Erwin Center Concerts (you saw & ones you wished you could have seen)

[Guest Lobo]

Didn't realize the first Moody Arena concert is less than one year away.  Erwin Center will be used for some university and UIL events in May and June and then sealed off in early Summer to be stripped of valuables and demolished.  So lots of time to wax nostalgic, but it'll go by in a flash.  First off, it was a shithole.  I wasn't there when it was shiny and new, but I assume it always sucked.  Sure, it's ours...I have so many great memories there from college, grad school, ex-girlfriends, my wife, friends, and family.  Memorable hoops games, good concerts, got my first UT diploma handed to me in there, and even a Disney show with the oldest.  But there was nothing the Erwin Center was good at producing.  Horrible basketball atmosphere, shitty sound for concerts, miserable seating, shitty concessions, goofy concourses, and an overall logistical aesthetic of a Missouri rodeo.  /rant

Obviously a setlist doesn't tell the whole story of a show, but it's a decent and objective start to a thread (kinda like we did with the MSG 1987 list a couple months back).  Here's just about every Erwin Center concert from 1980 to 2020:  

https://www.setlist.fm/venue/frank-erwin-center-austin-tx-usa-43d63b0b.html?page=95 (starts with 80-1981 school year).  Remember shows you forgot, post shows you attended, etc.  I'm gonna start with some I wish I could have seen since they were well before my concert-going years.  It was a musical swamp-hole, but some fucking legends rolled through the Drum and I like sharing music stories.  I was really surprised to see how many big names were consistently coming in every single month.

First full year of shows starts off huge (1980-81)...Bob Seger, Jackson Browne, Barry Manilow, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, the Beach Boys, Jimmy Buffet, Santana, the Moody Blues, and the Kinks.  We're just a city of less than 400,000 people at that point.  But look at the first year lineup.  Most of those bands were at/near their peak at that point.  If you were at UT at that time, would love to hear about these shows.

1981-92...Electric Light Orchestra, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Van Halen, Frank Zappa, Neil Diamond, Rod Stewart, Foreigner, Bryan Adams, Luther Vandross, Kool and the Gang, Nick Lowe, the Cars, Jimmy Buffet, the Police, Joe "King" Carassco, Hall & Oates, ZZ Top, Bonnie Raitt, Kenny Rogers, John Denver, Asia, and Cheap Trick.

You get the idea.  they don't start posting setlists consistently until the 90's.  Best show I ever saw there was 2013 Paul McCartney.  What'd you see...what show in there do you wish you could have made? 

Edited September 22, 2021 by Lobo

[4th&Five 41519]

Guns N’ Roses in ‘92 was my first big concert. My mom took us so it got a little awkward when the topless girls came on stage. 

[Deej 76756]

Three favorite shows there were Jimmy Page's Outrider tour in 1988, Robert Plant (same year?) with Joan Jett opening, Billy Idol shortly after his motorcycle accident (1990?), and Page/Plant Unledded.

Best for sentimental reasons was ZZ Top in 1999. Went with my dad who wanted to see them after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. 

[Earl Haffler 590]

Bruce Springsteen - Thanksgiving 1984. Born in the USA tour.

Best concert I've ever seen.

[Guest Lobo]

2 hours ago, Deej said:

Three favorite shows there were Jimmy Page's Outrider tour in 1988, Robert Plant (same year?) with Joan Jett opening, Billy Idol shortly after his motorcycle accident (1990?), and Page/Plant Unledded.

Best for sentimental reasons was ZZ Top in 1999. Went with my dad who wanted to see them after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. 

Plant's setlist for 1988 at the Drum:

Pink & Black, Dance on my Own, Immigrant Song, Ship of Fools, Going to California, In the Mood, Dimples, Billy's Revenge, In the Light, Nobody's Fault by Mine, Tall Cool One, and Communication Breakdown.    

Page's setlist for 1988 is not available.  

Glad you got to see ZZ Top with your father.  

I'm looking at this joint setlist of Paul Simon & Bob Dylan from '99.  It looks awesome on paper but it sucked ass in person.  Neither one of those guys should play arenas like FEC.  

