Well this has been interesting. I didn’t know about the Gary Larson/SCW connection. And thanks to koeeoaddi for posting that link to CBB. That’s the band I saw, but in later years could never reconcile my memory with “Couldn’t Get It Right” and the other pablum they were doing.
The thing that most surprises me are the posters who know and like band D, L and F but have never heard of J. Not that they should, it just seems odd that they don’t. But then, filling in those gaps in my knowledge is one of my favorite things.
For the record (because I hope to someday have a reputation to maintain), this is a list of opening acts I’ve seen in my life that, for better or worse, became headliners themselves. I saw a few as headliners, but not most. It starts with Mahavishnu Orchestra opening for Jeff Beck in 1975 and proceeds more or less in order to Joe Cocker opening for Steve Miller last summer.
It is not intended to be a list that “everyone should know”. It was mischaracterized as such in the other thread and seems to have been in this one as well. (Not by you, Justin, we’re good. :))
It has little to nothing to do with my personal taste in music. Some of them I like, some I don’t. I used to go to concerts as much as I could and these are the bands I saw along the way. Even the list of headliners would not be a reflection of my taste in music.
I am admittedly, a huge music geek, so I can clear up some of the confusion about some of these bands (if anybody’s still interested).
Jack DeJohnette was a jazz drummer I saw as part of a triple bill of jazz drummers. the other two were Michael Narada Walden and Billy Cobham. I remember being blown away by all three, but honestly know little else about DeJohnette.
Lake - I remembered after posting that Lake was actually a no-show. They were supposed to have opened for Jean-Luc Ponty and I did know who they were before. They were one of several Yes clones from the era, kind of a Starcastle - Lite (sorry, Lake).
Outlaws - Yeah this was the “Green Grass and High Tides” and “There Goes Another Love Song” southern rock band. Not the Willie, Waylon, Kristofferson and <somebody, else> band.
Aaron Squirrel Band - Aaron is a local guy just getting started. AFAIK he’s only ever played locally, but I’ve seen him open for Johnny A, Joe Bonamasso and Eric Johnson. I see him in my neighborhood occasionally (he seems like a really nice guy) and he told me (because I asked him) that they had all come to him, presumably after some promoter played a demo for them. The band has a website and a couple of videos on Youtube if you are interested.
Other posters have identified everybody else, I think. If we missed somebody or you want to know more, just ask.
