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

[Sonic dB]

Saw Drew Carey back in 93 or 94 just before he hit it big...he was very
regional then and had a whole routine making jokes about Cedar Point. (which was very funny)
Havent seen much from him lately...but that night he was sitting
there at the bar having a beer between his sets.

[jim72911t]

Too many to list............

Saw Social D at a backyard party in OC when I was in high school. Spent a few years in the '80's-90's as a CSUC student hanging out at a venue called The Burro Room, where I caught acts such as Primus, Screaming Trees, Fugazi, The Reverend Horton Heat, Flaming Lips, etc.

I also had the chance to see Nirvana when they had two guitarists (the second being Jason Everman) on the Bleach tour. They were opening up for TAD at the time.

Gogar, I'm not sure if you were there at the time, but I was fortunate enough to see Big Head Todd and the Monsters at the same club I saw Nirvana. You guys had to open for a really crappy local band called NorthRoxx and even had to set up in front of their equipment. You guys blew me away, one of the best shows I've seen.

I've also had the opportunity to open for Cake and No Doubt, but that's a different story for another day.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally posted by Nostril Cheese
Linda Ronstadts backing band in the early 70's was the Eagles. Can you remember if it was them behind her?

I always assumed the band was the Stone Ponys which I remember her being associated with. Checked Wikipedia and she was backed by a band named Swampwater but then later was backed by the members of what would become the Eagles....but BEFORE they formed the Eagles as a band. It says they toured with her for a short time in 1972 only. So, no I don't remember anything really about the band, just her. It couldn't have been them though if the year is right. I was a Junior in H.S. and I graduated in '72 so it would have been the '70/'71 school year I saw her in.

[bell]

pearl jam......a week before "alive" hit mtv and they "blew up".......at peabody's down under in the flats in cleveland (now gone).
i was sitting at the bar having a simple conversation with some long haired dude.....later saw him on stage singing....mr. vedder

[stuartj]

AC/DC, c.1975. Crew let us in the back door, we sat on a piano side stage.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally posted by ErVikingo
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, ......

PR was the place to go for and rehab from lipo and other enhancements.

[Bleyseng]

Jefferson Airplane in a Mall parking lot in Redwood City in '66.

Modest Mouse in the Redmond Firehouse battle of the bands in 94. Bass player went to school with my daughter....used to give me free hamburgers too at the Fatburger he worked at.

Also was at the Led Zepplin concert at Green Lake with the Doors being the headliner. Zepplin blew the crowd away!

[sammyg2]

I saw Billy Joel playing piano at a grand opening of a record store (yes, the plastic things) at the Brea Mall many, many years ago.