Foo Fighters 2 weeks ago. I have been to many many concerts (festivals) and they put on the most amazing show, next to them, I would say Godsmack, Sully is amazing live.
It wasn't the greatest concert I ever went to because the crowd got so rowdy they cut it very short. The concert was Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young the venue was Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, the night President Nixon resigned. After the announcement was made, the concert continued, but the crowd surged towards the stage and there was an electrified fence in the way. The concert stopped, they told the crowd to step back from the fence many times, the surgers didn't listen, they ended the concert and that was that after less than an hour.
Oh, that's a good one too! Did you see the new tour, the one without parodies? I wanted to, but wasn't able to. 😕 I enjoyed his last tour though. He has so much energy.
I had backstage passes to this show outside LA but too many shots of 100 proof plus weed and i started puking b4 i could get backstage and had to leave only couldnt find anyone so i hitchhiked home only getting to hear ratm the first band...very sad day.
Oakland, Sept.9, 1973. My best friend and I were too young to drive, much less be there unchaperoned, but somehow we were. 3 days later my little brother suicided, 10 days later her father died unexpectedly. His songs impact me deeply.
Then in Central Park, a free concert on Sept. 13, 1980, 7 years later to the week. What a performer. Every person in that park was elated...what a beautiful, sunny, happy, carefree day.
He'll be in the northeast for his "Farewell, Yellow Brick Road" tour this September...gonna try to go.
I hadn't even heard of him or any of his songs until that night, on the drive there. I was a vagabond, and my childhood best friend had taken me in to stay w him when he came back east for the holidays, along w some choice CA best, lsd. So, seeing Jeff Buckley, on some high-grade, clean lsd, blew. Me. Away. I didn't move the whole time, but stared at him, mouth agape, feeling like our eyes were locked. But, I was on lsd.
The hilarious part, afterwards, my best friend was a bass player so he wanted to go up and talk to him. Jeff Buckley as he's walking away to leave, comes up to me and said, "I saw you the whole time," or something like that. Then he walked away. I was a sight back then, w half blond half brown hair, so I'm sure I stood out (I let someone dye it but they ran out, and I was too druggied out to care).
Anyway, yes, it was truly incredible.
I moved to CA shortly afterwards and turned everyone I crashed w onto him. One of my true, few regrets, I heard he had an afternoon set at Stanford, or Berkley, when a friend asked if I wanted race down to go, I was like, eh, another time, and I didn't go. We all know, the time just wouldn't be there.
TMI I know. I'm lonely, and enjoy sharing. Lol. "Did you ever think loneliness....," lol. Touche'
Queen. Couple of years before Live Aid made them mega. Wasn't a particular fan but went with a friend and Freddie Mercury just blew my mind. Unbelievable range, and a fantastic showman who you really didn't want to take your eyes off.
The Cure in Jacksonville - they were so good live! and Stone Temple Pilots (opener was Damn Yankees) All in all, any groups playing at the New Orleans Jazz Fest between 1997 - 1999 were fantastic. Jazz Fest used to be a fricken blast
The Cure. They played every song I wanted to hear except one (Burn, but they played that the next time I saw them) and played for like 4 hours with multiple encores. It was also amazing people-watching. There was the girl thrown out for being too metal, and the one whose dancing style could best be described as Rocky Balboa meets Jazzercise.
The two most unexpectedly fun shows I've been to were Bryan Adams and Tears For Fears.
I knew I'd enjoy them, but the shows were so much fun (Adams really engages his audience, TFF are very high energy) I was blown away. I would see either of them again in a heartbeat.
TFF were touring with Hall and Oates, and opened for them. When Hall and Oates came on, the energy came down so radically, it was kind of a let down. I like their music, but I left the show and went to get dinner after three songs. it was just a bad mismatch of acts for a tour.
It's hard to narrow it down to one so I'll give my top three:
Elton John with just his piano at Madison Square Garden.
The Who at Nassau Coliseum (Long Island, NY)
Rod Stewart at Jones Beach, which is an outdoor arena on Long Island. It started pouring rain (thankfully no lighting) and Rod seemed happier than a pig in mud. He kept running around the stage and jumping in large puddles causing the water to splash all over himself while he sang his heart out.
Stray Cats at the Old Ritz in NYC. Around '80 or so.
Drove up with a friend. We'll call her the Pocket Greek. Tiny girl with more than ample ... Anyway, concert was sold out and walking back to the car, somebody stopped us, "Hey you want tickets? My GF decided she didn't want to go." "OK, how much?" "Nothing, here." Hands us the tickets an walks away.
OK, that was cool. Look at tickets. Back Stage Passes!!!!
Growing up in San Diego in the 70's was a great place to be for concerts. I've seen Zeppelin, CSNY, Queen, Fleetwood Mac, Deep Purple, Santana, Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, Yes, Peter Frampton, Uriah Heap, Rod Stewart, Doobie Brothers, Grand Funk Railroad, Thin Lizzy, Three Dog Night, Poco, J.Geils Band, REO Speed Wagon, Savoy Brown, Sly & the Family Stone, Quicksilver, Foghat, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Donavan and a few more. All in about 5 years! Some like Zeppelin, Queen, Yes and CSN several times! Most tickets averaged about $8.00! My teen years were fun!
Oklahoma City, 1987. The Cult opened for Billy Idol at frontier city. I got lucky and won tickets for this special concert for 100 people. Someone threw a beer can at Billy hit him in the forehead. He cursed and left the stage, came back with a bandage and launched into Rebel Yell.
Early R.E.M. when they played a night full of covers, including "Radar Love," "Toys in the Attic," and Lou Gramm's "Midnight Blue"!
Opening show of the 1981 Rolling Stones "Tattoo You" tour, about 10 feet from the stage (with the Philadelphia motorcycle gang the Pagans).
One of the opening shows during Sting's week long solo debut in Paris at the Mogador Theatre in 1985, his first appearance with the Blue Turtles jazz band, the shows recorded for "Here Comes the Night."
