What was the first non-local concert you attended?

[J_Dee]

I went to plenty of local shows in my youth, but Ani DiFranco and Maceo Parker in Columbus in the summer of '99 was my first "big" show. It was in a parking lot, and it freaking rocked. XD

What was your first big show?

 

[DSmith21]

Spring break 1987 in Daytona, FL. Free MTV show featuring Howie Mandel and The Bangles. Howie was funny and Bangles were better than expected.

 

[WildcatFan1982]

Kid Rock, Dope, and David Alan Coe at Roberts Stadium in Evansville. Summer of 2000.

 

[WildcatfaninOhio]

1978, Denver Colorado, Van Halen (a few months after their debut album release) and Black Sabbath. Great show.

 

[ohiocatfan826]

U2 Joshua Tree tour in 1987. Wasnt necessarily a huge fan but just wanted to see if I would be allowed to go to Cleveland for a concert

 

[K86]

Doobie Brothers/Heart Mesker Amp. Evansville, IN

 

[BC_Wader]

Dave Matthews Band at Riverbend in Cincy.

 

[rudd1]

-rem at the Louisville gardens 3/1/1989. Amazing show:

R.E.M. Setlist at Louisville Gardens, Louisville

Get the R.E.M. Setlist of the concert at Louisville Gardens, Louisville, KY, USA on March 1, 1989 from the Green Tour and other R.E.M. Setlists for free on setlist.fm!

www.setlist.fm

 

[ukalum01]

Ray Stevens at the TVA Fair in Knoxville.

 

[cole854]

MANY years ago....Atlanta Rhythm Section at Kings Island HS senior grad party.

Fast forward to the the last 10 years, and probably 90% of the shows I attend now are out of state.

 

[GeraldV]

Metallica, Danzig, Suicidal Tendencies at Riverbend. Think it was summer of 1995.

Edit: actually was in 1994.

 

[Creed Bratton]

George Straight at the Kentucky State Fair around 1990-1991.

 

[JonathanW]

"non-local", so that rules out the one in Lexington, the couple in Philly, and the 8-10 in Raleigh I've been to. So I guess that would be last year, at age 52, saw Journey in Charlotte. And it was probably the best I've been to.

 

[_ukcat]

Went from Corbin to Cumberland College in Williamsburg to see The Grass Roots and Kenny Rogers and the First Edition while in High School probably '70-'71. Not sure that considered "Non Local".

 

[jameslee32]

Rolling Stones, Cleveland Municipal Stadium July 1, 1978. Froze my ass off.

 

[Strokin_Bandit]

I saw the Menus in the parking lot of Rio Bravo.

 

[entropy13]

Weezer, 9:30 Club in Washington, DC.

 

[CAT Scratch FVR]

AC/DC
Madison Square Garden
For those about to rock tour
Circa fall/winter 1981

 

[Lamar Card]

ZZ Top / Rush / Locomotive G.T.​

Jun 28, 1974 Allen Theatre Cleveland, Ohio, United States

 

[WeWant9]

I think it was 2002 Ozzfest in Chicago area. I was going into my freshman year of hs. Original Sabbath, Judas Priest, and slayer were the main stage headliners. Slipknot was on the second stage and crazy.

 

[christophero]

I believe it was the Beach Boys at Jones Beach in NY with my cousins in the early 80's.

 

[TexasTimCat]

Kiss in Rupp, 8th grade circa 1976.

Fortunate now that I can afford to travel to almost any show I am interested in so I have seen countless since then...

 

[BC_Wader]

Kiss in Rupp, 8th grade circa 1976.

Fortunate now that I can afford to travel to almost any show I am interested in so I have seen countless since then...

Had a ticket to the Dynasty tour at Freedom Hall in 1979 but Mom thought it wasn't a good idea for an 8 year old to attend a rock concert. It took a LONG time to get over that.

 

[Blueisbest]

Aerosmith in Rupp Arena back in 1978 or 79.

 

[Elbridge]

Bon Jovi opening for the Scorpions in 1985 at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville.

 

[BigTyrone]

Aerosmith in the late 80s. My dad got free tickets from Gibson Guitars.

 

[rudd1]

Aerosmith in the late 80s. My dad got free tickets from Gibson Guitars.

-tell us more about how your dad's relationship w/ gibson guitars.

-I'm a guitar nerd.

 

[BigTyrone]

Me too. He was managing a music store here in Louisville at the time. Later on he sold Epiphones to his guitar students.

 

[bushrod1965]

KISS Creatures of the Night Tour with Night Ranger at Rupp in January of 1983.

 

[MegaBlue05]

Alabama at Rupp Arena circa 1985. I was about 6.

First show I paid for my own ticket to: Brooks & Dunn, Rupp Arena, 1996.

Funny thing is, I don’t like country music.

Forced to go to Alabama and went to Brooks & Dunn to score brownie points with my then-girlfriend.

 

[kyeric]

Given i've lived in NKy my whole life (aside from 1 year in Lexington), that rules out most of the shows i had been to early on (Bogarts, Cincy Gardens, US Bank, Riverbend, anything in Newport, Covington, etc). Been to quite a few non-local shows in the last 10-15yrs (mostly Dayton, Lexington and Louisville). Never really had to go anywhere else because the metal shows always came through Cincinnati somewhere.

If i recall correctly, it would probably have to be Anthrax (with Exodus and Helloween, i believe) at the Louisville Gardens in 1989.

 

[WildcatFan1982]

In middle school I tried to convince my parents to take me to see Hootie and the Blowfish but they weren’t having it.

 

[M4CAT]

Saw Waylon Jennings in Austin back in the 80s.

 

[rockhound24]

Scorpions with Bon Jovi as the opening act. (1984... I think) I remember talking about how good Bon Jovi was and how we thought they MIGHT hit it big!

 

[WildcatFan1982]

Scorpions with Bon Jovi as the opening act. (1984... I think) I remember talking about how good Bon Jovi was and how we thought they MIGHT hit it big!

I saw the black keys as an opener at the south gate house in Newport back in 2003. They are now quite a bit bigger than the band they opened for

 

[christophero]

In middle school I tried to convince my parents to take me to see Hootie and the Blowfish but they weren’t having it.

Your parents sound like wise people.

 

[UK82]

Does the Grand Ole Opry count as a concert? If so then 1970, Ryman Auditorium. 10 years old.

 

[rockhound24]

Does the Grand Ole Opry count as a concert? If so then 1970, Ryman Auditorium. 10 years old.

Absolutely... I have concert tickets for Switchfoot at Ryman in Sept.

 

[Kaizer Sosay]

Went from Corbin to Cumberland College in Williamsburg to see The Grass Roots and Kenny Rogers and the First Edition while in High School probably '70-'71. Not sure that considered "Non Local".

Corbin to Cumberland College is like driving from one side of Lexington to the other. But if you were in HS and you or your friends drove with no adults along...then it counts as “non-local” and we will allow it.

 

[Kaizer Sosay]

I went to plenty of concerts at Rupp when I was in HS. I didn’t live in Lexington so technically all of them were non-local. First one was Heart & Autograph (Blondes in Black Cars). That was 85’ and the beginning of Heart going soft-pop...but they played plenty of their old stuff too so it was a perfectly decent “rock” show with a few lame pop songs to languish through.

Senior year went to see Motley Crue at Freedom Hall. That’s what I would consider my first real non-local concert. That was the Girls Girls Girls tour when Tommy Lee broke out the rotating drum cage. That was pretty cool as were the pyrotechnics. Had free tickets on the floor to that one & it was the loudest concert I had been to at that point by far & they put on a good show.