opening acts you are glad you didn't miss

[veinbuster]

I like to see whole shows, not just the headliner. I particularly like it when the opening act is an exciting surprise.
I amazes me how many people skip everything before the headliner.
In the same way I like to visit the side stages at festivals. Some of my favourites have been:
Lover Boy opening for Bob Seeger - never heard of them before the show
Third Eye Blind opening for U2 - best surprise seeing how many good songs they had, having heard only one on the radio
Explosions in the Sky at the 3rd stage at V Fest -I still love this band
Holly Cole on a street stage at lunch during the Montreal Jazz festival - never knew she existed before that

 

[WEDGE]

Michael Schenker Group opening for Molly Hatchet

Molly Hatchett opening for Allman Brothers

Judas Priest opening for KISS

 

[docbennett]

Will always regret that I missed The Monkees opening up for Jimi Hendrix. Or was it vice versa????

Favorite opening acts.....

• A then unknown "Journey" opening for ELO in the early '70's. So good, I went out and got their first album.

• Dr. Feelgood opening for Blue Oyster Cult. Again, so good I became a fan and followed them until Lee Brilleaux's death in 1994. Still love the song "Back in the night".

 

[JMintzer]

Fleetwood Mac opening for Loggins & Messina...

A year later, Kenny Loggins opening for Fleetwood Mac (Rumors tour...)


Jamie

 

[JMintzer]

Oh, how could I forget!

Steely Dan opening for Cheech & Chong, back in 73-74...


Jamie

 

[rugerpc]

Robert Randolph opening for Clapton.

Randolph was high energy, baby and Clapton was deep into his acoustic sound. After 2 songs from Clapton. I wanted Randolph back on stage!

 

[docbennett]

Oh, how could I forget!
Steely Dan opening for Cheech & Chong, back in 73-74...
Jamie

 

[docbennett]

Robert Randolph opening for Clapton.

Randolph was high energy, baby and Clapton was deep into his acoustic sound. After 2 songs from Clapton. I wanted Randolph back on stage!

At least you weren't treated to Clapton vomiting on stage during his set as he came down off his heroin. consider yourself lucky!

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Alice in Chains opening for the "Clash of the Titans" tour, seeing a band that would soon become a household name get booed by thousands of Slayer fans taught me the lesson: "You never know who's gonna make it in the music industry".

 

[clcwarlock]

Metallica opening for Ozzy (Cliff Burton was still alive) Master of Puppets was just released, 1986 Johnstown PA War Memorial.Thrash was born.

 

[Chris528]

Foo Fighters opening for RHCP.

 

[Swashbuckler]

Poison opening for Ratt in '87, Jackel opening for Damn Yankees '93 and Joan Jett opening for Def Leppard in 2000.

 

[JustRob]

KIX opening for Iron Maiden (Killers tour) headlined by Judas Priest (Point of Entry tour).

Recently took my 12 year old son to see Judas Priest. Whitesnake was supposed to open but cancelled.

KIX filled in. The energy took me back to the days of Hammerjacks from my youth.

 

[CE-man]

SRV opening for Huey Lewis and the News, Van Halen opening for Journey, Elf opening for Uriah Heep and Flo and Eddie opening for Alice Cooper. :smile:

 

[alantig]

New England opening for Kiss, 1979.

Vintage Trouble opening for the Who, 2012.

Ace Frehley opening for Iron Maiden, twice.

Warren Zevon opening for Chicago, solo acoustic. Awesome.

 

[Herr Squid]

I've almost always been there for the full bill and had some really good surprises:

Fabulous Thunderbirds opening for Rush in 1985...

No wait, that was totally FUBAR!

Rage Against the Machine opening for like everybody on the 2nd Lollapalooza tour.

Primus opening for Jane's Addiction in like 1990.

Voivod opening for Soundgarden in '89.

 

[Jester]

Gas Giants opening for KWS at Irving Plaza in New York circa 1999

 

[prsrocker1988]

Cheap Trick opening for Aerosmith
Tesla opening for Def Leppard
.38 Special opening for Lynyrd Skynyrd, also again opening for REO Speedwagon
Styx opening for REO Speedwagon
Kenny Wayne Shepherd opening for Robert Cray (I left shortly after Cray came onstage)
Pat Benatar opening for Journey

 

[Fbrandw]

Lindy Ortega opening for Social Distortion earlier this year, never heard of her prior but she killed it.

 

[james]

I don't have a good answer to the topic, but I have the opposite: missed Nick Lowe opening for Wilco. I was just boozing it up in the lot beforehand because I knew the name but wasn't familiar with his music. Of course, a few months later, I totally get into him. His Tiny Desk Concer on NPR is probably my favorite installment of that series.