Your first concert: Who, Where, When.

Thanks to Mrs. Pineapple for the inspiration for this post. This should be a good one 'cause I know alot of you have probably seen some amazing stuff. Even if it was a bad one, the event has (maybe) aged into a good vintage.

Mine: Molly Hatchet w/special guests (remember when the opener was the 'special guest'?) The Dirt Band. West Palm beach Auditorium. End of summer '79.

I think I mowed a neighbor's lawn to earn the $7.50(!) to buy a ticket. Remember the scene in 'Almost Famous' when the mom drops the kid off at the 'Stillwater' concert? That's what it looked like, except my mom didn't drive me there.

And just for good measure my second concert ever: Cheap Trick (w/special guests UFO) at Sunrise Musical Theater April 1980. Dream Police tour, baby!!! That was a good one!!

[ Edited by: donhonyc 2005-07-12 09:51 ]

First 'real' band: Van Halen (then called Mammoth), someone's backyard party in Torrance, CA, 1976

First 'real' concert: Queen, L.A. Forum, December 18, 1978 (and I still have the shirt, program & a bunch of unused silver & purple KLOS/Queen stickers)

Sharon, Lois & Bram.

Hey they were big when I was 4!

The first BIG concert I went to was U2 with my brother, zooropa tour.

David Bowie! and I can't find my T-shirt Damn It!!!!
It kills me that I missed his last tour, he's rad!

KISS, "Dynasty Tour" 1979 at the Forum in Los Angeles. It was a present for my 9th birthday. I fell asleep during the show, but woke up during the drum solo. I remember wanting to get a T-shirt (long-sleeve jersey style), but I thought $9 was just too much. I ended up getting the program for $4 instead.

I don't count Dr. Hook ("Cover of the Rolling Stone" was their big hit) at the Good Time Theater in Knott's Berry Farm as my first concert, which technically was prior to the KISS concert.

[ Edited by: Riptide 2005-07-12 10:23 ]

Band: KISS
Year: 1977
Tour: Love Gun
Location: Cow Palace (San Francisco)

I was 12 years old and I was a huge KISS fan (okay, I still am). My parents wouldn't let me go to the concert (big deal, just because I was only 12), so, my best friend talked his parents into taking us. They were fans as well, and thinking back, I would guess they were in their mid-30's and pretty big partiers.

His parents bought the tickets and I asked my parents if I could stay the night at my buddy's house. It all worked out and I never got caught.

I did finally fuss up to it only a few years ago when my Mom mentioned that she knew about it all along. :blush:

The Beach Boys, somewhere mid-late 60's, Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. Went with my sister and her friends, and told them if there were too many screaming girls around, I would punch them. LOL

Great concert... I remember it well! And still a fan today.

Myke

pink floyd, animals tour, anaheim stadium date unknown, age 12/13. older brother of a friend stopped on the southbound 57 just overlooking the stadium. told us to get out, as soon as we got out he laughed and sped off. we wandered down the embankment to the relatively wide open back area of the stadium... bikers everywhere, pot smoke and flying beer bottles. walked right through a back entrance with a batch of bikers... they though we were cool kids but we had no clue. wandered out one of the main entrances later and got on a bus a went home... had to hide from parents for a while cause we stunk like dope & booze

This seems to be a common theme...

KISS, 1979 in Mobile, AL

I was 12 and I went with my older brothers. They disappeared and left my friend and I to wander around the whole concert. It was an eye-opener at that age.

Oh jeez. I feel SO lame :)
My second concert was Prince, the Purple Rain tour, which was pretty cool. Around that time I also saw Madonna, and the Beastie Boys opened for her!

I have to say, the reason I was not allowed to go to concerts was because I had 2 older brothers, who were 1 and 4 years older than I. They were spotted by my parents on the nightly news 'out of control concert goer' footage during the Who's tour with the Clash. They runined it for me. So, I had to wait a while before I could go to concerts...

