Who do you want to see before it is too late?

I think we all have a few musicians or bands that we think about and say "I wish I had seen them at least once (or one more time), but now it is too late."

[br]In the last two years I have seen Buddy Guy a couple of times, one really good show where he was feeling it and was really good; the other show was really not so good and it felt like he was playing out the string after being on the road for too long. How much longer will Buddy be playing? Glad I saw him.

I saw Peter Frampton last year, and he has already said this is his last tour because he has a degenerative muscular disease. He clearly still loves what he does and he is amazing. [br][br]

I saw Bonnie Raitt (touring with James Taylor) last year. I hope she will be around a long time, but she's not getting younger. I hope I get to see her again.

And I just thought of one I will probably have to put in the wish I had seen him category: Mr. John Prine. I saw a couple of days ago he was in bad shape with this evil virus. [br][br]

So, I hope this isn't a morbid topic. Thoughts?

"Before it is too late" rules out a fair few artists for me, but there are a couple who are on the brink of retirement, I think:

Toto - incredible band, and Steve Lukather is an absolute legend. My understanding is that he is one of the most recorded guitarists of all time and everybody has probably heard him play on something, even if they don't realise it. Would love to see any of Steve's work on GT, especially some Toto stuff.

King's X - my favourite band through the 90" s. Ill health has dogged the drummer over the last decade or so resulting in cancelled tours. They had been due to play Scotland last year for the first time in about 20 yesrs, but it was cancelled. I doubt I'll get the chance to see them.

I would love to see Jeff Beck! It is kind of hard to decide if I should see him now or wait to see how many more styles of music he can incorportate into his skill set. Wait and miss out or go now and miss out. The man does not sit still in one place.

Clapton. Clapton is definitely in my bucket list. But I also fully realize it is probably not going to happen.

He, like most know, just held another Crossroads benefit concert in Dallas last year. I tried every way possible to come up with a way to get there but couldn't. (The limitation was not financial or time but my health issues.) He holds these every three years. Given his issues with peripheral neuropathy and his age it's highly unlikely there will be another one He held a concert last year in Europe with Santana, my all time favorite guitarist, and we really tried to get to that, but couldn't.

Btw, we just saw Buddy Guy on the Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea cruise. It was a great concert. And he played here (Omaha) last August with Kenny Wayne Shepherd and it was equally awesome. I'm surprised and sorry your experience was "really not so good".

I learned my lesson a couple years ago... I thought.

I passed on B.B.King because he brought a tour of a couple dozen artists to play an outdoor venue in Missoula, one without seating. 'Geez,' I thought, 'it'll be 1 a.m. before he gets on stage and I'll still have an half-hour drive to get home.' Nope. I found out a week later he was first up. That was my last chance, he's gone.

Next was Dick Dale, my first guitar hero. For ten or fifteen years he lived just an eight hour drive from me. He gigged occasionally 'to pay medical bills' but I never made the trip. He's gone.

Before I settled and built a home, Bonnie Raitt did Missoula maybe three years in a row. She hasn't been back.

Johnny Winter was here twice. Each time I passed, the second time 'wasn't convenient.' He's gone now, too, but I have a guitar that he noodled with backstage during that last visit to Missoula. That's something, I guess.

Now, after at least three visits, Brandi Carlile is back for Memorial Day. Finally, I have tickets...good seats... but I don't think there's a good chance of the concert being played, i.e., quarantine, social isolation, etc.. I'll probably donate the tickets back to a fund established by the promoter to help keep his workers (four venues and a bar&grill) solvent during these times.

I still dream of making it to Chicago to hear Buddy Guy ('cause I skipped the festival he was at in eastern Montana ) and I really wanted to see Dion do his blues stuff but I don't think he does that anymore... at least not west of the Mississippi.

I keep promising myself... I won't skip anyone again...

Originally Posted by: snojones

I would love to see Jeff Beck! It is kind of hard to decide if I should see him now or wait to see how many more styles of music he can incorportate into his skill set. Wait and miss out or go now and miss out. The man does not sit still in one place.

Go now and go later!

Originally Posted by: matonanjin2

Clapton. Clapton is definitely in my bucket list. But I also fully realize it is probably not going to happen.

