much.

[Pergau]

Chris de Burgh at the RDS

If I could only go back in time and erase that (and a few other things)

[Eats_Crayons]

Corey Hart's "Box in the Box" tour... Aw, I know it's weenie now, but I was in middle school and it was a big deal that our parents even let us go! (Corey Hart was a clean-cut, all-Canadian guy, so the parents correctly assumed it wouldn't get out of hand.)

[El Elvis Rojo]

Stone Temple Pilots, Fourth of July, New Orleans, 1994. It was just after Purple had come out, and even though my friends and I started off in the nose bleeds, we managed to find our way to the front by the time the band got on. It was a great show, and my neck hurt for two days afterwards. I have a lot of good memories from Fourth of Julys.

[dwc1970]

I was 14 when I saw Van Halen on their 1984 tour in, well, 1984, almost exactly 18 years ago to the day (May 4 that year). Rush then came to town a couple weeks later on their Grace Under Pressure tour. After that I saw Ratt, Bon Jovi, Poison, Great White, Whitesnake and several other 80s hair bands. I haven't been to a rock concert since 1989.

[Turbo Dog]

Pat Benatar with Saga opening, early 83 I think. Great show by both.

I really miss the 80's.

[bibliophile]

Poison and Tesla in, I'm guessing 1988 or 89. I was about 13, and my mom went with me. I thought I was going to die of embarassment, but she ended up having a better time than I did.

[interface2x]

Lollapalooza 1992, I was 14 years old. It had Lush, Pearl Jam, Jesus & Mary Chain, Soundgarden, Ice Cube, Ministry and Red Hot Chilipeppers.

Colin

[moodtobestewed]

Wow, I'm feeling like an old man here.

My first concert was the Dallas stop of the Police's Synchronicity tour, circa 1981 or so. I was in sixth grade. I showed up at school the next day with my sleeveless concert t-shirt and, for that single day, I was the coolest kid at Blanton Elementary. I neglect to tell anyone that my parents had taken me. ;)

[Fibonacci]

A graybeard checking in.
First rock concert was Jimi Hendrix at the Electric Factory in Feb. '68.
What a show! What a venue! A heritage psychedelic dungeon, with body racks along the back, day-glo monkey bars, body painting and of course the light show. The price - $2.75.

Went to a great assortment of shows there that year. Cream, Jeff Beck Group, Mothers of Invention, Ten Years After and more I can't remember. (It WAS the sixties.)

Although these bands were popular in my small circle of friends, they hadn't really caught on with a wide audience yet. We'd always show up a couple hours early convinced it would sell out, only to be alone on the street in front of the venue killing a couple hours. We did end up right by the stage for all the shows.
It worked out for the best one time though. We were hanging out when Zappa and the Mothers showed up for sound check. They kinda laughed at us for lining up so early, but we got to talk with them and got all of their autographs.

[Honey]

Van Halen (With David Lee Roth) - Glens Falls Civic Center in Glens Falls, NY (1981).

[Fluffy]

The first big rock concert I attended would have to be Neil Young in 1986 during the Garage Band tour. Absolutely kick ass show!

[diku]

Kiss in 1980. I was in second grade, totally forced my parents to take me. Well worth it.

[lieu]

Jackson Brown's Running On Empty tour in '78 although it wasn't exactly "big".

That would probably belong to ZZ Top opening for the Stones in '79.

[Morgainelf]

Thompson Twins and Berlin in 1983, on Boston Common. Followed a few weeks later by Rick Springfield and Corey Hart.

Teeheehee...

[Why A Duck]

Ozzy w/ Motley Crue back in '87. Yet another day that has me amazed that I am alive and don't have a criminal record.

My brother wanted to take me to see Aerosmith when they played my hometown back in the early 70's, but the 'rents shot that down. Probably a good thing too 'cause the fans ended up trashing the place.

[Edward The Head]

I saw Eric Clapton back in 88 on his 25th Aniversery show. I wore my t-shirt the next day to school and a couple of people said something. I knew little about him, but my mother took me and it wasn't all that bad.

