In response to the millennial end of this question-What’s the most Gen X concert you went to?
Posted by edasto42@reddit | Xennials | View on Reddit | 201 comments
For me that’s a toss up between the very first lollapalooza in 1991; or REM touring behind the Monster album with Radiohead opening (often playing to half full venues), and I also registered to vote at a rock the vote booth there.
Iocnar@reddit
Nirvana for In Utero
Hammerhandle@reddit
Skid Row in 2002(?)
Iocnar@reddit
The singer was my cousin in law. He married my cousin. He died during covid.
One time during a big holiday dinner he was talking about how because of chord patterns and combinations all the possible songs had already been written. And I said "Oh yeah? Well have you heard Slint?!" And there was a pause and he just goes "No?" and then I didn't say anything and then the whole table just started talking again. He was really good to me which is pretty hard to do.
djmellis@reddit
Monsters of Rock
Important_Pass_1369@reddit
The first coachella.
Best-Albatross-8516@reddit
Nine inch nails
civilSurvivorMum@reddit
it’s a toss up between The Cure and Depeche Mode
YleKay@reddit
Dave Mathew’s Band touring on the Under the Table and Dreaming album
InfidelZombie@reddit
Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young at an open-air amphitheater on Maui in 1988.
DoctorFenix@reddit
I went to the Aftershock Music Festival back in 2015.
Day two featured:
Faith No More
Jane’s Addiction
Stone Temple Pilots
Deftones
Failure
And aside from going to Lollapalooza 10 times, that day might have been the most Gen X show I have been to.
KABCatLady@reddit
Depeche Mode
RepresentativeNo2187@reddit
Better Than Ezra. It was good.
Ok_Passage_7151@reddit
They’re still playing. Good show.
Isaystomabel@reddit
Nice. I only saw Ezra
edcrosay@reddit
I liked Ezra a lot, but Less Than Jake.
slappy_mcslapenstein@reddit
But was it good when you aw-hah'd?
leiaflatt@reddit
I grew up in Atlanta and they were here all the time. Never missed a chance to see them or Ben Folds Five
edasto42@reddit (OP)
I see what you did there
G_Town_Co@reddit
The Cure in Atlanta 1989 - The Prayer Tour for the Disintegration album. Great show. Shit crowd. Nobody cheered the new material except for Lovesong (and the album had been out a while by then) and no one knew anything except for things like Let’s Go to Bed.
BugEquivalents@reddit
The Ramones on the Adios Amigos tour
edasto42@reddit (OP)
I got hearing damage from that one.
BugEquivalents@reddit
I had the full experience, smashed up against the gate in the front AND a crowd surfer fell on me.
sweetassassin@reddit
Laura Brannigan ‘83.
BlueSnaggleTooth359@reddit
nice!!!!!!!!!!
Money_Magnet24@reddit
You win
sweetassassin@reddit
Parents were uber squares
Kellzy1212@reddit
Alanis Morisette not long after her album came out. Never thought they’d overplay the album so much, i would dislike it. Especially Ironic. 🤮
mcache01@reddit
Lollapalooza 91 92 93 94
bigt197602@reddit
Cypress Hill last year. They still got it!
deathschlager@reddit
Saw Prong open for Voivod a couple of years ago.
NSAinATL@reddit
Soul Asylum with Eugenius opening as Lemonheads had cancelled.
I don't think huge bands like the Cure (which I haven't missed a tour since Wish) count quite the same....
JDz84@reddit
I said Gin Blossoms to the Millennials, but probably hits more here.
OkSpite5022@reddit
Grant Lee Buffalo / Smashing pumpkins 1995 or 6
Never could understand why GLB didn’t turn into a bigger thing
Miz_momo82@reddit
Just saw the Violent Femmes earlier this year. I was one of the younger folk there
Careless_Ocelot_4485@reddit
Book of Love opening for Depeche Mode
Soma2710@reddit
I went to see Sonic Youth open for Pearl Jam during the Binaural tour.
