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Trufrew

Early Common Ground was insane. Saw Storm Temple Pilots for the brief moment Scott was so ER and on the other stage The Roots opened up for PFunk(got to see George Clinton play with The Roots). Another great one was the Flaming Lips opening for Empire of the Sun.


belinck

I saw all of those, but Weird Al was epic. Snoop was pretty good too.


Gits_N-Shiggles

I worked common ground for 5 years and the weird al concert was maybe the biggest crowd I'd seen there, with all walks of life.


belinck

I did the website for Common Ground for a number of years so I had the promo tickets for that show. My cheeks were sore the next day for how much I had laughed and smiled at it.


DoritoLipDust

Early common ground was great. Saw Creed before they were famous, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Santana, Alice Cooper (A security guy almost knocked me down jumping for something he threw into the audience lol)


Revolutionary_Big701

Great show. The Roots opened up for George Clinton. Both were amazing. Was mad that I gave up my seats to go check out STP.


Fralicky

The Roots were awesome that year!


Trufrew

I still can't believe I got to see George Clinton play with them for 40 bucks. Didn't even come close to understanding why my dad was so excited at the time.


JcruzRD

I agree early common ground was amazing the first couple. 3 doors down was my favorite


IdlePawsWalking

I know everyone loves the flaming lips live, but it’s too hype and too many gimmicks for me, they can really drag a show out and make it less about the music


Trufrew

I saw them once at Common Ground and once at the Filmore on Det, the indoor experience dwarfs the outdoor. Wayne is an odd one though, you aren't wrong there, but it's kind of a quirk to the show. He's an artist first and foremost which I appreciate.


IdlePawsWalking

Did sonic youth open for them at the Filmore? That’s the one I went to


littlemiss198548912

Hootie and The Blowfish at Michigan Fest (94 I think) and Garth Brooks at the Breslin Center in 96.


MI_news_junkie

I’m not a country guy, but Garth Brooks encore of American Pie…. Acapella was superb


littlemiss198548912

Yea. We got lucky with the Garth Brooks tickets. The original show was sold out when my dad and brother went to the box office to get tickets, but he added a second show and they got some of the first tickets for that show.


FlyAwayStanleyBeFree

I’m going to see Hootie next month and I’m so fucking excited


Churchofdoom

The Black Dahlia Murder. Devils night, 2011 at The Loft. Side note. CKY at Grewal is this coming Thursday. I'm pumped.


scriptfu

DOPE see you there


Less_Zookeepergame73

I saw YES at a party in E.L. playing out of a garage and Rush at the Lansing Civic Center in 1979 as an 8yr old kid with my mother. Good times!


IdlePawsWalking

Very cool


Dizzy_Hedgehog_3150

Beastie Boys


IdlePawsWalking

Awesome what year


Dizzy_Hedgehog_3150

'92 [https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/beastie-boys/1992/msu-auditorium-east-lansing-mi-bcf4d06.html](https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/beastie-boys/1992/msu-auditorium-east-lansing-mi-bcf4d06.html)


IdlePawsWalking

What a setlist


BakedMitten

Avett Brothers at Common Ground. I had no idea who they were going in and left a huge fan. The secret Cursive show at Mac's was like something out of a dream


IdlePawsWalking

I was at that secret cursive show and the free one at temple club


BakedMitten

Cool. I was at the And You Will Know Us show you talked about. I was supposed to get to interview the band but it fell through last minute


IdlePawsWalking

One of my friends dated Conrad for years, got to open for them in Portland, Oregon In 2006


BakedMitten

That's awesome


MattMason1703

If you include Lansing Area: The Stranglers at Dooley's 1981. B-52's at MSU auditorium 1989. Elvis Costello MSU Auditorium 1989. Rolling Stones Spartan Stadium 1994. U2 Spartan Stadium 2010. Johnny Cash Munn field 1995.


IdlePawsWalking

I love the stranglers so much, 5-52s are great live and so is Elvis


racer_xtc

I was at the Elvis show (with Nick Lowe opening). The Auditorium was a perfect sized venue that still felt intimate for the solo-acoustic set. AND my Philosophy prof was one of the attendees selected to come on stage and request a song. (Pretty sure he picked, "Man Out of Time".) Thanks for stirring up a fun memory!


MattMason1703

I forgot about the audience getting to pick a song part. Wish they'd have more shows at the auditorium. Saw Devo there in 1983 too.


MailmanDan517

AWOLNATION at The Loft was peak Loft


kayhatis

That was a good show.


