Artists who were opening acts, which surprised you

[RoundTheBend]

I'm hoping to convey the concept here. Basically post any opening act to another live band which was interesting and the context to it.

I've had a few interesting thoughts about this topic this week, so decided to start a thread that likely will die quickly.

First thing that raised my brows this week was reading that The Smashing Pumpkins were going to open for Guns N' Roses. One artist I once respected (I don't anymore) and another I'd rather eat a broken glass sandwich than listen to them.

Then some interesting thoughts came to mind as I was planning out some next purchases for my collection (which I feel dumb about or excited about pending the day - it's just stupid sometimes to collect things in my mind and then other days I love pulling out something physical to experience instead of a really small icon on the computer/phone).

Anyway, the two thoughts:

Radiohead opened up for R.E.M. on their tour for the album New Adventures in Hi-Fi. I think Radiohead then was touring for The Bends. Now Radiohead is considered a much "better" artist than R.E.M., in the internet world/aggregated opinions, however you want to say that. I think the year was 1996.

Same goes for Kanye West who opened for U2 on their Vertigo Tour in I think 2005. He's now rated on this site higher than U2. Interestingly enough U2 has slipped from #11 on the site when I joined in 2011 to below #20. Even their fans went from believing they were artists to sleazefest, basically around the same time this tour occurred. As you can see from my #1 spot, I still consider their early work freaking amazing.

As I think a bit more - The Beatles went on tour and opened for Roy Orbison if I'm remembering correctly.

It's not the same, but Jimi Hendrix was a touring guitarist for Little Richard.

Anyway, do you have any cool thoughts to share here?

[LedZep]

There's a history of great bands opening for Kiss. Rush (1975), Tom Petty (1976), Uriah Heep (1976), Bob Seger (1976), Scorpions (1976), AC/DC (1977), Ted Nugent (1977), Sammy Hagar (1977), Judas Priest (1979), Iron Maiden (1980), Motley Crue (1983), Bon Jovi (1984), Anthrax (1987), Guns N' Roses (1987), Alice in Chains (1996), Rage Against the Machine (1996), Rammstein (1999)
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Finally updated the overall chart

2020s
90s

[Fischman]

Of the concerts I've been to, I'd have to say that there was something interesting about the opener(s) at almost every one. I could bore y'all with personal anecdotes all day long. So here, I'll just share the one that popped into my mind first based on what I was listening to this morning.

1983, McNichols Arena, Denver, Colorado.
I was off to see my beloved Moody Blues for the first time. The opener was a guy who very recently was starting to get some local airplay for a song called "Pride and Joy."

This was, of course the great Stevie Ray Vaughan.

I was completely unprepared. I'd only heard "Pride and Joy" a couple times and even with that song, I really had no indication of what this guy was capable of. I tell you I had to call for the arena forklift just to get my jaw off the floor. Damn! My buddy and I were straight up stunned for 60 minutes.

I wondered where this music came from! Of course, to some degree, it came from the great musical mind and fingers of SRV himself, but it also came from the musical lineage of which he was a part. SRV became not only my springboard to loving SRV, but also to the entire blues genre and its history.

Of course after that, I ran straight out and bought Texas Flood. And picked up every SRV release on opening day. Sadly, our time with SRV was to be all too limited. In this case the loss was even more tragic, as he had recently kicked his substance abuse demons and released a comeback album that saw him return to full form + added maturity, only to come down in a helicopter crash of all things.

[hwex9000]

Possibly the most famous example of this: On the initial West Coast dates of the Rolling Stones' Tattoo You tour in 1981, the opening acts were the J. Geils Band, George Thorogood and the Destroyers...

...and Prince.

The Purple One, of course, was in the early stages of his developing stardom thanks to the reception of Dirty Mind and Controversy. But he was not, to put it charitably, well received by the Stones' audience, and at an L.A. gig he was actually booed off the stage. By the time the tour reached Seattle he was gone.

[Fischman]

[CA Dreamin]

I thought of The Monterey Festival, where The Who and Jimi Hendrix Experience played before The Mamas and the Papas. A festival though, not a traditional concert.

I was once saw Incubus open for Linkin Park. You'd think the Incubus was popular enough to be a headliner. I've actually seen Incubus as a headliner, and were opened for by Jimmy Eat World.

[RoundTheBend]

[JOSweetHeart]

Forgive me if this is a dumb question, but who on the radio has not been an opening act for another act at some point in their career? I've only seen country singer Gretchen Wilson one time and she did her songs just before the night's closing act which was country band Diamond Rio. Gretchen was more traditional than I thought that she was going to be which couldn't have made me more of a happy Holly.

God bless you and Gretchen and the guys of Diamond Rio always!!!

Holly

P.S. That was my second of the three times that I have seen Diamond Rio. They are awesome!
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Me & my favorite singer James Otto

Check him out here when you can!

[RoundTheBend]

[RoundTheBend]