I will say, I think I redeemed my cool points re: Phil Collins, by taking my younger cousin ( a Princeton Young Republican) whose FIRST concert was Billy Joel at the Spectrum in Philadelphia...to her SECOND concert, which was The Meatmen and the Volcano Suns at City Gardens. She wasn't that into it :) I pretty much cemented her in the YR mold she's been in ever since!

Grand Funk Railroad and Freddie King - Inglewood Forum, Summer, 1970

Here is another thread from a while back that switched from a discussion about Jewel to a "What was your first concert?" thread.

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=3835&forum=6&start=15

In it, I made the embarassing disclosure that Spandau Ballet was my first concert.

Sabu

Who: Duran Duran
Where: The Fabulous Forum, Los Angeles
When: February 1984
I still have the T-shirt!

Since I was only 13 at the time and had really overprotective parents, I was forced to purchase a ticket for my dad so he could go to the show with me. :roll:

The Beatles, Hollywo0od Bowl, 1964

On 2005-07-12 10:21, Riptide wrote:
KISS, "Dynasty Tour" 1979 at the Forum in Los Angeles. It was a present for my 9th birthday. I fell asleep during the show, but woke up during the drum solo. I remember wanting to get a T-shirt (long-sleeve jersey style), but I thought $9 was just too much. I ended up getting the program for $4 instead.

I don't count Dr. Hook ("Cover of the Rolling Stone" was their big hit) at the Good Time Theater in Knott's Berry Farm as my first concert, which technically was prior to the KISS concert.

[ Edited by: Riptide 2005-07-12 10:23 ]

Hey that pretty much matches my first concerts as well. Except it was my brother that fell asleep at the KISS concert. Me and my step Mom were throwing pennies at this guy that kept getting in the way. Hey RIPTIDE you must be my brother! And don't forget "Paul Revere and the Raiders" also at the Knotts Berry Farm good Time Theater.
Later,
Spermy

Band: Depeche Mode
Year: 1984
Venue: Warner Theater, Washington D.C.

Book of Love was the opening act, not that it matters much.

The Who at the San Diego Sports Arena, 1979. This was their first tour with Kenny Jones. Unfortunately, I never saw them with Keith Moon.

Reggae Sunsplash
Merriweather Post Pavillion
I think it was the summer of 1990...

I always was a big music fan but didn't want to go through the hassle of having my parents dragging me to a concert so I was a bit of a late bloomer when it came to seeing live music.

My first concert is actually too embarrasing to mention...
John Schneider (Bo Duke) at the York County Fair Grounds in 1982. I only wanted to see the Joey Chitwood Thrill Show where they jumped Monte Carlos and drove Chevettes on 2 wheels but I had to stay for Mr. Schneider's performance. So in theory it wouldn't qualify as the first concert I really wanted to see...

Charlie Daniels Band - Irvine Meadows Ampitheatre, early 1980s.

I wore my cowboy "longhorn" shirt & a drunken cowboy threw up on me.

Cheap Trick, 1979, Long Beach Arena. I still think their first album is an unqualified power-pop masterpiece.

Well, technically my first concert was the Los Angeles Philharmonic. I also saw a few jazz concerts that my mother took me to as a boy (she once worked in the record industry and knew some jazz musicians of the day).

But I am assuming you are meaning my first ROCK concert. That was either Canned Heat or El Chicano, and it was either 1968 or 1969. I can't remember which one actually came first. The El Chicano concert was at Disneyland. Bob Hite once worked for my Dad before the band got started, and Heat used to play in the Valley and Thousand Oaks area. I think it was Canned Heat that was the first one.

I saw Peter Paul & Mary in SF somewhere I think with my whole family when I was little (80's?)

We sat in the grassy area and my straight laced father was upset about all the hippies around us smoking weed.

He also denied that Elton John was gay or that the Kingston Trio's song about being "high as a kite" was about drugs.

Man who sleeps with lizard on head dreams much of lizards.

