What is the first Rock Concert you went to??

[ConcernedCanuk]

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and where was it?

Mine was Pink Floyd in 1975

Hamilton Ontario

CC

[Tabasco_Dave]

1. Def Leppard 1983 Los Angeles

I went to this very concert. I love the internet.

&playnext=1&list=PLE41D17A0232B3B39&feature=results_main

[T_i_B]

2. Since we've already got on to a Sheffieldy subject.....

My first gig was Biohazard, supported by Dog Eat Dog at Sheffield Octagon in 1995.

My dad, while working as a caretaker once came across Def Leppard acting up backstage at a venue he was owrking at. He took a strange pride in the fact that the band who he had called shite to their faces went on to sell out arenas worldwide.

[GCP]

87. And again with Sheffield....

The Who at Sheffield University Union 1968.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

3. I don't know if this counts as a concert

But in late 1966 or early 1967 when I lived in Savannah, Georgia, a local band from my high school had a regional hit record down south (If I Could , link below) and when it came out, the school had them come to play in the school auditorium in front of the entire school. It was a way to show school spirit and pride. It was SRO in the building and they must have played for at least an hour. They were my friends and the bass player used to come to my house to jam. I was in a band with his kid brother. My own rock band played small gigs around town when I was 16 but I don't think that qualifies as a concert in a hall before a crowd.

The next concert, an actual ticket-buying one was a few months later at the Savannah Municipal Auditorium where I saw the Shadows Of Knight, the Seeds, and Question Mark and the Mysterians.

[Waiting For Everyman]

4. The Beatles.

It was Sunday afternoon September 13, 1964 at the Baltimore Civic Center. Tickets were $3.75. I was 14 (going on 20 -- no, not a screamer, too busy taking it all in). There were 14,000 at that show, all of whom were standing on the seats (that was a little weird, I have to say). Mine was Orchestra Center, very good. It was 100% unforgettable.

The opening acts included Clarence 'Frogman' Henry, and Jackie DeShannon.

The set list was: "Twist and Shout," "You Can't Do That," "All My Loving," "She Loves You," "Things We Said Today," "Roll Over Beethoven," "Can't Buy Me Love," "If I Fell," "I Want To Hold Your Hand," "This Boy," "A Hard Day's Night" and "Long Tall Sally".

Couldn't find any video from Balto, but this is the entire concert from next door at Washington D.C. Actually this was 7 months earlier than mine, D.C. was the very first US concert, done right after the Ed Sullivan Show in February. It was a very similar performance, but this audience was much more docile than we were.

[musette_sf]

48. Beatles too

1966 @ Shea

[MrMickeysMom]

50. Wonderful! Boy, do I fall short in saying my first concert was only

Herman's Hermits!

Not that part... the part of me "screaming" whilst my older sister, who took my best friend and me stood by wincing...

[onehandle]

5. Queen. Atlanta 1977.

My brother took me. We were on the floor, sixth row center. Stood on our chairs the whole time.

Blew me away.

Here is a sample of what we saw from another of their concerts that year:

[OffWithTheirHeads]

6. Rolling Stones. God knows how long ago but the first warmup group

Was a band nobody had ever heard of called Jefferson Airplane. Cow Palace, San fran. Tickets for the front row were $8.00. A small fortune back then.

[progressoid]

34. Stones for me too.

Except it was 1981.

Opening act: The Stray Cats.

[Flashmann]

7. first Rock Concert

Actual concert would have to be 1970ish.REO Speedwagon.Champaign County Fair(Illinois) at the Grand Stage.Tickets were 50 cents.

I was at a ticketed event featuring Rock acts in '65 or '66.The "Lloyd Thaxton Show" came to my city to tape an episode.The "big acts" were Jerry Lee Lewis,the Byrds(did 8 miles high) and Archie Bell and the Drells.Tickets were free.

[femmocrat]

8. Steel Pier, Atlantic City, NJ, around 1962?

Chubby Checker, Freddy Cannon, Del Shannon, and many more who I can't remember.

We often went to the Dick Clark Cavalcade of Stars shows in the early- mid- 1960s. I can remember seeing Dionne Warwick, Jackie Wilson, Bobby Rydell, and others of the American Bandstand era. Those shows were wonderful!

