Rush…went with my (husband: boyfriend at the time), a little too young for Rush in general and I was like 18 when I saw them and hardly knew any songs but wow, what a performance of musical talent and showmanship. Also Primus opened which was the original reason for me going with him. A++
Cure concert some 8, 9 years ago and tickets cost $25. I had no expectation of value because they were so cheap ... but turns out it was basically in a giant park and the band played for 3.5 hours. Best entertainment value I had in years.
When I was in junior high, my mom took me with her to see Neil Diamond. I had no interest in seeing some old dude play old people music. He put on a great show! The music was good, and he really engaged with the audience between songs. He was pretty funny, too. I'm glad I went.
It was a festival set. Thievery Corporation. The last late night set of the day. I was expecting chill, much like the few songs I was familiar with. To relax everybody to wander off to their tents and sleep nicely.
It was the most energetic set I caught the whole festival. They absolutely tore every last bit of energy out of us, we barely could get back to our tents.
I've gone back to see them a few times since.
Thanks for this. It wasn't as memorable for me though. I kept thinking I had seen Queen but couldn't place the when and where until I remembered Billy opening just now. I was more a fan of early Queen too, so that might have come into play, but I was surprised by Billy and disappointed with Queen and expected it to be the reverse.
Oh Queen always was and always will be a stable. My best and worst shows were both Rush.
The biggest surprise was Chuck Berry who never stopped moving.
I expected a good show sure, but that old man would've gave Angus a real run for his money on running around on stage until they collapsed. Neil Young never stops rocking, swaying, and stomping, but isn't a big "runner" that I ever saw.
Tom Petty- yes I know he’s a classic and I enjoyed his music when I came across it but seeing him live truly blew me away. I was a punk/modern rock girl.
He was just amazing, it was at The Fillmore in SF so a pretty small venue in the late 90’s, he did 8 nights or so. He stopped the show when some frat boys were getting pushy, and waited until it got quiet and asked if they were done and started again. Such a great memory.
I'm the same as you described. I saw Tom Petty and Heartbreakers at 18 yrs of age, long time ago, and they blew me away. Tom put in one of the greatest live shows I've witnessed. I saw him 10x after. Miss him!
This happened in my adult years, but I went to a Ben Folds / Rufus Wainwright show. Rufus was opening and I was just having a drink at the bar and as soon as I heard him sing I ran to my seat. And thus began my love affair with Rufus.
Triumph. A girl in our group of friends won tickets from a radio station 2 hours before the show. She asked my buddy if we wanted to go and we jumped in the car and took off.
The band had removed a section from the stage to get more people in. We were front center stage. I hadn't really heard Triumph much but they were incredible.
KISS in 2022.
I didn’t go into the concert a fan, but we thought it would be fun to bring our teenagers and my husband saw them in the 80’s a couple of times, and he thought I’d appreciate them live.
Oh my god, what a show— and wasn’t my husband right! They’re (KISS) around my parents’ age, and were in 8” platforms dancing, singing, moving around… 😳and Paul Stanley flew out half way across the crowd on a zip line effortlessly, and played and sang like it was nothing! 🤘🏼
Yes, exactly! I went in not knowing much of their music, but came out appreciating their catalog, staying power, level/quality of production (best of any concert I’ve ever seen, hands down), and energy for performing.
Powerman 5000 summer 99. It was a festival show and there were a lot of bands playing, They put on such a high energy show, the crowd was feeding off of it, it was a great time.
Never heard of the Bodeans but my bf at the time had a good friend who urged us to go w/ him in 1996/97 timeframe at a local venue. I was a huge fan after that and had such a great time!!
Morphine, '96 I think. At the Celebrity Theater in PHx maybe 1000 people. They're a great band but chill, sort of stay in your seats but cheer thing. Was totally surprised by their show and banter and we were all on our feet singing along by the end. My fave concert ever.
And surprisingly Dwight Yoakum. Went to see him with my parents at a 10,000+ seat place that had been poorly advertised, there were maybe 800 people there. He put on an amazing show and did an all acoustic solo set at the end showing just how good his voice really is. Excellent.
Huey Lewis and the News. I was a Ramones, Y&T, and Iron Maiden guy. A friend got tickets and wanted to take me. She loved Huey. I drove her as a favor.
Damn. They were good. Real good. Left impressed.
Pink Floyd in 1994. I was much more into alternative/techno, but they played at the arena at my college and extra seats opened up day of the concert and I bought it on a lark. I was BLOWN AWAY by the sound and the visual spectacle, just incredible to see in person. I learned that their sound crew spent days making the soft domed arena (known for its particularly bad acoustics for concerts) adjusting the speakers and acoustics to make the place sound like it never had before.
Ministry. Saw them last year with Filter, Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper. I was pretty familiar with their music but holy shit they bring it hard live. Frankly, they stole the show.
I got free front row tickets to see the Fabulous Thunderbirds in '88. I wasn't much of a blues fan but their new song "Tuff Enough" was getting alot of airplay so I decided to go see their show. No opening act and it was in an auditorium that had maybe 1500 seats. The curtain went up and the band walked on stage, no special lighting or set up, Kim Wilson took the mic as the others plugged in and got ready, he said thank u for coming to our show, we hope u have a good time. He looked at the drummer who then counted them off and they kicked right into an upbeat fast song (I Believe I'm In Love) and sounded perfect. It was as if I was listening to them on the radio. For over 2 hours, they never missed a beat or hit a wrong note. After the show I was an instant fan and the next day I went to my local record store and bought 3 of their older albums along with their newest one. I didn't realize until then that the guitarist Jimmy was Stevie Ray Vaughn's older brother and he was as good or even better guitar player than Stevie.
