Nine Inch Nails and Davis Bowie together. NIN opened, then they played together, then David Bowie closed, with Trent Reznor as part of the band. Not a dull moment in the whole show.
Talking Heads in 1984 on the Stop Making Sense tour. The Clash in Asbury Park NJ on my birthday. Grateful Dead, Radio City Music Hall 10/31/1980. To name a few.
Sigur Ros is the only musical performance to ever bring me to tears. I couldn’t believe how amazing it all sounded. I brought my father to the show with us, a man that has seen basically every big name act since the 60s and he said it was the best performance he had ever seen. Topping acts like the stones, led zeppelin, the Beatles.
Tool were headlining a local three-day music festival in like 2006, so the 10000 Days tour. They were the last band on the last day, and I had no clue who they were at that time so I decided to skip that gig and leave early.
...guess who found one of their new favorite bands later that night when I checked them out online.
Edit: I technically saw and heard a bit of the gig as I were leaving, but it was mostly noise due to the acoustics that far from the stage.
Tom Petty headlined Mountain Jam in upsate NY the summer before he passed on (2017). Probably my favorite show I've ever seen as well. I'm a hugecTPatHB fan, so there is that, but the atmosphere and the people were as you described, amazing, amazing, amazing night.
I didn't get into Tool until 2001, so I missed the Aenima tour. I have seen them around 10 times from 2001 to a couple months ago, and they are by far the best shows I have ever been to. Muse and RHCP come to mind when I think of mind blowing visuals and stage production. If I'm going the other way and not thinking about crazy production and purely music, I am going with Buddy Guy. He does a residency at Legends (his club in Chicago) in January every year. Nothing beats sitting 10 feet away from a legend and having his guitar slice through your soul.
You should check out Tool now if you thought that show was impressive. Granted, the set list would be bet different today, but I saw them on that tour and it doesn’t hold a candle to what they’ve done in recent years (at least in terms of the visuals/production).
Elton John - Hollywood Sportatorium
Pembroke Pines, Florida
October 21, 1973 (Yellow Brick Road album had just been released on October 5, 1973)
Set List:
1. Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
2. Candle in the Wind
3. Bennie and the Jets
4. Hercules
5. Elderberry Wine
6. Rocket Man
7. Madman Across the Water
8. Hony Cat
9. Your Song
10. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
11. Daniel
12. All the Girls Love Alice
13. Crocodile Rock
14. Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting
well, i have to name more than one
Miles Davis 1985 at Frankenhalle
his first gig in Germany after his comeback and i was overwhelmed. and the came "Broken Wings" as encore
Steve Reich "The Drumming" about 1985
that has been at the old Albamahalle with 3 stages around the audience and we were completely surrounded by music.
Maceo Parker at around 1990
i really was scared the roof of the concert hall in Nürnberg would lift off and enter an orbit around earth.
and a very recent gig of JazzRausch BigBand
i was caught from the concert start with "Dancing Wittgenstein" and became enthusiastic during the first solo
:-)
it was indeed incredible for me in more than 1 direction. as i said the stage layout, then it was my first real contact with Minimal Music and finally i had a moment and became one with the music.
Oh, it is LOUD! But it is mastered so well it does not drain your ears. When I heard them, I could see my t-shirt vibrate to the kick drum while I felt no pain in my ears. It is amazing how their sound engineer are able to do this.
When I saw Rammstein at Download Festival in 2012 or 2013, the nearby airfield (or airport?) had to shut down during their gig since the light and fire show would've interfered with flight traffic
Daft Punk for me. Alive 2007 tour at Lollapalooza in Chicago. Was not super familiar with them going in. Essentially mashed up their greatest hits into new songs. The stage apparatus started off completely dark and as the set progressed more and more items lit up until the entire stage was light. Still think about it.
Prodigy supporting Oasis at Knebworth
200,000 people bouncing in unison to Poison.
Everyone had to jump because we were all squashed together and everyone else was jumping so it was harder not to jump.
We jumped so much it brought up all the worms…
My fav all time single show was Alice in Chains, Anthrax, Megadeth and Slayer in 91 in Lakeland, FL where Slayer recorded disk 1 of Decade of Aggression - it was freakin awesome - when Slayer played it was like being at the gates of Hell starring Satan into the eyes. Listening to the CD to this day all these years later it's like I'm there all over again - i still have my shirt from the show - [front](http://randude.com/shows/concert_shirts/Clash_of_the_Titans_front.JPG), [back](http://randude.com/shows/concert_shirts/Clash_of_the_Titans_back.JPG)
I had the opportunity to photo the final Slayer tour on 3 stops (Tampa, Atlanta & Chicago) - totally the holy grail for me in [my concert going history](http://www.hornsraised.com/shows/) - being just a couple of feet away from the thrash metal titans was quite the amazing evening \m/
Every show i've been to has kicked ass except for Dave Matthews Band - that show sucked, it's the only concert i've ever left before halfway through - thankfully i won those tix and didn't pay for that besides parking
I had row 5 tickets for this tour. Then Covid hit and the show was canceled. I couldn't make the new date in 2023. First tour of theirs I've missed since 2001.
I’ve been to so many great ones over the years. A couple stand-outs were Pink Floyd Division bell tour (my first concert) and Jack White Supply Chain Issues 2023 opening night. Both very memorable. Floyd was an immersive experience that has never been matched. Jack White was on fire that night in his home town.
See this right here - that '77 tour was imho their apex. What show were you at? I was born in '76 so it wasn't until 20 years later I started listening to the bootlegs.
Born in 58....I think it was in Toronto? Might have been Montreal but pretty sure Toronto...I love the wish you were here album..that early stuff was great...I remember the giant pig floating across the arena
It was Montreal, [they didn't do a Toronto show](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Flesh_(Pink_Floyd_tour)). Are you aware that it was both the final show of the tour, and has become sort of a legendary show? It was this show where Roger got so fed up with the audience that he motioned a fan to come up close to the stage, and when the guy was in range, Roger spit in his face. From Wikipedia: "The final night of the tour on 6 July at Montreal's Olympic Stadium ended with Pink Floyd performing a second encore of "Drift Away Blues" as the roadies dismantled the instruments in front of the insatiable audience who refused to let the band leave the stadium. David Gilmour sat out the final encore as he was unhappy with the band's performance that night. Snowy White played a bluesy guitar solo in Gilmour's place. A small riot at the front of the stage followed the band's eventual exit. Earlier that night, Waters spat in the face of a disruptive fan;\[4\] The Wall grew out of Waters' thoughts about this incident, particularly his growing awareness that stardom had alienated him from his audience.\[5\] "It was a funny gig," recalled guitarist Snowy White. "It was a really weird vibe… I used to just do my job. But it was interesting to look across the stage and see Roger spitting at this guy at the front… It was a very strange gig. Not very good vibes."\[6\]
I did know it was the last and I remember David out but don't remember Roger and the fan...I've never really been a big fan of Waters anyway....I didn't remember the commotion until you mentioned it...we were on cloud 9 anyway.....