 

[Deej 76756]

11 minutes ago, Lobo said:

Plant's setlist for 1988 at the Drum:

Pink & Black, Dance on my Own, Immigrant Song, Ship of Fools, Going to California, In the Mood, Dimples, Billy's Revenge, In the Light, Nobody's Fault by Mine, Tall Cool One, and Communication Breakdown.    

Page's setlist for 1988 is not available.  

Glad you got to see ZZ Top with your father.  

I'm looking at this joint setlist of Paul Simon & Bob Dylan from '99.  It looks awesome on paper but it sucked ass in person.  Neither one of those guys should play arenas like FEC.  

 

Page’s set list:

01. Radio Promo
02. Who's To Blame
03. Over The Hills And Far Away
04. Wanna Make Love
05. Writes Of Winter
06. Tear Down The Walls
07. Emerald Eyes
08. Midnight Moonlight
09. In My Time Of Dying 
10. City Sirens 
11. Jason Bonham Drum Solo
12. Someone To Love
13. Prison Blues
14. The Chase
15. Wasting My Time
16. Blues Anthem
17. Custard Pie
18. Train Kept A Rollin'
19. Stairway To Heaven

In My Time of Dying was amazing.

Joan Jett was much better than Plant in 88.

[Deej 76756]

Oh, and I met Page after the show at the Four Seasons bar.

[Guest Lobo]

Was he scoping out the high school chicks?  

Who sang for him on that tour?  

[Deej 76756]

John Miles.

[Guest Lobo]

Looking at what would be my sophomore year of high school (not in Texas), 1991-92.  I know a lot of y'all on here were at UT at that time.  Wow, what a lineup:

Don Henley, Tom Petty, Lenny Kravitz, the Cult, Metallica, Van Halen, Rush, Pixies, U2, the Cure, and Tesla.  

1992-93:  George Strait, Violent Femmes, the B-52's, Elton John, Def Leppard, the Brian May Band, and Guns 'n Roses

1993-94 was not a strong year overall.  Nor was 1994-95.  I assume because this is around the time Southpark Meadows comes back online and gets uber competitive with booking agents who can bring their acts here from April to October.  

[mininghorn88 2277]

I saw 14 concerts at the FEC while I was a student from 1984 thru 1988.  I paid to go see 4 of them:

• Barry Manilow (12/84) with my girlfriend.
• Hall & Oates (4/85).  Who did not like them back then?  They were huge.
• Tina Turner (12/85) with my girlfriend.
• Kool & the Gang (5/87). Again, they were huge then.

In the Fall of 1987 I began working at the FEC as part of the "security team" as a student.  I was typically placed near the stage because I was rather fit then and could help prevent people from jumping up on the stage.  I saw 10 concerts plus many Disney On Ice and other events that are not considered concerts.  Saw the following concerts:

• Eddie Murphy's "RAW" (10/87).  His people had stacks of backstage passes that they distributed to all of the good looking girls during the concert.  I was stationed on stage left.
• The Cars (10/87).  Loved their music but the concert was boring.  I was stationed on stage left.
• The Oak Ridge Boys (10/87).  I was not at the stage for this one.  I was in a section to the right of the stage.
• U2 "Joshua Tree Tour".  I was stationed right in front of the stage.  The best concert that I saw at the FEC.  I worked this one all day long.  People were showing up early in the morning that did not have tickets.  A bunch of girls were chatting up the roadies outside in hopes of scoring some tickets.  Some of them did as I saw them later that night at the concert. During the concert Bono randomly selected someone from the crowd to jump up on the stage to strum the guitar.  Bono showed him what to do and then the guy just rips into the song and moves around the stage.  U2 are stunned.  The crowd is going crazy.  Bono finally gathers himself and states that they always get someone out of the audience to come up on stage to participate and that this is the first time that they had selected someone that could actually play.  Bono bowed to the guy.  The place was going crazy.  Come to find out the guy was in a local band.  An incredible moment for sure.  Immediately after the concert was over I was sent backstage to where the large overhead doors were leading outside.  I was told to go outside to join the security team.  Outside there were a 100 or so people that had gathered back there in hopes of seeing U2 when they left the arena.  After a bit the overhead doors flew open and the limos rushed off with most of the crowd chasing the cars leaving just a hand full of fans out back.  After about 15 minutes or so out walks U2 from a side door to mingle with the remaining fans.  I was part of the detail that walked around with the band for the next 45 minutes or so.  It was awesome.  Of course this was the days before everyone had cameras on their phones.  Later that night the band went to Antone's to play with the house band.
• Pink Floyd (11/87).  Saw them two nights in a row.  A very "chill" concert.  I was stationed on stage right.
• Def Leppard (11/87).  Great concert. Had to haul one drunk person away.  I was in a section to the right of the stage.
• Fleetwood Mac (11/87).  Stage left.  Prior to the concert a guy with a British accent tried to walk pass me to the backstage.  I stopped him because he did not have his credentials.  He argued with me that he was a drummer in the band.  I told him "sorry" but he was not getting past me.  So he walked off.  Sure enough, once the concert started he was on stage as a back-up drummer.  A decent concert.
• Heart (11/87).  A "meh" concert.
• Van Halen OU812 concert.  A typical rocking concert.  I was stationed by the sound board in the front middle of the arena. 

