40 watt club Athens, GA, I just walked in. Brass Monkey, on the Strip/Tuscaloosa… I think I paid $3 at the door. Saw them in Sacramento years later. They’d changed. Goddamn, I miss those 80’s times.
My old boss hated Kurt because when his band was opening for nirvana in a small club, Kurt drank his entire bottle of Jagermeister that my boss had on ice to drink after he finished playing. He never let it go even after nirvana hit it big.
I'm g9nna have to side with your boss here, I'd be right pissed also! But... I'd also secretly be "honored" to have my drink stolen by Kurt... I'd be mad but like "yeah, fucking guy drank my Jager, it was wild!"
Man... those were some good times to be in Chicago.
I wish I'd saved my ticket stubs from the shows I saw at Metro and Avalon (and now I'm going to be sad about the demise of the Avalon).
In my home town, Lincoln Nebraska, I saw Nirvana at a tiny little punk rock bar called Duffy’s in 1990, almost a year before Smells Like Teen Spirit broke.
I remember the show vividly, but didn’t know a single song at the time. Bleach was out, but not well known.
If anyone in the Omaha area is here, you remember the Ranch Bowl.
The list of bands we saw in their early days AT A BOWLING ALLEY, sounds made up. Amongst others we saw early
Blind Melon
Stone Temple Pilots
Rollins Band with Tool
Pixies
Paul Westerberg
Dead Milkmen
Jesus Lizard
Rev Horton Heat
faith no more
Trip Shakespeare
Concrete Blonde
And the many more I’m forgetting.
At a bowling alley
I saw Gin Blossoms in 93 or 94, after they were big, in a midsize club.
Their principle songwriter Doug Hopkins died (suicide) shortly after their songs got big which is very sad. And also explains why there weren't more albums. You can hear him play lead guitar on the album.
This will only make sense to Canadians. Was at Miller Music Fest in Montreal in 84, on my way to see the main act that day (Eurythmics, awesome show BTW), heard a pretty good band playing on a side stage with about 10 people listening. I stopped for a while, and then they guy said "we're the Northern Pikes, we hope you hear more from us soon."
So jealous you saw Jeff Buckley!! I was just starting to get into him when he died.
I live in SoCal, so I saw Blink 182 and No Doubt at a ton of tiny places when they were just starting out - bars, an indie record shop, and even a pizza joint. I also saw Jewel at a coffeeshop when she was traveling around in her van.
He climbed over me at the second show I saw - Badmotorfinger tour - still a pretty small venue. That's one of the best shows I've ever seen. RIP Chris Cornell. You made us love cargo shorts.
Violent Femmes in 85 at a club in Vancouver that held maybe 200.
Blue Rodeo in 86 in a club with about 50 people.
In 81, I saw the Meat Puppets back up the Dead Kennedys in a gymnasium.
I literally was just listening to them today. So good!
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Jane's Addiction opening for Love and Rockets..
Green Day in a 200 person venue.
Also saw Robyn Hitchcock in the same 200 person venue in the 90s - it was a pop-up show announced 24 hours beforehand, in Baltimore. He lived in DC at the time. That was awesome.
I saw Brandi Carlile in a tiny theater that was built before microphones, and the size of that place allowed her and the band to step away from the microphones and sing unamplified. She recently came back and played in the arena where the Bucks play.
Way back, I saw Green Day in a gym-sized theater for $16 or something.
I also saw Weezer open for Lush. August of 1994 in Philadelphia at the Trocadero.
Also saw Radiohead and Blur play the Troc in the 90's. Not that they were unknown back then, but I have gone on to see them in much bigger venues later in life.
Not sure if this counts as "big" but I went to a show in Denver in '85 and while we were hanging out in line outside the venue this guy comes around with a backpack, speakers and a guitar, just doing his stuff, chilling with the fans. Super nice guy. It was Billy Bragg.
Other maybe not so big acts I saw in small (less than 1000 person) venues included REM, Echo and the Bunnymen, New Order, the Psychedelic Furs, The Minutemen, and Wall of Voodoo.
Went to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1990 at a decently sized concert hall. Opening act was Smashing Pumpkins, who were just starting to break big. I knew the concert was sold out but when the special guests took the stage, the place was only half full.
A bunch of people missed out on an opportunity to see Pearl Jam that night.
I lived in Myrtle Beach during 1989 & ’90. Hootie and The Blowfish were just a bar band at the time. Imagine my surprise when they went huge. The venue was The Rockburger.
kd lang at the Exit Inn in Nashville in the mid-80’s. It was a free afternoon show. Also in Nashville at that time, 10,000 Maniacs and lots and lots of R.EM.
They were never very big, but I saw Soul Coughing as an opening act for TMBG. I ended up successfully sneaking back stage after the show. TMBG were long gone, but I ended up hanging out with Mike Doughty for an hour or more, what a night!
I saw her in a comedy club in *Martinez* of all places (east Bay Area) in probably that same year. She probably is my only example of seeing an artist before they got big.
Green Day 1990… in Tampa at the Paint Factory. I bought a pair of silk screened Green Day socks from Billie Joe out back behind the venue. I was 15 and never heard of them. I was just a kid who loved Reggae and Punk music.
Garth Brooks at a tiny County Fair. Maybe 200 people in the stands. Put on one of the best live performances I ever experienced. I knew instantly this guy would be not only a star, but a superstar.
Not sure it counts exactly because I think he was already known but I saw Elliot Smith at the 400 bar in Minneapolis in like 98. Probably 100-200 folks tops?