[ Edited by: dangergirl299 2005-07-12 12:37 ]

My first concert was Deep Purple at the Hollywood Sportatorium in 1985. What a dump that place was!

On 2005-07-12 09:38, donhonyc wrote:
And just for good measure my second concert ever: Cheap Trick (w/special guests UFO) at Sunrise Musical Theater April 1980. Dream Police tour, baby!!! That was a good one!!

donhonyc: Did you know that the Sunrise Musical Theater is now a church? Yep, it is now known as the "Faith Center." I actually live about 1/2 mile away from it.

On 2005-07-12 11:26, Tiki Rider wrote:
The Beatles, Hollywo0od Bowl, 1964

OK, you win!

My Grandfather took my aunt to the Beatles at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, and he said "I couldn't hear a thing, all those silly girls screaming, why did they go to hear music, if they're just going to scream??" She was proably 13 or 14. I always asked my mom why she wasn't that cool, she gave me the stink eye, and said "Your Aunt Clare was very spoiled."

Keep 'em coming. I love this.

Gotta also mention some of my others. I'll keep it limited to the highlights:

Prince-Purple Rain Tour 1984. Orange Bowl Miami

Van Halen (w/DAVE!) 1981 & 84 Hollywood Sportatorium, Hollywood, Florida.

All the times I saw Iggy Pop. 93, 99, 2001. 2003 & 2004 w/The Stooges. All New York City Dates.

Sonic Youth w/performance artist-actor Eric Bogosian doing monologues from his "Sex, Drugs, Rock n Roll" show at The Academy, New York City Summer 1990

Neil Young. James L. Knight Center, Miami November 1985 (first time I saw Neil)

The Pixies (then unknown. Opening (!) for the Jesus & Mary Chain) at The World, New York City Summer 1988.

New York Dolls w/Burning Brides at Irving Plaza this past April, 2005. New York City!

Two shows I wish I was at: Ted Nugent, The Scorpions, & The Pat Travers Band Summer 1980 @ Hollywood Sportatorium and Rush @ Hollywood Sportatorium circa 80-81. Both of these shows riots broke out at. At the Rush concert it was full blown with tear-gas. It must not have been that traumatic because my friends that were there (we were all 15 or 16)and weren't hurt or traumatized by any of it. It seems like the cops were probably over reacting.

Let's hear more of yours.

[ Edited by: donhonyc 2005-07-12 13:09 ]

donhonyc:

Since you grew up in South Florida, did you ever notice that we really didn't get all of the big groups come down to Miami. I remember that my older brother used to drive up to Orlando to see groups like the Rolling Stones and the Who play at the Tangerine Bowl in the early to mid 1980s because their tours did not include any stops in Miami.

I wonder if that was because we really didn't have many venues for them to perform in since we had no basketball/hockey arena until the very late 1980s. The sportatorium was such a dump! Its kinda funny to think how back in the 80s, the sportatorium was WAY out in the boonies. Now, there are housing developments that have sprawled out into the everglades!

My cousin and I, ages 14 & 15, were stuck in Ohio for a family wedding. They wanted us kids to go out (I think they wanted to get rid of us really) so they offered us two choices: tickets to see Barry Manilow, or tickets to see Toby Beau and the Doobie Bros. Even at 14, we girls knew Barry Manilow was squaresville, so we opted for the latter. I didn't realise that I knew that many Doobie Bros songs (or any of their songs for that matter) until I saw them.

The first concert I bought tickets for was Elvis Costello in 1979 in an old abandoned theatre in Pismo. Talking Heads opened. Who knew? Fab-u-loso!

Anthrax - Paris - 1991

Well, I'm younger...

On 2005-07-12 13:00, donhonyc wrote:
Two shows I wish I was at: Ted Nugent, The Scorpions, & The Pat Travers Band Summer 1980 @ Hollywood Sportatorium and Rush @ Hollywood Sportatorium circa 80-81. Both of these shows riots broke out at. At the Rush concert it was full blown with tear-gas. It must not have been that traumatic because my friends that were there (we were all 15 or 16)and weren't hurt or traumatized by any of it. It seems like the cops were probably over reacting.

