Best Opening Act of a concert you attended.

Radiohead opening for REM, Monster tour.
I almost said Matchbox 20 / Dave Matthews Band / Smashing Pumpkins opening for the Rolling Stones at the Texas Motor Speedway, but all three opening acts seemed intimidated and weren't as good as when I'd seen them headline. This was right before the Pumpkins put out Adore, so I remember them being far quieter than the venue called for.

 

Fishbone for the Beastie Boys in 87 or 88.

 

This is where, given my handle here, I should say “Supergrass opening for Pearl Jam, late 1990s.”

But I didn’t catch that PJ tour.

A friend of mine was there, though, and he talked about the opening act. I went on to find out about the OTHER group of Brit rocker brothers from the 1990s and their first two albums, “I Should Coco” and “In it for the Money” are stone cold classics.

 

I thought I had told this story on here before, but a search came up empty.

Early 1989 and a concert is coming to my town, where concerts never come. My parents, who never go to concerts, want to go to this one and try to talk me into joining them.

Umm, no. At 13 I was already considered a giant dork. Going to see the Oak Ridge Boys with mom and dad is going cement that impression, which would be invariably fatal. So concert night comes and I stay home to play Nintendo or something.

Parents arrive. How was the show? “Oh you misssd out. The Oak Ridge Boys were good but the two opening acts were even better.”

Sure enough, Suzy Bogguss started getting airplay within weeks. And Garth Brooks did alright for himself that year too.

 

Joe Walsh opened for Fleetwood Mac on the Rumors Tour.

Flock of Seagulls opened for The Go-Gos

 

Did anyone ever see Bush open for Tool?

 

UFO opening for Rush in ‘77 in San Francisco; Judas Priest opening for Led Zep in ‘77 in Oakland. Rick Derringer was the middle act and he killed it too.

 

GODDAMN

Rush might have been the only act that UFO couldn't have blown off the stage then.

 

It’s been so long ago but when my friends at school first told me about getting tickets we figured Rush would be opening for UFO. Got to tell you hearing 2112 performed live was incredible. And UFO was fantastic.

 

Chris Bliss

 

So you saw the "All the World's A Stage" version of 2112...

How I envy you.

 

Indeed I did. Spent my whole career as a writer and I really can’t put it into words. An incredible performance by Rush.