Brushes with rock fame

[scottcsmith]

So, what rock band were you hip to before they made it big? Anyone here actually know the musicians in the months/years before they became nationally famous? I have not had that experience, but I had a sort of related experience: back in '88 or '89, when I was stationed at Pearl Harbor, there was a sign up for a musical act performing at the enlisted club, a singer named Paula Abdul. Of course, I had no idea who the hell she was, so I didn't attend the show. I doubt very many people did.

[Donkeyboy75]

Dave Matthews Band

They used to open for Phish about 11 years ago. They played some good shows.

I hate DMB now, though.

[Donkeyboy75]

1. Delete - double post

[bloodyjack]

2. h'm

i doubt very many would attend now too :P

Paula Ab-who? oh, to be a pop sensation! a blip on fame's radar.

one time i saw the power forward for the houston rockets at a gas station. this was before he was traded . . . kenny smith, anyone?

well it was very exciting! he drove a black benz . . . c-class, judging by the body. i bet he bought SO MUCH GASOLINE

[democracyindanger]

3. Sleater-Kinney and Elliot Smith

Worked with one at a 9-5, went to high school with the other.

[bloodyjack]

4. wow. elliott smith?

what a talent the fellow was. that voice! that skill!

[democracyindanger]

5. Yeah

Very much like you'd expect him to be: Very quiet, very cool in an unassuming way. There was always some confusion whether it was "Elliot" or "Sam." Bummed me out when I heard about his death.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

6. Met Stevie Ray Vaughan in a HoJo's...

in Pittsburgh. A buddy of mine and I were going to the Civic Arena to see the Pretenders on their "Get Close" tour in 1986. Unfortunately, when we got to the Arena, we found out the show was canceled (I found out later that their sound man had died). We had been hearing ads that SRV was playing on the Pitt campus. So we stopped at a HoJo's near campus to ask directions, and this little guy with a huge hat walked up to the register to pay his check. My friend and I simultaneously turned and said "Hey! You're Stevie Ray Vaughan!" We chatted for a bit and we told him our predicament and that we were going to get tickets for his show. As he was leaving he said, "See you at the show!"

[democracyindanger]

8. SRV

You can have your Claptons, your Eric Johnson and Steve Vais, but SRV was the SH-T.

[latebloomer]

7. Got an invitation to hang with Springsteen

right before he made it, in 1973 I think. I was waitressing in Boston, next door to a club where he was playing. My fellow waitress told me she had met a guy named Clarence the night before at the restaurant, and he had told her to come down the next night, hang with the band, bring a friend. I declined--I had never heard of them and I had a boyfriend. Many's the time I have kicked myself for that.

Let's see, what else-- saw Aerosmith perform at lunchtime at my college's outdoor plaza (Boston University, early 70s.) I thought, re Steven Tyler, "Who's this little snot who thinks he's Mick Jagger?" Later my roommate dated Joe Perry, and then my ex-boyfriend's ex-wife married him.

Not exactly a rocker, but I went to high school with, and hung out some with Phoebe Snow.

Also, through afore-mentioned b/f (Willie "Loco" Alexander, founder of the punk rock scene in Boston) I met Peter Wolf of the J. Geils Band.

[Kat45]

11. Sounds like we were in the same place at the same time: 1973

I remember hearing a bit about Springsteen, and seeing an ad that he was playing at a club in Boston in Kenmore Square. My friends and I went to a club in Kenmore every weekend, and I was going to suggest we check that show out, but I never did suggest it. Not as exciting as what you're kicking yourself for, but I've been kicking myself for that one too.

And I saw Aerosmith play at the gym at Boston College. I remember Steven Tyler with his scarves.

You went out with Willie "Loco"? Cool! I loved his music; saw him play a number of times.

Never met Peter Wolf, but I can remember standing right next to him looking through bins of old records at record collectors conventions in Boston.

[latebloomer]

16. Sounds like we were!

I think we had this conversation about Willie Loco before, notmy prez! How cool that you've seen him. We recently corresponded after many years, through the miracle of the Internet-- he's married, alcohol-free, living in Gloucester, working in some kind of home for disabled children , I think-- and still writing and performing occasionally.

[TroubleMan]

9. She was famous then

but I guess it qualifies.

Salt from Salt N' Peppa flirted with me....

I didn't hook up though.

She performed at a club in DC, and I was friends with the owner. She stroked my chin during one of the songs, so I went to talk to her later after the show (being friends with the owner of a club is nice). She was friendy, even a little flirtatious, but she said she had to go and didn't hang out -- end of story.

...Guess my game wasn't tight enough :(

It was still a great experience.


Also, I was in jail with Sugar Shane Mosley in the same cell block. I didn't talk to him much, but he was pretty cool.

[OneBlueSky]

10. Springsteen and Billy Joel played at my college . . .

a year or two before anyone had heard of them . . . the year that Springsteen appeared on the covers of both Time and Newsweek, he decided to kick off the Born to Run tour at the small theater in this little upstate New York college town in the middle of the summer, when the place was deserted . . . just because he loved the theater . . . we went up for the show, and the place was packed . . . the word had gotten out, and the size of the town just mushroomed overnight . . . great show, great experience . . . this was during the times when no one bothered you if you toked up in the theater, and the place was one huge fog of pot smoke that night . . . ah, the good ole days . . . :)

[latebloomer]

17. I finally saw Springsteen at the Harvard Square Theater

in 73 or 74, just before his big rise. He actually was second-billing for Bonnie Raitt. He played for 3 hours-- he was absolutely amazing, I remember thinking he was a cross between Elvis, James Dean and a yound Marlon Brando-- of course, my perception was enhanced by some mind-expanding chemical. That was the night that Jon Landau wrote in his Boston Phoenix review- "I have seen rock and roll's future, and his name is Bruce Springsteen!"

Bonnie came on, very late, she was pretty drunk and probably wondering whether anyone still cared about her-- but she put on an excellent show as well.

[Redneck Socialist]

12. Saw Phish when they were playing clubs about the size...

...of your living room. Lotta fun.

I met Bela Fleck before he toured with Dave Mathews, but he was already pretty well known by that point.

[murielm99]

13. Let's see...I slept with...

oh, never mind.

[blondeatlast]

14. Went to see Adam and the Ants, the opening act was INXS,

who completely stole the show. A and the A's might just as well have not come on.

Concrete Blonde, Camper Van Beethoven, Fishbone, the Untouchables, all at a very intimate little club here in Phoenix. I got on a first name basis with Johnette Napolitano since I was there every time CB performed.

[ScreamingMeemie]

15. Bon Jovi, at Hart Plaza in Detroit...before they were catapaulted with

"Runaway". There was hardly anyone there. :hi:

[bif]

18. I knew the keyboard payer in Segar's band when he was in the Frost

Actually there were no original members of the local band Frost at the time. this was the mid 70's before the Silver Bullet Band was formed. Robin Robbins is his name.