I can understand why there might be rioting at a Nugent show, but Rush?!? Was it festival seating or something?

On 2005-07-12 13:54, cynfulcynner wrote:
I can understand why there might be rioting at a Nugent show, but Rush?!?

You know how it is with those modern day warriors. :roll:

Some notables, that aren't embarassing...

The Replacements and Steve Earle in NYC
Neil Young and Sonic Youth in Philadelphia, (the hippies booed Sonic Youth until Neil came out and played with them)
Bob Dylan backed by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and the Grateful Dead at RFK stadium in DC, (the last show before Jerry Garcia died, the first time...he went into a diabetic coma after that show) it was about 130 degrees on the field, and I wore a black flag t-shirt to the show! That's about all I remember.
Way too many punk rock shows that were incredible 4 band bills, for $5 at the Khyber Pass Pub, The Trocadero or Club Bacchanal in Philadelphia!

I also saw Cinderella at a bar in Northeast Philly, why? I don't know. It was scary, hair metal chicks have NO sense of humor, many should have fore-went the spandex!

OH YEAH - the Hooters and the Stray Cats at the Philadelphia Zoo ( I quit my fast food job to go to that because the manager wouldn't let me off work, and then my mom was so mad, she 'got me' a job at the dry cleaners, which was not only toxic, but horrible! It was worth it!)
Robert Hazard and the Heroes and Cyndi Lauper after a Phillies Game at Veterens Stadium,
The B-52's and Peter Gabriel at the Robin Hood Dell,
Dire Straits at the Dell,
and Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble, 4 rows from the stage at the some theatre in Upper Darby! That show was awesome!

My first concert was Thompson Twins and OMD at the Orange Show in San Bernardino, CA. Lied to the parents. Said I was spending the night at a friend's house.

My parents didn't think concerts were safe for young girls.

About a year later, I put my foot down and informed them that I would be going to see Crowded House at the De Anza theatre in Riverside, CA. And I would need to borrow the car. I don't think they'd ever seen me so passionate about anything in my life, so they caved.

I'd list all the decent shows I've seen but being that I'm probably the only person in the world that listened exclusively to reggae music for 10 years straight, I'd be typing to myself. When everyone else was going to rock/hardcore/punk shows I was seeing artists unknown to the vast majority of the world. If I were to mention that I saw Dennis Brown, U-Roy, Mutabaruka, Delroy Wilson, Culture, Yellowman, Sister Nancy, Burning Spear, Eek A Mouse, Nicodemus, etc. would anyone care? Probably not so I'll stop now. :)

Since you grew up in South Florida, did you ever notice that we really didn't get all of the big groups come down to Miami. I remember that my older brother used to drive up to Orlando to see groups like the Rolling Stones and the Who play at the Tangerine Bowl in the early to mid 1980s because their tours did not include any stops in Miami.

Joefla-I totally remember that and remember resenting it big-time. Back then, I couldn't wait for the day when I was able to get up and leave the area mainly because some of my fave bands would never come down there. As good a time as I had as a teen in South Florida it sometimes seemed like the Land of Misfit Toys. I totally remember The Who and The Stones making U-turns after playing in Orlando at the Tangerine Bowl and not coming further south. Pissed me off. If i'm not mistaken Bowie did the same on the 'Serious Moonlight' tour, AND on the Stones '81 tour Van Halen (w/DAVE) opened up for them. It sucked missing that show!! But I think you're right, there was a lack of real venues back then. The Sportatorium was the only game in town. It was a dump, but I loved it!! Great teenage wasteland. Did you know that it was formerly an airplane hangar before they turned it into an arena?

