Inspired by this thread. The trip lasts a few hours, so there’s no time to attend an entire music festival, but this is an opportunity to see someone in their prime, or hear a performance that’s been lost to time. You can experience the trip from the perspective of someone from 2016, or all of your knowledge of current music can temporarily be erased, so that you could experience the performance the way the other attendees would.
The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. Although I probably couldn’t hear them over the sound of all those screaming teenage girls.
And tell me I can bring cameras, There are no known recordings of any of her shows.
I’d go back a little further…try to catch them at the Cavern Club.
May 7th, 1964 at London’s Oldfield Hotel: Keith Moon plays with The Who for the first time.
The first performance of Handel’s Messiah is what leaped to my mind.
West, Bruce and Laing (West=guitarist for Mountain; Bruce=Jack Bruce from Cream, and Laing=drummer for Mountain) with The Edgar Winter Group (pre-Frankenstein fame-Dan Hartman on bass, Ronnie Montrose on guitar) as their front band. October, 1972, in Oklahoma City.
I was there, but, I was a horny 16 year old, trying to get laid, so, I didn’t really appreciate it as I should. At that age, I just thought that I would catch their act the next time they came through (I know: idiot). I do know, however, that it was awesome, the likes of which shall not be seen again.
Just drop me at Winterland or Fillmore West some random evening. I’ll be good.
May 29, 1913 Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring” debuts in Paris, to boos and hisses from the locals who made Le Petomane a star with his wide variety of fart sounds
Any of the gigs from Jethro Tull shortly after Martin Barre joined; say January to April 1969. Scandinavia would be best but any of the US dates would work for me as well.
Out of abstract curiosity, a performance by one of the castrati.
Jenny Lind.
As an ex-band-geek, a performance by one of John Philip Sousa’s bands.
The Beatles in Germany.
Woodstock. And I would pay for a ticket!
That’s what I was going to mention.
To the other extreme . . . I’ll go with the premier of Verdi’s *Otello *at La Scalla. It was the most instantaneous smashing success of all Verdi’s operas.
I wouldn’t turn down a ticket to the premiere of Beethoven’s Ninth either.
Already been there.
I keep hearing music critics say that Elvis Presley performed with a charisma that couldn’t be captured on records or video, so I’d like to see young Elvis live at his peak.
I’ve always been sad I missed Peter Schickele & Co. present the works of P.D.Q. Bach on stage. I understand the lasso d’amore needs to be seen to be truly appreciated.
I’d probably go back to see The Howlin’ Wolf.
I saw him live twice, unfortunately after his age forced him to cut back on the physicality of his earlier shows. One of his performances with the St. Louis Symphony was stolen out from under him by the musician who was flagged for playing the sour note in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 With Commentary and responded with an epic temper tantrum.
I know a guy from Liverpool who played there with the Beatles back in the day. He said it was a giant party and Paul asked where all the ‘birds’ were.
Frank Zappa at the Palladium in NYC 10/31/78. Four hours of raw, unbridled buffoonery for you and yours, during this festive holiday season.
or
Jefferson Airplane at Winterland, San Francisco, California 9/22/72. Last Jefferson Airplane concert, and one of my favorite line-ups in the band.
The Earl Hines Big Band, the birthplace of bebop back in 1943, with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Sarah Vaughan–but not a single recording exists, due to a musicians’ union ban on recordings at the time.
I’d like to have seen The Band Last Waltz live. So many great names, so many great performances.
Bob Dylan at the Royal Albert Hall in 1966.