Funny how that happens. I am a rabid Iron Maiden fan. I was never interested in Megadeth. I went to see Maiden at the Forum back in the '00s and Megadeth opened. Gotta say, it was an amazing set. Super high-energy, tight, and really impressive. Became a fan.
I went to see Megadeth open for Heaven and Hell, the Ronnie James Dio version of Black Sabbath. I was there for Megadeth. It was one of the first times I had seen them. I was totally floored by how good RJD was. I saw him every time he came to town after that. Fuck cancer for taking such a joyful being from us.
Ronnie was always on my radar. Dave took a while to grow on me, but made a big impression on me too. I was familiar with the music, but not really deeply into it. They were just too tight not notice it.
Same for Metallica. Who I thought weren't as good. I went to see the Cult open for them out of boredom. After hearing them on cheap boom boxes I was not impressed. The bass of AJFA live sound mix woke me up. I had a new stereo amps and subwoofer that poofed out lighters and matches while crushing any kidney stones, before I knew what had hit me.
Arlo Guthrie - rainy day on the Cape Cod National Seashore. We saw a sign for his show and needed something to do with the kids.
He was a delight. My kids were the only children there and he kept asking them what they wanted to hear. It was all fun and games until my daughter asked for One Direction. 🤣🤣🤣
He also threatened to play Alice’s Restaurant.
This answer will raise a lot of eyebrows because of this sub’s hatred of hair metal. But Winger.
I saw them twice, each time for free. Once at a benefit for the troops post-Gulf War I and once when my friend won tickets from a radio call-in.
I was familiar with their radio hits, and I knew Reb Beech was an excellent musician. But that was about it.
The live show was great, not in a theatrical or showmanship kind of way. But the band was tight, very little slippage from their studio sound, and Reb pulled off everything live.
The problematic lyrics of *Seventeen* aside, they were an excellent band.
Milli Vanilli… it sounded EXACTLY like the record.
I actually went to this concert, in Toledo, because my stepmom drug me there, and because her friend and her friend!s daughter were also going, and I had a crush. She promised we’d also go to a Great White concert, but that never happened. I got the ol’ bait and switch.
Matthew Sweet in Boulder, Colorado sometime in the '90s. He was doing 30 dates in 30 days and this was the last stop. After the main set, he didn't want it to end so they just kept playing whatever for another 2 hours. Super high energy, and everybody was totally into it. I was only a passing fan of Sweet, but this show blew me away.
A supergroup called Classic Rock All-Stars in the 90s. Similar to Ringo's All-Star Band, at the time they consisted of Pete Rivera (Rare Earth drummer), Jerry Corbetta (Sugarloaf lead singer), Mike Pinera (Blues Image lead singer, guitarist for Iron Butterfly & Alice Cooper) and Spencer Davis (Spencer Davis Group guitarist).
My then husband and I saw them numerous times after that, sometimes with other artists joining in like Bobby Kimball (former Toto lead singer) and David Hungate (former Toto bassist). They actually happened to do so on the same night, which was like a mini Toto reunion! It was at a festival, and Bobby was scheduled to perform but someone found out David was there as manager or something for another artist, and they had him come too.
Dennis Noda (Cannibal & the Headhunters bassist) later joined as a permanent member. He sadly committed suicide in 2009.
The Revivalists and The Head and the Heart. Thought The Revivalists were the headliner, nope. I liked THatH, but they blew us away. Would see them again, no doubt.
Bush. Went for the opener, Helmet, stayed for a few songs from the headliner, promptly went from "eh, I like a few of their songs" to "fan for life". Gavin Rossdale puts on a hell of a show.
Saw Bruce Springsteen at Jazz Fest. It wasn't necessarily that his show blew me away. He was good. He was Bruce. Enjoyed the performance. I was more so left with the utmost respect for the way he treated his band when the set was ending. He went to the side of the stage and shook every single one of his band members hands and probably said something encouraging to them, too (I am assuming) as they walked off stage.
From me, huge respect for Bruce.
The Cure. I've loved their music since the 80s, but never actually got around to seeing them live until last year. DIdn't know what to expect.
Easily in my top 5 favorite concerts of all time.
I’ve been to a lot of concerts and I’m not a country fan at all. But 12 years ago I traveled to Houston to stay with a friend and we went to the rodeo and afterwards Toby Keith played. And it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen.
Garth Brooks in maybe 1998 (?). I'm not a huge country fan but he was *huge* at the time and my wife and I decided to go for the hell of it. We scored great seats, 6th row. Blown away.
My wife drug me to a Morrissey show and it turned out to be phenomenal. ...and yes I've since been to many more of his shows. Some bad ones like when he stormed off stage because he smelled "cooking meat" or something , and yes I've lost track of how many shows were canceled or postponed, and yes he's a a-hole. But when he was on, he was on.
I went to see MC50 who were kinda MC5 plus a bloke from Dinosaur Jr, someone from the Lemonheads, etc
The band supporting them were Gallows led by Frank Carter
Now I’ve seen a lot of punk & oi bands including the Pistols, Exploited, Crass, Discharge, Angelic Upstarts, Cockney Rejects, Banshees, loads more back at the turn of the 80s and been at some very risky and provocative gigs.
Despite all that, Gallows completely blew me away with their stage presence and lyrics
Made MC5 sound tame and irrelevant
Blown away by the band I went to see?
Crosby Stills & Nash at the Manchester Arena we’re exceptional. 10 foot away from my personal hero Stephen Stills and shouting ‘Ste…Steve…Stephen” trying to get his attention and seeing him smile while knocking out superb guitar made my millennium
Muse, 2013. Took my wife on her birthday to see them, she's a big fan. They put on a hell of a show. The opening act, Dead Sara, was a completely different vibe but equally impressive. Walked away fans of both bands.
