Your first concert

[The Dean]

First "real" concert (not classical or philharmonic) was either Ike and Tina Turner or Guess Who (both at Niagara University, we used to sneak in) late 60's or very early 70s. Both were excellent. Actually, Ike and Tina concert was best BEFORE Tina and the girls come out for the "show" part. Ike and the band were awesome. At the Guess Who, I was shocked by the talent of Burton Cummings.

 

Best concert? Wow, too hard to say. Among the best:

 

Oscar Peterson (at Kleinhans, I think, or perhaps at UB)), Sony Rollins (at the Blue Note), David Grisman Quintet (at the Tralf), The Outlaws and Les Dudek (in a REAL small ballroom at SUNY Albany playing REAL loud), Roy Buchanan (headlining a day long outdoor concert at SUNY Albany that included the likes of Vassar Clements and Frank Wakefield), Steely Dan (many locations, all great), Van Morrison (at the Masonic Temple in SF), Santana (various locations) and, believe it or not, The Rippingtons (at the now defunct Concerts by the Sea in Redondo Beach, CA)...to name a few.

 

TOSCA at Hamilton Place was pretty damn good, too!

[stevewin]

First: John Denver - at the Aud as a little kid in the 70's - my older sister loved him and I think my whole family went. Special bonus - opening act = Starland Vocal Band ("Sky rockets in flight - Afternoon Delight!")

 

Best: SRV at the Poughkeepsie Civic Center late 80's - the place was empty - probably like a couple hundred people showed up - but he played his a$$ off. We just walked up and sat in the 2nd row. At one point he walked over and sat on the edge of the stage and people just gathered around him and he just played a couple songs sitting there with us all standing around him. F'ing awesome.

[CajunBillsBacker]

I think i'm the only person in the world who has never been to a concert. I have never had an interest in enough songs from one artist to attend a concert. I'm not in awe of any music artist out there right now either.

[The Poojer]

first was andy gibb and the alessi brothers at the onondaga war memorial, some time in '78, next one was december 14, 1978, Boston and Sammy Hagar...again Onon County War Memorial

 

like so many others, would have a damn hard time picking a favorite...too many great shows to pick a fav.

[dpbillsfan]

First: Eddie Money at the IL State Fair in 1988.

Best: Van Halen in St. Louis promoting their live CD back in I think 93.

[ATBNG]

My first concert was Sinatra at the opening of the Worcester Centrum.

 

My first rock concert was Meatloaf in Worcester. I'm lucky I didn't give up on concerts right there. He was hideous.

 

I think the best show I've ever seen is U2 in Hartford during the Elevation tour, but the Pixies reunion show in Montreal is a very close second and the Foo Fighters at the Palladium in Worcester is a very close third.

[Buffal0 Bill5]

Can't remember exactly what was the first.

 

Best was Wierd Al. One of my most enjoyable nights ever.

 

Secon Runner up Was Styx in Erie, PA a few years back. They sounded just like they did in the Eighties.

[/dev/null]

First concert was Pantera in Erie in '95

Last concert was Nickelback in Norfolk last month

Best concert was Metallica in Pittsburgh in '97

[NorCal Aaron]

Yes - Meadowlands 1984 or 5

 

Living Colour First Ave Mpls 94?

 

Throat Singers of Tuva, Brian Jonestown Massacre or Sleater-Kinney in San Francisco

[justnzane]

First concert had to be god probably Blink182 in the late '90's.

Best shows- Edgefests w/ Billy Idol as headliner at the Pier and the one w/ Staind as headliner at DTP... nothing like two really hot days where you mosh heavily

Best Experience- Taking Back Sunday and Story of the Year at RIT last year: While moshing during Story of the Year, my ex knocks me from behind and this high schooler flies at me. My shoulder got right under his jaw, and just destroyed it. he was bleedling profusely from it... But then again, you 110 lb 15 year olds should not be in the pit w/ the big boys. I had to take my Counting Crows shirt off and chuck it cuz it was covered in the kid's blood But my ex definitely enjoyed my shirtless state for the rest of the nite

[BILLS4LIFE]

My first and still my fav is Def Leppard in Buffalo in 94 I believe.

[Wacka]

Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Chicago, and the Doobie Brothers at Rich Stadium in 74.

[KRT88]

1stconcert was way back in 1982, at Sheas, BOC (Blue Oyster Cult).

