Who did you see live before they were big?

Saw a guy named Bob Dylan open for the Dead at the Meadowlands in '94 or '95.

That Dylan went on to do great things.

 

Florida Georgia Line... Walked out during the second song. They were awful and the sound system was worse.

 

That's probably because Bruce didn't finish until midnight, and Raitt just wanted to go to bed.

 

I saw Donald Trump in Atlantic City circa 1986. He and his first wife did an acoustic set outside the gift shop. First time, I heard him do such future classics as Wrong, Sad, and Bigly. The main number, though, was a thrilling ride that I assumed was named “you fucking bitch.” Never heard it again, but the energy he had doing that with one was magnetic.

 

I wish I could contribute to this. I am in awe of many of these posts. My closest is Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit in a small club, but that’s specious because Isbell had an identity at that point.
I had a chance to see U2 in 1984 at a 1,500-capacity venue, but I declined in order to study for an exam. Got a C in the class. One of my regrets.

 

My wife and I saw America as an opening act for the Everly Brothers at a small club in DC in the early/mid-70s. They finished their opening act by doing "A Horse With No Name".

 

I saw Jeff Dunham and Jeff Foxworthy (separately) at the Punchline in Atlanta before they went big.

 

R.E.M.

They opened for The Police on the Synchronicity tour. Norfolk Scope.

 

My previous boss saw R.E.M. at a club, and after the show the band went to the house of my boss’s friend and played some more. Sometime in the ‘80s.

My wife heard Green Day’s drummer fuck a chick in the kitchen of some house party she went to. He wasn’t up to the task, and she had to stifle hysterical laughter. Before he got there, the fuckee told everyone not to talk to Tre Cool, not even to look at him. Which is what made the latter non-activity all the more funny. She tells the story better than I do.

Me? I saw Wilco as they shook off the Uncle Tupelo vibe and started becoming. Saw the Bottle Rockets a bunch, too, but they never really had a national following or huge success. Lots of alt in the ‘90s.

 

The bar I frequented in the early ‘90s had a cover band with a teenage girl singer who was more than pretty good, especially for that environment. She grew up to be early 2000s country sensation Gretchen Wilson.

 

A Grammy award-winning act did a photo shoot on my property before they hit it big. I honestly don't know how big they are because I don't care for their music, but they've won a bunch of awards.
They stopped by one Saturday and asked if they could shoot some publicity photos. They were in a black Escalade, so I was pretty sure they weren't casing the joint. I figured they'd pop a few shots and never be heard from again. They left and came back with all manner of professional photo gear. I asked my wife, "Now who are these people?"

 

Mine were similar. I've seen Isbell six times now, the first at the Charleston Pour House in South Carolina in 2013, right after Southeastern came out. He was on the verge at that point, but it was cool to see them in a tiny venue.

The first concert I ever attended was Radiohead in 1992 at the old, tiny 9:30 Club in Washington. They were riding high off Creep at that point. Would have never imagined they'd sell out giant stadiums down the road. Would love to see them again someday.