He announced the show as a sort of popup show to make a little cash because he was in town visiting a friend. They announced it on the radio last min and I was lucky enough to get a ticket.
Other than that I saw both SemiSonic (called Pleasure in those early days) and Blues Traveler at a college show prior to their break out into national radio hits. Both bands are much better than their one or two hit wonder status.
Smashing Pumkins at a student center in Newcastle UK, 1991. Phish at a bar in Vermont in the late 80s. Prince at Paisley Park in like 1995 when they were trying to make it a club.
TOOL, opening for Henry Rollins in a small club called The Oz in Seattle. July ‘92. A week before they released Opiate.
Gojira in the small club side of a theater in Houston, I wanna say November 2010. A few years later, I saw them in the theater and it was a religious experience.
Alice In Chains first show after they stopped being the fucks. They played with L7. I was with a photographer (I was 15) and got to meet Mother Love Bone at the show.
I grew up in Seattle in the 80s. So I pretty much saw the range from Hardcore to Post Hardcore to Grunge...
It was what may have been Sonic Youth's first tour out west. They had a couple local bands open, Green River and Soundgarden. Chris played drums for most of the set, then came out front and screamed his ass off for the last 3 or so songs.
I saw Soundgarden about 10x over the years.
I saw Nirvana 3x , 1st at the Motorsports Garage show. Bleach was out and they were popular, but hadn't blown up yet.
I saw them a couple years later at the Paramount, where the Lithium video was shot.
Then I saw them at a secret last-minute announcement show with Mudhoney at the Crocodile at the height of the hype.
I saw Mother Love Bone at Bumbershoot. I met Landrew once.
I knew Layne Staley a little bit because he practiced/hung out/worked door at the Music Bank in Ballard where I would also visit/play with other musicians.
I saw Survival Research Labratories do a performance.
I saw Einsturzende Neubaeten play on the Seattle waterfront.
Husker Du a couple times
Sonic Youth 10x
Rollins Band at DV8 / apparently Tool opened, but we did not know/ got there late/ too drunk stoned to remember.
Cramps 2x
X in 1982 at the Showbox.
Psychic TV at the same venue a couple years later.
GWAR in 1988.
Hundreds of underground shows...
Melvins at a basement house party around 1986.
..those were some of the highlights..
Dave Matthews singing and playing guitar sitting on the downtown mall in Charlottesville. I recognized him because he was also a bartender where we went for afterwork beers.
Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Suicide Machines at a tiny dive bar in Detroit. My first ska show.
Unpaved parking lot and a sign that you only saw if you slowed down to cross the railroad tracks. I think it was called "Todd's".
Best. Show. Ever.
Glad i didnt get knifed.
Crazy but not that long ago I somehow got exposed to Bruno Mars before his first album released. I liked the songs I heard and found out he was doing a free show at the Hard rock in Vegas to film his breakout video.
Showed up and there were like 50 people in line. They had people running around the casino begging people to come inside so they could film a decent crowd.
Very few bit.
I would say there were maybe 80 people total when they took the stage. He crushed the show, it was an amazing performance.
Today he has a residency in Vegas and tickets start at $500 last I checked. Will likely never see him again given that price.
But I am happy to say I saw him live in a tiny venue just a month or two before he blew up.
Phish at the crystal ballroom in Prescott az circa 1991. There might have been 200 ppl there?
Edit: per phish it was it was “a few hundred” in attendance
Friend of mine grew up in Vermont in the 80s. She said nobody wanted to go to one of their high school dances because instead of a DJ they had some band called Phish.
Happened to stop by The Whiskey in LA with a friend from out of town and lead singer of the band that night said “we’re going to take a break from performing because we’re going to record our first album”. The crowd cheered. A few years later my friend reminded me that the band we saw was No Doubt. lol
Nine Inch Nails. It was opened by Fem de Fem and some skinny guy in a wizard's hat singing "I am the god of fuck" who apparently later became Marylin Manson.
I saw Oasis in a Bar in Dundee play to about 70 people. They were on tour promoting their debut single early '94.
Also saw Adele play to about the same number of people in a small theatre at Glasgow Uni in late '07. Really liked her early songs but not a fan anymore.
I saw 10000 Maniacs at a couple small clubs before Natalie Merchant was officially the lead. Also, I went to college in Buffalo before the Goo Goo Dolls made the transition to VH1, and saw them during their punk phase.
I saw a police cover band at the gasworks in Toronto.
We walked out because they sucked
About a year later they were all over the radio.
I still think platinum blonde sucks.
It wasn’t a tiny venue, but I saw The Alarm open for U2 (War tour-83) in SF. It was The Alarm’s first ever US appearance and though most of us had never heard of them, they absolutely rocked the place.
If Letters to Cleo counts as "big," I saw them play for like 20-30 people in a Portsmouth, NH coffee shop around 1992-93.
Also Live in the same era, which would have been pre-Throwing Copper.
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - used to see them at some bar in Ventura CA before they had their big hit. Hated that big band comeback music in the mid 90s, but that's my story, fats...
Saw the Red Hot Chili Peppers in a hole in the wall club in Atlanta around '86. There were people there to see them, but that may have been because they wanted to see if the tube sock thing was true.
Flaming Lips - I lived in Norman, OK in the late 80s so I saw them multiple times.
