First Concert?

Chicago at the Iowa State Fair. Either 1974 or 1975. Last night of the fair. Good show, but at the end/encore the skies let loose. Being my first concert I really didn't know that encores were normal, so we left at the end of the regular concert and beat getting soaked to the bones.

Best concert may have been Elvis Costello at the DSM Civic Center in support of his Imperial Bedroom album (1983?). Truly amazing and the crowd was into it. He even commented a few days later on his Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder interview how outstanding the Des Moines audience was.

Second would be Paul McCartney in Chicago 2002 (seen him 8 times, including at the Royal Albert Hall) but this was somehow the best. Tributes to John, then George, then Linda was especially moving.

I was at the same concert! They played 25 or 6 to 4 for the encore and when Peter Cetera sang "flashing lights against the sky" a bolt of lightning cracked right by the grandstand. I stood there with my mouth wide open.
 
I made my poor dad take me to see Kiss in '79 or '80 in CR. That was my first concert. Opening act was some guy nobody had ever heard of. Went by the name of John Cougar.
 
I made my poor dad take me to see Kiss in '79 or '80 in CR. That was my first concert. Opening act was some guy nobody had ever heard of. Went by the name of John Cougar.

I saw the same concert except in Omaha.

I also saw Cheap Trick at the Omaha Civic Auditorium. They had some Australian band named AC/DC open.
 
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Saw Dylan at the state fair... Worse concert I've ever been to and I've been to a lot.
I have seen Bob 4-5 times, including that state fair show (1990 or so with GE Smith leading his band?). You take what he gives you. Only one of those times was he "on" and he was just fantastic -- some theater in northern Indiana, the Starplex or something.
 
I was at the same concert! They played 25 or 6 to 4 for the encore and when Peter Cetera sang "flashing lights against the sky" a bolt of lightning cracked right by the grandstand. I stood there with my mouth wide open.

Chicago came through Seattle on that tour...great concert!
 
First concert VanHalen (Dave) 1979 Five Seasons in Cedar Rapids. I was in 7th grade had no idea who they were. Buddies Mom drove us in their 1972 Monte Carlo.

Saw Don Henley outdoors in Vegas 2 years ago. Dude still has it. Great night.
 
I was also at that Weezer concert. If I remember right that was right when Say it aint so had just came out. Good times!

No, Say It Ain't So would have been out in '94. This was after they had broken up, gotten back together and just released a couple of "comeback" albums (Green album and Maladroit). I was pretty obsessed with Weezer at that point in time, but no longer have much interest in anything but their first two albums. Hell of a good time though.

OAR at Stephen's in 2005 may have been one of the most fun concerts I've ever attended. Not necessarily greatest, but a lot of fun.
 
Sister took me and a friend to see the Beach Boys in Sioux City for my 13th birthday. They had sand all over the floor and there were bikinis galore. Helluva present for a 13 year old boy.

Best live bands I've seen were Flogging Molly and 311, both in smaller venues. AC/DC, Kiss, Pink Floyd, U2, and the original Lollapalooza lineup all were great stadium shows. Dropkick Murphy's put on an insanely fun show.

The loudest thing I ever heard at a concert were the cannons that fired during AC/DC's For Those about to Rock. I honestly could not hear anything out of my left ear for about two hours. Was a little freaked out.
 
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Around 1980, I was 12, and my brother offered to take me to any concert that came to Ames. Springsteen came to town, and I loved Springsteen, but what if someone better came through? I couldn't make that mistake. Finally, my brother got tired of waiting for me, and when Loverboy/Donnie Iris came to Ames, he took me to that. I traded Springsteen for Loverboy!
Best concerts - Jimmy Buffett at Red Rocks in '87. Beat Farmers at Peoples in '90 or '91. They stopped playing when someone in the crowd threw beer at the lead singer, only to make fun of him throwing like a girl.
 
Saw Incubus at Val Air when I was 14. That was right after Make Yourself came out. Sad to see how far they've fallen off since then.
 
I have seen Bob 4-5 times, including that state fair show (1990 or so with GE Smith leading his band?). You take what he gives you. Only one of those times was he "on" and he was just fantastic -- some theater in northern Indiana, the Starplex or something.

Yeah, I saw him at Principal Park several years back when he did a tour of minor league ballparks with Willie Nelson. He after Willie and I would estimate less than half of the crowd stuck around for the whole set. He spent the entire set situated on the far side of the stage dicking around on a keyboard.
 
Saw Dylan at the state fair... Worse concert I've ever been to and I've been to a lot.

I was at that show too, and it was awful. One of the top 2 most dissappointing concerts I've every been too.
 
R.E.M at Hilton in 1990

Some of you guys make me jealous Im not older than I am.
 
Not sure on the year but it was Alabama at the Jones county fair.

Other great one's I have been to have been Brooks & Dunn, Lady Antebellum, Brad Paisley (all at the Jones County Fair), Styx (Ragbrai) and The Eagles (iWireless Center or whatever it is called these days). Going to see Lady A again here in a couple weeks, would LOVE to see Garth or Zac Brown Band.

THATS MY FAIR!!!!
 
I saw Dylan again this past summer and he was terrible. Fortunately My Morning Jacket and Wilco opened for Dylan. I'll never pay to see Dylan again if given the opportunity.
 

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