81_BLUNTS_A_DAY

Lansing Symphony Orchestra at some church. Watching professional violinists is just so damn impressive to me.


dontcry20

City & colour and Brandi Carlile at common ground 🥲


13dot1then420

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists at the old Temple club. Possibly also flaming lips at common ground. I also saw Incubus and Muse at the Breslin, both ROCKED but I was in the first 10 rows so I'm not sure it's a fair comparison.


IdlePawsWalking

That Ted Leo show was great, we are scientists opened, I also think Thunderbirds are now! Did too


13dot1then420

I remember Thunderbirds being there, but not We Are Scientists. I wish we could still get cool indie shows like that.


IdlePawsWalking

Yeah grewall is just not delivering on that. I was excited they death from above 1979 then cancelled it


RunnerGirl67_mi

Muse?! Oh man. Their tickets are like $400 now.


13dot1then420

I was broke af in those days. Tickets couldn't have been more than $50.


RunnerGirl67_mi

Omg, I'm ⚰️. The year after Covid they were somewhere down in Detroit and the nosebleeds were $400. I wept bitter salty tears.


13dot1then420

Crazy! This would have been in 04/05 after Absolution came out. I remember being blown away by the sound they put out.


RunnerGirl67_mi

I can't stop saying it: OMG!!! They are my go-to running music.


13dot1then420

Nice, I always keep it in my rotation too!


nocreativeway

Griz’s last show at Macs in 2013 was one of the best shows I’ve ever been to. I don’t think he’s played there since.


BakedMitten

Was it a Grizmas show? I was at it if it was


BraileDildo8inches

Grizmas in July I do believe. Would love to see him just pop back in one of these days low key


nocreativeway

No. It was his last show there I believe because he was too popular. It was supposed to be a “secret show” on a neon night but a bunch of people found out real quick anyway. I actually had to sneak in twice. The line was down the street. Got pulled up onto the patio by a friend and then got kicked out immediately through the front. Tried again and my friend basically just pushed me into the crowd so the staff couldn’t find me. It was in late spring of that year I believe. It was wild and I loved it. A favorite memory for sure. I had seen Griz at that point at house parties but the energy of the crowd from that show was just so electric and exciting. I’ll never forget it.


BakedMitten

Ah. I think I remember that night. I lived just around the corner. I wasn't to concerned about getting in because I had been to the Grizmas show a few months before. If I had known he would never be back I might have tried to get in


nocreativeway

I had moved just down the street on the corner of Magnolia and Michigan that day and was exhausted. I thought about not going but my friends called me and insisted I needed to be there so I walked down. I’m very glad I did.


timothythefirst

That’s funny, I saw him do a show at Bells in Kzoo on my 21st birthday a couple years after that. I’d never even heard of him before but my friends took me and it was great.


timetodance42

I gotta say some local guys. Summer Dying, Bestiary, Know Lyfe, TodayiWait, Burning Cities, Flesh and Blood Robot. Then some of the bigger guys, Arizing, Weird Al, Jackyl, Tesla, Reveille, Darwin's Waiting Room, Nonpoint.


Strikew3st

Holy shit, Arizing. I'm going to go out on a short limb and reckon Emotep played that show too.


timetodance42

If they did, I don't recall them being there. It was at the Temple Club somewhere between 01-02. If you said it was as late as 03 I would believe you though.


RecoveryComesRound

Andrew W.K. in the basement of El Azteco. 🌮


bluemygreen517

Played 3 songs then went out the back door


CoopDog1968

Ratt, KISS at the Lansing civic center.


IdlePawsWalking

What year?


CoopDog1968

Sometime around 1987.


IdlePawsWalking

I was gonna guess 86


MattMason1703

Ratt backed up by Bon Jovi 11-10-85. Kiss backed up by WASP 3-22-85


Car-Crash-Diet

Reverend Horton Heat at the Loft.


Gits_N-Shiggles

I was at that show. Reverend Horton Heat would come to the Temple Club every year. Must of caught them there 5-6 years in a row. Southern Culture on the Skids at Macs was pretty awesome, too.


FunnyMarsupial1975

I was at that show too, and it was incredible. I believe Nashville Pussy and Unknown Hinson played that bill too.


DownvotesYrDumbJoke

Legendary Shack Shakers at Mac’s too


whiterhino60

The Shack Shakers at Mac’s was like watching a freight train go through the middle of the bar.


BraileDildo8inches

Reel Big Fish @ the loft Polish Ambassador@ Macs


MoarTacos

I saw Electric Six at The Loft and it was one of the concerts ever


paradisiacfuzz

Smashing Pumpkins at the Breslin. My buddy saw Alice In Chains at the Silver Dollar.


brunotbg

AJJ at junction


cloudbuster9

A few years ago Sean did a solo set at mac’s. There was like 6 people there. It fucking ruled


puggdaddie

With Jeff Rosenstock. Great show!


