What is the most unique opening song that you've seen?
Comments
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I've heard some pretty cool openers at most of my shows:
Pittsburgh 00 - Even Flow
Pittsburgh 03 - Small Town
Cleveland 06 - Better Man
Camden II 06 - Wash (I know they opened with it a lot in the early 90s, but to hear it open a show in 2006 was quite a surprise!)
Wash DC 08 - Hard to Imagine
Hampton 16 - Why Go
Wrigley I 16 - Low Light (Statistically speaking, this is my most unique only ever opening a show twice).
Star Lake 00 / Pittsburgh 03 / State College 03 / Bristow 03 / Cleveland 06 / Camden II 06 / DC 08 / Pittsburgh 13 / Baltimore 13 / Charlottesville 13 / Cincinnati 14 / St. Paul 14 / Hampton 16 / Wrigley I 16 / Wrigley II 16 / Baltimore 20 / Camden 22 / Baltimore 24 / Raleigh I 25 / Raleigh II 25 / Pittsburgh I 250 -
My first show in Milwaukee on 7/9/95 opened with "Act of Love". In hindsight, that was insane, but I didn't appreciate it like I do now. My little two show trip I did to Brazil in 15' was awesome for openers. Got The Beatles "Rain" in Belo Horizonte after a day of solid monsoon weather, and then a couple days later got Oceans in Rio on the most gorgeous beach I've seen...that was a sweet back-to-back run of openers given the locale, weather, etc.
95' - 7/9
98' - 6/26, 6/27, 6/29, 8/26, 9/22
03' - 4/25
06' - 6/29, 6/30
07' - 8/05
09' - 8/23
11' - 9/03, 9/04
12' - 9/30
13' - 7/16, 7/19, 10/21, 10/22, 11/15, 11/16, 12/06
14' - 06/28, 06/29, 10/1, 10/03, 10/16, 10/17, 10/20, 10/22
15' - 11/20, 11/22
16' - 4/21, 4/26, 4/28, 4/29, 5/1, 5/2, 7/9, 8/5, 8/7, 8/20, 8/22
17' - 4/7
18' - 7/1, 7/3, 7/5, 8/8, 8/10, 8/18, 8/20, 9/4
21' - 10/1, 10/2
22' - 7/12, 7/14, 9/6, 9/80 -
JimmyV said:
Montreal loved it in 2011.lolobugg said:JimmyV said:
Elderly Woman is a great opener. Pops the crowd every time which is what an opening song should do.lolobugg said:Wash was a great opener.
Elderly Woman was not such a great opener.
Wrong again, Jimmy.totally killed the vibe in Virginia 2010. so much so that they played about 5 or 6 rockers in a row to get it going again.
maybe it had to do with the shitty acoustics at that Amphitheatre.
it could've been the Goldman Sachs fuckers in the crowd from DC.livefootsteps.org/user/?usr=446
1995- New Orleans, LA : New Orleans, LA
1996- Charleston, SC
1998- Atlanta, GA: Birmingham, AL: Greenville, SC: Knoxville, TN
2000- Atlanta, GA: New Orleans, LA: Memphis, TN: Nashville, TN
2003- Raleigh, NC: Charlotte, NC: Atlanta, GA
2004- Asheville, NC (hometown show)
2006- Cincinnati, OH
2008- Columbia, SC
2009- Chicago, IL x 2 / Ed Vedder- Atlanta, GA x 2
2010- Bristow, VA
2011- Alpine Valley, WI (PJ20) x 2 / Ed Vedder- Chicago, IL
2012- Atlanta, GA
2013- Charlotte, NC
2014- Cincinnati, OH
2015- New York, NY
2016- Greenville, SC: Hampton, VA:: Columbia, SC: Raleigh, NC : Lexington, KY: Philly, PA 2: (Wrigley) Chicago, IL x 2 (holy shit): Temple of the Dog- Philly, PA
2017- ED VED- Louisville, KY
2018- Chicago, IL x2, Boston, MA x2
2020- Nashville, TN
2022- Smashville
2023- Austin, TX x2
2024- Baltimore
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Wash. Philadelphia, 2005.
Would have never picked it but it was great...
Raleigh, NC., 8/31/98, Charlotte, NC., 8/4/00, Greensboro, NC., 8/6/00, Mountain View, CA., 10/31/00, Raleigh, NC., 4/15/03, Charlotte, NC., 4/16/03, Mountain View, CA., 10/25/03, Asheville, NC., 10/6/04, Philadelphia, PA., 10/3/05, Washington D.C, 5/30/06, Virginia Beach, VA., 6/17/07, Philadelphia, PA., 10/28/09, Charlottesville, VA., 10/29/13, Charlotte, NC., 10/30/13, Memphis, TN., 10/14/14, Greenville, SC., 4/16/16, Hampton, VA., 4/19/16,Raleigh, NC., 4/20/16, Columbia, SC., 4/21/16, Boston, MA., 8/5/16, Boston 9/2/18 & 9/4/18., Nashville, TN., 4/2/20., Nashville, TN., 9/16/22.
