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Friday Fun: Before The Fame

Posted on Friday August 21, 2009 at 09:01 AM 23 |

Here’s the scenario: You’re talking concerts with your friends, perhaps commenting on your U2 seats, buying Pearl Jam tickets or hoping against hope for a Shaggs reunion when someone says, “I remember seeing. … back in the day. Back before they were famous.”

We all have special memories of catching then-unknown bands or artists before they achieved success. Maybe you saw Katy Perry on a Vans Warped Tour sidestage before she she ever sang about kissing a girl, a pre-Nevermind Nirvana in a Seattle club during the late ‘80s, Rush opening for ZZ Top more than 30 years ago, Van Halen supporting Black Sabbath in the late ‘70s or even Bob Dylan doing his Woody Guthrie tribute in Greenwich Village in 1961 before John Hammond signed him to Columbia Records.

  • Bob Dylan

    Marcus Amphitheater, Milwaukee, Wis.
    July 1, 2009

    (Bobby Talamine)

    Add |

Everybody starts somewhere, and chances are you saw someone on the road to success. Now’s the time to talk about it. Who did you see before they became famous? Springsteen? The Police? Britney? Just drop your memories in the comment thread below.

--Jay Smith

23 Comments leave a comment RSS

  1. 101
    docsarvis wrote:

    09:22 AM, Aug 21, 2009

    Ben Harper and the Greyboy Allstars (not same show) @ the Elbo Room in SF in '97,  DMB and Phish (once again, not same show) @ Trax in C'ville, VA in '91, YMSB @ the Sweetwater in Mill Valley, CA in '98, Old Crow Medicine Show @ RockyGrass in Lyons, CO in '01, SRV opening for ZZ Top in '86 in Roanoke, VA

  2. 1
    dieselboi wrote:

    09:24 AM, Aug 21, 2009

    I have a couple:

    Saw Mookie Blaylock at the Melody Ballroom in Portland Oregon. They opened I believe for Alice in Chains. Mookie Blaylock is what Pearl Jam became. It was just after they recorded Temple of the Dog with Soundgarden and before TEN was released.

    Second was seeing The Killers open for Secret Machines at Dante's in Portland OR. Great show.

  3. 38
    Evster wrote:

    09:28 AM, Aug 21, 2009

    Best I can do is Los Lonely Boys in February of 2004 in a tiny club in San Francisco - their debut album had just hit but hadn't taken off yet. Saw Ani DiFranco at Oberlin College when she was still more of a college girl cult thing in '98.

  4. 102
    KennyT wrote:

    09:53 AM, Aug 21, 2009

    I saw Collective Soul, Tripping Daisy (lead singer from Polyphonic Spree) Creed and Fuel at CPI in Hampton Bays in the mid 90's. Moby at the side stage of Lolla in 94? I think.Soulive open for Dave at MSG back in 99ish and Beck as an opener at Lolla in 94 as well.

  5. 235
    diet pepsi wrote:

    10:08 AM, Aug 21, 2009

    Just an fyi, Katy Perry was singing about girls on that Warped sidestage.

    I've never been lucky enough to catch a band before they broke big.

  6. 101
    rich_2 wrote:

    10:08 AM, Aug 21, 2009

    Remembering many of these instances, but a personal favorite was getting my driver's license in 1974 and driving to Washington DC to see Springsteen in a tiny venue. The reaction by my friends was "Bruce Who???"

  7. 1
    arbee wrote:

    10:11 AM, Aug 21, 2009

    I have a few, although given the number of shows i have attended not as many as one would think:

    Dates are best guesses:

    -Blondie opening for Iggy Pop in 77

    -AC/DC(with Bon Scott)opening for Aerosmith in 79 although AC/DC were fairly well known, but not as mega as the next album would make them.

    -Van Halen opening for Black Sabbath in 79

    -Beastie Boys opening for Madonna in 85

    -Guns N Roses opening for The Cult in 87

    I also saw many huge acts in their first club dates in North America: U2, The Clash, The Police, Duran Duran etc

    Oh yea, and Heart played my high school in 72-73.

  8. 235
    diet pepsi wrote:

    10:12 AM, Aug 21, 2009

    Nevermind, I'm not sure if you all count arena tours but I saw the Black Eyed Peas open up for Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera several years back. Although I enjoy them now, then I couldn't get over how SHRILL and earsplitting Fergie's voice was. It was painful to deal with that set.

    I saw M.I.A. open up for Gwen Stefani during her first outing as a solo artist. Honestly I was so closed off to the idea of a new sound for me personally, so I didn't pay too much attention to her. I love her now.

    That's all I have! Not too much.

  9. 1
    ryan_roxx wrote:

    10:19 AM, Aug 21, 2009

    Foo Fighters open for Mike Watt in St. Louis in 1995.  It was before their first album came out and one of the first live shows they ever played.  Marilyn Manson open for Nine Inch Nails in 1994.... they were handing out flyers advertising the debut of "Beautiful People" on MTV soon.

  10. 39
    JohnnyCotts wrote:

    10:33 AM, Aug 21, 2009

    Ben Folds Five at a side stage on Lollapalooza 96 at Randall's Island (NYC)

  11. 101
    Sneadhurn wrote:

    10:33 AM, Aug 21, 2009

    Aerosmith played at my fraternity's parties a few times 1970-1971.  Mostly Stones & Yardbirds type covers the first time, but slowly mixed in their originals.

    I clearly remember them playing "Mama Kin" at the first party.

  12. 3
    el rey wrote:

    10:58 AM, Aug 21, 2009

    So many, lets see....Elvis Costello at Toad's Place in New Haven right around the time his first album came out.  Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at the Roxy in Hollywood, where Joni Mitchell was sitting 3 tables away from me and I found $15 bucks on the floor!  But the most amazing show was the Allman Brothers in 1970 at The University of New Haven cafeteria on a small stage when Duane and Berry Oakley were still alive.

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