[CalMeacham]

I've been to very few. Not my cup of tea. I was (am) a big Rick Wakeman fan, so I saw his Journey to the Center of the Earth tour at the Boston Music Hall (now the Wang Center) back in 1974. I thought it was awful -- so loud you couldn't appreciate the music (he had a full orchestra to back him up), and the cheesy "special effects" of inflating dinosaurs didn't make up for that. I went back home and put on the tape.

When I passed my orals for my doctorate I celebrated by going to hear Crosby, Stills, and Nash at Park West, on a hillside outside Salt Lake City. Without the overamped sounds it was a helluva lot better.

[Caprese]

Another oldster here. Can relate to the 'rents shooting things down, my mom wouldn't let me see the Beatles at Shea Stadium, nor let me go to Woodstock.
1970 was my first big year. Fleetwood Mac (the Peter Green version) in '70. Mothers of Invention in '70. Jethro Tull, got tear-gassed at that one.
The Who (shook Pete Townshend's hand) in '70. Rolling Stones/BB King in '71.

[VanLandry]

AC/DC, December 12th, 1983. Fastway opened for them. Then it was VH's 1984 show on March 16th '84. and maybe Rush was soon before or after VH... Saw a bunch after that and then lost interest after Monsters Of Rock in Foxboro.

[Labdad]

Another old guy checking in...

My first big show was October '68. I saw Cream and the Terry Reid Group outdoors at Chastain Ampitheater in Atlanta.

The second show was the killer: summer '69. Jimi Hendrix Experience, the Vanilla Fudge, the Amboy Dukes and the Soft Machine at Atlanta Municipal Auditorium. Admission couldn't have been more than $5.00!

[Caprese]

Labdad
So true about the price of admission. Back in the Old Daze, I rarely paid more than $5.
These days I tend to be rather cranky about paying $75 a ticket to be in some huge stadium when I remember some of the cool outdoor shows I saw, let alone the more intimate places.

[Yossarian]

Weird Al Yankovic, Starplex in Dallas, ca. 1986-1987. He opened for the reunited-minus-Mike Monkees and was vastly superior.

First stadium concert I saw was The Who at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas in 1989. Good show, but the most memorable part was the opening act: Stevie Ray Vaughn!

This was, like, the Who's second or third final tour. I've lost track.

[MachV]

Buddy Rich around '83. Ok, not a huge rock concert, but the first of any kind I had ever been to. It was at Dallas' outdoor ampitheatre. I was about 11 & I loved Buddy for two reasons -
1) I was planning on playing drums in 6th grade band, and
2) He performed a "drum-off" with Animal on the Muppet Show!

The first big arena concert I attended was the Jackson Victory tour in 84. I went with my family. I wanted to see Van Halen instead. Stop laughing.

[Crown Prince of Irony]

First BIG (stadium) concert was the Monsters of Rock at Candlestick Park, in, oh, '87? '88? Metallica, Scorpions, VH, Dokken, and Led Zep Jr . . . oh, sorry Kingdom Come. Almost got killed when some fucker tripped me in the mosh pit. On the plus side, saw more girls' shirts lifted than I ever dreamed I were possible. Fun times when you're 16.

Since then, I've seen Metallica four more times at various arenas/stadiums, Van Halen twice, Testament/Megadeth/Judas Priest at the Oakland Coliseum (by far the loudest concert I've ever been to), and a few other BIG concerts.

First concerts of any size . . . saw Primus at the Omni (a now-defunct all-ages club in Oak-town) a few times before they ranked big enough for arenas; saw Metallica at the Omni right before Master of Puppets hit big; saw countless crap hair metal bands at various Bay Area venues during a very shameful period in my life.

My tastes have mellowed in the umpteen years since . . . The band I'd most like to see now, but never get around to, is the Dave Matthews Band. They're playing the Gorge Amphitheater in August, and my wife is due to give birth August 7th. Oh well.

