best 'opening' bands

[IWasBored]

you know when you go to a show and one of the other bands on the bill was actually better than the so-called headliner?

what's the best opening band you've seen, whether you went to the show to see them (rather than the headliners...i've gone to shows to support friends' of friends' bands and not have even heard of the headliners...)?


let's define:
headliner = last act to play, or at a festival any bands with the greatest amount of (equal) playing time on the biggest, most accessible stage
opening band = any other band at the show/festival

[[[[[[[[this is the point where you stop reading my rambling post and post your own answer....unless you actually want to read that crap. but consider yourself warned] ]]]]]]]]]]]]

the dropkick murphys march boston shows for this coming year got me thinking...

1...with Jerry's Kids & The Bones (from Sweden)
2...with The Bluebloods & The Skells
3...with Anti-heros & Confront
4...with The Casualties & Brain Failure

the openers last year were good too, but with the exception of the casualties this time around, and the ducky boys (at least i think they played...not at the show i went to, though) last year, i think this might be better. although yertle might argue that ash was the best band they've had open for them at one of those shows...either way, last year i got to see the pug uglies and gang green...and i'm hoping this year anti-heroes and confront.

but the best "opening" band i'd have to say i've seen would have to be the street dogs. anyway...

 

[tennispunk]

oooh I've seen so many asskickin opening acts

last week, the Tossers opened for Ted Leo and the Pharmacists at the Metro--and most of the crowd was there to see the Tossers anyway. gotta love those Duggins brothers. The Tossers also opened for Flogging Molly a couple years ago, another atrocity....


Deal's Gone Bad open for the Slackers, both are great; Deals is better.

Roger Miret and the Disasters opened for Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards last night at the Metro.

Sonic Youth opened a lot of shows for Pearl Jam; again both are awesome, but Thurston Moore is god's gift to indie rock.

 

[IWasBored]

oooh I've seen so many asskickin opening acts

last week, the Tossers opened for Ted Leo and the Pharmacists at the Metro--and most of the crowd was there to see the Tossers anyway. gotta love those Duggins brothers. The Tossers also opened for Flogging Molly a couple years ago, another atrocity....


Deal's Gone Bad open for the Slackers, both are great; Deals is better.

Roger Miret and the Disasters opened for Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards last night at the Metro.

Sonic Youth opened a lot of shows for Pearl Jam; again both are awesome, but Thurston Moore is god's gift to indie rock.

i heard the same thing about the tossers/ted leo gig in detroit.

does deal's gone bad ever play outside of the chicago area? seems like they never leave there...

when i saw the disasters they opened for DKM and the unseen...they would have been good, i'll give roger the benefit of the doubt...he sounded really tired and the crowd wasn't in it at all (stupid crowd didn't recognize the 'career opportunities' cover, and they sure as hell didn't know 'england[ny] belgons to me'...)

 

[tennispunk]

That is because the Tossers are one of the best bands around today-bar none....and Ted Leo is something of a wanker, in my opinion.

I have never seen Deal's play anywhere but Chicago (haha, and I've seen them probably 25+ times here and engineered them several times), but they tour with the Slackers, so my guess is that they at least have played in NYC a few times. And speaking of which, if you dig them, they got a new singer a little over a year ago, and he's fantastic. So much soul.

And yeah, Roger Miret kicks ass. I saw him open for the Business at House of Blues this year and the show was amazing. He's also the singer in Agnostic Front, who are just kickass hardcore. (sXe - it's in my blood)

 

[IWasBored]

i saw the tossers play near here last march, they were awesome, somehow managed to sound great while being completly wasted - not something your average band can pull off.

i've never been able to get into the slackers. i've tried listening to them, and i did like the last 2 albums a lot, i've just never really been able to listen to them for more than a song or two at a time.

i'm looking forward to the new agnostic front album. i keep hearing people whine about how it sounds too much like hatebreed. the songs i've heard sounded great (and i'm not a huge hatebreed fan).

 

[SkeeK]

Alright if you guys don't start giving Ted Leo the love he deserves I'm gonna have to get mean. He is an awesome dude, and to call him a wanker is a bit strange... haveing had a conversation with the guy I feel he was rather nice and down to earth, frankly.

And who the fuck are the tossers?

 

[SkeeK]

Hmm the tossers seem like the might be interesting. i will look into them. that's who the fuck they are.

and.. i disagree about the not many bands being able to sound good while completely wasted part. and if you want a specific mention of one that pulls it off very well, look no further than the Constantines

 

[IWasBored]

murphy's law is the only other band i've seen play well (one of the best bands i've seen, too) while completly drunk. i've just been unfortunate enough to see all the shitty-while-drunk bands out there.

thick records' site has a couple tossers songs up for download. www.thickrecords.com and if you ever catch me on soulseek, i've got some stuff in my "celtic folk-y rock" folder...or at least that's what i think i named it... edgeDKM is the username...

i like ted leo. if i hadn't been completly broke when 'shake the sheets' came out, i would have bought it...and i've liked his other stuff. i'm kind of bummed i missed him when he played at the flywheel a year or 2 ago...shows there are wicked cheap and i'm sure he rocked that place.

 

[tennispunk]

The Tossers are a celt-punk band from Chicago. Imagine the Pogues on steroids.

tony always manages to be completely shellacked when performing--usually drinking a glass of vodka. i'm pretty sure i've only seen them twice when he didn't throw up on stage (and then keep right on drinking). i've recorded them twice, and he was also plastered both times. hahaha.

tony is also quite crazy (man do i have stories) and tells fantastic jokes. can't wait for their next album--there's going to be a song on it called "take me home again kathleen" which is fantastic.

if you're going to check them out, pick up "communication and conviction" which is amazing, or perhaps "long dim road."

 

[elevatedmole]

Back to the original topic of the thread (won't comment on the Ted Leo stuff, because I've met him and think he's a very nice guy, plus my avatar ):

No particular order.

The Music -- saw them open for Coldplay. I had never heard of them, and they played much longer than Coldplay, plus I was less than impressed with Coldplay live.

Garbage -- saw them open for U2. I'd heard of them but back then I didn't know anything about them. Very good

Preservation Hall Jazz Band -- okay, this probably doesn't count. I went to a show that I got free tickets for (from a friend), and neither of us even realized there was a second act. It sounds ridiculous, but you had to be there. They played second, and were wonderful. I had never realized that I could love jazz.

 

[Hewson]

Hmmm..lets see, best openers.
The Clash opening for The Who in 1982 at Shea Stadium
Stevie Ray Vaughn opening for Robert Plant in 1988
Robert Plant opening for The Who in 2002

Technically U2 opening for the Police at the Amnesty International show at Giants Stadium in 1986 (U2 was supposed to close the show with Sting next to last but when the cops decided to reunite they flip flopped postions.)

Some other good ones:
Pixies opening for U2
Sonic Youth opening for Pearl Jam
Soundgarden opening for Guns N Roses
Guns N Roses opening for Aerosmith