What's the Most Memorable Live Concert Music Group you ever attended?

[4Ryan6]

No matter how many concerts you've been to, only list the one most memorable, and why was it the most memorable, something had to stand out to make it that way for you?

For me it was Led Zeppelin, and the most memorable part was it was exactly like listening to their albums, as many groups sound great on the album, but fail miserably to come across the same live in a live concert.

At the time I had no idea I was attending an historical moment, meaning that John Bonham was going to die, and Led Zeppelin would not go on without him, but just the fact of how well they duplicated their album performance was amazing.

 

[Wisecracker]

The Who ...

Early- to mid 1970s. Completely unsuspected and surprise to everyone in the crowd (all 20k of us). Pure Pandemonium

"Baba O'Riley" and "Won't Get Fooled Again" ... with green and red laser lights blasted over the crowd. The place went nuts.

Pete was winding-up, jumpin' and kickin' ... Roger was a little off - he missed a few of his microphone 'swings' (but still great).

The band was into it as much as the crowd ... most amazing thing I've ever seen.

 

[4Ryan6]

Very first concert, Van Halen, 1984 tour. I was 10, in the 5th grade and was the coolest SOB in class.

The other most memorable was Widespread Panic, Hampton VA, 1999. Mikey was still alive and they were at the height of their supreme jamfulness.

Two great groups, I missed seeing either of them, I guess my second most memorable would have been Kansas, they didn't have a lot of pomp and show with the glitz and lights and such, they just came out in blue jeans and played the concert.

The freakiest show I ever saw was Alice Cooper he was hung on stage from a gallows, that was a cool illusion it did look real, also was about the loudest, I remember it hurting my ears, and them ringing afterwards for quite a while.

 

[4Ryan6]

The Who ...

Early- to mid 1970s. Completely unsuspected and surprise to everyone in the crowd (all 20k of us). Pure Pandemonium

"Baba O'Riley" and "Won't Get Fooled Again" ... with green and red laser lights blasted over the crowd. The place went nuts.

Pete was winding-up, jumpin' and kickin' ... Roger was a little off - he missed a few of his microphone 'swings' (but still great).

The band was into it as much as the crowd ... most amazing thing I've ever seen.

I saw them on one of their US tours I think in Greensboro, North Carolina and Pete smashed his guitar into his amp at the end of the concert, that was one freaky ending to a concert.

What was the statement behind doing that or the meaning?

I often wondered after the fact were the guitars and such swapped out and the destruction staged, surely he wouldn't destroy perfectly good equipment?

But it looked like he did.

 

[ex_bubblehead]

29 January 1988, Frank Sinatra at the San Diego Sports Arena. The "Chairman of the Board" was in the house, what more needs to be said.

 

[musical marv]

No matter how many concerts you've been to, only list the one most memorable, and why was it the most memorable, something had to stand out to make it that way for you?

For me it was Led Zeppelin, and the most memorable part was it was exactly like listening to their albums, as many groups sound great on the album, but fail miserably to come across the same live in a live concert.

At the time I had no idea I was attending an historical moment, meaning that John Bonham was going to die, and Led Zeppelin would not go on without him, but just the fact of how well they duplicated their album performance was amazing.

When I went to the first Woodstock Concert with my ex wife back in the 60's. Will never forget this in my life. People in troves singing and smoking pot and not a care in the world. Hearing Jimmy H wailing on his guitar and others in the concert.Apeaceful day indeed in my life. Good old days once again.

 

[Saga Lout]

April this year, the O2 in London for the Meatloaf farewell concert. Meat caps them all for me and whatever anyone says, he hadn't lost it. It was the atmosphere as much as the music because the acoustics are so bad in that building, you just don't go there for sound quality. A former female colleague from forty years back came over from Holland for the occasion and that made it doubly memorable.

 

[Nefos]

my favourite concert was Parkway drive this summer.
I was crowdsurfing twice, I was screaming all way long, moshpit, girls and at the end I lost my voice. it was beautiful
But the biggest surprise was Iggy pop last year. he is still alive, and he is awesome!

