A few months ago, my daughter was compiling a list of concerts she had seen. I experienced two emotions: pride (regarding the diversity of musical styles she’s interested in) and petty jealousy. (How is it that my daughter has seen The Black Keys, Judas Priest and Thin Lizzy, and I have not?) I had no choice but to play my trump card: “Oh, yeah, well I saw Talking Heads, and now they’re broken up, so there.” Then I went off to find my son and my wife and settle the score with them for also having committed the sin of seeing artists who I have missed. (Son: B.B. King. Wife: The Ramones.)
My daughter suggested I create my own list of the live music I’ve seen over the years. I said, “Honey, there is no way I could remember every single live performance I’ve ever seen. That’s going back forty(!) years to my very first concert (Aerosmith, 1976). No…no, that would take a long time, and, really, to what benefit?” Even as I was saying the words, I was mentally building the list.
This was purely a vanity project for my own rainy day fun. I don’t expect you to actually read this entire list, but if you do, allow me to answer some questions that might come to mind…
My Live Music F.A.Q.
How many? – 149 artists, 205 performances.
Waaait a second. “The LeRoi Brothers?” I never even heard of them. You can’t call this a list of real concerts. – I didn’t say it was a list of concerts I saw at the American Airlines Center. What’s the criteria for being on the list? I don’t know…I just gotta feel it, but it’s definitely not determined by size of the venue. I saw blues legend, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown at a tiny club in Galveston, and he is absolutely on this list. I saw Jonathan Richman at a small club in Dallas with about 60 people. (“Who’s Jonathan Richman?” I’ll not dignify that with a response.) As for The LeRoi Brothers, I saw them several times in the early 1980s at a little place in Waco called Water Works, and I have two of their albums. You can still catch them playing around town in Austin, and you would be fortunate to do so!
So this is every band you’ve ever seen?! – No, that list would be twice as long as this one. Local cover bands, long-forgotten, nameless bar bands playing in the background…no, those are not listed. Basically, if I saw a band that released an album or was written up in any kind of national publication, I consider it list-worthy.
Steve Martin? The comedian? – Yes, but I saw him touring with his bluegrass band…playing music (and telling a few jokes, too). It counts!
Dokken? Nazareth? Seriously? – In the late ’70s and early ’80s, there was a series of annual summer events called The Texxas Jam. They were held at the Cotton Bowl, and there would be six to eight acts on the bill. It was a punishing day in the sun for thousands of pasty-white kids who gave not one moment’s thought to things like sunscreen, finding shade or staying hydrated. They were there to rock, man!…and, for some of them, to spend several hours in the medic tent. My four visits to “The Jam” added some great bands to my list (Van Halen, Eagles, Cheap Trick) and a lot of filler that I would not have seen had they not been on the same bill with the headliners (Dokken, April Wine, Point Blank, Billy Thorpe).
How were The Strokes? – Terrible. I saw them at New Orleans Jazz Fest. They were arrogant and bored, and they didn’t want to be there. But they’re on the list, just the same. Awesome or awful, if I saw the show, on purpose or accidentally, it’s on the list.
Biggest regret? – My friends saw a young, unknown guitar player “from Austin” at a little club in Waco in 1981 (or maybe ’82). His name was “Stevie Ray something,” and there were probably about 50 people in the audience. My friends raved about the show for weeks. I had chosen not to tag along that night. Ouch.
Is this really a complete list? – Probably not, but this is everybody I can remember…
- Aerosmith (x2) – 1976: My first concert. Not good. The band was drunk and sloppy. I’m surprised I ever went to another show. 1986: Primo! Definitely in my Top 10. Steven Tyler had just graduated from rehab, and it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. (Thank you, Bruce Thatcher!)
- Air Supply – Oct. 20, 1980, Waco Hall, Baylor University. First date with Linda.
- Gregg Allman – New Orleans Jazz Fest
- Dave & Phil Alvin – The Kessler Theater (Dallas). Ya gotta go to the Kessler!
- Dave Alvin – The Kessler Theater. Top 10.
- April Wine – Texxas Jam
- Marcia Ball – N.O. Jazz Fest
- The Bangles – Granada Theater (Dallas)
- The Beach Boys – Tarrant County Convention Center
- Beck – Dallas. Top 10. (Not Jeff Beck. Just “Beck.”) Awesome.