Seen Van Morrison maybe a dozen times, and three of them he has been transcendently good.
Springsteen maybe a half dozen times and nearly every one of them has been transcendently good.
The most incredible moment ever at any live show was a Waterboys concert where they covered Van Morrison's "Sweet Thing" and you could hear a pin drop. I've never been at a show so quiet. It felt Holy.
Great "your turn" question today! Thank you! I have some wonderful memories of my years working with the music industry.
Pearl Jam at the Cameo Theater on Miami Beach on the Ten tour, right before they blew up. I wasn't really a fan, but went with some friends and a young Eddie Vedder killed it. He was climbing up to the rafters and jumping down into the crowd- it was pretty great. Also, Placebo at VFest in England from the side of the stage and U2 at Slane Castle the night after Bono's father passed away (right up front- Charlize Theron was standing next to us, and she was stunning up close). PJ Harvey at Hammerstein Ballroom in NY, Portishead at the Cameo and Lollapalooza in Miami the night before Hurricane Andrew...ok, I'll stop now.
James Brown at street scene. Led Zeppelin with the Egyptian band at SD Sports Arena and Ryan Adam's with the unknown Band. PIL blew me away too. Wish list is Jeff Buckley ,Prince, Marvin Gaye and Alice in Chains with OG line up!! Whiskeytown too!
Hey sd, i saw new order outdoors in san diego with a bunch of other bands from the era back in 89 or 90...pissed i never saw AIC...i was outside one of there first shows in hollywood and never made it in...still have the original we die young sampler someone handed me.PISSED
Jimi Hendrix - 1968 - St. Louis I was 14 years old. I’ve seen many of the great rock stars, including the Beatles, but that night I was truly mesmerized.
Bruce Springsteen in 2016 . He played for 4 hours and 6 minutes with no breaks. He reads the signs the fans bring. He crowd surfed and let a college kid come up and play No Surrender with him. He sang 39 songs. At 66 years old he has amazing energy. My ticket was only $100 and I was in a great section. I have seen him 10 times and you can tell he is grateful that we showed up and wants to give us the best show. And all 10 concerts were the same price and at least 4 hours long. Best live concert you will ever see.
Thanks for the link @Velora! Do you remember driving home from Lollapalooza and wondering why people were lined up at gas stations? I had NO IDEA a hurricane was coming...oh, to be young and clueless again. 1992 was a great year for me, too, btw.
WTF Jennifer, I saw Dokken open for Loverboy too! That was a very... long time ago. Met Don Dokken after when he wandered into the Taco Bell we were at. Super nice guy.
Metallica in '92 for the Wherever I May Roam tour. I saw STP three time with Scott and they always put on a really good show. Suicidal Tendencies back in '89 or '88 ish was a fun show, so much energy (or drugs) from the band.
I was at U2's first concert at the Ritz, a dance club in New York in 1980. One of my ex's old bandmates was a dj there so we got to sit in the booth with him. Bono was unbelievably charismatic and that voice...
One was the Smiths' American debut concert at the Beacon, NYC, 1985. Fifth-row seat. Despite my not being a fan of Morissey. Johnny Marr was overwhelming.
Also, more than one Weather Report concert with the "Heavy Weather" lineup.
@Low Key, I saw Lynch Mob at a dive bar last year, and they were excellent. George Lynch is better than ever, mature, classic, very musical. And looking great for a guy of any age.
Depeche Mode: Concert for the Masses. Fourth row on the floor of the Rose Bowl, on the Backstage Entrance side of the floor. Saw a ton of celbrities. Had better seats than Soleil Moon Frye. We ended up with the tickets when a friend at school could not attend due to a serious scooter accident.
Stage left, there was a casual side stage area where people gathered to watch the show. During OMD's set, my brother and I noticed The Edge on the side stage area. As this was 1988 when my brother and I were teenagers, and U2 were basically gods, we could not stop gawking. The Edge caught us gawking at him. He then proceeded to point at us then point at OMD on stage in the universal gesture of "Stop watching me and watch the show".
The show itself was perfection. Blazingly hot late June day. There was a food fight between the OMD and Depeche Mode sets. During DM's set, it rained.
I gave up my ticket to the Violator tour because I could not see DM again so soon after such an amazing concert.
Runner up show would probably be Living Color/Guns N Roses/Rolling Stones at the Coliseum in Fall 1989. Shock and disbelief...Axel quit during the show.
1997 First Ave in Minneapolis. Wyclef Jean and the Fugee Allstars performed. It was awesome!!! Wyclef did backflips on the stage and even played his guitar with his teeth. The entire night was amazing. Everyone was great.
Tough one. Best show...Billy Joel on the Storm Front tour, or Prince on the Hit And Run tour. Just solid, well played shows by excellent musicians with a lot of passion and energy, playing their hits and it not coming off as a greatest hits jukebox.
Omg! Stone City Attractions... so many in the 70's and 80's when the ticket prices were $10! The problem is remembering the details! Nazareth with Trapeze, Styx, Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band with Blue Oyster Cult and ZZ Top, Foghat, REO Speedwagon, Tom Petty, Elton John, Journey with The Babys, Rush, AC/DC, Molly Hatchet
I mean, they're all good. That's why I'm there! I know they're reviled for whatever reason, but Nickelback puts on a good show. Paul McCartney was amazing too - 2+ hours of solid hits at his age, WOW. But I got most excited for Def Leppard and Styx (with Gowan), and they also did not disappoint. (Why yes, I do like old music. Why do you ask?) *LOL*
Thinking about it, I honestly don't think I've ever been to a bad or *worst* show. I mean, I wouldn't bother trying to see G&R; Axl's so hot and cold. Ozzy would also be a real disappointment, from what I've heard.
I was also at Winterland in 1975 for the Peter Frampton concert that was featured on "Frampton Comes Alive". On "Do You Feel Like I Do" he spoke through a vocoder(?), first time anyone had heard that effect, it was amaaaaazing.
