Who did you find on Youtube and loved before they made it big and started being played on the radio and/or touring.

 

It might sound dorky but I enjoy being able to find someone early in their career, listening to all their stuff, passing them on to friends, and then years later hearing them on the radio and seeing them in concert.

 

A few for me:

 

Brantley Gilbert - He's the first that came to mind. Found him in 2006 or 2007, when he was basically a writer. He wrote a bunch of songs for Jason Aldean. Loved "Best of Me", "You Promised", and "Picture on the Dashboard". I feel like some of his best came back then. Really enjoyed his "Dirt Road Anthem" with Colt Ford over Jason Aldean's. Now he's starting to get huge.

 

Chase Rice - Found him about three years ago. He was actually on Survivor. His best song "Jack Daniels or Jesus". Has another sad but great one called "Happy Hour". I'm pretty sure he co-wrote a song or two for Florida Georgia Line It was cool seeing him at Bogarts last year and then Riverbend this year. You're starting to hear him more on the radio.

 

Sam Hunt - Really enjoy his stuff. Keith Urban sings his song "Cop Car". I'm betting he makes it big, starting to be played on the radio some. He opened for Chase Rice at Bogarts last year. He's got one big one on the radio, "Leave The Night On". For something different, listen to "Ex to See".

 

Anyone else got anyone that you found and loved before they started getting more mainstream??

Jason Isbell. We've hung out and had drinks on several occasions. One of his old bandmates even found me on Facebook before joining St. Paul and the Broken Bones.

GNR

Metallica

Nickel Creek

I always claim to have discovered George Strait in my home county before anyone else did.

GNR

Metallica

I'm going to go ahead and assume you meant you discovered them elsewhere before they made it big since they're from the 80s and Youtube began in 2005. Caption Obvious to the rescue.

Oh no... you've created monster with this thread and have ignited my obsessive compulsive behavior.

 

Gonna sound like a pretentious name dropper here...

 

My list is a bit of a stretch, overkill, and nowhere near complete considering what you're requesting in this thread.

 

It's very possible that it will bore many as many names that I'm listing, although having had significant or marginal success, perhaps are not exactly household names. Some have garnered much more success in Europe and not here.

 

Spending lots of time in the underground music scene, many of these names are popular in that world, but still many are unknown to the general public at large.

 

After I post this I'm bound to start remembering more and more that I've forgotten and end up with a panic attack for not mentioning them.

 

Saw and chatted with Jeff Buckley in a small club in Miami, Fl shortly after his debut album "Grace" was released.

 

Took an acting class with Itaal Shur, hung out at his pad, and followed his local band "Sleep Theater" before he moved to New York and received a Grammy for "Song of the year" for penning the song "Smooth" for Rob Thomas and Carlos Santana, as well as writing material for Jewel, Maxwell, and Enrique Iglesias as well as various others.

 

Saw Jewel, just her and her acoustic, warm up Peter Murphy at Bogarts shortly before she blew up with her debut album.

 

Saw Daniel Martin Moore perform at an open mic on the same night that I performed a couple of years before he landed his debut album on Sub Pop Records and caught the attention of Jim James of My Morning Jacket. DDM has developed a solid following and has toured extensively taking him to Europe as well as opening for a sold out Chicago show for "Mad Season" the music of the movie Once.

 

Saw the Verve perform at Bogarts on their first release with only about 30 people in attendance at Bogarts.

 

Saw "Acetone" open for the Verve and continued to follow them until their lead singer committed suicide.

 

Followed closely Ryan Adams with his first band Whiskeytown before he became a solo sensation.

 

Followed "Uncle Tupelo" before they split and evolved into "Wilco" and "Son Volt" and caught both bands in small clubs. "Son Volt" eventually opened for John Mellencamp at Riverbend, and "Wilco" has made a decent name for themselves.

 

Chris Sherman of Freakbass is a pet project for Boosty Collins, but have followed Chris since his band with Itaal Shur, Sleep Theater.

 

Saw Jacob Dylan with The Wallflowers perform at Bogarts on his first release shortly before his first release blew up.

