Worst Concert Pairing, EVER

[Mobius]

The Replacements opening for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers at Merriweather Post in the summer of 1989.
 
 Looking back, perhaps this sounds like it could have been pretty cool.  If you were old.  The Mats had already slipped in to their mature mode touring on Don't Tell a Soul and Petty was touring on Full Moon Fever, which turned out to be a classic.  But at the time?  First off, it was 1989.  Not a stretch to say R.E.M. and the Mats were the Kings of college/alternative music.  R.E.M. had already crossed over w/ Green (selling out the Cap Center that spring) . . . so there was something kind of sad about this.  Like the great playwright moving to Hollywood to writing for a sitcom, the Great Replacements opening for some f*cking classic rock dinosaur.  WTF??  And Tom Petty was a dinosaur.  Literally.  I mean, he was in the Traveling Wilburies at the time.  Second off,  The Mats were in my pantheon and I was listening to Let It Be and Pleased to Meet Me most days on my way to or from a summer job from which I pocketed $50 a week.  So I was dying to see The Replacements but didn't have the disposable income (nor did my friends) - nor much desire - to see them play a 40 minute set in broad daylight in front of a 1/3 full Merriweather with completely unappreciative fans waiting for one of the Traveling Wilburies to rock the house.  Last off,  to make matters worse, that was their ONLY stop in the DC area on the Don't Tell a Soul tour.  Would have to wait until 1991 to see them at Lisner.
 
 Worst pairing that turned out to be good?  All the Dead references remind me of seeing Sting play a fantastic set opening for the Dead in 93.  And keep in mind you don't go to those things any kind of sober . . . so this was a different Sting from the guy in new Sheryl Crow video.  He stepped up and really put on a strong show and connected w/ that crowd.

[chancegardener]

Alright, pulling out my concert book here. And the worst of the worst were:
 
 Rod Stewart headlining, Air Supply opening - Spectrum, Philadelphia 1977
 Rolling Stones, Foreigner, Peter Tosh - JFK Stadium Philly 1978
 Jerry Garcia Band, Rachel Sweet - Lisner 1980
 Love and Rockets, Pixies - DAR 1989
 Public Enemy, Sisters of Mercy, Gang of Four - DAR 1991
 Big Audio Dynamite, PiL, Live - Smith Center 1992
 Porno for Pyros, Mercury Rev - Wilmers Park 1993
 Rolling Stones, Counting Crows - RFK 1994
 Jeff Buckley, Emmett Swimming - Black Cat 1994
 Blur, Emmett Swimming - Cap Ballroom 1996
 Red Hot Chili Peppers, Silverchair - USAir Arena 1996
 The Who, Drivin' and Cryin - Nissan 1997
 Rolling Stones, The Corrs - MCI Center 1999
 Jane's Addiction, Live - Nissan 2001
 South, Elbow - 9:30 2002

[Sir HC]

Originally posted by chancegardener:
  Alright, pulling out my concert book here. And the worst of the worst were:
 
 Love and Rockets, Pixies - DAR 1989
 Porno for Pyros, Mercury Rev - Wilmers Park 1993
 

That L&R/Pixies show sucked because of technical hell, loved the Pixies opening by saying "This is our soundcheck".  And the lights failing for L&R, and Daniel having multiple hissy fits.
 
 For the Porno show, you forgot that Velocity Girl and the Holy Rollers (IIRC) opening at like 3 in the afternoon and the huge lull til PFP.

[brennser]

South, Elbow - 9:30 2002

Why is this such a bad pairing? While Elbow are clearly the superior band, they have a similar sound....

[eros]

Originally posted by thingsfallapart:
   

Originally posted by walkonby:
  u2  "zoo tv tour"  rfk
 
 openers were primus and fishbone.
 
 beat that.

Didn't the Pixies open for U2 at one point? [/b]

I saw them on Zoo TV in 1992 at the Hampton Coliseum.

[Guiny]

The Tom Tom Club opening for Echo and The Bunnymen a few years ago at 9:30.  Sad thing for Echo was that they got blown away that night by The Tom Tom Club.

[thingsfallapart]

Originally posted by Rob_Gee:
  The Tom Tom Club opening for Echo and The Bunnymen a few years ago at 9:30.  Sad thing for Echo was that they got blown away that night by The Tom Tom Club.

I can imagine that.

[eip]

Queens of the Stone Age opening for Zwan at Towson University in 2003.  So many people thought Zwan would be opening that they missed QOTSA!

[MindCage]

Originally posted by chancegardener:
  Blur, Emmett Swimming - Cap Ballroom 1996
 Jane's Addiction, Live - Nissan 2001

I think the thing that made the Live/Jane's show horrible was Ed Kowalczyk every 2 minutes talking about 9/11. I came to the show to get away from that...he made me wonder if I missed them handing out revolvers at the door so I could shoot myself during Live's set.
 
 I remember that Blur/emmet show as a DC 101 Summer party at the Ballroom! Didn't really think emmet was a good mix for Blur even though I like emmet swimming a lot.
 
 MindCage
 Mindless Faith
 Deep6 Productions

[sonickteam2]

has nobody even mentioned the current Red Hot Chili Peppers / Kanye West tour?
 
 
 although i guess with Pop music nowadays, nothing is sacred.

[chaz]

Originally posted by mrpee:
  Peach of Immortality opening for anybody...help me out here people!

New Carrolton!

[grotty]

Originally posted by Mobius:
  The Replacements opening for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers at Merriweather Post in the summer of 1989.
 
 Looking back, perhaps this sounds like it could have been pretty cool.  If you were old.  The Mats had already slipped in to their mature mode touring on Don't Tell a Soul and Petty was touring on Full Moon Fever, which turned out to be a classic.  But at the time?  First off, it was 1989.  Not a stretch to say R.E.M. and the Mats were the Kings of college/alternative music.  R.E.M. had already crossed over w/ Green (selling out the Cap Center that spring) . . . so there was something kind of sad about this.  Like the great playwright moving to Hollywood to writing for a sitcom, the Great Replacements opening for some f*cking classic rock dinosaur.  WTF??  And Tom Petty was a dinosaur.  Literally.  I mean, he was in the Traveling Wilburies at the time.  Second off,  The Mats were in my pantheon and I was listening to Let It Be and Pleased to Meet Me most days on my way to or from a summer job from which I pocketed $50 a week.  So I was dying to see The Replacements but didn't have the disposable income (nor did my friends) - nor much desire - to see them play a 40 minute set in broad daylight in front of a 1/3 full Merriweather with completely unappreciative fans waiting for one of the Traveling Wilburies to rock the house.  Last off,  to make matters worse, that was their ONLY stop in the DC area on the Don't Tell a Soul tour.  Would have to wait until 1991 to see them at Lisner.
 
 

Ha - I was there! Kind of.
 It was my shot to see the Replacements. Only we were so late that I just heard Westerberg finish as we entered the gate.
 Man...I was bitter @ the time.

[grotty]

Originally posted by chancegardener:
  Alright, pulling out my concert book here. And the worst of the worst were:
 
 
 Jeff Buckley, Emmett Swimming - Black Cat 1994
 

Wow - this may win the coveted award for Worst Pairing EVER.

[shoot ur shot]

Originally posted by Chaz, Lover of all Beings:
   

Originally posted by mrpee:
  Peach of Immortality opening for anybody...help me out here people!

New Carrolton! [/b]

fukkk yaaa!!

[walkonby]

hanson opening for michael jackson.  now that's odd.