While reading the Horrible Concerts thread there were a couple of comments about acts that stole the show from the headliner and I thought it would also make a good thread.

My experience was back in the early 80s. I went with some buddies to Summer Fest in Milwaukee. Although we didn't go specifically to see him, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes were the headliners at the main stage that night and we stuck around for the show.

The backup act was a band I'd never heard of: George Thorogood and the Destroyers. Wow, they were great. They had the crowd whipped into a frenay. They were so good, in fact, that people starting booing when they left and Southside Johnny took the stage.

Southside Johnny tried to keep the energy George Thorogood generated going but he was no match. After a couple of songs, with the boos getting louder, Southside Johnny got the message and brought George Thorogood and the Destroyers back on stage for a jam session.

I don't know how Southside Johnny felt about it, but the crowd loved it.

There have been many. Here's a few:

Queensryche on the Operation Livecrime tour (their peak, for sure). I saw them open for Ozzy, AC/DC, and someone else I don't recall at the moment all in a single year, and they absolutely killed it, and way better than each of the bigger bands they were opening for.

Live opened for Weezer when Throwing Copper was brand new. and were amazing.

Candlebox opened for Eddie Money (WTF) and were incredible, when they were new.

It's funny you mentioned George Thorogood, that was the one that first came to my mind. The opening act was Buddy Guy, and he stole the show. Not that George Thorogood was that bad, but Buddy was that good.

Late 1970s I go to a Kiss concert and this band called Cheap Trick opened for them. They're still going, and I believe Kiss has hung it up.

One that really sticks out to me....early 90's Monsters of Rock Tour.....Texas Stadium. The headline band was Guns n'Roses, and I was (still am) a huge fan of their Appetite for Destruction album....for me it's top 10 hard rock albums of all time. That said....the opening two bands, Faith No More & a Dallas area original, Pantera (who were pretty new at that time), just KILLED it. Pantera was something nobody had heard back then...it was new, it was smash-your-face amazingness!

Then the co-headline band....METALLICA.....just blew everyone away with a 2.5 hour set, multiple encores.....and it sounded like they were playing in studio, it was that tight, that controlled....to this day I haven't heard a better live band (though in fairness, Zac Brown Band was damn close when I saw them at The Gorge at George a few years back).

Long story short: Gn'R just sucked so bad live. Couldn't hold a candle to any of the other bands.

June 15th, 1997
Lakewood Ampitheater
Weezer opening for No Doubt

Capitol Center outside DC in the '70's.
Went to see Alice Cooper, ZZ Top were the opening act.
Went to see ZZ Top when they came back around as the headliners, KISS was the opener.

P.O.D. Opened for Primus and blew Primus out of the water.

Nickleback opened for Dust For Life and Nickleback was great. Both of these shows were at Bogarts in Cincinnati in the early 2000s.
Nickleback had just released their first album and were really good. Not the crap they have morphed into as of late. So no need to judge me for actually liking Nickleback at one point.

1st time crowd surfing and it was AWESOME! Made it all the way to the stage and got launched up there. Granted security snatched me up and drug me off with a quickness.

The HORDE concert in Cincinnati 8/11/1996.

King Crimson opened the show. Amazing. Fripp was grinning from ear to ear. Perfection. We stuck around for Lenny Kravitz next but everything else was totally boring. We didn't even stay for the headliners (Blues Travelers).

An interesting aside; while we were jamming to King Crimson a tall, black fellow taps me on the shoulder and says, "do you mind if I hang out with you guys and check out some Crimson?"

I said, "Heck yeah!" and shook his hand while pulling him in. He was into it as much as I was.

When the set was over he disappeared but when Lenny Kravitz came on he announced that he invited a special guest to join the band on bass and said "please welcome, my friend, Bootsy Collins!"

I was into it, I dig funk. He came out and it was the guy that was hanging out with us during King Crimson.

Early '70s in Williamsport, PA. All day concert with the headliner being Manfred Mann's Earth Band. The act prior to Manfred was a lil' old band from Texas called ZZ Top. Manfred was good, ZZ Top was WAY better. If your feet don't start tapping at the opening riff of La Grange, your heart needs a jumpstart.

