[Yesspaz]

Wow, well, growing up in Jackson, MS, there ain't a whole lot of high-profile rock coming through, and I couldn't exactly make it to New Orleans as a teen very easily. Now I live in Birmingham, AL. It's not much better because it's so close to Atlanta and Chattanooga, so why stop here? So, with smaller bands and venues as the basis:

1. Blue Man Group - The Complex Rock Tour at the Oak Moutain Ampitheater in Birmingham. App. 6,000 people. If you've ever seen them, you know.

2. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Wildflowers Tour at the Jackson Coliseum. 10,500 people. I'm a progger, but nobody can take anything from Tom Petty.

3. King's X - Black Like Sunday Tour (twice) and another albumless tour after that. 150+ people each time, all three at The Nick in Birmingham. Criminally underknown and underloved band. Musicians know.

4. The Appleseed Cast - Two Conversations Tour at Martin's in Jackson. This tiny indie/emo/punk club in Jackson-we're talking maybe thirty people. Appleseed was LOUD in that little room, but so good.

5. Collective Soul - Collage Tour at Jubilee Jam in Jackson. 50,000 people plus at Jubilee Jam, one of those spring music fests that cities have every year that seem to always feature Willie Nelson. Underappreciated by anyone older than 30, they were the best pure rock band of the mid-late 90s.

Honorable mention:
Journey w/ Foreigner at One Jackson Place in Jackson - about 6,000 people.

Iona, Stavesacre, and The Choir, at OneFest outside Memphis. Five day Christian music and arts festival. Over a hundred bands, but these three were my favs, and all did great sets.

TwoThirtyEight, Soul Remains, and Bellador doing a weekly residency at The CLB in Clinton, MS. The Centrally Located Building was four blocks from Mississippi College in Olde Towne Clinton with the brick streets and all. Great place for shows. We had tons of indie bands track through there through the years, but those three local-ish bands listed here played all the time, and AVERAGED over 200 each time!

Kansas at The Mississippi State Fair in Jackson, the Budweiser Pavilion, 2001. About 700 folks. Solid greatest hits type show with a few new ones. Hey, how am I going to complain about a show that's free, save the standard parking and fair entrace prices? I was out $11.00 that night. Well, plus whatever I blew on a Mr. Turkey Leg, a 48oz. draft root beer, and Chicken on a Stick. Oh, and 12" hand-battered corn dog for the road.