The best opening act you've ever seen & heard?
I have two:
In 1983 I went to see The Plimsouls (Peter Case’s pre-solo career band) at The Garage, a tiny little "club" on Ventura Blvd. The room had filled up (elbow-to-elbow tight), and the opening act started their set. My woman and I both looked at each other, our mouths agape. It was Los Lobos, and they were great! Their debut album How Will The Wolf Survive? had yet to be released, but I sure picked it up when it was.
I went to see John Hiatt at The Roxy Theater on Sunset Blvd. during his Perfectly Good Guitar tour, entering the room just as the opening act was starting her final song. The ads for the show listed her name, which was unfamiliar to me. As the song started and progressed, I was stunned; the song she and her band were performing was a great one, and I knew I had missed a quality set of music. It was Sheryl Crow, whose debut album had not yet been released. Damn it!
18 March 1972 San Diego Sports Arena The Bill: Wild Turkey/YES/Black Sabbath Little known opening band YES absolutely killed it! Way beyond Wild Turkey and Sabbath! Still have (somewhere) color Ektachrome slides ("pushed" development for low light) of the band. Was UCSD photog for a stint. https://www.concertarchives.org/concerts/black-sabbath-yes-wild-turkey?photo=332135#setlist-section |
@mitchagain - in 1975, Jeff Beck toured with Mahavishnu Orchestra as co-headliners, each doing a full set and alternating the order.... |
Maybe it was during his Guitar Town heyday, @winoguy17 ? I know that he went on to say something to the effect of "Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world, and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that." I heard him interviewed sometime after that and he walked it back a bit, saying that at the time Townes was in a rough period and that he was just trying to bolster him up. I saw another interview on youtube, and Steve said that Townes said something to the effect of being appreciative, but considering Bob Dylan's bodyguards, maybe he ought to reconsider. Steve said that he has seen Bob Dylan's bodyguard and he wasn't worried because he (the bodyguard) was nothing special.
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@tonyrox I was at that concert at the LA Coliseum in 1981, and I remember the booing and someone throwing a bottle at Prince which essentially ended his set. The following year he released “1999” and had the last laugh. In 1982 I was back at the LA Coliseum and saw the Clash open for the Who. |