The Buddy Guy/George Thorogood bill was interesting. I like George's music but anyone following Buddy Guy is going to have a tough time.

I saw John Hiatt open for Robert Cray on back to back nights in Norfolk, VA in the late 80s.

First night Hiatt blew away Cray. Second night, Cray knew what happened the first night, and turned it up to 11. Great pair of shows.

Van Halen opening for Aerosmith. VH was the new band, Aerosmith addicted, old and tired. Not even close.

The Clash opening for The Who. The latter was actually good, but the former hit it out of the park, they were that good.

The Dickies opening for The Ramones.

There are a bunch of them but the one I remember the most was Three Dog Night opening for Black Sabbath. They got a standing ovation, Sabbath, not so much.

Jim

quote:

Originally posted by mark123:
The HORDE concert in Cincinnati 8/11/1996.

King Crimson opened the show. Amazing. Fripp was grinning from ear to ear. Perfection. We stuck around for Lenny Kravitz next but everything else was totally boring. We didn't even stay for the headliners (Blues Travelers).

An interesting aside; while we were jamming to King Crimson a tall, black fellow taps me on the shoulder and says, "do you mind if I hang out with you guys and check out some Crimson?"

I said, "Heck yeah!" and shook his hand while pulling him in. He was into it as much as I was.

When the set was over he disappeared but when Lenny Kravitz came on he announced that he invited a special guest to join the band on bass and said "please welcome, my friend, Bootsy Collins!"

I was into it, I dig funk. He came out and it was the guy that was hanging out with us during King Crimson.

would love to have seen KC, and to talk to Bootsy would have been awesome,

side note, I hired a guy when I as in the grocery business who was out of work for a bit,

he was a bassist, and needed some extra cash before the next tour,, he played for George Clinton,, (this was in 2014)

quote:

Originally posted by oddball:
Van Halen opening for Aerosmith. VH was the new band, Aerosmith addicted, old and tired. Not even close.

The Clash opening for The Who. The latter was actually good, but the former hit it out of the park, they were that good.

The Dickies opening for The Ramones.

the Clash and the Dickies,

2 bands I would love to see

quote:

Originally posted by Andcommande:
It's funny you mentioned George Thorogood, that was the one that first came to my mind. The opening act was Buddy Guy, and he stole the show. Not that George Thorogood was that bad, but Buddy was that good.

No doubt. I’ve not seen Buddy Guy, but they don’t call him ‘Legend’ for nothing.

quote:

Originally posted by oddball:
The Dickies opening for The Ramones.

Still up-and-coming Social Distortion embarrassed The Ramones one night. Having seen The Ramones countless times already we all agreed to leave. Never missed a Social D or Mike Ness show after that.

Buddy Guy? I’d hate to be a band that has to follow him on the same stage. Always amazing.

Saw Bush open up for someone I can’t even remember.

In 1988, I saw Europe open for Def Leppard. At the time, Europe was in decline; Leppard was in ascendancy (the Hysteria album was huge at the time). I enjoyed both, but I think Europe was better (they've always been one of my favorite bands).

Charlie Daniels Band opened for Joe Walsh. Daniels absolutely killed it and then must have figured "fook it" and committed the unpardonable sin - he came back out before the roadies could start the switchover and did an encore which just got the crowd even more fired up.

Joe Walsh came out and you could tell he was pissed. First couple of songs were slow and dirge-like so the audience came crashing down and he never got us back. He knew it and didn't care.

quote:

Originally posted by Hound Dog:
In 1988, I saw Europe open for Def Leppard. At the time, Europe was in decline; Leppard was in ascendancy (the Hysteria album was huge at the time). I enjoyed both, but I think Europe was better (they've always been one of my favorite bands).

We got to that show late due to traffic at the Starwood Amphiteater outside Nashville. Def Leppard was awful. Their lead guitarist was wasted and couldn't hit a note with his guitar or voice. Sad how it went for him. But I'm still a fan of Def Leppard.