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Best concert(s) you've ever been to
- Thread starter gardenjam
- Start date
Probably been to 100 shows. First concert was Kiss in '78 when they were the biggest band in the world. Saw Def Leppard in '87 when they were the biggest band in the world. Probably the best I ever saw though, was Peter Frampton live in an outdoor venue with perfect spring weather in about '92 I'm guessing. Amazing show with about 3k people. The best jam I ever saw was Cinderella, Winger and BulletBoys playing 3 songs (Sweet Home Alabama, Slow Ride, and Sweet Emotion) about 15 dudes running around on stage with their hair on fire damn it sounded great.
Worst concert was a huge venue in Sao Paulo Brazil in 1990. I should say worst performance because all the lead bands were good, including a 9 song set by Marillion which was literally the cleanest sound I've ever heard by a rock band in a large venue. I know this because Bon Jovi came on right after them and must have decided they needed to be louder but just sounded like sh*t. Not a huge Bon Jovi fan but definitely not after that night. It started to rain at one point and the stage must have gotten slick and JBJ slipped and fell on his ass. Instead of owning it and having a laugh about it, he tried to play it off by doing other slides intentionally after it.
Oh yeah, the lifted off your feet and being pulled and prodded without any control of your movement that OP mentioned, I experienced that once at a Motley Crue concert in about '91. That was the last time I ever got that close to the stage. I am not small and I could have been a foot taller and 200 lbs heavier and it would not have mattered. The force of that mass had no equal that I've ever encountered. I'm surprised no one was seriously injured.
Worst concert was a huge venue in Sao Paulo Brazil in 1990. I should say worst performance because all the lead bands were good, including a 9 song set by Marillion which was literally the cleanest sound I've ever heard by a rock band in a large venue. I know this because Bon Jovi came on right after them and must have decided they needed to be louder but just sounded like sh*t. Not a huge Bon Jovi fan but definitely not after that night. It started to rain at one point and the stage must have gotten slick and JBJ slipped and fell on his ass. Instead of owning it and having a laugh about it, he tried to play it off by doing other slides intentionally after it.
Oh yeah, the lifted off your feet and being pulled and prodded without any control of your movement that OP mentioned, I experienced that once at a Motley Crue concert in about '91. That was the last time I ever got that close to the stage. I am not small and I could have been a foot taller and 200 lbs heavier and it would not have mattered. The force of that mass had no equal that I've ever encountered. I'm surprised no one was seriously injured.
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My Sliver Lining is definitely their biggest hit (and extremely good music). But they really do have a ton of quality music. Stay Gold, Wolf ... those are a couple of my favorites ... their stage presence is powerful. Great live music can bring many feelings and emotions and energy levels to the audience. First Aid Kit brought frequent chills -- like, man, I want them singing as I enter the pearly gates!
Their cover of Paul Simon's America is fantastic. Somewhere around 4:30 into the clip the chills hit. They must have been one of the last musical guests on Letterman. He had them on multiple times, as Letterman always knew good music.
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Here's another recent favorite.
FINALLY saw (experienced) Flaming Lips last November. You go because you know you will have an absolute blast -- surrounded by balloons, covered in confetti, wild props, and sing-a-longs. It's just one big musical party -- and I'm anxious to do it again. Another band with a similar, fun live show is STRFKR.
FINALLY saw (experienced) Flaming Lips last November. You go because you know you will have an absolute blast -- surrounded by balloons, covered in confetti, wild props, and sing-a-longs. It's just one big musical party -- and I'm anxious to do it again. Another band with a similar, fun live show is STRFKR.
Have to say the best one was Eric Church at the Grand Ole Opry about 3 years ago. We had tickets 4 rows from the front stage (well, they are really pews). We brought our son and his wife. They had followed Eric Church since the beginning...seeing a half dozen of his 'county fair' concerts and his big shows... etc...
At 1st when the opening acts came out..he thought it was going to be "Lame" as he was looking to dance, yell, etc.... You don't do that at the Opry.
Anyhow, it was just him and his guitar. Had no song list...just talking to us and taking requests from the audience. Talked directly to my son. Wasn't crazy, great music and very interactive. Was supposed to play for only 20 minutes but pushed it to 60. It was awesome.
Son left saying....."Best Concert EVER!"... and so did I.
2nd place goes to 90 Gun's and Roses Concert. CRAZY. Blind Melon opened and got boo-ed off the stage so GnR could start. This was pre-Axel-pain in the ass- Rose.
At 1st when the opening acts came out..he thought it was going to be "Lame" as he was looking to dance, yell, etc.... You don't do that at the Opry.
Anyhow, it was just him and his guitar. Had no song list...just talking to us and taking requests from the audience. Talked directly to my son. Wasn't crazy, great music and very interactive. Was supposed to play for only 20 minutes but pushed it to 60. It was awesome.
Son left saying....."Best Concert EVER!"... and so did I.
2nd place goes to 90 Gun's and Roses Concert. CRAZY. Blind Melon opened and got boo-ed off the stage so GnR could start. This was pre-Axel-pain in the ass- Rose.
Lawrence Opera House, Lawrence Kansas, May 1979. Gong Manifestival.
Daevid Allen forms New York Gong with Bill Bacon (drums), Bill Laswell (bass), Cliff Cultreri (guitar), Michael Beinhorn (synth), Don Davis (sax & flute) and Mark Kramer (keys/trombone); tour USA in school bus along with Mother Gong (Gilli Smyth & Harry Williamson) and Yochk'o Seffer (Magma, Zao, Neffesh Music); organised by Giogio Gomelsky
Basically Bill Bacon, Bill Laswell, Cliff Cultreri, and Michael Bienhorn form the band Material when the tour is over. Best known for their One Down which featured the first appearance as a lead vocalist of Whitney Houston.
Anyway Material opened with Sombre Reptiles and the energy never dissipated for the next three hours. Next came Yochk-o Seffer playing solo tenor sax, the highlight of which was a 6'5'', over 250 lb guy wearing only overalls with a bushy red beard vocal jamming with him from just in front of the stage. Next came a Mother Gong set, followed by New York Gong playing selections from Camembert Electrique and the Trilogy. I still have a genuine Frisbee with a Gong logo from that concert. To say it was a Magick night would be an understatement.
Daevid Allen forms New York Gong with Bill Bacon (drums), Bill Laswell (bass), Cliff Cultreri (guitar), Michael Beinhorn (synth), Don Davis (sax & flute) and Mark Kramer (keys/trombone); tour USA in school bus along with Mother Gong (Gilli Smyth & Harry Williamson) and Yochk'o Seffer (Magma, Zao, Neffesh Music); organised by Giogio Gomelsky
Basically Bill Bacon, Bill Laswell, Cliff Cultreri, and Michael Bienhorn form the band Material when the tour is over. Best known for their One Down which featured the first appearance as a lead vocalist of Whitney Houston.
Anyway Material opened with Sombre Reptiles and the energy never dissipated for the next three hours. Next came Yochk-o Seffer playing solo tenor sax, the highlight of which was a 6'5'', over 250 lb guy wearing only overalls with a bushy red beard vocal jamming with him from just in front of the stage. Next came a Mother Gong set, followed by New York Gong playing selections from Camembert Electrique and the Trilogy. I still have a genuine Frisbee with a Gong logo from that concert. To say it was a Magick night would be an understatement.
Orpheum Theater, Omaha Nebraska, early 1980s. Ella Fitzgerald with the Paul Smith Trio.
Somewhere I think I still have the program for this night. You had to buy series tickets to get good seats for this so I spent well over $200 in the early 80's to basically see Ella (that's about $700 adjusted for inflation and I was working for less than $10 an hour at the time). It was worth it. It was a warm night and Ella was sweating profusely, but she was in fine voice, the trio was hitting on all cylinders and her manager literally had to pull her off the stage or she would have performed more than her 3 encores. I got to see Ella, live, in person.
Somewhere I think I still have the program for this night. You had to buy series tickets to get good seats for this so I spent well over $200 in the early 80's to basically see Ella (that's about $700 adjusted for inflation and I was working for less than $10 an hour at the time). It was worth it. It was a warm night and Ella was sweating profusely, but she was in fine voice, the trio was hitting on all cylinders and her manager literally had to pull her off the stage or she would have performed more than her 3 encores. I got to see Ella, live, in person.
Used to be three known bands in one concert. Elton John, Joe Walsh who played only 2-3 songs (drunk as a skunk; passed out) and Lynyrd Skynyrd in Mobile Alabama 1974 concert. And cheap ticket compared to now days ..... if I remember right, less than $20 ticket in prime seats.
