Concert Comments - Did you see them live? Get the shirt?

g8r.tom

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I took the kids and family to see them in Ocala a few years ago. The crowd wasn't large and we were able to get right in front of the stage. I could have touched Shaw. Great show.
 

Detroitgator

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Blues Magoos. Ohhhhhh, we ain't got nothin' yet.

My first ------> Grand Funk Railroad, 1970

Second ------> Led Zeppelin, 1971

Both at the International Amphitheater, Chicago.
I’m a GFR fan... was really lucky to see them at a legendary small venue in Detroit (the original Harpo’s) in I think 1982 when they were back together for a bit with Farner.
 

78

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I’m a GFR fan... was really lucky to see them at a legendary small venue in Detroit (the original Harpo’s) in I think 1982 when they were back together for a bit with Farner.
Their early stuff was really good, a fusion of a lot of different sounds. I lost interest when they went commercial with We're An American Band.

Farner had tremendous vocal range. I think the drummer died, didn't he?
 

Detroitgator

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Their early stuff was really good, a fusion of a lot of different sounds. I lost interest when they went commercial with We're An American Band.

Farner had tremendous vocal range. I think the drummer died, didn't he?
No, Brewer is still alive. I like American Band... it’s when Todd Rundgren was producing them. Other tidbits: they tried to get Frampton to join just before the commercial phase and Zappa produced them after Rundgren.

I actually like The Guess Who/BTO a lot better and have always put them in the same music memory category with GFR. Growing up in Detroit in the 70’s, we probably heard a lot more GFR and TGW/BTO on the radio than most places.
 

78

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No, Brewer is still alive. I like American Band... it’s when Todd Rundgren was producing them. Other tidbits: they tried to get Frampton to join just before the commercial phase and Zappa produced them after Rundgren.

I actually like The Guess Who/BTO a lot better and have always put them in the same music memory category with GFR. Growing up in Detroit in the 70’s, we probably heard a lot more GFR and TGW/BTO on the radio than most places.
Add Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band to the list.
 

Theologator

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I just earned more "Good Husband" point than I will ever be able to use, but rather than bury you with tl;dr on how awesome a husband I am here (I'll put it in another thread), I figured we could have a thread on what concerts you have been to recently, or perhaps thoughts on some of the best you've been to and the ones you regret missing.

===============

Last night, I took the wife to see Don Felder (guitarist for the Eagles in the early days) with a fistful of backup performers who did all kinds of covers of Eagles and similar. That was the opening act, followed by REO Speedwagon (one of the wife's favorites), and ending with Styx (kinda on my bucket list, we both like them).

Don Felder was good in that you knew all the songs, even if they sounded a little different. They also brought out some of the members from the other two bands to 'help out' on a few tracks - most notably Tommy Shaw several times. If they are opening for a concert you're going to, it'd be worth it not to be late like we were.

REO Speedwagon....if the name makes you think of 3 hits from the 80's you'd be about right, but they had about 5 hits and they played all 12 of those tracks (yes, I'm hinting that half the set we didn't recognize). They've been going since 1970, and haven't had much new stuff since the mid 80's, so if you go to hear the songs you know - you'll get those, with some other stuff to fill 60-90 min set. I will say, they were high energy the whole time (maybe that's influenced by my not being to a concert in years). The lead singer was very interactive, talking things up with the crowd between songs, and rarely was there more than 30 seconds between songs unless they were bringing out some help on guitars or percussion. Their set took me through a range of thoughts and emotions:

1. During some tracks, the power is amazing and how are they are going strong after all these years.
2. When the lights shine on the crowd, there are a LOT of women aged mid-40's to late 50's. A lot of big boobs, a few by surgery, most by simply getting fat as they aged.
3. The crowd is OLD....(pause)...damn, I'm old.
4. During some tracks, you wonder why these guys are still playing (tonight, and in general) as it kinda sucks.

Big points for how they closed it out, however. Keep in mind, we're in Charlottesville, VA. The lead asks off stage if they have time for one more (yeah, ok...). So he gives a short talk about how the music people generally respect and support one another, but in his view there was one that stood out above his peers, someone truly special in the industry, so this is for them. That one guy from Gainesville, FL that we're all going to miss. Then they played "Listen To Her Heart" by Tom petty. Nice way to wrap up their set, even if it sounded kinda off.