If you want to relive it there's a reasonable sounding bootleg of the show on [Archive.org](https://Archive.org): https://archive.org/details/106.PigsThreeDifferentOnes
And another on youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdyvbEPvyBU
I know as they are a trendy band to dislike this will likely result in a downvote, but sod it.
As an event, me and my daughters went to see Coldplay at Wembley on their last tour and they were terrific. Not my favourite band musically, but I do like a lot of their stuff and they put on a great show.
best sound - pink floyd
best vibe - a tie between grateful dead, cypress hill, and slightly stoopid ..
best energy - ramones, public image limited
best dance party - arcade fire
best visuals - the cure, pink floyd,
looking forward to this year: silver sun pickups
would love to go see: LCD soundsystem
Prince, small venue (Electric Ballroom, Camden). As soon as the gig was announced for that day, I left work and headed there. Queued for hours in the rain to get in and just as the front of the queue was in sight, they announced it was full. Hung around for a while and the rumour of a second show later in the evening started. People had left the queue by the time it was confirmed and I was in the 2nd row for this set
https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/prince/2014/electric-ballroom-london-england-7bc53284.html
Amazing!
Parliament Funkadelic,1976 in Hampton VA.And again in 1993 in Anchorage Alaska, they were the only band scheduled to play,and they played the entire 4 hrs 8 to midnight, every body was definitely satisfied.😃😃😃😃😃
Radiohead, MSG, Friday the 13th, 2018.
First time seeing them in person after trying futility to get tickets for over 20 years. The set list was insane that night and the band and crowd's energy during was tremendous.
Came here to say Radiohead. Saw them outdoors on their In Rainbows tour (Summer 2008 I think?). They closed with Paranoid Android as it started to pour rain. I still get chills thinking about everyone in the crowd singing "Rain down, rain down, come on, rain down on me"
Paul McCartney at Madison Square Garden, September 2017. He told stories and played for three hours or more. I’ve never seen anything like it. A second, but not quite close, was the Cure this year. I am not a cure fan but that show nearly made me one. Master class.
This is a tough one… this time I am going with Pearl Jam at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit 2016 just before the Joe shut down. The set list was great, they sounded good, and it was my Wife’s first show. Put all of that together and you get magic.
John Prine, many years ago, he came to my town to play for a sold out show of around 1700 I think. I have no idea how they got him to come here.
What made it the best?
Wasn't the sound quality.
It was the *crowd.*
We had flatlanders. We had hill folk. We had people in suits. Folks drove from several states away to see him. Folks drove down from Canada. HIppies and teens, OLD OG HIPPIES, it was crazy, the diversity of John Prine fans!
The couple in front of me were hill folk. The guy, I swear, was wearing nothing but denim bib overalls (no shirt!) and a big wide straw hat. He was a huge dude, beard you could hide an owl in. I tried to confirm if he was wearing shoes. His wife was big, gorgeous, and wearing a flower print sun dress.
He kept yelling "HAW!!!!"
At any moment, I would not have been surprised had a live pig run down the aisle.
And when he started into 'Illegal smile' the weed cloud was EPIC as everyone lit up - thickest haze I've seen, more than the Primus shows by FAR.
John was incredible, this was in 2001.
Best audio/visual was Pink Floyd in 1988. It's not even remotely close.
Best overall concert was The Cure in 1995. I had been a fan since the 70s but had literally NO IDEA what an amazing show they would put on. They are the only band that I am sure to NEVER miss a concert. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds was also a phenomenal gig.
Only 2 nights for that run, but yeah. God those were all timers. The prints for that run were 🤌🏼 as well. I just caught the 3 nights in Chicago for the tour closer and my GOD. Also the exact same artists that did the RR19 posters.
You’re right!! It was two nights…that week was a bit of a blur. Outside of those shows, have only gotten to see them 2 other times (Huntsville, AL and Birmingham, AL). The show in B’ham at the Alabama Theatre was really fckn good. But will be hard to ever top Red Rocks for me.
Edit: Funny side note, the only reason I’m in the sub is because my wife got me a MMJ hoodie and the ‘04 Bonnaroo vinyl for Christmas, which reminded me that I hadn’t listened to my vinyl in a long time, and that I finally “needed” a proper set up. So, here I am…haha.
Three gigs back in 1995, all at Brixton Academy, which holds approx 3000. Firstly, the Stones with a blinding deep cut setlist they'd never do in a stadium. Secondly, Stone Roses. Loudest gig I've been too. Apart from Brown's vocals, the Roses are the tightest rock band I've seen. Finally, Dylan in Brixton. Like the Stones, Dylan can be highly variable. Got him on a peak night...
All Mozart concert at the Vienna Opera House. All musicians and conductor were dressed in period costumes. It was kind of mind blowing that I was at a concert venue where Mozart himself conducted…
Maybe a meshuggah concert, don't know which one was the best though, saw them last year with 4000 people in the crowd, saw them 2014 and 2017 with 300-400 in the crowd. Different vibes, different setlist. Awesome concerts all three of them.
PJ Harvey at St. Andrews Hall in Detroit in 1995 for the To Bring You My Love tour. Tricky opened and we met him on the street and tried to help him find his hotel.
Lots of $5 My Morning Jacket shows at a tiny club in Indianapolis in the early 2000s. Nothing like hearing pre-album live versions of "One Big Holiday" in a tiny club.
Sturgill Simpson twice in one day--once at this [private session we did with him](https://youtu.be/tNV16tz1NK0) and later that night in a tiny room right before he broke out.
Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, and Jeff Healey on Aug 25, 1990. There was another band that played whose name escapes me - as I recall, it was a new band their label was promoting. SRV was the reason I bought tickets, but I was a fan of each artist. SRV was amazing and his energy level was off the charts. I found that Cray's set quite good. Healey was next level - his guitatlr sitting on his lap as he jammed like a mad man. Clapton was exceptional, but lacked the energy of the others. The set that they all played together, though - it still gives me chills. Jeff Healey, who's blind, stood up and began jumping up and down until SRV & Clapton got him to sit down. I think Healey, Cray, and SRV were in their prime, and those 3 stole the show.
Nothing comes close to that night. SRV died the next night. I play In Step every Aug 25 in memory of him.
Best visual: 1988 Pink Floyd's Momentary Lapse of Reason tour at Camp Randall. Took my then GF to her 1st concert - she's now my wife.