Kiss @ Pershing Center (Lincoln) concert in late '70s. I didn't really like Kiss songs but this show, spectacular.
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The first "concert" I went to was when I was 8 yrs old in the 70s and saw Florence Henderson perform at the Nebraska State Fair. Took pictures of her on my Kodak instamatic
I missed Nebraska State Fair in Lincoln. Every year. For some reason, moved to Grand Island ..... how many years?
April 1984, The Bob Devaney Center, Frank Sinatra with Buddy Rich, band conducted by Frank Sinatra Jr.
Ol' Blue Eyes himself. The performance was top notch, very professional in everyway, including the Buddy solo. I have heard stories from ushers from when the Beatles and Stones toured in the mid-60's that after the shows the seats where girls sat in the theaters would be wet. The crowd that night was mostly older, I wasn't quite 30, most of the others were in their 50's and 60s. When Frank hit the stage the audible gasp and giggle from the women in the crowd was astounding. I have never heard anything like it. My bet is most of those seats were wet that night and a lot of guys had some of the best sex they ever had with their ladies thinking of Frankie.
Ol' Blue Eyes himself. The performance was top notch, very professional in everyway, including the Buddy solo. I have heard stories from ushers from when the Beatles and Stones toured in the mid-60's that after the shows the seats where girls sat in the theaters would be wet. The crowd that night was mostly older, I wasn't quite 30, most of the others were in their 50's and 60s. When Frank hit the stage the audible gasp and giggle from the women in the crowd was astounding. I have never heard anything like it. My bet is most of those seats were wet that night and a lot of guys had some of the best sex they ever had with their ladies thinking of Frankie.
Next trip, Las Vegas type concert. First time. Actually show + singer concert. Kinda like Super Bowl halftime show but much more entertainment 
. The best via Youtube? (LV type)
. The best via Youtube? (LV type)
Saw some really good shows at some memorable venues.
Springsteen at Red Rocks in 1980. Rained thought the whole freaking show and he played Creedence's 'Who'll Stop The Rain' in his first encore....and it stopped raining.
U2 'Under a Blood Red Sky' show at Red Rocks in '83. Rained again. Hmm. Great show though.
Saw some great acts at the Rainbow Music Hall in Denver. Little 1,500 seat theater that had some big time acts either on their way up or just wanting to play the venue between bigger gigs in other towns. Great acoustics and just a great place to see a concert.
'79: Blackfoot, The Police & BB King
'80: Dyaln, April Wine, J Geils, Judas Priest
'81: John Hiatt, Thin Lizzy, U2
'82: U2 again
'83: Michael Stanley Band, The Beat, The Ramones, Stevie Ray Vaughn
'84: Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul
'85: Del Fuegos
'86: Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Beat Farmers (Last show I saw at the Rainbow)
Unfortunately my hearing loss has made concerts a thing of the past. Might be that the concerts from my past are a big part of why I'm deaf now, but still have some great memories.
Springsteen at Red Rocks in 1980. Rained thought the whole freaking show and he played Creedence's 'Who'll Stop The Rain' in his first encore....and it stopped raining.
U2 'Under a Blood Red Sky' show at Red Rocks in '83. Rained again. Hmm. Great show though.
Saw some great acts at the Rainbow Music Hall in Denver. Little 1,500 seat theater that had some big time acts either on their way up or just wanting to play the venue between bigger gigs in other towns. Great acoustics and just a great place to see a concert.
'79: Blackfoot, The Police & BB King
'80: Dyaln, April Wine, J Geils, Judas Priest
'81: John Hiatt, Thin Lizzy, U2
'82: U2 again
'83: Michael Stanley Band, The Beat, The Ramones, Stevie Ray Vaughn
'84: Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul
'85: Del Fuegos
'86: Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Beat Farmers (Last show I saw at the Rainbow)
Unfortunately my hearing loss has made concerts a thing of the past. Might be that the concerts from my past are a big part of why I'm deaf now, but still have some great memories.
I wanted to see blackfoot so Frickin bad, they never came close to Nebraska area, love that bad.
Iron maiden in 82' was one of the better shows i seen, I been to over 100 shows,
Best time I had was parting with def leppard in their tour bus back when they were a back up band,
That was in Ames Iowa