 

[4Ryan6]

When I went to the first Woodstock Concert with my ex wife back in the 60's. Will never forget this in my life. People in troves singing and smoking pot and not a care in the world. Hearing Jimmy H wailing on his guitar and others in the concert.Apeaceful day indeed in my life. Good old days once again.

You went to Woodstock Marv!

I think you just won the thread jewel!

 

[Deleted member 217926]

Pink Floyd. Final tour in 1994 at Bobby Dodd stadium in downtown Atlanta. No Roger Waters but Gilmour, Wright, and Mason were all there and they played DSOTM in its entirety. This was pre internet and I got through to Ticketmaster 1 minute after tickets went on sale and ended up with 31st row. Those were the best seats available to the public and the best seats I have ever had at any show except like at Widespread shows where no one sits anyway. So not only was I happy that I was going to get to see my favorite band I was doubly happy I had the best seats I could get!

The Who in 1988 was a close second. That was really the first big show I ever saw. I was only 14 and I went with my sister. It was supposedly a 'final' tour but the have had at least 5 or 6 more 'final' tours since! Amazing energy.

Third would be a tie between Rush and any Metallica show. I have seen Rush twice but the first time they played the whole first side of 2112 and that was freaking amazing since that's on my top 3 album ever list. And no one but no one puts out the sheer energy of a Metallica show. I have not seen them since the Black album just because I am a fan of their earlier music more than the later top 40 stuff but all 4 times I saw them were amazing. 3+ hours of the highest energy you can imagine.

I was 4 when Led Zeppelin broke up My biggest regret of not getting to see a band.

 

[inzone]

Late 60's I went to a Jimmy Hendrix concert and was 8 rows from the stage, you could see him smoking a joint and then putting it at the end of his guitar in between the strings. He sounded great as usual.

Then there was the Cream concert with Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker, Panama Red prevented me from ever finding my seat.

 

[chunkymonster]

Van Halen was good, Bruce Springsteen was good, but I will never forget Pink Floyd on the Division Bell Tour. They played all the old and new stuff. They had a HUGE disco ball emerge from the stage in mid-field where the mixing board and sound equipment was located that shot multicolored beams and dots of light all over the stadium which were perfectly timed to go with the music. I was 15th row from the stage and was in absolute awe watching Dave Gilmour play his guitar like it was an old lover and listening to the back-up singers belted out their vocals. The air was heavy with the smell of weed as the joints just kept on getting passed around. One of the best large stadium live shows I have ever been to.

The best small venue was at the Trocadaro in Philadelphia to watch Morphine, a three piece band out of Boston consisting of a bass, sax, and drums. The drummer that night had a challenge going with the lead singer to play a whole show without his high hat. They rocked the house. Watching the sax player blow both a baritone and tenor sax at the same time was one of the many highlights. The lead singers voice was in perfect pitch with the tenor sax on songs like "You Look Like Rain" and resonated on so many levels that it will never be duplicated. Definitely one of the most under rated bands of the late 90's, I highly recommend giving them a listen. They have enjoyed some commercial success, if you've ever watched a movie called "Spanking the Monkey" then you've heard their music and one of their songs was even used in a car commercial. Unfortunately, the lead singer died which is truly a sad because they were one of the most original bands and gave one of the most entertaining small theater live shows I have ever been to. They have five studio albums which are and will always be in my play list.

A close second small venue show came from catching Big Lazy, another three piece band out of Brooklyn. The club sat no more than 60 people and I was in a booth right next to the stage. Their music is truly unique, completely instrumental, and difficult to fit into a specific genre. Their ability for using regular and unconventional instruments to meld sound together into melodies and hard driving rhythms is incomparable. They weaved their music into a blanket of beauty and noise. Another recommended listen.