[Labdad]

Posting about the old Atlanta Municipal Auditorium got me to reminiscing about the shows I saw there over the years before the Omni (now also demolished) was built and became the default rock arena in the city. A partial list :

The Who
Fleetwood Mac (Peter Green had just left, dammit)
Small Faces, Savoy Brown, and the Grease Band
Emerson Lake and Palmer with Humble Pie
Ten Years After (twice)
Jefferson Airplane
Johnny Winter
Pink Floyd with Hawkwind
Allman Brothers Band (with Duane, of course)

I know there are others, I just can't remember them right now (as Fibonacci noted, it was the late sixties, early seventies). That old building couldn't have had any cobwebs in the attic. There was a major act there blowing the roof off the dump two or three times a month!

[DMark]

I had a chance to see Janis Joplin in Chicago, but there was some stupid party with friends the same night and I said, "I'll see her next time she comes to Chicago." She died shortly after.

I did see The Who & the Kinks together in an overcrowded club in Chicago....and saw The Who again at, of all places, Indiana Beach.

In Germany I went a lot: Tina Turner, Lionel Richie, Stones, Simon & Garfunkel...they were much cheaper than tickets here. In NYC you could see anyone (Dead at MSG was good...contact high walking in.)

I have tickets for VHI Divas In Vegas on May 23...Celine Dion, Cher, Dixie Chicks, Mary J. Blige and others....

Hard to get tickets for shows in Las Vegas...first they charge outrageous prices (front row for Paul McCartney $3,600 - last row was $250) and secondly, most tickets are comped to high rollers, (which I am not) and lastly, if there are cheap(er) seats, they are snapped up before they officially go on sale...how, I don't know, but they are.

Have fun at The Who, Big Kauhuna! They're fantastic!

[Politzania]

First arena concert -- circa 1990 Dokken & Cinderella in the Coliseum at Ft. Wayne IN. Went with my best friend & we hung out by the busses afterward - I got Tom Keifer's autograph on my ticket (wonder where it is now...)

Also saw Billy Joel on the Stormfront tour at Market Square Arena (RIP) Indianapolis in about that fimeframe.

Have seen Jimmy Buffett several times -- the lawn is the place to be! He was scheduled to be at Deer Creek (I refuse to call it by its corporate name!) Sept 11th 2001... rescheduled 2 weeks later & put on a hell of a show. I think he needed it as much as we did.

Weird Al Yankovic puts on quite a show as well - saw him twice on his most recent tour.

And just to make some of you feel old - my parent's first date was a Jimi Hendrix concert ... :)

[Exapno Mapcase]

I guess I can claim to be the oldest here. 1967. The Buckinghams, Tommy James and the Shondells, and headlining, The Beach Boys! Yes, this was still the era when all the girls screamed so loudly that it was hard to hear the bands. My girlfriend and I sat in the last row and looked down at the crowd with wonderment.

A couple of high points in a long career of concert going since:

The time in college when I went downtown to hear Jefferson Airplane and got back to school in time to catch the last couple of hours of the Grateful Dead concert, when some of the Airplane came down to jam with them.

The biggest big concert was at the Carrier Dome with Pink Floyd in the 90s and its magnificent huge laser and light show. Shows have come a long way since the 60s.

[Lamia]

Pearl Jam, Rock for Choice benefit, Pensacola, 1994. It was the first anniversary of Dr. David Gunn's death. Security was tight due to fear of violent anti-abortion protestors, but never having been to a concert before I thought that uniformed police officers, metal detectors, and pat-downs were SOP for rock concerts!

[cagiva650]

I attended my first concert In '75 or '76 I saw The Eagles at the Miami Baseball Stadium. Opening was Andrew Gold and Jimmy Buffet

We had to leave early because my best friend Beth started getting panicky and claustrophobic. We are outside in the parking lot and hear the strains of [i]Best of My Love[/b] , Beth's favorite song, she cried all the way home for wimping out on us.

[cagiva650]

I attended my first concert In '75 or '76 I saw The Eagles at the Miami Baseball Stadium. Opening was Andrew Gold and Jimmy Buffet

We had to leave early because my best friend Beth started getting panicky and claustrophobic. We are outside in the parking lot and hear the strains of Best of My Love , Beth's favorite song, she cried all the way home for wimping out on us.