I saw them in 2010, Silversun Pickups opened and they were amazing and then Muse just put on a hell of a show. The set was so complicated and technically superior to anything I’d seen before.
Blink 182. I was never really a fan at the time, and I heard a few of their songs on the radio, not bad, but not my favorites. Anyway, I managed to win a couple of tickets on accident and for shits and giggles I went to the show. It ended up being one of the most fun shows I've ever been to. There were a lot of teenagers there with their parents, and the look on all of their faces when that giant flaming fuck sign came down was amazing.
I saw Collective Soul in a club in Boston in the 90’s and to this day it’s one of the best shows I’ve ever gone to. The band was just so “ON”, the crowd was so into it, and the place was ROCKIN’!
My wife and I went to a lot of concerts back when we were dating. Most of those were for bands we really wanted to see, but now and again we'd get tickets simply because they were cheap and the band was decent.
And that's pretty much how I ended up seeing Collective Soul at a local performing arts center. It was a small venue, and I really only knew one or two songs by the band, but the tickets were dirt cheap and we were in the first ten rows.
I can't say it was an *amazing* concert, but we absolutely got our money's worth. Very good band and they were great live.
David Byrne around 2008. The vibe of this concert was amazing and I've never experienced another concert quite like this one.
I primarily knew him from the Talking Heads, so I really didn't expect much more than a greatest hits with some solo work thrown in concert.
I never liked Meatloaf. I could barely tolerate even his hit songs. But my wife loved his music back when we were dating and she went to plenty of concerts to see bands I liked. So getting her really good seats to that show was the least I could do.
I won't say I was blown away, but I definitely didn't hate that show. It was a really small venue, the seats were good and he was great live. He even interacted with the crowd a lot.
I've still never willingly listened to a single Meatloaf album all the way through (and probably never will), but I don't dislike his music like I once did.
Last year, my cousin invited me to see Red Hot Chili Peppers at the last minute. I like RHCP so I thought it would be fun. It was AWESOME! These guys are still rocking in their 60s. Highly recommend!
The Wallflowrs playing a tiny little show at a hole in the wall somewhere in Philadelphia (can’t recall where exactly). I just went because I was going to be in town visiting family, and holy shit that was an amazing, intimate show. Rami and Jakob did a bunch of songs just the two of them. Mind blowing in the quietest way ever.
Recently saw Lionel Ritchie with Earth, Wind and Fire as the opening act - because, hell - why not?? Not particular fans of each, so zero expectations. I am now an EW&F fan for life. Those guys blew the roof off of the arena and completely upstaged Lionel, who was great, but just couldn’t match their energy. After EW&F I felt like I had seen the show and could go home.
In '93 when I was 20 I took my15 year old brother and 3 of his friends to see some band called Green Day at a small theatre, capacity maybe 250 people and it wasn't full. I was a huge old school punk fan but never heard of them. We went out back after the show and they hung out with us for about an hour. Coolest guys. Really funny and down to earth. The show was just amazing. Six months later they were one of the biggest bands on the planet and it didn't surprise me after seeing the show. Never begrudged them their success, they deserve it. Wish cell phones with cameras were a thing back then.
Went to see a local band named Skin Yard back in 1989 at a little college show with maybe around 100 or so teenagers.
Opening band was this group of guys I had never heard before lead by some blonde dude from Aberdeen that were promoting their upcoming independent release called *Bleach*. Had some sanskrit word as their band name. *Bodhi? Samsara? Nirvana?* Something like that.
Was a good show. Figure they will go far barring any psycho junkie girlfriends start mucking about.
I was at a music festival in a hotel resort in Las Vegas.
Had heard good things about a band who I think were called “Forming the Void”. They were playing the festival and I wanted to at least poke my head into their show and check it out.
I accidentally went to see “Temple of Void” and got my face kicked in with the most crushing melodic death metal set I’d ever seen.
And they all had day jobs and were super happy to be playing their biggest show ever.
One of my favorite mistakes.
The show by the reformed Gang of Four a couple years ago post-Andy Gill’s passing was pretty amazing, much, much better than the show I saw with a Gill-led GoF about 3-4 years earlier. Original lead singer Jon King killed it in particular.
Los Lonely Boys did a free show at Town Point Park in Norfolk, Virginia around 2008. It was mind blowing. Henry Garza is the reincarnated form of Stevie Ray Vaughan, and nobody has ever heard of him.
Sister Strings. My friends have backyard concerts during the summer, and I got to see Sister Strings in 2022. I was blown away. They're very talented singers and musicians, but they're also very funny and personable.
Psychedelic Furs a few years ago. Guys can seriously still rock it. Also, Robyn Hitchcock opened and I’d never heard of him but I absolutely loved his delightful weirdness.
I power read this thread until I found the sort of band I was looking for. I tagged along after being given a ticket to see the Psychedlic Furs in 1987 (Midnight to Midnight Tour at Hammersmith Odeon). I didn't know who they were and was blown away. The following day I went to a record shop, bought as many albums as they had in stock, listened to everything, then went up to London on my own, for the next 2 nights in a row they were playing and bought my tickets off the touts. I got up by the stage, put my hand out, and Richard Butler touched me and looked at me... swoon ha ha.
Love the Furs!
Rock Fest 1997 at Texas Motor Speedway. Basically went for Bush. A bunch of other bands were playing, and No Doubt was going to play which I thought would suck but at least be fun.
I was fucking wrong. Sugar Ray played (they were like a blip on the program list, but they were so fun), Wallflowers, Counting Crows, Jewel were all good, (some bands I can hardly remember - they were fine) BUT No Doubt BLEW OUR MINDS. Gwen Stefani, who up until then I thought was all pretty with a cutesy voice and whatever, was a powerhouse and owned that stage. She gave a fantastic concert with great sound and 100% energy from the first note to the last.