Below are images of my U2 concert "security" T-shirt that I still have.  Both of my kids wore this shirt to high school when they had "80's dress up" days.

[DoobieWah 1435]

1978 - 1982: George Benson, Linda Ronstadt, Bruce Springsteen (x2), Bob Dylan, Genesis, Jimmy Buffet...  I'm sure there were a few more but after my freshman year at Jester, I started hitting the smaller venues more where I could see: SRV, Joe Ely, Doug Sahm, the Big Boys, etc. 

'Twas the best time to be in Austin!! 🤘

[CooterBrown 18004]

I think Guns n Roses was my first FEC show and Tool was my last.

[4th&Five 41519]

1 hour ago, CooterBrown said:

I think Guns n Roses was my first FEC show and Tool was my last.

Same!

[HouTex 1866]

1980 Bruce Springsteen-second row on the floor. That and his show in Houston in 1978 were the best live performances I ever saw.
1981 or 1982 Christopher Cross.
1983? Diana Ross (with girl friend).
There probably were one or two more that I can’t recall.

[RiverwalkMiner 247]

My best surprise was Morrissey in 2019. The wheelchair landing on my right and the stairs on my left, just one seat, in row 1 on the mezzanine. 

A row of one, the perfect metaphor for Moz's loneliness. 

[jimmyjazz 45893]

The first time I went to the Erwin Center was on 12/02/1982 to see Billy Joel touring "Nylon Curtain".  I really wasn't all that interested, but I lived in Jester and a guy on my floor won some tickets in a radio promotion.  His girlfriend was working that night so he talked me into going.  Pretty good seats -- maybe 10th row back on the floor.

I gotta say, I was blown away.  The sheer number of hits that kept rolling was truly stunning.  Sometimes you just need to see someone live to truly get it.  I've probably seen him 3 more times just because of that concert.

[Guest Lobo]

Not a huge fan of his, but that's a damn good setlist.  I think I'd like to stick around at COTA and see him after the race...not sure how he'll translate to a massive open-air "venue" which is really just a hastily assembled stage on some pavement.  

Just clicked on 2011-12 for grins 'n giggles.  I would have gone with:  Foreigner/Journey, Willie Nelson, Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys/The Black Keys, Roger Waters, Regina Spektor, and Tom Petty.  One of the better years of the last 20.

Also 2014-15:  Saint Vincent/the Black Keys, Fleetwood Mac, Drive-By Truckers, Stevie Wonder, Neil Diamond, Joan Jett/the Who, and the Eagles.

[smuggs 9353]

My parents took me to the John Denver show in '82 when I was 6 which was my first concert. He sat on a stool with a guitar. They also took me to see Tina Turner in '87, Level 42 opened for her. I bought a sweet ass Thunderdome poster.

Also saw -

ZZ Top on the Recycler tour in '91

U2 on the Zoo TV tour with Pixies opening in '92

and the Beastie Boys with Talib Kweli opening in '04. 