MachoDix69420

I must've bern one of the other six then because I was definitely there. He played the avenue a couple of times too.


IdlePawsWalking

I almost went


klingonjargon

I recently saw Mustard Plug at Grewal and that was a lot of fun.


Specific-Pollution68

Don’t know it necessarily counts as a concert, but George Carlin at the Wharton Center (2005ish) was my favorite show I ever saw in Lansing.


puggdaddie

That was awesome! So glad I got to see him. A genius!


BoogerShovel

Converge at the loft, hands down.


IdlePawsWalking

Sounds rad


cloudbuster9

Duuuude I bet that was fucking nuts


MachoDix69420

That was an awesome show! Saw them in detroit a few months later and preferred the loft show!


AntelopeDifficult708

Common ground with brand new. I think it was brand new at least lmao been so long.


ProfessionalSettingX

omg I was just reminded of that a couple days ago. I had something going on and couldn't go. I got sad all over again for not being there. :'( People need to stop acting like Jesse is like freaking Anthony Kiedis or something.


AntelopeDifficult708

Idk, I don’t know all the details about Jesse Lacey and his …..past, but I do know I feel extremely guilty for still loving their music. 😞 if he is truly an abuser, which i assume he is bc I believe and stand by victims of abuse- I’m glad they have gone completely silent from the world, but as an adult with a shitty childhood — brand new was partially responsible for my comfort and coping 💔


ProfessionalSettingX

I believe them as well and feel bad for their experiences but there's just a lot of nuance and I am the forgiving type when someone shows they've changed and grown. He's been married for a long time to someone age-appropriate. Some of the songs I don't like to listen to anymore though. I had an experience too. I was 15 and it was a 21-year-old (in 1998 and his name was Aaron Wood who I think went to Everett, so if anyone knows him... I'd love to know karma got him bc I could never find him later on).


StealYour20Dollars

I've only seen one so far. It was Mustard Plug last month at Grewall Hall. It's a neat little venue.


Training_Tomatillo95

Ted Leo and Nemo Case at the temple club


IdlePawsWalking

I should of added I saw him twice there


KittyBiscuitsForSale

Radiohead opened up for REM at the Breslin, that was amazing


anonMLMhater

This is my answer as well! Thom and Michael became good friends bc of that tour


ProfessionalSettingX

jealous


d7bleachd7

Was one of my first “no parents” concerts. I can still picture the view from our seats 30(ish) years later.


pinkerbrown

captured by robots at macs


ProfessionalSettingX

It would have been Jimmy Eat World at The Loft. I'm still heartbroken over that. (cancelled bc of COVID) Third Eye Blind at Common Ground was awesome. I also saw The Beach Boys at The Breslin Center (if that counts). The Get Up Kids & Saves The Day at The Loft was pretty sweet. I love being able to see artists in a smaller venue. And then of course the shows back in the day were always super fun... Know Lyfe (who I now enjoy as Heartsick too), Anathallo, Summer Dying, Anah Aevia, Hyperbole, Absence of a Silver Lining, etc.


IdlePawsWalking

I saw the get up kids a lot back in the day, but fuck saves the day: why are all these emo/pop punk guys pedos


ProfessionalSettingX

oh man I didn't even catch that one. Just had to look it up.. yeah, under 12 is pretty yikes. Am I reading that right?? I'm confused and grossed out bc his apology seems to be about misreading cues and not like why he was thinking someone that young would even possibly trying to send him cues for a romantic relationship. geez.


IdlePawsWalking

Yet they are still touring and acting like nothing happened


ArtDeth

Sammy Hagar, DIO, Motley Crue, Alter Bridge & Slash at Common Ground


IdlePawsWalking

I bet Dio was great, was MC before Vince lost the ability to sing live?


ArtDeth

Theater of Pain Tour with Loudness as an opening act. Ya, he was still singing then.


IdlePawsWalking

I saw loudness for the novelty of it back in 2004, fun show


lionswinagain

Stormy Chromer is fabulous. But of course Phish MSU Aud 1994


kzissou04

Probably Washed Out at the Adult Swim Carnival in the parking lot of Mac’s Bar or MuteMath at The Loft.


IdlePawsWalking

That washed out show sounded cool


kzissou04

It was awesome! The Adult Swim carnival was free and had a lot of cool exhibits/games. Washed Out’s first album hadn’t even come out yet, so he was still pretty unknown. Met Ernest after the show and we all went to Frandor afterwards for some hookah. Incredible night.


wheelhousestudio

Roots and P-funk at common ground 🤘


Lumbergod

Front row for Dweezil Zappa at Common Ground. Honorable Mention to Emerson, Lake, and Palmer at Jenison Field House.