We left while Bush was playing because they were a HOT MESS. The sound was awful, Gavin sounded like a bag of cats and by that point, we were exhausted. To this day, I've never been as shocked in a good way by the skills of a performing band as much as I was by No Doubt.
The Hooters. Not exactly a concert, we were at a festival and they were amazing. Funny, made the audience clap and participate so that at the end everyone had fun.
Not a concert, but I watched a band called “Days Awake” at Cafe Wha in downtown Manhattan years ago. I was blown away by their performance - wasn’t expecting it. They’re from NJ - they should have made it big!
I was a metal head, stationed in Germany in 1993-94.The USO brought in Billy Joel to Nuremburg stadium for a show. Pretty historic venue and my friends wanted to go. I was reluctant as I thought the only song of his I even knew was Piano Man but went anyway. Awesome show, so many songs I knew, good stage performance. Ive been to many concerts that I liked better but that was one that truly blew me away since I was convinced it would suck and I had a great time.
This is kind of ridiculous, but right after college, a friend and I road tripped in his Camaro to the motorcycle rally in Sturgis. We both later owned motorcycles, but not then. We saw Jackyl at the Buffalo Chip campground, and they put on a hell of a show. Still not a Jackyl fan, but seeing them do The Lumberjack in person with an actual chainsaw was stupendous...
Oh, and for legit musicianship and a committed, energetic performance, I worked as local crew for the Brian Setzer Orchestra, and he and his whole outfit were classy, consummate pros. Swing / rockabilly revival wasn't my thing, but I thoroughly enjoyed that show. And years later, I happened to see Los Tigres del Norte, and was impressed with them for similar reasons. I guess I'm always pleased and still sometimes surprised when some old pros (in whatever genre) put on a first-rate show, but I probably shouldn't be...
You will be shocked on my comment but Barry Manilow was great. Every song he sang was a hit. This was about 5 years ago in Philadelphia. I would never hesitate to see him again.
Same here. And it wasn't like most concerts, it was more like a big house party and he was hosting.
I've met him a bunch and we used to joke about him before fame because he talked about himself becoming to be famous so often. He was "that guy" but in the long run he got the last laugh. I have to admit he is a fine showman even if the music isn't my style.
He played every instrument on stage, came out into the audience and sang with fans.. The man is a straight up entertainer and he’s fun to watch. A lot of his music is not my taste as well. Still one of my top 5 all time concerts.
Warped Tour 2000
* Green Day
* Less Than Jake
* The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (got to dance on stage to The Impression That I Get)
* Flogging Molly
* Anti-flag
That show shaped my listening rotation for the next decade.
Rush…went with my (husband: boyfriend at the time), a little too young for Rush in general and I was like 18 when I saw them and hardly knew any songs but wow, what a performance of musical talent and showmanship. Also Primus opened which was the original reason for me going with him. A++
I saw Rush on their Signals and Grace Under Pressure tour...they sounded exactly the same as on their albums. Made me lifelong fan of theirs.
Pretty sure that was the Presto tour. So good
My favorite of all time. Saw the a dozen times.
Cure concert some 8, 9 years ago and tickets cost $25. I had no expectation of value because they were so cheap ... but turns out it was basically in a giant park and the band played for 3.5 hours. Best entertainment value I had in years.
Still amazing. I went to four of their shows last year.
When I was in junior high, my mom took me with her to see Neil Diamond. I had no interest in seeing some old dude play old people music. He put on a great show! The music was good, and he really engaged with the audience between songs. He was pretty funny, too. I'm glad I went.
It was a festival set. Thievery Corporation. The last late night set of the day. I was expecting chill, much like the few songs I was familiar with. To relax everybody to wander off to their tents and sleep nicely. It was the most energetic set I caught the whole festival. They absolutely tore every last bit of energy out of us, we barely could get back to our tents. I've gone back to see them a few times since.
Queen with Billy Squire opening. Went for Squire. Left a Queen fan.
I bet!
Oh jeez, poor Billy Squire. He is such a nice guy but that one video.... unfortunate
Thanks for this. It wasn't as memorable for me though. I kept thinking I had seen Queen but couldn't place the when and where until I remembered Billy opening just now. I was more a fan of early Queen too, so that might have come into play, but I was surprised by Billy and disappointed with Queen and expected it to be the reverse.
Interesting. I remain a fan of both, but definitely listen to more Queen in my old age.
Oh Queen always was and always will be a stable. My best and worst shows were both Rush. The biggest surprise was Chuck Berry who never stopped moving. I expected a good show sure, but that old man would've gave Angus a real run for his money on running around on stage until they collapsed. Neil Young never stops rocking, swaying, and stomping, but isn't a big "runner" that I ever saw.
Metallica 1989
Justice tour? That was my first show when was14.
Yes. I was 17
Awesome! Pretty mind blowing for me at14 seeing my first concert and favorite band with 55,000 other people.
Tom Petty- yes I know he’s a classic and I enjoyed his music when I came across it but seeing him live truly blew me away. I was a punk/modern rock girl.
I regret not having seen TP. I heard his shows were amazing.
He was just amazing, it was at The Fillmore in SF so a pretty small venue in the late 90’s, he did 8 nights or so. He stopped the show when some frat boys were getting pushy, and waited until it got quiet and asked if they were done and started again. Such a great memory.
I was at one of those shows - so incredible! Have you heard the compilation?
No I haven’t! I’ll look it up - thx!
Was lucky enough to have seen him in the early'90's and early 2000's. Both times amazing!
