Tag Archive for 'opening acts'

THE PETTICOAT JUNKIES’ VERY SCARY RUN-IN WITH THE LAW

Last week when OurStage artists shared their opening act experiences, there wasn’t enough space to fit in all the great stories we received. We promised you more and here it is! The Petticoat Junkies’ lead guitarist Stephen Scott shared with us the band’s incredible story from their time opening up for The Mountain Goats and Kaki King.

“Although these shows were so much fun and a great opportunity, it was the unluckiest week we’ve ever had on the road. Herein lies a sordid tale filled with flat tires, broken keys, nightclub shootings, Austin police, alleged crack cocaine use, and fights w/ fast food employees.”

The band had just finished playing a killer set at Antone’s in Austin, Texas. Bassist Cody Ruth was absent; he’d gone with some friends for the night… and taken the keys to the band’s truck with him. After standing outside the club for about two hours and paying a locksmith $60, the remaining three members were finally on their way to find their beds. It wasn’t long before they noticed a police car was following close behind them.

“A few seconds later there’s another, then another, then another.  We eventually realize that there are four or five cops following us through this neighborhood.  We get around a corner and, like a flash, all the lights go on and we are surrounded by seven police cars.  The three of us no sooner pull over to the side of the road and get the window down, when hear a megaphone shout, ‘Driver!  Turn off the vehicle with your right hand, throw the keys out of the window and step out of the vehicle with your back facing me. Hands up, a**hole!’”

As you can probably imagine, this wasn’t the best way to have a conversation start with a bunch of police officers.

Continue reading ‘THE PETTICOAT JUNKIES’ VERY SCARY RUN-IN WITH THE LAW’

OurStage Artists Share Their Experiences Sharing The Stage

Opening acts can make a big impact at a live show. They set the mood for the rest of the night and get the crowd excited, making the whole experience more memorable. We found a number of OurStage artists who have shared the stage with some truly great names. Here are some of their stories!

kzghlspmoaav-320x240February Video Grand Prize winners Picture Me Broken are no strangers to the stage. They’ve played their fair share of gigs and are currently booked solid for the next three months- not bad for a bunch of hard rockin’ 15 and 16 year olds. One of their brightest moments was playing Linkin Park’s Projekt Revolution last year at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in California. Picture Me Broken was lucky enough to share a stage with bands like Atreyu and Hawthorne Heights; Linkin Park and The Bravery headlined the main stage. Bassist Austin Dunn tells us, “Layla and Nick, our singer and guitarist, had the opportunity to meet the bands backstage and even play table tennis with them. Layla also played [Linkin Park guitarist] Mike Shinoda’s guitar.” How much cooler could it get for a kid with a passion for hard rock?

Speaking of hard rock, you may remember hearing Scott Weiland’s name a lot around OurStage last year. One lucky winner whose EPK got selected through Marketplace would get to open for Weiland at his December 7th show at the Theatre of Living Arts in Philadelphia.

That lucky winner was Big Bang TV, an indie/electronic/rock group from Brooklyn.

Continue reading ‘OurStage Artists Share Their Experiences Sharing The Stage’

My Top 5 Life-Changing Opening Acts

When I go to a show I make a point to catch the opening bands. I’ve always been baffled by the people who casually roll in the door ten minutes before the main act starts playing, especially at a general admission event where location is key. It’s like skipping breakfast! Openers are always excited to be on stage and that means you can count on a good show. I decided I should pay some respect by making a list of the five most life-changing opening acts I’ve personally seen live.

Radiohead for Alanis Morissette, August 1996 @ Great Woods, Mansfield MA

I bet you’re thinking, “Woah, Radiohead opened for Alanis Morissette?!?!” I myself had to double-check the tour history to make sure I wasn’t remembering something that didn’t happen. It’s the truth though. This was my first major concert event. I was in the fifth grade. Truth be told I HATED Radiohead, whom I’d never heard of before the show, and thought they were just a big mess of noise. I mean come on, I was in fifth grade and going to see Alanis Morissette. What did I know?

I didn’t put Radiohead on my list because I enjoyed them but because I can think back and appreciate what a unique occasion this show was.
Continue reading ‘My Top 5 Life-Changing Opening Acts’