Bands or performers you have seen "before they made it big"
 

One of the picture threads touched on "name" bands we've seen in smaller venues. I've always gotten a kick out of seeing someone early in their career, and just knowing "they've got IT". One that stands out for me was catching Derek Truck's first public performance when he was just 9 years old sitting in with a local blues band (Hey Byron, remember "Applejacks" over in Riverside?). I also caught "The Ben Folds Five" very first gig at a local bar where Ben & his brother used to hang. I used to work with Ben's mom, and remember telling her that her son was "musical genius", but I had NO idea a three piece band (with no guitar :)) would make it that big. So who else has seen a "big name" before they became "big"?

metallica, still have thefirst tape . saw then on the NJ shore with Mustane as the guitarist. Live ...saw them in York PA at a college party
Misfits...worked with my dad, they helped my sister move...

Redhot Chili Peppers used to play every few weeks at a small club on the UF campus...

Sister Hazel is a local band...

Tom Petty is/was a local boy as well, but I'm a bit young to have seen anything... used to buy fishing licenses from his dad though.

I didn't know that! I'm going to tell a buddy what he missed out on even though he is a "gator hater" :)

Of their first show? That's impressive...I used to be a taper too :)

The list is too long. Basically everyone you knew in the 70's. But then I was a promotion man for Warner Bros. Records then so I saw everybody at the time.

I bet that was a blast, but they're already BIG if Warner Bros. even knows about them :)

Yup, played at the Orange & Brew at the Reitz Union when I was a junior and senior in high school, late 80s.

O.A.R. is kind of getting big, I hear their music in more mainstream places these days. Awesome band to hear live.

John Mayer, opened for OAR before anyone knew who he was. Hit it big a few months later.

The Police. In about 1980 at the University of Hawaii gymnasium. Probably cost around $10.00 to get in. Was about 20-30 ft. from the stage.

If you're old and gray, you might remember Don Kirshner's Rock Concert on TV every other Saturday night competing for viewership against Wolfman Jack and the Midnight Special.

Around 1974-75, we used to attend these Friday night tapings of Rock Concert as often as possible. Almost any major band of the era was there and a few new ones too. No lip-syncing here, all live.

While many bands were already well established, Rock Concert launched many into super-stardom. Kansas may have debuted there.

I'm sure there were dozens of other up and comers, but there was a lot of smoke inside that little auditorium and my mind was foggy then and never recovered. ;)

Green Day in a warehouse/underground skate park when I was 13. Their first east coast tour, they crashed in a future friend of mine's parents living room. Had a different drummer back then and the signer had dreadlocks.

My uncle saw Aerosmith open for The New York Dolls in 1973 at URI.

I drove the limousine for Bon Jovi, Ratt and others before they hit it big. I guess Puerto Rico was a testing ground for a lot of bands.

I remember standing at the airport waiting for them and the silly names they registered under at the local hotels. Heck they used such silly names it was obvious it was someone trying to hide.

Some examples, Ms. Poca Hontas, Clark Kent, ......

Yep, I'm gray (must type carefully...."not that there's anything wrong with that" :)) and sure remember them. I'm a bit hazy, but I also seem to recall an "In Concert", or was that the same Don Kirshner show?

Limo = Already Big :)

The Dixie Chicks playing off a flatbed Trailer in downtown Dallas about 1988 or so. Willie Nelson at a street dance in Austin early 70's before he became mainstream...

red hot chili's too, at chico state in 85 or 86 when the did the "sock set" as part of their gigs.

T$

"In Concert" was a short-lived show also hosted by Kirshner.

Ronnie Dunn at Duke's Country in the early 80's, and Hanson at the Tulsa Zoo... (Audience of 20 to 50) Yeah, I know... Is Hanson big?... But they sang the Nat'l Anthem last week in Chicago for the Nascar race

I saw Steve Martin do stand-up at a little club called The Raven Lounge in Berkely, MI. It was about a month after his debut on Johnny Carson.

I also saw Jim Carey do stand-up at The Punch Line in Sandy Springs, GA. Still relatively unknown at the time. I had no idea who I was going to see. Girlfriend was given tickets and we went for the heck of it. Never laughed so hard in my life.....to this day!