EV Solo - Washington, D.C., 8/17/08, Atlanta, GA., 6/24/09, Orlando, FL., 11/27/12.0 -
Oh, I forgot "Hard to Imagine" was awesome as an opener in Chicago 2009.
best 2nd song ever- "Arms Aloft"

livefootsteps.org/user/?usr=446
1995- New Orleans, LA : New Orleans, LA
1996- Charleston, SC
1998- Atlanta, GA: Birmingham, AL: Greenville, SC: Knoxville, TN
2000- Atlanta, GA: New Orleans, LA: Memphis, TN: Nashville, TN
2003- Raleigh, NC: Charlotte, NC: Atlanta, GA
2004- Asheville, NC (hometown show)
2006- Cincinnati, OH
2008- Columbia, SC
2009- Chicago, IL x 2 / Ed Vedder- Atlanta, GA x 2
2010- Bristow, VA
2011- Alpine Valley, WI (PJ20) x 2 / Ed Vedder- Chicago, IL
2012- Atlanta, GA
2013- Charlotte, NC
2014- Cincinnati, OH
2015- New York, NY
2016- Greenville, SC: Hampton, VA:: Columbia, SC: Raleigh, NC : Lexington, KY: Philly, PA 2: (Wrigley) Chicago, IL x 2 (holy shit): Temple of the Dog- Philly, PA
2017- ED VED- Louisville, KY
2018- Chicago, IL x2, Boston, MA x2
2020- Nashville, TN
2022- Smashville
2023- Austin, TX x2
2024- Baltimore
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The first one to pop into my head was Seeing RVM open in San Bernadino in 2000.
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looking at my stats on livefootsteps............ I have seen some awesome openers. LBC, Hail Hail, Can't Keep, Of the Girl, Low Light, Corduroy, Once, Animal.... hell I prefer all of these to the "traditional openers"!!!!
livefootsteps.org/user/?usr=446
1995- New Orleans, LA : New Orleans, LA
1996- Charleston, SC
1998- Atlanta, GA: Birmingham, AL: Greenville, SC: Knoxville, TN
2000- Atlanta, GA: New Orleans, LA: Memphis, TN: Nashville, TN
2003- Raleigh, NC: Charlotte, NC: Atlanta, GA
2004- Asheville, NC (hometown show)
2006- Cincinnati, OH
2008- Columbia, SC
2009- Chicago, IL x 2 / Ed Vedder- Atlanta, GA x 2
2010- Bristow, VA
2011- Alpine Valley, WI (PJ20) x 2 / Ed Vedder- Chicago, IL
2012- Atlanta, GA
2013- Charlotte, NC
2014- Cincinnati, OH
2015- New York, NY
2016- Greenville, SC: Hampton, VA:: Columbia, SC: Raleigh, NC : Lexington, KY: Philly, PA 2: (Wrigley) Chicago, IL x 2 (holy shit): Temple of the Dog- Philly, PA
2017- ED VED- Louisville, KY
2018- Chicago, IL x2, Boston, MA x2
2020- Nashville, TN
2022- Smashville
2023- Austin, TX x2
2024- Baltimore
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They opened with Elderly Woman in Moline. I thought it was fitting because it’s a “small town”. Then they played No Code in it’s entirety.lolobugg said:Wash was a great opener.
Elderly Woman was not such a great opener.
...........and Evelyn ❤️0 -
México 2005
N1 Animal
N2 BETTERMAN
No one slept here0 -
The Kids Are Alright - Seattle 2005 (NW School benefit Show)... My first show. I believe in miracles - Gorge 05... 2nd show. Sometimes I’m lucky lol
"Well, I think this band is incapable of sucking."