Then we closed with Styx. I'd have been OK never seeing them, but I'm glad I did. I didn't realize they are still putting out new music. They released a new album last year, but only did 2-3 songs off it during the set as they knew the majority of fans were there for the old stuff. They promised to play at least half of Grand Illusion and didn't disappoint. And while REO left me with a sense of an "All Energy" performance, Styx simply left me overwhelmed by the "Power" they put out through the speakers.

I only ever knew the name of Tommy Shaw, and never thought it through enough to realize the different vocals across their hits. The keyboardist (Lawrence Gowan) was distracting, but very good. It was interesting to see them bring out original bassist Chuck Panozzo for several songs because they never let him near a mic, and when off stage it appeared the stage hands were trying to keep a blind drunk from tripping over cords. Anyway, nearly all you'd want from seeing them live was delivered, at about an 11 on the speaker knob. We were disappointed with no Mr. Roboto, but my God, their closing with Come Sail Away was everything you can imagine and more. I've never really made a bucket list, and I can't say if they'd make it on or be just off the list, but I am very glad we caught them live.

Saw REO in the 70’s & Styx in the mid-80’s - Mr. Roboto tour - in Lakeland. Saw the Eagles & Buffett at Florida Field in 1980. Loved the Eagles, Buffett & REO was pretty good.

Hated Styx because they basically played that album as a rock opera. Dennis DeYoung was a foppish twit and ruined that group eventually. Not having him in the current lineup probably made your concert all the better.
 

Theologator

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As other filler for the thread, you can always reply to this:

First concert you went to, and any special memories.
Favorite concern you've ever been to and why.
The one you missed, and will forever regret.

=======================================

First Concert:
Bryan Adams, trying to impress a girl in high school. Concert was in Jax, and I missed the exit. Pulled over by cops half way to the state line. I never want to hear another Bryan Adams song ever again. I switch the radio off whenever one comes on.

Favorite Concert:
Lemme think a bit. I'm leaning towards ACDC.

The one I missed:
Depeche Mode at the O'Dome. About eight of us bought tickets together and I left mine on the light switch where I set my keys at home (realize this was early 90's before cell phones and I was living alone at the time, post college days). Well, the day comes, and I get off work and take a deep breath enjoying the fact that I have no plans. I proceed to drive around town enjoying the car for several hours only to arrive home around 9:30 and realize I'd missed the whole damn thing. Friends couldn't have called to ask wtf as it was pre-cell phones. Nope, I just pulled a total dumbass and forgot completely.

First: Grand Funk Railroad “All the Girls in the World Beware” tour in Lakeland. I was maybe 14. I am from Lakeland, grew up 2 miles from the Lakeland Center and had a paper route (meaning $) so I want to a ton of shows.

Best: Bruce Springsteen, River Tour, 1981 Lakeland. I was at UF and went because my girlfriend from NY liked him. Changed my life. Amazing 4-hour show, best live performance I’ve ever seen. And I saw him two other times. Runners up, Tom Petty’s first show at the O-Dome w/ Stevie Nicks and U2 How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb Tour in Tampa.

One I hate that I missed: Lynyrd Skynyrd in Lakeland, October 1978. It was their 2nd to last show before the crash. I was actually in school in New Hampshire at the time. Also turned down a chance to see Stevie Ray Vaughn in Orlando a year or so before he died.

OR - Missing U2 at the Rathskeller and/or the Police at Lake Alice Field just before either became huge.
 

crosscreekcooter

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Foppish Twit :lol2:
Skynyrd was playing tunes off the yet to be released Street Survivors album on that tour. The addition of guitarist songwriter Steve Gaines really put them at their zenith.
 

TLB

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IMAGINE-DRAGONS-FB20.jpg



TL;DR Background:
In my natural dick way of doing things..I was a dick about it. Kids have been listening to Imagine Dragons on the local radio for months and love/know all the songs. Their favorite band ever, dad, c'mon! Even the wife likes their stuff. For me, it's ok, but it's overplayed. Then we found out they were going to play locally at Hershey Stadium, and some of their friends (moms are friends with my wife as well) were wanting to go also. We got tickets for our family of 4 + 2 friends, but didn't tell our kids (<< Engage Dick Dad Mode). We worked with the friends to keep it a secret and built up to the week of the concert by telling our kids that we were busy the day of the concert but had to look after the friends for the weekend.