 

Saw Tim Easton in his first band The Haynes Boys before he focused on his solo career garnering steady attention in the root rock world.

 

Been following artists like Devendra Banhardt, Antony and the Johnsons, Joanna Newsom, and Vetiver from their humble beginnings as they've taken a firm hold in the "Freak Folk" genre.

 

Was collecting albums by "The Prodigy" before they major hit album "Fat of The Land" dropped.

 

Was into "Cyrstal Method" when they first dropped their debut that's become a classic within the Techno world.

 

Was following "Fatboy Slim" before he gained larger success.

 

Saw and met the band "Remy Zero" before their tune "Save Me" was used for the show "Smallville". They also toured with Radiohead during their "The Bends" tour.

 

Was big into "Travis" since the early goings.

 

Saw "Urge Overkill" before their larger success for the song "Girl you'll be a woman soon, from the movie "Pulp Fiction".

 

Saw "Moby" in a small club.

 

Saw "Jim White" live early in his career and was on top of his first two releases. He's put out more since, but I've not checked them out.

 

Saw "Low Fidelity All-Stars" during their first stateside tour. Greg Dulli ended up being a guest vocalist on one of their releases.

 

Have been big into "Primal Scream" since way back, collecting many of their countless releases.

 

Caught "The Secret Machines" in a small club before they developed wider attention.

 

Followed Richard Butler of Psychedelic Fur's other band "Love Spit Love" closely and caught them in a small club, and got Richard's autograph.

 

Was a big advocate of "Wolfmother" just before their debut album blew up.

 

Years ago was big into bands like The Cure, Depeche Mode, and The Smiths before they garnered larger attention stateside.

 

Followed "The The" from the very beginning.

 

Was a fan of "Coldplay" fresh out of the gate.

 

Was onto the B-52's, Blondie, The Ramones, Talking Heads, The Clash, Violent Femmes, The Prentenders, Echo And the Bunnymen, Boomtown Rats, Sex Pistols, and Elvis Costello before the MTV era when they were considered underground.

 

Saw "Pansy Division" open for a sold out "Green Day" show and about a month later they crashed at my pad because their van got broken into as they strolled again through town.

 

Caught and chatted with "The Shins" at the Southgate House on their first release.

 

Caught and chatted with "Jeremy Messersmith" early in his career.

 

Caught and chatted with Elvis Perkins (Anthony Perkin's son) early in his career.

 

Friends of mine "The Bowerbirds" toured extensively with Bon Iver when Justin Vernon first appeared on the scene which drew my attention to him just before he blew up.

 

Caught and chatted with the band "Low" early in their career at small clubs. They've had a steady career releasing numerous albums.

 

Caught "Luna" early in their career at small clubs before their numerous releases.

 

Caught "Mercury Rev" early in their career at a small club before their numerous releases.

 

Was a big fan of "James" before their numerous releases.

 

Caught and chatted with "The Youth Group" before they grabbed major attention in their home country of Australia with a number one single.

 

Caught "Hayden" early in his career when touring on his highly acclaimed debut and hung with him and his band during follow up releases.

 

A friend of mine and I did a duo warm up appearance for Jayne Sachs, winner of the John Lennon Songwriting contest judged by Yoko Ono.

 

Been following the career of the Polyphonic Spree, and so has David Bowie as he invited them to open up for him at a sold out London show, Got to chat with leader Tim Delaughter and a few of his band mates when catching their act.

 

Been a big fan of World Party and chatted up Karl Wallinger and got his autograph after his show where my DJ friend was his designated driver while in town.

 

Was big into "The Buffalo Killers" before they went on a national tour "The Black Crowes".

 

Had a Steve Albini produced Austrian band name Valina crash at my pad while passing through town. Steve Albini also produced Nirvana.

 

Have been a big fan of Neutral Milk Hotel since their beginnings before they've built a steady large worldwide cult following over the years.

 

Big into "The Rapture" from early on.