[Ferrous]

My first concert, though it wasn't really rock, was Willie Nelson. My parents took me, sometime in the early '80s. Don't remember exactly when---'81 or '82 probably.

The first show I went to on my own was Camper Van Beethoven in '86.

First large, stadium rock show? Gosh, I don't remember for sure. It was probably the Grateful Dead in '87. Might have been Pink Floyd.

[chief]

The Black Crowes at the Furthur Festival in 97. Amazing show, first time i saw them and it was an important show because they changed lineups after that.

A few month later I saw the Stones at Dodger Stadium which was great despite far away seats!

[MachV]

Originally posted by Exapno Mapcase
The biggest big concert was at the Carrier Dome with Pink Floyd in the 90s and its magnificent huge laser and light show. Shows have come a long way since the 60s.

I got to see them twice in 95! First in Houston at Rice Stadium. It had been cloudy all day & we were praying it wouldn't rain. It didn't until about halfway through the show. Dave & the gang were getting so drenched they had to shut it down. I remember the sky completely clearing up by the time we made it out into the parking lot. Charlie Brown couldn't have worse luck.

Then I went to their show in Dallas at Texas Stadium. Damn near rained on us again. Looming clouds & lightning throughout were a pretty neat effect, though. I remember the sky looking particularly creepy during the gloomy "High Hopes". My then-wife was so freaked she started crying.

The music was anywhere from surreal to sweet. The effects unbelievable. The pig in rare form. Best concert ever.

[crazy4chaucer]

I saw my first ones really close to each other--Rolling Stones (with ZZ Top opening) and Van Halen, both in Dallas, in '81 or '82.

I don't typically care for big concerts just because I don't like to be in huge crowds of people. I've seen Elton John (Salt Lake City), Foreigner, REO Speedwagon, Peter Frampton (all in Dallas). I went to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra in 2000 in Dallas, and enjoyed that. But they were playing a smaller venue so I didn't feel quite so mashed in.

I miss the Caravan of Dreams in downtown Ft. Worth. A smallish place that got great shows--I saw a number of acts there.

[PunditLisa]

Okay, you may not consider The BeeGees a rock band, but they were my first and second "big" concerts. Saw them on two consecutive nights. ::Sigh::

The next one was Prince followed by Journey.

[Hook]

I think I have you all beat so far: I saw the Rolling Stones as opening group for Roy Orbison in late 1965 in the Agicultural Auditorium at the old Sydney Showground. As was mentioned before, the girls screamed so loudly, none of the songs could be heard.
For any other Sydney residents from that time, we finished the night at Surf City listening to Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs. A great way to start out!

[ozonebaby]

I don't know if it would be considered a big rock concert but I went to see Roger Dultry (sorry, I can't remember how to spell it right now) and a bunch of local singers (it was a choir or something I can't remember) preforming Who songs. Then I went to see Rod Stewart. Then I went to see Tom Petty and Jackson Brown last July. Would any of those be considered a big rock concert?:confused:

[lieu]

ozonebaby, I figured from your monniker you were going to make me jealous as hell and say Zepplin.

[bernse]

I think it was Van Halen. Our Lady Peace opened for them. It was in GM Place in Vancouver... I'm guessing 96. Sammy was still with the band. I remember that Alex had a cast or was bandaged up pretty good. I think he hurt himself golfing (!!! I'm serious!).

When I say I think it was VH, its because it was either them or Bryan Adams... I think it was the same year. The Bryan Adams concert was way better IMHO. He was way more "personal" with the audience and he really got everyone into it.

[mouthbreather]

INXS / Public Image Ltd -- 1987

[Michele in SoCal]

My very first concert was Jethro Tull 1970 at the Anaheim Convention Center. Saw them many times over the years. Fantastic Shows.

[oliversarmy]

Let's see if I remember. Suzi Quatro (before Happy Days), the Elvin Bishop Band and Uriah Heep sometime in the early '70s at the Sam Houston Coliseum in Houston.

