# For older Dopers: earliest live performances that you attended **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 8, 2010, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-older-dopers-earliest-live-performances-that-you-attended/528124 "2010-02-08T07:25:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![tacoloco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tacoloco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tacoloco)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-older-dopers-earliest-live-performances-that-you-attended/528124/81 "2010-02-10T16:39:21Z")
Mid To Late 70’s, in no particular order. - Ted Nugent (first tour) - ZZ Top (real barnyard animals on stage) - Blue Oyster Cult - Kiss (twice) - Devo (first tour) - Tim Curry - David Johansen (post NY Dolls, Pre Buster Poindexter) - Chicago (original band) - Beatlemania (original cast) I’m sure there’s more I can’t remember at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![J-P\_L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/j-p_l/32/3156_2.png) [@J-P\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J-P_L)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-older-dopers-earliest-live-performances-that-you-attended/528124/82 "2010-02-10T16:52:48Z")
In 1975, I attended, on different nights, live shows by Roger Whittaker and Stompin’ Tom Connors at the National Art Centre in Ottawa, Canada. The same year, I also attended a show at the Exhibition at Lansdowne Park, however, I can’t be sure if I remember the performer, I think it was Julio Eglesias. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-older-dopers-earliest-live-performances-that-you-attended/528124/83 "2010-02-10T16:55:57Z")
Hmm, my earliest was U2 in 1984 (“Unforgettable Fire” tour). Guess I just miss your cutoff. ---
**Author:** ![LonesomePolecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@LonesomePolecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonesomePolecat)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-older-dopers-earliest-live-performances-that-you-attended/528124/84 "2010-02-10T18:27:05Z")
> [@Labdad](#): > > And how could I have forgotten the Allman Brothers at the Municipal Auditorium? Another matinee show - my younger sister and a friend got my mother to drive them down to the auditorium and drop them off to see the matinee - Mom only did it because she thought she was taking my sister to see _the Osmond Brothers!!_ And how could I have forgotten to mention I saw one of the Allman Brothers free concerts in Piedmont Park? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-older-dopers-earliest-live-performances-that-you-attended/528124/85 "2010-02-11T06:57:07Z")
Summer of 1965, I saw Peter, Paul and Mary along with the Dave Brubeck Quartet at the Hollywood Bowl. That same summer I saw the long-running play \*The Fantasticks \*at some small Hollywood theater. ---
**Author:** ![Nathan\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/47e85d/32.png) [@Nathan\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nathan_S)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-older-dopers-earliest-live-performances-that-you-attended/528124/86 "2010-02-11T13:55:26Z")
> [@](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > My first Broadway Play was Jesus Christ Superstar (this makes 3 of us so far) in 1973. > > Four. Five. My first rock concert was The James Gang, in 1970. I sat in the front row, right in front of Joe Walsh. The concert was excellent, but mind - numbingly loud. ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-older-dopers-earliest-live-performances-that-you-attended/528124/87 "2010-02-12T00:32:05Z")
Led Zep, August 19, 1971, Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, B.C., Canada. I was ten; my best friend’s dad worked for the Vancouver Sun and was given tickets which he passed on to us. He drove us to the concert and waited outside to grab us after it was over. We had great seats, less than ten rows back (but no backstage passes, unfortunately). I think it was about four days before I could hear right again… ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-older-dopers-earliest-live-performances-that-you-attended/528124/88 "2010-02-12T01:54:59Z")
August, 1969. Carter Barron Amphitheater. Washington DC suburb. Peter, Paul and Mary–the headliners. That’s why we went. We got there early, knowing the place would be packed. Warm-up act was a Canadian guy I’d never heard of. Gordon Lightfoot. He got panned in the reviews locally. He was pretty good for a warm up act. Late in the set, PPM said something like “our next song is one we like and was written by a guy that we’re happy to have on stage tonight. So, come on out **John Denver** and sing it with us.” _Leaving on a Jet Plane_. This little twerp came out and sang it with them. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-older-dopers-earliest-live-performances-that-you-attended/528124/89 "2010-02-12T13:27:23Z")
> [@Taomist](#): > > Um…never mind; I failed to read the OP in it’s entirety, and wasn’t allowed out of the house until 83 or so. 😛 83? That’s pretty old to be going to concerts… (I think I stood behind you at Lollapalooza last summer. Was that you crowd-surfing with the walker with tie-dye tennis balls on the front legs?) ---
**Author:** ![BrianNC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@BrianNC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrianNC)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-older-dopers-earliest-live-performances-that-you-attended/528124/90 "2010-10-23T00:34:22Z")
> [@Labdad](#): > > Ah - the old Atlanta Municipal Auditorium! That’s where I saw James Brown in '66 as mentioned upthread. But when I think of the shows I saw there in later years: The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Vanilla Fudge, the Amboy Dukes and the Soft Machine _ **on the same bill!!