What was your first prog concert?

jude111 wrote: My greatest experiences have been in small, crowded clubs watching punk and post-punk bands ....

Ditto for me.


Edited by HolyMoly - January 07 2013 at 06:56

Rainbow in... I think it was 1982. It was the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and my friends were into metal in general, and they took me along that route.

Mine was Jethro Tull, Long Beach, California April 1977. Songs From The Wood tour.

Rush. I was in the 8th grade. Tampa, Florida. This was... 1981. I was 13 yrs old. Yikes. MOVING PICTURES had just come out. It was my first concert ever. My parents dropped me and my little brother off to see it. It wasn't what I expected at all. For one thing, there was this horrible smell and smoke in the air, I couldn't breathe, it was clearly pot. Secondly, the band members never moved from their spots, never showed any kind of passion. I guess I was expecting smashed guitars, Geddy Lee to breathe fire (a la Kiss), or something. The songs sounded just like the albums, which also disapointed me a bit.

Perhaps because of that experience, I didn't go to many arena-type concerts after that. I saw Floyd in a stadium in D.C. after A MOMENTARY LAPSE OF STADIUM. Again, a bit disapointing. I was so far away, I could barely see the band. (Floyd's still my favorite band in the world, but let's face it, it's headphone music.)

My greatest experiences have been in small, crowded clubs watching punk and post-punk bands playing in Europe. In France I saw a post-rock Mogwai-type band playing a hypnotic set, and I was so close I could've jumped on stage. That's the way live music should be experienced.


Edited by jude111 - January 06 2013 at 23:27

Camel, in Denmark, Summer 1982.   They opened with Sasquatch.

I think the only prog show i've ever been to was when Roger Waters did Dark Side Of The Moon a few years back... it's too bad I was born long after the prime of my favorite bands...

Since I grew up in El Salvador, in Central America, I never had the chance to see any prog act in the 70s, since no band came over there at that time. I moved to the US in 1988, and I made a point to make my first prog concert a memorable one, with my favorite band of all time. So I went to see Jethro Tull in 1989, for the Rock Island tour, and I have to say, I was not disappointed, even though it was not in their golden days.

Rush Time Machine Tour 2010 @ Jiffy Lube Live Center outside of D.C. Simply Fantastic... then Dream Theater in 2011 and 2012 on the Dramatic Tour of Events.. again fantastic! 

September 22, 1972:  Yes with The Eagles, Arie Crown Theater, Chicago

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The Eagles were fresh out of the gate, their two big singles at the time were "Take It Easy" and "Witchy Woman."  The audience quite enjoyed them, and they introduced the next act as "Our friends, The Yes."  (old fartes like me recall that some called the band "The Yes" in those days)

Yes then came out and shredded everyone's consciousness with their "Close To The Edge" tour material, post-Bruford.  Basically, if you saw the movie "Yessongs," you have a decent idea of how it went.  

This seems to be the setlist as I recall it:  http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/yes/1972/arie-crown-theater-chicago-il-63df369b.html

Squire in particular was amazing, he was all over the stage!!  He had a remarkable way of dancing and playing his Rick bass at the same time, I've only seen him do it that once...he traversed the width of the stage, and a roadie had to feed him his guitar cable by hand!  He was wearing those huge, thigh-high suede boots, a real attention-grabber!  

Howe was also amazing, playing his brown ES-345 Stereo guitar for much of the concert.   Wakeman was stunning in glitter cape and blonde hair probably as long as he ever wore it (past the middle of his back), it was the first time I'd ever seen stacked keyboards!!   

Anderson was, as always, magical.  White played the material as if he himself wrote it.   

Once the mirrored ball came down for "Close to the Edge," I was completely sucked in (I hadn't heard the LP before I saw this show).   Many good things resulted in my life from this experience.  

Edited by cstack3 - January 06 2013 at 19:24

Pink Floyd at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, 1988.

Edited by Floyd Steely - January 06 2013 at 17:56