Some of you know, I am a concert and live show guy. I've seen over 300 acts live, from local musicians to internationally-known. I don't remember exactly when, possibly earlier in the 2010s when I made it a plan to see as many Rock and Roll Hall of Famers as possible. I am aware that I can't see all of them. There are several reasons for that:
1) death. Elvis, Frankie Lymon, John Lennon, Bob Marley and some others were all gone by the time I was born. A lot have passed over the years. I was lucky to see a few while alive (like Bobby Womack and Tom Petty) but there were plenty I missed out on like Prince, James Brown and David Bowie.
2) many Hall of Famers don't perform anymore. Bill Withers and Linda Ronstadt are in this group. I can totally understand their reasons why. Also many groups haven't been together in several years (or decades) including the Dave Clark Five, Talking Heads and Led Zeppelin. However, if a member of these groups performs with another group or as a solo act, I will include them in the list. There's also that new trend where rock stars are "retiring", as I missed my chance to see Paul Simon.
3) Some groups/artists still tour, but to a limit. Examples include The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison and ELO. I hope to catch them locally before one of us passes.
My original rule was as long as at least half of the inducted band members were present when I saw them, they would count. I abandoned the rule the night I saw the Beach Boys. This was in 2014, two years after the reunion tour. Mike Love was there, and so was Bruce Johnston. Johnston was not inducted with the group, despite of being part of the Beach Boys since the mid-60s. I personally think he should have been inducted with them. Who knows, maybe in the future. All of the other inducted members were not there. Brian Wilson, of course, performs solo along with Al Jardine and a couple other Beach Boys members from the past.
The list below consists of the inducted group/artist, the year I first saw them, and the venue and city. There's also a link to that show's setlist (if available) from setlist.fm, which I consider to be the true source for that kind of thing. Please keep in mind that the venue names have changed over the years and that was what it was called at the time I saw them. I included some photos that I took at some of those concerts. I also took video at a lot of these shows, but for obvious reasons I won't post them.
So in chronological order....here is the list of all Rock and Roll Hall of Famers I've seen live:
JAMES TAYLOR (1998, Riverport Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO)
- This was my first-ever concert. My oldest sis Jenny won tickets through a local newspaper and I guess she had no one to go with, so that's where I came in. Again, this was my first "real" concert and my first time seeing a famous person in person. It was quite a thrill, even though I wasn't as much of a JT fan back then as I am today.
BLACK SABBATH (2004, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO)
- I had seen Ozzy's solo performance two years before at Ozzfest 2002.
- Ozzy's trademark stage moments include dumping water on pit ticketholders, clapping on top of his head, and other strange, unique things.
- All of the classic lineup was there (Osbourne, Butler, Iommi, Ward) and Ozzy was the only one wearing makeup. It is interesting to note that Butler lived in St. Louis for a time because he met his wife there.
TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS (2005, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO; 2013, Bonnaroo, Manchester, TN)
- Both concerts were great, and memorable. Tom Petty used to come to St. Louis just about every year, but entering the 2010s decade, it slowed down. His final performance in STL (Scottrade Center) was a few months before his death.
- The Black Crowes opened on the 2005 date. We only caught the last two songs of that set.
- Before I saw his headlining set at Bonnaroo '13, I met up-and-coming Kacey Musgraves and her small crew as they were getting ready to catch Tom Petty too! I took plenty of pictures and video during the performance. It did start to rain near the end and it would continue throughout the night. But either way, it was a great cap-off to that year's festival. Of course, it would be the last time I would see Petty live.
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| Tom Petty headlining Bonnaroo 2013 (this was him on-screen) |
NINE INCH NAILS (2005, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO)
- I remember me and a friend of mine sat in the back, so we had a hard time seeing Trent and the band. The room was very much dark the whole time and he did have a big screen to accompany the show but it was mostly a blurred image. Still, Trent & crew played a great set. Surprising to me, he didn't perform a lot of his current hits at that time like "Only".
JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS (2006, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO (Warped Tour); 2006, Mississippi Nights, St. Louis, MO)
- Saw the group within four months between dates in 2006. The second time was at Mississippi Nights. I left the show near the end, as it was the same day the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series (10/27/2006). People were yelling and shouting during her performance, so I thought it would be best I would leave since I was blocks away from the stadium.
- Unfortunately, it was my only time at the legendary Mississippi Nights club, where several bands got their start. Several forgotten alternative bands from the 80s and 90s performed there, as well as Nirvana, Jane's Addiction, Blind Melon and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The small venue was torn down three months later to make room for a casino. To this day, people still share stories about how they got up close to their favorite bands of yesterday. Wish I was there all those times....
**MEETING JOAN JETT**
- I got to meet her, very briefly, after her set at the Warped Tour. She was signing autographs for dozens of fans behind a fence. When I asked her if she was able to say a liner for my 80's radio show, she was like, "Not right now...". I didn't blame her, of course! (laughs) But at least I got to say something to her.
RUSH (2007, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO; 2012, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO)
- Both shows were killer. I saw them on my birthday in 2012, as that was the show where Rush did their complete Clockwork Angels album.
DAVID BYRNE (inducted as a member of Talking Heads)
(2008, Fabulous Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO; 2013, Bonnaroo (w. St. Vincent), Manchester, TN)
- He put on a great show at the Fabulous Fox (that was my first time there). After the show, I walked past Jackson Browne and his bodyguard(?). Apparently, Browne (who was to perform at the Fox the night after) was in town because Obama did a public campaign speech in St. Louis early that day and Browne is a prominent Democrat. I would later see Browne in concert in 2018.