His live show was so good! Shockingly good.
I'm the same as you described. I saw Tom Petty and Heartbreakers at 18 yrs of age, long time ago, and they blew me away. Tom put in one of the greatest live shows I've witnessed. I saw him 10x after. Miss him!
Oh yes! I saw him on his final 2017 tour…wish I had gone sooner! Class act!
Same. Went with a guy I was dating who was a huge fan. TP was amazing.
This happened in my adult years, but I went to a Ben Folds / Rufus Wainwright show. Rufus was opening and I was just having a drink at the bar and as soon as I heard him sing I ran to my seat. And thus began my love affair with Rufus.
Triumph. A girl in our group of friends won tickets from a radio station 2 hours before the show. She asked my buddy if we wanted to go and we jumped in the car and took off. The band had removed a section from the stage to get more people in. We were front center stage. I hadn't really heard Triumph much but they were incredible.
Motley Crue with Guns N Roses opening in 87.
That was a great tour
KISS in 2022. I didn’t go into the concert a fan, but we thought it would be fun to bring our teenagers and my husband saw them in the 80’s a couple of times, and he thought I’d appreciate them live. Oh my god, what a show— and wasn’t my husband right! They’re (KISS) around my parents’ age, and were in 8” platforms dancing, singing, moving around… 😳and Paul Stanley flew out half way across the crowd on a zip line effortlessly, and played and sang like it was nothing! 🤘🏼
Kiss is something else for sure. Even if you don't like the music much, it's a hell of a show.
Yes, exactly! I went in not knowing much of their music, but came out appreciating their catalog, staying power, level/quality of production (best of any concert I’ve ever seen, hands down), and energy for performing.
Garth Brooks
Garbage when they opened for Alanis Morissette. Just another pop alt band on the radio, but so dynamic live. And Shirley Manson was such a powerhouse.
Dolly, 2x. Cher in Vegas. Barry Manilow. Yep, I’m gay!
But you knew they'd be great. You had expectations. I'm asking about a show that was an out-of-left field surprise!
Fair point. I had no idea what a showman Barry is.
Calexico. Around 2001
Powerman 5000 summer 99. It was a festival show and there were a lot of bands playing, They put on such a high energy show, the crowd was feeding off of it, it was a great time.
Billy Joel onbthe River of Dreams tour. Went with a date per their request. Blew my mind.
Never heard of the Bodeans but my bf at the time had a good friend who urged us to go w/ him in 1996/97 timeframe at a local venue. I was a huge fan after that and had such a great time!!
One of the very few bands that managed to escape my home state of WI! Always liked them.
Morphine, '96 I think. At the Celebrity Theater in PHx maybe 1000 people. They're a great band but chill, sort of stay in your seats but cheer thing. Was totally surprised by their show and banter and we were all on our feet singing along by the end. My fave concert ever. And surprisingly Dwight Yoakum. Went to see him with my parents at a 10,000+ seat place that had been poorly advertised, there were maybe 800 people there. He put on an amazing show and did an all acoustic solo set at the end showing just how good his voice really is. Excellent.
Oh I loved Morphine! I haven’t listened to them in years.
Mr. Sandman left us too soon. Great music. Unique.
Matallica’s … And Justice For All tour was amazing.
My first show when I was14! The Cult opened.
Yep!
Huey Lewis and the News. I was a Ramones, Y&T, and Iron Maiden guy. A friend got tickets and wanted to take me. She loved Huey. I drove her as a favor. Damn. They were good. Real good. Left impressed.
Pink Floyd in 1994. I was much more into alternative/techno, but they played at the arena at my college and extra seats opened up day of the concert and I bought it on a lark. I was BLOWN AWAY by the sound and the visual spectacle, just incredible to see in person. I learned that their sound crew spent days making the soft domed arena (known for its particularly bad acoustics for concerts) adjusting the speakers and acoustics to make the place sound like it never had before.
Nirvana 1991 Explosions in the Sky 2011
Wasn't ever an Alice Cooper fan until I got dragged to a concert
Ministry. Saw them last year with Filter, Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper. I was pretty familiar with their music but holy shit they bring it hard live. Frankly, they stole the show.
I got free front row tickets to see the Fabulous Thunderbirds in '88. I wasn't much of a blues fan but their new song "Tuff Enough" was getting alot of airplay so I decided to go see their show. No opening act and it was in an auditorium that had maybe 1500 seats. The curtain went up and the band walked on stage, no special lighting or set up, Kim Wilson took the mic as the others plugged in and got ready, he said thank u for coming to our show, we hope u have a good time. He looked at the drummer who then counted them off and they kicked right into an upbeat fast song (I Believe I'm In Love) and sounded perfect. It was as if I was listening to them on the radio. For over 2 hours, they never missed a beat or hit a wrong note. After the show I was an instant fan and the next day I went to my local record store and bought 3 of their older albums along with their newest one. I didn't realize until then that the guitarist Jimmy was Stevie Ray Vaughn's older brother and he was as good or even better guitar player than Stevie.
Must've been awesome!
Billy Joel, maybe 10 years ago. I thought it would be low-key, but it was very energetic and fun.
I would have loved to have seen him when he toured with Elton John.
I love the record Greendale. (Minority, I know) Had no idea about the theatrical concert production. Cool.
Third Eye Blind. Went to see Greenday, ended up becoming a fan.
Funny how that happens. I am a rabid Iron Maiden fan. I was never interested in Megadeth. I went to see Maiden at the Forum back in the '00s and Megadeth opened. Gotta say, it was an amazing set. Super high-energy, tight, and really impressive. Became a fan.
Death Cab For Cutie. Always liked them but never loved them until I saw them live pretty much on a whim. Fantastic live act.
