Music What was the first concert you went to?

[Boots]

Feel free to also share the year, city, and what age you were.

When I was 16 my sister took me to see Matchbox 20 at the Palace of Auburn Hills (Michigan). I discovered long island ice teas that night and came home very drunk. I haven't listened to them in years. They demolished that stadium in 2020.

 

[Ryan!]

I was nine. My dad took us to see Charlie Daniels. It was a great show.

 

[Danny]

A band called Razorlight. I was 11 and loved indie rock.

 

[Disgustipated]

I was 17 and went to see Tool in august 2002 on their tour for Lateralus at the New Haven Coliseum. It was the last concert ever held there before it was permanently closed. Went with 3 of my high school friends and it was an awesome show!

 

[Nae'blis]

I was a late concert bloomer. My first concert was Iron Maiden, the Book of Souls World Tour, in 2016.

 

[Scott]

Muse, in Teignmouth when they did their Seaside Rendezvous shows back in 2009. £80 well spent.

 

[Mark]

Summer Sanitarium Tour 2000. July 4th, 2000. Powerman 5000, System of a Down, Kid Rock (when he was a rapper, not a Republicunt), Korn, and Metallica.

I went with my dad. His favorite band is Metallica, mine was Korn at the time. I always had a massive appreciation for the metal that came before me, but my dad gained an appreciation for all of the bands that played that day.

That was the first of many concerts over the years with him. Him and I used to get into quite a few shenanigans when we went to shows before I quit drinking. I’ve gotten to see Rush before Neil got cancer, Metallica several times, Steve Miller, Ted Nugent, Motley Crue around the last time they actually played live (ugh… they’re terrible live, but carried awesome bands to back them up on some tours), AC/DC in DC before they lost Malcolm, and tons of others from his era and into my own.

 

[Civil Disobedient]

Weirdly my first one was a full-blown 3-day music festival in England, where I got to see Rage Against The Machine, Deftones, Slipknot, Limp Bizkit, Foo Fighters, Muse, Blink 182... hugely formative experience.
The first band of that weekend were My Vitriol, so technically the first band I ever saw live.

 

[Payton]

My first concert was Killswitch Engage at the New Daisy in Memphis, 2006. A band I've never heard of before but killed it was 2Cents, and Bury Your Dead also opened for them I think. My dad took me and made friends with a couple of other old fogies there.

A few years later I played a show at that venue with my own band and felt like king shit.

 

[BigDaddy]

My first concert was Rush in 1997 (Test For Echo tour) at Sandstone Amphitheater in Bonner Springs, KS (Kansas City area). I was 11. My dad took my brother and me, and it was awesome. Rush is the band I have seen the most (around 13 times) and they were fantastic every time.

 

[Spiner202]

In 2007, my brother took me to see Black Label Society and Sanctity in Florida. I couldn't figure out how to put in my earplugs properly and left when BLS came on because it was way too loud

Many years later, and I'm still not a BLS fan. The first show featuring bands I liked was my 3rd concert, later that year, when I saw Heaven and Hell, Alice Cooper, and Queensryche in Hamilton. Though I had no idea who Heaven and Hell was at the time, but at least I got to see Dio and Tony Iommi, who I never got to see on any other occasion.

 

[shortkut]

Raffi when I was 5 or 6

Eric Clapton when I was 15 or 16

 

[VashTheStampede]

I was 17 and went to see Tool in august 2002 on their tour for Lateralus at the New Haven Coliseum. It was the last concert ever held there before it was permanently closed. Went with 3 of my high school friends and it was an awesome show!

This tour was also my first concert, when they were in Pensacola, Florida.

 

[Mark]

My first concert was Rush in 1997 (Test For Echo tour) at Sandstone Amphitheater in Bonner Springs, KS (Kansas City area). I was 11. My dad took my brother and me, and it was awesome. Rush is the band I have seen the most (around 13 times) and they were fantastic every time.

And every time, it’s just like “I Love You, Man”, I bet. I only got to see them once, before that movie, and it was a concert experience I’ll never forget. They put young bands to shame with their set durations, dude.

 

[BigDaddy]

And every time, it’s just like “I Love You, Man”, I bet. I only got to see them once, before that movie, and it was a concert experience I’ll never forget. They put young bands to shame with their set durations, dude.

Indeed, just like I Love You, Man (love that movie). I am glad you got to see them. You're right on the set durations, as one could never say they got shortchanged attending a Rush show.

Their performances were always top notch, and their sense of humor they injected into each show was icing on the cake. I enjoy their entire catalog, so it was always fun to see what deep cuts they would dust off for each tour.

 

[Mark]

Indeed, just like I Love You, Man (love that movie). I am glad you got to see them. You're right on the set durations, as one could never say they got shortchanged attending a Rush show.

Their performances were always top notch, and their sense of humor they injected into each show was icing on the cake. I enjoy their entire catalog, so it was always fun to see what deep cuts they would dust off for each tour.

This is from the tour I got to see them on. Alex is one of my favorite guitarists, so getting to see how he plays, even if the closest angle was from the screen was an experience. I’ve always appreciated unconventional guitarists, and he’s definitely in the top 5 for me.

 

[Fool's Requiem]

Back when I was a kid, we saw a Christian band called the Newsboys. That was my first official live concert experience.

First outside of that was Yellowcard at Summerfest in Milwaukee. I got to see them for free right at the height of their popularity because all of the paid stages were being used up by big names like Usher. And realistically, the only album they had to use "Ocean Avenue" because if they played anything from "One for the Kids", no one would have known any of the songs. It was also before "Lights and Sounds".