- I would later catch parts of Byrne's performance at Bonnaroo '13, when he was on tour with St. Vincent. I remember they played a few Talking Heads songs.
BILLY JOEL (2009, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO (w. Elton John)
ELTON JOHN
(2009, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO (w. Billy Joel); 2014, Bonnaroo, Manchester, TN)
- That night in 2009 was one of the greatest ever, especially with two of my all-time favorite legends. They both performed their own sets, as well as singing together on several songs. This was my first time hearing the funny side of Billy Joel, as he is known to crack jokes on stage.
- Five years later, I saw Elton John headline and close out Bonnaroo '14. This was a rare thing for him to perform at a major US festival, and I remember him saying that "Bonnaroo is the greatest music festival in America". He performed most of the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album, as well as his many hits. Ben Folds (who hosted the Superjam the night before) joined in on a couple songs. One of the highlights was John's tribute to Casey Kasem, who passed away early that day. John credited him for partly inspiring his music career in the early 70's, and he dedicated "Don't Let The Sun..." to Kasem. Kasem is my all-time radio hero, so it was sad to actually hear the news from Elton John. Apparently people around were shocked as well, even people were still talking about it when the show was over.
CROSBY, STILLS AND NASH (2009, Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis, MO)
- The group was in good spirits that night, as they played their hits, including my favorite "Long Time Gone". They even did "For What Its Worth" and I think "Love the One You're With"
AEROSMITH (2009, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO)
- I remember this show was partly cut short because of a thunderstorm, as the people who sat on the lawn area were forced to go back to their cars.
- This was the first city of the tour where Aerosmith would play the Toys In The Attic album in its entirety. They would omit "You See Me Crying", possibly due to time constraints. They did perform a few of their classics, including "Dream On". A few of the songs played that night were the first performed in several years (including "Combination" which hasn't been played live since 1978, and "Round and Round" which was never performed live until that night). Brad Whitford was not present that night, as a replacement (who was given hardly any attention) played rhythm guitar.
ELVIS COSTELLO (2009, Gateway Arch, St. Louis, MO; 2015, Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO)
- Both times I saw Elvis he was an opening act. In 2009, he and Sheryl Crow performed a free concert on the Gateway Arch grounds in St. Louis, celebrating the MLB All-Star Game week festivities. Six years later, he and his band, the Imposters, opened for Steely Dan.
CHUCK BERRY (saw him five times starting in 2009-2013 Blueberry Hill and The Pageant, St. Louis, MO)
- It was in 2009 when I first saw Chuck at The Pageant. He would play there on occasion (like once a year), but his mainstay was down the street at Blueberry Hill's Duck Room. Chuck had played 209 live shows at that place, from 1997 up until October 2014. I was able to catch him three times there. The last Chuck Berry show I attended was in November 2013. Each show was more than a thrill to see such a legend live, and Chuck still had it. However, at that last show me and my friend Kevin agreed that he was "slipping". No disrespect to the man, but we sensed that he was ready to hang up his rock and roll shoes when he kept forgetting lyrics and he didn't play long that night. In addition to the five times I saw Chuck live in concert, I saw him in person at three special occasions, one of them was for his appearance on-stage with Aretha (see below) and another was during the unveiling of his statue across from Blueberry Hill.
- He had a wonderful band, and his two children backed him up each time. One time, his wife was in the crowd at The Pageant. Chuck would always play his classics like "Sweet Little Sixteen" and "Johnny B. Goode" and some of his blues favorites. Somebody once told me he strongly disliked playing his only #1 Billboard Pop hit, "My Ding a Ling" live - but I did catch him playing it once.
**MEETING CHUCK BERRY**
- I can't remember if it was 2010 or 2011, but it was after one of Chuck's Duck Room shows. Rarely, he would come out after his show and sign autographs. He never liked posing for photos with his fans, with a few exceptions (that is, if they were famous people). I'm not sure if it was because of the flash, or whatever. But Chuck was in the bestest of moods that night and some that stayed in the basement venue long enough were able to get in line and have their memorabilia signed. I had nothing for Chuck to autograph, but I figured well, I might as well say a few words to him. I was the last person in line, and when I got up close to him....I was nervous as hell! But Chuck was very cool, and he asked me how I was and all. I think I said something like, "I don't have anything for you to sign, but I would like to just shake your hand!". He smiled, looked at me and was like, "Right on, brotha, right on!" and laughed. I don't remember what else happened at that small moment. The rest of the night I was like, "Dude, I just shook hands and talked to the man who inspired the most important people in rock history!".
- I hope you can stand another story. This one involves my mom and my Grandma Young. Chuck would be seen sometimes around the local casinos. My Grandpa Young once said that he would see Chuck at some local diner (don't know which one) where he would be sitting alone and reading the newspaper. I don't remember exactly when (late 2000s), but one day my parents took my Grandma out to the casino (I believe it was Ameristar in St. Charles, Mo). I wasn't with them, but from what I heard, I missed out! (laughs) My mom and Grandma were playing the slots, and Chuck was playing them a few or so machines down. Grandma quietly asked the waitress if it was really him and she said something like yes, but he always prefers not to be bothered. Minutes later, my mom got up to get a drink and as soon as she came back, her face turned red. It looked like Grandma had been chatting it up with the rock legend, saying "her kids and grandkids loved his music and owned his records...". Chuck apparently was very delighted, nodding off to everything. My mom interrupted and took Grandma back to where they were playing. Mom later said she was so embarrassed at that, but we all had a good laugh. We shared the story at my Grandma's funeral years later.