[Ptah]

9. 1968, Phoenix Veteran's Coliseum

Spirit opened for Blood Sweat and Tears.

[ConcernedCanuk]

10. another concert - Beach Boys around the same time, mid 70's

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Hamilton or Toronto, not sure

mighta been involved



CC

[csziggy]

11. Herman's Hermits, Tampa, 1967 or so

Couldn't hear a single note because of all the idiots screaming. Never went to another rock concert. Why pay if you can't hear the music?

[Loryn]

12. Alice Cooper

School's Out. Hollywood Bowl in the early 70's. I think I was about 13. A little helicopter flew over the audience and dropped paper panties.

[grilled onions]

13. Cryan Shames

at a small fire trap of a place before they were known outside of Chicago.

[olddots]

14. Howling Wolf

Club 47 Cambridge Mass 1962 1$ COVER & 50 CENTS CUP OF COFFEE

THEY ROCKED .

[HarveyDarkey]

15. Linda Ronstadt & the Stone Poneys, 1968

[hifiguy]

52. 1968-70 Linda Ronstadt is for me

and always will be, one of the best looking women that ever walked the earth, right up there with 1960s Sophia Loren and "Breakfast at Tiffany's" era Audrey. Linda was the ultimate hippie heartthrob. I heard she could sing a little, too.

[OriginalGeek]

16. Some version of the Beach Boys

in the early 80s - 81~82 - I can' remember. Opening act was Delbert McClinton.

The next concert is the one I really count as my first though as it's the first one after I discovered the joys of 4:20. That was Tom Petty on his Long After Dark tour - opening act was Nick Lowe and Paul Carrack

[NoPasaran]

17. Steve Miller Band

El Paso, TX, 1974

Opening Acts were James Cotton Blues Band and Electric Light Orchestra. I think the tickets were five bucks.

[CrazyOrangeCat]

18. The WHO

Kemper Arena ~ KCMO

November 1975

Sixteen years old

Oh, and it cost $7.50. Found the ticket stub awhile back.

[lame54]

20. The WHO - 1980

[Mister Ed]

28. The WHO - "Who's Next" Tour, August 1971

And you'd better believe that was a mind-blower for a lad of fourteen.

Tickets were $4.50 and $5.50. Sat in the cheap seats because we couldn't scratch up the extra buck apiece.

[ConcernedCanuk]

49. The WHO - "Who's Next" was one of my favorite albums.

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"what's an album, mom?"

yeah I had the vinyl -

8 tracks were just getting in (what's an 8-track, mom?)

and cassettes (what's a cassette, mom?) were sneaking in.

and many of us know what a "45" is

if ya don't know,

ur yung!

CC

[lame54]

69. On Netflix there is a making of Who's Next mini-doc

[Journeyman]

58. I saw the same concert, but in December. . .

We camped out the night before tickets went on sale, paid $7.50 a seat, and sat in the first row at the LA Forum.

I couldn't hear for three days.

[Initech]

19. Iron Maiden, Irvine, CA, 2003 or so.

[lame54]

21. I think I was there...

Irvine meadows

[Initech]

25. Irvine Meadows

It may be the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater or whatever bullshit soulless corporate name it's called now, but it's always Irvine Meadows to me.

[lame54]

68. Actually , I had the wrong year...

I saw them in the 80's when it still was Irvine meadows

[Iggo]

22. I tell everyone it was Black Sabbath Mob Rules Tour....

....but it was really Styx Paradise Theater Tour a few months earlier.

[bluedigger]

23. Aerosmith.

Earth Day, 1971, I think. On the tennis courts at the local college. They didn't release their first album for a couple more years.

[lame54]

70. Toys in the Attic was my first album

[DFW]

24. Ashamed as I am to admit it

Neil Diamond in....?? maybe 1966? 1967? At the Roller Rink Arena in Alexandria, VA.

There was some girl in school I wanted to impress. I didn't even know who Neil Diamond was. I just wanted to take her to a rock concert.

She still wasn't very impressed.

Soon after that I joined a rock group myself, and three weeks in a row, we opened for Canned Heat, Junior Wells, and the Youngbloods at Washington's Ambassador Theater.

Much better!