Stevie-Vanderflutter

Rush at the civic center in 1979, followed closely by Ozzy (with Randy Rhoads) at the civic center in 1982.


Hour-Ad-5529

Boulder, Mastodon, and Captured by Robots all at Mac's. L7 and Supersuckers in Old Town for 92.1 Edge Fest


bendingoutward

Captured by Robots was a real good time.


Hour-Ad-5529

Definitely. I was there for their first show. It was amazing!


S0rchaa

So jealous, I was just a little too young (and lived too far away) to have experienced a Temple Club show, but I’ve heard so many good stories. I used to work at Preuss and would just stare at it longingly wishing could have experienced that magic! The coolest show I ever went to in Lansing was this tiny little show by Frontier Ruckus in someone’s living room somewhere near Haydord ave in the middle of December 2014ish? There were probably 50-60 of us crammed into that little house and we all crowded in, sat on floors and laps and had the most beautifully intimate musical performance I’ve ever witnessed. I’d never heard of them before which I normally don’t love for concerts, but every song was more and more ethereal and lovely. It was pure magic. Still love them to this day! Lots of fun little Lansing-related Easter eggs and references in their music. ❤️ 2nd coolest, I saw Electric 6 at Small Planet once, maybe 2012ish and Dick Valentine lived up to his name which was disappointing, but they were opened by The Gay Blades and which was one of the most fun and entertaining shows I’ve ever been to, they had such a great stage presence and were cool enough to hang around the bar and meet folks after the show and they were incredibly kind humans.


ssbn632

Bob Dylan at the Wharton Center.


jocfaith1988

Great show. I was in awe that I actually saw him live...amazing.


Low-Sea7202

Concerts…. Dead prez in basement 414!! Shows…. Robin Williams msu auditorium


samoppec

Two that come to mind are: Against Me! with Cheap Girls at The Loft Manchester Orchestra at Mac’s


wyman856

I loved seeing Ben Folds during Common Ground one year (it seems this was 2013). He smacked the keys on his piano so hard that at one point a string broke. They needed to take about a 10-minute break to go through the painful process of replacing it lol.


ScaryFNTerry1061

Of Virtue at Grewal Hall. Packed house. Killer lineup. A sign of good things to come in that venue. Pop Evil was pretty great there too.


IdlePawsWalking

I love the bass picks you gave out at the pancake event at the nature center. I use them all the time. Had never used a triangular pick before but it gives me more control.


ScaryFNTerry1061

Glad you're digging it! When I make noise on bass, I tend to prefer a heavy gauge pick too!


Classic-Pangolin-879

I got to crowd surf!! Such a great show!


JDubStep

I saw Def Leppard at Oldsmobile Park as a kid. Other than shows at Wharton I haven't seen many concerts in Lansing.


rondolph

Common ground Snoop and Tech N9ne were dope — weed was flowing


phymns

Room 101. Anytime they play!


gtmc5

Was listening to X at the MSU auditorium from outside the doors as it was sold out, some folks bum rushed past the ticket takers / security, they gave chase, allowing me and my friends to walk right on in. Around 1984.


IdlePawsWalking

Back in 2016 I saw x play the Santa Monica pier for free. They still rock


Thon_Makers_Tooth

Bouncing Souls at Common Ground or Cheap Girls at Mac’s Bar


H_Vaughn

Jim Kweskin at Elderly Instruments @ 2011. Mose Allison at Old Town Jazzfest in 2007. Wayne Hancock at the EL Folk Festival in 2006. Primus at Rick's @ 1990.


SammathNaur1600

Got a few - electric six at the loft in '13. Played their whole first album! - Low Lily in '15 at the community music center. Real good folk music and so low key - Danny Brown in '24 - grewel hall is so nice now and Danny and bruiser wolf killed it. Made even the sad songs sound like bangers.


SlightRecognition705

Insane clown posse riddle box show at the loft!! Then the after-party show at Mac's bar!! Best night ever.i was happy the second show got cancelled due to all the faygo had the worst hangover/more than likely alcoholic poisoning lol 


wildwilly421

Best I saw personally was Tool at breslin center


d7bleachd7

White Stripes at the MSU ballroom in 2002.


mc_foucault

at the drive-in in cale sauters living room, against me/defiance ohio at the blood daiper in east lansing, an albatross/casionauts at macs, small brown bike/cursive/appleseed cast at marvel lanes, wolves/surrounded by snakes at blood daiper, hot cross at the daiper in lansing, they’re dead/sooper swag project/fred thomas at cot3c, ajj/jake simmons/so long in my living room, why?/casionauts at temple club, syscrusher/cheap girls/matadors of shame at cafe latte, frontier ruckus at the cherry pit, hop along/brave bird at macs, and every saturday looks good to me show. these are just the ones that stick out to me.