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| Chuck Berry performing at Blueberry Hill's Duck Room (November 2013) |
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E-STREET BAND
(2009, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO)
(Springsteen was inducted alone in 1999; the E-Street Band would be inducted in 2014.)
- They performed the entire Born To Run album. I remember all the lights were turned on as soon as "Born To Run" and "Dancing In The Dark" came on. One of my favorite highlights was Springsteen crowd-surfing, something I wouldn't expect a 60-year-old man to do!
PEARL JAM (2010, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO; 2016, Bonnaroo, Manchester, TN)
- Several songs and two encores made that night in 2010. Apparently a few songs that were on PJ's setlist didn't get played. Band of Horses opened.
- They headlined Bonnaroo in 2016, but their show was at least two hours late due to a thunderstorm and every 'Roo attendee had to evacuate the entire venue and go back to their tents until they received texts. Every act that night had to reschedule at the last minute, which caused confusion to everyone. I think it was around 1:30am (early Sunday) that PJ started, as Eddie joked "Is it past everyone's bedtime?!". He made one Donald Trump joke I remember, "Can't we just build a wall around HIM?".
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| Pearl Jam headlining Bonnaroo 2016 |
ALICE COOPER (2010, Indinanola Balloon Grounds (Lazerfest), Indianola, IA; 2014, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO)
- Alice Cooper has always been known to put on quite a show, even to this day. I saw him at Lazerfest outside Des Moines, Iowa (he was touring with Rob Zombie at the time, who was also at the festival). That was one of the best sets that day. I remember the local DJ had us shout "We're not worthy!", in reference to Wayne's World. Four years later I saw him open for Motley Crue's farewell tour. He did the guillotine act as well as sing all the fan's favorite songs. I almost saw him in 2017 with Deep Purple (see below).
BLONDIE (2010, Illinois State Fair, Springfield, IL)
- Blondie was part of the double bill with Cheap Trick. It started sprinkling near the end of Blondie's, but the rain got worse - enough to cancel Cheap Trick's set (see below).
WANDA JACKSON (2011, Blueberry Hill's Duck Room, St. Louis, MO)
(Inducted as an Early Influence)
- Wanda sang a combination of songs from 50 years ago to present (she had recently done an album produced by Jack White at the time). I remember a fan in the audience showed her a record they brought for the show (which was Right or Wrong, released in 1961), and she jokingly said something like she hadn't changed very much!
**MEETING WANDA JACKSON**
- Some acts that perform at the Duck Room sign autographs, shake hands or pose for photos. Wanda did just that after her show. I found her to be very sweet and down-to-earth. I couldn't believe I was talking to someone who toured with Elvis Presley and someone who Elvis Costello was a huge fan of. I asked her for a photo and she was like, "That's part of my job!"
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| Wanda Jackson and me |
U2 (2011, Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO)
- Simply one of the best concerts I've ever attended. U2 had the right idea at the right place, right time with their heavy production, literally going around the world bringing one of the most successful tours ever. There's so much I could write about, from Bono walking the owner of Busch Stadium's son around the field during a song, to the band talking about U2's first St. Louis gig in 1981. And of course, all the great songs they performed, even dedicating one to the tornado victims of Joplin.
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| Me standing in front of "the claw" |
JOURNEY (2011, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO)
- Double headliner with Foreigner. This was one of those nights where its like, "As long as there's the music, all is well". I tried telling myself that most of the time! I think my ticket was $15 or something, so I decided to check this out. Journey had many of its original members on stage, and Arnel Pineda did great being Steve Perry. Foreigner's set was another story. It was Mick Jones and a bunch of younger guys who tried their very best to sound like their records. If there was ever a moment in time where Steve Perry rejoins Journey, I'll do whatever I can to be there.
HEART (2011, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO)
DEF LEPPARD (2011, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO)
- Both acts toured together that year. This was another one of those that I got a cheap deal on, so again I decided to check it out. Heart came on first, and it was cool. They did a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Battle of Evermore". I didn't know it at the time, but I wasn't aware the Wilson sisters were actually the Lovemongers. This was a group that didn't exist that long, but were part of Cameron Crowe's Singles soundtrack with that song.
- Def Leppard's set was okay, or in other words not very memorable. I grew up listening to their music and they're one of my favorite bowling-alley/hard rock bands of all-time. But for some reason I felt it could have been better, like more energetic. Had I seen them during their heyday, like 25 years before, I'm sure it would have been a 3x great experience.
CHRIS FRANTZ AND TINA WEYMOUTH (as the Tom Tom Club) (2011, The Pageant, St. Louis, MO)
(both were inducted as members of Talking Heads)
- Opened for the Psychedelic Furs. It was an alright set, as I wasn't familiar very much with the TTC's music. I did get to meet the band after their set.
**MEETING THEM**
Truthfully, I don't remember much. I didn't have to pay extra or buy anything. Basically, anyone who was in the merch room got to have a photo taken with them. It was cool to be next to half of the Talking Heads!