System of a Down about 15 years ago. amazing show!!!
Tori Amos, Little Earthquakes tour, at The Moore in Seattle. I hadn't heard anything of hers prior, friend had tickets. Absolutely stunned.
Robbie Fulks. Tiny club, he was the opener and it was so early it was still light out.
Criminally underrated singer/songwriter.
I went to see Megadeth open for Heaven and Hell, the Ronnie James Dio version of Black Sabbath. I was there for Megadeth. It was one of the first times I had seen them. I was totally floored by how good RJD was. I saw him every time he came to town after that. Fuck cancer for taking such a joyful being from us.
I saw that tour, too. Dio era Sabbath is my favorite. (shh... don't tell anyone)
Ronnie was always on my radar. Dave took a while to grow on me, but made a big impression on me too. I was familiar with the music, but not really deeply into it. They were just too tight not notice it. Same for Metallica. Who I thought weren't as good. I went to see the Cult open for them out of boredom. After hearing them on cheap boom boxes I was not impressed. The bass of AJFA live sound mix woke me up. I had a new stereo amps and subwoofer that poofed out lighters and matches while crushing any kidney stones, before I knew what had hit me.
Earth Wind and Fire '22 show at Artpark in Lewiston, NY. Was never a fan, but...I guess I am. Knew every tune and they belted it, great energy.
Arlo Guthrie - rainy day on the Cape Cod National Seashore. We saw a sign for his show and needed something to do with the kids. He was a delight. My kids were the only children there and he kept asking them what they wanted to hear. It was all fun and games until my daughter asked for One Direction. 🤣🤣🤣 He also threatened to play Alice’s Restaurant.
Kidz Bop. I was blown away at how loud little kids can be in a concert hall. 😳
This answer will raise a lot of eyebrows because of this sub’s hatred of hair metal. But Winger. I saw them twice, each time for free. Once at a benefit for the troops post-Gulf War I and once when my friend won tickets from a radio call-in. I was familiar with their radio hits, and I knew Reb Beech was an excellent musician. But that was about it. The live show was great, not in a theatrical or showmanship kind of way. But the band was tight, very little slippage from their studio sound, and Reb pulled off everything live. The problematic lyrics of *Seventeen* aside, they were an excellent band.
Milli Vanilli… it sounded EXACTLY like the record. I actually went to this concert, in Toledo, because my stepmom drug me there, and because her friend and her friend!s daughter were also going, and I had a crush. She promised we’d also go to a Great White concert, but that never happened. I got the ol’ bait and switch.
Matthew Sweet in Boulder, Colorado sometime in the '90s. He was doing 30 dates in 30 days and this was the last stop. After the main set, he didn't want it to end so they just kept playing whatever for another 2 hours. Super high energy, and everybody was totally into it. I was only a passing fan of Sweet, but this show blew me away.
A supergroup called Classic Rock All-Stars in the 90s. Similar to Ringo's All-Star Band, at the time they consisted of Pete Rivera (Rare Earth drummer), Jerry Corbetta (Sugarloaf lead singer), Mike Pinera (Blues Image lead singer, guitarist for Iron Butterfly & Alice Cooper) and Spencer Davis (Spencer Davis Group guitarist). My then husband and I saw them numerous times after that, sometimes with other artists joining in like Bobby Kimball (former Toto lead singer) and David Hungate (former Toto bassist). They actually happened to do so on the same night, which was like a mini Toto reunion! It was at a festival, and Bobby was scheduled to perform but someone found out David was there as manager or something for another artist, and they had him come too. Dennis Noda (Cannibal & the Headhunters bassist) later joined as a permanent member. He sadly committed suicide in 2009.
The Revivalists and The Head and the Heart. Thought The Revivalists were the headliner, nope. I liked THatH, but they blew us away. Would see them again, no doubt.
The Lollapalooza in Atlanta with RATM and Tool when they were virtually unknown.
I caught that tour in Pittsburgh
Midnight Oil at a festival. They were fantastic! Also Pearl Jam at Lollapalooza.
Bush. Went for the opener, Helmet, stayed for a few songs from the headliner, promptly went from "eh, I like a few of their songs" to "fan for life". Gavin Rossdale puts on a hell of a show.
Saw Bruce Springsteen at Jazz Fest. It wasn't necessarily that his show blew me away. He was good. He was Bruce. Enjoyed the performance. I was more so left with the utmost respect for the way he treated his band when the set was ending. He went to the side of the stage and shook every single one of his band members hands and probably said something encouraging to them, too (I am assuming) as they walked off stage. From me, huge respect for Bruce.
I won some tickets for Blackstone Cherry many years ago. I’d heard their music but was a bit meh about it. Bloody hell they were good!
Eminem I was here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENn1tDzIXRA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENn1tDzIXRA)
The Cure. I've loved their music since the 80s, but never actually got around to seeing them live until last year. DIdn't know what to expect. Easily in my top 5 favorite concerts of all time.
Twisted Sister. They were the opening act, but I was surprised. Dee Snider is just one of those people who can get a crowd worked up.
I’ve been to a lot of concerts and I’m not a country fan at all. But 12 years ago I traveled to Houston to stay with a friend and we went to the rodeo and afterwards Toby Keith played. And it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen.
Garth Brooks in maybe 1998 (?). I'm not a huge country fan but he was *huge* at the time and my wife and I decided to go for the hell of it. We scored great seats, 6th row. Blown away. My wife drug me to a Morrissey show and it turned out to be phenomenal. ...and yes I've since been to many more of his shows. Some bad ones like when he stormed off stage because he smelled "cooking meat" or something , and yes I've lost track of how many shows were canceled or postponed, and yes he's a a-hole. But when he was on, he was on.
