What are some of your faves from the days when the acts you love first got started? What makes those memories stand out for you now, whether its been a single year or several?

Personally, I've been a Michael Jackson fan since age 8, so the "Billie Jean" part of "Motown 25" has to be first. I don't recall when I first saw it, but everything clicked: the jacket, hat, glove, dance moves. Totally awesome in every way.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7XZGJiY2a3o?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Another one I love was Christina Aguilera's "Genie in a Bottle" show from Summer Music Mania 1998. She really seemed to be enjoying herself, and the crowd was digging it, too.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DssFeDeyQhY?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The 1998 Video Music Awards were special too, because that's when BSB first came home from 3 years overseas.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B0AK1IA6-Wc?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I grew up watching CCM a lot, and this performance by Amy Grant still sticks in my mind...largely because of that leopard jacket.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jaiuyGxHHGg?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/StP6eTFqGIM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

All the Kiss stuff from 1974/1975 is iconic. They were a metal band. The San Francisco Winterland show is epic:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/pRrl8O4mL6U" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/gH4habH5cWU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<object width="480" height="360"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/MbLuGwOUOOQ?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/MbLuGwOUOOQ?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="360" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

I remember seeing the Dictators in a club called Coventry in Queens before their first record. This isn't that but it does sound like it.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/JLuXiedNBBc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Pearl Jam's Unplugged performance

<object width="560" height="315"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/CAbJqAppYoE?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/CAbJqAppYoE?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/uJBW7GoKh4I" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
My first show. 4th row. This show set the bar pretty high.

Clash City Rockers never seems to get that much praise among their early singles--one of my favorites.

Hawkwind
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/PRadMHaIxjY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

If it's on tv or in front of an audience of thousands, I wouldn't put it into the category described. I had the chance to see the Black Keys play with just a handful of other people about ten years ago. They were playing a small club nearby and a local record store would get acts to come over and do pre-show sets in the back of their store. A friend and I happened to be there and there were only like 6 or 7 customers in the store for their set, which was probably only 20 minutes or so. They weren't overly impressive then, but I liked the way they sounded enough to keep tabs on them. Saw them again a year or two later with a much larger audience at the Austin City Limits Festival.

One of my buddies' brothers had Faith No More (Chuck Mosley-era) play in his den in their early days. That would have been fun to attend.

The MC5's debut album, Kick Out the Jams, was a live album.

Fan of Thin Lizzy I thought this was the best drum solo ever heard live. Brian Downey is amazing for a small guy.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/9F_EJ1o_agk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I saw Pearl Jam on the Ten tour at a very small theater right before they broke big and it was an amazing experience. All energy, very intimate, super intense connection with the audience that you don't get at these arena shows... you could sense the hunger and drive in their performance. It was slightly less fun when I saw them on Lollapalooza a couple years later.