 

Got to observe Xavier Rudd earlier in his career back stage standing on his head in his pre-show meditation before his in-studio performance at WNKU studios.

 

Had band "Calexico" follow me to a sports bar so that they could watch world cup soccer while they were passing through town.

 

Got Dave Grohl's autograph while standing in line to get into SNL where they were guest artists during Foo Fighters first release.

 

Saw Psychotica and chatted with lead singer in a small club a couple of days before they played main stage at Lollapalooza in Indianapolis.

Edited October 11, 201412 yr by B-Ball-fan

Saw the Alabama Shakes open up a show one night and ended up cramming in their tour van with them and hitting a few bars.

Oh yeah...Ryan Adams/Whiskeytown. My good friend's sister was good friends with Ryan and the other folks in the band back in the mid-90s in college at UNC, so I was turned on to them in maybe 1996. She was actually roommates with Caitlin Cary, the violin/fiddle player in Whiskeytown. Cailtlin actually played the violin at th sister's wedding too. Apparently Ryan didn't even reply to the RSVP. It's kinda cool that I waa invited to the same wedding as Ryan Adams.

Saw the Alabama Shakes open up a show one night and ended up cramming in their tour van with them and hitting a few bars.

 

That's cool. :thumb: Who'd they open for?

 

I'll never forgive myself for missing their free show at MOTR in Cincy on their debut release. Knew that it would be a hot show, but I lazily wouldn't get up off it when it came time to go. :ohbrother:

Oh yeah...Ryan Adams/Whiskeytown. My good friend's sister was good friends with Ryan and the other folks in the band back in the mid-90s in college at UNC, so I was turned on to them in maybe 1996. She was actually roommates with Caitlin Cary, the violin/fiddle player in Whiskeytown. Cailtlin actually played the violin at th sister's wedding too. Apparently Ryan didn't even reply to the RSVP. It's kinda cool that I waa invited to the same wedding as Ryan Adams.

 

Those are cool and interesting offerings. Wonder if his head was all blown up by that time? I saw Caitlin Cary at the 20th Century in Cincy on her debut. Before saying hello to her after the show I kept reminding myself to not even mention Ryan. I thought that she must've been up to her neck with everyone bringing him up after every show.

That's cool. :thumb: Who'd they open for?

 

I'll never forgive myself for missing their free show at MOTR in Cincy on their debut release. Knew that it would be a hot show, but I lazily wouldn't get up off it when it came time to go. :ohbrother:

 

They opened for the North Mississippi Allstars. Hung out with them a little bit outside the venue, but they didn't go out. Luther Dickinson was higher than a kite. I think we were killing his buzz. :lol2:

I'm going to go ahead and assume you meant you discovered them elsewhere before they made it big since they're from the 80s and Youtube began in 2005. Caption Obvious to the rescue.

Yeah I think it was Annies and Bogarts for them both.

Right out of boot camp in '82 there was a concert in Orlando and a bunch of us went. Foreigner was play and I was a big Foreigner fan, that's the only reason I went. Three other groups were playing, this kid I'm going to tell you about, Jefferson Starship, and Ozzy Osbourne.

 

For those of you that remember, that was the week that on Wednesday there was a plane crash that killed Randy Rhoads, Ozzy's lead guitarist. So the Pat Travers band filled in for Ozzy.

 

This kid opened and I thought he was good, second best to Foreigner I thought. I said to myself that I have to remember this kid, he will be good.

 

That was March, in January I was driving through New Jersey on my way to the Sub Base in New London CT. On the radio a song started playing and I said that him, that's kid from the concert and immediately started looking for his first album.

 

The kid was Bryan Adams

I was working for a regional Rock band in the late 70's named "Tangent". We found and hired a guitarist from Versailles named Charlie Crowe who was playing in a band called "Charlie's Garage". He joined us and skyrocketed to a gig with Brooks n Dunn. He played with them for about 12 yrs. He is an amazing guitar player and is currently with Kix Brooks. He's a great friend on top of that and has never changed. Google him and check out some of his stuff. Charlie still ROCKS!