Edited September 23, 2021 by smuggs

[yoladu 4090]

Feb 26, 1985

U2 - Unforgettable Fire Tour

• 11 O'Clock Tick tock
• I Will Follow
• Seconds
• MLK
• The Unforgettable Fire
• Wire
• Sunday Bloody Sunday
• The Cry
• The Electric co.
• A Sort of Homecoming
• Bad
• October
• New Year's Day
• Pride (in The Name of Love)
• (encore)
• Trash, Trampoline and the Party Girl
• Gloria
• 40

[Pescado_Rojo 19416]

2 hours ago, yoladu said:

Feb 26, 1985

U2 - Unforgettable Fire Tour

• 11 O'Clock Tick tock
• I Will Follow
• Seconds
• MLK
• The Unforgettable Fire
• Wire
• Sunday Bloody Sunday
• The Cry
• The Electric co.
• A Sort of Homecoming
• Bad
• October
• New Year's Day
• Pride (in The Name of Love)
• (encore)
• Trash, Trampoline and the Party Girl
• Gloria
• 40

I was there, too. I was on spring break from my high school and visiting my mom, who lived in Austin. I want to say I paid $15 for my ticket and $10 for my T-Shirt. i want to say they came out and played Maggie's Farm as a second encore, but it's not on the set list, so I may be confusing that with another time. 

[shakahorn 1645]

AC/DC 1983.  First row of the mezzanine, furthest I've ever sat from the stage for an arena concert.  I still think this is the best concert I've ever been to.  They were in their prime and Angus ruled the crowd.  Great set as well.  Cannons for "Those About to Rock,' bells for 'Hells Bells.'  Say what you will about the Drum for basketball, but it was perfect for big arena shows.  After that show, for the next few weeks, I would always try and whistle Hells Bells whenever the tower bells went off.

[dcar00 14159]

AC/DC for Razors Edge 1991.  Great setlist mainly because Razors Edge was a very good album so the normal 3 "go get a beer" marginal new songs were not there.  Johnson still had his voice too.

2 crazy Austin concert trivia questions

AC/DC's first US Concert was Armadillo World Headquarters in 1977

Hank Williams last full public concert(he played a few songs at a music banquet 3 days before he died) was Austin Skyline Club in 1952

[dcar00 14159]

REM 1989 Green tour - crazy setlist.  might have been the best time to see them if you were more a fan of the early years.

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/rem/1989/frank-erwin-center-austin-tx-43d68f4b.html

 

[smuggs 9353]

nm

Edited September 23, 2021 by smuggs
derp.

[Underdog 28585]

Billy Joel 4x 

Bruce Springsteen - Wife was working 3rd shift and we had to leave and mofo was still going strong. 

Supertramp

Elton

Rod Stewart

Van Halen

Julio Iglesias - Took my Mom as they were her Christmas present, surprisingly good show.  

Richard Marx/Lyle Lovett - played during a company Christmas party @ FEC 

 

Bob Seger is the one I missed out on and regret the most.  

 

 

[Underdog 28585]

6 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

The first time I went to the Erwin Center was on 12/02/1982 to see Billy Joel touring "Nylon Curtain".  I really wasn't all that interested, but I lived in Jester and a guy on my floor won some tickets in a radio promotion.  His girlfriend was working that night so he talked me into going.  Pretty good seats -- maybe 10th row back on the floor.

I gotta say, I was blown away.  The sheer number of hits that kept rolling was truly stunning.  Sometimes you just need to see someone live to truly get it.  I've probably seen him 3 more times just because of that concert.

At the risk of embarrassing myself, I went to that concert sporting the Long Island look of sportcoat, (keyboard)tie, jeans and tennis shoes. 

Recently found this on YT, remember his wishing Horns good luck against the Hogs and even feigning throwing a pass at the end... 

 

 

Edited September 23, 2021 by Underdog

[jimmyjazz 45893]

Whoa, thanks for the link!

And we beat the stuffing out of the pigs a few days later.  Thanks, Billy.

[83Horn 1640]

May of 1981, my first show at FEC, I saw Santana.  A friend had tickets, but had to cancel at last minute, so he gave me his on about the 10th row floor.  Great show.  Spring of 1982, I saw Earth, Wind and Fire with girlfriend.  Not really my musical wheelhouse, but surprisingly good show.  I also saw ZZ Top in April 1982 in what was their first Austin appearance since the infamous Rootin', Tootin' Barndance and BBQ at DKR on Labor Day 1974.  There really was an electricity on campus prior to this show, and they did not disappoint.  Still one of the highlights of my concert going days.  Last show I attended was summer of 1983 with David Bowie on the Let's Dance tour.  Had great seats towards from of lower bowl, and was hoping for a special guest appearance by SRV.  It was a great show in spite of no Stevie.