What a strange bill in retrospect.

[blur]

First Arena Concert - 1989 - The Cult opening for Metallica on the Justice for All Tour

First Club Concert - 1990 - White Zombie (as an unknown punk band) opening for Slayer on the pre-album tour of Seasons in the Abyss

First Stadium Concert - 2000 - Metallica headlined, Korn, Kid Rock, System of a Down and Powerman 5000 opened.

[blur]

Originally posted by Big Kahuna Burger
(we're driving down to New Haven and taking the train from there) to go see them August 3
Hey BKB, make sure you check the time the train leave NYC that night. I had to leave concerts from MSG midway through because the last train to New Haven left early, since it had to hit all the stops in between. I've also been stuck in the city after missing it, which was no fun.

[tsarina]

In June of 1995, when I was 13, Collective Soul played a free concert at a park in Toledo. My friend Jenny went with me, and all was well until my parents insisted on standing behind us, my mom clutching her purse, my dad looking pretty annoyed... we were so embarassed.

When the smell of pot smoke finally wafted out to our section, they got us out of there pretty quick.

[tavalla]

First big concert? That would be 'Australian Made' at Endeavour Field, Australia Day, 1987. Mental As Anything, I'm Talking, The Triffids, The Saints, The Divynls (Chrissie Amphlett flashing her knickers every ten seconds or so), The Models, Jimmy Barnes and INXS.

Got through the gates about 11am, the concert started at 1pm and ran til 9, 9.30 that night. No shade, so I had the absolute worst sunburn ever - I practically glowed in the dark, and I was in pain for three days, not to mention the peeling, yuck - but it was a pretty decent day out.

[Sassafras]

Omigod the memories. It was Kiss at the Lakeland Civic Center and I was fourteen. What was my mother thinking? **gulp** that would have been about 1978!!:eek: I remember hearing people talking about passing "bowls" around and I had no idea what they were talking about:rolleyes: . My next concert was AC/DC in '79 and I was an old pro by then.

[EchoKitty]

1970 - Santana

[11811]

Here we go:
In order of their appearance, all at one show at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia
Pousette-Dart Band
Gary Wright
Peter Frampton
Yes (with Patrick Moraz on keyboards)

[Big Kahuna Burger]

Originally posted by blur

Hey BKB, make sure you check the time the train leave NYC that night. I had to leave concerts from MSG midway through because the last train to New Haven left early, since it had to hit all the stops in between. I've also been stuck in the city after missing it, which was no fun.

I've checked it out, it leaves at 1 and the concert should end about an hour before that. I still have to get from MSG to the train station (Union I think, not Grand Central, it's the one that's NOT at MSG). Still, I might try to persuade my parents to give us an hotel room in the city, or close to it, for the night.

[nnancy1964]

Jethro Tull at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, 1978 or 79...:cool: it was amazing!

[Jervoise]

Originally posted by Hook
I think I have you all beat so far: I saw the Rolling Stones as opening group for Roy Orbison in late 1965 in the Agicultural Auditorium at the old Sydney Showground. As was mentioned before, the girls screamed so loudly, none of the songs could be heard.
For any other Sydney residents from that time, we finished the night at Surf City listening to Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs. A great way to start out! Hey, another Aussie! Welcome to the SDMB, Hook!

Now's when I make you feel old. :) My first big concert (discounting the piddling affairs in my years of minority) was the Big Day Out Festival way back in 1998. (For the foreigners, Big Day Out is a summer show that tours Australia in New Zealand every January/February. It's usually headlined by a few big international acts and several first-string Aussie acts.)

At the 1998 festival, I can remember seeing Hole, Marilyn Manson, Fatboy Slim, Manic Street Preachers, Korn, Groove Terminator, Powderfinger, Jebediah, the Living End and a few more decent bands. I had just turned 18 so I was allowed in the licensed drinking area. Tickets were about $65, IIRC. Pretty steep, but well worth it for the full day's entertainment.

(Ha! To save money, my friends and I bought OJ and vodka the day before. We used syringes to inject the alcohol into the sealed OJ bottles, which the unsuspecting gate-people let us in with.)

