A waiting world notes the increasing lags in time between posts to my blog. After an interminable duration, I present to you..."the latest."
Nothing heavy this time, though. Nope. Instead of my usual introspection or vaguely humorous stories or uncool angst, today's fare is not even worthy of the buildup of lo these many moons.
My return to the blog was prompted by a thought--"I wonder what the full list is of acts I've ever seen in concert?" I have no hope of remembering all of them. Some were just opening acts that I've forgotten. Others I only caught one or two songs from, as the concert wasn't my primary reason for being wherever I was. Others still were just plain a long time ago. So below, I'm going to try to summon my powers of memory to list as many as I can think of. Dates of shows are included, when known. This post may be edited if any new ones come to mind.
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (local radio birthday concert, my first show...note: "Weird Al" Yankovic was one of the MCs, but did not perform)
John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band (local radio birthday concert, my first show)
Ashford & Simpson (local radio birthday concert, my first show)
Expose (was trying to win "Weird Al" tickets and ended up with these instead...long story)
"Weird Al" Yankovic (several times, including 8/6/99 and at least two Rocky Point shows)
They Might be Giants (several times, Apollo 18 era through the present, including 1/19/96, 11/10/03, 11/11/03, 12/26/03, & 7/24/04)
Dave Gregory (!) (Aimee Mann was the actual headliner--he was just playing guitar in her band, but I was most definitely there to see him, 11/11/93)
Gin Blossoms (7/22/94, Riverside Stadium show)
Cracker (7/22/94, Riverside Stadium show)
Spin Doctors (7/22/94, Riverside Stadium show)
Huey Lewis & the News (7/30/91, circa Hard at Play)
Davy Jones (caught one or two songs
inadvertently at a free show earlier this summer)
Christine Lavin
DaVinci's Notebook
Jian Ghomeshi (of Moxy Fruvous) (10/26/01)
Dan Hart (several times)
Sponge Awareness Foundation (twice)
Billy Joel (circa Storm Front)
R.E.M. (circa Monster or New Adventures in Hi-Fi)
Ben Folds Five (circa Reinhold Messner)
Ben Folds (solo with Rockin' the Suburbs band)
Ben Folds (solo without band, just piano twice, including 11/9/03)
Son Volt
The Wallflowers
Candy Butchers (opener for TMBG, didn't really pay attention)
Fountains of Wayne (on the same bill with TMBG a few weeks ago...excellent show!)
Don Henley (concert for Walden Woods, 9/6/93)
Sting (concert for Walden Woods, 9/6/93)
Aerosmith (concert for Walden Woods, 9/6/93)
Jimmy Buffett (concert for Walden Woods, 9/6/93)
Genesis (5/28/92, circa We Can't Dance)
Throwing Toasters (Grant B. only)
The Legendaires (band of Holiday World employees that played for the ACE Coaster Con a few years ago)
Jim's Big Ego
John Forster (twice, double bill with below both times)
Don White (twice, double bill with above both times)
Eagles (8/7/94)
Corn Mo (opener for TMBG, strangely cool act)
Guster (10/30/03)
Peter Gabriel (7/19/94 WOMAD show)
Midnight Oil (7/19/94 WOMAD show)
Arrested Development (7/19/94 WOMAD show)
Live (7/19/94 WOMAD show)
Dire Straits (3/1/92, circa On Every Street)
Martina Sorbara (10/26/01, opener for Jian Ghomeshi)
Squeeze (at least twice...I remember once with a full band and Paul Carrack in the lineup and once more with just Difford and Tilbrook acoustic)
Built to Spill (opener for Ben Folds...so much talent wasted on such mediocre songs)
Joe Paquin (my high school physics teacher who performed several impromptu cover shows with his acoustic guitar in his classroom and in the Cumberland High foyer...usually just before Christmas break)
Stefan Couture (not sure if I got his name right...he was live in the studio at WOON during an episode of our Explorer Post show; I was the board op for his performance)
Manny Brandao (board op for several episodes of The Manny Brandao Show on WOON, Woonsocket, RI--he usually sang along to a tape,
karaoke-style, but occasionally had
acoustic guitar accompaniment)
That's all I can think of. Will update, if/as applicable.