[DalTxHornFan 3097]

Boston in 1979.  That was when I realized that they were a terrific studio band.

[HornPhD 1368]

Ratt/Bon Jovi, 1985. My sister (14 at the time) wanted to go, so my parents made me (15) chaperone. We were on vacation and staying at the Villa Capri. Dad dropped us off and told us to enjoy the show then walk back to the motel after. The people we sat next to shared their JD and joints. /csb

Metallica, 1997. 

[DalTxHornFan 3097]

13 minutes ago, HornPhD said:

Ratt/Bon Jovi, 1985. My sister (14 at the time) wanted to go, so my parents made me (15) chaperone. We were on vacation and staying at the Villa Capri. Dad dropped us off and told us to enjoy the show then walk back to the motel after. The people we sat next to shared their JD and joints. /csb

Metallica, 1997. 

Villa Capri -- those were the days.  Had my HS senior prom there.

https://texasarchive.org/2010_01862

Edited September 24, 2021 by DalTxHornFan

[Jerry Callo 8699]

Trip down memory lane.  I saw several concerts between 1984 and the late '90s at FEC.  After that, we started to hit other venues.  Some of the concerts below were at the behest of my girlfriend/fiance/now wife (we met 1989).

Alabama, Oak Ridge Boys & The Judds, Bon Jovi, Sting, Aerosmith/Dokken, Eddie Murphy - Raw, George Strait, Hall & Oats, Don Henly, Cher, Sting (again), Mary Chapin Carpenter/Mavericks/Flaco Jimenez, Neil Diamond, and Yanni.

Looking through the lists, the ones that I am kicking myself for missing - SRV and ZZ Top.

 

[Jerry Callo 8699]

9 hours ago, HornPhD said:

Ratt/Bon Jovi, 1985. My sister (14 at the time) wanted to go, so my parents made me (15) chaperone. We were on vacation and staying at the Villa Capri. Dad dropped us off and told us to enjoy the show then walk back to the motel after. The people we sat next to shared their JD and joints. /csb

Metallica, 1997. 

My mom wanted me to take my little sister and her friends to see Dokken.  They were the opening act and sounded terrible.  Sister and friends were ready to go after Dokken.  Fuck that, we were staying for Aerosmith.  To this day, my sister thanks me for making them stay for the Aerosmith show.

[jimmyjazz 45893]

14 hours ago, DalTxHornFan said:

Boston in 1979.  That was when I realized that they were a terrific studio band person.

 

[Underdog 28585]

Rod Stewart was the worst concert I've been to.  I think he may have only played just over an hour. 

[ShaggyBevo RIP 3868]

On 9/23/2021 at 4:21 PM, shakahorn said:

AC/DC 1983.  First row of the mezzanine, furthest I've ever sat from the stage for an arena concert.  I still think this is the best concert I've ever been to.  They were in their prime and Angus ruled the crowd.  Great set as well.  Cannons for "Those About to Rock,' bells for 'Hells Bells.'  Say what you will about the Drum for basketball, but it was perfect for big arena shows.  After that show, for the next few weeks, I would always try and whistle Hells Bells whenever the tower bells went off.

Very first concert I went to. I was a HS junior.

Jane's Addiction at the Backroom, before they become big, was the best concert I've ever been to.

Edited September 25, 2021 by ShaggyBevo RIP

[dcar00 14159]

13 hours ago, Jerry Callo said:

My mom wanted me to take my little sister and her friends to see Dokken.  They were the opening act and sounded terrible.  Sister and friends were ready to go after Dokken.  Fuck that, we were staying for Aerosmith.  To this day, my sister thanks me for making them stay for the Aerosmith show.

ha. Keel opened on the AC/DC razors edge tour I mentioned.  they were fucking awful and ridiculously loud.  we had to leave about halfway through their set.  Dokken probably was Mozart compared to Keel.