Creedence Clearwater Revival 1971 in Duluth, MN. I was 11 years old and my sister was in college. My parents wouldn't let her borrow the car unless they took me and my little sister (age 9) with her. So she did. I still remember the intro "Live from the hills of Georgia!! Credence Clearwater Revival!!".
I knew their music because my sister had a stereo in her room and we would listen to her records while we tried out her clothes and makeup when she was gone.
I have never been the same. I loved that live music so much, it was life changing. I love going to concerts and now that I am knocking on 60 years old (in about a year), I still go to shows. I love Los Lonely Boys Alice Cooper, Jimmy Buffett, was lucky enough to see Chuck Berry and Little Richard, The Coasters, The Spaniels, The Stones, Tina Turner, I could go on and on. Money well spent over the years and am planning another few shows this year. I have never lost that feeling of the first concert and how connected I felt to the music. Just put "Rock on" on my tombstone.
1989 Guns n' Roses opening for the Rolling Stones at the LA Coliseum...was great and also a shitshow w/ Axl accusing a band member (Slash) of "dancing with Mr. Brownstone"
but I still think of that show as the best one I've been too
U2 when Muse opened. I won the tickets and Adam Clayton posed 5 foot in front of me for photos. I also enjoyed Better Than Ezra and Hootie and the Blowfish.
1) The Clash, 1979 at the Palladium in New York 2) The Clash, 1980 at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, NJ 3) Grateful Dead with Branford Marsalis, 1990 at Nassau Coliseum, Long island, NY 4) David Bowie, 1974 (Diamond Dogs tour), Toledo Sports Arena 5) George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars, 1991, at the Palladium, NYC
If I think about it too long I might have to resort that. Or I might come up with others.
The Dead-Memphis,TN(next to last show Jerry sang) &was on 10th row &U2 last year(Soldier field/Chicago) The Stones w/Blind Melon(Memphis, Liberty Stadium)
Roy Orbison with Chris Isaak opening at the tiny Paul Masson Winery outdoors at night in the hills of Los Gatos. It was not long before his death and his voice was just incredible - so beautiful still, and Chris Isaak amazing too.
Ray Lamontagne anywhere, anytime. With a band or just his guitar. So much love for that man’s voice and songwriting. Heart because it was my first concert and Nancy played Dog & Butterfly w/her guitar above her head. I was in awe. Stevie Ray Vaughn The Who Tina Turner was phenomenal. Here’s random for you...Wang Chung opened for her. We ran into them and their band the night after the show at a local bar with a liberal pour and a great jukebox. Taught ‘em how to two-step. Will be eternally sad that I never saw Prince.
Agree on Ray L. I saw him last summer at the Fox Theater in Atlanta and it was one of the best shows I’ve ever attended. And this is from someone who wasn’t familiar with him at all. I hope he comes back here soon.
It's a tie between Coldplay at the Shoreline in NorCal and Steely Dan at the Concord Pavillion. Both were superb. Outdoor shows are more relaxing and aren't so loud as to deafen you.
Pigface at the whisky 1992...actually ive seen thousands of bands...van halen at the whisky....live aid...dozens of ozzfests...10 dates of NIN fragile tour with perfect circle...the famous nymphs show at the whisky...lollapalooza 91? White zombie tool and haunted garage at the whisky before wz and tool got big..suicidal tendencies in boston b4 they got big....cant remember them all....
For me THE best show I was ever at was Pink Floyd. I only got to see them once at Patriots stadium in Worcester,Mass in 94'. They put the most effort in at giving a good quality psychedelic experience, of course that was because they only played one big long tour every several years or so and played the same sets every show the whole tour. Three friends and I ran into a buddy we knew from Grateful Dead tour that gave us each a convenience store bag of 4x4 Eagles flyers for their upcoming tour to pass out for a free ticket. Pretty amazing to see a disco ball the size of a small house rise up out of the middle of the stadium and start spinning at the chorus of "Comfortably Numb" that eventually turned into a pulsating rose and then what looked like a giant syringe poked into the middle of the stadium. Even though I was only on about 300 micrograms of high quality LSD the blue lights and sound made me, and everyone around me, literally looking NUMB with blue lips and a ghostly appearance. Far out stuff man!
QUALITY MK programming, not this crap shit we're all being force fed now.
The few dozen Grateful Dead shows I've seen still sit on the top of my list (ChuggChooChoo I hear ya bud! lol that was the MOST expensive GD ticket I ever bought at $50!), however, Jerry Garcia Band takes third (but almost in a sense number one again).
I always really enjoyed it when I could see Bob Dylan in concert.
P-Funk was always alot of fun.
Got to see Peter Gabriel at Woodstock in 94, THAT was fun.
Sara, Making It Work said...
CSNY reunion tour in 2000(?) is a close second.
I was at that show as well, that was a fun one!
Interesting looking back on those days. Keeps coming back to that old adage "If I only knew then what I know now".
Inside The LC: The Strange but Mostly True Story of Laurel Canyon and the Birth of the Hippie Generation https://www.sott.net/article/155794-Inside-The-LC-The-Strange-but-Mostly-True-Story-of-Laurel-Canyon-and-the-Birth-of-the-Hippie-Generation-Part-1
In truth, the "best" shows- the most enjoyable were by the acts with no cred or artistic weight: Queen, Mellencamp, Billy Joel. They work harder, make the effort to please the audience.
McCartney/Wings on the 70s tour would be one (rare) exception. Perfect show/songs and his voice was in great form.
I"ve seen horrible, worthless 'shows' by Clapton, Allmans, Dylan, Aerosmith, and many others.
it was June 5, 1983, and we were sitting in a cold, rainy and foggy Red Rocks. Just how I wanted to start the summer break after my freshman year of college. And that was the truth. U2 wanted to cancel because of the fans sitting in the rain, and the fans said no. U2 played that night, without their opening acts, The Alarm and The Divinyls.
