[LiverpoolWalrus]

OK, let's name the first concert we ever attended and also the best concert we ever saw. Include year and venue if you can. I'll start.

First: The Monkees, Boston Garden, 1967
Favorite: The Doors, Boston Arena, 1970

If ties are allowed, the Wings Over America tour in Atlanta in 1976 would be a tie with the Doors, basically because, to my undying regret, I never got to see the Beatles. My parents didn't want to take me to see them at Suffolk Downs in 1966 and said I was too young for them to just drop me off and pick me up there. But yet *one year later* in 1967, at the ripe old age of 11, they decided I was old enough to see the Monkees!

[Stu from NYC]

Chicago and the Four Seasons I guess but do not remember the dates

[John_W]

...

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by John_W

1969 and I was 19, and it was Vanilla Fudge. Two years before I in the 11th grade and You Keep Me Hanging On was played on the radio non-stop, in fact in the morning I remember I couldn't leave for school until I heard that song. They came to the Amory in St. Petersburg just off 34th Street South. I got a ticket for about $5 and went. It had no seats, about 2,000 people and you had to sit on the floor. The opening was 5 local bands, each did about half an hour. I don't think any of them made it big, I just remember one sounded like the Association and another had the name The Electric Chairs.

Vanilla Fudge was incredible and Carmen Appice is still my favorite drummer, he was a show in himself. I never saw a drummer before that wore gloves and had a double kick drum. The singer, the Hammond organ, the whole effect was great.

I had one other experience that year, but it didn't start out that way. It was in September I had just started back at SPJC and me couple of other guys decided to go the Bayfront Center to see George Carlin. He was on theater side which held 2,200, it has since been torn down for the Dali Museum. At the box office they said the 8:00 show is sold out, but come back at 10:00 we have seats.

There's nothing to do in St. Petersburg at night back in 1969 for two hours, especially if you're not 21. Someone said, let's to the Electric Zoo out by the airport, you can get in even if you're not 21. We go, I remember a girl in the parking lot asking us for $3.50 to get in, that's how I remember the price.

We walk in and they stamp your hand a different color and give you free Coke, not a bad deal. I go around to see the band and it's two drummers, one white and one black. I hear a singer but I don't see who's singing, I see it's the guy sitting down behind the keyboard. Everybody was not watching him, but this guy with long blonde hair in front waling away on a red guitar.

We watched them all night, then the headliner came out. It was Cat Mother & the All Night Newsboys. Their claim to fame was Jimi Hendrix produced their album. If you liked Loggins & Messina type music, they would be a poor man's version. We all yelled and clapped and said bring back the other band. Which they did, and they played until 2am. When finished, the singer said, our debut album comes out in 2 months and I hope you buy it, our name is The Allman Bros.

We did see Vanilla Fudge and Cream and enjoyed them but if you ask me today what their best known songs were have no clue.

Brooklyn Bridge was very good but my all time favorite was Harry Chapin still love his music today. Cats Cradle is his most commonly played song but he did many that were much better especially Taxi.

[mikreb]

First: Doobie Brothers Carowinds 1975
Favorite: Jackson Brown Charlotte Coliseum 1983
Favorite: Rolling Stones Washington DC 1981 (won free tickets on 5th row)

[Bunny1]

Originally Posted by LiverpoolWalrus

OK, let's name the first concert we ever attended and also the best concert we ever saw. Include year and venue if you can. I'll start.

First: The Monkees, Boston Garden, 1967
Favorite: The Doors, Boston Arena, 1970

If ties are allowed, the Wings Over America tour in Atlanta in 1976 would be a tie with the Doors, basically because, to my undying regret, I never got to see the Beatles. My parents didn't want to take me to see them at Suffolk Downs in 1966 and said I was too young for them to just drop me off and pick me up there. But yet *one year later* in 1967, at the ripe old age of 11, they decided I was old enough to see the Monkees!

First -The Beach Boys 1966- Chicago at Mc Cormick Place before it burnt down.
Best- Same as above.

[John_W]

...

[John_W]

...

[LiverpoolWalrus]

Originally Posted by John_W

1969 and I was 19, and it was Vanilla Fudge. Two years before I in the 11th grade and You Keep Me Hanging On was played on the radio non-stop, in fact in the morning I remember I couldn't leave for school until I heard that song. They came to the Amory in St. Petersburg just off 34th Street South. I got a ticket for about $5 and went. It had no seats, about 2,000 people and you had to sit on the floor. The opening was 5 local bands, each did about half an hour. I don't think any of them made it big, I just remember one sounded like the Association and another had the name The Electric Chairs.

