# Who Opens For Who? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 4, 2012, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-opens-for-who/642988 "2012-12-04T19:44:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-opens-for-who/642988/41 "2012-12-08T20:33:51Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Do you remember who did the rock band version of “Who’s on First”? I haven’t heard that one since the heydays of Dr. Demento. It was [The Credibility Gap](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG8cGMbzmI8). Link goes to cartoon version since the original was from a radio show circa 1970 later put out as an album track. The troupe was Harry Shearer, Richard Beebe, David L. Lander and Michael McKean, obviously the genesis of Spinal Tap. This summer Squeeze and the B-52s toured together. All the local promotion was for the B-52s. If you weren’t paying close attention you wouldn’t know that Squeeze was on the tour. But I checked the Internet first and found out that they were alternating leads. Sure enough, the day I saw them the B-52s came out first and the venue was still half empty. I’ll bet there were huge numbers of highly pissed people who showed up late to miss the opening act and got screwed. ---
**Author:** ![Obeseus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbce88/32.png) [@Obeseus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obeseus)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-opens-for-who/642988/42 "2012-12-08T20:45:41Z")
Neither one exactly a legend, but back in the days when I was going to about any concert that came around, I saw the Greg Kihn Band open for Rick Springfield. I would have thought Springfield would have opened, but it was Kihn. Most people left after Kihn finished, leaving lots of empty seats with the majority of the remaining audience teen girls and old ladies. ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-opens-for-who/642988/43 "2012-12-08T21:54:13Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Do you remember who did the rock band version of “Who’s on First”? I haven’t heard that one since the heydays of Dr. Demento. I saw SCTV do a version of it, but I think it had been done before them. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-opens-for-who/642988/44 "2012-12-08T21:54:35Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > It was [The Credibility Gap](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG8cGMbzmI8). > > This summer Squeeze and the B-52s toured together. All the local promotion was for the B-52s. If you weren’t paying close attention you wouldn’t know that Squeeze was on the tour. But I checked the Internet first and found out that they were alternating leads. Sure enough, the day I saw them the B-52s came out first and the venue was still half empty. I’ll bet there were huge numbers of highly pissed people who showed up late to miss the opening act and got screwed. I saw that show in Saratoga Springs and as everyone expected Squeeze went on first to a half- filled venue. I didn’t know they were taking turns. A lot of weirdos in beehive dos who showed up halfway though Sqeeze’s set don’t know how lucky they were to see the show on that particular date. ---
**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:** [December 9, 2012, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-opens-for-who/642988/45 "2012-12-09T02:43:32Z")
> [@mcgato](#): > > I saw SCTV do a version of it, but I think it had been done before them. I dunno. [Here’s](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id578LvFhws) a clip from 1981. The relevant part starting at about 4:00. Poor quality, but comic genius. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-opens-for-who/642988/46 "2012-12-09T02:51:41Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I dunno. [Here’s](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id578LvFhws) a clip from 1981. The relevant part starting at about 4:00. Poor quality, but comic genius. Cute, but a direct ripoff of the Credibility Gap. And they acknowledged the homage. Their skit ends, “Write? If I could write, I wouldn’t have to steal this bit!” ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-opens-for-who/642988/47 "2012-12-09T02:58:39Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I thought you wanted to know who was opening for The Who this tour: otherwise shouldn’t it be who opens for whom? I actually saw The Who open for The Doors once. Of course, this was in 1968 and the Doors were a much bigger act at the time, especially in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-opens-for-who/642988/48 "2012-12-09T03:13:30Z")
What? The Doors had a problem with “opening”? ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-opens-for-who/642988/49 "2012-12-09T03:16:20Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I actually saw The Who open for The Doors once. If you think that’s strange, consider this: on their previous tour of the US, The Who opened for Herman’s Hermits. Seriously. > [@](#): > > Of course, this was in 1968 and the Doors were a much bigger act at the time, especially in the US. No cite for this rock and roll anecdote either, but IIRC Pete Townshend has said that seeing girls in the audience going crazy for Jim Morrison on that tour is what gave him the inspiration for the song “Sally Simpson”. ---
**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:** [December 9, 2012, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-opens-for-who/642988/50 "2012-12-09T03:30:47Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I actually saw The Who open for The Doors once. > > Of course, this was in 1968 and the Doors were a much bigger act at the time, especially in the US. Yeah, you’ve mentioned this before. You bastard! ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-opens-for-who/642988/51 "2012-12-09T03:56:12Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > The one I remember would have been from the 70s. The bands included The Who, Guess Who, Yes, and a few others I can’t remember. The Credibility Gap. I remember that Dr. Demento show like it was yesterday. Funny, the things that stick with you throughout your life. Now if I could just remember who did something with Rush and Mahogany Rush… ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-opens-for-who/642988/52 "2012-12-09T04:20:18Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Do you remember who did the rock band version of “Who’s on First”? I haven’t heard that one since the heydays of Dr. Demento. All you have to do is ask [Who’s on First.](http://harryshearer.com/projects/credebility-gap/) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-opens-for-who/642988/53 "2012-12-09T04:29:13Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I have heard that Jerry Lee Lewis somehow got talked into opening for Elvis. > During his last song, he poured lighter fluid onto the piano and set it on fire. > 🙂 Elvis was, and still is, a significantly larger draw than Lewis. By a massive, massive margin. Lewis was later supposedly arrested trying to break into Graceland. He was blessed to be able to open for Evis. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-opens-for-who/642988/54 "2012-12-09T04:37:52Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > What? The Doors had a problem with “opening”? yes, and with slamming. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-opens-for-who/642988/55 "2012-12-09T05:04:14Z")
I once saw Spinal Tap open for a puppet show ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-opens-for-who/642988/56 "2012-12-09T07:05:14Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Yeah, you’ve mentioned this before. You bastard! Yeah, and the tickets cost $2.50.😛 ---
**Author:** ![irritant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@irritant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irritant)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-opens-for-who/642988/57 "2012-12-09T07:38:39Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > I once saw Spinal Tap open for a puppet show If I’ve told them once I’ve told them a hundred times, put Spinal Tap first and puppet show last! ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-opens-for-who/642988/58 "2012-12-09T09:23:02Z")
I went to a concert where ZZ Top opened for Aerosmith. I was fine with that ordering, as in my mind ZZ Top was even more of a has-been band than Aerosmith was at the time (this was only like 2 years ago I think, 3 tops). But yeah, there were probably a fair amount of people who came primarily to see ZZ Top and may have even left when Aerosmith came on because they are more of a manufactured pop-rock band than ZZ Top ever was. ---
**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:** [December 9, 2012, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-opens-for-who/642988/59 "2012-12-09T10:34:02Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > I went to a concert where ZZ Top opened for Aerosmith. I was fine with that ordering, as in my mind ZZ Top was even more of a has-been band than Aerosmith was at the time (this was only like 2 years ago I think, 3 tops). But yeah, there were probably a fair amount of people who came primarily to see ZZ Top and may have even left when Aerosmith came on because they are more of a manufactured pop-rock band than ZZ Top ever was. Aerosmith, manufactured? I don’t get that at all. These guys have been together since 1970 and have gone from fame and fortune to drug addiction and despair and break up, and back to fame and fortune again. ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-opens-for-who/642988/60 "2012-12-09T12:03:35Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I have heard that Jerry Lee Lewis somehow got talked into opening for Elvis. > During his last song, he poured lighter fluid onto the piano and set it on fire. > 🙂 Goodness gracious! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-opens-for-who/642988.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-opens-for-who/642988.md?page=4)