We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Best Concert seats you ever had?

GolfTravelDude

GolfTravelDude

Team Hackers Alumni
Albatross 2024 Club
Joined
Jun 23, 2019
Messages
11,114
Reaction score
8,608
Location
Virginia
Handicap
9.4
The post on best sports seats made my mind go here. So best seats you ever had for a Concert/Band?

Back in 1976 when Bruce Springsteen was just becoming a little popular I was going to school in Johnson City, TN....Bruce was going to do a show at a local High School auditorium...So me a few buds went. We had reserved seats and when Bruce came out and the place was only 1/3 full he said...Come on down...I didn't hesitate and ran down. Ended up spending the whole concert standing in front of Clarence Clemmons and could have reached up and stuck my hand in his Sax....Ha
 
I was about 10 rows deep for a Trace Adkins concert once. About 20 for an Aerosmith one. For a smaller venue, we were right up against the stage for a show that featured Coheed and Cambria and The Used.
 
Was about 10 rows from stage at a T-Pain concert, which was pretty amazing all things considered.

That's probably the closest I've ever been to the stage.
 
Oooooh, one of my favorite bands, St Paul and the Broken Bones, were putting on a free show in Houston on my birthday a few years back. Entry into the venue was first come, first served, so the line was quite long once we arrived. There were some people randomly walking down the lines upgrading people to the VIP section right next to the stage. My wife and I were randomly chosen and were put front row center in front of the stage. It was a really awesome experience even though the venue was relatively small.
 
I got my wife front row tickets to Cirque de soleil show in Vegas when we went out there as a delayed honeymoon. We were so close that she ended up getting picked to come up on stage and be part of the show. Show length was about 2 hours. She was gone for almost 60 minutes of that and showed up on stage multiple times.
 
I did Memphis in May concerts before - front row for a few different of the bands but that's just because we walked up to it.

I've never gotten floor seats for an actual concert.
 
Being close enough to the stage to see Paco de Lucia play guitar. His hands were a blur.
 
I haven’t been to very many concerts but I would say my 2 favorite were U2 at TCF Bank Stadium and Iration at 1st Avenue. Bono and the boys walking up to the stage.

A73DB4C9-066C-43A9-977C-831ECB2CC7E2.jpegC2710161-F41E-4048-B3AE-F2B4487FDC8F.jpeg
 
Saw Springsteen at US Cellular in Chicago. Had GA in the pit but got a great lottery number and was able to be right in front of stage for concert.
 
Saw Live with Weezer and Lush opening up for them at an outdoors show, pushed my way through the crowd during Lush's terrible set and ended up standing in the 2nd row for Live's set. Tried to do the same at Radiohead a few years later and no dice!

Stood directly in front of John Myung at a Dream Theater show in the middle of a blizzard, this was the short "Fix for '96" tour. Watching him play the middle section of "A Change Of Seasons" = mind blown. There couldn't have been more than 300 people in the entire place.

When I was in 6th grade my father took me to see Van Halen on the 5150 tour. He waited too long to get tix so we actually sat behind the stage. It was weird, but then AVH started his drum solo and I had the perfect view to see everything he did. That sent me down a 35+ year drumming journey.
 
Bought some tickets from a scalper at a 311 show at Riverbend in Cincy about 10 minutes before they took the stage. He was ready to go home for the night. We had no idea where the seats were, but when we got inside they were front row right side of the stage. It was amazing.
 
Foo Fighters 1999. Right after There is Nothing Left to Lose (3rd album) came out. Couple friends from Minneapolis let us know that they were playing a sort of secret acoustic gig at a Best Buy so my friend and I drove from Madison to LaCrosse and then to Minneapolis (with the driver going about 90mph all the way there).

We were sitting front row and got to go through and get autographs and chat with the band/take pictures. One of the best experiences I've ever had.
 
I've been front row before, but that was at a few smaller venues... Saw April Wine, Nazareth, Chilliwack, and Trooper that way. Still great shows!
 
Rode the rail seeing Widespread Panic many a time. Always a good party.
 
1992, Guns N Roses and Metallica at Arrowhead Stadium. It was open seating (no actual seats on the field) and they had an area walled off in front of the stage that they were giving out wrist bands to get into. We had no idea that they were doing this, just happened to get there early. They limited access to this area so that it was half full at best. If you stayed back by the wall, it was similar to around 12-15 rows. But you could easily make your way to the front of the stage too, which we did a few times.

Also, 1979 at Royals Stadium was a concert with REO Speedwagon, Santana, Little River Band and Pat Travers. We were on the field and had made our way to the front of the stage for REO. I still remember them playing Riding The Storm Out during a thunderstorm. Got soaked that day, but it was worth it.

More recently, we had 12th row seats for Garth Brooks.
 
My aunt knew the arena manager, so my fellow trumpeter and I got front row seats for Doc Severinsen. Close enough to see him empty his spit valves.
 
I don't like the floor. I'd rather have a higher view unless near the front of course.

I just checked John Mayer tix -- $950 for two decent seats. No thank you. I mean, Lady Gaga was less...

I went to a concert about 2.5 yrs ago at JerryWorld - ATT Stadium. It was a 3 day fest and not well publicized - I was fairly close to Sting, Flor-Ida, B-52s, Lionel Ritchie and any other band that showed up. It was great. No crowd. And they cancelled that future fest because of no turnout this first year.
 
Took Crown Royal shots with Brooks and Dunn right before they went on stage, then watched from the side of the stage.

Edit: my dad was a concert promoter in the 80s and 90s in Kansas City, so my experiences are a little skewed ;)
 
Watched Van Halen in Milwaukee around 1992 from the 3rd row, right in front of Eddie Van Halen all night! Was incredible
 
I've had front row center a few times, Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart, J. Geils Band, and Sammy Hagar, all back in the 70s. Also got up to the front at numerous festival seating/open floor concerts.

The most memorable was probably when Peter Wolf (J. Geils Band) jumped off the stage, used my shoulder to help himself up onto my seat (everyone was standing ) so he could shake hands with the people behind us. When he got back down off my seat, he gave my girlfriend (now wife) a little kiss, shook my hand, had a roadie throw him a mic, and finished the song on the floor right in front of us.
 
I saw collective soul at a private show in Disney Land. maybe 20ft from the stage with few people in front of me, great accoustics and a big cup of Woodford Reserve in my hand. Does not get much better.
 
Oakdale circular Arena got my family in front row for Gallagher and his crushed fruits flying all over us. Ha
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top