What Warm Up Bands Or Opening Acts Have You Seen BEFORE They Hit It *BIG*

g under p
g under p Surfing The far side of THE Sombrero Galaxy Posts: 18,245
in Other Music

Things are a quite different now, most bands carry a somewhat well known opening act or none at all. But back in the day warm up bands usually were lesser known and working their way up. Often little airplay on fm radio until after they caught a big break and signed for a big tour..

I've seen a few before they made it but I can't remember most of the hundreds of concerts I've seen. Most times I just wasn't paying attention or too busy into other things.

I can remember Living Colour Opening up for The Rolling Stones in 1989 on the Steel Wheels Tour. THEY were pretty damn good rocking in front of 50,000.

Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy with my friend Micheal Franti They opened up for U2 RFK stadium The Zooropa Tour 91'ish I was there I watched or I think I did but I don't remember them at all. The beers had some effect.

Kenny Wanye Shepherd I think opened for either Metallica or RUSH on an outside stage at Jiffy Lube Amphitheater Bristow VA. They rocked that small stage as I watched front and center. I'm thinking it was Metallica but I'm not sure.

Oh two women acts...Teena Marie Opened up for Rick James 1981I think Hampton Coliseum but from what I remember she didn't finish her set. I do remember she had a great soulful voice.

Beth Hart A surprise guest act for Michael Franti & Spearhead 2005....very talented singer/musician I even got a chance to meet and talked to her backstage.

More will come I hope later...

Peace
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*MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
.....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti

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Comments

  • red mos
    red mos Posts: 4,953
    Wilco- opened for Sheryl crow back in 1996
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  • eeriepadave
    eeriepadave West Chester, PA Posts: 43,559
    Well the one that sticks out for me and I've mentioned this before is Kings of Leon opening up for The Strokes in 2003. Me and one of my friends saw this tour when it opened in Philly at the Tower. On the way down he played their cd, I thought they sounded good, but i didn't really get into them until a few months later when they headlined a show at the TLA.

    Only others i can think of are some festival bands which i saw.

    Queens of the Stone Age & Disturbed- Ozzfest '00
    System of a Down- Ozzfest '98 and '99 (although i didn't see them in '98 but they were on the bill)
    8/28/98- Camden, NJ
    10/31/09- Philly
    5/21/10- NYC
    9/2/12- Philly, PA
    7/19/13- Wrigley
    10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
    10/21/13- Philly, PA
    10/22/13- Philly, PA
    10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
    4/28/16- Philly, PA
    4/29/16- Philly, PA
    5/1/16- NYC
    5/2/16- NYC
    9/2/18- Boston, MA
    9/4/18- Boston, MA
    9/14/22- Camden, NJ
    9/7/24- Philly, PA
    9/9/24- Philly, PA
    Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
    Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
    RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
  • 2-feign-reluctance
    2-feign-reluctance TigerTown, USA Posts: 23,462
    Band of Horses and The Strokes
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  • 2-feign-reluctance
    2-feign-reluctance TigerTown, USA Posts: 23,462
    Also saw Kenny Wayne Shepherd when he was like 14 or something. He's not HUGE but it was before he blew up the blues world for a little bit.
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  • Thirty Bills Unpaid
    Thirty Bills Unpaid Posts: 16,881
    Saw Kings of Leon open for U2 in 2005.

    Saw Ed Sheeran open for Snow Patrol on a Vegas rooftop (maybe 5 years ago?).
    "My brain's a good brain!"
  • EarlWelsh
    EarlWelsh Buffalo, NY Posts: 1,127
    Radiohead opening for R.E.M. on their Monster tour.

    My Morning Jacket opening for Doves in 2002.

    I'm sure there are others but can't think of them now.
  • rmartin70
    rmartin70 Posts: 64
    The first two that come to mind are Guns N' Roses opening for Aerosmith in 88' and Pearl Jam opening for the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 91'.
    12/31/1991 07/18/1992 11/04/1995 11/19/1997 10/31/1999 06/01/2003 07/18/2006 11/26/2013 10/26/2014
  • Guy Dudebro
    Guy Dudebro Posts: 1,485
    edited September 2015
    Red Hot Chili Peppers opening for Suicidal Tendencies at The Olympic Auditorium in LA in May of '84. The Minutemen and SS Decontrol were also on the bill. Alice In Chains opening for Iggy Pop at The Palladium in Hollywood in 1990 also comes to mind.
    Post edited by Guy Dudebro on
  • Tim Simmons
    Tim Simmons Posts: 10,143
    They haven't hit it *big*, but they are significantly bigger and more popular, but I saw BRMC open for the Charlatans at the Double Door in 98 or 99 before their s/t came out. That' was cool.
  • JH6056
    JH6056 Posts: 2,437
    Band I'd never heard of called the White Stripes opening for Sleater-Kinney in '96ish... Spearhead and Ben Harper opening for the Fugees at Tramps in '96 (day before Ben Harper opened for Pearl Jam at Randall's Island day 1)... Band we'd never heard of and rudely (not being rude on purpose but I gotta own it, we were rude) talked through their entire set: Indigo Girls opening for Hothouse Flowers in '88...
  • xavier mcdaniel
    xavier mcdaniel Somewhere in NYC Posts: 9,463
    My Morning Jacket, Kings of Leon, Death Cab for Cutie, Black Keys, Band of Horses have all opened for Pearl Jam, not that I necessarily remember any of their sets.
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  • eeriepadave
    eeriepadave West Chester, PA Posts: 43,559
    Tim Simmons said:

    They haven't hit it *big*, but they are significantly bigger and more popular, but I saw BRMC open for the Charlatans at the Double Door in 98 or 99 before their s/t came out. That' was cool.