It has been called one of the greatest concerts at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
Phish. 12/31/1999. Big Cypress Indian Reservation, Everglades, South Florida. They played non-stop from 11:30pm on New Year's Eve until sunrise on New Year's Day (about 7.5 hours). Note, this set contained "only" 37 songs, making the average song length 12:10. Remember (or now know) that the world was panicked that the lights would go out because computer coding all had to have been updated to reflect mm/dd/yyyy instead of mm/dd/yy - spoiler alert: nothing happened.
Best concert ever was U2 at the Tower Theater in Philly just before they became the biggest band on the planet. The Unforgettable Fire tour in 1984. Simply amazing.
I have seen many shows...Eminem, U2, Guns N Roses, Pearl Jam and Fleetwood Mac are in my top 5....Adele blew my mind with her vocals and humorous personality. Robbie Williams and Garth Brooks for other honurable mentions- great production and entertainment.
Biggest disappointment was the RHCP- loved the band, splashed out mega �� for 3rd row seats. Flea was AMAZING. Anthony Kedis was brutal. He didn’t acknowledge the crowd once for the entire show. Sucky personality.
Seeing great Foo Fighers reviews here! Seeing them in the fall for the first time! Can’t wait!
1. Led Zeppelin at the O2, 2007 2. Robert Plant at the Montreux Jazz Festival Tribute to Ahmet Ertegun, 2006 3. Robert Plant & The Strange Sensation Live At the Marquee in Cork, Ireland, 2006
Friends, my job prospects have me so depressed.
ReplyDeleteI don’t have money for Prozac, so I’m drinking No More Tears shampoo.
Prince, Musicology tour.
ReplyDeleteProbably Gary Numan.
ReplyDeleteOddly enough, Mumford & Sons, Centennial Park in ATL 2014 maybe.
ReplyDelete2nd best - Alabama Shakes, Bonnaroo 2015
Toss up between Floyd's "The Wall" tour and Prince's "Purple Rain" tour. I'll put seeing the Clash at Bonds in NY 3rd.
ReplyDeleteFoo Fighters 2 weeks ago. I have been to many many concerts (festivals) and they put on the most amazing show, next to them, I would say Godsmack, Sully is amazing live.
ReplyDeleteFoo fighters are amazing live. We are seeing them in London next month, i cant wait.
DeleteIt wasn't the greatest concert I ever went to because the crowd got so rowdy they cut it very short. The concert was Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young the venue was Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, the night President Nixon resigned. After the announcement was made, the concert continued, but the crowd surged towards the stage and there was an electrified fence in the way. The concert stopped, they told the crowd to step back from the fence many times, the surgers didn't listen, they ended the concert and that was that after less than an hour.
ReplyDeleteCSNY reunion tour in 2000(?) is a close second.
ReplyDeleteThey Might Be Giants 3 years ago would be third best, I think.
PowerStation
ReplyDeletePurple Rain tour.
ReplyDeleteWhite Buffalo would be the top but they only play small venues. Great show.
Both the same answer, Prince lovesexy tour birmingham NEC 1988.
ReplyDeleteStones
ReplyDeleteDon't laugh: Neil Diamond. He put on a hell of a show!
ReplyDeleteHe really does!
DeleteHe really does!
DeleteWeird Al Yankovic. By far.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's a good one too! Did you see the new tour, the one without parodies? I wanted to, but wasn't able to. 😕 I enjoyed his last tour though. He has so much energy.
Delete1987 tour Def Leppard did after Rick Allen lost
Deletehis arm
He/they were amazing
That's my vote, too!!!
DeleteNo, both dates sold out before I could get tickets. 😭😭😭
DeleteKroq’s Inland Invasion with The Cure, Duran Duran & Interpol
ReplyDeleteLollapolooza with Tool, Alice in Chains, Fishbone, Rage Against the Machine, Primus
ReplyDeleteLollapalooza 93! Rained hard in Minneapolis that day. Moved indoors- still awesome I agree great line up!
DeleteI had backstage passes to this show outside LA but too many shots of 100 proof plus weed and i started puking b4 i could get backstage and had to leave only couldnt find anyone so i hitchhiked home only getting to hear ratm the first band...very sad day.
DeleteNine Inch Nails & David Bowie
ReplyDeletePaul McCartney a few years ago. Played over three hours and never even stopped for a sip of water. Magic.
ReplyDeleteIt's a tossup between 2 Elton John concerts.
ReplyDeleteOakland, Sept.9, 1973. My best friend and I were too young to drive, much less be there unchaperoned, but somehow we were. 3 days later my little brother suicided, 10 days later her father died unexpectedly. His songs impact me deeply.
Then in Central Park, a free concert on Sept. 13, 1980, 7 years later to the week. What a performer. Every person in that park was elated...what a beautiful, sunny, happy, carefree day.
He'll be in the northeast for his "Farewell, Yellow Brick Road" tour this September...gonna try to go.
Macy Grey - in a small venue before she blew up with her album On How Life Is
ReplyDeleteNeil Diamond
ReplyDeleteJoe Cocker with Steve Miller Band
I seen Joe Cocker open for Tom Petty and Joe blew my mind!!! Great raw vocals!
Delete1. 2011 Foo Fighters
ReplyDelete2. 1985 Bruce Springsteen
3. 1986 Tom Petty
Jeff Buckley @Irving plaza circa (somewhere around) Dec 1994. He. Blew. My. Mind.
ReplyDelete😮 Jeff Buckley live show. Like seeing a real unicorn. I am envious.
DeleteI hadn't even heard of him or any of his songs until that night, on the drive there. I was a vagabond, and my childhood best friend had taken me in to stay w him when he came back east for the holidays, along w some choice CA best, lsd. So, seeing Jeff Buckley, on some high-grade, clean lsd, blew. Me. Away. I didn't move the whole time, but stared at him, mouth agape, feeling like our eyes were locked. But, I was on lsd.
