Have you ever been to a concert with no idea of the opening band and what they sound like? That has happened to me several times and I thought I would share some of the bands that I think you should know- or you may have already heard of them.
My stipulation for this blog is that I am talking about bands that I have experienced in a non-festival setting. Some of them were the openers and some of them were the headliners that I knew nothing about.
Last year I went to the Double Door to see Jonny Fritz. He was there opening for Nikki Lane. I knew nothing of her, I did look at a couple of her videos on youtube prior to the 
show, but that was it. I was impressed with Nikki, she has good country songs, not the Top 40 country pop crap that you hear on the radio. After the show I bought a couple of her CD’s and have enjoyed them completely.
How did I discover Jonny Fritz? Glad you asked. He was formerly known as Jonny Corndawg and I saw him at the Beat Kitchen, which he was the headliner and I was going to see the opening act Shovels & Rope. Jonny Corndawg had this 70’s am radio country vibe to them. Great offbeat lyrics, jonny with his big ole cowboy hat, I remember listening to them with a big smile on my face. How can you not with such classic songs: “Shaved Like A Razor,” “Life of a Bear,” and one that had me rolling with laughter “Sherry.” What a fun time!
Let’s go back to Shovels & Rope to complete this trilogy of new discoveries. Michael Trent and his wife Cary Ann Hearst are a duo out of South Carolina. They are multi-instrumentalist who primarily switch playing the guitar and drums during their shows. I first saw them at Schuba’s opening for Hayes Carll back in 2011.
Cary Ann has an amazing voice and their brand of Americana-Country is something to see live. Over the years their popularity has grown. They played Lollapalooza and have headlined at The Metro. I cannot recommend them enough.
One of the most successful acts that I saw when nobody knew who they were was Cheryl Crow. Back in 1993, before Tuesday Night Music Club broke all over the radio waves, she opened for The Freddy Jones Band at the Vic Theatre. This may seem a little weird in retrospect, but at the time Freddy Jones was big news in the Chicago music scene. It’s their hometown and they were celebrating their Waiting for the Night release on Capricorn Records. They has built up a large and loyal fan base in the area. I saw them many times at Wrigleyside (long since gone) and other area bars and clubs.
My buddy Dave went to the show and we were right in front of the stage for the opening act- Cheryl Crow. Not a lot of people were around us, pretty much everyone was hanging by the bar or in the balcony seats. What I remember from the show was I liked her sound and this may not be PC, but she was and is very easy on the eyes! But the crowd wanted Freddy Jones, who knew that she would go on to superstar status? At least I can say that I saw her when no one knew or cared who she was.
The last two bands that I want to talk about are still very dear to my musical heart. The Refreshments and The Figgs. First, The Refreshments, a band out of Arizona who I saw at the Metro opening for Dishwalla. A co-worker suggested that we go to the show which also had Tonic as the first band of the night. Dishwater was the headliner, to be fair I only knew their song “Counting Blue Cars” that was being played on the radio.
I was completely blown away by The Refreshments that night. The album they were supporting Fizzy, Fuzzy Big & Buzzy and 20 years later the album still holds up and is always on my playlist. “Mekong,” “Girly,” and “Banditos” with it’s reference to Captain Picard are just a few of the songs that I need to hear often. The Refreshments are sadly no more, but you can still catch Roger Clyne, the lead singer and founder touring.
Finally, The Figgs!!
I went to the Double Door to see Graham Parker, I had always admired his work and finally got a chance to see him in concert. What I did not know is that The Figgs were his backing band and the opening band. I was absolutely blown away by the band. They were so tight and knew how to work the crowd. After the show I purchased their Palais album. It is still one of my favorites.
Who are some of the bands that you have been pleasantly surprised with?
kevpinions 
I totally remember that Sheryl Crow/FJB show! FJB were at the height of their popularity, and put on an excellent, high energy show. We could tell Sheryl was going to be a star, too. I couldn’t take my eyes off her–then, as now, really good looking!
Next suggested post: discovering Phish at the Aragon. I think the only band I heard before you did.