    Wow. BRMC is my 2nd fav band. That must have been pretty sweet to see. I'm guessing you live near San Fran then? My first time seeing them was '04
    8/28/98- Camden, NJ
    10/31/09- Philly
    5/21/10- NYC
    9/2/12- Philly, PA
    7/19/13- Wrigley
    10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
    10/21/13- Philly, PA
    10/22/13- Philly, PA
    10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
    4/28/16- Philly, PA
    4/29/16- Philly, PA
    5/1/16- NYC
    5/2/16- NYC
    9/2/18- Boston, MA
    9/4/18- Boston, MA
    9/14/22- Camden, NJ
    9/7/24- Philly, PA
    9/9/24- Philly, PA
    Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
    Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
    RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
  • Longueuil
    Longueuil Posts: 2,224
    I saw Rise Against open for Bad Religion in 2004
  • smarchee
    smarchee Windsor, Ontario Posts: 14,539
    only comes to mind right now is System Of A Down opening for Slayer in 1998?

    Oh, and Marilyn Manson on the 1994 Nine Inch Nails/Soundgarden show
    1998 ~ Barrie
    2003 ~ Toronto
    2005 ~ London, Toronto
    2006 ~ Toronto
    2008 ~ Hartford, Mansfied I,
    2009 ~ Toronto, Chicago I, Chicago II
    2010 ~ Cleveland, Buffalo
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  • Zod
    Zod Posts: 10,938
    I saw Nickelback open for the barstool prophets. The sad thing is I really liked their first indie album. Went all to shit after that lol.

    Saw Kings of Leon open for U2 on the Veritigo tour?

    I saw foo fighters just before they started ballooning. Played a 1000 seat student rec centre at UBC in 1997 (just when the 2nd album was coming out?). Crazy to think about it now. Saw them open for RHCP in 2000 too, which is weird because the same year i saw RHCP open for PJ... lol

    Saw Danko Jones do a few bar shows back in the day. I didn't think they were famous but there them on kisw alot.

    System of a Down at Ozzfest '99.

    Most of the bands that worked their way's through lolla. PJ was just as they were taking off, Soundgarden was the same year but they hadn't taken off yet.

    I'm sure there's a few more...
  • goldrush
    goldrush everybody knows this is nowhere Posts: 7,846
    edited February 6
    The first one that comes to mind is Radiohead supporting James in December 93. I also saw Supergrass opening for Shed Seven sometime in October 93.

    I saw Zakk Wylde's pre-Black Label Society band Pride & Glory open the Donington Monsters of Rock festival in 94
    Post edited by goldrush on
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  • Wma31394
    Wma31394 Posts: 3,045
    Smashing pumpkins opening for guns n roses in Chicago rosemont horizon..foo fighters open for mike watt at metro..
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  • JOEJOEJOE
    JOEJOEJOE Posts: 10,839
    edited September 2015
    I saw Metallica open for Saxon at the Whisky-a-go-go in L.A. in the 80s.....and PJ open for the RHCPs in 1991!

    Also saw Iron Maiden opening for UFO (1981), as well as Guns & Roses opening for the RHCPS in 1986 at UCLA on Halloween.
    Post edited by JOEJOEJOE on
  • Brotherjohnno9
    Brotherjohnno9 Posts: 463
    Van Halen opening for Black Sabbath in 78 or 79 in a small theatre in the UK. Iron Maiden opening for Rush, not sure what year or maybe they were supporting someone else but they were definitely opening for someone. Also saw Def Leppard open for someone around the same time - early 80s.
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  • lexicondevil
    lexicondevil Posts: 2,282
    The Strokes opening for Doves at Bimbo's in San Francisco. I didn't know what to think about The Strokes that night. They were too much obviously kneeling at the altar of Lou Reed. Later I began to appreciate them and they did progress.

    Guns 'n Roses opening for Cheap Trick at Fender's in Long Beach. Fenders was as stinky armpit punk rock venue in Long Beach. I don't know why Cheap Trick was even playing there, but I was front row and when GnR came out you could smell their junkie BO. I was right in front of Slash's Marshall. That night they threw out vinyl copies of their new record Live Like a @&*)king Suicide.
    Cheap Trick was amazing, of course.

    Pearl Jam opening for Spinal Tap at Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood. Also included Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden. It was rumored that Metallica was going to do a surprise appearance. We waited and waited after Spinal Tap finished their set and out came Temple of the Dog. So much better than a Metallica set, in my opinion. Most of the crowd had already given up and left. Then again, many people also left for the lobby when Pearl Jam was playing. They were stupid and I knew it even then.
    1991- Hollywood Palladium, California with Temple of the Dog, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains -RIP Magazine Show Oct. 6th
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