We missed almost all of Sonic Youth though, bc there were metal detectors to get in, and the wait was hella long.
No-Hospital559@reddit
Michael Jackson, Bad Tour at Madison Square Garden.
katwoop@reddit
The Violent Femmes at a tiny concert hall.
edasto42@reddit (OP)
I grew up in Chicago and the Femmes were always playing there. From regular venue shows to summer block parties, I swear they played at least once a year for 15 years straight. They put on virtually the same show every time. It’s a fun show at least.
percypersimmon@reddit
Milwaukee here. I feel like you couldn’t leave the house in the summers without accidentally seeing the Femmes or Local H play.
Active_Yellow_1573@reddit
Ahhh SANP! This would have been the one to see! Top 10, if not 5 band for me, but I have never seen them live. They still tour, but I'm sure the energy just isn't the same.
TamalesForBreakfast6@reddit
I just saw them two months ago and it was a great show! I was f sure what to expect but it was fun, energetic, and they brought kids up on stage from the audience. Everyone had a great time.
edasto42@reddit (OP)
TBH they’ve been putting on the same show for the last 30 years. A few different songs may rotate in, but it’s virtually the same show. It’s a fun show especially if you’ve never gone.
laexigente@reddit
I saw them too at a festival with Ziggy Marley in 1995!
fiddlenutz@reddit
Edwin McCain at a smaller club.
Trick-Session2388@reddit
Smashing Pumpkins Infinite Sadness Tour.
My 8th grade ass was surrounded by young adults smoking weed and my dad, who cleared up why people were smoking weed at the concert even though it was illegal.
capt-awesome-atx@reddit
I've seen Billy Idol, former lead singer of Generation X.
alangagarin@reddit
Saw him in the late 80''s with the Cult as the opener.
edasto42@reddit (OP)
So funny story related. In 2005 a group of us saw Billy at the first Chicago destination lollapalooza. We all had fun and he put on a good set. We also started joking about him in a similar way that people would joke about Chuck Norris, except with more drugs and booze references.
A month or so after that my friend got invited to a party back in his hometown way out in the sticks. At this party he took some acid, and kind of wandered off. When he was eventually found he was sitting by the parked cars and was having a bad trip. To pull himself out of the bad trip he kept thinking/saying to himself ‘what would Billy Idol do? Billy wouldn’t give up. He’d fight through this….’ It apparently worked. So that Xmas I got him an embroidered winter hat that had WWBD on it (What Would Billy Do).
magster823@reddit
A solid Gen X friend of mine invited me to go with her to see Billy Idol and Steve Stevens. It was a smaller venue, with just the 2 of them.
In between songs he would tell stories about how they were written. You couldn't understand every other word he said, but it was still pretty cool! 😂
Active_Yellow_1573@reddit
I've just recently have really gotten into him I've always liked his songs, but never sought him out, but a few weeks ago I wanted to listen to white wedding and just let the rest play. I had forgotten how many bangers the dude has. I was excited to see that he's still touring! I feel I need to see him at least once, even if he's old now.
Stimpinstein22@reddit
Pearl Jam opening for Tom Petty (although Petty could be every generation) Bad Religion opening for Pearl Jam Public Enemy on one stage and 311 on a stage a couple hundred feet away (Summerfest)
lawyers_guns_nomoney@reddit
Presidents of the United States of America playing on the Santa Monica Promenade to basically no one. That was cool.
And all the punk shows. Bad Religion, Descendants, Offspring, Rancid, Pennywise and lots of smaller bands like Screw 32, Good Riddance, etc.
REM Monster tour. Radiohead at the Santa Barbara Bowl. I was supposed to see Pearl Jam in Golden Gate Park but Eddie Vedder was sick and left after like 3 songs. That sucked.