DeleteThe hilarious part, afterwards, my best friend was a bass player so he wanted to go up and talk to him. Jeff Buckley as he's walking away to leave, comes up to me and said, "I saw you the whole time," or something like that. Then he walked away. I was a sight back then, w half blond half brown hair, so I'm sure I stood out (I let someone dye it but they ran out, and I was too druggied out to care).
Anyway, yes, it was truly incredible.
I moved to CA shortly afterwards and turned everyone I crashed w onto him. One of my true, few regrets, I heard he had an afternoon set at Stanford, or Berkley, when a friend asked if I wanted race down to go, I was like, eh, another time, and I didn't go. We all know, the time just wouldn't be there.
TMI I know. I'm lonely, and enjoy sharing. Lol. "Did you ever think loneliness....," lol. Touche'
I'm so jealous!! Grace is a wonderful album.
DeleteNot TMI! Thank you for the story. ☺
DeleteThat's seriously impressive. I'm totally jealous.
DeletePrince, New Year's Eve 1984 Dallas TX. The Purple Rain tour. Unbelievable
ReplyDeleteTwo years ago, Iggy Pop Post Pop Depression tour with Josh Homme, SF Masonic hall.
ReplyDeleteAdele hands down!
ReplyDeleteLoved her voice and personality! She’s hilarious!
DeleteQueen. Couple of years before Live Aid made them mega.
ReplyDeleteWasn't a particular fan but went with a friend and Freddie Mercury just blew my mind. Unbelievable range, and a fantastic showman who you really didn't want to take your eyes off.
@Barry
DeleteI saw them with Adam Lambert last year. I wasn't even thinking about Freddie. The show was awesome!
Oh also John (Cougar) Mellencamp Whenever We Wanted. My friends and I went right before graduation. We danced and partied all night!
ReplyDeleteThe Cure in Jacksonville - they were so good live! and Stone Temple Pilots (opener was Damn Yankees)
ReplyDeleteAll in all, any groups playing at the New Orleans Jazz Fest between 1997 - 1999 were fantastic. Jazz Fest used to be a fricken blast
First: Mötley Crüe
ReplyDeleteBest: Dokken opening for Loverboy. Both were great!
Alice Cooper - Welcome to my Nightmare
ReplyDeleteLED Zepplin - Electric Playground, Chgo
ReplyDeleteThe Cure. They played every song I wanted to hear except one (Burn, but they played that the next time I saw them) and played for like 4 hours with multiple encores. It was also amazing people-watching. There was the girl thrown out for being too metal, and the one whose dancing style could best be described as Rocky Balboa meets Jazzercise.
ReplyDeleteThe two most unexpectedly fun shows I've been to were Bryan Adams and Tears For Fears.
ReplyDeleteI knew I'd enjoy them, but the shows were so much fun (Adams really engages his audience, TFF are very high energy) I was blown away. I would see either of them again in a heartbeat.
TFF were touring with Hall and Oates, and opened for them. When Hall and Oates came on, the energy came down so radically, it was kind of a let down. I like their music, but I left the show and went to get dinner after three songs. it was just a bad mismatch of acts for a tour.
And Peter Gabriel never, ever, ever has been a let down any of the times I've seen him. So brilliant.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to narrow it down to one so I'll give my top three:
ReplyDeleteElton John with just his piano at Madison Square Garden.
The Who at Nassau Coliseum (Long Island, NY)
Rod Stewart at Jones Beach, which is an outdoor arena on Long Island. It started pouring rain (thankfully no lighting) and Rod seemed happier than a pig in mud. He kept running around the stage and jumping in large puddles causing the water to splash all over himself while he sang his heart out.
I’ve seen him twice and he’s a great performer! Genuinely happy to be on stage!
DeleteIron Maiden World Slavery Tour
ReplyDeleteStray Cats at the Old Ritz in NYC. Around '80 or so.
ReplyDeleteDrove up with a friend. We'll call her the Pocket Greek. Tiny girl with more than ample ... Anyway, concert was sold out and walking back to the car, somebody stopped us, "Hey you want tickets? My GF decided she didn't want to go." "OK, how much?" "Nothing, here." Hands us the tickets an walks away.
OK, that was cool. Look at tickets. Back Stage Passes!!!!
Never made it backstage, but the concert great.
I love this story! Back when kismet things like this, still happened.
DeleteI often wonder if the internet, cell phones have killed such things; magic, magical kismet moments from happening now.
Got to say it. Lileth Fair. Saw Indigo Girls, Sarah McLachlan, Liz Phair. Amazing!
ReplyDeleteMine’s also a Lilith Fair. It was 98 or 99, i think. Bonnie Raitt!
DeleteGrowing up in San Diego in the 70's was a great place to be for concerts. I've seen Zeppelin, CSNY, Queen, Fleetwood Mac, Deep Purple, Santana, Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, Yes, Peter Frampton, Uriah Heap, Rod Stewart, Doobie Brothers, Grand Funk Railroad, Thin Lizzy, Three Dog Night, Poco, J.Geils Band, REO Speed Wagon, Savoy Brown, Sly & the Family Stone, Quicksilver, Foghat, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Donavan and a few more. All in about 5 years! Some like Zeppelin, Queen, Yes and CSN several times! Most tickets averaged about $8.00! My teen years were fun!
ReplyDeleteFirst time Descendants toured again with Milo. Probably 96 or something. First Avenue.
ReplyDeleteMy. Fav. Concert. Ever
Oklahoma City, 1987. The Cult opened for Billy Idol at frontier city. I got lucky and won tickets for this special concert for 100 people. Someone threw a beer can at Billy hit him in the forehead. He cursed and left the stage, came back with a bandage and launched into Rebel Yell.
ReplyDeleteColdplay, as an avid concert goer, they are in a league of their own.
ReplyDeletePaul McCartney. May 15, 2002 Tampa, FL
ReplyDeleteJourney. Sat front and center in 1983. We caught all the things fans threw on stage that Neal or Steve kicked off ;)
ReplyDeleteSeen them with Arnel- who was great...but seeing them with Steve Perry had to be epic!
