I'm kind of corrupted on this topic because of working with a guy who acted as a consultant for a lot of the Kiel Auditorium and Opera House shows and the Busch Stadium Super Jam deals. We were there some but never really watched a show as a part of the audience.
First soon to be big name was this guy named Ted with a band called the Amboy Dukes that played a small venue in St. Charles.
First paid-for tickets for a big named band was Kansas - maybe in 1977? One of the best performances I've ever seen, certainly one of the best sounding. The beautiful young gal who accompanied me was the icing on the cake.
Possibly 2nd best sounding would have been Star Castle.
Any of you southerners hit the Electric Cowboy festival? Three days of some of the hottest weather know to man. Good bands. Blackfoot stole the show. Or Steve Marriot.
Best value for my buck - every one of the Charlie Daniels Volunteer Jams that I had the good fortune to attend. Ruined that when they moved it to the Star Wood.
My Dickey Betts story - attending a pre-jam party at the Bull Pen Lounge in Nashville. Grinderswitch was on the stage and I was standing at the bar trying to get a beer. Some guy standing next to me made a comment about the guitar playing taking place and I responded with what I knew about the topic. The guy said something to the effect that I sounded like a guitar player and I allowed that I dinked around with it a bit. He kind of chuckled and said something like "yeah, that's at about the same level I am."
We talked a bit more till my beer arrived.
I walked on off and joined up with the couple of buddies I was with and we sort of invited ourselves to join a like number of unescorted ladies that were partially occupying a large table that sat center stage, no more than 3 feet out.
There was a personnel change on stage a bit later and one of the new guys was wearing the same shirt as the guy who was bending my ear at the bar - and had a Les Paul strapped on. In the bright lights of the stage I realized that the guy I had been talking to at the bar was Dickey Betts. At a break he walked over to our table and sat down and talked with all of us for quite a while. Me and my buddies knew who he was but the gals were clueless. When he went to return to the stage he turned to me and thanked us for making him feel welcome.
Pretty down to earth, I thought.