[olddots]

26. thats a departure from Neil Diamond

and a good one

[Mister Ed]

31. Still, in fariness to Neil...

I know two different guys who wandered into his performance at the Minnesota State Fair, during his Hot August Nights tour in '72. Neither of them was a fan, or really even knew Neil Diamond from Neil Armstrong. But they both say it was one of the greatest rock concerts they've ever seen. A real barn-burner.

[Inspired]

44. No shame in that!

Neil Diamond was excellent in the day.

[chknltl]

27. Pink Floyd (1971) was my first as well, Astronomy Domine from that very show:

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=u9nk6cJRxZU&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Du9nk6cJRxZU

[Mister Ed]

29. I know a guy who has almost anyone beat.

When he was in fifth grade, he went to see the Monkees in concert, and impatiently sat through an opening act that scarcely anyone had heard of: some guy named Jimi Hendrix.

[Blue_In_AK]

79. ThAt's like me going to a Spirit concert

where the warm-up band was Led Zeppelin, also a band no one had heard of. Their very first US appearance, December 1968 in Denver. Boy, did we get our minds blown.

[kwassa]

89. I know someone who went to that same concert.

It really happened.

[livetohike]

30. The Jaggerz (who were a one hit wonder with "The Rapper") and are from Pgh.

I saw them in 1968, but "The Rapper" wasn't a hit yet. More cowbell!!

[kwassa]

32. Janis Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company, 1968

Opening act was Blood, Sweat, and Tears.

[progressoid]

35. Damn.

Was it as good as I imagine?

[kwassa]

36. It was. What made it really great ....

in the pre-Woodstock era, is that rock wasn't big time business yet. The 13,000 seat hall was only about half full, there was no security to speak of, except some off-duty cops who couldn't control anything. I remember rows of folding seats falling over, and kids up on the stage dancing.

After Woodstock, which I went to, everything changed. That's when commercial interests realized there was big money to be made in rock. It morphed into big business.

I saw Led Zeppelin in the same hall in 69, the place was full, and they were not that impressive. They were just starting out, though.

I saw Joplin three times.

[progressoid]

37. Janis x 3

That's pretty cool.

And, yes, I'm just a little jealous.

[kwassa]

38. well, I passed up chances to see Cream and Jimi Hendrix ...

and the chances never came again. I kick myself for those decisions.

[Boomerproud]

33. Chicago in 1971 at Vets Memorial in Columbus, OH

unless you count Sonny and Cher and Herman's Hermits at the Ohio State Fair in '65.

[hunter]

39. Some wretched Hollywood thing staged for television.

They needed a cheap crowd. I couldn't even tell you who it was, but I think it was a real band, as real as anything is in Hollywood music business. It was not the Monkees.

Today's equivalent would be some "rock concert" staged for a Disney Channel after school special.

They moved boring guys like me to the back of the crowd, my sister and my "date" got to stay up front.

It was better that way.

[TheManInTheMac]

40. I think it was Crosby Stills & Nash

at the Ohio Theater in Columbus, Ohio, circa 1985.

Stills read the riot act to a security guard who was hassling someone in the audience. I don't remember what it was about, but I remember Stills yelling "You're making more noise than you are, man!"

It's not the coolest story of a band subjugating security during a concert. That would be at the Marietta, Ohio Stern-wheel Festival when the [Nitty-Gritty] Dirt Band performed, at some other time in the mid-eighties.

[ConcernedCanuk]

45. I remember it as Crosby Stills Nash and Young

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??

CC

[TheManInTheMac]

67. Young was an on-again/off-again member. At that time, he was off-again.

[Stretch714]

41. 1975, World series of Rock

Fleetwood Mac, The Cars, Eddie Money, Bob Welch and Todd Rundgren (sp). Man what a show.

[Denis 11]

42. July 1981, Bruce Springsteen East Rutherford NJ

The fifth night of six sold-out shows by Bruce Springsteen opening the Brendan T Byrne Arena.
The best concert I ever attended.

[petronius]

43. Oingo Boingo, Halloween, Irvine Meadows - can't remember which year

would have been the first for me, maybe 1987...

[pamela]

46. Elvis Presley. 1976

My older sister was a huge fan and had an extra ticket. When he died a year later, I was glad that I had gone.