DeleteI have seen so many great live shows!
ReplyDeleteEarly R.E.M. when they played a night full of covers, including "Radar Love," "Toys in the Attic," and Lou Gramm's "Midnight Blue"!
Opening show of the 1981 Rolling Stones "Tattoo You" tour, about 10 feet from the stage (with the Philadelphia motorcycle gang the Pagans).
One of the opening shows during Sting's week long solo debut in Paris at the Mogador Theatre in 1985, his first appearance with the Blue Turtles jazz band, the shows recorded for "Here Comes the Night."
Seen Van Morrison maybe a dozen times, and three of them he has been transcendently good.
Springsteen maybe a half dozen times and nearly every one of them has been transcendently good.
The most incredible moment ever at any live show was a Waterboys concert where they covered Van Morrison's "Sweet Thing" and you could hear a pin drop. I've never been at a show so quiet. It felt Holy.
Great "your turn" question today! Thank you! I have some wonderful memories of my years working with the music industry.
Pearl Jam at the Cameo Theater on Miami Beach on the Ten tour, right before they blew up. I wasn't really a fan, but went with some friends and a young Eddie Vedder killed it. He was climbing up to the rafters and jumping down into the crowd- it was pretty great. Also, Placebo at VFest in England from the side of the stage and U2 at Slane Castle the night after Bono's father passed away (right up front- Charlize Theron was standing next to us, and she was stunning up close). PJ Harvey at Hammerstein Ballroom in NY, Portishead at the Cameo and Lollapalooza in Miami the night before Hurricane Andrew...ok, I'll stop now.
ReplyDeleteJames Brown at street scene. Led Zeppelin with the Egyptian band at SD Sports Arena and Ryan Adam's with the unknown Band. PIL blew me away too. Wish list is Jeff Buckley ,Prince, Marvin Gaye and Alice in Chains with OG line up!! Whiskeytown too!
ReplyDeleteHey sd, i saw new order outdoors in san diego with a bunch of other bands from the era back in 89 or 90...pissed i never saw AIC...i was outside one of there first shows in hollywood and never made it in...still have the original we die young sampler someone handed me.PISSED
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ReplyDeleteThis isn't easy...there have been SOOOO many.
ReplyDeleteBilly Idol/Faith No More for my 16th birthday on 9/28/90 at Orlando Arena.
Pearl Jam on 4/23/92 at Cameo Theater on Miami Beach
The Cure Wish tour 6/4/92 at Miami Arena
Lollapalooza 1992 in Miami. Hurricane Andrew hit the next day!
1992 was a great year for me
Prince, Purple Rain with The Who in 1989.
ReplyDeleteJimi Hendrix - 1968 - St. Louis
ReplyDeleteI was 14 years old. I’ve seen many of the great rock stars, including the Beatles, but that night I was truly mesmerized.
@MissBliss - WE WERE AT THE SAME SHOWS!!! HA!!
ReplyDeleteThere's excellent video of Pearl Jam at the Cameo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3a3DR1U5S0&t=10s
Bruce Springsteen in 2016 . He played for 4 hours and 6 minutes with no breaks. He reads the signs the fans bring. He crowd surfed and let a college kid come up and play No Surrender with him. He sang 39 songs. At 66 years old he has amazing energy. My ticket was only $100 and I was in a great section. I have seen him 10 times and you can tell he is grateful that we showed up and wants to give us the best show. And all 10 concerts were the same price and at least 4 hours long. Best live concert you will ever see.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link @Velora! Do you remember driving home from Lollapalooza and wondering why people were lined up at gas stations? I had NO IDEA a hurricane was coming...oh, to be young and clueless again. 1992 was a great year for me, too, btw.
ReplyDeleteP!nk put on a badass show for the Beautiful Trauma Tour.
ReplyDeleteI saw Pearl Jam at a small outdoor venue and that was pretty rad ass too.
Good question, Ents.
WTF Jennifer, I saw Dokken open for Loverboy too! That was a very... long time ago. Met Don Dokken after when he wandered into the Taco Bell we were at. Super nice guy.
ReplyDeleteMetallica in '92 for the Wherever I May Roam tour. I saw STP three time with Scott and they always put on a really good show. Suicidal Tendencies back in '89 or '88 ish was a fun show, so much energy (or drugs) from the band.
ReplyDeleteI was at U2's first concert at the Ritz, a dance club in New York in 1980. One of my ex's old bandmates was a dj there so we got to sit in the booth with him. Bono was unbelievably charismatic and that voice...
ReplyDeleteOne was the Smiths' American debut concert at the Beacon, NYC, 1985. Fifth-row seat. Despite my not being a fan of Morissey. Johnny Marr was overwhelming.
ReplyDeleteAlso, more than one Weather Report concert with the "Heavy Weather" lineup.
@Low Key, I saw Lynch Mob at a dive bar last year, and they were excellent. George Lynch is better than ever, mature, classic, very musical. And looking great for a guy of any age.
I would've loved to see Jaco. Dio Mio.
Delete7/5/2015
ReplyDeleteGrateful Dead
Fare The Well
Chicago
Duran Duran at Red Rocks, REM's Green tour, Devo, Bob Mould during Super Bowl weekend in arctic-cold downtown Minneapolis.
ReplyDeleteLed Zeppelin 77 at the Garden then saw a shootout in Times Square at 4am and a stabbed prostitute screaming her head off jacked on PCP.
ReplyDeleteAdam Lambert + Queen, summer 2017
ReplyDeleteTwo words: Freddie who?
Depeche Mode: Concert for the Masses. Fourth row on the floor of the Rose Bowl, on the Backstage Entrance side of the floor. Saw a ton of celbrities. Had better seats than Soleil Moon Frye. We ended up with the tickets when a friend at school could not attend due to a serious scooter accident.