- Better Than Ezra – N.O. Jazz Fest
- Scott H. Biram (x3) – The Kessler Theater and Deep Ellum (Dallas)
- Frank Black – Deep Ellum
- The Blind Boys of Alabama – N.O. Jazz Fest
- Blind Melon – Opened for Lenny Kravitz
- Blue Oyster Cult – Texxas Jam
- Benjamin Booker – Deep Ellum
- Boston – Texxas Jam
- Brave Combo (x10) – At least 10 times. Poor David’s Pub, The Czech Hall, German Fest (Muenster, TX), etc.
- Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown – The Strand (Galveston)
- Junior Brown (x3) – The Kessler Theater, Sons of Hermann Hall, Deep Ellum
- Kenny Brown (x2) – Goat Fest I and II! (Clarksdale, MS) Top 10.
- Buckwheat Zydeco – Bedford Blues and BBQ Festival
- Jimmy Buffett – Gotta see him at least once, right?
- Cedric Burnside & Lightnin’ Malcom (x2) – Dallas and at Goat Fest II
- Aaron Burton (x3) – The Goat (Dallas). Not “Goat Fest“…that’s a different goat.
- David Byrne (x4) – Hot show, every time. Top 10.
- Glen Campbell – Branson, Missouri – mid-’90s.
- The Cars – Reunion Arena (Dallas)
- Neko Case – Granada Theater
- Cheap Trick – Texxas Jam
- C.J. Chenier & The Red Hot Louisiana Band – N.O. Jazz Fest
- Alex Chilton – At a small bar called Check Point Charlie in New Orleans not long before he died.
- Eric Clapton – Dallas. Outdoor venue in the pouring rain, our hands covering our beer cups.
- Slaid Cleaves – The Kessler Theater. (Thanks, Sid!)
- Coldplay – Nokia Center (Grand Prairie, TX). Or the “AT&T Center?”…or “The Verizon Center?” It changes annually.
- Elvis Costello (x2) – Dallas and Shreveport (Thank you, Sammy!)
- Crosby, Stills & Nash – Outdoor venue (Dallas)
- Christopher Cross – Texxas Jam. Not very well-received by the hard rock crowd!
- The Dandy Warhols – Terrific show! (Deep Ellum)
- CeDell Davis – Goat Fest II (The New Roxy Theater, Clarksdale, MS)
- Dixie Chicks (x2) – Once at Fat Tuesday’s Bar (Arlington, TX) and once at The Richardson Wildflower Festival. Had to be 1991 or ’92. Great little Texas Swing band. Wonder whatever became of them?
- Dokken – Texxas Jam
- Bob Dylan (x4) – Saw him once at the legendary and lost Bronco Bowl in Dallas. (Shedding a tear for The Bronco Bowl)
- Eagles (x2) – Texxas Jam and Reunion Arena
- Eels (x4) – Top 10. One of these was far and away the loudest show I have ever experienced.
- Jason Elmore (x2) – The Kessler Theater and at Dallas Guitar Show
- Joe Ely – Can’t remember where, but I KNOW I saw him.
- The English Beat – Granada Theater
- The Fabulous Thunderbirds – Opened for The Rolling Stones
- The Flaming Lips – Nokia Center?/AT&T?/Verizon?…whatever! “The Phone Center” in Grand Prairie, TX.
- Fleetwood Mac – Texxas Jam
- Foreigner – Texxas Jam
- Guy Forsyth – The Kessler Theater
- Ruthie Foster – The Kessler Theater
- The Four Freshman – Dinner theater with my parents!
- Grandaddy – Opened for Pete Yorn. (Why did I go see Pete Yorn?)
- Buddy Guy – Ft. Worth’s Caravan of Dreams. (Why did Caravan of Dreams have to close?!)
- Sammy Hagar (x2) – Texxas Jam
- Emmylou Harris – N.O. Jazz Fest
- Heart – Texxas Jam
- Bugs Henderson – Caravan of Dreams
- Robyn Hitchcock – Opened for R.E.M.
- The Hoodoo Gurus – Opened for The Bangles. Great fun!
- Wanda Jackson – The Kessler Theater
- Billy Joel (x2) – Late ’70s. Unforgettable show, both times. (Dallas and Houston)
- Jamey Johnson – N.O. Jazz Fest
- Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – Granada Theater. Hot show!
- Valerie June – Opened for Sharon Jones
- KC & The Sunshine Band – Las Vegas. (The were the entertainment at a 7-Eleven corporate event.)
- Lenny Kravitz (x2) – N.O. Jazz Fest and at Reunion Arena
- Jonny Lang – Bedford Blues and BBQ Festival
- Bettye LaVette (x2) – McFarlin Auditorium (SMU) and The Kessler Theater
- Left Lane Cruiser – Goat Fest II
- James Legg – Goat Fest II
- The LeRoi Brothers (x5) – Water Works (Waco). Rowdy!