Active_Yellow_1573@reddit
The Cure
TamalesForBreakfast6@reddit
I saw them at the Curiosa festival they put on way back around 2004. They were… not good. But I have heard from others that normally they are a good show.
edasto42@reddit (OP)
I haven’t missed them since 2000’s Bloodflowers tour. Even flew across country to see them at riot fest on their last us tour. After seeing the LA stop of the tour I felt that it might be their last US tour, so I had to see them one more time.
Active_Yellow_1573@reddit
I only saw them once. I believe it was in 95/96. No opening act. They come out, Robert Smith says, "Hello, we're The Cure." They proceed to play for three hours. Robert the says, "Thank you for coming out." Then they left and the lights went on. It was an approach I had never seen before, or since, and it was epic! No pandering to the audience, no small talk, no planned encore, just great fucking music for three hours, a thank you and a good bye.
Nadathug@reddit
MC Hammer in 91. Openers were TLC, Jodeci, and Boyz II Men, who had all just released their debut albums.
I was only 12 (I’m technically the last year of Gen X) so my Dad had to take me.
I was NOT ready for Jodeci’s (ahem) “dance moves” 🤣
edasto42@reddit (OP)
I got to see Hammer for the first time in 2019. I wasn’t expecting much, and that was the wrong attitude. Homie still has it. He’s up there still hitting some hardcore choreo and putting on a show.
Nadathug@reddit
He’s a performer first and foremost. His music may have aged like milk, but he puts on a hell of a show.
Appropriate_Bag7384@reddit
Every year of college I went to the Phish New Year’s eve concerts at MSG.
therealpopkiller@reddit
I saw R.E.M. (my favorite band) on that tour but it wasn’t Radiohead (my 3rd favorite band) opening. We got Luscious Jackson. No offense to them, they’re a great band, but they aren’t Radiohead
edasto42@reddit (OP)
Honestly Radiohead at that point in their career were just a one hit wonder. They had only barely put out their second album. They weren’t the Radiohead everyone took notice of after OK Computer.
BlankPaperTiger@reddit
I'm no professional rock critic, but i'd say The Bends was (and still is) an amazing album. People were just mad at the time because it didn't have another single like Creep on it.
edasto42@reddit (OP)
It’s my favorite album by them. I appreciate the more bleep bloop experimental stuff they do, but I also think a lot of that doesn’t land and albums are inconsistent.
They put out an EP right before the Bends. It was the Iron Lung ep. When they put that out they did an in store performance at the tower records in Chicago to promote it. There were only probably 30 people there. They were signing autographs after and I remember telling my friend, ‘I’m not interested, they’re probably just gonna be one hit wonders anyway.’ Oops.
LarryGoldwater@reddit
Iron Maiden over and over and hey look theyre coming back in September
Joeybeer81@reddit
Pearl Jam with X
AnglinImagePhoto@reddit
Milli Vanilli
povertyandpinetrees@reddit
MC Hammer
Sweet-Situation-8224@reddit
Slayer, Rammstein, Alice in Chains, Korn, RATM, I'm not sure exactly what constitutes the "most" Gen X concert. I saw the Monkees and America waaaaay back.
Plumeria9798@reddit
Hahaha, I saw the Monkees too, that is firmly Boomer, though. Yeah, they had a revival in 1986 that could make them cross over to X/Xennial, but they’re definitely Boomer.
I’ve seen a lot of Boomer shows. I love my parent’s music.
Sweet-Situation-8224@reddit
That's a fair assessment haha. I grew up in SLC and lots of my friends wouldn't go to the "sinful" shows. I must of seen the Monkees in the mid 90s with them.
AppleWeary2612@reddit
Presidents of the United States of America
edasto42@reddit (OP)
I’ve seen them probably like 4 times or so. I even have an autographed set list from a show.