And yeah, I heard about the Sunrise Musical Theater turning into a church. Crazy! I saw so many shows there AND I had my high school graduation ceremony there.
I saw U2 there in the summer of '83 on the 'War' tour with The Alarm as openers. A friend and I were so obsessed with U2 that we tracked them down (to make a long story short) and caught them coming off their bus for sound check. It's hard to beleive now, but they had a really freaky entourage. First The Edge came off. Still had hair then and wearing a red flannel shirt. He signed my 12" Maxi single of 'Two Hearts Beat As One' and kept walking. I was like 'wait, I have to talk to you'. he was friendly but he was like 'can't I have to go'. What did I expect, I was some teenage dude, not a hot chick waiting for him. After what seemed like a mini parade of freaks coming off the bus, Bono emerged. He looked like he just woke up. Signed my single as well and kept walking to the stage door. I still have that signed 12". The signatures are a little faded but you can still see them. The show that night was amazing. It was basically the same show that was recorded on LP and video at Red Rocks in Colorado called 'Under A Blood Red Sky'. Still just amazing. First time I had ever seen a singer dive into the audience. Very emotional show.They totally connected with us and for the next couple of years I was a dyed in the wool U2 freak (up untill 'Rattle & Hum'). Great time, glad I was there.

1978 - Madison Square garden - ELO

That was the tour where they had the giant space ship on stage. When the music started there was no sign of the band, but the space ship started to smoke and light up in different colors. Eventually the top flew upwards, and the band was inside.

Awesome.

My first backstage pass was Clapton, also at the Garden.

Y'know...I was thinkin' rock n' roll! Actually, my VERY first concert was pretty cool, too:

For my 10th birthday, I very much wanted to see The Baja Marimba Band, featuring Julius Wechter (Martin Denny's vibes player) as the warm-up band for...

(drum roll please!)

Wayne Newton!!

January, 1967

Dickies / Agent Orange - Somewhere in Hollywood

On 2005-07-12 16:15, johntiki wrote:
I'd list all the decent shows I've seen but being that I'm probably the only person in the world that listened exclusively to reggae music for 10 years straight, I'd be typing to myself. When everyone else was going to rock/hardcore/punk shows I was seeing artists unknown to the vast majority of the world. If I were to mention that I saw Dennis Brown, U-Roy, Mutabaruka, Delroy Wilson, Culture, Yellowman, Sister Nancy, Burning Spear, Eek A Mouse, Nicodemus, etc. would anyone care? Probably not so I'll stop now. :)

I care John, I truly do...

The Music Machine, Yellow Balloon and The Nitty Gritty Dirtband, 1967 at some theater in Anaheim, CA (I think it was called Melodyland...round stage in the middle that rotated).

Buddy Rich, 198...2 (?)

-Z

For my first concert I went to see the Tubes ("She's a Beauty" tour, I believe) play The Kabuki in SF, in ....uh.... must been '84. I don't remember much, because it was the first time I'd ever smoked ...uh... well...

Anyway, the costumes were great, especially when Fee Waybill came out at the encore in what seemed like 2 ft tall platform heels for "White Punks on Dope".

Pink Floyd
The Wall
Los Angeles Sports Arena
1979 or 1980

With a side of mushrooms :)

SHA NA NA at the Greek Theater with my Mom!!!
I think I was probably 10 or 11 years old.

On 2005-07-12 19:51, floratina wrote:
Pink Floyd
The Wall
Los Angeles Sports Arena
1979 or 1980

With a side of mushrooms :)

NICE ONE!!

The Cars - 1980

mike + the mechanics-irvine meadows-1985

Neil Young (with the International Harvesters) Berkeley Greek Theatre 1982

Surrounded by trippers, beggars, and T-shirts that cost 25.00

Don't think it was the first, but the first one I can think of -- The Guess Who, about 1970 (I was in grade 8). Same year, Neil Young. The next year Procol Harum with the Edmonton Symphony, the one they recorded.

-Sweet Daddy T.
Because crap doesn't buy itself.

[ Edited by: Sweet Daddy Tiki 2005-07-13 00:53 ]