ARETHA FRANKLIN (2011, Peabody Opera House, St. Louis, MO)
- It was one heck of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the Queen of Soul, as well as being part of the grand re-opening festivities of St. Louis' classic venue, Peabody Opera House. Jay Leno was also there, along with a lot of St. Louis' elite, including government leaders, Ozzie Smith, and more. Aretha sang a few songs; in addition, she sang a duet with the late Dennis Edwards (who spent his later years in St. Louis) as well as bringing Chuck Berry on stage briefly. She really brought down the house with "Freeway of Love" at the end.
BOB SEGER (2011, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO)
- I was a fan of Seger's when I was growing up, not much now. But it was still cool to experience a Bob Seger show at least once. He had the Silver Bullet band and all, playing their greatest hits as well as a few covers (like "Downtown Train").
VAN HALEN (2012, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO)
- The lineup that played during the show was David Lee Roth and the two Van Halen brothers as well as Eddie's son Wolfgang. (I would not see Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony perform until 2015) Eddie, despite of then-recent reports of poor health, looked great and still played the guitar like a master. Dave seemed alright, and in high spirits. I knew he wouldn't move like he did back in the early 80s, but he still had the voice and attitude. I remember seeing a short film about his horses at the show. There was one time that he yelled to the audience, "Come on guys, this ain't no Justin Beiber concert...".
KISS (2012, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO)
- The two lead men, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, were the only inducted members that performed, which was alright with me. Their show really wasn't that memorable, and it was kind of like a "fans-only" show where they didn't play a lot of their radio songs. Motley Crue opened for them.
MADONNA (2012, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO)
- It was more than a thrill to see one of my all-time favorite female singers live, especially one that I grew up listening to all my life. This was Madonna's first-ever show in St. Louis - she promised she'd be back since there were a lot of excited fans. I knew she couldn't play all the hits, but she managed to pull off quite a show. Her set started very late, for reasons I probably know why! I did leave early since I had to be at work at 6am the next morning. Had no regrets. DJ Paul Oakenfold opened.
PAUL MCCARTNEY (2012, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO; 2013, Bonnaroo, Manchester, TN; 2016, Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO)
- When I first saw Paul I was very blown away. Anyone who has seen Paul McCartney live knows he definitely gives it his all. He'll pick any greatest hits from the Beatles, solo and Wings era, even some album cuts not very many are familiar with. His 2012 St. Louis concert was my all-time favorite, until months later I saw him headline the Bonnaroo farm. It was like a life-changing event, and I can speak for the 80,000 people who sang along and danced to the hits. Singing "Hey Jude" along with tens of thousands of people with Paul was one of my all-time favorite moments. Paul is also known for doing encores like crazy - in fact, he did three at Bonnaroo! One of them I remember he ran on-stage carrying the U.S. flag and the State of Tennessee flag and everyone cheered. Then he broke into "Helter Skelter". It was like Paul didn't want to leave the stage, and no one wanted him to. To this day, I'm sure many veteran Bonnaroovians cite that performance as the most memorable. Nothing would ever top it for the festival. Thank goodness for Youtube, so I can re-live some of those moments.
- I saw him three years later (2016) at Busch Stadium, as I bought an S.R.O. ticket. It was a great concert, but I didn't expect it to be as big as Bonnaroo's. I do hope to see Paul again sometime in the future, because he isn't getting any younger, though it seems like he is!
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| Sir Paul at Bonnaroo '13 (this was from a monitor) |
THE YOUNG RASCALS (2013, Argosy Casino, Alton, IL)
- Probably the only inducted member that night was Felix Cavaliere (it was a bunch of younger guys playing the instruments). All of the Rascals' well-known hits were played, as well as great covers from the band (including their version of "Whole Lotta Love"!).
**MEETING FELIX CAVALIERE**
At some casino shows, its actually easier to meet the band/artists since the venue is small. Right after the show was over, Felix got off the stage and went to the crowd as people started to approach him. When he got to me, I told him that I was very honored to meet him, and I grew up listening to his music. He appreciated it and we shook hands. I asked him if he could take a picture, but he wanted to comply with casino rules with their "no pictures" policy. He said something like, "Maybe later, backstage?", but I knew that wasn't realistic (laughs). I didn't want to take up his time and he asked me my name, and I thanked him again. This was a guy who helped create the soundtrack to the late 60's, and he was very down-to-earth and seemed appreciative to young fans like me.
ZZ TOP (2013, Bonnaroo, Manchester, TN; 2014, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO; 2018, Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO)
- I always loved their music, but the first time I saw ZZ Top was right at midnight at Bonnaroo. They came on right after Paul McCartney, and they knew they couldn't top that. Their set seemed kind of boring as it seemed they didn't move very much. Thankfully, the next two times I saw the group it was better - its probably that way when they are the main attraction.
B.B. KING (2014, Peabody Opera House, St. Louis, MO)
- This one is a bit complicated. It was more than a thrill to be under the same roof and breathe the same air with the all-time blues legend, B.B. King. I didn't expect much of a performance because of his age (he was 88, the oldest person I've seen live). But everyone else at the venue expected quite a lot; King played four songs that night, but mostly talked throughout the show while the band played. He sang "You Are My Sunshine" with others singing along, but got old for most people. The crowd's reaction became negative during the middle of the show, with people walking out and quietly booing. I didn't like that kind of disrespect, especially toward someone who devoted his energy to come to St. Louis that night. King did save the night by breaking into "The Thrill Is Gone" which made everyone happy. That performance briefly made national news. King would pass away a year later.