Vanilla Fudge was incredible and Carmen Appice is still my favorite drummer, he was a show in himself. I never saw a drummer before that wore gloves and had a double kick drum. The singer, the Hammond organ, the whole effect was great.

I had one other experience that year, but it didn't start out that way. It was in September I had just started back at SPJC and me couple of other guys decided to go the Bayfront Center to see George Carlin. He was on theater side which held 2,200, it has since been torn down for the Dali Museum. At the box office they said the 8:00 show is sold out, but come back at 10:00 we have seats.

There's nothing to do in St. Petersburg at night back in 1969 for two hours, especially if you're not 21. Someone said, let's to the Electric Zoo out by the airport, you can get in even if you're not 21. We go, I remember a girl in the parking lot asking us for $3.50 to get in, that's how I remember the price.

We walk in and they stamp your hand a different color and give you free Coke, not a bad deal. I go around to see the band and it's two drummers, one white and one black. I hear a singer but I don't see who's singing, I see it's the guy sitting down behind the keyboard. Everybody was not watching him, but this guy with long blonde hair in front waling away on a red guitar.

We watched them all night, then the headliner came out. It was Cat Mother & the All Night Newsboys. Their claim to fame was Jimi Hendrix produced their album. If you liked Loggins & Messina type music, they would be a poor man's version. We all yelled and clapped and said bring back the other band. Which they did, and they played until 2am. When finished, the singer said, our debut album comes out in 2 months and I hope you buy it, our name is The Allman Bros.

Great story about seeing the Allman Brothers in their infancy. I have a similar story about U2, seeing them at the Bayou in DC before their first US album came out. But they didn't play nearly that long. In fact they had to do I Will Follow twice because they ran out of songs.

You don't mean Wayne County and the Electric Chairs, do you?

I've always loved that first Vanilla Fudge album. I also got The Beat Goes On, their second album. Didn't care much for the later albums though. They were on the prog cruise I was on a couple of years ago. I'd see Vince Martell and Mark Stein around the ship a lot and chatted with them. Vince was particularly cool. I'm glad they're still around and touring. Come to think of it, like Genesis, they're one of the few 60s/70s bands where all members are still alive. But Vince told me Tim Bogert retired a while ago. Holy WTF---I just checked the internet for the spelling of Bogert's last name and it turns out he just died in January.

[Taltarzac725]

18 July 1974 - Eric Clapton & His Band

Saw this with my older brother and cousin who is a double cousin as sisters married brothers. This is the first. Favorite was probably BB King in a small room in a Reno, Nevada casino for the price of two drinks. I could literally have touched him on stage if I had stretched out. This was around 1982 or thereabouts.

[John_W]

...

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by John_W

Vanilla Fudge on Ed Sullivan

You Keep Me Hangin On - Vanilla Fudge - YouTube

Cream - Jack Bruce, Eric Clapton & Ginger Baker

Cream - White Room ( Farewell Concert 1968) - YouTube

Cream - I feel free (1967) - YouTube

CREAM - SUNSHINE OF YOUR LOVE - LONDON 21ST NOVEMBER 1967 - YouTube

Cream I'M SO GLAD Live 1968 - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hftgytmgQgE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnJn8XbPeKc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeGyQIgvSV0


.

Thanks now I remember why I liked Cream so much. Sad that nobody seems to be playing their hits.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by John_W

The lead singer of the Brooklyn Bridge was Johnny Maestro and they had the hit "It's the Worse Thing that could Happen", earlier Johnny was in a band called the Crests and they had the hit "16 Candles". He died in 2010 at age 70 of cancer.

Johnny Maestro - Worst That Could Happen - YouTube

Sixteen Candles - Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge - YouTube

Was able to see Johnny Maestro with both bands.

[2newyorkers]

First concert was Elton John. Best concert was a different Elton John concert. A really bad storm made the electric go out. It did not stop him from continuing to play and sing. He had everyone on their feet and joining in.

Harry Chapin would come into a bar that I occasionally went to. Sometimes he would sing. A nice memory.

[Kenswing]

First concert was .38 Special at the Midsouth Coliseum sometime in 1982. Was stationed in Memphis and we were hired for stage security.

Best concert was probably the Eagles at the Rose Bowl somewhere around 1994.