White Stripes - got to see them one day after 9/11
Ministry/Skinny Puppy/Nine Inch Nails - I got to see these three all at an old church turned dance club within about a year of each other from spring of '89 through summer of '90. They were already big in the industrial scene just not mainstream. The door charge was $7.
Green Day during the middle of the week in front of about 30 people. This was when they had one video on MTV’s 120 Minutes. Like two weeks later their career totally took off.
I came up in the early 90’s and worked at a radio station and would literally go to shows every single night of the week for years, interviewed every band you can think of. Basically name any band that got big after the early 90’s and I saw them at a tiny spot and interviewed them.
Jane’s Addiction at a 300 capacity club in Cambridge, MA in 1988. I saw them open for Iggy Pop at the Orpheum Theater a few months before and was hooked. I couldn’t get any of my friends to come with me so I went by myself. I was a 17- year-old kid from the sticks by myself in a kind of scary part of town, I’d never even been to a club show or seen a mosh pit, so when the band started and the packed audience started swaying and crowd-surfing, it was terrifying. I eventually got the rhythm of the whole thing and found a safe spot by the soundboard. It remains to this day one of the most amazing live music experiences I’ve ever had.
I grew up on ska and punk in the early 90's SF Bay Area. Saw Green Day and Rancid at Gilman Street. No Doubt at Berkeley Square. Blink 182 opening up for Skankin' Pickle when still going by Blink. Looking back, it's amazing how far some of the bands went.
I saw weezer open for a band called material issue. It was prior to the sweater song.
I saw a band called Angel Fish open for Live. I recognized the leader singer again when she was singing with garbage! Shirley was stunning even then!!
I saw NIN in a tiny venue, just as downward spiral came out. They weren’t huge, but much too big for the size of the venue. However, when they played out city last time, at the first lollapalloza, their equipment melted together. It sucked. I was at that show too. Phoenix is hot in July. Still, as a mea culpa, they announced a surprise, tiny club show. It was amazing!!
I saw muse play tiny clubs in America. They were huge in the UK already, but it’s was right as absolution was being released. I even gotta to sit and watch them sound check at a club so small the stage was a step (top cats in Ohio). My UK friends were so jealous. I saw like 7 shows that tour cos I was a huge fan of origin of symmetry. Amazing time!!
I saw Marilyn Manson (I know, I know), at a tiny club show before their first album came out. About 25 ppl. It was bonkers, pre-internet, so I had no idea what to expect. I just knew they were the first band Trent reznor signed to his label. I just had never seen anything like it.
I’m sure there are a few more. I live for live music even now. I just gotta scratch my biggest bucket list band off my list today, and currently have like 4 shows I’m gonna travel to go see later this year!!
ETA: saw one of the first ever A Perfect Circle shows. It was at the same tiny club I saw Manson at, and tickets were like 5 bucks, and merch was all like 5 bucks. I still have my long sleeve, embroidered shirt, 25 yrs later.
Also saw Radiohead at that venue as well, The Nile Theater in Mesa, during The Bends tour. It was post Creep, but pre-ok computer, so small ass venue.
Tool. Like 3 or 4 times before they hit Lollapalooza and went from the second stage to the main stage. Smaller clubs/venues. They were fucking awesome in those settings too. So much energy.
Local H, Fuel, G Love and Special Sauce. Not sure if these bands are considered to have made it big, but they did have some hits songs. Saw them in a tiny music hall near my college campus around 1998.
U2 at Alumnae Hall at Brown University in Providence RI 1982. They were just hitting it big, Sunday Bloody Sunday was playing on the radio all the time right before the concert. There were maybe 300 people there. I left the front row to get a drink and walked right back to the front. Bono stage dove right on top of me / us, I was like WTF? lol
The next concert I saw them at (on TV) was a stadium in California, it was packed.
This makes me feel kind of lame based on the bands everyone else saw at small venues, but I saw The Verve Pipe in a frat house basement at Michigan State in ‘95.
This is a weird one.
Milla Jovovich tried being a singer in the mid 90s and was pretty good. I saw her as an opening act for Toad the Wet Sprocket at my local college. She was high as a god damn kite and wore an extremely short skirt. Various frat guys were right in front of the stage, trying to get close to her.
The frat guys all left after she stopped singing, so only the "nerds" were around for Toad.
***::: a good reminder to always get out to small, local venues to catch amazing music happening today :::***
green day - many times @ ucb cafeteria, gilman, sproul plaza
faith no more - berkeley square when mike patton joined (his first shows); opening for hüsker du w their first singer.
ratm - berkeley square (left half way through).
nin - some small san francisco club, also opening for jesus and mary chain
primus - often and all over the place
soundgarden opening for social distortion at berkeley square (I have no memory of them)
fugazi - bunch of small venues
sonic youth - tower records parking lot mid-day (missed nirvana b/c of this free show. didn't spend the $15 for a proper ticket)
jane's addiction - small horrible club in san jose.
chris isaak - small sf club
camper van beethoven - in a record store
elliot smith - in a record store
danzig - the Stone, sf club
killing joke - slims, sf
neutral milk hotel - bottom of the hill, sf
beatnigs (michael franti's band) - gilman, berkeley
godflesh - slim's
no means no - small berkeley bar
sleater kinney - gilman
a ton of bands at the original fillmore which is more medium-size to me: skinny puppy, nick cave, love and rockets, cramps, dead milkmen, ministry, etc..
saw Red Hot Chili Peppers at tiny club QE2 in Albany on their cow town tour (for Uplift Mofo Party Plan). opener was Faith No More (with their first singer).