AppleWeary2612@reddit
You know that snl skit where the woman one ups…well I was like 16 or so an we drank with the band and then they signed the beer bottle and I had it for a while.
edasto42@reddit (OP)
They seemed to be as goofy in person as they were in their songs and videos. They were cracking jokes left and right
ButterscotchAware402@reddit
Bauhaus - Harro East Ballroom - Rochester, NY - September 1st, 1998
songsforthedeaf07@reddit
Lollapalooza 95. I was 13. Sonic Youth, Hole, Cypress Hill, Beck and Sinead O’Conner all headlined 🤘
edasto42@reddit (OP)
I went to that one too. I remember having a good time at that one, but something felt different than the previous years. I had gone to the first two lollas, then missed 93 and 94, but went back for 95. There was a definite vibe shift by then. I think it was partially due to ‘alternative’ culture had become a marketing term by then, and the danger (for lack of a better term) of the early 90’s culture shift had gotten smoothed out. It wasn’t the festivals fault, but an overall cultural shift.
songsforthedeaf07@reddit
I was 13. I was just happy to see my fav bands live lol. Was my first festival. No parents either
inexplicably_dull@reddit
Veruca Salt opening for Bush. Great concert actually.
DefinitionSuperb1110@reddit
Hootie and the goddamned Blowfish.
ShotWin8124@reddit
Yeah that's pretty 90s
firecracker_doc@reddit
Ben Folds Five
oar335@reddit
toad the wet sprocket
Sunfl0wSunfl0w@reddit
OMG I used to listen to TTWS on repeat endlessly! I loved him/them so much!
MedusaMadman77@reddit
Saw them at 15 for $15 at RFK stadium in 93(?). Rollins Band followed them.
sly-3@reddit
Saw them with Hootie at one of those venues where the vibe makes everybody feel like they have to sit down. The opening act was a terrific band called Wild Colonials that were doing a quasi-10000 Maniacs thing.
https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCgB1GE5qEOehg0mP2FmPCTg
macroeconprod@reddit
Some one walked on the ocean.
mindpivot@reddit
REM Green World Tour in 7th grade as a birthday present
Working5daysaWeek@reddit
The first Lilith Fair. Wu-Tang and Rage Against the Machine.
Black Eye Peas (pre-Fergie) opened for Outlast at my college.
n0exit@reddit
The Church and Afghan Whigs, two years ago. We won free tickets through KEXP. My wife and I, 80 and 81 babies, were some of the youngest there. Everyone else was sold Gen X.
ShotWin8124@reddit
I remember going to one of the first Lollapaloozas and The Stone Roses played a set but I've never been able to track it down. The most 90s though was probably like Freshman year when these older guys who I sat with at lunch at the misfit table (which came to take on a different meaning over time) took me to see The Smashing Pumpkins back when Siamese Dream first came out. I regret not staying in touch with people like that. We had a blast and we were dead sober. I regret not staying in touch with people like that.
edasto42@reddit (OP)
I’ve gone down many a rabbit hole of lollapalooza history because going to those first ones really shaped me as a person. All sorts of books, articles, podcasts etc. In all of that I’ve never heard about the Stone Roses making an appearance at a Lollapalooza. I believe they made appearances at some radio festivals in the mid 90’s in Washington DC and in Chicago (my hometown). That band barely has ever played the states in their entire career. Lots of visa issues and an unstable lineup in the 90’s. But on the flip side, I did get to meet Mani when one of my old bands toured through Manchester. He was a super nice guy.
And that era of pumpkins was their best. You can look up the record release show they did at the Metro in Chicago and see. I was lucky to have been at that one live.
boston_homo@reddit
Debbie Harry, Cindy Lauper, Madonna, Duran Duran, Phil Collins…went to a Tori Amos concert with Dicky Barrett which was very weird…
Apidaelia@reddit
The Cure
nuke-a-soup@reddit
NKOTB or the “I Love the 90s” tour
ChefGreyBeard@reddit
Violent Femmes with flaming lips
slappy_mcslapenstein@reddit
My first concert was Run DMC.
edasto42@reddit (OP)
Hell yes. As a kid I looked up to them. I grew up in a super white middle class suburb but somehow my group of friends at 7 years old all were jamming on the King of Rock album. They became almost superheroes to me.