He, like most know, just held another Crossroads benefit concert in Dallas last year. I tried every way possible to come up with a way to get there but couldn't. (The limitation was not financial or time but my health issues.) He holds these every three years. Given his issues with peripheral neuropathy and his age it's highly unlikely there will be another one He held a concert last year in Europe with Santana, my all time favorite guitarist, and we really tried to get to that, but couldn't.

Btw, we just saw Buddy Guy on the Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea cruise. It was a great concert. And he played here (Omaha) last August with Kenny Wayne Shepherd and it was equally awesome. I'm surprised and sorry your experience was "really not so good".

The not so good show was last June, I think, same tour you saw in August with KWS. I am glad to hear he did a better show later on the same tour. I think he was just not feeling it on that particular night for whatever reason. He didn't suck or anything like that, but it seemed like he was having to really work to find the enthusiasm and it felt a little forced. I am not complaining about it at all though. Honestly even on an off night he is truly amazing. Has 10 times the energy I will ever have andI think he is about 25 years older than me.

Clapton, definitely would love to see. It's weird, guys like Clapton and Jeff Beck have such an exalted status in my mind that the idea of actually seeing them live doesn't even occur to me! They seem like legendary or mythical characters.

Ok John of MT, just who the hell have you NOT passed on?!? Have ya actually seen anyone? :-)

I was lucky enough to see BB a few times between about 1980 and 2000. I was always aware that he was getting up in years and might not be around for too long, so made sure to see him when I could. What a class act he was.

I should have seen Johnny Winter but never did. He certainly played in and around Houston fairly often when I lived there. [br][br]

I have to add ZZ Top to my list now that I am thinking about it. I probably could have seen them in the 80s but I did not like the music they were doing at that time. I felt like they sold out and basically did the same overproduced album three times in a row.

Originally Posted by: DavesGuitarJourney

Ok John of MT, just who the hell have you NOT passed on?!? Have ya actually seen anyone? :-)

I was lucky enough to see BB a few times between about 1980 and 2000. I was always aware that he was getting up in years and might not be around for too long, so made sure to see him when I could. What a class act he was.

I should have seen Johnny Winter but never did. He certainly played in and around Houston fairly often when I lived there. [br][br]

I have to add ZZ Top to my list now that I am thinking about it. I probably could have seen them in the 80s but I did not like the music they were doing at that time. I felt like they sold out and basically did the same overproduced album three times in a row.

Oh yeah... Tiny little Missoula (about 55,000) has built quite a reputation and I've seen a dozen or two acts here. Big names at the top of the list; the Rolling Stones who recommended the stop to Paul who took the advice. Elton John was here, liked the reception so much he was back again in two months. Couldn't get tickets the first time, scored on the second. Seen Dylan, James Taylor, and Willie (twice), ZZ Top with Jeff Beck, CSN and Neil Young (seperate, not together

Originally Posted by: john of MT

Oh yeah... Tiny little Missoula (about 55,000) has built quite a reputation and I've seen a dozen or two acts here. Big names at the top of the list; the Rolling Stones who recommended the stop to Paul who took the advice. Elton John was here, liked the reception so much he was back again in two months. Couldn't get tickets the first time, scored on the second. Seen Dylan, James Taylor, and Willie (twice), ZZ Top with Jeff Beck, CSN and Neil Young (seperate, not together

That's a pretty nice list there. I have seen James Taylor a few times (wife's favorite), seen Willie a few times, and seen Tedeschi-Trucks. Oh, and Dylan, I almost forgot that one actually. Would really like to see any or all of CSN&Y (although I don't think C and N are doing well,so... probably too late). Avett Brothers - nice one there. Sheryl Crowe is probably my favorite female artist.

Small town Missoula is the home of the University of Montana which, in turn, is the birthplace of the "Montana Mafia", a collection of business grads spread all over the country. The Business School offers a certification in entertainment management which includes things such as management of concerts, music tours, etc. The graduates are widespread especially to the East and West Coasts. In their jobs they apparently remember UM and Missoula fondly and they steer touring acts to the Garden City. Or at least, that's how the story goes.