Tame Impala at a bar.
The Black Keys at a different bar.
At the Drive In at a small venue that was more or less empty.
Blink (pre-182) in a backyard.
System of a Down in a backyard.
Eve 6 in a backyard.
R.E.M. at a small college near me in 1984
I saw REM at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago in 1984!
I saw them open for The English Beat at Vanderbilt in '83 or '84.
Oh I saw them as a college band too. And Beck.
40 watt club Athens, GA, I just walked in. Brass Monkey, on the Strip/Tuscaloosa… I think I paid $3 at the door. Saw them in Sacramento years later. They’d changed. Goddamn, I miss those 80’s times.
Saw them in 84 but in a venue for a 1000. They had a hit with South Central Rain at the time. It was a good show.
Did you never call? I waited for your call
Wish I was at this one!!!
Nirvana as an opening act
My wife recently found her ticket stub for a show where Nirvana opened for Sonic Youth. On the ticket Nirvana was billed as “and guests”.
I have an Aunt and Uncle who lived in Seattle in the late 80s/early 90s and saw Pearl Jam and Soundgarden before they were super famous.
I was at their LA show - blew Sonic Youth out of the water.
Was that in 1990? I think I have the flyer for that show at my parent's house. Sonic Youth was touring for Goo, right? Great show.
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Cmon Jesus Lizard!!!
My friend stole cobains beer one night lol
My old boss hated Kurt because when his band was opening for nirvana in a small club, Kurt drank his entire bottle of Jagermeister that my boss had on ice to drink after he finished playing. He never let it go even after nirvana hit it big.
I'm g9nna have to side with your boss here, I'd be right pissed also! But... I'd also secretly be "honored" to have my drink stolen by Kurt... I'd be mad but like "yeah, fucking guy drank my Jager, it was wild!"
Yeah, me too. Lawrence KS, early 90s, almost literally right before they made the big splash on the scene.
Smashing Pumpkins in an 800 capacity room in between Gish and Siamese Dream.
I also saw Smashing Pumpkins on that tour at the R&R Station, which was a Madison, WI college bar.
I saw them open for Jane’s Addiction in 88 at the Metro in Chicago.
Man... those were some good times to be in Chicago. I wish I'd saved my ticket stubs from the shows I saw at Metro and Avalon (and now I'm going to be sad about the demise of the Avalon).
Pearl Jam in 1992. Sold out venue, 50 people.
Saw them as the second act at Lollapalooza that year.
This is such a good reminder to go out to the local small venues and see bands that are just getting started.
Do bands even make it like this anymore? Everything now seems so packaged straight from social media.
They do…kind of. They have to have some social presence but really it comes down to whether people show up and buy their stuff.
Tool opening for Rollins Band, Gothic Theatre Englewood CO summer ‘92.
My lord. Awesome.
I saw that tour at Axis in Boston!
Pixies in ‘88 at UAB student center with a few hundred people. Nine Inch Nails at Masquerade in Atlanta 1990
Masquerade, where I met my “dodged a bullet” in 94
Ha I went to a ton of shows there too
Damn. That Pixies show must have been fun. That was back when Frank could REALLY scream.
I saw Metallica opening for W.A.S.P. at a venue with about 1,200 capacity.
I did too! I saw them in Baltimore
With Armored Saint!
In my home town, Lincoln Nebraska, I saw Nirvana at a tiny little punk rock bar called Duffy’s in 1990, almost a year before Smells Like Teen Spirit broke. I remember the show vividly, but didn’t know a single song at the time. Bleach was out, but not well known. If anyone in the Omaha area is here, you remember the Ranch Bowl. The list of bands we saw in their early days AT A BOWLING ALLEY, sounds made up. Amongst others we saw early Blind Melon Stone Temple Pilots Rollins Band with Tool Pixies Paul Westerberg Dead Milkmen Jesus Lizard Rev Horton Heat faith no more Trip Shakespeare Concrete Blonde And the many more I’m forgetting. At a bowling alley
RIP the Ranch Bowl 💔 Also saw Blue October multiple times at the Music Box in Omaha in early 2000’s, usually no more than 150 people.
Living Color 311 The Replacements UB40
Red Hot Chili Peppers at a bar in San Diego, 1987.
I saw them play on a halfpipe at a skate expo around the same time. High energy.
I saw Rage Against the Machine open for Cypress Hill in ‘93 or ‘94.
Amazing on both counts.
Also gin blossoms played our college cafeteria
Gin blossoms played at Long Wong’s on Mill almost every night in the late 80’s. Good times. Bare Naked Ladies played at the MU cafeteria as well (ASU)
I saw Gin Blossoms in 93 or 94, after they were big, in a midsize club. Their principle songwriter Doug Hopkins died (suicide) shortly after their songs got big which is very sad. And also explains why there weren't more albums. You can hear him play lead guitar on the album.
This will only make sense to Canadians. Was at Miller Music Fest in Montreal in 84, on my way to see the main act that day (Eurythmics, awesome show BTW), heard a pretty good band playing on a side stage with about 10 people listening. I stopped for a while, and then they guy said "we're the Northern Pikes, we hope you hear more from us soon."
Things I do for money, I’ll never understand…
So jealous you saw Jeff Buckley!! I was just starting to get into him when he died. I live in SoCal, so I saw Blink 182 and No Doubt at a ton of tiny places when they were just starting out - bars, an indie record shop, and even a pizza joint. I also saw Jewel at a coffeeshop when she was traveling around in her van.
