Who would you see in concert?

Cafe Society
1

Financial considerations aside, if you could see any band in concert, who would it be? And don’t let little things like, oh, dead band members stand in the way of your decision.

Personally, I would love to have seen Led Zepplin right as they started to make it big. I have seen some concert footage and they played like they knew they were great before anyone else knew.

Fleetwood Mac’s “Tango in the Night” tour would be another awesome experience. Actually, Fleetwood Mac at anytime in their long career would be great.

Those are just my top two but I could make a list longer than my arm. Instead of wasting everyone’s time I will let all of you have a stab at this.

New, old, dead or alive…who would it be?

2

Bowie, circa Ziggy Stardust. Man knows how to put on a show.

3

Talking Heads on their Speaking In Tongues tour.

Alice In Chains at any time.

4

The Paul Whiteman Orchestra, at Aeolian Hall in New York City, February 12, 1924.

The world premier of Rhapsody in Blue.

5

I’d want to hang out at the late-night jam sessions at tiny New York City jazz clubs in the '40s, when such virtuosi as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Theolonius Monk, Bud Powell, and Max Roach would get together and pretty much invent the jazz subgenre of bebop. Those after-hours sessions would probably contain more unbridled creativity and nonstop mad ideas than anything else I could think of.

I’d love to see Elvis live, preferably in his late-1950s rockabilly prime.

I saw the Duke Ellington Orchestra live in the mid-'90s, when Duke’s son Mercer (himself an old man, and since passed away) was the bandleader. But to see them back in their prime, maybe with Ella Fitzgerald as a special guest vocalist, would be a religious experience.

Frank Zappa, with one of those legendary bands of his. That would have to be awesome.

Morphine was one of my favorite bands ever (as a sax player myself), but singer/bassist Mark Sandman passed away a few years back. I always wished I could have seen them.

Louis Prima with Keely Smith and Sam Butera and the Witnesses, blowing the roof off a Las Vegas lounge at the height of their careers (the early '60s, perhaps).

The Ramones, preferably at CBGB’s in the late '70s.

Queen, while Freddie Mercury was still with us.

As for modern artists, I’d still love to see Tom Waits, Dick Dale, Brian Setzer (preferably with his swing Orchestra), Neko Case, U2, Tori Amos, Weezer, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and Chris Isaak.

It would also be a real treat to go to a lounge/open mic setting to see William Shatner perform songs and spoken-word, accompanied by Ben Folds on piano.

6

Nirvana. I am fulfilling a huge dream and seeing REM in London next month!

7

The Clash, and Pink Floyd in the days of Syd and also later on. I saw the Chilis live in Hyde Park last year, I really enjoyed that.

8

I am sooo jealous. R.E.M. is one of the ones on my list.

9

Queen with Freddie obviously.
Less obvious, Paganini performing some of his own works on violin.

10

There are far too many to list here. I could probably write a book that would start in the 18th century. But I will say that if right now today I could leave it all behind and go follow a band as they tour, attending every show, I would, but only if the band was Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.

11

You know what? I saw them in February 2002 or '03 (I forget which February), and even though I’ve liked them for years and they may be the tighest group of musical virtuosi out there today, I was BORED at the concert. They were great, no doubt about that, but I couldn’t have been any less enthused.

12

A few years ago I would’ve said Sublime without hesitation because I was just starting to get into them when their singer died, but sadly, their music is not holding up like I thought it would as I get older. I’m not sure if it’s because I listened to it too much or because it’s just not as flawless as I thought it was when I was 15.

I saw “Led Zeppelin” (sans Bonham and Jones) around 1997 and they were unimpressive. I don’t know if it’s because they’re so much older now or what, but I haven’t liked their albums as much since then, so I can scratch them off my list.

Even though I’ve seen 311 at least 6 or 7 times, I’d always like to see them again.

My current obsession (which is weird because I don’t really like metal) is GWAR. I really want to see them live, and I found out they were here last month about three days after they left.

13

Years ago I got free tickets to see Janis Joplin in concert, but it was on the same night as some what-I-thought-was-important-at-the-time party, so I refused the tickets and said, “I’ll see her next time…”

There was no next time and I could still kick my ass for missing that.

Also would have liked to have seen Led Zepplin, The Doors and Jimi Hendrix.

Interesting that you bring up this question as the Las Vegas newspaper was hinting around that Steve Wynn has some secret, spectacular act lined up for the opening of his new $2.7 billion dollar casino this April. I have been trying to figure out who he could possibly get, so I will keep an eye on this thread to see if there are any live performers who might be in the running.

14

This makes me feel old. We were going to see GWAR like 10-12 years ago. I didn’t know they still toured. You should definitely check them out.

Um, I can’t think of any bands because there are so many I want to see, but I am going to see JERRY SEINFELD this Friday, row 12!!! I might die from the excitement.

15

January 16, 1938, Benny Goodman’s band (with Gene Krupa!) at Carnegie Hall. That was the first jazz group booked into a ‘serious’ music venue, or so they say.

Or one of Bach’s early organ compositions, performed by him in the church it was written for.

Or maybe Elvis, as BBVL says.

16

Well, that’s odd. I’ve seen them several times and never been bored. They never play the exact same set twice, which is one reason why I’m pretty sure I would enjoy seeing them every night if I could.

I would also like to have been able to follow Phish around on their tours in the mid-90’s.

17

Another vote for Queen with Freddie.

I wish I could have seen Stevie Ray. The dingier the dive, the better.

And in my own imagination, I’d still love to see Journey’s Steve Perry take on some major leading Broadway roles.

I’d certainly meet you there. Hidden microphone on me.

I know there’s more. I’m just blanking from the potential.

18

I could go for that.

19

Van Halen on the tour following the release of ‘Fair Warning.’

Iron Maiden on the tour following the release of ‘Powerslave.’

2005 New Year’s resolution: I will experience the Reverend Horton Heat in concert this year.

20

Funny! I somehow missed this the first time I read the thread, and I almost posted the exact same thing - since I just bought Has Been and I love it - but I thought “nah.”