# What was your first rock concert? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 21, 2003, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-rock-concert/176528 "2003-05-21T11:58:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-rock-concert/176528/1 "2003-05-21T11:58:41Z")
This is what I thought **Ender Will** ’s thread was going to be about. You can guess my age when I tell you it was the Who, the Who’s Next tour. Damn, I’m old. Damn, that was an excellent concert. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-rock-concert/176528/2 "2003-05-21T12:01:23Z")
Hee, hee! That IS old! Mine was Pink Floyd, in 1988. ---
**Author:** ![pcarney](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ea5d25/32.png) [@pcarney](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pcarney)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-rock-concert/176528/3 "2003-05-21T12:03:05Z")
Del Fuegos, sometime in the late 80’s. My brother’s band was opening for them. I remember trying to drink beer (it tasted awful) and wondering why people were sucking on those balloons (whippets). ---
**Author:** ![PlanMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2bfe46/32.png) [@PlanMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlanMan)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-rock-concert/176528/4 "2003-05-21T12:19:17Z")
If I remember correctly …Steppenwolf Had been to an Association concert before that, but can’t really call them “rock” These were in the late 1960s. Yes. I am old. ---
**Author:** ![sugaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@sugaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugaree)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-rock-concert/176528/5 "2003-05-21T12:20:05Z")
Um, does Duran Duran count? No, I didn’t think so. I suppose my first actual _rock_ concert was U2, during their **Unforgettable Fire** tour. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-rock-concert/176528/6 "2003-05-21T12:31:45Z")
I would like to preface this by mentioning that I worked at the place hosting the concert, so I got in for free. Free concerts for 14 year olds were a pretty big deal. I otherwise would not have bought a ticket for the show. Anyway, my first concert was [Stryper](http://www.stryper.com/). I don’t remember much of the concert itself, but I do remember cleaning the locker room after the show and thinking, “They drink A LOT of beer for a Christian band.” And I was able to get my friend backstage to have his yellow t-shirt autographed by the band. So if anyone is embarassed by what their first concert was, remember that someone has already posted something worse. ---
**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:** [May 21, 2003, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-rock-concert/176528/7 "2003-05-21T12:34:05Z")
Technically is was the Beach Boys about 1967. They were considered has-beens at the time; despite the fact the concert was free (which is why I wandered over), there were less than 200 in the audience. My first real concert was Chicago/Allman Brothers at SUNY Stony Brook around 1969. ---
**Author:** ![Cholo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Cholo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cholo)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-rock-concert/176528/8 "2003-05-21T12:34:58Z")
Judas Priest on their “British Steel” tour in 1979. It was my fave band at the time and we squirmed up to the front row (general admission) and were in total awe. Halford came riding out in a motorcycle singing “Hell Bent for Leather”. At the time that was sooooooo cool. Man oh man…what were we thinking? ---
**Author:** ![roadrunner70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@roadrunner70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roadrunner70)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-rock-concert/176528/9 "2003-05-21T12:35:54Z")
Best I can remember, it was the **Ramones** , with opening band the **Runaways** (Joan Jett, Lita Ford, I think they were like 17 or 18). It musta been '77 or '78, and we were just a few feet away from the stage, right next to the speakers. I was deaf for 3 days afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![Sylkyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Sylkyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylkyn)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-rock-concert/176528/10 "2003-05-21T12:45:10Z")
Lynyrd Skynyrd. Fourth of July Weekend Bash, 1975. They were with about ten other bands, Charlie Daniels and Goose Creek Symphony being the only two I can remember. God, that was a fun time. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-rock-concert/176528/11 "2003-05-21T12:55:00Z")
Man, I’m a spring chicken. Lollapalooza 1992 - Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chilipeppers, Ministry, Soundgarden, Jesus & Mary Chain, among others. It was pretty fun. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-rock-concert/176528/12 "2003-05-21T12:57:15Z")
America, 1973 ---
**Author:** ![PaperBlob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58956e/32.png) [@PaperBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaperBlob)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-rock-concert/176528/13 "2003-05-21T12:59:40Z")
**Bad Company** , July 1979, at The Spectrum in Philadelphia. ---
**Author:** ![paulberserker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@paulberserker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paulberserker)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-rock-concert/176528/14 "2003-05-21T13:05:16Z")
dinosaur junior at leeds town and country, feb 1992 i think. i was deaf for about 3 days after, i know that ---
**Author:** ![NYR407](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@NYR407](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NYR407)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-rock-concert/176528/15 "2003-05-21T13:12:53Z")
Iron Maiden - Power Slave Tour - Radio City Music Hall (83 or 84). ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-rock-concert/176528/16 "2003-05-21T13:13:58Z")
Never been to one. ---
**Author:** ![Pixelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ad7895/32.png) [@Pixelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixelle)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-rock-concert/176528/17 "2003-05-21T13:16:00Z")
The Cure, 1981 ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-rock-concert/176528/18 "2003-05-21T13:16:05Z")
Me neither. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-rock-concert/176528/19 "2003-05-21T13:22:16Z")
Queen, News of the World Tour, 1977 ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-rock-concert/176528/20 "2003-05-21T13:51:47Z")
Iron Butterfly at the San Diego Sports Arena, December 1969. They announced from the stage that they were recording the show for a live album, and a few months later _Iron Butterfly Live_ came out. Second on the bill was It’s A Beautiful Day, and the opening act was a male-female acoustic duo called Too People. I’ve never been able to find out anything about Too People. They were probably a local act and as far as I can tell they never made a record, at least not under that name. The one thing I remember about their set is that they did a version of “Mr. Bojangles” with a silly ending. (Something like “There he goes…he’s walkin’ down the road…he tripped.”) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-rock-concert/176528.md?page=2)