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| B.B. King at Peabody Opera House, 2014 |
ICE CUBE (2014, Bonnaroo, Manchester, TN)
(he was inducted as a member of N.W.A.)
- His was one of the late-night shows, after I saw Kanye West headline. I didn't stay for the whole set, but I do remember there was a large backdrop with Ice Cube making one of his goofy, mean poses. I also recall he would yell to the DJ: "Play some old-school shit!" (meaning old hip-hop jams like Salt -n-Pepa and Tone Loc) "What else ya got?" It was easy to forget that this was the same guy from N.W.A., as well as one that transitioned to an actor. He sure didn't forget his roots that night!
BOBBY WOMACK (2014, Bonnaroo, Manchester, TN)
- I knew this was my opportunity to catch a rock/R&B legend during one afternoon on the Bonnaroo farm. Found it very odd that he was playing nearly at the same time as Damon Albarn, who Womack collaborated with in the past for the song "Skylo" (on the Gorillaz' 2010 album, Plastic Beach). It would have been cool had they gotten together for that song at the festival! But I gotta respect that it didn't happen.
- I remember there weren't that many people in the tent, as Cage the Elephant was also playing at that time. But I was very happy being close to the stage, hearing Womack and his hits. I also remember he was 15 minutes late, and he had to be walked on/off stage. Once he started singing, he was having a great time. I did notice he was showing signs of "slipping", like not remembering the names of his band members and going off-key. I didn't take it too seriously, as I was enjoying the moment.
- This would be his final performance. When I got home, I looked to see if Womack had any more tour dates, and he was supposed to hit Europe the next month. Of course, I was very shocked to hear about his death, which was nearly two weeks after I saw him. Apparently, he had health problems (some drug-related) as well as dementia in his later years.
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| The late Bobby Womack at Bonnaroo 2014 |
BONNIE RAITT (2014, Art Hill (Fair St. Louis), St. Louis, MO)
- I'm not much of a fan of Raitt's music, as it never really captured me. But Raitt did headline Fair St. Louis in 2014, as it was a free concert. I only stayed for a few songs.
JEFF BECK (2014, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO)
- Opened for ZZ Top (or was it a double headlining bill?). Honestly, his set wasn't really that memorable. Maybe if I were a guitar nerd, although he can play a mean guitar like a ring in a bell. Still, it is impressive that he's in the Rock Hall twice.
THE BEACH BOYS (2014, Belleville, IL (Bi-centennial festival))
-The only inducted member that performed that night was Mike Love, along with longtime member Bruce Johnston as well as a bunch of younger guys. It was a great show, even for a free one. Love, always the charismatic Beach Boy, joked on-stage: "I see a lot of you people made it tonight...oh yeah, the price was right!". In all fairness, I would have paid to see them, but luckily the city of Belleville let them help ring in the city's birthday festivities.
- I do hope to see Brian Wilson (and the rest of the surviving Beach Boys) sometime soon, as in sooner rather than later. He stopped in St. Louis two months ago, but tickets were as low as $120 or something; by that time I waited too long. It would have been very cool to have seen them back in 2012 when they all got back together for that tour, but they skipped St. Louis. 🙁
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| Mike Love |
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| Love and Bruce Johnston |
FLEETWOOD MAC/STEVIE NICKS (2015, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO)
- Probably the best show I saw in 2015. A lot of people agreed, as the classic lineup of Fleetwood Mac performed to a sold-out house at Scottrade that night. It was like all five of the members were having the times-of-their-lives on-stage, and were given equal time to show their best. Fleetwood did a drum solo, Buckingham strummed a guitar solo, and a lot of the band was kidding around with Christine McVie, who was back with the group after a long hiatus. Overall, it was a great concert, and a lot of people were blown away by what musicians in their 60s and 70s could still do after all those years of playing.
- Some people will probably call it "cheating" or "double dipping" as I saw Stevie Nicks (soon to be inducted as a solo artist in addition to being part of Fleetwood Mac). But Stevie did steal a lot of the show that night, so for now, I'm including her as part of my list. Stevie has toured solo many times, as well as visited St. Louis a few times (most recently in 2017), so who knows, maybe I'll catch her own live act sometime down the road. After all, she did once say in an interview: "I'll probably still be singing 'Dreams' when I'm 75...".
JOHN MELLENCAMP (2015, Peabody Opera House, St. Louis, MO)
- Carlene Carter opened (I got to meet her in the Merchandise booth!). Mellencamp played it cool and relaxed while singing a lot of his hit songs. The one thing I thought was hilarious was when he started saying something like, "This is one of my least favorite of mine, and I can't believe everyone made it one of my best-known songs!" - and then he broke into "Jack and Diane"!
STEELY DAN (2015, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO)
- Elvis Costello opened. Steely Dan played most of their greatest hits, with a few covers. I remember Walter Becker did something like a ramblin' speech for a few minutes (can't remember about what...) during the long intro of "Hey Nineteen". (Becker passed away two years later)
EARTH, WIND & FIRE (2015, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO)
CHICAGO (2015, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO)
- Both of the groups toured together during the summer of 2015, and the two groups collaborated for a few songs.