Around 2016 I was at a comic convention and literally ran into DMC there. I lost my shit. I was so excited to meet him and talk for a few. He was so nice and just cool af
xRVAx@reddit
I saw Ben Folds last year and let me tell you, it was all Gen X people and their teenage kids
edasto42@reddit (OP)
I stumbled onto Ben Folds Five at the second stage at Lollapalooza 96. They were just finishing their set and Ben went off and was throwing his stool at his piano over and over. I’ve seen him a few times since. I kinda was over him when he did that annoying whitewash cover version of a hip hop song-god I hate that trend.
Heathislost@reddit
Monster magnet opened for pearl jam and sound garden.
Affectionate_Ask_769@reddit
We had a local concert fest called KMEL Summer Jam and I got backstage tickets when I was like 13. Of course it was the coolest thing ever. The performers that year were:
C&C Music Factory, Digital Underground, Salt 'N' Pepa, Too Short, Another Bad Creation, DJ Quik, Ralph Tresvant, Heavy D & The Boyz, Color Me Badd, Monie Love, MC Breed, Queen Latifah, Tony Terry, Rodney O & Joe Cooley, Hi-Five, and surprise guest, Ice Cube
Used to go to a music festival in Hawaii called Big Mele Fest and one year saw:
Tool Primus Fishbone Stone Temple Pilots Violent Femmes
Next year I went was
Cypress Hill No Doubt Presidents of the United States of America Mighty Mighty Bostones Dance Hall Crashers Dishwalla CIV
Clear_Tangerine5110@reddit
My first "concert" was in 1990 when I was in the 6th grade.
It was Bill Cosby.
javaman83@reddit
I didn't really start gouing to concerts aside from local punk bands until I was 18, so most of mine would be firmly Xennial bands. I have seen Descendents and ALL many times, though. I've also seen FLAG and Circle Jerks.
RebRenee@reddit
Primus at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, circa 1991. Such a good show.
curmudgeonchief@reddit
Prince. Followed by...
Springsteen.
RHCP.
The Tragically Hip.
Sting & The Police.
Plumeria9798@reddit
I need more coffee, I’m sure I’m forgetting shows I have seen, but off the top of my head, probably Green Day. And I missed the most millennial question and that would be the Backstreet Boys (my dad had me take my core millennial sister but I secretly enjoyed it.)
freshcreator@reddit
Does Lilith Fair count?
edasto42@reddit (OP)
Oh yeah 100%. That’s pretty peak 90’s Gen X.
Plumeria9798@reddit
See, I can’t be a millennial. I just can’t. These are peak teenage music memories for me. I will forever call myself a Xennial or an X Cusper.
Roland-Of-Eld-19@reddit
/\/\ƐGʻÂĐƐȚ|—|
DHammer79@reddit
Bryan Adams
macroeconprod@reddit
Edgefest in Tulsa.
Isaystomabel@reddit
Sponsored by Z104.5 THE EDGE
EastTXJosh@reddit
Rock Fest 97 at Texas Motor Speedway. The lineup included Bush, No Doubt, Counting Crows, Collective Soul, Jewel, The Nixons, The Wallflowers, Third Eye Blind, Matchbox 20, and others. I had just graduated high school and attended with a group of friends. A few years later, I met the girl who became my wife. We started talking and realized we were both at Rock Fest even though we lived about 500 miles apart at the time.
trustme1maDR@reddit
I was there too! I disagree that this was a GenX lineup. It was firmly Xennial.
i_am_randy@reddit
I was also there. We were the reason TMS banned concerts there for years. It was epic. But yea this was a very Xennial show.
royv98@reddit
That weekend was fucking epic. Amazing concert.
i_am_randy@reddit
Guns N Roses, Metallica, Faith No More. Axl was in a bad mood that night. The GNR portion of the show sucked.
quantumsparq@reddit
US Festival.