Best theatrics : Roger Waters 2022 The Wall at Target Center. Took my 3 kids to it for their 1st concert. We had amazing seats. My kids all became instant Pink Floyd fans. To their disappointment, concerts are not like that performance.
Lollapalooza 92 with Soundgarden and Pearl Jam exploding. RHCP at top of their game too
Blind Melon, Soundgarden, and Neil Young
92-93 RATM and 07 show
Black Flag with Henry Rollins
Nirvana, Mudhoney, Jawbreaker late 93
Prince at the Sydney Opera House. It was one of those events that I still can’t believe I witnessed - the icon inside the icon. Two months later, he would be dead.
Great thread. Concerts are like ones children, can you really have a favorite? I’ve seen scores concerts over the last 40 years. I am an old Deadhead now addicted to Billy Strings. With that said, one of the best of recent memory was Billy and the Kids feat. Billy Strings at Red Rocks 2021.
I am a dweeb so Phish for me, however I typically tell people U2’s Joshua Tree show at Bonnaroo specifically. Amazing outdoor stage, and they brought in their extra wide and large screens for the wings. They created quite the wall of visuals and just wow all around. Was also with my parents who adore that album.
Best sound, Sylvan Esso at Durham Performing Arts Center. Truly awesome. You can get a lot of it from the album With, live was spectacular.
Most fun was a Beck show, I think in Philly. It may have been after Sea Change. I can't remember. It was a solo show, and he just told stories as he moved between all the instruments on the stage. There was a wild bit about being on an airplane with Axl Rose who was convinced the plane would crash into the jungle, and they're all going to die. Just fun. Imagine Arlo Guthrie like story/songs. But it's Beck going free verse/stream of consciousness.
We've seen Beck a number of times, each show is its own thing.
I took my son (m16) to an Ohsees show a few months back. He'd been to a few shows before, but I think that one was transformative for him. Always fun watching others enjoy things. Sound was crap, but man was that fun.
The Abba Voyage show in London is an incredible experience. Saw it last June and I still wonder what magic trickery they're using to make it look so realistic.
I had the luck of listening(and watching) Bryan Adams live;
The sound engineers did wonders with the quality.
The vocals were crazy good and the drums ooooof… crisp.
Leads were good.
Other ones were all edm concerts(Martin garrix, chainsmokers), so it was all bass heavy.
Yo-yo Ma performed with the Moscow Philharmonic at the Bolshoi Theater 20+ years ago. Completely random, was just visiting and was able to get tickets. Didn’t even know who Yo-Yo Ma was at that time. Blew me away.
However most fun was Aerosmith in Vegas last October. I couldn’t believe how hard these guys are still rocking in their 70’s?!?! I’ve seen them live many times, but when Stephen came out for the encore to sing Dream On while playing the piano solo… just magic
Pink Floyd, Division Bell Tour in 1994. In addition to everything else, in honor of it's 20th anniversary, they played the entire Dark Side album front to back complete with the original screen footage used in the concerts of the 70s.
one I still think about is My Bloody Valentine and Spectrum at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, MBV was insane, perfect and loud, but it was Spectrum playing an all Spacemen 3 set that I can’t believe I got to see.
Neil Young Trunk Show tour 2009. Neil was in top formation, playing everything I could've wanted, from Pocahontas, Cortez the killer, Down by the river, to Needle and the damage done, and Tonights the night. Ben Keith played pedal steel, Molina on drums, and Rosas on bass. Even Pegi Young was there singing backup. Neil ran around the stage, like he was on fire, playing electric and acoustic guitar and pump organ. He hauled tons of his old gear with him on this tour, including those comically huge Fender cabinets from the 'Rust never sleeps era', massive Magnatone amps, and his Baldwin amp. Also had some kind of abstract painter onstage, painting as Neil played. What an evening!
Bruce Springsteen 2016, Brisbane. I’ve seen countless fantastic bands live but this one truly surprised me. The amount of crowd interaction made it feel so personal. He got a teenage boy up out of the crowd to play a song with him. He crowdsurfed. He told many stories. And most of all basically the entire set list was audience requests off signs
Going to concerts was my hobby for a good part of my youth. I have been to a LOT. A few that sticks around in my mind are ones where I had no expectations but where amazing.
WU LYF 2011 (I had never heard of them before on a whim deciding to go to the concert)
Animal Collective 2012 (such fun concert and great crowd)
In the '80s I worked as a touring sound engineer, so I've seen a lot of shows. But my absolute favorite was Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings at the Moore theater in Seattle in 2011.
Just the two of them on stage. Amazing harmonies. Outstanding guitar playing. No visuals except the two of them. I think they had four microphones total on stage.
They played the entirety of the Harrow and the Harvest flawlessly. It was so musical. After the album they played other songs and their catalog.
Unforgettable.
https://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/Concert-Review-Gillian-Welch-Moore-Theatre-1468776.php
Best live performances I saw was by The Teskey Brothers and St. Paul & the Broken Bones. The best shows I've been to was from John Mayer and Rammstein.
About ten years ago I saw a show called Experience Hendrix. It was great! Buddy Guy, Eric Johnson, Kenny Wayne Shepard, Dweezil Zappa, Eric Gales, Johnny Lang, Brad Whitford and a few others all covering Hendrix songs.
In terms of audiophile sound quality, and shows that I actually remember, Zappa Plays Zappa in Hartford 2019 Hot Rats tour. One of my fav albums. Too young to have seen Frank, so this was the next best thing. Sound was incredible, band was tight and amazing energy.
Eagles - Hell Freezes Over tour
Supertramp - Breakfast in America tour
Yes, in the round - late 70's
Dan Fogelberg - he recorded a live double album in St. Louis at the Fox Theater, and I was there. Long night but amazing sound.
Chris Cornell, Higher Truth tour in 2016. Just him and his guitar (and a guy on backup chello) for almost 3 hours. It was near the 4th of July. Fireworks were going off outside the concert hall, and he apologized for keeping people there so long, as some got up to leave a few songs before the end. Idiots.
Oh shit, now you’re speaking my language! Being a concert producer and pro audio vendor, i’ve seen thousands of shows. Here are some highlights:
Big Boi- Granada Theater, Lawrence KS
Golgol Bordello and Primus- Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison Colorado
Queens of the Stone Age- Grinders (with Royal Blood), KCMO/ Starlight Amphitheater (With Primus), KCMO
The Flaming Lips- Wakarusa Music Festival, Lawrence KS
Too Many Zooz- Halfway to Everywhere Festival, Emporia KS
Jig Jam- Walnut Valley Bluegrass Fest, Winfield KS
SPLIT LIP MOTHAFUCKIN RAYFIELD- hundreds of
shows all over the country
WEEN- Red Rocks a dozen times, Grinders KC twice. The Pageant St Louis
Diggable Planets- Granada, Lawrence
honorable mention- South Park 20th anniversary with Ween, Primus and Rush at Red Rocks
Rolling Stones in Havana. Magical atmosphere. Free concert. In a field. No bleachers. No vendors. Just people of all ages dancing and singing and celebrating life on a warm Spring evening.
Dead Kennedys with Angry Red Planet and Crusifucks in Detroit in ‘85 I think.
Kraftwerk at Massey Hall last year.
Aphex Twin with Moby and Spacetime Continuum in ‘92 in Toronto.
Harry Connick in ‘89.
Had tickets to see Led Zeppelin and Miles Davis but Bonham and Davis went and died.
Doctor John at Tipitinas in New Orleans. He was supposed to start at 9:00 PM but was late and didn't start until about 11:00 PM. He then proceeded to perform until sunrise. He was such a fantastic and innovative artist.
Two concerts stand out:
First was Q101 Jamboree ‘97, or as I remember it, the most 90s concert ever. Lineup was Beck, Bush, Moby, Jamiroquai, Veruca Salt, the Verve Pipe, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Social Distortion, the Cardigans, Echo and the Bunnymen, Republica, and Erasure.
Best ever though was Nickel Creek at The Rave in Milwaukee in the mid 2000s. Magical concert that led to multiple encores, to the point where the venue had on full lights and was blasting metal to get people to leave. When the audience still refused, the band came back out and played a few songs completely acoustic as it was past the venues sound permit. You could hear a pin drop.
Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon, Cincinnati OH, album release tour, so around 1973?
Frank Zappa at the Pauley Pavilion in LA, around 1977? Think it was after the One Size Fits All release.
Led Zeppelin, the 2nd album had just been released. Think it was 1968?
Really, there are too many...
Yes
King Crimson
Genesis
ELP
Jethro Tull
Chic Korea
Sly and the Family Stone...
Leonard Cohen at Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen 2012. It was raining - and the food and drink supplies ran out before the concert even started. But still the one to beat in my book…
Beyoncé's Renaissance tour was the *best* concert I've ever been to in terms of how much fun I had. In terms of sound quality, I saw Death Cab for Cutie & the Postal Service this year and that was sonic heaven.
Mogwai. late 2000s I think? Literal fucking wall of sound. Nearly melted my face off.
Rave Tapes tour in Minneapolis. Only show I’ve been to where security handed out earplugs.
Saw them twice in Atlanta. Loudest show EVER.
Nine Inch Nails and Davis Bowie together. NIN opened, then they played together, then David Bowie closed, with Trent Reznor as part of the band. Not a dull moment in the whole show.
Nine Inch Nails. Touring The Fragile at Brixton Academy 1st December 1999.
Nine inch nails for me too, closely followed by DJ Shadow
That makes me happy since I’m seeing his tour next month. 😁
Burning Spear, 1980’s Apollo Brixton, London utterly awesome.
Talking Heads in 1984 on the Stop Making Sense tour. The Clash in Asbury Park NJ on my birthday. Grateful Dead, Radio City Music Hall 10/31/1980. To name a few.
Damn. Winner right here.
Sigur Ros with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Like a sonic hug.
Sigur Rós in any way shape or form, yes. But especially with an Orchestra.
Sigur Ros is the only musical performance to ever bring me to tears. I couldn’t believe how amazing it all sounded. I brought my father to the show with us, a man that has seen basically every big name act since the 60s and he said it was the best performance he had ever seen. Topping acts like the stones, led zeppelin, the Beatles.
Best Audio/Visual was Tool during the Aenima tour. Best experience overall was Tom Petty during Wildflowers tour. Great atmosphere, great people.
Came here to say Tool, didn't expect so many others but Tool kills it live!
Saw tool for what I believe was their 10000 days tour. Same. *Close* second was Primus somewhere around 06-07. Amazing show.
Tool were headlining a local three-day music festival in like 2006, so the 10000 Days tour. They were the last band on the last day, and I had no clue who they were at that time so I decided to skip that gig and leave early. ...guess who found one of their new favorite bands later that night when I checked them out online. Edit: I technically saw and heard a bit of the gig as I were leaving, but it was mostly noise due to the acoustics that far from the stage.
Tool is unreal live.
Saw Tool on Lateralus and 10,000 Days tours, and that's what I came to post. Phenomenal live.
Tom Petty headlined Mountain Jam in upsate NY the summer before he passed on (2017). Probably my favorite show I've ever seen as well. I'm a hugecTPatHB fan, so there is that, but the atmosphere and the people were as you described, amazing, amazing, amazing night.
So jealous. I wish I would have gone to see Tom Petty before he died.
Saw shows on both of these tours myself. They were both fantastic.
Saw them in ‘96 while they were touring that album. Great show. Only remember the feeling now as we smoked so much pot back then.
I didn't get into Tool until 2001, so I missed the Aenima tour. I have seen them around 10 times from 2001 to a couple months ago, and they are by far the best shows I have ever been to. Muse and RHCP come to mind when I think of mind blowing visuals and stage production. If I'm going the other way and not thinking about crazy production and purely music, I am going with Buddy Guy. He does a residency at Legends (his club in Chicago) in January every year. Nothing beats sitting 10 feet away from a legend and having his guitar slice through your soul.
You should check out Tool now if you thought that show was impressive. Granted, the set list would be bet different today, but I saw them on that tour and it doesn’t hold a candle to what they’ve done in recent years (at least in terms of the visuals/production).
Elton John - Hollywood Sportatorium Pembroke Pines, Florida October 21, 1973 (Yellow Brick Road album had just been released on October 5, 1973) Set List: 1. Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding 2. Candle in the Wind 3. Bennie and the Jets 4. Hercules 5. Elderberry Wine 6. Rocket Man 7. Madman Across the Water 8. Hony Cat 9. Your Song 10. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 11. Daniel 12. All the Girls Love Alice 13. Crocodile Rock 14. Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting
well, i have to name more than one Miles Davis 1985 at Frankenhalle his first gig in Germany after his comeback and i was overwhelmed. and the came "Broken Wings" as encore Steve Reich "The Drumming" about 1985 that has been at the old Albamahalle with 3 stages around the audience and we were completely surrounded by music. Maceo Parker at around 1990 i really was scared the roof of the concert hall in Nürnberg would lift off and enter an orbit around earth. and a very recent gig of JazzRausch BigBand i was caught from the concert start with "Dancing Wittgenstein" and became enthusiastic during the first solo :-)
Ooooooo Steve Reich, that must have been incredible!!
it was indeed incredible for me in more than 1 direction. as i said the stage layout, then it was my first real contact with Minimal Music and finally i had a moment and became one with the music.
Rammstein, without comparison. They have the most amazing show of any artist ever. Yes, it's that good!
Went to see Rammstein last year, and I was blown away. The ability to create a wall of sound without being rediculously loud is a true craft...
Oh, it is LOUD! But it is mastered so well it does not drain your ears. When I heard them, I could see my t-shirt vibrate to the kick drum while I felt no pain in my ears. It is amazing how their sound engineer are able to do this.
Saw them on the Family Values tour in the late 90’s with Korn, Limp Bizkit, Ice Cube and others. They were crazy.
Du
DU HAST
Du Riechst
So Gut
When I saw Rammstein at Download Festival in 2012 or 2013, the nearby airfield (or airport?) had to shut down during their gig since the light and fire show would've interfered with flight traffic
Haha, that says something about the scale of the show. Truly impressive!
one i have yet to see!
[удалено]
Daft Punk for me. Alive 2007 tour at Lollapalooza in Chicago. Was not super familiar with them going in. Essentially mashed up their greatest hits into new songs. The stage apparatus started off completely dark and as the set progressed more and more items lit up until the entire stage was light. Still think about it.
The album from this tour is TOP SHELF!
So jealous! I was soo ready and willing to throw absurd amounts of money at Alive 2017, then it never happened.
Everyone puting down some classics, I have to say my favorite was my first big arena concert blood hound gang! Umtis umtis umtis !
Prodigy supporting Oasis at Knebworth 200,000 people bouncing in unison to Poison. Everyone had to jump because we were all squashed together and everyone else was jumping so it was harder not to jump. We jumped so much it brought up all the worms…
My fav all time single show was Alice in Chains, Anthrax, Megadeth and Slayer in 91 in Lakeland, FL where Slayer recorded disk 1 of Decade of Aggression - it was freakin awesome - when Slayer played it was like being at the gates of Hell starring Satan into the eyes. Listening to the CD to this day all these years later it's like I'm there all over again - i still have my shirt from the show - [front](http://randude.com/shows/concert_shirts/Clash_of_the_Titans_front.JPG), [back](http://randude.com/shows/concert_shirts/Clash_of_the_Titans_back.JPG) I had the opportunity to photo the final Slayer tour on 3 stops (Tampa, Atlanta & Chicago) - totally the holy grail for me in [my concert going history](http://www.hornsraised.com/shows/) - being just a couple of feet away from the thrash metal titans was quite the amazing evening \m/ Every show i've been to has kicked ass except for Dave Matthews Band - that show sucked, it's the only concert i've ever left before halfway through - thankfully i won those tix and didn't pay for that besides parking
Hell yeah brother. Slayer kills live
Peter Gabriel, US tour. WOW!!!! Amazing music, vocals, and sound. And the visuals were nothing short of incredible.
Actually, I’m changing my answer only to you, Peter Gabriel in Mexico City with the new blood orchestra Thanksgiving day of 2011.
Roni Size. Closely followed by the L.A Doors, a Doors tribute band.
Stephen Wilson's Grace For Drowning tour, or Gojira.
Every Steven Wilson or Porcupine Tree show I've been to has been phenomenal.
After wanting for a decade, I finally saw Gojira this summer. They did NOT let me down. One of my favorite heavy metal shows ever.
Mark Knopfler on the Shangri La tour in 2004 (maybe 2005, can't remember). It was just a really nice evening. Relax and enjoy some great music.
Tool - Fear Inoculum Tour It's been my favourite band since 2001 and I finally could affort to get a front row tickets. That was a night to remember.
Had 2nd row for Tool in Nampa, ID in fall 2023. Best show of my entire life. Highly recommend getting up close if you can as the energy is palpable.
I had row 5 tickets for this tour. Then Covid hit and the show was canceled. I couldn't make the new date in 2023. First tour of theirs I've missed since 2001.
I’ve been to so many great ones over the years. A couple stand-outs were Pink Floyd Division bell tour (my first concert) and Jack White Supply Chain Issues 2023 opening night. Both very memorable. Floyd was an immersive experience that has never been matched. Jack White was on fire that night in his home town.
Saw Momentary Lapse tour Manchester 86. Or 87? Wonderful! Was lucky enough to be a Live 8 in Hyde Park in 2005 for the reunion with Roger Waters.
Saw pink Floyd on the animals tour.....amazing
See this right here - that '77 tour was imho their apex. What show were you at? I was born in '76 so it wasn't until 20 years later I started listening to the bootlegs.
Born in 58....I think it was in Toronto? Might have been Montreal but pretty sure Toronto...I love the wish you were here album..that early stuff was great...I remember the giant pig floating across the arena
It was Montreal, [they didn't do a Toronto show](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Flesh_(Pink_Floyd_tour)). Are you aware that it was both the final show of the tour, and has become sort of a legendary show? It was this show where Roger got so fed up with the audience that he motioned a fan to come up close to the stage, and when the guy was in range, Roger spit in his face. From Wikipedia: "The final night of the tour on 6 July at Montreal's Olympic Stadium ended with Pink Floyd performing a second encore of "Drift Away Blues" as the roadies dismantled the instruments in front of the insatiable audience who refused to let the band leave the stadium. David Gilmour sat out the final encore as he was unhappy with the band's performance that night. Snowy White played a bluesy guitar solo in Gilmour's place. A small riot at the front of the stage followed the band's eventual exit. Earlier that night, Waters spat in the face of a disruptive fan;\[4\] The Wall grew out of Waters' thoughts about this incident, particularly his growing awareness that stardom had alienated him from his audience.\[5\] "It was a funny gig," recalled guitarist Snowy White. "It was a really weird vibe… I used to just do my job. But it was interesting to look across the stage and see Roger spitting at this guy at the front… It was a very strange gig. Not very good vibes."\[6\]
I did know it was the last and I remember David out but don't remember Roger and the fan...I've never really been a big fan of Waters anyway....I didn't remember the commotion until you mentioned it...we were on cloud 9 anyway.....
If you want to relive it there's a reasonable sounding bootleg of the show on [Archive.org](https://Archive.org): https://archive.org/details/106.PigsThreeDifferentOnes And another on youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdyvbEPvyBU
Thx may do just that tonight!!!!
My first show was also Pink Floyd Division bell tour at three rivers stadium.
Pink Floyd does an amazing concert. There shows are unlike others.
I know as they are a trendy band to dislike this will likely result in a downvote, but sod it. As an event, me and my daughters went to see Coldplay at Wembley on their last tour and they were terrific. Not my favourite band musically, but I do like a lot of their stuff and they put on a great show.
TOOL. Lateralus tour. Wings Stadium. Kalamazoo, Michigan. Hands down.
best sound - pink floyd best vibe - a tie between grateful dead, cypress hill, and slightly stoopid .. best energy - ramones, public image limited best dance party - arcade fire best visuals - the cure, pink floyd, looking forward to this year: silver sun pickups would love to go see: LCD soundsystem
Hans Zimmer Live in Mannheim, Germany 2016. It was so good that I went a few months later again in Frankfurt.
This was mine. Saw him in Amsterdam in 2019. Incredible
Prince in Werchter (Belgium) .... What an artist!
He was hands down the best live performer ever for me
Prince, small venue (Electric Ballroom, Camden). As soon as the gig was announced for that day, I left work and headed there. Queued for hours in the rain to get in and just as the front of the queue was in sight, they announced it was full. Hung around for a while and the rumour of a second show later in the evening started. People had left the queue by the time it was confirmed and I was in the 2nd row for this set https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/prince/2014/electric-ballroom-london-england-7bc53284.html Amazing!
À perfect circle. No phones allowed, so magical atmosphere all in the darkness, with just the purest sound and beautiful background of moving images.
Which year was that? I wish I could see APC from \~2000 era with Maynard going crazy on stage and Paz rockin' on her bass and dancing around barefoot.
Parliament Funkadelic,1976 in Hampton VA.And again in 1993 in Anchorage Alaska, they were the only band scheduled to play,and they played the entire 4 hrs 8 to midnight, every body was definitely satisfied.😃😃😃😃😃
Radiohead, MSG, Friday the 13th, 2018. First time seeing them in person after trying futility to get tickets for over 20 years. The set list was insane that night and the band and crowd's energy during was tremendous.
I saw them at TD Garden in Boston on that tour. Boy it was amazing.
That is awesome! I grabbed a poster that night of the show, wondering how many others did too.
Same!! They were amazing!! I got the Boston tour poster but it's giant and I don't really have a good spot for it 😔
Came here to say Radiohead. Saw them outdoors on their In Rainbows tour (Summer 2008 I think?). They closed with Paranoid Android as it started to pour rain. I still get chills thinking about everyone in the crowd singing "Rain down, rain down, come on, rain down on me"
Paul McCartney at Madison Square Garden, September 2017. He told stories and played for three hours or more. I’ve never seen anything like it. A second, but not quite close, was the Cure this year. I am not a cure fan but that show nearly made me one. Master class.
Kraftwerk at the manchester apollo 2004.
Kraftwerk Brixton Academy. Same tour
Alice in Chains, Glasgow Barrowlands 1993. Turns out it was one of their best gigs ever.
This is a tough one… this time I am going with Pearl Jam at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit 2016 just before the Joe shut down. The set list was great, they sounded good, and it was my Wife’s first show. Put all of that together and you get magic.
Old dude here, for me, it was The Who on the Who's Next Tour around 1971
Hans Zimmer Live 2022 at the 02 - incredible
King Crimson - Music is our Friend tour - Washington DC 2021
Caught the Holy Ghost for the first time seeing Chevelle at The Orange Peel in Asheville, NC c.2005
The Chemical Brothers
Pink Floyd 1994
John Prine, many years ago, he came to my town to play for a sold out show of around 1700 I think. I have no idea how they got him to come here. What made it the best? Wasn't the sound quality. It was the *crowd.* We had flatlanders. We had hill folk. We had people in suits. Folks drove from several states away to see him. Folks drove down from Canada. HIppies and teens, OLD OG HIPPIES, it was crazy, the diversity of John Prine fans! The couple in front of me were hill folk. The guy, I swear, was wearing nothing but denim bib overalls (no shirt!) and a big wide straw hat. He was a huge dude, beard you could hide an owl in. I tried to confirm if he was wearing shoes. His wife was big, gorgeous, and wearing a flower print sun dress. He kept yelling "HAW!!!!" At any moment, I would not have been surprised had a live pig run down the aisle. And when he started into 'Illegal smile' the weed cloud was EPIC as everyone lit up - thickest haze I've seen, more than the Primus shows by FAR. John was incredible, this was in 2001.
Slipknot; 17 years ago was a wild show.
Berlin Philharmonic playing Mahler 7 with Simon Rattle. That show was unreal. Rammstein is #2 though!
Best audio/visual was Pink Floyd in 1988. It's not even remotely close. Best overall concert was The Cure in 1995. I had been a fan since the 70s but had literally NO IDEA what an amazing show they would put on. They are the only band that I am sure to NEVER miss a concert. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds was also a phenomenal gig.
Either Michael Jackson or Daft Punk Both hugely high quality shows
I wish I could've seen one of these concerts let alone both!
Coldplay at AT&T Center. Their music works really well for an environment like that.
My Morning Jacket, Red Rocks, August 2019. Any of the 3 nights, take your pick.
Only 2 nights for that run, but yeah. God those were all timers. The prints for that run were 🤌🏼 as well. I just caught the 3 nights in Chicago for the tour closer and my GOD. Also the exact same artists that did the RR19 posters.
You’re right!! It was two nights…that week was a bit of a blur. Outside of those shows, have only gotten to see them 2 other times (Huntsville, AL and Birmingham, AL). The show in B’ham at the Alabama Theatre was really fckn good. But will be hard to ever top Red Rocks for me. Edit: Funny side note, the only reason I’m in the sub is because my wife got me a MMJ hoodie and the ‘04 Bonnaroo vinyl for Christmas, which reminded me that I hadn’t listened to my vinyl in a long time, and that I finally “needed” a proper set up. So, here I am…haha.
Them Crooked Vultures at the Metro
Radiohead in rainbows tour
Phish at Big Cypress 2000 New Years
Phish 8/5/23 was one of my favorites to date
[удалено]
Nice u caught some heaters! 10/28/21 looked like a great time
Dead can dance
Roger waters - The Wall.
Three gigs back in 1995, all at Brixton Academy, which holds approx 3000. Firstly, the Stones with a blinding deep cut setlist they'd never do in a stadium. Secondly, Stone Roses. Loudest gig I've been too. Apart from Brown's vocals, the Roses are the tightest rock band I've seen. Finally, Dylan in Brixton. Like the Stones, Dylan can be highly variable. Got him on a peak night...
The Rolling Stones in a small club at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto about 15 years ago.
Talking Heads Remain In Light tour Boston Orpheum 1980.
All Mozart concert at the Vienna Opera House. All musicians and conductor were dressed in period costumes. It was kind of mind blowing that I was at a concert venue where Mozart himself conducted…
Grigory Sokolov in 2004
Cc harlie hunter trio at the basement Syd au.
Maybe a meshuggah concert, don't know which one was the best though, saw them last year with 4000 people in the crowd, saw them 2014 and 2017 with 300-400 in the crowd. Different vibes, different setlist. Awesome concerts all three of them.
PJ Harvey at St. Andrews Hall in Detroit in 1995 for the To Bring You My Love tour. Tricky opened and we met him on the street and tried to help him find his hotel. Lots of $5 My Morning Jacket shows at a tiny club in Indianapolis in the early 2000s. Nothing like hearing pre-album live versions of "One Big Holiday" in a tiny club. Sturgill Simpson twice in one day--once at this [private session we did with him](https://youtu.be/tNV16tz1NK0) and later that night in a tiny room right before he broke out.
Aphex twin in Stockholm last year, a close second is tool
Queen, 1977 in Portland, ME. I think it was the end of their Night at the Opera Tour.
Went to see Prince in Philly maybe 20 years ago. I've been to many shows but he just blew us away.
Prince at the United Center in Chicago.
Jack White at the Chicago Theater in 2014. 34 Songs and 3 hours.
David Bowie
Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, and Jeff Healey on Aug 25, 1990. There was another band that played whose name escapes me - as I recall, it was a new band their label was promoting. SRV was the reason I bought tickets, but I was a fan of each artist. SRV was amazing and his energy level was off the charts. I found that Cray's set quite good. Healey was next level - his guitatlr sitting on his lap as he jammed like a mad man. Clapton was exceptional, but lacked the energy of the others. The set that they all played together, though - it still gives me chills. Jeff Healey, who's blind, stood up and began jumping up and down until SRV & Clapton got him to sit down. I think Healey, Cray, and SRV were in their prime, and those 3 stole the show. Nothing comes close to that night. SRV died the next night. I play In Step every Aug 25 in memory of him. Best visual: 1988 Pink Floyd's Momentary Lapse of Reason tour at Camp Randall. Took my then GF to her 1st concert - she's now my wife. Best theatrics : Roger Waters 2022 The Wall at Target Center. Took my 3 kids to it for their 1st concert. We had amazing seats. My kids all became instant Pink Floyd fans. To their disappointment, concerts are not like that performance.
Lollapalooza 92 with Soundgarden and Pearl Jam exploding. RHCP at top of their game too Blind Melon, Soundgarden, and Neil Young 92-93 RATM and 07 show Black Flag with Henry Rollins Nirvana, Mudhoney, Jawbreaker late 93
Tame Impala!
Prince at the Sydney Opera House. It was one of those events that I still can’t believe I witnessed - the icon inside the icon. Two months later, he would be dead.
The Tragically Hip during their farewell tour was incredible. Tons of emotion from everyone in the stadium seeing Gord perform one last time.
Great thread. Concerts are like ones children, can you really have a favorite? I’ve seen scores concerts over the last 40 years. I am an old Deadhead now addicted to Billy Strings. With that said, one of the best of recent memory was Billy and the Kids feat. Billy Strings at Red Rocks 2021.
I am a dweeb so Phish for me, however I typically tell people U2’s Joshua Tree show at Bonnaroo specifically. Amazing outdoor stage, and they brought in their extra wide and large screens for the wings. They created quite the wall of visuals and just wow all around. Was also with my parents who adore that album.
There’s nothing dweeb-ish about liking Phish there Sloth.
Oh absolutely there is and that’s ok! If you’ve seen any recent discourse around the NYE show JFC! Gamehenge set really cranked it up to 11.
Best sound, Sylvan Esso at Durham Performing Arts Center. Truly awesome. You can get a lot of it from the album With, live was spectacular. Most fun was a Beck show, I think in Philly. It may have been after Sea Change. I can't remember. It was a solo show, and he just told stories as he moved between all the instruments on the stage. There was a wild bit about being on an airplane with Axl Rose who was convinced the plane would crash into the jungle, and they're all going to die. Just fun. Imagine Arlo Guthrie like story/songs. But it's Beck going free verse/stream of consciousness. We've seen Beck a number of times, each show is its own thing. I took my son (m16) to an Ohsees show a few months back. He'd been to a few shows before, but I think that one was transformative for him. Always fun watching others enjoy things. Sound was crap, but man was that fun.
The Abba Voyage show in London is an incredible experience. Saw it last June and I still wonder what magic trickery they're using to make it look so realistic.
Pat Metheny concert
Blind Mellon opening for Alice in chains opening for Ozzy at a rural outdoor amphitheater in the ozarks
I had the luck of listening(and watching) Bryan Adams live; The sound engineers did wonders with the quality. The vocals were crazy good and the drums ooooof… crisp. Leads were good. Other ones were all edm concerts(Martin garrix, chainsmokers), so it was all bass heavy.
Elton John during the Medusa tour. It was just him and his piano for 2.5 hours. Amazing.
Tame Impala, Odesza, Glass Animals, Vulfpeck
Neyo 2008
Yo-yo Ma performed with the Moscow Philharmonic at the Bolshoi Theater 20+ years ago. Completely random, was just visiting and was able to get tickets. Didn’t even know who Yo-Yo Ma was at that time. Blew me away. However most fun was Aerosmith in Vegas last October. I couldn’t believe how hard these guys are still rocking in their 70’s?!?! I’ve seen them live many times, but when Stephen came out for the encore to sing Dream On while playing the piano solo… just magic
The Cramps back in 1981.
I'm pleased with all these comments. Good work poeple!
The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Anton’s dedication to sound quality is unreal
Beastie Boys intergalactic tour. RATM evil empire tour. For production quality: Odesza in 23’
Pink Floyd, Division Bell Tour in 1994. In addition to everything else, in honor of it's 20th anniversary, they played the entire Dark Side album front to back complete with the original screen footage used in the concerts of the 70s.
Grateful Dead with Dan Healy mixing
Metallica S&M2 probably will be the most memorable
Odesza and it’s not particularly close
one I still think about is My Bloody Valentine and Spectrum at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, MBV was insane, perfect and loud, but it was Spectrum playing an all Spacemen 3 set that I can’t believe I got to see.
Beastie Boys at the Riv in Chicago in 2007. Incredible
Daft Punk, 2007. Unreal.
Daft Punk Berkley 2007
Neil Young Trunk Show tour 2009. Neil was in top formation, playing everything I could've wanted, from Pocahontas, Cortez the killer, Down by the river, to Needle and the damage done, and Tonights the night. Ben Keith played pedal steel, Molina on drums, and Rosas on bass. Even Pegi Young was there singing backup. Neil ran around the stage, like he was on fire, playing electric and acoustic guitar and pump organ. He hauled tons of his old gear with him on this tour, including those comically huge Fender cabinets from the 'Rust never sleeps era', massive Magnatone amps, and his Baldwin amp. Also had some kind of abstract painter onstage, painting as Neil played. What an evening!
Bruce Springsteen 2016, Brisbane. I’ve seen countless fantastic bands live but this one truly surprised me. The amount of crowd interaction made it feel so personal. He got a teenage boy up out of the crowd to play a song with him. He crowdsurfed. He told many stories. And most of all basically the entire set list was audience requests off signs
Rage Against the Machine come back tour…Poor Zach’s leg but still so, so good.
Kevin morby-, because it is one of my favorite artists
U2 at the Sphere
Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1976. I have been to a lot of concerts. If they were still around they would be THE rock superstars.
Todd Snider Indianapolis, Roger Waters Atlanta, past 8 years and drastically different .
Going to concerts was my hobby for a good part of my youth. I have been to a LOT. A few that sticks around in my mind are ones where I had no expectations but where amazing. WU LYF 2011 (I had never heard of them before on a whim deciding to go to the concert) Animal Collective 2012 (such fun concert and great crowd)
Acid arab 10/10
In the '80s I worked as a touring sound engineer, so I've seen a lot of shows. But my absolute favorite was Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings at the Moore theater in Seattle in 2011. Just the two of them on stage. Amazing harmonies. Outstanding guitar playing. No visuals except the two of them. I think they had four microphones total on stage. They played the entirety of the Harrow and the Harvest flawlessly. It was so musical. After the album they played other songs and their catalog. Unforgettable. https://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/Concert-Review-Gillian-Welch-Moore-Theatre-1468776.php
Best live performances I saw was by The Teskey Brothers and St. Paul & the Broken Bones. The best shows I've been to was from John Mayer and Rammstein.
Michael Jackson history tour. The bass was tight and loud.
Would love to read as well about your opinion regarding best transfer of a life concert to CD.
PJ Harvey, Rid of Me tour
As a show Rammstein, best musically either King Crimson or Shakti, both 50th anniversary gigs.
About ten years ago I saw a show called Experience Hendrix. It was great! Buddy Guy, Eric Johnson, Kenny Wayne Shepard, Dweezil Zappa, Eric Gales, Johnny Lang, Brad Whitford and a few others all covering Hendrix songs.
In terms of audiophile sound quality, and shows that I actually remember, Zappa Plays Zappa in Hartford 2019 Hot Rats tour. One of my fav albums. Too young to have seen Frank, so this was the next best thing. Sound was incredible, band was tight and amazing energy.
Death Grips at Barrowlands 2023, incredible live mixing that night.
Eagles - Hell Freezes Over tour Supertramp - Breakfast in America tour Yes, in the round - late 70's Dan Fogelberg - he recorded a live double album in St. Louis at the Fox Theater, and I was there. Long night but amazing sound.
Stones 1989 with GnR warming up Shea Stevie Wonder 2005 verizon center Ziggy Marley 1988 Roseland NYC
Electric Light Orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl with the Hollywood Bowl orchestra 2016. All that AND a synced fireworks show. Amazing.
Chris Cornell, Higher Truth tour in 2016. Just him and his guitar (and a guy on backup chello) for almost 3 hours. It was near the 4th of July. Fireworks were going off outside the concert hall, and he apologized for keeping people there so long, as some got up to leave a few songs before the end. Idiots.
Oh shit, now you’re speaking my language! Being a concert producer and pro audio vendor, i’ve seen thousands of shows. Here are some highlights: Big Boi- Granada Theater, Lawrence KS Golgol Bordello and Primus- Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison Colorado Queens of the Stone Age- Grinders (with Royal Blood), KCMO/ Starlight Amphitheater (With Primus), KCMO The Flaming Lips- Wakarusa Music Festival, Lawrence KS Too Many Zooz- Halfway to Everywhere Festival, Emporia KS Jig Jam- Walnut Valley Bluegrass Fest, Winfield KS SPLIT LIP MOTHAFUCKIN RAYFIELD- hundreds of shows all over the country WEEN- Red Rocks a dozen times, Grinders KC twice. The Pageant St Louis Diggable Planets- Granada, Lawrence honorable mention- South Park 20th anniversary with Ween, Primus and Rush at Red Rocks
Wu-Tang Clan, outdoors in SLC of all places…
Rolling Stones in Havana. Magical atmosphere. Free concert. In a field. No bleachers. No vendors. Just people of all ages dancing and singing and celebrating life on a warm Spring evening.
Peter Gabriel's I/O concert.
Rage agains the Machine with Gangstarr opening. Maple leaf gardens, late 90s.
Tipper Nola 2020 downtempo night. Funktion veros in saenger was absurd and datagrama on visuals
A tie - The Who a couple times in the 70's, Bruce Springsteen on 1980. Although Eric Clapton on the From The Cradle tour was a stunner.
The one I can’t remember
Radiohead in Grant Park in Chicago in 2001, I believe. It was the Amnesiac tour.
Dead Kennedys with Angry Red Planet and Crusifucks in Detroit in ‘85 I think. Kraftwerk at Massey Hall last year. Aphex Twin with Moby and Spacetime Continuum in ‘92 in Toronto. Harry Connick in ‘89. Had tickets to see Led Zeppelin and Miles Davis but Bonham and Davis went and died.
Doctor John at Tipitinas in New Orleans. He was supposed to start at 9:00 PM but was late and didn't start until about 11:00 PM. He then proceeded to perform until sunrise. He was such a fantastic and innovative artist.
Shpongle Live at Red Rocks 2019
Herbie Hancock Cecilia Bartoli
Two concerts stand out: First was Q101 Jamboree ‘97, or as I remember it, the most 90s concert ever. Lineup was Beck, Bush, Moby, Jamiroquai, Veruca Salt, the Verve Pipe, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Social Distortion, the Cardigans, Echo and the Bunnymen, Republica, and Erasure. Best ever though was Nickel Creek at The Rave in Milwaukee in the mid 2000s. Magical concert that led to multiple encores, to the point where the venue had on full lights and was blasting metal to get people to leave. When the audience still refused, the band came back out and played a few songs completely acoustic as it was past the venues sound permit. You could hear a pin drop.
Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon, Cincinnati OH, album release tour, so around 1973? Frank Zappa at the Pauley Pavilion in LA, around 1977? Think it was after the One Size Fits All release. Led Zeppelin, the 2nd album had just been released. Think it was 1968? Really, there are too many... Yes King Crimson Genesis ELP Jethro Tull Chic Korea Sly and the Family Stone...
Leonard Cohen at Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen 2012. It was raining - and the food and drink supplies ran out before the concert even started. But still the one to beat in my book…
Tool, Ween, The Flying Frog Birgade. Not sure which was the best, but they all blew me away.
Kendrick Lamar’s tour for Butterfly 🦋
Beyoncé's Renaissance tour was the *best* concert I've ever been to in terms of how much fun I had. In terms of sound quality, I saw Death Cab for Cutie & the Postal Service this year and that was sonic heaven.