One of my biggest missed concert opportunities was R.E.M. on the Green tour. My roommates and I had tickets to the show but had to sell them outside the venue to make up for the rent money one of the (soon to be ex) roommates blew on an insane bender. It wasn't until the Monster tour that they hit the road again and I was finally able to see one of my all-time favorite groups. To this day, I kick myself for giving up those ticket. There HAD to be a better way to come up with the cash. So that one still hurts.

I've seen damn near everyone under the sun but my two white whales are Paul McCartney and Madonna. I've had the opportunity to see both of them in recent years, but they strike me as being well past their primes, especially Madonna. She seems like one of the all-time great performers and it would have been great to see her in her heyday. As for McCartney, I may get around to him but the same thing -- I'd prefer to have caught him 20 years ago or something. But he IS a freaking Beatle so I may have to suck it up and spend the dough and sing along to Hey Jude like everyone else.

How 'bout you folks? Any missed concert opportunities that still sting? Any white whales that are still on your concert bucket list?

Beastie Boys/Rage Against The Machine

Tour was canceled when one of the Beasties broke a leg or something.

I remember that tour getting cancelled, although I didn't have tickets for it. I've seen both bands, though. I saw RATM before they were signed, playing the second stage at Lollapalooza. I had never heard them before, but they had a huge buzz. Manged to get front row center. And they came out and just blew through the entire first album like ... well, there's no cliche that really does justice to how powerful they were. Amazing show. I was an instant fan.

My sister had tickets and when a friend backed out she offered it to me. It would have been my first concert.

That would have been a damn good first concert. So what did turn out to be the first?

pearl jam slane castle, ireland 1993, supporting neil young...

this keeps me awake at night

Ouch. Is there a story? Did you have tix?

J Geils Band

Eh, pretty much the same thing then. Never seen J Geils Band -- I bet they were good.

Actually according to a quick google search that's not entirely true. I saw J Geils in the summer of 1999, the Beastie Boys/RATM show would have been in 2000.

I know, I'm sorry.

my dad only would let me have one ticket...this gig, or U2 zootv in dublin...i chose U2...im not sorry...zoo tv was their best tour. But still...Slane was their favourite show tat year and the scene of that first rolling stone interview with cameron crowe...

Elliott Smith (backed by Quasi, who were also the opening band) in January 1999. I got into his stuff about three months later.

Had to pass on a blind melon and a nirvana shows in the same week because I was a freshman in high school and couldn't afford it. I believe that was late 93 or early 94. That hurt

Pearl Jam with Dave A.

AIC with Layne.

Aerosmith pre-1995'ish.

Nirvana (though I've never been a huge fan).

Soundgarden pre-1996.

Mad Season.



All being "missed opportunities" mainly due to my age.

I feel fortunate to have seen SG three times prior to their breakup and AIC once prior to Staley's death.

Tom Waits, UK, 2008. I hadn't yet dug deep into his catalogue and his tickets were expensive, so I decided to skip it :/

Pearl Jam in 1998, 2000 and 2010 in KC and 2003 in Council Bluffs. Couldn't find anyone who wanted to go with me to the 98, 2000 and 2003 shows and I was so young and naive I thought I had to go with someone. The 2010 show the (now ex) wife had some shit going on so I didn't wanna bail on her. Stupid me.

I have never seen REM, RATM, AiC (with LS), Beasties, Tool, Beck or Radiohead. PJ is by far my favorite band that I have not seen live yet but I will end that drought in October thank God.

Lots of bands I have seen open for someone or at festivals who I'd like to see by themselves. The National comes to mind. I saw them open for Arcade Fire.

I would have loved to have seen Whiskeytown (the band Ryan Adams was in before he went solo) or Smashing Pumpkins on the Siamese Dream tour (I saw them on the MC&TIS tour) or Nirvana. My brother (he is 43) saw Nirvana in 1989 and 1991.

Just about everyone else I really love who is still active I have been lucky enough to see. Bands like Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Joy Division and Big Star don't count because they don't tour for obvious reasons.

Fun topic.

the fact that i live where i live has always been hindering my chances to see big names, but here are few that i had the chance to see but for various reasons didnt go;
rainbow (1982)
kiss (1983)
Stevie Ray Vaughan (1988)
Pearl Jam (1992)
Pink Floyd (1994)
Queens Of the Stone Age (2000,2003)


I've been lucky seeing some of those later, also managed to see Nirvana, Ratm, Tool, Beastie Boys among many many great bands..

kp