The show kicked off around 10am and went until 11pm-ish. It was a stinking hot day (the bouncers were reduced to hosing down the crowd) and I was badly dehydrated by night. No regrets, though; it was fucking fantastic.

[shelbo]

Peter Gabriel in San Francisco -12,000 people, 1982 or 83. (Amazing show, still one of the best ever).

The Who - Oakland Colliseum, Day on the Green, 60,000 people, 1983 or 84. Opening groups included T-Bone Burnett and the Clash. That was a lot of fun.

[Saltire]

I've only been to two in my life.

Survivor/REO Speedwagon double-bill in the Seattle Colliseum (before it was Key Arena) In early '86. REO was doing Wheels are Turnin'. I don't recall if Survivor had an album attached to the show.

Billy Joel in the Tacoma Dome, 'round about '90 or so. The Storm Front tour.

[bloom]

Duran Duran 1983

Many more in between and since, but I have to mention The Who in 1989. Apparently no one told them the definition of the word farewell.

BKB, Metro North runs out of Grand Central Station.

[Gazelle]

First concert ever: Donny Osmond and the Osmond Brothers, circa 1978, Washington, D.C.

First "big rock concert" - does the U2 Joshua Tree tour count? 1987 in Munich, Germany.

[astorian]

My first big concert? The famed SImon & garfunkel show at Central Park, New York, in... 1981?

The sound was great, but I couldn't get within half a mile of the stage, and trees were blocking the view. Every ten minutes or so, a breeze would blow the branches aside, and I could vaguely see someone strumming a guitar.... but I honestly don't know whether that was Paul Simon or a member of the band.

Regardless, it was a wonderful show, and a fun evening spent with 499,999 of my closest friends.

[Stinky]

My first was when I was 4 years old. My dad took my syster and myself to see 3 Dog Night for her birthday. I didn't make it to anouther one for 8 years. Then I made up for it, by seeing Kiss, Led Zepplin and Pink Floyd in a two year peroid.

Others I have seen:
Mettalica
The Who
Rolling Stones
Def Lepard
Scorpions
Dokken
AC/DC
Poison
Ratt
Quite Riot
Talking Heads
Ozzy
Black Sabbeth
Greatful Dead
Beastie Boys
Cheap Trick
Bachman Turner Overdrive
Van Halen
Queensrich
ZZ Top
The Black Crows
Stone Temple Pilots
Marilin Manson
Greenday
Korn
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Joe Satriani
Steve Morse
The Dixie Dreges
Cypress Hill
Alice In Chains
Mothers Finest
George Thurogood
Jane's Addiction
Kid Rock
No Doupt
311


Plus many more I can't remember right off hand and many opening acts. As you can tell I go to as many shows as I can. many of these I have seen more than once.

[andros]

Va

[andros]

Err . . . Van Halen, 1984. I couldn't hear again until 1985.

[Jonathan Chance]

Queen and Billy Squier at the Capital Centre, Landover, MD.

Whoo! I even got let out of juvie early to go.

[Dr. Sexchange]

Well I'm still a youngin' but I've seen a few (though I've missed out of a bunch I would've KILLED to see because of my year long "exile" to europe)

First one was back in Victoria BC, mustve been 93 or 94 maybe, Weird Al Yankovic, that was awesome. My first "rock" concert. Then a few years later I went to the local Rock Radio big show with Deftones, Papa Roach, Jimmy's Chicken Shack (or whatever its called), Dandy Warhols, Kottenmouth Kings, and a bunch of other bands I don't remember. The only band I liked at the time was Deftones, and I don't even like them anymore, so I don't really know why I even went. Then over the next year or two I saw some smaller shows, but none the less awesome, The Misfits (the new, crappy ones, but a good show anyway), the Melvins, with Hank III and I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting something. But there you have it.

[koawala]

Aerosmith with Spiro Gyra in 1980 at the Pittsburg Civic Arena.

[koawala]

OK I forgot an h. Sorry Pittsburgh.