# Survey - what band/performers would you go back in time to see? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 13, 2012, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-what-band-performers-would-you-go-back-in-time-to-see/612736 "2012-02-13T19:37:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RalfCoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@RalfCoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RalfCoder)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-what-band-performers-would-you-go-back-in-time-to-see/612736/1 "2012-02-13T19:37:48Z")
Missus Coder and I had 2 other couples over for dinner over the weekend, and this subject came up. What 3 performers, bands, or groups that no longer perform or exist would you go back in time to see? They might no longer be performing because the group broke up, or some members are dead, or they’ve retired from public lift. The only qualification is that you can’t get a ticket for their show, noway, nohow. One of the first suggestions was to go see the Beatles. But that got shot down pretty quickly. A bunch of their shows were so full of crazy screaming teenage girls that you couldn’t see or hear the show in the first place - all you heard was screaming. My list ended up being Peter, Paul, and Mary; Harry Chapin; and the Grateful Dead. What’s yours? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-what-band-performers-would-you-go-back-in-time-to-see/612736/2 "2012-02-13T19:55:37Z")
Queen, with Freddie Mercury in his prime. Jimi Hendrix. Johnny Cash, in his prime. (I did get to see him with The Highwaymen around 1994 or so, but he was already considerably slowed.) ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-what-band-performers-would-you-go-back-in-time-to-see/612736/3 "2012-02-13T20:02:14Z")
Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Lynyrd Skynyrd (original lineup), The Doors ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-what-band-performers-would-you-go-back-in-time-to-see/612736/4 "2012-02-13T20:12:27Z")
Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Doors (good call **Oak** ) and pretty much any classic rock band. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-what-band-performers-would-you-go-back-in-time-to-see/612736/5 "2012-02-13T20:13:32Z")
Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, Bobby Darin in the Copa days. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-what-band-performers-would-you-go-back-in-time-to-see/612736/6 "2012-02-13T20:20:18Z")
Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan for sure. Maybe the Who (but not in Cincinnati) and Prince and the Revolution. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-what-band-performers-would-you-go-back-in-time-to-see/612736/7 "2012-02-13T20:26:01Z")
The Beatles, The Who, The Bonzo Dog Band. I have seen Pink Floyd, the Allman Brothers, Jethro Tull, Mountain, Sha Na Na, The Beach Boys, and Jefferson Airplane in their prime, and Peter Paul and Mary and Ray Charles a little past their prime (but still great in concert). ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-what-band-performers-would-you-go-back-in-time-to-see/612736/8 "2012-02-13T20:30:24Z")
Stevie Ray, Humble Pie, Frank Zappa (although I did see Frank three times) ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-what-band-performers-would-you-go-back-in-time-to-see/612736/9 "2012-02-13T20:31:36Z")
Son House, an MC5/Stooges double header, the Saints, and Turbonegro right after _Apocalypse Dudes_ came out. Maybe some early Dylan gigs. I also wouldn’t have minded being in the crowd the first time Beethoven’s Piano Sonata #14 was performed publicly. ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-what-band-performers-would-you-go-back-in-time-to-see/612736/10 "2012-02-13T20:33:10Z")
I’ll second Queen with Freddy Mercury. Peter Gabriel-era Genesis The Who with Keith Moon ( I’ve seen them with the other 3 original members several times) Nirvana The Beatles in Hamburg AC/DC with Bon Scott ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-what-band-performers-would-you-go-back-in-time-to-see/612736/11 "2012-02-13T20:36:42Z")
February 12, 1924 (good timing for this thread) at Aeolian Hall in New York City; the premier of _Rhapsody in Blue_, with George Gershwin at the piano. Bobby Darin at the Copa sounds good. And something more modern, too; possibly Dire Straits or The Who, but I don’t know which era. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-what-band-performers-would-you-go-back-in-time-to-see/612736/12 "2012-02-13T20:39:02Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Lynyrd Skynyrd (original lineup), The Doors Except for Skynyrd, this. Plus Jefferson Airplane. I’d go back to the 60s and be at the Whiskey-a-Go-Go every night. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-what-band-performers-would-you-go-back-in-time-to-see/612736/13 "2012-02-13T20:47:12Z")
Beatles, Hendrix, Doors and Creedence for starters. I’ve seen The Who many times, but I’d love to go back and see them during their residency at The Marquee. ---
**Author:** ![tavalla](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tavalla/32/89_2.png) [@tavalla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tavalla)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-what-band-performers-would-you-go-back-in-time-to-see/612736/14 "2012-02-13T20:53:12Z")
Pink Floyd Queen Josephine Baker ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-what-band-performers-would-you-go-back-in-time-to-see/612736/15 "2012-02-13T20:56:24Z")
For those of you answering Pink Floyd, what era? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-what-band-performers-would-you-go-back-in-time-to-see/612736/16 "2012-02-13T20:56:38Z")
The Beatles The Doors I don’t really have a third. AC/DC with Bon Scott is a great choice by **ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness** though. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-what-band-performers-would-you-go-back-in-time-to-see/612736/17 "2012-02-13T20:58:53Z")
1960’s to present day: I’ve seen every performer and group I would have wanted to, including/especially The Beatles (in 1965, at age fourteen), with one huge exception: **Duane Allman** , who appeared on my radar 4 months after he’d died. One of the very greatest instrumentalists of the 20th century. Damn. Before 1960: \*\*Art Tatum George Gershwin \*\* . ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-what-band-performers-would-you-go-back-in-time-to-see/612736/18 "2012-02-13T21:01:33Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Beatles, Hendrix, Doors and Creedence for starters. I’ve seen The Who many times, but I’d love to go back and see them during their residency at The Marquee. :smack: Oops, missed the limit of just 3 bands in the OP. I’ll have to cut Creedence and the 'Orrible 'Oo. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-what-band-performers-would-you-go-back-in-time-to-see/612736/19 "2012-02-13T21:22:32Z")
The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and Elvis. I saw the Beatles at Comiskey Park, and all you heard was screaming, but I saw them the next year at the International Amphitheater and it was fine for most songs. Just edited - I will give up the Beatles for Queen with Freddie Mercury. And I want young, healthy Elvis. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-what-band-performers-would-you-go-back-in-time-to-see/612736/20 "2012-02-13T21:25:25Z")
Another vote for Genesis in the Gabriel/Hackett era. Little Feat when Lowell George was still alive. Uncle Tupelo. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-what-band-performers-would-you-go-back-in-time-to-see/612736.md?page=2)