Sempophai@reddit
Tool, or, Metallica.
NINJAM7@reddit
The Cars
Prestigious-Emu5277@reddit
Nirvana on the in utero tour. Roughly six months before cobain’s death
AutomaticNovel2153@reddit
Sonic Youth
cecil021@reddit
Probably Metallica with Jim Breuer opening for them.
JeffTS@reddit
Woodstock '99. I've also seen Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Motorhead, and a number of other bands that GenX grew up with.
Appropriate-Diver301@reddit
Blue Rodeo. At a university event late 90s.
HylanderUS@reddit
Bodycount
MedusaMadman77@reddit
Tibetan Freedom Concert or maybe, Smoking Grooves
No9No9No9No9@reddit
Was at DC, my first show
R0botDreamz@reddit
Beastie Boys?
MedusaMadman77@reddit
Yeah, the one in Golden Gate Park in 96.
No9No9No9No9@reddit
Sonic youth, age 14
Lawndemon@reddit
Lollapalooza 92 with Soundgarden, Peral Jam, Ministry, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Jesus and Mary Chain... Best live show I've ever seen other than Ween.
edasto42@reddit (OP)
I was at that one too. That was great. It was still before any kind of corporate stuff and still felt a little dangerous
GarciaWolf@reddit
Anthrax, Metallica, Slayer, Ozzy, Black Sabbath, the Cure.. I can go further back with CSNY also I’ve seen the Dead a bunch and Phish
edasto42@reddit (OP)
I think CSNY and the Dead more fall into boomer category, but it’s all good
Kittypie75@reddit
Lollapalooza. Hole, Pavement., Mighty Mighty Bosstones, etc
edasto42@reddit (OP)
I was at that one too. We had Sinead O’Connor at our stop. I was surprised how much I liked her.
Ready-Player-Mom@reddit
Weird Al 😅
FlimsyTry2892@reddit
Probably Steve Miller Band without thinking too hard. It’s still early
shanty2021@reddit
royv98@reddit
Have you mentally recovered yet?
royv98@reddit
mjh8212@reddit
Ozzfest never wandered over to the warp tour stage but went to the fest a few years. It wasn’t just newer bands I remember seeing Motörhead and Ozzy with Sabbath. I wanted to see Marilyn Manson but he was banned from Wisconsin the year he came back I couldn’t go cause I’d just had my youngest.
Esoteric_Owl87@reddit
Does Woodstock 99 count?
Huck84@reddit
Lollapalooza and HORDE fest
nighteyes_fitz@reddit
I was so disappointed in the R.E.M concert. I was so excited but Michael Stipe could barely stand. He couldn't remember the lyrics to so many songs. Just trailed off. I know he was off drugs by then ( mid 90's). But something was off. We're usually the last stop on most world tours so maybe he was exhausted?
fizzleguy@reddit
Ozzfest 99 - this was the lineup according to Wikipedia, sounds about right from what i remember: Black Sabbath, Rob Zombie, Deftones, Slayer, Primus, System of a Down, Godsmack, Static-X
sly-3@reddit
New Rock 102.1 Fest in Milwaukee, Memorial Day weekend 1997. Ilineup was sick: Iggy Pop headlined, Sponge, Rev. Horton Heat, Tonic, Bloodhound Gang, Linda Perry, Beck, The Gufs, Republica, Matchbox 20, Moby.
https://rateyourmusic.com/concert/marcus_ampitheater/new_rock_fest
Beck was incredible, he was touring on Odelay; Tonic's "Open Up Your Eyes" was all over the radio; Sponge had Rotting Pinata, and it was the second time I'd seen them that summer; and, Iggy was in such a frenzy that he swung a mic stand, hit his lead guitarist and they almost started fighting on stage. It got super cold at dark, so I bought a thick pullover from one of the vendors, and it's still in my rotation to this day.
g8rdogboy@reddit
Faith No More, GNR, Metallica
Intelligent_Owl_377@reddit
KROQ Weemie Roast 1997 - The Offspring, Oasis, with The Cure headlining. The Cure didn't go on until after midnight, probably closer to 1am. Then there was a fire up in the lights.
