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Joe Bonamassa Forum → General Topics → Your 1st live Blues experiences
In the space of 5 months in 1972/73 I saw these bands in the Music Hall, Aberdeen :
Free
Rory Gallagher
Led Zeppelin
Respect!
Another six years before I hit the live venues.
Never got to see any of the above except Plant in his solo days.
Lester
BB King opening for the Rolling Stones - November (?), 1969 - my first concert. I also saw Buddy Rich a few times before this in a little club that had matinees on Sundays (thanks, Dad, for taking us) - but he was jazz.
Sandy
First live blues was at the first original Chicago fest I think that was 1977.Cant recall who played then.I they were known local bands at the time.
Then saw Muddy Waters at Northern Illinois University about 1979 or 80.
My first concert was at the old California State Fairgrounds in 1967....headline band was Buffalo Springfield with Quicksilver Messenger Service as an opener....but I guess my first blues would be Hendrix at Winterland in October 1968....we didn't consider him a blues artist in those days but more of a psychedelic rock genre....
Jealous !, and in my book Led Zeppelin definitely counts as a blues band
Led Zeppelin 1970 who at the time were a blues band albeit on Steroids.
Freddie King in 74
BB King in 75
My Dad took me to see BB King on March 18th, 1983 at the Stanley Theatre in Pittsburgh. I was 10 years old. Made a lasting impression on me I still have to this day. Not Blues related, but my Dad also took me to see Johnny cash that same year. My first 2 concerts. Pretty darn good start to my live music experiences.
Well, The Jimi Hendrix Experience was the first live act I saw in '67. He did play some blues. Pretty much the same set as Monterrey.
Baptism of fire? He lit his git with lighter fluid, then beat it to death. I'll never forget the death song of that Strat. The feedback induced wails, howls and screams as it hit the stage while flaming. There was no encore and no need since we were stupified. Seated in San Diego High School auditorium.
I ended up experienced for sure. 
Rick
Well, The Jimi Hendrix Experience was the first live act I saw in '67.
...
Rick
Experience Hendrix (note transposition: http://www.experiencehendrixtour.com) was my son's first show, that I took him to last spring. No flaming guitars, but 3.5 hours of phenomenal guitar. That's him in my avatar pic. :-)
I'm hoping they tour again in 2016. That's one I'd even travel a bit to go see again.
It was the 60's sometime, and it was some local village guys across the street on the neighbor's front porch. Didn't have to even leave the house to be entertained...but I did! The played some other pop and rock songs, too, but the bluesy stuff really got to me. One of the guys actually has ended up semi-famous...
The parents were great and nobody called the cops!
Rock On & Keep The Faith,
Rocket
"
Rory Gallagher opening for Foghat (2-12-1976) Pittsburgh Civic Arena.....Both great acts
Hanging with Luther Allison at Telemark Lodge, he was basically the house band before he went to Paris and made a name for himself. Tony Wise , owner of Telemark, was a big fan of the blues long before they were popular.
'76 was a big year for me .. was able to witness live and local, Rush, April Wine, Mahogany Rush who opened for Nazareth, Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band who opened for Bachman Turner Overdrive .. a great year for a 16 year old .. lol
Although a huge Zep fan as a teenager (Zep IV was my 1st album purchase .. Mom really thought I had some serious issues .. lol), it wasn't until '79 - '80 that I got to experience live blues locally with such names as Downchild Blues Band, Dutch Mason, and Matt Minglewood .. intimate club venues, all awesome experiences.
A big SRV fan in the '80's, my only regret was not goin to Moncton to see him on his last tour .. In Step .. August '89
Cheers! 
My first trip to a Bill Graham show at the Fillmore West (not the Fillmore that still exists today) I saw Eric Burdon backed by War doing mostly blues songs. Was a great experience and I went back for more every chance I got. Bill loved the blues and mixed blues acts with rock acts in his show line-ups. These gigs in those days cost $3 on Thur. & Sun. nights and $3.50 on Fri. & Sat. nights. Here's a list of many of those shows which was how I got schooled on blues music. The Bay Area was the best place on the planet for concerts like BB King, Buddy Guy, & The Allman Bros. 4 nights in a row!!! Have a look at the others, and these were just the Fillmore West shows. There were just as many good ones going on at Winterland across town.
www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Fill%20West%20Shows.htm
Dig It!
J Dawg
So live in New Orleans so I've been blessed thru the years to see Clapton, Keb Mo, Buddy Guy, but the one that stands out the most is jazz fest '13... BB King in the Blues Tent. Right before he became sick. He sat in that hot tent under the sun, you couldn't fit another person in there with a shoehorn. Every chord, every note, you could feel part of his soul coming out. I've never experienced a guitar performance like that ever in any genre!
ohiodawg.....we probably were at some of the same shows....the thing I remember about those days was that you really didn't even have to check to see who was playing, just show up and enjoy whoever was playing...really fortunate to have lived through those days....I actually kind of gave up on music in the '80s (busy trying to survive and raise kids) until I heard Joe play...since then I have been on a mission to make up for lost time...
ohiodawg.....we probably were at some of the same shows....the thing I remember about those days was that you really didn't even have to check to see who was playing, just show up and enjoy whoever was playing...really fortunate to have lived through those days....I actually kind of gave up on music in the '80s (busy trying to survive and raise kids) until I heard Joe play...since then I have been on a mission to make up for lost time...
I hear ya, there was so much going on every weekend you had to pick and choose the best of the options. The late '60s into the mid '70s was the greatest music era I've experienced.
Groovy Man!
J Dawg
pat6put6man wrote:ohiodawg.....we probably were at some of the same shows....the thing I remember about those days was that you really didn't even have to check to see who was playing, just show up and enjoy whoever was playing...really fortunate to have lived through those days....I actually kind of gave up on music in the '80s (busy trying to survive and raise kids) until I heard Joe play...since then I have been on a mission to make up for lost time...
I hear ya, there was so much going on every weekend you had to pick and choose the best of the options. The late '60s into the mid '70s was the greatest music era I've experienced.
Groovy Man!
J Dawg
You are certainly right. The list of acts performing in the UK around that time was enormous. Never to be seen again probably. 
11th April, 1983 (was a Monday if I remember rightly....)
Eric Clapton - Money & Cigarettes Tour - Newcastle City Hall.
Joe Bonamassa Forum → General Topics → Your 1st live Blues experiences
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