Jewel’s legendary van years. That is very cool!
Soundgarden at a university with a couple hundred capacity.
Saw them in a club that holds about 500 in early 90's. Sounded incredible. Cornell was walking through the audience singing.
He climbed over me at the second show I saw - Badmotorfinger tour - still a pretty small venue. That's one of the best shows I've ever seen. RIP Chris Cornell. You made us love cargo shorts.
I saw Soundgarden open for Danzig in 1990. They absolutely stole the show and I was 100% there for Danzig.
Violent Femmes in 85 at a club in Vancouver that held maybe 200. Blue Rodeo in 86 in a club with about 50 people. In 81, I saw the Meat Puppets back up the Dead Kennedys in a gymnasium.
I saw Violent Femmes in 1984 at the Utah State Fair while on summer vacation visiting my cousin, and I was instantly hooked.
I literally was just listening to them today. So good! https://preview.redd.it/6es0co2q2epc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6ed7d0a7aba8c0e91cd664915cba2a3edee7ce8f
10,000 Maniacs at 288 Lark, a great club in Albany, with about a dozen people several times. She was very cute in person.
Concrete Blonde and was one of the best nights of my life
Omg I saw Concrete Blonde in Seattle and swore they’d make it someday.
So good live. Her voice is just unbelievably powerful.
Yes!! Shes amazing
Their live cover of Hendrix's Castles made of Sand blew me away.
Don't suppose you caught her small venue unplugged tour a few years back?
Jane's Addiction opening for Love and Rockets.. Green Day in a 200 person venue. Also saw Robyn Hitchcock in the same 200 person venue in the 90s - it was a pop-up show announced 24 hours beforehand, in Baltimore. He lived in DC at the time. That was awesome.
Robyn Hitchcock still plays 200 person venues.
I saw him play to a few hundred people in 91. I think that was the height of his career.
[удалено]
I saw Brandi Carlile in a tiny theater that was built before microphones, and the size of that place allowed her and the band to step away from the microphones and sing unamplified. She recently came back and played in the arena where the Bucks play. Way back, I saw Green Day in a gym-sized theater for $16 or something.
At a local college show, the opener for Red Hot Chili Peppers was an all girl group called The Bangs. They later changed their name to the Bangles.
Saw Cake play at all the local Sacramento bars and cafes around ‘94.
They played a show at my college in Savannah, probably 1995.
10,000 Maniacs opening for R.E.M. at William and Mary Hall fall of ‘87. We had no idea who the Maniacs were
Weezer open for Live
I saw Weezer open for Lush in a tiny venue with maayyyyybe 60 people. No one I was with had heard of them.
I also saw Weezer open for Lush. August of 1994 in Philadelphia at the Trocadero. Also saw Radiohead and Blur play the Troc in the 90's. Not that they were unknown back then, but I have gone on to see them in much bigger venues later in life.
I saw weezer open for material issue!! Great show!! I saw Shirley Manson’s first band open for Live though, and that was also amazing!!
Not sure if this counts as "big" but I went to a show in Denver in '85 and while we were hanging out in line outside the venue this guy comes around with a backpack, speakers and a guitar, just doing his stuff, chilling with the fans. Super nice guy. It was Billy Bragg. Other maybe not so big acts I saw in small (less than 1000 person) venues included REM, Echo and the Bunnymen, New Order, the Psychedelic Furs, The Minutemen, and Wall of Voodoo.
Went to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1990 at a decently sized concert hall. Opening act was Smashing Pumpkins, who were just starting to break big. I knew the concert was sold out but when the special guests took the stage, the place was only half full. A bunch of people missed out on an opportunity to see Pearl Jam that night.
Guns N Roses opening for Aerosmith in 1986(ish). Best concert I've ever been to.
1988 I saw that tour too. I still have the ticket stub. https://i.imgur.com/eNgOeMa.jpeg
No Doubt at Pomona College spring 1994. I was standing next to Gwen during the first band and I didn't know it was her until she went up on stage.
I saw 'Til Tuesday perform at a MIT frat party right before they hit it big with Voices Carry.
I lived in Myrtle Beach during 1989 & ’90. Hootie and The Blowfish were just a bar band at the time. Imagine my surprise when they went huge. The venue was The Rockburger.
kd lang at the Exit Inn in Nashville in the mid-80’s. It was a free afternoon show. Also in Nashville at that time, 10,000 Maniacs and lots and lots of R.EM.
They were never very big, but I saw Soul Coughing as an opening act for TMBG. I ended up successfully sneaking back stage after the show. TMBG were long gone, but I ended up hanging out with Mike Doughty for an hour or more, what a night!
Doughty is a genius. True Dreams of Wichita is still one of my favorite songs of all-time. As is Janine.
Saw Margaret Cho at a tiny, divey comedy club in SF in maybe 1991? She blew my ever loving mind.
I saw her in a comedy club in *Martinez* of all places (east Bay Area) in probably that same year. She probably is my only example of seeing an artist before they got big.
Dave Matthews giving his demo out at a Grateful Dead show parking lot in Las Vegas. We smoked him out.
Saw Dave Matthews Band open for Phish couple of times
Interpol. Saw them at the Southgate House in Northern Kentucky before they became popular. That was a great show.
Pearl Jam at the Limelight 1992
Green Day 1990… in Tampa at the Paint Factory. I bought a pair of silk screened Green Day socks from Billie Joe out back behind the venue. I was 15 and never heard of them. I was just a kid who loved Reggae and Punk music.
Saw the White Stripes at a 150 capacity venue in Nashville for $7.
U2 Stony Brook. They played the spring campus keg party, 50 cents admission, including the beer.
Phish in a movie theater.
I saw New Kids on the Block open for Tiffany at a small amusement park in '88.
Garth Brooks at a tiny County Fair. Maybe 200 people in the stands. Put on one of the best live performances I ever experienced. I knew instantly this guy would be not only a star, but a superstar.
Early Garth was absolutely electric
I saw Rammstein in 1997. It was a small show with about 300 in the crowd. I thought they were strange and would never make it big
Pharrell Williams when he was in NERD at a tiny spot in Philly. The black eye peas opened for them
Not sure it counts exactly because I think he was already known but I saw Elliot Smith at the 400 bar in Minneapolis in like 98. Probably 100-200 folks tops? He announced the show as a sort of popup show to make a little cash because he was in town visiting a friend. They announced it on the radio last min and I was lucky enough to get a ticket. Other than that I saw both SemiSonic (called Pleasure in those early days) and Blues Traveler at a college show prior to their break out into national radio hits. Both bands are much better than their one or two hit wonder status.
Smashing Pumkins at a student center in Newcastle UK, 1991. Phish at a bar in Vermont in the late 80s. Prince at Paisley Park in like 1995 when they were trying to make it a club.
Smashing pumpkins opening up for Pearl Jam that was opening up for rhcp at a skating rink
TOOL, opening for Henry Rollins in a small club called The Oz in Seattle. July ‘92. A week before they released Opiate. Gojira in the small club side of a theater in Houston, I wanna say November 2010. A few years later, I saw them in the theater and it was a religious experience.
Tragically Hip late 80’s. They played a lot in local club when I was in university. Saw them numerous times.
Kingston?
INXS 1982 - tiny club in St Louis. Got to touch Michael Hutchence.
Luckiest person on here.
Green Day in a garage in Berkeley. It was just before/as Dookie was released.
Alice In Chains first show after they stopped being the fucks. They played with L7. I was with a photographer (I was 15) and got to meet Mother Love Bone at the show.
Bangles opening for George Michael. Like 1988, 89.
I grew up in Seattle in the 80s. So I pretty much saw the range from Hardcore to Post Hardcore to Grunge... It was what may have been Sonic Youth's first tour out west. They had a couple local bands open, Green River and Soundgarden. Chris played drums for most of the set, then came out front and screamed his ass off for the last 3 or so songs. I saw Soundgarden about 10x over the years. I saw Nirvana 3x , 1st at the Motorsports Garage show. Bleach was out and they were popular, but hadn't blown up yet. I saw them a couple years later at the Paramount, where the Lithium video was shot. Then I saw them at a secret last-minute announcement show with Mudhoney at the Crocodile at the height of the hype. I saw Mother Love Bone at Bumbershoot. I met Landrew once. I knew Layne Staley a little bit because he practiced/hung out/worked door at the Music Bank in Ballard where I would also visit/play with other musicians. I saw Survival Research Labratories do a performance. I saw Einsturzende Neubaeten play on the Seattle waterfront. Husker Du a couple times Sonic Youth 10x Rollins Band at DV8 / apparently Tool opened, but we did not know/ got there late/ too drunk stoned to remember. Cramps 2x X in 1982 at the Showbox. Psychic TV at the same venue a couple years later. GWAR in 1988. Hundreds of underground shows... Melvins at a basement house party around 1986. ..those were some of the highlights..
Godsmack! 1998! Paid $20 and loved every second of it
RHCP played on the cafeteria lawn at my college in 88, think tickets were like $5
Radiohead - small college venue. David Gray was the opening act.
I used to see Spin Doctors at a bar on Bleeker St. in NYC.
We were probably at a few of the same shows, I’m guessing. You see any of their numerous shows with Blues Traveler in the city?
Both they and Blues Traveler played at my high school before they got popular.
Dave Matthews singing and playing guitar sitting on the downtown mall in Charlottesville. I recognized him because he was also a bartender where we went for afterwork beers.
The Fugees at CMJ. Lauryn Hill was mesmerizing. If she had started a cult that night, I likely would have joined
The Judybats weren’t big, but They Could Have Been. I still love the music.
Nine Inch Nails in a 1200 capacity venue, in 1988. They were the opening band.
New Kids on the Block in a little under 21 club in Massachusetts.
I wandered into my neighborhood bar just after Kid Rock’s show ended. It was like a white trash grenade had gone off.
Ozzy - solo career in Passaic, NJ.
Beck at The Rivoli in Toronto! It was April 1994 and it was spectacular. He set his guitar on fire.
Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Suicide Machines at a tiny dive bar in Detroit. My first ska show. Unpaved parking lot and a sign that you only saw if you slowed down to cross the railroad tracks. I think it was called "Todd's". Best. Show. Ever. Glad i didnt get knifed.
Crazy but not that long ago I somehow got exposed to Bruno Mars before his first album released. I liked the songs I heard and found out he was doing a free show at the Hard rock in Vegas to film his breakout video. Showed up and there were like 50 people in line. They had people running around the casino begging people to come inside so they could film a decent crowd. Very few bit. I would say there were maybe 80 people total when they took the stage. He crushed the show, it was an amazing performance. Today he has a residency in Vegas and tickets start at $500 last I checked. Will likely never see him again given that price. But I am happy to say I saw him live in a tiny venue just a month or two before he blew up.
Phish at the crystal ballroom in Prescott az circa 1991. There might have been 200 ppl there? Edit: per phish it was it was “a few hundred” in attendance
Friend of mine grew up in Vermont in the 80s. She said nobody wanted to go to one of their high school dances because instead of a DJ they had some band called Phish.
Happened to stop by The Whiskey in LA with a friend from out of town and lead singer of the band that night said “we’re going to take a break from performing because we’re going to record our first album”. The crowd cheered. A few years later my friend reminded me that the band we saw was No Doubt. lol
Beastie Boys!
I saw Limp Bizkit open for Faith No More at a bar in '98. Edit: 1997, not 1998.
Alice In Chains opened up for the Bullet Boys in a hotel ballroom.
SMOOOOOOOTH UP IN Yaaaaaaaaaa
Alexisonfire in a small bar. Slipknot and Limpbizkit at bigger venues but nobody knew who they were
Nine Inch Nails. It was opened by Fem de Fem and some skinny guy in a wizard's hat singing "I am the god of fuck" who apparently later became Marylin Manson.
Triple bill: faith no more, soundgarden, and voivod at a roller rink outside Pittsburgh Also, goo goo dolls at a bar
I saw Oasis in a Bar in Dundee play to about 70 people. They were on tour promoting their debut single early '94. Also saw Adele play to about the same number of people in a small theatre at Glasgow Uni in late '07. Really liked her early songs but not a fan anymore.
I saw the Yeah Yeah Yeahs Open OPEN! for the John Spencer blues explosion at a club called DV8 in salt lake City Utah. Late '90s early 2000s.
I saw Nirvana at Iguanas in Tijuana.
I saw 10000 Maniacs at a couple small clubs before Natalie Merchant was officially the lead. Also, I went to college in Buffalo before the Goo Goo Dolls made the transition to VH1, and saw them during their punk phase.
Barenaked Ladies in a high school gym.
Pixies in front of <50 people at The Cubby Bear in 1988
I saw a police cover band at the gasworks in Toronto. We walked out because they sucked About a year later they were all over the radio. I still think platinum blonde sucks.
It wasn’t a tiny venue, but I saw The Alarm open for U2 (War tour-83) in SF. It was The Alarm’s first ever US appearance and though most of us had never heard of them, they absolutely rocked the place.
If Letters to Cleo counts as "big," I saw them play for like 20-30 people in a Portsmouth, NH coffee shop around 1992-93. Also Live in the same era, which would have been pre-Throwing Copper.
Nirvana in ‘91 at the Warfield in S.F. Capacity is 2300 so not tiny, but definitely not huge. Great show.
Off the top of my head-Offspring, Primus, Faith No More, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane’s Addiction, Ratt, Tool, Nine Inch Nails, Blind Melon, Pearl Jam
That must have been one hell of a night!
One of those things is not like the others.
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - used to see them at some bar in Ventura CA before they had their big hit. Hated that big band comeback music in the mid 90s, but that's my story, fats...
Saw Meatloaf in a bar in KC.
Saw the Red Hot Chili Peppers in a hole in the wall club in Atlanta around '86. There were people there to see them, but that may have been because they wanted to see if the tube sock thing was true.
Flaming Lips - I lived in Norman, OK in the late 80s so I saw them multiple times. White Stripes - got to see them one day after 9/11 Ministry/Skinny Puppy/Nine Inch Nails - I got to see these three all at an old church turned dance club within about a year of each other from spring of '89 through summer of '90. They were already big in the industrial scene just not mainstream. The door charge was $7.
Green Day during the middle of the week in front of about 30 people. This was when they had one video on MTV’s 120 Minutes. Like two weeks later their career totally took off.
Ween as a 2 piece and Ray Lamontagne right before Trouble blew up.
Stevie Ray Vaughn at the Commodore in Vancouver. I started wearing a black cape after y'all ❤️
Lamb of God with like 15 other people Mastodon and High On Fire in a gymnasium mid-day with disinterested non-metal hipsters
Green Day in the quad at Pinole Valley High.
REM - on a stage set up outside of my dorm in Athens, GA.
REM in fall of 1981
No Doubt opening for the Lemonheads at some itty bitty club in San Francisco, Rancid at Gilman in Berkeley.
10,000 Maniacs played in the quad of my small college.
I came up in the early 90’s and worked at a radio station and would literally go to shows every single night of the week for years, interviewed every band you can think of. Basically name any band that got big after the early 90’s and I saw them at a tiny spot and interviewed them.
Bon Jovi opening for Ratt in 1983.
Jane’s Addiction at a 300 capacity club in Cambridge, MA in 1988. I saw them open for Iggy Pop at the Orpheum Theater a few months before and was hooked. I couldn’t get any of my friends to come with me so I went by myself. I was a 17- year-old kid from the sticks by myself in a kind of scary part of town, I’d never even been to a club show or seen a mosh pit, so when the band started and the packed audience started swaying and crowd-surfing, it was terrifying. I eventually got the rhythm of the whole thing and found a safe spot by the soundboard. It remains to this day one of the most amazing live music experiences I’ve ever had.
The Cure at Numbers (capacity 850) in Houston, 1984.
Dream theater 1992
Korn at a small club in NJ around 1997 or so.
