Opening acts better than the headliner...

[Rimbo 25974]

1 hour ago, utee94 said:

Faith No More opening for Billy Idol in 1990 I think.  Both were good but Faith No More brought it.

Candlebox opening for Rush in 1994 at the Erwin Center.  This one is kind of a forfeit though.  Candlebox killed it, but Rush didn't really have a chance.  For some reason their sound engineering was so bad, it made my ears almost bleed.  I had to leave after a few songs.  I'd heard Rush  before and it was a great show.

 

 

 

 

 

I was at that show, and had nearly the complete opposite experience. Especially when they used surround sound on the speakers for the intro to "Xanadu." And "Cold Fire" was an amazingly better song live than the studio recording. Went from my least favorite song on Counterparts to my favorite; "Oh, so THAT'S how that song's meant to be!"

Only real flaw in the show was when the gangster bunny shot the other bunny on stage. It just seemed random and out of place.

You should've stuck around. You missed a great show. Candlebox was completely forgettable.

Edited August 25, 2023 by Rimbo

[Rimbo 25974]

1 hour ago, DalTxHornFan said:

1977 @ Armadillo World Headquarters

AC/DC made their first US appearance as an opening act for Moxy

It wasn't a close call

Yeah, that doesn't seem even remotely fair. AC/DC was the only band Van Halen was afraid to share a stage with.

[utee94 15832]

2 hours ago, G650 said:

 

You are the only person I've ever heard say that. I saw Candlebox open for Living Colour and they literally begged the crowd to mosh. Straight Jeb Bush.

 

Eh.  I saw Living Colour live at the Backroom and they sucked ass.  Absolutely the worst band I've ever paid money to see.

Edited August 25, 2023 by utee94

[utee94 15832]

43 minutes ago, Rimbo said:

I was at that show, and had nearly the complete opposite experience. Especially when they used surround sound on the speakers for the intro to "Xanadu." And "Cold Fire" was an amazingly better song live than the studio recording. Went from my least favorite song on Counterparts to my favorite; "Oh, so THAT'S how that song's meant to be!"

Only real flaw in the show was when the gangster bunny shot the other bunny on stage. It just seemed random and out of place.

You should've stuck around. You missed a great show. Candlebox was completely forgettable.

Their sound was terrible.  Not kidding when I say it felt like my ears were gonna bleed.  I've seen other Rush shows that were great.  The sound on that one was awful.  Quite glad I ditched.

[Rimbo 25974]

2 minutes ago, utee94 said:

Their sound was terrible.  Not kidding when I say it felt like my ears were gonna bleed.  I've seen other Rush shows that were great.  The sound on that one was awful.  Quite glad I ditched.

They fixed the sound.

[utee94 15832]

1 minute ago, Rimbo said:

They fixed the sound.

ok

[jetsfan76 718]

Personal to me, but when Helmet played before Primus. I love me some Primus, but Helmet was my jam!

Completely biased, but Spiritbox opening for Limp Bizkit, then Underoath was borderline criminal. I bet the upcoming show with Papa Roach & Shinedown will be even worse.

[TexPx 2323]

No doubt the headliners were awesome, but the “Special Guest” had the most memorable set for me.

[Rimbo 25974]

On 8/24/2023 at 9:26 PM, jetsfan76 said:

Personal to me, but when Helmet played before Primus. I love me some Primus, but Helmet was my jam!

I regret that I've never seen either live.

Well, I mostly regret never seeing Primus live.

[shakahorn 1645]

On 8/22/2023 at 1:00 PM, Deej said:

1986/87 Beastie Boys "Licensed to Ill" tour. Austin. City Coliseum. Fishbone opened and absolutely crushed it, making the Beastie Boys look exactly like the amateurs they were at the time. 

I was there for this one.  For such a big band, Fishbone was musically precise.  Just impressive and made me a fan, had never heard of them before.  Beasties, not so precise, but that was their deal then.

Also was at the aforementioned Ozzy show in 86.  Dropped acid.  Don't remember Metallica opening.  Could be because I was outside trying to trade mexican dirt weed for tickets with the acid just kicking in.  I seem to recall Ozzy putting on a good show.

I actually have a reverse experience, Quiet Riot opening for ZZ Top in like 83?  I'm not from Texas, had not yet attended UT, and this was pre-MTV so ZZ Top was basically one of those bands you heard every so often on the local classic rock station.  Quiet Riot comes out, it was basically their first tour after getting popular, so you could tell they were having a great time and the show rocked.  I was thinking this would be the first time I saw the opening band outperform the headliner.  Well...you know how this ends.  ZZ Top comes out and just blew the doors off that notion.