SAMMY HAGAR (2015, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO)
(Inducted as a member of Van Halen, along with Michael Anthony, who was also performing that night)
- Sammy, who has a special friendship with all of his St. Louis fans (I'll be writing a blog about that in the near future), treated everyone to an electrifying show. He usually performs in the STL once a year (sometimes twice), but oddly enough this was my first time experiencing a Sammy concert. One of my co-workers hooked me up with a seat near the stage, which made things more awesome. Sammy performed with his band, The Circle, which featured Michael Anthony, Vic Johnson and Jason Bonham. They played several songs spanning Sammy's career, including Van Halen (or in this case, Van Hagar), Montrose, and solo Sammy songs as well as their own. However, some criticized the set for being mostly a Led Zeppelin covers show, as there were a few songs by the legendary group that the band performed. All in all, it was a memorable show as Sammy, according to the hardcore fans, is never a let-down. Jason Bonham gave a short speech that ended with a big thank you to the rock fans for showing a lot of respect for his late father.
STEVIE WONDER (2015, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO)
- Stevie performed his entire Songs In The Key of Life album, along with a couple of his classics. Very awesome show, and he even got to show his goofy side near the end (he called himself DJ Tick Tick Boom)! Hometowner Nelly came on-stage near the end and did "Hot In Herre" with Wonder.
JOHN SEBASTIAN (inducted as a member of the Lovin' Spoonful)
(2015, Wildey Theatre, Edwardsville, IL)
- He played many Lovin' Spoonful songs as well as his own solo material.
**MEETING JOHN SEBASTIAN**
- I got to meet him after the show, as well as getting a picture with him. I'm not gonna lie, he did seem very socially awkward. Not just to me, but in general. I recently watched his performance at Woodstock, and you can tell he's not much of a people person. But he did craft great songs, and that's what makes him unique. I can't find the photo, as its hidden somewhere in my hard drives but I'll post it asap.
THE WHO (2016, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO)
- I went with one of my older friends, who was lucky to see The Who when they performed at Busch Stadium in 1989 (that was his favorite concert of all-time). He would always scoff every time The Who would call themselves that (after John Entwistle's death), by saying "There is no Who!". But we went, and had a great time. It was Daltrey and Townshend, along with Ringo Starr's son Zac on drums. I was able to record some of the songs on video.
- The show was postponed twice. I had the tickets in my possession for nearly a year and a half.
DEAD AND COMPANY (most of the surviving inducted members of the Grateful Dead performed (Bob Weir, Donna Godchaux, Mickey Hart, etc.)) (2016, Bonnaroo, Manchester, TN)
- Closing headliner at Bonnaroo '16. They did two sets, while taking a break in between. John Mayer mostly played guitar, as Weir did most of the vocals. Godchaux was not an official member of the Dead & Company, as she was a "Special Guest", singing with Weir on many of the songs that night. Their only encore song was "Touch of Grey" and Weir closed out with some political statements, mostly about Donald Trump.
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| Near the end of the show, I got closer to the stage |
JOE WALSH (inducted as a member of the Eagles)
(2016, Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO)
- Opened for Bad Company (or was it a double top bill?). Performed his hits, including those with the James Gang and the Eagles.
GEORGE CLINTON (inducted as a member of Parliament/Funkadelic)
(2016, Art Hill, St. Louis, MO)
- Free concert at Fair St. Louis 2016. Played a few of his notable songs, starting things off with "Flash Light". This was on the Fourth of July, and it was during the daytime. Flo Rida would headline hours later.
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| From my Instagram |
BUDDY GUY (2016, Forest Park, St. Louis, MO)
- At LouFest 2016. For a guy in his 80's, he put on a great show, and even cracked jokes in between songs. He sure was having a lot of fun on stage, probably more than all of the acts that performed that day. I remember he told a story about Marvin Gaye.
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| From my Instagram |
GREEN DAY (2016, The Pageant, St. Louis, MO)
- In a rare move, Green Day did a tour performing at only small venues, as opposed to the large areas they were probably used to. Not surprisingly, tickets went fast (and were not cheap!) as soon as they went on sale. This was the first time The Pageant did not allow people to get physical/online tickets until a few hours before the show - and the results were sort of a disaster as they were very slow in the process. I didn't plan to go until a friend of mine asked me the same day of the event if I was interested (he bought an extra ticket just in case...). Of course, I couldn't turn it down! It was a packed show, and B.J. Armstrong and crew gave it their 100%. Played most of their hits as well as new cuts from their then-latest album. I took a few photos with my phone but a guard had to stop me (haha).
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS (2017, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO)
- Finally got to see one of the groups on my bucket list but somehow didn't catch them before. The Chili Peppers have came a long way since their days performing at Mississippi Nights in the mid-80s, going through tragedy and numerous member changes. Great show, but I was mostly disappointed they did not play a lot from the 80s and 90s, besides their two signature songs "Give It Away" and "Under the Bridge". (I'm not really much of a fan of anything after Californication, but I do understand bands will hype up their latest album by playing cuts off of it). Trombone Shorty and Jack Irons (former RHCP member) opened. We (as in me and my friends) did not arrive on time to catch Jack, but I'm sure it would have been cool to see him.
NEIL DIAMOND (2017, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO)
- This was another I was long overdue to see, and it couldn't have been more perfect timing. Diamond put on a great show, singing several of his hits. He told the crowd how much he loved St. Louis and visited the Zoo earlier that day. Diamond was so full of energy that night, especially when he led the crowd in "Sweet Caroline" (although I hate the bum-bum-bums added in the chorus!). He even sang directly to those who sat in the cheap seats, or people like me who sat behind the stage! The next year he would announce his retirement from touring, due to his unfortunate diagnosis from Parkinson's.
DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (2017, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO)
- The duo had come a long way: by that I mean they performed at large venues, then small venues now back to big venues again as they seemingly gained a new generation of fans (possibly because of Daryl's TV show?). Either way, it was a great show. True, their vocals didn't sound like a lot of their 70s/80s recordings, but they still knew how to energize the crowd. Tears For Fears opened.
METALLICA (2017, Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO)
- One of the greatest shows I attended that year, was also on a wet, cold, rainy night. But that didn't seem to interfere as it got darker outside. The band played their classic 80's hits up to their "Black Album" era, as well as cuts from their then-new album. Nothing from Load to the 2000s era - and that didn't matter. They knew what their fans came to hear. Local H and Volbeat opened. The video below played at the very end of their show, paying a tribute to St. Louis and the fans from there.
FRANKIE VALLI & THE FOUR SEASONS (Valli was the only inductee performer on-stage)
(2017, Family Arena, St. Charles, MO)
- Frankie Valli performed all the hits and I'm assuming none of the other original members were there since they were all younger guys. Anyway, it was a great show and Valli still 'had it'.
STEVE WINWOOD (inducted as a member of Traffic; nominated once as a solo performer)
(2018, Fabulous Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO)
- My first time at the Fox Theatre in nearly a decade! Winwood performed several of his hits spanning his entire career, dating back to his Spencer Davis Group days. He would also perform Blind Faith and Traffic material, but not very much of his later solo career. I was disappointed by that, as I wanted to hear "Back in the High Life Again" and "Valerie" live. All in all, it was a cool show. His daughter, Lilly, opened and performed with her father later on in the show.
JOHN FOGERTY (inducted as a member of Creedence Clearwater Revival)
(2018, Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO)
- Part of the "Blues and Bayous" tour, with ZZ Top (my third time seeing them). Fogerty's set was very high-energy and he didn't look or seem his age (early 70's)! His daughter, Kelsey, came on-stage briefly to give him a Father's Day gift. Played mostly CCR songs, as well as some cool covers. And yes, Billy Gibbons and Fogerty performed on-stage for two songs!
JACKSON BROWNE (2018, Peabody Opera House, St. Louis, MO)
- To be honest, this concert really wasn't that memorable for me. I was only familiar with his radio hits. Most of the people there were baby boomers, and those who listened to his classic albums. Several album cuts from those he performed. I did like how he performed "Take It Easy" (a song he wrote with the late Glenn Frey) and how he did a tribute to Frey at the end.
THE PRETENDERS (2018, Stifel Theatre, St. Louis, MO)
- Chrissie Hynde and crew put on a great performance that night. I remember the venue wasn't very full, which I suppose on the band's part was kind of insulting. The band (or Chrissie) is notorious for not allowing photos/video at their shows (not even from phones!) so there was plenty of security on hand, as they repeatedly had to ask people to stop. My take on the whole issue: I always respect artists' wishes on the whole camera/video policy, but at the same time I also say at this point the whole situation is uncontrollable. More and more people are using their phones to capture a memento from that night. That's something people didn't do, say, fifty years ago. Let 'em live in the moment.
- Peabody Opera House changed its name to Stifel Theatre two days before. This was the first concert under the new name.
LYNYRD SKYNYRD (the only inducted member on-stage was Gary Rossington)
(2018, Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO)
- This was their farewell tour. 38 Special and Hank Williams, Jr. opened. The most touching moment of that show was their video montage of all deceased band members. Their encore was, not surprisingly, "Free Bird".
ROD STEWART (2018, Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO)
- Stewart was on tour with Cyndi Lauper, and they did an outdoor performance (rare for Rod, lol). Lauper would come on first, and then Rod would belt out mostly the hits. He was hyping up his upcoming album, which was released in late September 2018. The two would be on-stage together for "It Takes Two". Me and my friend were a bit disappointed that the show was seemingly cut short and he only did one song for an encore (the fan favorite, "Sailing").
THE DOOBIE BROTHERS (2019, Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO)
- Double billing of the Doobies and Santana. Played most of their greatest hits.
- They had planned on doing a 50th Anniversary tour the following year, with Michael McDonald, but of course, the Covid-19 pandemic put it on hold.
SANTANA (2019, Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO)
- Santana played one of the greatest performances I've seen in 2019, playing a lot of his greatest hits as well as some cuts from one of my favorite albums, 1999's Supernatural.
SLASH (2019, Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO)
(inducted as a member of Guns 'N Roses)
- This was Slash's first appearance at the venue since the 1991 Riverport Riot (many people remember him as one of the GNR members flipping off the audience).
BOB DYLAN (2019, Stifel Theater, St. Louis, MO)
- It was a great show, as Bob had a lot of energy to move around on stage and play with his band, which seemingly had a lot of members!
- This was the last concert/show I attended before the Covid-19 pandemic - which would put a temporary halt to live performances.
THE ROLLING STONES (2021, The Dome at America's Center, St. Louis, MO)
- This was my first show since Covid-19 pandemic.
- Seeing the Stones was always one of my top priorities and it was well worth the wait (it was originally in the Spring of 2020). The last time they were in STL was in 2005 and I originally thought my chances of seeing them were slim to none (or I could've taken a train to Chicago...).