- David Lindley – The Kessler Theater
- Little River Band – Texxas Jam
- The Long Ryders – The West End (Dallas)
- Los Lobos – N.O. Jazz Fest
- Lydia Loveless – Deep Ellum
- Nick Lowe (x2) – The Kessler Theater and Sons of Hermann Hall
- The Lumineers – “The Phone Center” in Grapevine…whatever it was called at the time.
- Luna – Opened for Lou Reed (Bronco Bowl!)
- Yngwie Malmsteen – Dallas Guitar Show
- Steve Martin – Morton Myerson Symphony Center (Dallas) (Thank you, Bill & Neita!)
- Dave Matthews – N.O. Jazz Fest
- Jimbo Mathus – Juke Joint Festival (Clarksdale, MS)
- Metallica – Texxas Jam
- Steve Miller – Texxas Jam
- Matisyahu – Opened for The Flaming Lips
- The Moody Blues – Outdoor venue (Dallas)
- The Motels – Opened for The Cars
- My Morning Jacket – N.O. Jazz Fest
- Mystikal – N.O. Jazz Fest
- Nazareth – Texxas Jam
- Willie Nelson – N.O. Jazz Fest
- Anders Osborne – N.O. Jazz Fest
- Joan Osborne – The Kessler Theater
- Pearl Jam – Houston (Thanks, Pete!)
- Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (x4). Top 10. (Thanks, George!)
- Wilson Pickett – N.O. Jazz Fest
- Pink Floyd – Reunion Arena
- Pixies – “The Phone Center” in Grand Prairie, TX.
- Point Blank – Texxas Jam
- Grace Potter (x2) – N.O. Jazz Fest and House of Blues (Dallas)
- Primal Scream – Epic show. (Austin)
- Prince – What a brat. It was a 90-minute medley! I think he might have played one song all the way through.
- R.E.M. – Reunion Arena
- Bonnie Raitt – N.O. Jazz Fest
- Robert Randolph & The Family Band – Richardson Wildflower Festival
- Lou Reed – Bronco Bowl
- The Replacements (x2) – Bronco Bowl and as openers for Tom Petty
- Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band – Juke Joint Festival (Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art)
- Jonathan Richman (x8) – Eight times, and I’m probably forgetting one.
- Jason Ringenberg – without The Scorchers. (Deep Ellum)
- Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr. & The Zydeco Twisters – N.O. Jazz Fest
- Rodrigo y Gabriela – N.O. Jazz Fest
- The Rolling Stones – Cotton Bowl
- Mason Ruffner – What was the name of that place on Greenville Ave. in Dallas?
- Scorpions – Texxas Jam
- Ron Sexsmith – Sons of Hermann Hall (opened for Nick Lowe)
- Michelle Shocked – The Kessler Theater (opened for Junior Brown)
- Paul Simon – N.O. Jazz Fest. Top 10.
- JD Souther – The Kessler Theater
- Bruce Springsteen (x3). A Top 10. Total playing time for 3 shows: 57 hours.
- Mavis Staples – The Kessler Theater
- Ringo Starr – Remember Ringo’s All-Stars? Other big names on stage who I can’t remember.
- The Strokes – N.O. Jazz Fest
- Styx – Tarrant County Convention Center
- Jim Suhler (x3) – Great blues guitar player
- Talking Heads – Dallas Convention Center, 1983. Top 10. (The “Stop Making Sense” tour.)
- They Might Be Giants – Granada Theater
- Billy Thorpe – Texxas Jam
- Trombone Shorty (x2) – N.O. Jazz Fest and House of Blues (Dallas)
- U2 (x2) – Cotton Bowl (Thanks, Eric!)
- Van Halen – Texxas Jam
- The Wailers – Richardson Wildflower Festival
- Tom Waits – A rare sighting of this rare bird. (Dallas)
- Bob Welch – Texxas Jam
- Leo “Bud” Welch – Goat Fest II, Red’s Lounge (Clarksdale, MS)
- The Who – Cotton Bowl (freezing!)
- Wilco – Granada Theater
- Webb Wilder (x3) – Austin and Dallas
- Steve Winwood – Opened for Tom Petty. A big night for music!
- Carolyn Wonderland (x2) – The Kessler Theater
- Y&T – Opened for Aerosmith (1986)
- Pete Yorn – McFarlin Auditorium (Dallas)
- ZZ Top (x2) – Opened for The Rolling Stones and for Tom Petty