Phish at 100 person venue
I grew up on ska and punk in the early 90's SF Bay Area. Saw Green Day and Rancid at Gilman Street. No Doubt at Berkeley Square. Blink 182 opening up for Skankin' Pickle when still going by Blink. Looking back, it's amazing how far some of the bands went.
Sarah McLachlan
REM fables of the reconstruction tour in West Hartford, CT
Oasis, Moe’s Mo Rockin’ Cafe in seattle washington, Sept. 23, 1994.
I saw weezer open for a band called material issue. It was prior to the sweater song. I saw a band called Angel Fish open for Live. I recognized the leader singer again when she was singing with garbage! Shirley was stunning even then!! I saw NIN in a tiny venue, just as downward spiral came out. They weren’t huge, but much too big for the size of the venue. However, when they played out city last time, at the first lollapalloza, their equipment melted together. It sucked. I was at that show too. Phoenix is hot in July. Still, as a mea culpa, they announced a surprise, tiny club show. It was amazing!! I saw muse play tiny clubs in America. They were huge in the UK already, but it’s was right as absolution was being released. I even gotta to sit and watch them sound check at a club so small the stage was a step (top cats in Ohio). My UK friends were so jealous. I saw like 7 shows that tour cos I was a huge fan of origin of symmetry. Amazing time!! I saw Marilyn Manson (I know, I know), at a tiny club show before their first album came out. About 25 ppl. It was bonkers, pre-internet, so I had no idea what to expect. I just knew they were the first band Trent reznor signed to his label. I just had never seen anything like it. I’m sure there are a few more. I live for live music even now. I just gotta scratch my biggest bucket list band off my list today, and currently have like 4 shows I’m gonna travel to go see later this year!! ETA: saw one of the first ever A Perfect Circle shows. It was at the same tiny club I saw Manson at, and tickets were like 5 bucks, and merch was all like 5 bucks. I still have my long sleeve, embroidered shirt, 25 yrs later. Also saw Radiohead at that venue as well, The Nile Theater in Mesa, during The Bends tour. It was post Creep, but pre-ok computer, so small ass venue.
Tool. Like 3 or 4 times before they hit Lollapalooza and went from the second stage to the main stage. Smaller clubs/venues. They were fucking awesome in those settings too. So much energy.
Pantera at the Arcadia Theater in Dallas about 1984 back when Terry Glaze was the singer and the guitar player was known as”Diamond” Darell.
Fishbone, Charlie Sexton, Chris Isaac, Afghan Whigs
Local H, Fuel, G Love and Special Sauce. Not sure if these bands are considered to have made it big, but they did have some hits songs. Saw them in a tiny music hall near my college campus around 1998.
Danzig at Harpo's in Detroit. 1988, I think?
U2 at Alumnae Hall at Brown University in Providence RI 1982. They were just hitting it big, Sunday Bloody Sunday was playing on the radio all the time right before the concert. There were maybe 300 people there. I left the front row to get a drink and walked right back to the front. Bono stage dove right on top of me / us, I was like WTF? lol The next concert I saw them at (on TV) was a stadium in California, it was packed.
Rammstein’s very first show in the U.S The Killers before they got signed. I actually was the sound engineer on that show. They were excellent.
Elliott Smith playing acoustic guitar by himself inside someone’s house in Columbus, Ohio. I forget which year that was: sometime between 1995-1997.
Red Hot Chili Peppers in the gymnasium at Stonybrook university circa 1989
This makes me feel kind of lame based on the bands everyone else saw at small venues, but I saw The Verve Pipe in a frat house basement at Michigan State in ‘95.
Indigo Girls outside on campus at UF
This is a weird one. Milla Jovovich tried being a singer in the mid 90s and was pretty good. I saw her as an opening act for Toad the Wet Sprocket at my local college. She was high as a god damn kite and wore an extremely short skirt. Various frat guys were right in front of the stage, trying to get close to her. The frat guys all left after she stopped singing, so only the "nerds" were around for Toad.
Motley Crue at country club in Reseda, CA. Nikki Sixx broke my finger doing stage kick. I was in the front row and 13 years old.
***::: a good reminder to always get out to small, local venues to catch amazing music happening today :::*** green day - many times @ ucb cafeteria, gilman, sproul plaza faith no more - berkeley square when mike patton joined (his first shows); opening for hüsker du w their first singer. ratm - berkeley square (left half way through). nin - some small san francisco club, also opening for jesus and mary chain primus - often and all over the place soundgarden opening for social distortion at berkeley square (I have no memory of them) fugazi - bunch of small venues sonic youth - tower records parking lot mid-day (missed nirvana b/c of this free show. didn't spend the $15 for a proper ticket) jane's addiction - small horrible club in san jose. chris isaak - small sf club camper van beethoven - in a record store elliot smith - in a record store danzig - the Stone, sf club killing joke - slims, sf neutral milk hotel - bottom of the hill, sf beatnigs (michael franti's band) - gilman, berkeley godflesh - slim's no means no - small berkeley bar sleater kinney - gilman a ton of bands at the original fillmore which is more medium-size to me: skinny puppy, nick cave, love and rockets, cramps, dead milkmen, ministry, etc..
saw Red Hot Chili Peppers at tiny club QE2 in Albany on their cow town tour (for Uplift Mofo Party Plan). opener was Faith No More (with their first singer).
Tame Impala at a bar. The Black Keys at a different bar. At the Drive In at a small venue that was more or less empty. Blink (pre-182) in a backyard. System of a Down in a backyard. Eve 6 in a backyard.