[G650 14263]

2 minutes ago, shakahorn said:

Also was at the aforementioned Ozzy show in 86.  Dropped acid.  Don't remember Metallica opening.  Could be because I was outside trying to trade mexican dirt weed for tickets with the acid just kicking in. 

 

Totaly not music related, but I'm telling y'all you haven't lived until you drop acid and ride Space Mountain at Disney World.

[stc 1462]

the one that comes to mind is tv on the radio opening for alt-j at red rocks, 2015ish. was not really that familiar with either band but walked away a fan of tv on the radio, not so much alt-j. tv on the radio had way more energy and seemed happy to be there. 

[ztejas 43467]

I saw Jimmy Eat World play before Third Eye Blind - I think there were 3 artists on the ticket. 

You would think that would be an obvious example but TEB was actually phenomenal live. 

[Rimbo 25974]

1 hour ago, G650 said:

 

Totaly not music related, but I'm telling y'all you haven't lived until you drop acid and ride Space Mountain at Disney World.

My wife has a narcoleptic response to roller coasters. I absolutely paid for the overpriced souvenir photo for THAT ride.

[DToro 90]

On 8/21/2023 at 9:10 PM, 0xdeadbeef said:

99.99% of the concerts I've been to have terrible open acts. I wonder if  bands do that on purpose to not have any chance of being upstage.

 

The only one I've attended in person that falls in this category is the Monsters of Rock in 88 or 89. Five bands on the bill, with Van Halen being he headliner, and the scorpions the number two band. 

Metallica was just blowing up and brought an attitude and volume that blew the stadium away.  The scorpions seem so tame and old by comparison.   Van Halen acted like big man on campus, but I think they knew as well that Metallica won the day.

 

 

I was at this show at Rice stadium. My brother bought tickets for my birthday, and having seen all the bands except Metallica, I was amped. Their sound and energy level was on 11. Everyone else was, meh. I've seen them about 8 times since then. Great shows, but that show was next level. 

[dcbc 14487]

6 hours ago, G650 said:

 

Totaly not music related, but I'm telling y'all you haven't lived until you drop acid and ride Space Mountain at Disney World.

[dcbc 14487]

On 8/21/2023 at 9:10 PM, 0xdeadbeef said:

99.99% of the concerts I've been to have terrible open acts.

The Stones seem to pretty famously have very good or, at least, well-known opening acts. 

 

The first time I saw them, Living Colour opened.  They were pretty good, and all the people I went with were there to see them.  I was there to see the Stones.  My first concert without my parents.  11th row, center.  My ears are ringing still.

The second time, it was Bryan Adams (bad example).

Others:  Guns n Roses.  The Black Crowes.  I'm sure the list goes on (Altamont doesn't count)

Edited August 31, 2023 by dcbc

[Teebox 89]

On 8/22/2023 at 2:56 PM, DixonHur said:

Saw The Cult open for Billy Idol at Reunion Arena back in '87 and while both were good, The Cult were on another level.

The Cult opened for Guns N Roses in 2017 at Jerryworld and were far better. 
 

About 20 years ago Drive By Truckers opened for the Gourds at Trees in Dallas and it wasn’t close who was best , even though I loved the Gourds 

[G650 14263]

2 hours ago, Teebox said:

The Cult opened for Guns N Roses in 2017 at Jerryworld and were far better. 
 

About 20 years ago Drive By Truckers opened for the Gourds at Trees in Dallas and it wasn’t close who was best , even though I loved the Gourds 

I'm surprised DBT were the openers in that show

[Chad Fuck 17684]

On 8/21/2023 at 5:49 PM, Paul Wesley said:

For me:

Joe Walsh better than Stevie Nicks

Ryan Adams better than Alanis Morisette

Todd Snider better than John Prine (disclaimer:  Prine discovered and showcased Snider -and is an all-time great - but at this time, Prine was in his twilight)

Todd Snider/Prine show in the late 90s early 2000s at the Paramount?

Hmm, I don't recall Prime being bad.  But then again I saw him on his last tour in Dallas and he put on a great show.  

[Chad Fuck 17684]

On 8/22/2023 at 1:43 PM, CTC2 said:

SRV at the Astrodome opening for The Who in 89.  His set was so hot that Bill Graham brought him back out for an encore. Never seen that from an opening act before. 
I love The Who but this was the tour where they had the whole huge band. Who on Ice. 
 

I saw this tour at the Cotton Bowl.  Exact same experience.  SRV was at his peak then, I'd say, touring behind In Step.  It was my first stadium show.  

[Kennythetiger 9389]

20 hours ago, Rimbo said:

My wife has a narcoleptic response to roller coasters. I absolutely paid for the overpriced souvenir photo for THAT ride.

Can we see it? 

[Rimbo 25974]

1 hour ago, Kennythetiger said:

Can we see it? 

i lost it ☹️

[tbone_ 14128]

Black Crowes opened up for Michael Shenker at the Back Room in Austin 89ish. Blew the fucking roof off.

[tbone_ 14128]

The Cult opened for Guns N Roses in 2017 at Jerryworld and were far better

They opened for Metallica and Billy Idol too. Same results.

[Teebox 89]

10 hours ago, G650 said:

I'm surprised DBT were the openers in that show

To be fair, they toured together that year and I believe they alternated who opened and who headlined

[G650 14263]

11 minutes ago, Teebox said:

To be fair, they toured together that year and I believe they alternated who opened and who headlined

Ah, yeah I could see that.

[dogbreath 434]

REM usually had good opening. Ands and the Minutemen outclassed them on one show and the DB’s did another time. 

Townes Van Zandt kicked Cowboy Junkies ass but it was an unfair competition no matter how drunk TVZ was.

[Beau Vine 54247]

I saw Green Day open for Blink-182 in San Antonio (2002?).

And they weren't "better," but the Struts opening for Foo in about 2017 was the opening band I least wanted to see leave the stage.

[hullabelew 3724]

I won a bunch of tickets to see Scandal and John Waite at Reunion around 84.  They were taking turns opening and this night, Scandal opened.  Scandal had a guest guitarist come on stage for the last two songs......dude had a red/black/white Kramer, just like EVH....who the fuck would do that....then he starts playing and you realize it WAS Eddie.   It was right after he got his haircut so you really couldn't tell who it was at first. 

Gotta say the opener won that night.  

[MaxHorn 325]

4 minutes ago, hullabelew said:

I won a bunch of tickets to see Scandal and John Waite at Reunion around 84.  They were taking turns opening and this night, Scandal opened.  Scandal had a guest guitarist come on stage for the last two songs......dude had a red/black/white Kramer, just like EVH....who the fuck would do that....then he starts playing and you realize it WAS Eddie.   It was right after he got his haircut so you really couldn't tell who it was at first. 

Gotta say the opener won that night.  

The fact that Patty Smyth ALMOST became the lead singer in Van Halen is still one of music’s craziest stories. And people thought the band was too different with Sammy…

[0xdeadbeef 1651]

On 9/2/2023 at 2:33 PM, dogbreath said:

REM usually had good opening. Ands and the Minutemen outclassed them on one show and the DB’s did another time. 

Townes Van Zandt kicked Cowboy Junkies ass but it was an unfair competition no matter how drunk TVZ was.

I saw REM in 1989 and NRBQ, who had been around a while but whom I'd never heard of, opened for them.  Far and away the worst opening act I've ever seen.  I think it was the end of the tour, so maybe they were burnt out, or stoned, or drunk, or all of the above, but from a musical point of view, it was like they had never played together as a group before.  Luckily, REM put on a good show and the bad taste from the opening act was long forgotten.  Until now.

 

 

[hullabelew 3724]

On 9/2/2023 at 3:33 PM, dogbreath said:

REM usually had good opening. Ands and the Minutemen outclassed them on one show and the DB’s did another time. 

Townes Van Zandt kicked Cowboy Junkies ass but it was an unfair competition no matter how drunk TVZ was.

TVZ and Cowboy Junkies were one that I would call a draw when I saw them.  Townes was actually in decent form when I saw them in Birmingham, plus the outdoor venue right by the tracks just added to the atmosphere.  

Seen REM multiple times....only opener I remember was Fetchin' Bones.   They kicked ass but this was on the "Lifes Rich Pageant" tour and REM was  hitting their stride at that point.   

 

Edited September 5, 2023 by hullabelew

[G650 14263]

9 minutes ago, 0xdeadbeef said:

Far and away the worst opening act I've ever seen.

You serious Clark

[0xdeadbeef 1651]

42 minutes ago, G650 said:

You serious Clark

Some people can make incredible music while under the influence (see Santana at Woodstock), and some people can't.  There's no way that band could have normally been as bad as they were that night, so I assume they were on some bad trip.  Anyway you cut it, they sounded like a novice high school garage band. 

[C-Man 27230]

A year or so ago, we went with friends to see Band of Horses opening for The Black Keys. I'm a massive BoH fan and had never seen The Black Keys. I would've said BoH but they sounded wretched that night and Starplex is too big of a "room" for them if the setup isn't for them as the feature act, I think. Meanwhile, we left about 2/3 of the way through BK's set because we had to get home but it was better than I expected, especially when they brought out the old-time guitar player from down in Mississippi or something and he absolutely blew their asses off the stage with his playing.

We also saw Danielle Ponder open for Marcus Mumford before she became a thing last year and she was simply spectacular. We had no idea who she was but she closed with a version of "Creep" that was the best thing we heard that night. A couple of months later, she was all over the place.

[Butch Had Not 2982]

I saw Iron Maiden maybe 10 or 12 years ago and Ghost opened. I was like 'who the fuck are these guys?'. Ghost left you talking.  Iron maiden was great but all I remember from that show was Ghost .

[Deej 76828]

On 8/31/2023 at 5:46 PM, dcbc said:

The Stones seem to pretty famously have very good or, at least, well-known opening acts. 

 

The first time I saw them, Living Colour opened.  They were pretty good, and all the people I went with were there to see them.  I was there to see the Stones.  My first concert without my parents.  11th row, center.  My ears are ringing still.

The second time, it was Bryan Adams (bad example).

Others:  Guns n Roses.  The Black Crowes.  I'm sure the list goes on (Altamont doesn't count)

Was it Bryan Adam's opening for them at the Cotton Bowl in the rain. 

Totally worth it to see him slip and bust his ass on the wet stage. 

[Chico_SA 521]

On 9/1/2023 at 3:11 AM, Teebox said:

The Cult opened for Guns N Roses in 2017 at Jerryworld and were far better. 
 

 

And in 1987 at Sunken Gardens Theater in SA, Gun's and Roses opened for The Cult...

[dcbc 14487]

12 hours ago, Deej said:

Was it Bryan Adam's opening for them at the Cotton Bowl in the rain. 

Totally worth it to see him slip and bust his ass on the wet stage. 

It was 1994.  I saw them at the Astrodome, and we hung out into the parking for quite a while in an effort to miss the opener.  We walked in feeling like we'd timed it perfectly, and then he started up Summer of 69.  Talk about losing your wind.

[G650 14263]

34 minutes ago, dcbc said:

It was 1994.  I saw them at the Astrodome, and we hung out into the parking for quite a while in an effort to miss the opener.  We walked in feeling like we'd timed it perfectly, and then he started up Summer of 69.  Talk about losing your wind.

Bryan Adams was all like quiet y'all, here comes dcbc.

 

Then...

 

[Chad Fuck 17684]

It was 1994.  I saw them at the Astrodome, and we hung out into the parking for quite a while in an effort to miss the opener.  We walked in feeling like we'd timed it perfectly, and then he started up Summer of 69.  Talk about losing your wind.

They opened with “Not Fade Away” at that show in the Alamodome. We missed Brian Adams or I have totally forgotten about him. Could go either way.

[dcbc 14487]

2 hours ago, Chad Fuck said:

They opened with “Not Fade Away” at that show in the Alamodome. We missed Brian Adams or I have totally forgotten about him. Could go either way.

Same opener in Houston.  I enjoyed the show, but 1989 was better overall, I thought.

[Chad Fuck 17684]

16 minutes ago, dcbc said:

Same opener in Houston.  I enjoyed the show, but 1989 was better overall, I thought.

Agreed.  The vitality was still apparent in '89.  By '94, it was slipping just a bit.  

[dcbc 14487]

7 minutes ago, Chad Fuck said:

Agreed.  The vitality was still apparent in '89.  By '94, it was slipping just a bit.  

That's part of it.  But a buddy of mine saw them in Chicago a few years ago before Charlie died and said it was the best show he'd seen them put on.  

 

But Steel Wheels definitely was better than Voodoo Lounge as far as the shows I saw.

[Jerry Callo 8704]

I went to a concert at the unairconditioned Travis County Expo Center in the summer of 1988 or 1989.  Run-DMC was the headliner with DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, EPMD, Stetasonic, and Public Enemy opening.  I loved Run-DMC, but Public Enemy blew me away.

Waiting in line to get in and Flavor Flav walked up.  He asked me to give him a boost over the wall to get in.  Yeah, boyeeee!

[G650 14263]

7 minutes ago, Jerry Callo said:

I went to a concert at the unairconditioned Travis County Expo Center in the summer of 1988 or 1989.  Run-DMC was the headliner with DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, EPMD, Stetasonic, and Public Enemy opening.  I loved Run-DMC, but Public Enemy blew me away.

Waiting in line to get in and Flavor Flav walked up.  He asked me to give him a boost over the wall to get in.  Yeah, boyeeee!

Yeah, Public Enemy and Run DMC are both legit. I went to some festival thingy about 2000 or so, and Run DMC came out last and annihilated the opening acts. I can't remember who all they were at this point, Mobb Deep was one, Chemical Brothers was another.