ReplyDeleteStage left, there was a casual side stage area where people gathered to watch the show. During OMD's set, my brother and I noticed The Edge on the side stage area. As this was 1988 when my brother and I were teenagers, and U2 were basically gods, we could not stop gawking. The Edge caught us gawking at him. He then proceeded to point at us then point at OMD on stage in the universal gesture of "Stop watching me and watch the show".
The show itself was perfection. Blazingly hot late June day. There was a food fight between the OMD and Depeche Mode sets. During DM's set, it rained.
I gave up my ticket to the Violator tour because I could not see DM again so soon after such an amazing concert.
Runner up show would probably be Living Color/Guns N Roses/Rolling Stones at the Coliseum in Fall 1989. Shock and disbelief...Axel quit during the show.
I was at that gnr show! Ive seen 1000s of bands but im pissed i never saw depeche mode they still sound great!
DeleteThe Rolling Stones and Neil Young
ReplyDelete1997 First Ave in Minneapolis. Wyclef Jean and the Fugee Allstars performed. It was awesome!!! Wyclef did backflips on the stage and even played his guitar with his teeth. The entire night was amazing. Everyone was great.
ReplyDeleteTough one. Best show...Billy Joel on the Storm Front tour, or Prince on the Hit And Run tour. Just solid, well played shows by excellent musicians with a lot of passion and energy, playing their hits and it not coming off as a greatest hits jukebox.
ReplyDeletePrince in DC; Carlos Santana, also in town doing a concert, came and joined when his show finished as did Chuck Brown. It was the best
ReplyDeleteWell I like the Eagles until Enty ruined that with a blind so I will go with Tina Turn in the early to mid 80s in Denver.
ReplyDeleteThe Format, with Steel Train.
ReplyDeleteOmg! Stone City Attractions... so many in the 70's and 80's when the ticket prices were $10! The problem is remembering the details!
ReplyDeleteNazareth with Trapeze, Styx, Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band with Blue Oyster Cult and ZZ Top, Foghat, REO Speedwagon, Tom Petty, Elton John, Journey with The Babys, Rush, AC/DC, Molly Hatchet
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ReplyDeleteozzy osbourne with randy rhoads
ReplyDeletedef leppard high and dry tour
I mean, they're all good. That's why I'm there! I know they're reviled for whatever reason, but Nickelback puts on a good show. Paul McCartney was amazing too - 2+ hours of solid hits at his age, WOW. But I got most excited for Def Leppard and Styx (with Gowan), and they also did not disappoint. (Why yes, I do like old music. Why do you ask?) *LOL*
ReplyDeleteThinking about it, I honestly don't think I've ever been to a bad or *worst* show. I mean, I wouldn't bother trying to see G&R; Axl's so hot and cold. Ozzy would also be a real disappointment, from what I've heard.
I just seen GNR on their “not in this lifetime” tour and axl, slash and duff were bang on!
DeleteI was also at Winterland in 1975 for the Peter Frampton concert that was featured on "Frampton Comes Alive". On "Do You Feel Like I Do" he spoke through a vocoder(?), first time anyone had heard that effect, it was amaaaaazing.
ReplyDeleteRamones Farewell Tour, Coney Island High in the East Village. The perfect mosh pit: it was so packed, they couldn't drop you if they wanted to.
ReplyDeleteCreedence Clearwater Revival 1971 in Duluth, MN. I was 11 years old and my sister was in college. My parents wouldn't let her borrow the car unless they took me and my little sister (age 9) with her. So she did. I still remember the intro "Live from the hills of Georgia!! Credence Clearwater Revival!!".
ReplyDeleteI knew their music because my sister had a stereo in her room and we would listen to her records while we tried out her clothes and makeup when she was gone.
I have never been the same. I loved that live music so much, it was life changing. I love going to concerts and now that I am knocking on 60 years old (in about a year), I still go to shows. I love Los Lonely Boys Alice Cooper, Jimmy Buffett, was lucky enough to see Chuck Berry and Little Richard, The Coasters, The Spaniels, The Stones, Tina Turner, I could go on and on. Money well spent over the years and am planning another few shows this year. I have never lost that feeling of the first concert and how connected I felt to the music. Just put "Rock on" on my tombstone.
1989 Guns n' Roses opening for the Rolling Stones at the LA Coliseum...was great and also a shitshow w/ Axl accusing a band member (Slash) of "dancing with Mr. Brownstone"
ReplyDeletebut I still think of that show as the best one I've been too
U2 when Muse opened. I won the tickets and Adam Clayton posed 5 foot in front of me for photos.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed Better Than Ezra and Hootie and the Blowfish.
1) The Clash, 1979 at the Palladium in New York
ReplyDelete2) The Clash, 1980 at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, NJ
3) Grateful Dead with Branford Marsalis, 1990 at Nassau Coliseum, Long island, NY
4) David Bowie, 1974 (Diamond Dogs tour), Toledo Sports Arena
5) George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars, 1991, at the Palladium, NYC
If I think about it too long I might have to resort that. Or I might come up with others.
The Dead-Memphis,TN(next to last show Jerry sang) &was on 10th row &U2 last year(Soldier field/Chicago) The Stones w/Blind Melon(Memphis, Liberty Stadium)
ReplyDeleteRolling Stones several years ago.
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ReplyDeleteRoy Orbison with Chris Isaak opening at the tiny Paul Masson Winery outdoors at night in the hills of Los Gatos. It was not long before his death and his voice was just incredible - so beautiful still, and Chris Isaak amazing too.
ReplyDeleteA7x
ReplyDeleteRay Lamontagne anywhere, anytime. With a band or just his guitar. So much love for that man’s voice and songwriting.
ReplyDeleteHeart because it was my first concert and Nancy played Dog & Butterfly w/her guitar above her head. I was in awe.
Stevie Ray Vaughn
The Who
Tina Turner was phenomenal. Here’s random for you...Wang Chung opened for her. We ran into them and their band the night after the show at a local bar with a liberal pour and a great jukebox. Taught ‘em how to two-step.
Will be eternally sad that I never saw Prince.