[nolongerU2horn 763]

I took this picture at the U2 show 11/5/2001

 

 

[nolongerU2horn 763]

and this one at Black Keys 12/19/2014

[stc 1460]

erwin center was by far my least favorite place to see a concert in austin, really tried to avoid it unless it was someone i HAD to see. first was widespread panic 10/24/2001 and last was tom petty 5/2/2017. saw tom petty there a couple more times. zz top, tool, nin, jane's addiction, roger waters' wall tour. the sound sucked for every one of them. 

[MidTexHorn 822]

On 9/23/2021 at 4:05 PM, Pescado_Rojo said:

I was there, too. I was on spring break from my high school and visiting my mom, who lived in Austin. I want to say I paid $15 for my ticket and $10 for my T-Shirt. i want to say they came out and played Maggie's Farm as a second encore, but it's not on the set list, so I may be confusing that with another time. 

Make that 3 of us. Was my senior year in HS. Took my brothers and a friend who would end up being my brother in law after I married his sister (we had just started dating at the time but she missed the concert). Great show, my first big rock concert and we had a blast singing 40 on the way out. Only regret was buying a shitty ass bootleg concert tee in the parking lot on the way in that fell apart after one wash.

[Al Czervik 1229]

On 9/22/2021 at 7:13 PM, 4th&Five said:

Guns N’ Roses in ‘92 was my first big concert. My mom took us so it got a little awkward when the topless girls came on stage. 

Al was there up close and those titties were not all that, but titties nonetheless. Got free beers on the way in because I was wearing my clean 93.7 KLBJ shirt. 
Seeing  Brian May play up close was also pretty cool. 

[dcbc 14465]

4 minutes ago, Al Czervik said:

Al was there up close and those titties were not all that, but titties nonetheless. Got free beers on the way in because I was wearing my clean 93.7 KLBJ shirt. 
Seeing  Brian May play up close was also pretty cool. 

I was there as well.  Lady friend of mine had too much of the sauce before the show and puked on the guy in front of us.  I quickly escorted her back to my apartment on 30th street, left her passed out there, and ran (actually ran) back to the Erwin Center.  Somehow, I got back in and caught the rest of the show. 

[Tylerocks 2553]

2 hours ago, stc said:

erwin center was by far my least favorite place to see a concert in austin, really tried to avoid it unless it was someone i HAD to see. first was widespread panic 10/24/2001 and last was tom petty 5/2/2017. saw tom petty there a couple more times. zz top, tool, nin, jane's addiction, roger waters' wall tour. the sound sucked for every one of them. 

This.

First and last for me.

The sound in that place was horrific.

I never saw a show there while in school...as someone mentioned up thread, it seems like all the stuff I wanted to see, that wasn't at the Backyardand necessitated a bigger venue, was at Southpark.

 

 

Edited September 29, 2021 by Tylerocks

[destroya 374]

I saw Bob Dylan and Paul Simon there in the fall of 99.  Damn good show by both of them.  

[dcbc 14465]

I saw Crosby Stills Nash there while I was in school.  I was, by far, the youngest person there. 

Like others, I mostly tried to avoid going to shows there.  I think CSN and GnR were the only two.  Both were mostly forgettable. 

[Liteitup 138]

Jimmy Buffett, Billy Joel, Yes, George Benson, Robert Cray, Foreigner, Tom Petty, Don Williams/Anne Murray. I'm sure there were others I can't recall right now.

 

Joe Ely, Asleep At The Wheel, Delbert McClinton at Gruene Hall. Probably others as well.

 

SRV several times at different places, with Kenny Wayne Shepherd once. Fabulous Thunderbirds somewhere. Delbert (again) at Clubfoot.

 

Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff, Leroy Parnell, Delbert (again) at the Austin Opry House.

 

 

Saw Boston at the aggie gym, that was bad acoustics.

[Ten Bears 2480]

On 9/22/2021 at 9:14 PM, Earl Haffler said:

Bruce Springsteen - Thanksgiving 1984. Born in the USA tour.

Best concert I've ever seen.

I was sitting in the next to last row at the very back of the arena and it was still the best concert I have ever seen.  Everyone stood and danced the whole show.

[strangulation! 1716]

5 hours ago, Liteitup said:

SRV several times at different places, with Kenny Wayne Shepherd once. 

Kenny Wayne Shepherd was 13-14 when SRV died. Did they really play together?