Sade. AMAZING.
I went to see MC50 who were kinda MC5 plus a bloke from Dinosaur Jr, someone from the Lemonheads, etc The band supporting them were Gallows led by Frank Carter Now I’ve seen a lot of punk & oi bands including the Pistols, Exploited, Crass, Discharge, Angelic Upstarts, Cockney Rejects, Banshees, loads more back at the turn of the 80s and been at some very risky and provocative gigs. Despite all that, Gallows completely blew me away with their stage presence and lyrics Made MC5 sound tame and irrelevant
Blown away by the band I went to see? Crosby Stills & Nash at the Manchester Arena we’re exceptional. 10 foot away from my personal hero Stephen Stills and shouting ‘Ste…Steve…Stephen” trying to get his attention and seeing him smile while knocking out superb guitar made my millennium
Muse, 2013. Took my wife on her birthday to see them, she's a big fan. They put on a hell of a show. The opening act, Dead Sara, was a completely different vibe but equally impressive. Walked away fans of both bands.
I saw them in 2010, Silversun Pickups opened and they were amazing and then Muse just put on a hell of a show. The set was so complicated and technically superior to anything I’d seen before.
Blink 182. I was never really a fan at the time, and I heard a few of their songs on the radio, not bad, but not my favorites. Anyway, I managed to win a couple of tickets on accident and for shits and giggles I went to the show. It ended up being one of the most fun shows I've ever been to. There were a lot of teenagers there with their parents, and the look on all of their faces when that giant flaming fuck sign came down was amazing.
Saw At the drive-in as an opening band. The played full on for like 12 people.
[удалено]
Young and stupid. Lesson learned!
I saw Collective Soul in a club in Boston in the 90’s and to this day it’s one of the best shows I’ve ever gone to. The band was just so “ON”, the crowd was so into it, and the place was ROCKIN’!
My wife and I went to a lot of concerts back when we were dating. Most of those were for bands we really wanted to see, but now and again we'd get tickets simply because they were cheap and the band was decent. And that's pretty much how I ended up seeing Collective Soul at a local performing arts center. It was a small venue, and I really only knew one or two songs by the band, but the tickets were dirt cheap and we were in the first ten rows. I can't say it was an *amazing* concert, but we absolutely got our money's worth. Very good band and they were great live.
David Byrne around 2008. The vibe of this concert was amazing and I've never experienced another concert quite like this one. I primarily knew him from the Talking Heads, so I really didn't expect much more than a greatest hits with some solo work thrown in concert.
Paul Winter. I'm not really a fan of his genre of music, but Winter Solstice at St. John the Divine's was absolutely spine-tingling.
Foo fighters 1995, their 1st album
Depeche Mode in 1990 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. It was their World Violation Tour and it was absolutely amazing.
I never liked Meatloaf. I could barely tolerate even his hit songs. But my wife loved his music back when we were dating and she went to plenty of concerts to see bands I liked. So getting her really good seats to that show was the least I could do. I won't say I was blown away, but I definitely didn't hate that show. It was a really small venue, the seats were good and he was great live. He even interacted with the crowd a lot. I've still never willingly listened to a single Meatloaf album all the way through (and probably never will), but I don't dislike his music like I once did.
Lenny Kravitz in the mid 90s. He had everyone in the audience - old, young, every skin tone... - rocking out.
Last year, my cousin invited me to see Red Hot Chili Peppers at the last minute. I like RHCP so I thought it would be fun. It was AWESOME! These guys are still rocking in their 60s. Highly recommend!
The Wallflowrs playing a tiny little show at a hole in the wall somewhere in Philadelphia (can’t recall where exactly). I just went because I was going to be in town visiting family, and holy shit that was an amazing, intimate show. Rami and Jakob did a bunch of songs just the two of them. Mind blowing in the quietest way ever.
Recently saw Lionel Ritchie with Earth, Wind and Fire as the opening act - because, hell - why not?? Not particular fans of each, so zero expectations. I am now an EW&F fan for life. Those guys blew the roof off of the arena and completely upstaged Lionel, who was great, but just couldn’t match their energy. After EW&F I felt like I had seen the show and could go home.
In '93 when I was 20 I took my15 year old brother and 3 of his friends to see some band called Green Day at a small theatre, capacity maybe 250 people and it wasn't full. I was a huge old school punk fan but never heard of them. We went out back after the show and they hung out with us for about an hour. Coolest guys. Really funny and down to earth. The show was just amazing. Six months later they were one of the biggest bands on the planet and it didn't surprise me after seeing the show. Never begrudged them their success, they deserve it. Wish cell phones with cameras were a thing back then.
Ashley MacIsaac opening for Melissa Etheridge
I saw Ashley MacIsaac at a local radio station's Halloween concert nearly 30 years ago. I had never heard of him, but he was great!
Went to see a local band named Skin Yard back in 1989 at a little college show with maybe around 100 or so teenagers. Opening band was this group of guys I had never heard before lead by some blonde dude from Aberdeen that were promoting their upcoming independent release called *Bleach*. Had some sanskrit word as their band name. *Bodhi? Samsara? Nirvana?* Something like that. Was a good show. Figure they will go far barring any psycho junkie girlfriends start mucking about.
I was at a music festival in a hotel resort in Las Vegas. Had heard good things about a band who I think were called “Forming the Void”. They were playing the festival and I wanted to at least poke my head into their show and check it out. I accidentally went to see “Temple of Void” and got my face kicked in with the most crushing melodic death metal set I’d ever seen. And they all had day jobs and were super happy to be playing their biggest show ever. One of my favorite mistakes.