[johnp3907]

47. Motorhead 1983

Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh.
And my ears are still ringing.

[hifiguy]

51. The original Mahavishnu Orchestra

in a 3000 seat theater. Holy shit, my ears rang for three days. John McLaughlin obviously had Marshalls that went to 12 or 13. One hell of a concert considering that they were not a "visual" act.

[ConcernedCanuk]

63. "Orchestra" - boy! that rang an old bell

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In the early 60's, my parents would take us to Convocation Hall in Toronto (we lived in Oakville at the time) to listen to Andre Kostelanetz and His Orchestra.

Andre was the conductor, we even got to meet him backstage once.

I still like classical music to this day, even play some on the piano.

Thanks for activating me ole memory bank.

CC

[marlakay]

53. Greatful Dead 1972

In San Francisco. I was 16. Fun times!

[ashling]

54. Janis Joplin

University of Texas, 1969

[love_katz]

55. Led Zepplin in Portland, Oregon.

It was in the early 1970's. Concert was incredible. The audience danced through out the night. Wow! I do miss those days. Concert would've been in the old Memorial Coliseum.

[johnsolaris]

56. 1971

Hi,

July, a very hot night. Jethro Tull with opening act Yes !

[Initech]

57. Actually my first was Beck on the Midnite Vultures tour.

[malokvale77]

59. Jimi Hendrix

April 1969 in Dallas, Texas. Fat Mattress was the opener and then Chicago Transit Authority. My one and only experience with Purple Psilocybin. WOW!

[Manifestor_of_Light]

60. Righteous Brothers, 1964.

They were on top of the charts. I have said before, the grandparents went along because, I am convinced, they thought they were gospel singers, hee hee hee.....

Grandparents were shell shocked. Stunned.

Clean cut white boys singing that LOUD Nigra Music!!! EVIL!!!

Big sister and I were grooving in the first row of the balcony. Old Music Hall, Houston, TX.

Mom got on her broom and flew out of the hall after the first note gave her a headache.

[Blue_In_AK]

78. I saw the Righteous Brothers about then, too.

In Houston. We might have been at the same concert.

[6000eliot]

61. Uriah Heep in 1978.

Opening act was Cheap Trick.

[hifiguy]

91. Man, they must have been rolling the Lude heads in

in iron lungs for that show. No group of people in history were more stoned than Heep fans.

[6000eliot]

95. Everyone there appeared to be on some sort of drugs, including ME!

[shanine]

62. Rolling Stones

Boston Garden 1972

"The Stones' entourage got into a fight with photographer Andy Dickerman in Rhode Island, and Jagger and Richards landed in jail, imperiling that night's show at the Boston Garden. Boston Mayor Kevin White, fearful of a riot if the show were cancelled, had to intervene to bail them out; the show went on, albeit with another late start. Mayor White pleading to the Garden crowd to remain calm."

A classmate said he had tickets, transportation - he had neither
We thumbed to Boston - I spent every cent I had on me to buy tickets from a scalper, it was under a hundred dollars.

Great concert.

[ArnoldLayne]

64. Emerson Lake & Palmer August 1974 at the Civic Area in Pittsburgh Pa.

[Grantuspeace]

65. Heart, Reo Speedwagon and Bob Welch (Fleetwood Mac and Ebony Eyes)

' 76 or '77 in Green Bay Wisconsin. Magic Man and Keep Pushin' just broke big.

[ConcernedCanuk]

71. Heart! - they were in my tiny town last summer!!

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We have a 3-day concert here every summer

People come here from all over Canada and many of the States -

take a peek at this year's line-up

http://www.voyageurdays.com/



yeah, this is where I live.

luv it.

CC

[forestpath]

66. Chad & Jeremy, 1966

[dogknob]

72. Feb 21, 1983: Rush w/ Golden Earring @ San Diego Sports Arena

Geddy Lee sang different "baseball" lyrics to "The Spirit of Radio."

Wearing one of these to school the next day pretty much set your entire social agenda for the duration of junior high school.

Subdivisions indeed!

[Doc_Technical]

73. Paul Revere and the Raiders

Approx. 1967 San Jose Civic auditorium

[eShirl]

74. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Augusta Maine, summer 1977

got tickets for my 13th birfday

[Hula Popper]

75. My first

was B.B. King at the Regal Theatre.
Second was free with Mongo Santamaria and Count Basie's Band.

