Wow. Where to start? I haven’t been to a concert in ages (got that small children thing goin’ now). But my all-time favorites (places and dates are only fuzzily remembered):[ul][li]Bob Dylan and Tom Petty, Alpine Valley in East Troy, WI, (1986 I think) - Awesome show. I really only wanted to see Dylan (who sounded better than he had in years) but I came away as a huge Tom Petty fan, too.[/li][li]REM in Minneapolis, MN (1988 I think) - On the Green tour. Seats were just 10 rows back. Wow.[/li][li]Lyle Lovett, Civic Center, Madison, WI (1995 I think) - Lyle is simply amazing to hear live. I would see him again any day.[/li][li]James McMurtry, Club de Wash, Madison, WI (1992 or so?) - There couldn’t have been more than 50 people there, but he put on a great acoustic show.[/li]The Replacements, Green Bay, WI (1990?) - Best concert I ever went to. The Goo Goo Dolls opened (before anyone knew who they were), the ‘Mats rocked for a solid two hours, Paul Westerberg drank beer out of a dirty shoe that someone threw on stage…it was a body slammin’ sweat drippin’ hell of a good time.[/ul]
Lynyrd Skynyrd-1998. I know they are probably not as cool now as they were in the 70’s, but hey, I wasn’t alive in the 70’s. I couldnt believe how good they were.
I saw Phish at the Flynn Theater in Burlington VT, in Spring '97. It was the last time they played in B-town, and probably the smallest venue they have played in the states for quite a while now. They brought out some of the horn blowers from the Giant Counrty horns, and also Tammy Fletcher from a local soul/blues band called the Disiples. What an awesome show!
In some mild order:
[li]The Doors[/li][li]Country Joe and the Fish[/li][li]The Charlatans[/li][li]The Youngbloods[/li][li]The Who[/li][li]The Rolling Stones[/li][li]Led Zeppelin[/li][li]Johnny Winter[/li][li]Edgar Winter[/li][li]Rick Derringer[/li][li]Lenyrd Skynnerd[/li][li]Fleetwood Mack[/li][li]Frank Zappa[/li][li]Foghat[/li][li]Blue Oyster Cult[/li][li]Yes[/li][li]Gentle Giant[/li][li]Jeff Beck[/li][li]Mahavishnu Orchestra[/li][li]Joe Satriani[/li][li]Eric Johnson[/li][li]Steve Miller[/li][li]ZZ Topp[/li][li]Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young[/li][li]The Beach Boys[/li][li]Traffic[/li][li]Journey[/li][li]Emerson, Lake and Palmer[/li][li]Pink Floyd[/li][li]U2[/li][li]Bruce Springsteen[/li][li]Pearl Jam[/li][li]Steve Vai[/li]
Just a few others… Can’t remember all of them right now.
[li]Jethro Tull[/li][li]Bob Dylan[/li][li]Grateful Dead[/li][li]Gentle Giant[/li][li]Eric Clapton[/li][li]Robert Cray[/li]
When I remember some more I’ll post them.
One of the best was The Who at Winterland in San Francisco. Imagine a concert venue with a floor the size of a basketball court. This was a makeup tour for their previously failed performance at The Cow Palace. Keith Moon was in perfect form and the laser light show was fantastic!
The G3 tour gets an honorable mention too.
Okay so I have been to hordes of concerts too, only it was a while ago now, back when you could get tickets to the gardens for $11.50.
BB King, had to be dragged to this show, didn’t think it was my thing, hands down the best show I’ve ever attended.
Rolling Stones, 1975, Maple Leaf Gardens, back in the day, as they say, nothing like it and I’ve seen them since. It was sooo clear how someone could get killed at a Stones concert. Went all the way to Buffalo to see them 2 years later, but it couldn’t touch that first show.
Bob Marley, back before anyone knew who he was on this continent, I lived with foreign students who had introduced me to the music. It was way too cool.
Bob Dylan, the one, the only, at the original Massey Hall. Magic.
John Mayal, didn’t even know who he was but he rocked the joint.
Stephane Grapelli, front row, it was a long time ago but I remember it still.
Hey hey hey - my first post. Cool thread, too.
I’ve seen a bunch of shows and in my lumped-in #5 and #4 would be Neil Young, Primus/Sausage (multiple times), Soundgarden, Helmet, Ramones, Ministry, Rush, etc, etc…
#3) Burlap to Cashmere at the Elbo Room in Chicago, Feb of '00. I had only heard one song of theirs on the radio a few days prior, but it was a free show and I wasn’t busy, so I decided to check 'em out. Despite numerous technical difficulties, they played on and I was blown away. They’re incredible musicians and I was an instant convert, although I hear they may be breaking up.
#2) King Crimson in Milwaukee (summer of 95). This was during my prog-rock years, and I have NEVER seen such a display of musicianship in my life. Jaw-dropping yet never pompous. Adrian Belew did John Lennon’s “Free As A Bird” as an encore just before it was released as part of that big ABC Beatles Blowout. They were so good it was scary.
and the number #1
Jeff Buckley at the Metro in Chicago, late May of 95. Got there early so I could get a good spot - I think that concert was just released as a video/DVD. Words cannot describe his voice. It was an evening of incredibly passionate music. It sucks that he’s dead.
I saw The Who the night before I went into the Army, Sep 8, 1971, at the Met Sport Center in Bloomington, MN.
:::The house lights go out. The crowd is silent. A single spotlight hits Daltry. He raises his hand… :::
“See me!”
:::The crowd goes wild:::
I caught The Stones in Frankenthal, Germany, in the summer of 1973. It was hotter than hell inside the building, and Mick threw buckets of rose petals into the crowd. I had one laminated. I kept it for quite a while until I lost that billfold. Damn it.
It was the winter of 99 Tour for
Danzig/samhain with AFI opening. I surfed the thread and did not see them mentioned but glenn danzig is a lead singer who has been with the samhain, The original misfits, and then Danzig.
The opener of the show was AFI who I did not care for at all to begin with but they grow on you. Well, they do if you are into punk music.
The show was held in a small bar with very little space but, I was impressed with the feel that the music gave off in a small area like that and the adrenaline was extremely High!! Hoping they come through the west coast again