I was talking to a friend today about all the great concerts we went to in the 80's at the capital center. Black Sabbath, Ac/Dc, Eric Clapton etc. Back then drugs were everywhere. The second you got to your seat you could smell weed. Now everything is so fucking square. You could get in serious trouble for drugs at a concert. Times have changed unfortuantely. I loved going to concerts and smoking dope and listening to some good music. Concerts are not that good anymore.

Lots of drugs and lots of pussy equals lots of fun.

Cap Centre was a big party scene but you still had to be a little careful, those PG cops were always lurking around, I was there for a Dead show when they cleared the lot on horseback and sent all the wasteoids into their cars and onto the streets.

RFK shows were a free for all.

fAter a fallow period in the mid Seventies, the band experienced a revival during the late 1970s and early 1980s with albums Sleepwalker, Misfits, Low Budget, Give the People What They Want and State of Confusion. In addition, groups such as Van Halen, the Jam, the Knack, the Pretenders and the Fall covered their songs, helping to boost the Kinks' record sales. In the 1990s, Britpop acts such as Blur and Oasis cited the band as a major influence.[1] The Kinks broke up in 1996, a result of the commercial failures of their last few albums and creative tension between the Davies brothers.[6] Sully Rd South onto lee Jackson Memorial Hwy into Chantilly, check status of machines at Fair Oaks Mall. Return any defective parts that are present. If you have not heard from Bill Splevins or Mara Toles at this time, continue to Fairfax County Court house. Don't park on Judicial Drive.They were the second group of the British Invasion on The Ed Sullivan Show, appearing in March for two weeks after the Beatles appeared three straight weeks in February 1964. For some time the Dave Clark Five were more popular in the US than in their native UK, but had a renaissance in the UK between 1967 and 1970. The group disbanded in late 1970. On 10 March 2008, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[2]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/14/2015 08:55PM by WingNut.

I remember that all day orgy of Monsters of Rock back in the late 80's. Metallica, Kingdom Come, Scorpions and of course, Van Halen. RFK has never rocked that hard before or after.

So it sounds like you got what you came for. Concerts back then were ABOUT the booze and the drugs and the high from just being shoulder to shoulder for a few hours with that many other rebels and counterculture types. The vibe of it all was often primary and the music itself some sort of secondary. And of course you walked away with a free story to tell for the rest of your life.

A lot of people do not realize that the city garage which was then the Capital Coliseum that now houses a bunch of maintenance vehicles is the first place the Beatles played when they toured the United States.

"The February 11th, 1964 concert at the Washington Coliseum, located at 3rd and M Streets N.E., occurred during a cold and snowy night. It was the Beatles’ first live American performance after their televised appearance on the CBS Ed Sullivan Show. They had arrived in D.C. earlier that day by train from New York. Before their show that evening, they also appeared at a brief press conference. At show time, there was a sold-out, over-capacity crowd of 8,000 fans, by one count. Before the Beatles came on, there were three other opening acts. Although three groups were advertised as the opening acts for the Beatles at the concert – including the girl group, The Chiffons, and also Tommy Roe and The Caravelles – an East Coast snow storm prevented The Chiffons and Tommy Roe from getting to Washington. Instead, replacement acts were found, and appearing that night as the opening acts were: Jay & The Americans, The Righteous Brothers, and The Caravelles. These acts were quite good, according to some in attendance that evening. But when the Beatles came on, the place erupted with screaming and incessant flash bulbs. They played for nearly an hour. Because of the set up in the Coliseum, the Beatles were essentially performing on a boxing ring-type stage, and had to move their equipment around on stage a few times in order to give everyone in the audience a chance to see them. Ringo was seen moving his drum set around on stage between sets."

http://www.pophistorydig.com/?tag=the-beatles-in-washington-dc



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/30/2013 09:58AM by LetsRock.

This thread is about 80s rock concerts, not 60s boy bands.

senile much Wrote:
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> This thread is about 80s rock concerts, not 60s
> boy bands.


Implying that The Beatles were a "boy band."

...and this is why I wasn't allowed to go to any rock concerts at the Cap Centre in the early to mid 80s...the pot! The beer! The boys!

Anyone seen Rock and Roll Parking Lot? It so perfectly captures the (druggie) culture of that era. Sorry I missed out. By my parents' twisted logic, I was "only" allowed to see the Beach Boys on the Mall, Billy Idol at GMU and Aha at Warner Theater. Those were apparently safer venues.

Now as a perfectly respectable grown up, I spend big bucks traveling to rock concerts and living my repressed dreams. Anyone else have Rush tickets?

Cap Centre had all of the bands in early to late 80s. The Who, The Police with Go Go's opening, U2 with Lone Justice opening, Rush, Pat Benatar with The Alarm opening, The Pretenders with Iggy Pop opening, Van (F'ing) Halen etc!

Always a massive tailgate party going on before the show with narcotics and lots of alcohol. Police presence was there but didn't seem to matter much.

There was a steep grass hill on the other side of a 4-ft. chain fence outside Stars and Stripes or Liberty Bell(?) parking area... everyone jumped the fence to take a leak. You had to be careful not to lose your footing on the 'slick' hill and take a nasty slide.