Agree on Ray L. I saw him last summer at the Fox Theater in Atlanta and it was one of the best shows I’ve ever attended. And this is from someone who wasn’t familiar with him at all. I hope he comes back here soon.
DeleteFoo Fighters win hands down for me.
ReplyDeleteThe worst was red hot chili peppers :-0
Would have loved to see prince and queen live.
It's a tie between Coldplay at the Shoreline in NorCal and Steely Dan at the Concord Pavillion. Both were superb. Outdoor shows are more relaxing and aren't so loud as to deafen you.
ReplyDelete12-31-1990 Grateful Dead in Oakland. Branford Marsallis and bungee jumpers! Bruce Hornsby was sitting in on keys too. Just a fantastic night.
ReplyDeleteradiohead in sydney....everyone just stood still and listened as the power of their songs made the hair rise all over their bodies.
ReplyDeleteBow Wow Wow -London debut at the Lyceum (April 1982)
ReplyDeletePigface at the whisky 1992...actually ive seen thousands of bands...van halen at the whisky....live aid...dozens of ozzfests...10 dates of NIN fragile tour with perfect circle...the famous nymphs show at the whisky...lollapalooza 91? White zombie tool and haunted garage at the whisky before wz and tool got big..suicidal tendencies in boston b4 they got big....cant remember them all....
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ReplyDeleteFor me THE best show I was ever at was Pink Floyd. I only got to see them once at Patriots stadium in Worcester,Mass in 94'. They put the most effort in at giving a good quality psychedelic experience, of course that was because they only played one big long tour every several years or so and played the same sets every show the whole tour. Three friends and I ran into a buddy we knew from Grateful Dead tour that gave us each a convenience store bag of 4x4 Eagles flyers for their upcoming tour to pass out for a free ticket. Pretty amazing to see a disco ball the size of a small house rise up out of the middle of the stadium and start spinning at the chorus of "Comfortably Numb" that eventually turned into a pulsating rose and then what looked like a giant syringe poked into the middle of the stadium. Even though I was only on about 300 micrograms of high quality LSD the blue lights and sound made me, and everyone around me, literally looking NUMB with blue lips and a ghostly appearance. Far out stuff man!
ReplyDeleteQUALITY MK programming, not this crap shit we're all being force fed now.
The few dozen Grateful Dead shows I've seen still sit on the top of my list (ChuggChooChoo I hear ya bud! lol that was the MOST expensive GD ticket I ever bought at $50!), however, Jerry Garcia Band takes third (but almost in a sense number one again).
I always really enjoyed it when I could see Bob Dylan in concert.
P-Funk was always alot of fun.
Got to see Peter Gabriel at Woodstock in 94, THAT was fun.
Sara, Making It Work said...
CSNY reunion tour in 2000(?) is a close second.
I was at that show as well, that was a fun one!
Interesting looking back on those days. Keeps coming back to that old adage "If I only knew then what I know now".
Inside The LC: The Strange but Mostly True Story of Laurel Canyon and the Birth of the Hippie Generation
https://www.sott.net/article/155794-Inside-The-LC-The-Strange-but-Mostly-True-Story-of-Laurel-Canyon-and-the-Birth-of-the-Hippie-Generation-Part-1
I"ve seen everyone but the Beatles.
ReplyDeleteIn truth, the "best" shows- the most enjoyable were by the acts with no cred or artistic weight: Queen, Mellencamp, Billy Joel.
They work harder, make the effort to please the audience.
McCartney/Wings on the 70s tour would be one (rare) exception. Perfect show/songs and his voice was in great form.
I"ve seen horrible, worthless 'shows' by Clapton, Allmans, Dylan, Aerosmith, and many others.
it was June 5, 1983, and we were sitting in a cold, rainy and foggy Red Rocks. Just how I wanted to start the summer break after my freshman year of college. And that was the truth. U2 wanted to cancel because of the fans sitting in the rain, and the fans said no. U2 played that night, without their opening acts, The Alarm and The Divinyls.
ReplyDeleteIt has been called one of the greatest concerts at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
Link here: http://dai.ly/x5s8bso
that's easy...Tears for Fears in Santa Barbara.
ReplyDeleteDeadmau5
ReplyDeletePhish. 12/31/1999. Big Cypress Indian Reservation, Everglades, South Florida.
ReplyDeleteThey played non-stop from 11:30pm on New Year's Eve until sunrise on New Year's Day (about 7.5 hours).
Note, this set contained "only" 37 songs, making the average song length 12:10.
Remember (or now know) that the world was panicked that the lights would go out because computer coding all had to have been updated to reflect mm/dd/yyyy instead of mm/dd/yy - spoiler alert: nothing happened.
Best concert ever was U2 at the Tower Theater in Philly just before they became the biggest band on the planet. The Unforgettable Fire tour in 1984. Simply amazing.
ReplyDeleteSpecial mention to Live Aid also in Philly.
I have seen many shows...Eminem, U2, Guns N Roses, Pearl Jam and Fleetwood Mac are in my top 5....Adele blew my mind with her vocals and humorous personality. Robbie Williams and Garth Brooks for other honurable mentions- great production and entertainment.
ReplyDeleteBiggest disappointment was the RHCP- loved the band, splashed out mega �� for 3rd row seats. Flea was AMAZING. Anthony Kedis was brutal. He didn’t acknowledge the crowd once for the entire show. Sucky personality.
Seeing great Foo Fighers reviews here! Seeing them in the fall for the first time! Can’t wait!
Also a BIG shout out to the Canadian band The Tragically Hip! Seen them about 6/7 times and Gord Downie was an amazing artist and performer.
DeleteI saw Foo Fighters for the 1st time a week ago & it was a Amazing show!!!Have a blast:)
Delete1. Led Zeppelin at the O2, 2007
ReplyDelete2. Robert Plant at the Montreux Jazz Festival Tribute to Ahmet Ertegun, 2006
3. Robert Plant & The Strange Sensation Live At the Marquee in Cork, Ireland, 2006