An opening act or warm-up act (in British English and Australia, supporting act) is an entertainer, musician, band, or entertainment act that performs at a concert before the featured (or headline) entertainer/musician(s). Rarely, an opening act may perform again at the end of the concert.
The opening act's performance serves to "warm up" the audience, making it appropriately excited and enthusiastic for the headliner.
In rock music, the opening act will usually be an up-and-coming group with a much smaller following than the featured artist. On long concert tours, different opening acts may be used for different legs of the tour.
The opening act may also be followed by a DJ in some shows before the headline act performs.
Famous quotes containing the words opening and/or act:
“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.”
—Bible: Hebrew Proverbs, 6:6.
The words were rendered by Samuel Johnson in the opening lines of The Ant: “Turn on the prudent ant thy heedful eyes, Observe her labours, sluggard, and be wise.”
“Youth doesn’t reason, it acts. The old man reasons and would like to make the others act in his place.”
—Francis Picabia (1878–1953)