 

[Crystal]

When I was about 8 my dad wanted to go and watch ELO but he was "stuck" with the kids, so he dragged us with him...that was my first official concert. I wasn't an ELO fan, lol, it wasn't a great experience at 8.

 

[Fool's Requiem]

But Twilight is a great song.

 

[Crystal]

But Twilight is a great song.

Now when you're 8, lol. But yes, it is!

 

[kid_a]

If we're not talking kids musicians and local musician, then it was 311 & Jimmies Chicken Shack when I was 16 in Portland ME. There began a long history of concert goin'.

 

[Fire Queen]

first one i went to ever was Alabama when i was a kid

first one i went to where i actually wanted to go was when my dad took me to see the Roger Waters Dark Side of the Moon Live tour when i was 14

first one i went to without my dad was the Radiohead In Rainbows tour when i was 16! that one is probably the best one i’ve ever seen too especially since i have to memory hole the Yeezus show i saw

 

[Pun Damage]

First concert ever is probably the Alabama cover band that played at a beachside bar while I was out with my mom and her boyfriend in Virginia Beach. I think I was... 9 or 10.

First actual concert was a Christian music festival. I had to have been early teens, and it was a church function.

First secular concert was... I wanna say 2018? 2019? Blue October came to Omaha while I was living there.

 

[Tubby23]

I can't remember what year it was but it was Eminem at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne. Was an awesome show, he had Kendrick Lamar and Action Bronson as support acts.

 

[A Maybe Baker]

I was 17 and went to see Tool in august 2002 on their tour for Lateralus at the New Haven Coliseum. It was the last concert ever held there before it was permanently closed. Went with 3 of my high school friends and it was an awesome show!

I went to this one as well! In the Boston show though, not my first. I think it was my 3rd actually, with Ozzfest 2001 being my second.

Summer Sanitarium Tour 2000. July 4th, 2000. Powerman 5000, System of a Down, Kid Rock (when he was a rapper, not a Republicunt), Korn, and Metallica.

I went with my dad. His favorite band is Metallica, mine was Korn at the time. I always had a massive appreciation for the metal that came before me, but my dad gained an appreciation for all of the bands that played that day.

That was the first of many concerts over the years with him. Him and I used to get into quite a few shenanigans when we went to shows before I quit drinking. I’ve gotten to see Rush before Neil got cancer, Metallica several times, Steve Miller, Ted Nugent, Motley Crue around the last time they actually played live (ugh… they’re terrible live, but carried awesome bands to back them up on some tours), AC/DC in DC before they lost Malcolm, and tons of others from his era and into my own.

This was my first concert as well at Foxboro Stadium. I took tickets at the show and got in for free.

 

[Tirith]

Technically, "The Who" before I was even born.

Realistically, earliest I remember going to was Jefferson Starship, Triumph, Hall & Oates, and another classic rock outfit, I was like 4.

Most recent was Killswitch Engage, Parkway Drive, and After the Burial, but that was pre-covid. I wanted to see Motionless in White and In This Moment last week, but couldn't get off work.

There were MANY in between. First without the parents was Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace, Seether, Evanescence when I was 16. (Breaking Benjamin sucked live.)

 

[The Eye in the Sky!]

Missed this topic.

My first was Ozzfest in 2005 because Iron Maiden was the co-headliner. They played early years stuff only, mostly pre-Bruce Dickinson so it was cool.

I was a late bloomer to concerts as well. I still remember my dad forbidding my to go to a small local venue to see GreenDay/Blink182 split bill in 1999 because he thought I would start being a punk and smoking. One of the worst things I missed as a teenager, I loved both bands so much and now they're too expensive to see (Blink) and I don't like anything past 2004 (Green Day)

 

[Mark]

Missed this topic.

My first was Ozzfest in 2005 because Iron Maiden was the co-headliner. They played early years stuff only, mostly pre-Bruce Dickinson so it was cool.

I was a late bloomer to concerts as well. I still remember my dad forbidding my to go to a small local venue to see GreenDay/Blink182 split bill in 1999 because he thought I would start being a punk and smoking. One of the worst things I missed as a teenager, I loved both bands so much and now they're too expensive to see (Blink) and I don't like anything past 2004 (Green Day)

Man, those two bands would have been great to see in their prime, but I agree… neither have put anything good out since the early 00’s.

 

[Boots]

Speaking of missed concert opportunities, I almost saw Oasis in Detroit in 2004. Regrets.

 

[Crystal]

Speaking of missed concert opportunities, I almost saw Oasis in Detroit in 2004. Regrets.

Ouch, that's a tough miss!

 

[Quagmire]

I don't remember, I remember going to our local Music Hall around 16 to 18 seeing a few smaller bands that were fun for a live band but I don't remember their names, the first one I actually remember is going to see the Eagles when I was about 20 in cincinnati. It was an absolutely wonderful show

 

[Madden_07]

Oh man, my sister took me to see Reel Big Fish when I was 16. That was still one of the best shows I've been too, Ska has such a great energy live.

 

[A Maybe Baker]

Oh man, my sister took me to see Reel Big Fish when I was 16. That was still one of the best shows I've been too, Ska has such a great energy live.

I saw Less than Jake for free at UMass as part of the free concert series that's put on annually. Due to all the nonstop jumping my shoelaces were torn to shreds. Someone handed Chris (the lead singer) a nip of jager mid performance and he was like "holy shit free booze?" and took it immediately. The rest of the band got mad for not trying to share.

Also saw a RBF show that featured Suburban Legends as well. Ska is always crazy fun if you love to jump around like a sweaty idiot.


This was the exact song where my shoelaces bit the dust: