While doing some spring cleaning an envelope full of ticket stubs shuffled up to the surface; I scanned a number of them here:
The envelope had stayed in the back of a drawer where I’d thrown it right after moving into my apartment ten years ago, one of those things I never looked at but never threw out. The Butthole Surfers show from 1987 ended up being one of the strangest I’ve ever seen. I’m sure most of the two hundred people or so who saw it have never forgotten it, either. I still have a couple of posters for this, and actually put up posters for this show when I was 17 and DJ-ing at CRSG, which produced it.
Apparently this bar charged an extra $2 at the door, none of which went to the bands, unless you presented this coupon they would use as flyers for their shows. I managed to get the two bucks off and see the Devices for probably the thirtieth time by then (and for the first of probably thirty times by now, opening band Nutsak.) This was in 1995.
I was a little bit underwhelmed by this show, her first after ditching the loud rock trio that she cut her great first albums with. I still regret not catching her with that trio at Club Soda on her previous visit, but I’m happy I at least caught Jeff Buckley there around the same time. The opener for this show was Tricky, who was really weak and all shy and awkward onstage.
I was surprised at how many times I went to baseball games, judging by the ticket stubs. All I really remember now is drinking smuggled six-packs up in the empty stands with the guys.
It would have been a better show if it weren’t for Bootsy only getting onstage at about one-thirty, and after a several-hour wait. But hey, it was Bootsy!
I based a scene in my novel at this show, almost surely the only time that My Dog Popper played a show that you could buy tickets at Admission for. There was an unexpected intermission with free beer courtesy of former premier Pierre-Marc Johnson, who just wanted some quiet while finishing a speech next door.
This was actually the first-ever show at the Cabaret Music Hall. The opening band, Fearless Freep, was a duo that I jammed with regularly for a little while in the jamspace that my by-then defunct band Sex Aquarium had practiced in. George Agetees was the drummer for both bands. I have no idea if The For Carnation are still making music or not, but I never heard much of them again after that show.
This was one hell of a show, one of the best I’ve seen, the Cramps at the absolute top of their game. I remember I was very impressed by what seemed like every band member from every punk or alternative band in town being at this show. The opening act, Screaming Blue Messiahs, was a lot less impressive, though.
Fugazi played very well, I wish they’d come to town more times since then (or once, even.) I do remember being annoyed when they stopped playing music for several minutes, insisting that the mosh pit calm down because someone might get hurt. It sort of changed the atmosphere of the show. The openers were Shotmaker and Bliss (who quite possibly never played another live show after that. They broke up after their guitarist moved to the US.)
I think the Ripcordz and Slaves on Dope headlined this multi-band affair. It’s really a shame the Rialto stopped doing rock shows like that. It’s one of those places that would have been a fixture on today’s huge concert circuit if it had stuck around.
Ah, Lollapalooza, the second one. Highlights: Ministry, Porno for Pyros, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers. I think Lush might have played, also. Jesus and Mary Chain definitely competed with Ice Cube for the worst set of the day, though.
This was an amazing show, really a shame this outfit broke up so quickly.
I wish I could get a ticket for the Habs for $16.50 today.
This was an excellent show. Beck was riding the success of Loser and apparently refused to play it at shows because he resented that people were showing up not interested in hearing anything else. However, the crowd was so into his songs and crowd participation and singalongs that he did end with it. I saw him a couple years back at the Bell Centre and it was a million miles away from this first show, where there was no light show or costumes and he played most of the instruments.
We were all excited to see this show, me and my bandmates in Sex Aquarium, because bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur had lent our bassist his amp, and it made us feel special to have that amp in the band. We didn’t get to meet Courtney Love, though.
Time was not kind to Lux Interior between the two Cramps shows these ticket stubs are for. Still one of the best rock shows I’ve seen, and that time I was impressed by how what seemed like every single friend of mine in the music scene was there. Demolition Doll Rods and Guitar Wolf were also excellent opening up.
$16.50 to see U2 at the Forum. I was a big fan for awhile up til then, loved the show, sang the last encore (40) along with the crowd all the way into the metros, and never really listened to them again. By the time their next album, their biggest, came out I didn’t even notice. They didn’t have any coloured lights or lasers or screens whatsoever, and I don’t even think they dimmed the lights throughout the show, which was very impressive (and ironic given their later tours.)