There was also Save Ferris, Reel Big Fish, Mighty Mighty Bosstones... Ska and big band were so big then!
Searchlights@reddit
It may not count because his popularity spanned multiple generations but I saw Ozzy in 1992.
KnownNormie@reddit
I saw Dave Matthews Band twice in high school / college. I actually have tickets to see them this summer for the first time in 27 years.
erino3120@reddit
Aerosmith. It was my first concert at 18. It was after they all cleaned up/ went to rehab m, basically performed Big Ones, and they were fantastic.
drainbamage1011@reddit
Pearl Jam and Sonic Youth.
drudman6@reddit
Woodstock ‘99? But it really feels perfectly Xennial though. Bush, Bizkit, DMB, Alanis, RHCP, Kid Rock (dude Kid Rock was so fucking good at Woodstock ‘99).
I was standing 10 feet away from Carson Daly when he had to duck and cover because of the guys charging at the MTV tent using the tent poles from some other destroyed structure as spears.
Ok-College214@reddit
Smashing pumpkins mellon collie tour and every big day out I went to
yinyangyingyang@reddit
Cypress Hill, Rage against the Machine, and L7 - 1993
_Face@reddit
Going to see Primus in June. So that I think.
iputmytrustinyou@reddit
Aerosmith. My first rock concert in 1997. My friend and I were probably the youngest people in the audience.
pfunkpower@reddit
*Blind Melon open for Rolling Stones
*Rage against the machine open for U2
*Pearl Jam on their Vs. tour
festivals:
Hordefest ‘96- rusted root/lenny kravitz/blues traveler/dave matthews
bonnaroo- the original
legalpretzel@reddit
Tiffany
analogthought@reddit
Sonic Youth- like six times.
R0botDreamz@reddit
Probably Tool.
Striking-Access-236@reddit
Massive Attack
aLongWayFromOldham@reddit
I have a few… REM - Monster tour - Huddersfield UK - 1994 Hootie & the Blowfish - Manchester Uk - 1996 Hootie & the Blowfish - Virginia Beach - 2025 Also seeing Blues Traveler in the summer, because they are performing in a field about a mile from my house in Richmond, VA.
why did I see Hootie twice? First time was with my brother, second time was to remember my brother.
Notchersfireroad@reddit
My step dad drug me to a Def Leperd show he won tickets for. I was not excited. Best damn show I ever saw! They absolutely brought it every single song and I found myself singing along in no time.
BlueSnaggleTooth359@reddit
I never went to many non-classical ones TBH and none of the legendary Journey or Van Halen or anything but:
Belinda Carlisle - Good Heavens tour May 1988!!!
Pure full on Gen X goodness. Not Gen Y or Millennial but full on OG Gen X.
It even got filmed!:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL141F3F376B1D2D22
BlueSnaggleTooth359@reddit
I did see Billy Joel much later on although he is maybe split Boomer Boomer/Jones/X and not as much X centered as Belinda Carlisle (even if he was absolutely huge for X).
hisamsmith@reddit
I saw John Mellencamp play as John Cougar Mellencamp as a little girl multiple times from 1985-1987 at my aunt’s college in the Midwest.
psilosophist@reddit
I saw Green Day open for Bad Religion.
suckmyright1spez@reddit
Counting Crows put on a really good show. I would have to say that it was the most Gen X feeling show I've been to.
treegirl98@reddit
Hey OP I also saw REM and Radiohead on that tour. I saw them at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. It was so freaking awesome. Michael brought out Patti Smith for a couple of songs. I was 15 and with my best friends and it was one of the funnest times of my life.
beekaybeegirl@reddit
Boy George in 2024 & 2026
I just inexplicably love him. Always have.
vequinox@reddit
Marky Mark perhaps, or the Ramones
mattcmoore@reddit
I just saw Nine Inch Nails. Nothing but GenX. It was glorious. Maybe a couple GenZ with their parents, but it was like them taking their parents, not the other way around.