** _ I saw the Who there for the first time, and to compensate for being late, they did their regular set, plus _Tommy_ in its entirety. Other shows included the Jefferson Airplane, Johnny Winter, Ten Years After, The Faces, Emerson Lake and Palmer with opening act Humble Pie, Fleetwood Mac long before Buckingham and Nix joined (but sadly, only weeks after Peter Green had left the group), Pink Floyd with opening act Hawkwind, and others my addled brain can’t recall. I guess it was about 1973 when the Omni opened, and shows began to move from the Municipal Auditorium to the new venue. Somehow, they never seemed as good. I know this is an old thread, but I ran across something about the Vanilla Fudge and the first concert I went to was Vanilla Fudge and the Amboy Dukes at the Atlanta Municple Auditorium so I was Googling when exactly that was and came across this thread. It was Aug 17, 1968. But Jimi Hendrix was not on the bill, but apparently that was the next day. I don’t even remember Hendrix being associated with that concert. And there may have been a third group though. I saw many there at the Municipal Auditorium. Besides those, Ten Years After, Deep Purple, Steppenwolf, (I missed the Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon concert there but I had friends that went) and I can’t remember any more because it’s been too long. 🙂 Someone earlier mentioned Steve Martin at The Great Southeast Music Hall. I saw him the first time he was there I believe, and he was the backup, not the headliner! It was billed as the Steve Martin Mull show, and Martin Mull was the headliner and Steve was his backup. That’s when Mull had the living room setup and sat in a chair with his guitar and played and did jokes. Later, I saw Steve headline there. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-older-dopers-earliest-live-performances-that-you-attended/528124/91 "2010-10-23T02:31:27Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > **Iron Butterfly** (with support acts It’s A Beautiful Day and Too People) at the San Diego Sports Arena, December 1969. The _Iron Butterfly Live_ album was recorded at this show. oh man, that’s so awesome. Was Innagoddavida awesome live, or was that just drugs talking? My first concert was shared by 60,000 close friends and IIRC anotherer doper maybe Tammerland? Led Zeppelin at Day on the Green in 1977. I attended the first day. Henry Rollins photo albumn of zep has a photo of Robert Plant with his “Nurses Do It Better” shirt on. That was the show I attended, which was the first of two. Plant’s son died suddenly a few days later and the tour cancelled. It may have ben about the last show Lep ever played. I laughed at those old farts that were dying to go to the reunion shows. “Ha, you old fucks, already saw 'em.”😉 ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-older-dopers-earliest-live-performances-that-you-attended/528124/92 "2010-10-23T02:49:27Z")
I saw Bob Newhart in a production of HARVEY, must have been around 1960 or 61, in Fairfield, IA. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2010, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-older-dopers-earliest-live-performances-that-you-attended/528124/93 "2010-10-24T02:17:43Z")
Peter, Paul and Mary in the Arie Crown Theater at the old McCormick Place, 1965 or 1966. I was in HS at the time. ---
**Author:** ![LegsAkimbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f1d935/32.png) [@LegsAkimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LegsAkimbo)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2010, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-older-dopers-earliest-live-performances-that-you-attended/528124/94 "2010-10-24T02:48:22Z")
First concert (and first event with the person I ultimately married) was The Who performing for a very small audience in a round tent in a Cleveland, Ohio suburb. This would have been around 1968 or so. Lots of eye contact with Keith Moon since I was perhaps 20 feet from him. ---
**Author:** ![Northshore52](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5e925/32.png) [@Northshore52](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northshore52)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-older-dopers-earliest-live-performances-that-you-attended/528124/95 "2010-12-13T23:11:16Z")
and it all went downhill after that. Stones YaYa show at MSG ‘69, Dead Halloween ‘70, Allmans ‘70, Traffic 70’, Tull 70’ Airplane 70’ etc etc…🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Fishboy\_95](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9d8465/32.png) [@Fishboy\_95](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fishboy_95)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-older-dopers-earliest-live-performances-that-you-attended/528124/96 "2010-12-14T01:25:08Z")
Buffalo Springfield 68? Neil Young, Steven Stills , Richie Furray, , Jim Messina, Dewey Martin. At the old Crystal Ballroom Portland Oregon. Another one The Yardbirds in 68 with Jimmy Page on lead in Tacoma Wa. Same Year the Byrds with Gram Parsons and Clarence White. Also Big Brother with Janis in Portland around 67-68? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-older-dopers-earliest-live-performances-that-you-attended/528124/97 "2010-12-14T01:39:38Z")
I mentioned this thread (ZOMBIE!) to my mom, and she reminded me that we saw _My Fair Lady_ on Broadway. Must have been 62 or so, since it closed in September of that year. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-older-dopers-earliest-live-performances-that-you-attended/528124/98 "2010-12-14T02:00:32Z")
I was in Junior High, so that makes it probably 1967 or 1968. It was a triple-header featuring: Strawberry Alarm Clock, The Hollies, and Wilson Pickett. What a triplet that is. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-older-dopers-earliest-live-performances-that-you-attended/528124/99 "2010-12-14T02:03:39Z")
Bye Bye Birdie, and some other play at a theater in the round in Shady Grove MD. Nobody famous in the casts that I can recall. ETA: That would have been early to mid 60s. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-older-dopers-earliest-live-performances-that-you-attended/528124/100 "2010-12-14T02:14:12Z")
My dad took me to see The Sylvers at The Apollo when I was around 7 or 8. There were other acts there but all I remember is The Sylvers. Especially Hot Line and [Boogie Fever](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHKCHvpYq_8). Oh the memories, they’re all rushing back now. I had a MAJOR crush on Foster Sylvers-- the little guy in the video. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-older-dopers-earliest-live-performances-that-you-attended/528124.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-older-dopers-earliest-live-performances-that-you-attended/528124.md?page=6)