I saw Hillary Clinton when she came through Portland on her book tour. Also heard Obama speak in Portland at a campaign speech. My wife was in attendance at MLK’s “I have a dream” speech.
Yeah, I saw them at least one more time while I was in high school, maybe twice more, in Milwaukee.
In 1990 I attended Farm Aid in Indianapolis. They overdid it with 70 acts in one day on one stage. Most of them only did two songs. Just a few of the acts I saw: Carl Perkins, Bill Monroe, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, John Prine, Bonnie Raitt, Arlo Guthrie, Lyle Lovett, Taj Mahal, Bruce Hornsby, Gorky Park, Asleep At The Wheel, John Denver, Elton John, and of course the hosts, Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Neil Young. Young also did a few songs with Crosby, Stills and Nash earlier in the day.
I saw the 1992 lineup of Ringo Starr’s All Starr Band, which included Joe Walsh, Todd Rundgren, Nils Lofgren, Dave Edmunds, Burton Cummings, Timothy B. Schmit and Zak Starkey.
I saw Herb Alpert and Lani Hall (his wife and former member of Brazil '66) in a small venue concert in Portland.
Maybe the best show of my life was the (I think it was called) Bowie Experience. Mike Garson and Earl Slick from Bowie’s 70s band, along with Bernard Fowler, Charlie Sexton, Corey Glover, Sass Jordan, Emm Gryner, and others I’m sure I’m forgetting. And for “Space Oddity,” of course astronaut Chris Hadfield, who had performed it while on the ISS. Not all the guest vocalists did the whole tour; I know people who saw the show the previous night in London (ON) and they said it was the basic band. What a brilliant evening.
Our seats were on the right side as you face the stage also, if I’m remembering correctly, and quite far back. I remember a fellow running naked down the aisle when Dylan sang, “but even the president of the United States sometimes must have to stand naked”.
Has anyone seen Bob Mould live in any of his various iterations? I did twice, when he led Sugar. Both were great shows, and the better of the two, in 1994, was in the rural backwater college town of Decorah, Iowa.
You know you’re in a small town when they advertise a rock concert on the public-access community billboard, in between things like church bazaars and the band booster chili supper!
I haven’t seen Bob Mould but you reminded me that I saw Built To Spill with Doug Martsch about 20 yeas ago.
I saw Humble Pie the summer of 1971. They opened for Emerson, Lake and Palmer. They totally rocked! I’m pretty sure Peter Frampton was still with them at the time.
it wasn’t me!
I saw Tuck & Patti open for Leo Kottke and two years later I saw Leo Kottke open for Chet Atkins.
Lol!
Speaking of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, did anyone else see them with the orchestra on the 1977 tour? They played just a very few dates that way, then they had to drop the orchestra because it was too expensive.
Saw Doc & Merle Watson in Seattle - I think it was just about a year before Merle died in a tractor accident.
I saw them at the 1985 Newport Folk Festival, also not long before Merle’s death. I also saw Doc several times in Johnson City, TN, and once at the Bottom Line in The Village.
That was the tour that produced Rockin’ The Fillmore. Frampton left shortly thereafter.
We saw the great Benny Golson (jazz sax) at a jazz club in Portland. He’s one of the few remaining jazz masters from the old days and has played with pretty much every jazz musician of note. Still performing at 87.
I saw Rotary Connection while Minnie Riperton was their lead singer.
I’m sure a lot of people on the Board have seen PDQ Bach live, but how many of us have seen Peter Schickele performing as himself with his “serious” work?
And in my childhood I saw Jack Benny performing with the Dallas Symphony. Benny did a couple of live performances per year. I’m sure it was some sort of benefit. All I remember is that he principal violin on a couple of songs, completely seriously, was more than passable, and probably left half the audience disappointed that he didn’t clown around.
Here;s a couple more that others might not have taken in.
Ed Sanders (of the Fugs) with special guest Allen Ginsberg.
The Marvellettes, at a county fair somewhere in Michigan. My first “concert,” I was about 12.
Jon Hendricks (of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross fame), both solo and with Annie Ross.
I also saw Diana Krall before anyone had heard of her, at a small club venue. I sat maybe 20 feet away from her. Saw Karin Allyson under the same circumstances.
Trying to stay true to what I believe is the original intent of the thread, that you’ve seen a particular artist that no one else here on the SDMB has seen, I’ll add to my previous post:
Charles Mingus
Jimmy Witherspoon
Eddie Harris