Brandemic@reddit
Hold up! Your mom (presumably in her 40’s) going to see AIC in 1995. (A band formed in 1987. That hit peak popularity in 1994 with Jar of Flies) is not the same as you going to see NIN (a band formed in 1988. That hit peak popularity in 1994 with Downward Spiral) in your 40’s. You going to see NIN is equivalent to your mom going to see the Beach Boys.
TLDR: You’re a geezer, and your mom sounds rad as hell!
Poison_Ivy_Rorschach@reddit
AIC is probably my all time favorite. I introduced my mom to them and she became a fan.
AverageSoul-@reddit
Can confirm the NIN concert vibe. I attended the Valentine's Day show this year, & last years leg of the tour. Epic..
edasto42@reddit (OP)
NIN at that first lollapalooza changed my dna. I was 14 and had never been exposed to anything like that before. And they’ve never ceased to be an amazing live show. Did you see the Nine Inch Noize set from Coachella? If not you might be able to find the livestream footage on YouTube.
mattcmoore@reddit
What I liked about the show is how they played more of the harder, more metal, punk type deep cuts than I would have expected. They played the industrial bangers too, but it was more like a metal show than I was expecting.
goddamn_leeteracola@reddit
The Big Mele in 1993 at Kualoa Ranch. It was the first big multi-artist show I can remember in Hawaii. My 13 year old self and 3 friends all bought tickets but none of us had a ride to the show. We ended up hitchhiking the 45 minute drive to the concert. It was on a big field and had Tool, Fishbone, Stone Temple Pilots, Violent Femmes, and Primus. It was an incredible show.
UltraMechaPunk@reddit
The KROQ Weenie Roast in ‘96. There was Kiss, No Doubt, Garbage, Korn, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Vox_Mortem@reddit
Depeche Mode was my very first concert, so probably that. In more recent years I've seen The Mission, The March Violets, and NIN. Oh, or maybe Lords of Acid, that had a very Gen X crowd.
lavasca@reddit
I went to Lallapolooza!!!
meizhong@reddit
I guess I got a late start.
I was 16 (96) the first time I went to a concert. Erykah Badu!
Next concert was RATM in 99.
metmerc@reddit
Tibetan Freedom Concert in San Francisco. Beastie Boys, Rage Against the Machine, De La Soul, Beck, and so many more.
Smoky1279@reddit
Megadeth and Motley Crue with Anthrax as the opening act.
BulimicMosquitos@reddit
Def Leppard and Ugly Kid Joe.
Poison_Ivy_Rorschach@reddit
Duran Duran (with the Rio lineup reunion).
magster823@reddit
I feel like some of mine are older Gen X and Boomer crossovers.
Lynyrd Skynyrd (awful, btw, which was too be expected) ZZ Top Billy Idol Black Sabbath Bob Seger and the SBB. Twice.
NoExam2412@reddit
Hootie and the Blowfish
_kurt_propane_@reddit
U2?
More-read-than-eddit@reddit
pylon circa like 2007 in a very empty venue in brooklyn
cashews_clay15@reddit
Lolla 94 and maybe NKOTB in…89?
shutterslappens@reddit
Rush.
Caught them during their farewell tour.
I think that qualifies, right?
edasto42@reddit (OP)
I mean to me they’re timeless, but they could be lumped into boomer territory too. But I’ve seen them a few times, once from the 6th row. I’m going to their first show back with the new drummer. I’m very curious and excited.
nochickflickmoments@reddit
The last WuTang tour. Most people were over 40. The guy next to me got drunk and fell asleep during the opener but then woke up when WuTang came out.