BON JOVI (2022, Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO)
JANET JACKSON (2023, Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO)
- Played just about all of her greatest hits, which were mostly medleys from her albums (like the choruses of certain songs segued into other songs)
ROBERT PLANT (2023, Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO)
(inducted as a member of Led Zeppelin)
- This was my second time seeing a member of LZ (see "Surprise Shots" below)
- Plant was with Alison Krauss
- I went in there not expecting him to play very much LZ or 80's solo songs but he surprisingly played some bluegrass versions of those eras
PAT BENATAR/NEIL GERALDO (2023, Stifel Theatre, St. Louis, MO)
- Played most of her greatest hits as well as some of her minor hits like "Everybody Lay Down"
- One of the few shows I got lucky and got my seat upgraded to close to the front
ERIC CLAPTON (2023, Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO)
...and let's not forget the "Surprise Shots"
Darryl "DMC" McDaniels (2010, appearing onstage with Jackyl)
-He was inducted as a member of Run-DMC. I'm still not sure of the whole connection to the hard-rock band and DMC, but overall it was a great surprise and it had the crowd energized.
Dennis Edwards (2011, appearing onstage with Aretha Franklin)
-He was inducted as a member of the Temptations.
John Paul Jones (2014, appearing onstage with Seasick Steve at Bonnaroo)
-He was inducted as a member of Led Zeppelin.
That's right - I had tickets to see the following Hall of Famers, but something happened along the way. Of course, I was very disappointed; in fact, still am. Sometimes things aren't meant to be, as of yet. I thought I'd share these anyway....
CHEAP TRICK - They were to perform after Blondie's set at the Illinois State Fair in August 2010, but it was all rained out. Towards the end of Blondie's performance, it started to sprinkle. Minutes later, it was pouring down rain and I started to hear rumors that the show were to get cancelled. One of the grounds workers did confirm this to me and a few others. I remember it was raining so hard on the hour-and-a-half drive home, which was one of the worst driving nights ever for me. I was refunded my money, so the Blondie show was free. Cheap Trick has played in the St. Louis area many times (including twice in 2018) but I still have yet to see Zander & crew.
DEEP PURPLE - I had tickets to see Deep Purple/Alice Cooper/Edgar Winter in August 2017, which I got for a great $20 deal months before. On the way to the venue, my car's exhaust system broke down and I was stranded for a bit. I was so panicked that I had AAA tow me home, which was far. Looking back, maybe I still could have attended the show. But now my chances of seeing Deep Purple are very low, since they recently announced their retirement.
GUNS 'N ROSES - Scheduled to play at Busch Stadium in Sept 2023. Axl felt ill on stage in Lexington (or was it Louisville?) a couple nights before. The show was originally postponed but eventually cancelled. Not surprisingly, several St. Louisans were like "Classic Axl..., hating on St. Louis" but it turned out not to be the case. I'm sure the next time they do a tour, be it next year or so, STL will be a top priority.
Check out Michelle Bourg's post (as Iconic Rock Talkshow) about all the Hall of Famers she's seen live, met, etc.
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...and let's not forget the "Surprise Shots"
Darryl "DMC" McDaniels (2010, appearing onstage with Jackyl)
-He was inducted as a member of Run-DMC. I'm still not sure of the whole connection to the hard-rock band and DMC, but overall it was a great surprise and it had the crowd energized.
Dennis Edwards (2011, appearing onstage with Aretha Franklin)
-He was inducted as a member of the Temptations.
John Paul Jones (2014, appearing onstage with Seasick Steve at Bonnaroo)
-He was inducted as a member of Led Zeppelin.
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| John Paul Jones (center) performing with Seasick Steve |
----Bands That I Almost Got To See, But...----
That's right - I had tickets to see the following Hall of Famers, but something happened along the way. Of course, I was very disappointed; in fact, still am. Sometimes things aren't meant to be, as of yet. I thought I'd share these anyway....
CHEAP TRICK - They were to perform after Blondie's set at the Illinois State Fair in August 2010, but it was all rained out. Towards the end of Blondie's performance, it started to sprinkle. Minutes later, it was pouring down rain and I started to hear rumors that the show were to get cancelled. One of the grounds workers did confirm this to me and a few others. I remember it was raining so hard on the hour-and-a-half drive home, which was one of the worst driving nights ever for me. I was refunded my money, so the Blondie show was free. Cheap Trick has played in the St. Louis area many times (including twice in 2018) but I still have yet to see Zander & crew.
DEEP PURPLE - I had tickets to see Deep Purple/Alice Cooper/Edgar Winter in August 2017, which I got for a great $20 deal months before. On the way to the venue, my car's exhaust system broke down and I was stranded for a bit. I was so panicked that I had AAA tow me home, which was far. Looking back, maybe I still could have attended the show. But now my chances of seeing Deep Purple are very low, since they recently announced their retirement.
GUNS 'N ROSES - Scheduled to play at Busch Stadium in Sept 2023. Axl felt ill on stage in Lexington (or was it Louisville?) a couple nights before. The show was originally postponed but eventually cancelled. Not surprisingly, several St. Louisans were like "Classic Axl..., hating on St. Louis" but it turned out not to be the case. I'm sure the next time they do a tour, be it next year or so, STL will be a top priority.
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So what are your favorite concert memories? I always enjoy reading other people's stories about concerts as well as moments with famous people - especially those that happened before I was born. There's no reason I should be having all the fun. Leave me something in the comments - or even better, put it on your blog if you have one.Check out Michelle Bourg's post (as Iconic Rock Talkshow) about all the Hall of Famers she's seen live, met, etc.
