Who did you see at a small club gig that blew you away?

[mjross]

I lied! Kansas at a very small venue in Idaho Falls, Idaho. I was one of the promoters. I got a very nice autographed poster out of that deal and that was about it. Great music though!

 

[fjblair]

SRV
Pat Travers
The Nighthawks
Mother's Finest
Nightranger
Derek Trucks(he was a teenager)
Jeff Healey

I've seen plenty more, but I wasn't "blown away". I'm sure I'm forgetting some.

 

[tweedphan]

Rory Gallagher at a small club in Camden Town, London. No real stage, just set up in a corner. At on point he turned his guitar volume completely off. Could still hear him (drummer and bass player obviously weren’t playing at that moment !!).
Magical night.

 

[Atmospheric]

Well, he didn’t go on to become a big deal commercially mostly because he died, but Lenny Breau at McCabes holds a special place in my heart.

Honorable mention to Focus in a college gymnasium.

 

[ZeyerGTR]

Eric Gales at a small blues bar in Sanford, FL

David Grissom at the Saxon Pub in Sustin several times

Junior Brown at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. Table with a friend, front row center

 

[Lef T]

Very early seventies I was standing outside a small bar in Vancouver.
The sign read "Howlin Wolf " tonight.
I knew zero about Howlin Wolf.
Admission was $7.
I had enough to get in and buy a Coke.
I was knocked out.
He was doing two shows that night.
When the first show was done,I went and hid in the bathroom and then came out when the second show began.
I never made it a habit to sneak into shows,but I was a broke kid who was determined to see Wolf twice.
Not only did I get to see Wolf twice,but Hubert Sumlin too.
I don't remember the other players he had that night,but I'm so glad I took a chance and blew my last few dollars
to catch these masters that absolutely rocked the house.

 

[Fulldrive-1]

Black Flag. 3 times. Mid 80s. So cool.

 

[Frank1959]

Iggy Pop @ Waves in Chicago October 1980, all ages show. He was in usual form, ripped the cieling tiles down and rocked hard.

Keith Richards and the Expensive Winos PBS taping @ WTTW studios in Chicago December 1992, truly memorable experience.

 

[Audiotrove]

Iggy Pop @ Waves in Chicago October 1980, all ages show. He was in usual form, ripped the cieling tiles down and rocked hard.

Keith Richards and the Expensive Winos PBS taping @ WTTW studios in Chicago December 1992, truly memorable experience.

Let's see, we'll try these on for starters:

Nine Inch Nails at a tiny little roving club called Helter Skelter in Hollywood in the late '80s
Jane's Addiction in another version of Helter Skelter in this same time frame
Nirvana at the Palace in Hollywood in 1991
Smashing Pumpkins at the Whisky a Go Go in Hollywood in this same time frame

 

[No_Stairway]

Stanley Clarke

Biggest band was Limp Bizkit at a Bingo Hall / venue in Wichita, KS with 75 people a year before they broke, however that was the last time I listened to them, not impressed.

 

[Brad2]

At a concert of Theatre of hate there was a girl in the audience that blew me away. The concert was not bad either. Theatre of hate was a good band live. A nice period to rember too.

 

[guitarmook]

Buddy Guy (late 80s, several times)
Albert Collins (that quad reverb was LOUD)
Danny Gatton (seemed so effortless and joyful)
Roy Buchanan (it took me a few days to really digest that one)
Eddie Kirkland (pulled-out ALL the stops for the 10 people in a dive bar in the middle of nowhere)
Drive By Truckers (I caught a guitar that Cooley bounced off the stage in frustration - which earned me a beer)
Lonnie Mack
Matt "Guitar" Murphy - several times.
Dave Alvin
Redd Volkaert (also seems effortless) - and Cindy Cashdollar on steel - wow.
Bill Kirchen
Hacienda Brothers (Gaffney!)
Marty Stuart & the Fabulous Superlatives

 

[mjross]

Buddy Guy (late 80s, several times)
Albert Collins (that quad reverb was LOUD)
Danny Gatton (seemed so effortless and joyful)
Roy Buchanan (it took me a few days to really digest that one)
Eddie Kirkland (pulled-out ALL the stops for the 10 people in a dive bar in the middle of nowhere)
Drive By Truckers (I caught a guitar that Cooley bounced off the stage in frustration - which earned me a beer)
Lonnie Mack
Matt "Guitar" Murphy - several times.
Dave Alvin
Redd Volkaert (also seems effortless) - and Cindy Cashdollar on steel - wow.
Bill Kirchen
Hacienda Brothers (Gaffney!)
Marty Stuart & the Fabulous Superlatives

Saw Marty Stuart and the FS a while back and was absolutely blown away. Had to disclose that as I originally said no way am I going and left the concert a big fan.

 

[guitargeek6298]

Airborne at the Middle East in Boston. So much energy at that show, complete with the guitarist playing a solo on top of the bar!

 

[mjross]

Airborne at the Middle East in Boston. So much energy at that show, complete with the guitarist playing a solo on top of the bar!

Dig that avatar sir!

 

[guitarmook]

Saw Marty Stuart and the FS a while back and was absolutely blown away. Had to disclose that as I originally said no way am I going and left the concert a big fan.

I dragged some friends along to see Marty who didn't know his music at all. Converted all of 'em.

 

[mjross]

I dragged some friends along to see Marty who didn't know his music at all. Converted all of 'em.

Here that! I really dug his guitar player and their outfits were perfect! Great stuff, highly recommended. Not the best pics but you get the idea.

 

[Droliver]

Bruce Cockburn at the New Orleans House of Blues in 1996. It was a weeknight with bad weather and there were literally only a dozen people there. It was like a private show!

 

[cratz2]

It’s bee
it’s been a long time, I’m thinking like 2001-2002 and at a smallish place in the Broadripple area maybe? (I lived in Ft Wayne for 5 years and played gigs around Broadripple area in Indy a few times, but I don’t remember Indy very well.)

This was either at The Vogue or the Patio and they are both in Broad Ripple. Saw a lot of shows at each but he definitely broke a string.

I was thinking 2003 or 2004 so maybe it wasnt the same show.

Still... small world.

 

[Don Vito]

Grant Lee Phillips
Jeff Buckley
Extreme
Mr Big