I can't beat Thin Lizzy ( or hell, Fastway for that matter. I LOVE their debut to this day ) . My first was Hall & Oates on the "H20" tour. Tulsa, OK - according to a website I found, 04/10/1983 at the Assembly Center ( I wouldn't have remembered the arena name if you put a gun to my head ). Although I dunno about that date - seems later than I would've guessed. Anyway, that was the tour.
I do remember the opening band - OXO. 50 Rock Solid Points ( redeemable in the Rock Solid commissary for the desert of your choice - I recommend the Humble Pie ) to the first person who can name their Top 40 hit without Googling.
As a classic album rock fan (70s mostly) I am somewhat ashamed to admit my first concert was the Spin Doctors (Gin Blossoms and Cracker opened, Cracker cussed mot of us out, classy :P )
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Get the idea cross around the track Underneath the flank of thoroughbred racing chasers. Getting the feel as a river flows. Would you like to go 'n shoot the mountain masses?
Sugar Ray at LaSalle University in Philadelphia. My younger brother fell asleep and Mark McGrath ran up the bleachers to talk to him and ask him on stage, he said no.
Also Three Dog Night at Disney World, they were both when I was pretty young (pre-teen) and I can't really remember which one was first.
My first "real" concert that I actually still care about (or was not taken to by my parents in Three Dog Night's case) was the Decemberists in High School
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"HEY I'M ANDY HATTON YOU GUYS WANNA BUY SOME NEWSPAPERS?!" -Matt Belknap
"All the things you like are things that make me sad" -my girlfriend
In 1977 I won a radio call-in contest for two tickets to see England Dan & John Ford Coley at Wolf Trap Theater in Virginia. I was 11. Why was I calling in to radio ticket giveaways? Why was I listening to England Dan & John Ford Coley? These are questions that may never be answered. Either way, my Dad took me and it was pretty cool. Burton Cummings, late of the Guess Who, was the opener.
ugh I guess I gotta be honest…. Thompson Twins 1984. Although earlier that same summer I saw the Romantics at Six Flags Great Adventure (NJ) but the TT show was something I bought a ticket for. The Romantics were free with park admission. But I like to think my first "real" arena rock show was David Lee Roth in 1986…..(even cut school to buy the ticket)
-- Edited by Smedley Morrison on Friday 3rd of January 2014 09:29:54 PM
See, I think the Romantics show counts. It's the first show you saw - you were just lucky it was free.
And for 1984 you could've done a LOT worse than the Thompson Twins anyway.
I saw that Roth tour, too. I was living in southeast Kansas at the time, & the show was in an outdoor venue here in KC. When we hit the road for the 3 hour drive it was in the 80's - & we were dressed appropriately. By the time the show started it was in the low 60's in KC. And we were up on the grass, exposed. That was a rough one.
Why not spend the first post on this topic. First show wasn't until 2 days after 21st birthday to see Stone Temple Pilots. Weiland was "clean" after a rehab stint, touring for the Tiny Music album. This was 1996 in Chicago. The big surprise was the band was introduced by a huge grim reaper. Reaper disrobes to be Dennis Rodman. He was beginning his pinnacle of fame, and was able to be at the show because he was suspended. Local H opened for them.
Here we go: my parents took my brother and me to see Kenny Rogers (with Jim Stafford opening) at the Ottawa Civic Centre Grandstand on August 24th 1980. I feel no pride. (I got the date from http://www.setlist.fm/)