-my dad after hearing Not for You for the first time on SNL .0 -
Low Light - Wrigley 162000: Noblesville, IN
2010: Noblesville, IN
2011: PJ20 Night 1
2013: Wrigley Field, Baltimore
2014: St. Louis
2016: Lexington, Fenway I, Wrigley I, Temple of the Dog - NYC
2017: EV solo - Louisville
2018: Wrigley 1
2022: St. Louis
2023: Austin 1 & 2
2024: Vegas 1, Noblesville, IN0 -
My Top 5
1. Low Light, Lightning Bolt & Mind Your Manners - only opened 2 shows
2. Alive - opened 6 shows
3. Breakerfall - opened 7 shows
4. Last Exit - opened 13 shows
5. Can't Keep - opened 15 showsNOTE: Pendulum has opened 36 shows...I've got it as the opener 8 times
'96: Seattle: Key Arena
'98: Seattle: Memorial Stadium 1 & 2
'00: Columbus: Polaris
'03: Columbus: Germain
'10: Columbus: Nationwide Arena
'11: East Troy: Alpine Valley - PJ20 1 & 2 + EV Detroit
'12: Missoula + EV Jacksonville 1 & 2
'13: Chicago / Pittsburgh / Buffalo / Seattle
'14: Cincinnati / St. Louis / Tulsa / Lincoln / Memphis / Detroit / Moline
'15: New York City - Global Citizen Festival
'16: Greenville / Hampton / Raleigh / Columbia / Lexington / Ottawa / Toronto 1 & 2 / Wrigley 1 & 2
'17: Brooklyn - Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
'18: London 1 & 2 / Seattle 1 & 2 / Missoula / Wrigley 1
'22: Nashville / St. Louis0 -
I haven’t seen too many unique openers, maybe Once or Unthought Known. Oddly, I have seen Release 5 times, but only twice as an opener.Pittsburgh 1998 • Pittsburgh 2006 • 2012 Isle Of Wight Festival • 2012 Made In America Festival • Baltimore 2013 • Seattle 2013
St. Paul 2014 • Mexico City 2015 • Philadelphia II 2016 • Ottawa 2016 • Amsterdam I & II 2018 • Wrigley Field II 2018 • Phoenix 2022
Apollo Theater 2022 • Chicago I 2023 • Baltimore 2024 • Pittsburgh I & II 20250 -
Low Light and Lightning Bolt6/29/98 Chicago-United Center
6/18/03 Chicago-United Center
5/17/06 Chicago-United Center
7/19/13 Chicago-Wrigley Field
10/11/13 Pittsburgh-Consol Energy Center
10/17/14 Moline-IWireless Center (No Code)
10/20/14 Milwaukee-Bradley center (Yield)
4/26/16 Lexington-Rupp Arena
8/20/16 Chicago-Wrigley Field
8/22/16 Chicago-Wrigley Field
8/18/18 Chicago-Wrigley Field
8/20/18 Chicago-Wrigley Field
9/5/23 Chicago-United Center
9/7/23 Chicago-United Center
8/29/23 Chicago-Wrigley Field
8/31/23 Chicago-Wrigley Field0 -
Long Road at Forum in 2007. First concert in Denmark since the Roskilde tragedy in 2000. From the first note we knew the night was going to be special.And he still gives his love,
he just gives it away...0 -
I Am Mine, 4/29/2003 Albany, NY. It worked surprisingly well. Runner up Unthought Known, 5/15/2010 Hartford, CT.9/13/98, 10/4/00, 4/29/03, 6/29/03, 7/2/03, 9/28/04, 9/29/04, 9/15/05, 9/16/05, 5/12/06, 5/13/06, 6/27/08, 6/28/08, 6/30/08, 10/30/09, 10/31/09, 5/15/10, 9/11/11, 9/12/11, 10/19/13, 10/21/13, 10/22/13, 10/25/13, 10/27/13, 9/26/15, 4/28/16, 4/29/16, 8/5/16, 8/7/16, 8/13/18, 9/2/18, 9/4/18, 9/26/21, 9/1/22, 9/2/22, 9/14/22, 9/18/23, 9/19/23, 9/7/24, 9/9/24, 9/12/24, 9/15/24, 9/17/24, 5/16/25, 5/18/250
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Some others that haven't been mentioned: wasted reprise, gonna see my friend , mymI'll ride the wave where it takes me......0
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After further review, I've seen:
Crazy Mary (2 times ever)
Gonna See My Friend (2 times ever)
Lightning Bolt (2 times ever)
Low Light (2 times ever)
Mind Your Manners (2 times ever)
Wasted Reprise (5 times ever)
Unthought Known (6 times ever)
Hard To Imagine (8 times ever)0 -
Elderly woman in Grand Rapids was an amazing opener. The crowd was in full throat immediately and the band responded in kind. The energy set the tone for one of my favorite shows ever. Epic night....JimmyV said:
Elderly Woman is a great opener. Pops the crowd every time which is what an opening song should do.lolobugg said:Wash was a great opener.
Elderly Woman was not such a great opener.
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Can’t Keep - 2008 Manchester CT
Of the Girl - 2010 Newark, NJ0
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