Then, about five years ago a new promoter came to town and reinvigorated a beloved old lounge [u]and[/u] an old theater for music acts. A couple years later he built an ampitheater on the grounds of Kettlehouse Brewing's new brewery... it sits on the banks of the Blackfoot River. He's adding another venue in Bozeman, home of Montana State.

UM itself has a stadium that seats half-again the number of people that attend the school (the Grizzlys football team is hugely popular in the region). It also has a 'fieldhouse' that can handle about 14,000 for a concert and a much smaller theater.

In combination, all the venues add up to a nice attraction for different sized tours and more and more the town is looked at as a stopover gig for acts big and small traveling from 'real' cities to other 'real' cities.

And those of us who love live music have another reason to love Missoula, 'Surfing Capital of the Northern Rockies." https://brobible.com/sports/article/river-surfing-missoula-montana/ (if only Dick Dale had known )

Originally Posted by: john of MT

I learned my lesson a couple years ago... I thought.

...

I keep promising myself... I won't skip anyone again...

John, not that it will make you feel any better, but...... And hopefully I learned my lesson.

In August of 1990 (I think it was Saturday) I was mowing the yard. My wife came walking out and signalled to turn off the mower so I could hear her. She said that she had just heard on the radio that tickets were still available that night for the Stevie Ray Vaughan. If I wanted she would go back in and get a couple tickets. I thought about it all too briefly and said, "No. I have too much to do. We'll catch him next time."

And he went from here in Omaha to a concert in Clear Lake, IA. And from there to Alpine Valley, Wisconsin

Originally Posted by: matonanjin2

And he went from here in Omaha to a concert in Clear Lake, IA. And from there to Alpine Valley, Wisconsin

And here is where we collectively pause for a moment of silence.

The two that got away:

The first was KISS. My dad had a ticket connection. Actually, my dad drove a nitro funny car in the 70's and the car owner (though they really shared it), his wife worked for the biggest local promoter. So we got a good number of ticket hookups with great seats. KISS during the Alive II era were coming to town and she asked if I wanted to go with her kids. Front row and center. Yes. A 13 year old kid front rowand center. My mom, in a rare moment, said she didn't want me to go. I didn't go. It's the only thing I'll ever hold against my otherwise very cool mom.

The other was Led Zeppelin...until John Bonham died. The car owners wife called me to ask if I wanted to get tickets for the upcoming, soon to be booked Zeppelin tour. You know what happened here. Sigh.[br][br]Whom to see before it's too late:

I've seen a lot of great musicans in my day so I can't really complain about seeing some pretty stunning players. I'd love to Eric Johnson at some point but the stars never seem to align for that.

I do think I've lost the mojo to see a legend from years gone by. The example os Clapton. He was not disappointing by any stretch when I saw him back in the 90's. He was great. I love Clapton too like many guitar players. I just didn't walk away terribly inspired. It was too slick and clean.

Otherwise I'd like to see Eric Gales (dug him all the way back to 'Eye of the Storm'). He's still hungry and working hard to prove that the hype back in the 90's (before he deep sixed his own career) was not hype. And it isn't. He is amazing.

Man Jeff, I can tell you have got some good stories to throw out there!

Eric Gales just went on my personal watch list. Looking at his touring schedule it looks like he is big in the UK. Doesn't look like he will be in my part of the country anytime in 2020 or 2021.

Originally Posted by: DavesGuitarJourney

Man Jeff, I can tell you have got some good stories to throw out there!

Eric Gales just went on my personal watch list. Looking at his touring schedule it looks like he is big in the UK. Doesn't look like he will be in my part of the country anytime in 2020 or 2021.

Dave, what part of the country are you in? I would be really surprised if he doesn't come close to you at some point later this year or in 2021. Of course his tour schedule on his web site can't be inclusive yet.

Eric puts on a great show. I've seen him twice. We saw him on the Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea cruise last year. It was our first exposure to him; I had actually not even heard of him until then. And we actually got to talk with him and his adorable wife for a little bit. And then our local blues society brough him here late last year.

Should you have the opportunity do not allow yourself to miss his show. I don't think I am overstating that he is one of the greatest living blues guitarists.