155 more later and my favorite(s)

1987 & 1994 Pink Floyd shows in Toronto

 

 

other notable shows would include:

SRV w/ Johnny Winters at Darien Lake in 1990 just two months before he died

Monsters of Rock

Godsmack this summer at the Lake

Metallica and Aerosmith in Toronto

Queensyrche at Houise of Blues in Mrytel Beach (I met the nad afterwards)

Garth Brooks put on a great show - not a big music fan of his

Slayer and Testament in San Diego

Rik Emmett & Kim Mitchell

Judas Priest in 1983 in Niagara Falls, they kicked off the defenders of the Faith tour with the show.

[LewPort71]

I must be the oldest concert goer here.

 

First >>> Dave Clark 5 at Kleinhans.. 1964 or 1965...

 

Fav in Buffalo >> Led Zeppelin 1973 at the Aud ......Guess Who at Darien Lake

 

Fav in College>>> Allman Brothers (Duane's last concert 1971),,,warmup was Luther Allison and he was incredible

 

Latest fav >>> Trans Siberian Orchestra...entertaining as all get out

[KD in CA]

Yes - 90215 Tour, circa 1983 - Hartford Civic Center

 

Funny story; I couldn't get the ok from my parents to take the car up to Hartford for the show, but we figured they'd never know so my buddy and I took it and went anyway. Got up to Hartford early and was walking around when we saw a couple of nappy headed punks hassling some lady. We exchanged a few words with them but then moved on. About 20 minutes later we see a cop car with the two punks in the back seat and the women is there telling the cops that they tried to rob her. We make the mistake of walking by the cop car to point and laugh at them, at which point the women spots us and tells the cops we witnessed it, and they grab us and ask what we saw, etc.

 

So we go to the show and its great and we get home unscathed. But then about two months later a local cop pulls into my parents driveway to deliver a subpoena for me to go up to Hartford to testify at the punk's trial -- d'oh! busted!

[mcjeff215]

First concert was Pantera in Erie in '95

Last concert was Nickelback in Norfolk last month

Best concert was Metallica in Pittsburgh in '97

 

I saw that Pantera tour too but at Darien Lake. That was the one where Phil hit the security guard in the head. It sucked because they didn't sell out and wound up opening the seating area to the GA folks (which means they paid half as much as I did but got in just as close). They only played like 6 songs because of that incident.

 

I've seen Nickleback too, with Chevelle, though I missed *all* of Chevelle due to Atlanta traffic. That was my wife's first.

 

Another good one was the Metallica at Darien Lake in 1994.

[The_Philster]

My first and still my fav is Def Leppard in Buffalo in 94 I believe.

http://www.deflepparduk.com/deftour.html

93, it would have to be...they weren't on tour in 94

http://www.deflepparduk.com/deftour1992three.html

March 19th at the Aud...I was there

[The Dean]

First concert had to be god probably Blink182 in the late '90's.

Best shows- Edgefests w/ Billy Idol as headliner at the Pier and the one w/ Staind as headliner at DTP... nothing like two really hot days where you mosh heavily

Best Experience- Taking Back Sunday and Story of the Year at RIT last year: While moshing during Story of the Year, my ex knocks me from behind and this high schooler flies at me. My shoulder got right under his jaw, and just destroyed it. he was bleedling profusely from it... But then again, you 110 lb 15 year olds should not be in the pit w/ the big boys. I had to take my Counting Crows shirt off and chuck it cuz it was covered in the kid's blood But my ex definitely enjoyed my shirtless state for the rest of the nite

 

 

I've laid-low as it's pretty easy to take shots at some of the terrible bands people have bothered to see, and counted as their "best" concert. But, you have pushed me over the edge:

 

Billy Mother-Fuc#ing-IDOL? Really. That talentless POS? Really?

 

C'mon J-Mack, you can do better than that.

[justnzane]

I've laid-low as it's pretty easy to take shots at some of the terrible bands people have bothered to see, and counted as their "best" concert. But, you have pushed me over the edge:

 

Billy Mother-Fuc#ing-IDOL? Really. That talentless POS? Really?

 

C'mon J-Mack, you can do better than that.

well even if you don't like billy idol, there was stilll our lady peace, Static-X, Flogging Molly and 30 Seconds to Mars, all of whom played really good sets, especuially 30 STM where frontman Jared Leto climbed up to the catwalk above the stage and walked across it without missin a beat

[RayFinkle]

First: Daryl Hall & John Oates

 

Favorite: Paul Westerberg