Day of the concert, we informed our kids that one of the friends needed to be dropped off at a barn party (she rides horses) in Hershey, so we're all loaded in the van driving through heavy traffic, playing dumb. We get into the lanes for parking for the stadium and the wife and I are like "all these people can't be going to a barn party, what the heck". My son figures out TODAY is the day of the concert and that's why all these people are here. We explain we thought it was during the day when we were busy, and my daughter looks it up and says "No, it starts at 7PM" (currently 6PM). They both are getting pissed off, so my wife can't resist provoking them further (usually, she isn't in on these surprises and I'm pulling them on her). We explain "They've been sold out for weeks. Only way to get tix was to win some on the radio." We then point out to my daughter that she just got a new iPhone, if it was so important why didn't she try to win any? Wife asks son on a scale of 1-10 how important is this show to him? He answers "100!!". We park, and say we'll walk the friend to the pick-up area for the barn party so she doesn't get lost.

The kids are getting nasty about the wife's insistent dumbassery on no concert tickets. So, I ask my son "What would you trade for tickets if it is so important to you? Your basketball hoop or your pokemon cards or something?" His reply, "My mom." (He is SUCH a mama's boy, so this was notable). We even walk all the way to the stadium gates and I hand out the printed e-tickets to each person and ask my kids to read what it says, at which point my son is so upset he can't read anything. He's livid we'd not only drive to the stadium where the concert is, but make him walk through the crowds of concert goers and NOT let him go...So I start asking him "what does it say on the paper? Look, what row and seat are you in?" "What, we don't have to leave? We're going in?" He starts crying. Not tears of happiness, but because a) he has been tortured to this point, and b) because he HATES surprises. Yay! Lead balloon for mom & dad.

The Concert:
Opening act was some 13yr old who was on America's Got Talent. She's got a great voice for her half hour set, but honestly, other than a 70's cover song I didn't know any of her stuff. Tbh, she was so small, that even on the big screens on either side of the stage we still couldn't see her behind a lot of her stage props. She seemed really appreciative of Im Dr for bringing her on tour, and got the crowd warmed up nicely.

With her opening at 7PM, and the stadium being outdoors (we were on the west side by luck, out of the last few hours of sun) it was a nice few hours of sunset skies to go with the music. Breezy mid-80's, seats around the 50yd line and maybe row 45 out of 70 up the stadium. LOTS of families present, we saw many grade school age kids we either knew or at least recognized. Show was done by around 10:30-11:00PM, so not too late.

Imagine Dragons came out, opened with Radio Active as that was the first real hit that got them known awhile back. Set was maybe 20-22 songs in length with a stretch of about 8 in the middle that must have been off earlier albums because we didn't know them. Band hit the major hits on the current album, of course, and everyone had a great time throughout the stadium. There were two points where the lead singer paused to talk to the audience, one to thank them and show great appreciation for the support and to express how much the band doesn't take this for granted and still are amazed at the love they get and want to share back to everyone. The second pause was during the intro to 'Demons' where he expressed his own bouts with depression and time with a therapist, that it doesn't make one weak but makes you human - you aren't alone, talk to family-friends-anyone and get stronger, you aren't broken and you aren't alone. Overall a very positive message encouraging love and support for one another. The last 8-10 songs were all very strong, and they band came down off the stage to perform on a mini-centerstage in the middle of the fans for 3 songs. Really classy, making it intimate and personal. Very well done. They returned to the main stage for the final 2 songs of 'Believer' and closing with 'Thunder'. The entire stadium was rocking and singing along, with fireworks going off for the finale.

Overall very recommended, even for a casual fan. Not preachy in any way, but very, very family safe environment. People of all ages had a great time. It was the first concert for both our kids, and the one friend 'going to a barn party'. The friend, in fact, is now arranging travel to Virginia to see them again. 8.5/10 for the concert, and no, no boobs seen or harmed (until I got the wife home later).
 
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First concert was Bob Seger and Molly Hatchet at the old Miami Baseball Stadium. It was the Against the Wind tour, Easter Sunday 1980 or 81.

Best 10 ish concerts with my personal highlight:

The two Pink Floyd shows at the Old Sombrero 87 and 94-One of these Days from Meddle
Gilmour solo at the United Center 2016. -Shine on your Crazy Diamond or High Hopes
CSNY-Ice Palace 2000 or 2001. -Down by the River where Neil and Stills traded licks. Neil broke a few guitar strings
Petty last year at Wrigley-You dont know how it feels
Eagles last tour with Glenn Frey-Those Shoes
Santana and the Stones at the Citrus Bowl
Kinks at the Odome 1985-I wish I could fly like Superman
Neil at the Chicago Theatre-all acoustic and all solo.Harvest Moon
Pearl Jam multiple times at Wrigley-Keep on Rockin in the Free world at 2 am

Honorable mentions are Rare Earth, Buffett, Ac/Dc, The Firm.
 

