Emily Carr String Quartet, January 28th, 2011. Schostakovitch, Pärt, Debussy was the program. The Schostakovitch, in particular, was astonishing.
Last concert: a classical piano concert–I think it was last fall.
Last cool concert: The Police, with Elvis Costello as the opening act. That was about three years ago.
I used to go to more concerts, but as prices go up and I get older, I don’t go to as many. In fact, I didn’t pay to see The Police–some friends bought tickets but couldn’t use them, so they let me and one of my friends have them. Yay!
Added: And oh yeah, it was really good. We were close enough to the stage that I could see Sting without looking at the giant screen and he is still so hot.
Michael Buble’
My wife and I enjoyed it very much.
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers at the United Center in Chicago last summer. It’s the only time I’ve ever gone to the United Center when the Lakers weren’t playing there.
Lady Gaga last month at the United Center. Very good show.
My dad, out of nowhere, suggested tickets for my 15-year old daughter, and I (and my cousin) needed to attend. As chaperones, of course. 
Rihanna, about a month ago. She was excellent.
Roger Waters, Bangkok (just outside the city actually). I think it was 2002. It was kick-ass. We were second row, center.
Chuck Prophet’s Spanish Bombs at the Great American Music Hall, performing the Clash’s London Calling album in its entirety. It was pretty awesome.
On saturday afternoon, I got to hear one of America’s greatest roots-rock bands of all time, Los Lobos, at a free show at an area ski resort, only about 20 minutes from my front door here in SLC.
Due to Utah’s infamous wierdo lickker laws, not only was the show free, but you were allowed to bring your own food and booze into the gig with you, and so as you might imagine, it turned into a wilde ol’ time for everyone involved, fans and band alike.
Los Lobos are old favorites of mine, and over the years I have heard them all over the place—Boston, Austin, San Francisco, New Orleans, Seattle, Vegas, Amsterdam, Brussels, but seeing them mere minutes from home, in a majestic mountaintop alpine setting, (at a free, BYOB show no less) was pretty mollyfocking sweet, if I do say so myself…
Rush in Columbus, last September. I’d love to see them in Cleveland in April but alas, it’s not to be. Maybe they’ll come back thru my area [Pittsburgh, Columbus] later on because I’d LOVE to see them again. I’ve not had so much fun in a long, long time!
Tragically Hip, at the Houston House of Blues sometime last year. Yeah, I liked 'em.
I saw a band called Liars last July in Milwaukee. I was really, really happy with their show.
I was supposed to see Godspeed You Black Emperor this past Saturday in Chicago. They used to be probably one of my 3 favorite bands, but I’ve sort of moved on from that sound. I still enjoy them, and I bought the ticket last fall with a huge smile on my face. But come last Thursday, I realized I just didn’t want to deal with driving 2+ hours, paying tolls, finding parking, standing around, and then leaving around 1 or 2am to come back home, so I just skipped it. I read a review tonight, and I don’t feel bad about missing it. My regrets are usually when I miss a band that I come to really love. This one, I’m just out $26, but I still have their records and the memory of what they meant to me in the past.
Joe Bonamassa at the Tel Aviv Opera House, about three months ago. Blew the fucking roof off.
Zappa Plays Zappa in 2010 in Seattle. GREAT show.
Last one I actually left home in order to attend (as opposed to “went out for a walk knowing there would be free concerts on the street and stopped at one”): Amaral, my home town’s bullfighting ring, last concert of the prefiestas series, 2005. Last one of the kind in parenthesis, a celebration in Glasgow but I don’t remember what the exact occasion was, 2009.
I’ve told before the story of how my brother had just been fired from his first job and at one point where Eva was singing the line “… my friend got fired, we went out to celebrate…” maybe 1/3 of the people there turned around to us and gave him the thumbs up or similar gestures. He stood up to thank them appropriately, of course.
Them Crooked Vultures (Dave Grohl, Josh Homme and John Paul Jones) last year in Columbus, OH. I’ve not attended a lot of concerts in my life, but this was easily the best concert I’ve been to so far.
They’re not scheduled for another local show on this tour. They’re headed overseas after this leg and then into the studio last I heard for the album that will include Caravan and BU2B.
Perhaps we could go together. I’m in SE Ohio.
Although, you know, the Cleveland show is being filmed for a DVD release…
March 9 this year, Irving Arena to see Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. My wife and I enjoyed it immensely, and she and the band are amazing. Much louder than anything I’ve been to before.
For reference my first concert was The Rolling Stones, February 1965, my last year of High School.
If you don’t count my son’s Middle School Honors Band concert last Saturday … we’d have to go back a couple years to a Lyle Lovett/John Hiatt joint concert. Just two awesome guys on stage with their guitars.
Aimee Mann and Squeeze at The Pageant in St. Louis several years ago.