[Danmel]

76. The Who

At Madison Square Garden in 1975.

[Blue_In_AK]

77. I think maybe James Brown in Wichita in 1961 or thereabouts.

He was an amazing showman. I was only 15 and pretty impressed. I was visiting a friend of mine over there (we lived in Colorado at the time).

[LWolf]

80. Loggins & Messina 1973. nt

[CTyankee]

81. Does Little Richard count? I won't tell you the date...

[MiddleFingerMom]

82. Elton John 1971. He came out by himself dressed in white-sequined tuxedo tails and...

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... a white-sequined top hat and played "Tiny Dancer" "Song for You" and one other great slow
ballad (I don't remember which, but I remember that all three made for an awesome opening
trio).
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Then his bass player and drummer came out, he threw off the tux and hat and was dressed in
jeans and a white t-shirt and suspenders. They rocked the fucking house down!!! (A small
theatre-in-the-round at MSU)
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Being a small-town Michigan boy, it was the first time that I smelled pot.
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[hifiguy]

92. Man, EJ was something special

back in those days.

The bassist was Dee Murray, the drummer was Nigel Olsson. One hell of a piano-based power trio.

[6000eliot]

96. I've never seen EJ live in any form.

I do love the live album 11/17/70, though.

[secondvariety]

83. Spirit-1973

Sunshine Raceway, St. Petersburg, Fl. In fact, my first two concerts were Spirit.

[hifiguy]

94. Randy California was a

BEAST on lead guitar.

[secondvariety]

102. Thanks for that video.

He was a great guitarist and and apparently an all around great guy.

[westerebus]

84. The Who.

Union Catholic High School Scotch Plains New Jersey 1967.

[7wo7rees]

85. The J. Geils Band

Joan Jett and The Blackhearts opened. Six nights!

Sept 4, 1982 - Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston, MI

I didn't have my license yet, so the folks dropped me off and waited. It blew my face off.

Extra Credit: Name the lead guitarist.

[blueknight]

86. ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA

cincinnati ohio, 1977

[MrSlayer]

88. Led Zeppelin - 1975

You said "went to". My uncles, who were teenagers at the time, took me to this concert when they were supposed to be babysitting me while my parents were at a family funeral, I wasn't quite 5 years old. I don't really remember the performance, I just remember that it was loud and I wanted to know what the funny smell was and why the girls kept talking their shirts off.


Someone captured part of the performance on a super 8 camera.

The first concert I went to that I wanted to go to was KISS on the Dynasty tour. My dad took me, I was 9. I didn't know it at the time but the leather clad dude screaming his head off in the opening band was Rob Halford from Judas Priest. Later on, Priest would become one of my favorite bands.

It's kind of funny that band I most wanted to see out of the three is by far the worst musically.

[MountainLaurel]

90. Poison, 1991 n/t

[mvd]

93. Paul McCartney and Wings

It was 1989 I think. In Frederick, MD.

[dipsydoodle]

97. Bruce Springsteen c. 1980 Wembley.

Short notice job - got two tickets at about 3 hours notice which was fine as I lived in Wembley then anyway.

Early days I wasn't into big concerts - just small venues. Saw the Animals before they recorded House of the Rising Sun and Rod Stewart first time he was allowed to sing in John Baldrey's R & B band.

[zeeland]

98. Also Pink Floyd, Chicago, 71 or 72 .n/t

[Broken_Hero]

99. Manhole, Life of Agony, and Type O Negative

January of 1997, at the Granada in Lawrence, Kansas....

[OriginalGeek]

103. Life of Agony!

Haven't even thought of Life of Agony in a bazillion years - saw them open for Carcass on the Heartwork tour.

[pilar007]

100. Jimi

Jimi @ The Hollywood Bowl? I think..anyways it was an outside venue and I was bout 14/15. I don' t remember who he played with. Since I lived for concerts in those days saw some greats.

[shanti]

101. elton john

hollywood bowl, 1973....yup. the album at that time was "don't shoot me, i'm only the piano player".

[EvilAL]

104. Metallica, 1989. Moncton, New Brunswick