DC101 always on hand for the big shows handing out stickers, pins and posters. Led Zeppelin was scheduled sold/out for 3 shows at the Capital Centre in Autumn 1980 for 'In Through The Out Door' album. Never happened with the untimely passing of drummer/John Bonham.

Van Halen 'Little Guitars' from the Cap Centre 1982...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHHAyOoySDk

Eminence Front Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Cap Centre had all of the bands in early to late
> 80s. The Who, The Police with Go Go's opening, U2
> with Lone Justice opening, Rush, Pat Benatar with
> The Alarm opening, The Pretenders with Iggy Pop
> opening, Van (F'ing) Halen etc!
>
> Always a massive tailgate party going on before
> the show with narcotics and lots of alcohol.
> Police presence was there but didn't seem to
> matter much.
>
> There was a steep grass hill on the other side of
> a 4-ft. chain fence outside Stars and Stripes or
> Liberty Bell(?) parking area... everyone jumped
> the fence to take a leak. You had to be careful
> not to lose your footing on the 'slick' hill and
> take a nasty slide.
>
> DC101 always on hand for the big shows handing out
> stickers, pins and posters. Led Zeppelin was
> scheduled sold/out for 3 shows at the Capital
> Centre in Autumn 1980 for 'In Through The Out
> Door' album. Never happened with the untimely
> passing of drummer/John Bonham.
>
> Van Halen 'Little Guitars' from the Cap Centre
> 1982...
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHHAyOoySDk


Speaking of "Eminence Front", I saw The Who at Cap Centre early 1980's with opener Buster Poindexter (ex-NY Dolls' David Johansen).

Saw a bunch of concerts at the Capital Centre, but way more in the 70's than in the 80's. The Great Mandala had done turned a time or two by then!

My all time favorite:

1977 - JFK Stadium in Philly

Line-up:

Peter Frampton
Lynyrd Skynyrd
The J. Geils Band
Dicky Betts
Great Southern

Tripped and "watched" the music - my friend (also tripping) climbed a light tower on the back of the stadium - the guards just pleaded that he come down - they wouldn't bother him if he did come down they said.

And they stuck to their word - the guards didn't want to climb up 50 feet with a 200 foot drop on the backside. :)

"Those were the days"...

idontlikebeingrightaboutshitlikethisbutiam



Edited 21 time(s). Last edit at 5/31/1967 05:57AM by WingNut.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/10/2015 07:57AM by WingNut.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/10/2015 07:56AM by WingNut.

Born in 1970 I had the benefit of a brother 13yrs my senior taking me to shows from a very early age. Here's my list of memorable Cap Centre shows up through 1990....

KISS - 1978
ACDC - 1981
Van Halen - 1984
U2 - 1985

Less memorable (probabaly due to being inebriated) but cool in retrospect...

David Bowie
Bon Jovi/Skid Row
Poison
Def Leppard/Tesla

Saw many shows back then at the lousy RFK Stadium...

U2 - 1987
Rolling Stones/Living Color 1989
Monsters of Rock (poster above forgot Dokken....how could you)
Countless WHFStivals

OleBoy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> Saw many shows back then at the lousy RFK
> Stadium...
>
> U2 - 1987
> Rolling Stones/Living Color 1989
> Monsters of Rock (poster above forgot
> Dokken....how could you)
> Countless WHFStivals

I was at the 1987 U2 show and the 1989 Rolling Stones show and I still have the concert T-Shirts from those shows. I also saw Pink Floyd in 1988 and The Who at RFK in 1989. I also saw Pink Floyd and Brian Adams at the Cap Center in 1987.

Floyd was probably the best show I saw at the Cap Center. They were the only band that seemed to manage the lousy acoustics and sound good.

I did get to see Led Zep at their last ever gig at Knebworth festival, '79 I think it was. There was probably a couple of hundred thousand there, and the band were just specks on the stage, although they had some big screens around. It wasn't the greatest gig ever, but at least I got to see them. I actually enjoyed the Page and Plant No Quarter tour at the Cap Center a lot more.

The 80's was just leftovers and wannabes.
Bubble gum musicians.

The last show I saw at the Cap Center was Billy Idol with Faith No More as the opening act.

I saw the Grateful Dead two days in a row at RFK Stadium in the summer of '86. Bob Dylan and Tom Petty also played. We got so hammered the first day, my buddy and I called in sick from our summer jobs and went back for day 2. Awesome time!

@Nostradamus...I was at that show....HOT as hell...laughed my ass off when Dylan came out in leather pants and top.

Sleepy Holla Wrote:
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> @Nostradamus...I was at that show....HOT as
> hell...laughed my ass off when Dylan came out in
> leather pants and top.


It was super hot! I remember they sprayed down the crowd with water.

I some crazy shit those two days. People triping their asses off. Lot's of people just passed out or near unconsciousness from drugs or alcohol. We actually took a watermelon spiked with vodka on day 2 and the cops at the gate just laughed about it. Those were the days.