GatorBart

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First: 1982-The Police with Joan Jett in Champaign, IL (Ghost in the Machine tour)
Best: 1982-The Clash at The Aragon in Chicago (Combat Rock tour)
The rest of the best:
The Dead in Tampa the year Jerry died.
Rusted Root in Seattle-1999
Medeski Martin & Wood in Seattle-2005
 

Detroitgator

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First concert was Bob Seger and Molly Hatchet at the old Miami Baseball Stadium. It was the Against the Wind tour, Easter Sunday 1980 or 81.

Best 10 ish concerts with my personal highlight:

The two Pink Floyd shows at the Old Sombrero 87 and 94-One of these Days from Meddle
Gilmour solo at the United Center 2016. -Shine on your Crazy Diamond or High Hopes
CSNY-Ice Palace 2000 or 2001. -Down by the River where Neil and Stills traded licks. Neil broke a few guitar strings
Petty last year at Wrigley-You dont know how it feels
Eagles last tour with Glenn Frey-Those Shoes
Santana and the Stones at the Citrus Bowl
Kinks at the Odome 1985-I wish I could fly like Superman
Neil at the Chicago Theatre-all acoustic and all solo.Harvest Moon
Pearl Jam multiple times at Wrigley-Keep on Rockin in the Free world at 2 am

Honorable mentions are Rare Earth, Buffett, Ac/Dc, The Firm.
Great list
 

TheDouglas78

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So far this year:

Alice Cooper at Ruth Eckerd Hall:
Small venue theatrical show. My 5th time seeing him, wife's 15th. 2 hour show all Alice. No Boobs.

Foo Fighters at MidFlorida Amp:
Opening act some odd British Band, not that great.
Foo Fighters played from a little after 8 to 11... great show. Some boobs in the stands.

Justin Timberlake at St Pete Times Forum:
Opening band some young kids that were decent, but nothing special
Justin Timberlake, I'm not a Timberlake fan and I knew maybe 4 songs going into the concert. Wife and her two friends who joined us love his catalog, among other things. The concert was better than expected.

What is still on the schedule:
Smashing Pumpkins at St Pete Times Forum
The Cult, Bush, and Stone Temple Pilots at the MidFlorida Amp
Imagine Dragons at the MidFlorida Amp
 

78

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First: 1982-The Police with Joan Jett in Champaign, IL (Ghost in the Machine tour)
Best: 1982-The Clash at The Aragon in Chicago (Combat Rock tour)
The rest of the best:
The Dead in Tampa the year Jerry died.
Rusted Root in Seattle-1999
Medeski Martin & Wood in Seattle-2005
Aragon Ball Room. Wow, is it still being used? Saw Jefferson Starship there in '74.
 

MJMGator

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First: 1982-The Police with Joan Jett in Champaign, IL (Ghost in the Machine tour)
Best: 1982-The Clash at The Aragon in Chicago (Combat Rock tour)
The rest of the best:
The Dead in Tampa the year Jerry died.
Rusted Root in Seattle-1999
Medeski Martin & Wood in Seattle-2005
That same Police tour was my first concert...in Jax. :lol:
 

Detroitgator

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That same Police tour was my first concert...in Jax. :lol:
Saw it at Cobo with the Go-Go's opening. Saw them again a few months later in Ann Arbor and Joan Jett opened for them. For some reason, I remember them coming to Detroit like 4 times in 82-83 and Joan Jett opened for them at least three of those time. The Ghost in the Machine tour at Cobo I think was the last concert I saw at Cobo.

OK, not the last concert I saw at Cobo Hall... I saw the Diary of a Madman concert ONE WEEK after the Police concert... I was 15, parents thought I was spending the night at friend's house... friend's older brother would take us to everything. It was about a month before Randy Rhoads died.
 
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Windy City Gator

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Yes, the Aragon is still open. We hold our holiday party there every year...but I work with a bunch of Millenials and they always have hip hop. It is kind of a ****hole. But it is still there. I live about three blocks from there. Sting is playing there in the fall. Green Day did a show there last year.
 

78

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Best place to see a band in Detroit is still the basement of St Andrews Hall
I saw GFR in '70 in what seemed like the basement of the old International Ampitheatre. I think it was an exhibit area. Extremely low ceiling and every other attendee had a joint or bowl going. The air was thick with smoke. Great show.
 

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