Mine would be The Grateful Dead…one more time, only this time with PigPen and maybe even Janis sitting in for a tune or 2…
I DID get to see them (85 shows) with every other keyboardist but PigPen…I also got to see Lowel George and Little Feat on the “Waiting for Columbus” tour right before Lowels untimely departure…
peace and Kind memories,
tsfr
Guards and the warden saw the show also.
AC/DC with Bon Scott, at some ratty club in Scotland.
Iron Maiden with Paul DiAnno, at some ratty club in England.
The Ramones at some ratty club in NYC.
Metallica with Cliff Burton–probably on the Master of Puppets tour.
Seconded, both selections.
Also the Replacements . . . oh, wait, shit, I DID see them live in Hollywood, circa 1991. OK, I just wish they were still together.
Queen, Zeppelin, the Beatles’ aforementioned roof concert . . . that’s about it.
Well, I had a seat in the fourth row of a freakin’ movie theater and saw Elvis live in August of 1956. (I was 13 at the time)
You hadda be there… it was something special. If I could pick only one, I’d want to do that one again!
The Doors
Queen, Hendrix, Beatles, Doors, and the original Guess Who–in that order.
If I could again see a group I’ve seen before it would be The Who. I saw them the night before I went into the Army. The energy those guys put out was enormous.
The warm up band went off. Then all of the houselights went out. Pure black. The crowd starts yelling. Then, one bright white spotlight pinpoints Daltrey on stage. The crowd erupts in cheers. Daltry is just standing there, still, with his head down, and holding up one hand. The crowd stills. Daltrey slowly raises his head, takes a deep breath, rares back and…
"SEE ME…!!!"
Wow. Pure fucking rock and roll wow.
Pink Floyd: Atom Heart Mother
on acid
Elvis, surely. Circa 1955. Or Jerry Lee Lewis in his heyday.
I would say The Clash, but their live performances didn’t seem so ipressive from the footage I’ve seen. Maybe The Ramones or Talking Heads at CBGB.
Oh, ho–not so fast, there. I caught the “London Calling” tour(or whatever it was called) in San Fransisco. Tremendous show. The energy that night was fantastic!
XTC, Queen, and Kate Bushare definitely up there but I would have to go with The Plasmatics.
Buffalo Springfield. They must have been amazing live.
or Hendrix - the night he recorded “Band of Gypsies”
mm
I saw Buffalo Springfield “open” for the Beach Boys (I think) at Houston’s Coliseum & was not extremely impressed, 'tho I loved (& love) their records. But the Coliseum was not that great a venue.
The Springfield played LA’s Whiskey a Go Go for 7 weeks in 1966, before they got a contract. All accounts call that series of concerts “legendary.” (If I had a time machine…)
My wish? The Allman Brothers Band before Duane died.
While we’ve got the time machine warmed up, why not skip back to Paris in the 30’s? See what the boys at the Hot Club de France are up to…
A couple of folk-rock acts for me:-
Mr Fox - Only lasted about 18 months and were vary variable live but at their best were brilliant. (or so I’ve heard).
The Ashley Hutchings/Martin Carthy lineup of Steeleye Span.
In order of preference / regret-that-I-never-saw-them-live …
Queen
Pink Floyd
Supertramp
Led Zeppelin
Pretenders
In order of grateful-that-I-saw-them-live in their prime …
Chicago (just upon release of Chicago III)
Blood, Sweat, and Tears
Chase
Harry Chapin
(with the exception of Harry on this list, is it obvious I’m a trumpeter?)
I’d like to see some early Genesis, as I’ve heard their concerts were quite the spectacle