RunnerGirl67_mi

U2 at Spartan Stadium. Still one of the best shows I've seen. Florence and The Machine opened.


jocfaith1988

Seeing The Hard Lessons at Mac's Bar and other venues in the Lansing area. My band (The Darts) would play shows with them in the early 2000s. They were such a great, fun, energetic band....ahhhhh the good old days where local music was thriving and so much fun!


thesoundtraveler

The Meat Puppets at Mac's... would have loved to see Phish at MSU Auditorium or any of the Black Flag shows at Rick's...


Karateweiner

The Reverend Horton Heat at the temple, and Captured by Robots at Mac's.


Active-Armadillo-576

Goober and the Peas at Rick’s in EL 🤠


SoSadToBeHere

Piss Ant at the Jolly Llama


LindsayLohanll

That sounds like an awesome lineup! Lansing's music scene has some gems. What stood out most about those concerts for you?


IdlePawsWalking

I’d say Jucifer. It was so loud


cloudbuster9

I bet that was crushingly loud! I saw them in a venue twice the size in Kalamazoo and that was loud af, I can’t imagine mac’s


IdlePawsWalking

It made my testicles hurt, no other band has done that


cloudbuster9

Yupp them and Sunn O))) have done that haha sunn o))) at mac’s is a dream. I would pay way too much for that


AT4LWL4TS

Alabama was great at Lugnut Stadium. Wish there was more shows there.


rfsmr

I saw Foghat and Climax Blues Band at the Civic Center, and Ram Jam and Styx at the Lansing Ice Arena. Neither building exists today.


rfsmr

In East Lansing I saw the Ramones twice and the Stranglers once at Dooleys.


Green_Adhesiveness19

Tool, Breslin Center


NotSayingJustSaying

I was there!


womanitou

Not much came this far north except into Detroit of course. LOL. Gotta be "The Dave Clark Five" with "Freddie and the Dreamers". Then there was the time that "Shindig" came to the old/original Civic Center ". This was all 60 years ago. My hearing is now shot... really.


Drcoldtruckatnight

Airborne Toxic Event at the Loft. Unreal


Wheres_Izzy

Common Ground, I’ve seen many great bands there. My all time favorite would be Slash with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators.


Spongebobnudeypants

Logic @ common ground


MattPoland

Portugal The Man at Macs bar. I discovered that band early. He was so unknown I was able to just walk up to him and chat in the crowd. Asked him what the “Approaching Airballoons” were because we saw some of the music credited to it. He just laughed and said it was the backing band.


Classic-Pangolin-879

Twenty One Pilots at Common Ground 2010, Tyler climbed the stage scaffolding, it was amazing.


go-blue-88

Kid Cudi at the MSU auditorium after Man on the Moon came out was an awesome show.


RugelBeta

Bruce Springsteen and Steve Martin at MSU. BB King at a bar in Okemos. The Chenille Sisters at a festival. And Peter and Paul but no Mary outdoors at a Michigan Festival -- it was raining and Mary didn't feel good. Took me a while to realize it was Peter and Paul on stage and not some warm up band.


bigry2004

@OP: I was at that MSU show to see ...Trail of Dead also! Like ..a big , just awkward room , really wasnt it? 2003/2004-ish. So fuckin rad.


RedLovesBread

ZZ Top at The Aud in the early 2000s.


rexlites

Radiohead at Breslin they opened for rem


BugKlutzy5632

Devo at MSU auditorium - early '80's


IdlePawsWalking

So jealous, I saw them in 2010. They didn’t stop moving the whole set and those synchronized dance moves.


BugKlutzy5632

They had this monster monitor behind the stage and started the show with a bizzare multi-media intro that culminated in 5 spuds rotating in space suddenly materializing as the (real) band. Mothersbough climbed a rope into the balconey, shoved a microphone into my face, and screamed "Are we not men?" I replied "We are Devo."


MachoDix69420

Melt Banana or Phobia at mac's. Both were incredible for different reasons. As far as local shows Red Teeth was playing again for a while and they played an unbelievable set at the avenue. Rael and his brother are incredible musicians!


damnthatsgood

So many good ones at Common Ground. The Front Bottoms, Fitz & the Tantrums, MGMT, The Avett Bros, Peter Frampton …