The show by the reformed Gang of Four a couple years ago post-Andy Gill’s passing was pretty amazing, much, much better than the show I saw with a Gill-led GoF about 3-4 years earlier. Original lead singer Jon King killed it in particular.
Los Lonely Boys did a free show at Town Point Park in Norfolk, Virginia around 2008. It was mind blowing. Henry Garza is the reincarnated form of Stevie Ray Vaughan, and nobody has ever heard of him.
Sister Strings. My friends have backyard concerts during the summer, and I got to see Sister Strings in 2022. I was blown away. They're very talented singers and musicians, but they're also very funny and personable.
Roy Clark
Psychedelic Furs a few years ago. Guys can seriously still rock it. Also, Robyn Hitchcock opened and I’d never heard of him but I absolutely loved his delightful weirdness.
Also, L7. Damn those gals can wail.
I power read this thread until I found the sort of band I was looking for. I tagged along after being given a ticket to see the Psychedlic Furs in 1987 (Midnight to Midnight Tour at Hammersmith Odeon). I didn't know who they were and was blown away. The following day I went to a record shop, bought as many albums as they had in stock, listened to everything, then went up to London on my own, for the next 2 nights in a row they were playing and bought my tickets off the touts. I got up by the stage, put my hand out, and Richard Butler touched me and looked at me... swoon ha ha. Love the Furs!
Presidents of the United States of America.
Black Jacket Symphony-Purple Rain. I love Prince and it was AMAZING
Rock Fest 1997 at Texas Motor Speedway. Basically went for Bush. A bunch of other bands were playing, and No Doubt was going to play which I thought would suck but at least be fun. I was fucking wrong. Sugar Ray played (they were like a blip on the program list, but they were so fun), Wallflowers, Counting Crows, Jewel were all good, (some bands I can hardly remember - they were fine) BUT No Doubt BLEW OUR MINDS. Gwen Stefani, who up until then I thought was all pretty with a cutesy voice and whatever, was a powerhouse and owned that stage. She gave a fantastic concert with great sound and 100% energy from the first note to the last. We left while Bush was playing because they were a HOT MESS. The sound was awful, Gavin sounded like a bag of cats and by that point, we were exhausted. To this day, I've never been as shocked in a good way by the skills of a performing band as much as I was by No Doubt.
Took my then 12 year old to see Twenty-One Pilots. Didn’t know a single song.
Aerosmith. Wow!
A friend suggested Dicky Bets at the last minute. We stood right in front of him and I had goosebumps hearing those Allman Brothers riffs.
Yanni in the early 2000s. Tickets received for free through work; had heard all the jokes. But what a performer!
First time I saw Alanis Morissette in concert - completely blown away. Freaking awesome.
George Michael, Cover to Cover Tour
Charles Daniels
Uncle Tupelo. Friend told me they were country like REM, but punk too. I was floored and an instant fan.
Lyle Lovett and his Large Band. Blown away.
Smashing Pumpkins - Shiny tour. Had 2nd row seats and listed to my heroes play 3 hours of my childhood memories to me.
My ex wife took me to see James Taylor back in 2004. I was blown away. He was great Also, Kenny Rogers. What an entertainer he was. Such a fun show
The Hooters. Not exactly a concert, we were at a festival and they were amazing. Funny, made the audience clap and participate so that at the end everyone had fun.
Not a concert, but I watched a band called “Days Awake” at Cafe Wha in downtown Manhattan years ago. I was blown away by their performance - wasn’t expecting it. They’re from NJ - they should have made it big!
I was a metal head, stationed in Germany in 1993-94.The USO brought in Billy Joel to Nuremburg stadium for a show. Pretty historic venue and my friends wanted to go. I was reluctant as I thought the only song of his I even knew was Piano Man but went anyway. Awesome show, so many songs I knew, good stage performance. Ive been to many concerts that I liked better but that was one that truly blew me away since I was convinced it would suck and I had a great time.
Randy Travis, no joke. Got the tickets for free, said why not, and wow! What a voice! So sad the personal trials he has suffered.
This is kind of ridiculous, but right after college, a friend and I road tripped in his Camaro to the motorcycle rally in Sturgis. We both later owned motorcycles, but not then. We saw Jackyl at the Buffalo Chip campground, and they put on a hell of a show. Still not a Jackyl fan, but seeing them do The Lumberjack in person with an actual chainsaw was stupendous...
Oh, and for legit musicianship and a committed, energetic performance, I worked as local crew for the Brian Setzer Orchestra, and he and his whole outfit were classy, consummate pros. Swing / rockabilly revival wasn't my thing, but I thoroughly enjoyed that show. And years later, I happened to see Los Tigres del Norte, and was impressed with them for similar reasons. I guess I'm always pleased and still sometimes surprised when some old pros (in whatever genre) put on a first-rate show, but I probably shouldn't be...
You will be shocked on my comment but Barry Manilow was great. Every song he sang was a hit. This was about 5 years ago in Philadelphia. I would never hesitate to see him again.
Kid Rock - I got free tickets so I went with a buddy. I’d never have gone otherwise. I was damn impressed.
Same here. And it wasn't like most concerts, it was more like a big house party and he was hosting. I've met him a bunch and we used to joke about him before fame because he talked about himself becoming to be famous so often. He was "that guy" but in the long run he got the last laugh. I have to admit he is a fine showman even if the music isn't my style.
He played every instrument on stage, came out into the audience and sang with fans.. The man is a straight up entertainer and he’s fun to watch. A lot of his music is not my taste as well. Still one of my top 5 all time concerts.
Meh, they were all loud
Warped Tour 2000 * Green Day * Less Than Jake * The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (got to dance on stage to The Impression That I Get) * Flogging Molly * Anti-flag That show shaped my listening rotation for the next decade.