Man, I’m jealous of a bunch of you people.
First theater was a local production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, which I think happened when I was around ten.
In high school different classes had field trips that bused us into LA to see Midsummer Night’s Dream and A Streetcar Named Desire. Not sure which years those were.
In college my first concert was The Doobie Brothers, in Michigan. Forget which city.
My grandparents took me to some broadway shows in the mid-60s. Sleuth is the only one I remember. And they also, around the same time, took us to musical theater at the Jones Beach Amphitheater. (Oklahoma).
The other live shows that meet the 1980 cut off were Chicago and Linda Ronstadt, circa 1978.
There’s a Jones Beach in Oklahoma with a theater too? 
First live performance I remember: The Nutcracker at the NY City Ballet, early 1970s
Broadway Show: The Wiz, around 1976
Broadway Play: Othello, with James Earl Jones Himself in the title role, 1978 or 9
The Nutcracker (or the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Show) would make sense for the first show for a lot of area kids, especially girls. My little nephews break the record, though–they’re 3 and 5 and just saw a sort of live Nickelodeon extravaganza, with versions of Dora and all, at Radio City Music Hall this summer.
Elton John at the Richfield Coliseum outside of Cleveland in maybe 1977 or 78.
This wasn’t the earliest live performance, but what jumps to mind is going with my family circa 1968 to see the off-Broadway musical “Dames At Sea” with Bernadette Peters (who was actually fairly hot at the time).
This was an unusual event for my parents in that it was a good show, unlike the closed-before-it-opened Broadway productions they usually took me to. (Generally they left me at home for the shows they thought would be losers, like “Oliver!” :rolleyes:).
1965
Beatles
San Francisco Cow Palace
1965- ( lots of smaller concerts )-1967
Next BIGGIE
1967
Monterey Pop Festival
(everyone you’ve ever heard of)
I lied to my parents about my whereabouts … but later, my parents spotted me on a news report :smack:
Doobie Brothers circa 1975.
Let’s just say I don’t remember much about the concert… and didn’t remember much more than I do now the next day.
I do recall thinking that China Grove was more of a teen anthem and shouting “Trying to Grow” over and over again.
My first theater experience was in 1966, when i saw Mary Martin and Robert Preston on Broadway in ‘I Do! I Do!’ I was 10.
First live concert was either Seals & Crofts or John Denver about 1974 or so while I was at Illinois State U. Stop snickering. In his day Denver was very popular and drew big-time attendance records. 
Going through this thread reminded me of several, such as Agatha Christie’s play Mousetrap in London (must’ve been about 1969), the Folies Bergere in Paris about the same year, and I’m sure there were others earlier than that, but not that I can specifically recall. A few years later (say 1971-73), I saw Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash in concert, Sonny and Cher, and even Barbara Eden (she sang “Spinning Wheel”). In Montreal (I think), I saw Debbie Reynolds. Rip Taylor was on the bill too. (I was 7-10 years old during all these, and at least these people were good, wholesome, family entertainment).
Later I saw more “adult” acts like Ted Nugent (1977), Foghat and the Outlaws (1978), Journey (also 1978), Boston (probably 1979), but if I can remember any acts I saw before 1969, ah’ll be bahk.
Journey - 1981, Ames Iowa, Hilton Coliseum
I was 20 years old and working in Ames for the summer/fall. I was on my way to the grocery store and the radio said tickets were still available. I changed course and got a nosebleed seat. I saw The Moody Blues and Dan Fogelberg while I was living there, too.
Whoa… gotta comment on this: I saw a couple of mis-matched acts back in the day, but these two bands are worlds apart.
Prog Rock vs Hayseed Rock?!?
Rick Wakeman’s organ work vs Rusty Young playing his slide guitar like an organ (seriously, that’s one reason Jerry Garcia recommended him). Jon Anderson’s soprano vs Richie and Timothy and Paul’s harmonies. Chris Squire’s weird key/time sig changes vs Jimmy Messina’s 4 chords in 4/4…
And I thought seeing Blood Sweat and Tears open for The Doors was odd. This is more of a mindset-change.
My first live acts were all at Summerfest, Milwaukee’s lakefront music fest in the 70s. So I saw Poco … opening for John Sebastian. A little more logical pairing (and a great, high-energy show).
Wow – we could call this the “Old Farts Rock!” thread.
Forgot to mention my first theater experience. Our sleepy little midwestern high school had a fun Theater Teacher who took a dozen students to… London! I remember being intrigued by the play “Butley”, and then decades later realizing that I had watched Alan Bates being directed by Harold Pinter.
My dad took me to see the Detroit Symphony Orchestra many times when i was growing up. Once they did a free show at the State Far Grounds featuring Nancy Wilson.
I liked Folk music and saw Phil Ochs, Dave Van Ronk, Ian and Sylvia, Sonny Terry and Brownie Mcgee ,Joni Mitchell, and many others .I don’t know who was first.
Dunno if I envy you or not - Alice was pretty scarey in the wrong way during '80 - about '84! I first saw him in '77 and that was my first concert alone. My first concert with a parent was Sonny and Cher at the Pacific Colliseum during the PNE in '74. The ticket was $4.50! I watched their show every week. We were way up in the stands but I still remember Cher’s “Halfbreed” costume.
Let’s see, my family took a vacation to Las Vegas around 1958 or so, (I was 6 or 7) and I distinctly remember sitting in a nightclub with them, watching the McGuire Sisters.
Two years or so later, I saw Jack Benny performing with the Dallas Symphony. FTR, Benny was a perfectly capable violinist.
Two years or so after that, I saw my first Broadway-type show.
My first no-parents rock show was the Who with Joe Cocker as the opening act. Good times.
I was at The Denver Pop Festival with the headliner being The Jimi Hendrix Experience June 29, 1969. Last show of The Experience. Next show Jimi played was Woodstock. My account and that of others were written up by Phil Carson for Univibes magazine then it later appeared in the official Experience Hendrix magazine. I have it on my website www.bobwyman.com/hendrix.html I did not inhale anything other than air mixed with tear gas compliments of the Denver cops!
It is a good story…
I love some of the posts in this thread!
Next show I saw was 3 weeks later, Iron Butterfly at Mammoth Gardens in Denver.
I might add that my friend from school who took me (His dad drove us) ended up working for Frank Zappa in 1980 as stage and studio monitor sound. His name is Marque Coy and stayed with Zappa’s until long after Frank’s death. Zappa cd “Them or Us” a tune named “Marqueson’s Chicken” named after Marque and a rubber chicken.