I've always had mixed feelings about opening acts. On the one hand, I'd like to consider myself open enough to new music to be able to listen to an opening band with welcoming ears. I've discovered a few acts that I really enjoy when they played as unknown (to me) openers. On the other hand, there have been plenty of openers that simply killed 30-40 minutes of my life while I was waiting for the headliner I came to see to take the stage.
A
h, the classic opening band dilemma. It's usually considered a great "opportunity" to play for an act with an established following, fans with whom, presumably, your music will connect. But you have to be
awesome every night just to appease a crowd that generally isn't there to see you play and would, at times, rather you took the night off so they could see the band they love play an extended set. And if you blow the audience away? If your opening set is outstanding, most audience members will only remember that you didn't suck. Some will be impressed enough to buy your CD or check you out online later, but I bet the great majority of concert-goers don't remember the opening band's name after the gig. If the audience was even in attendance for the opener's set, that is... I've been to plenty of shows that are less than half full for the opener but are jam-packed by the time the headliner goes on. I've even been one of those late arrivals on purpose.
Cynical? Perhaps. There's no denying that being an opening act is a difficult challenge. That's true even for established acts that choose to open for one of their heroes, as a kind of nod to the headliner's venerable career or as a notch on the career belt of the established opener. Maybe suffering the "special guest" slot is a rite of passage that all up-and-comers have to endure in order to "earn" a sweet headlining tour and build that coveted following. More likely, it's a way to keep cash flowing for the opener, even if it's just a trickle, while making a living out of making music. Just about every band you and I love started as an opening act for someone that was more popular or experienced, so I guess in the end there's no dilemma. The good ones, and a lot of the craptastic ones too, will succeed in clearing the hurdle of being the dreaded "opener" and go on to have their own headlining show.
So get out to the venue early, because it sure is fun to be able to say to your fellow music snobs - "Yeah, they're great now...but I saw them when they
opened for _______."
Some Of My Favorite Bands In Random Opener Slots:
Led Zeppelin opened for Country Joe And The Fish in 1969
The Rolling Stones opened for the Everly Brothers and Bo Diddley in 1963
Pearl Jam opened for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Smashing Pumpkins in 1991
Radiohead opened for Catherine Wheel in 1992
The Black Crowes opened for Robert Plant in 1990
Catherine Wheel opened for INXS in 1993
Juliana Hatfield opened for Aimee Mann in 2002
Nirvana opened for Mudhoney in 1992
Jeff Buckley opened for Juliana Hatfield in 1995
Gov't Mule opened for The Black Crowes in 1996
Soundgarden opened for Guns N Roses in 1991
Labels: Catherine Wheel, Juliana Hatfield, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Radiohead, The Black Crowes
I thought I'd try something a little different for this week's cover. Stanley Jordan is a solo guitarist, and he sounds like no one I've ever heard before. I had the good fortune to see him live at a small concert hall in Delaware years ago, and he blew my mind. Here he is doing a live version of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven". All the sounds you hear are just Stanley doing his thing. Give it a shot.
Shapes Of Things