 

[4Ryan6]

I wanted to see Pink Floyd but it just didn't happen, my worst concert was the Eagles, not that they played bad but the audience screamed and yelled the entire time, they had a wall of speakers on stage and the people were screaming louder, we left before the show ended.

 

[Saga Lout]

Noise is often confused with sound these days. I went to see We will Rock You - the Queen musical - in London last week and it was completely spoiled by the excessive noise. The speakers were rattling off their mountings as they were overstretched and I had to wonder how long such an old Victorian building as the Dominion Theatre could survive when being rattled to its foundations every day and twice on Wednesday and Saturday. You could actually feel the floor moving up and down. The lyrics were incomprehensible - shame really - they were said to be fairly amusing.

 

[4Ryan6]

I saw the Grateful Dead 3 times, I have always been a drum solo fanatic and I don't think they ever did a show the same, they always changed the drum solo, so each experience was like new, it's a shame we've lost so many great artists like Jerry Garcia.

 

[chunkymonster]

Another good show was Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, and Howe...theater in the round at Trump Towers, Atlantic City, 1993...

 

[Wisecracker]

I saw the Grateful Dead 3 times, I have always been a drum solo fanatic and I don't think they ever did a show the same, they always changed the drum solo, so each experience was like new, it's a shame we've lost so many great artists like Jerry Garcia.

Bob and Jerry put on a good show (if you were a fan of their work, that is). Each show had a special playlist, and the infamous 20+ minute 'percussion break'.

I live in western NC, Ryan. There were not too many shows in G-Boro (or, the southeast!) that I missed back then. I sold a pint of blood in G-Boro one time to snag a Clapton ticket

The guitar-smashing was just part of Pete's 'schtick' -- Gibson likely gave him all the guitars he wanted to smash.

I'm surprised there has been no love for the "World's Greatest Rock & Roll Band" We pulled the same trick that anort3 pulled with Ticketmaster to snag 12 tickets 11th-row center for the Stones in Raleigh.

We'd tie-up the line 30-45 minutes before the tickets for the show we wanted went on sale with nonsense like, "What do you have for Boxcar Willie in Florida?"

 

[4Ryan6]

I saw the Grateful Dead 3 times, I have always been a drum solo fanatic and I don't think they ever did a show the same, they always changed the drum solo, so each experience was like new, it's a shame we've lost so many great artists like Jerry Garcia.

Turn it up my friend!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOGfI14Jgjc

WSP drum solo, Macon, GA 2008.

Awesome! That was great Thanks!

 

[Deleted member 217926]

It's a small, small world. I not only live in Macon but that show was the last time I saw Widespread! They do new year's eve shows here quite a bit and that was one. I had not even planned on going. Me and a buddy went and had lunch with some friends from Atlanta who were coming down for the show and they just happened to have extra tickets.

 

[4Ryan6]

I see now why some of Widespread Panics music seems very similar to the Grateful Dead, some of their music they played starting out were some of the Grateful Dead's music, so their style evolved from the earlier music they liked and played.

 

[4Ryan6]

John Bonham

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LC3f19zrMg8

 

[4Ryan6]

I saw the Grateful Dead 3 times, I have always been a drum solo fanatic and I don't think they ever did a show the same, they always changed the drum solo, so each experience was like new, it's a shame we've lost so many great artists like Jerry Garcia.

Bob and Jerry put on a good show (if you were a fan of their work, that is). Each show had a special playlist, and the infamous 20+ minute 'percussion break'.

I live in western NC, Ryan. There were not too many shows in G-Boro (or, the southeast!) that I missed back then. I sold a pint of blood in G-Boro one time to snag a Clapton ticket

The guitar-smashing was just part of Pete's 'schtick' -- Gibson likely gave him all the guitars he wanted to smash.

I'm surprised there has been no love for the "World's Greatest Rock & Roll Band" We pulled the same trick that anort3 pulled with Ticketmaster to snag 12 tickets 11th-row center for the Stones in Raleigh.

We'd tie-up the line 30-45 minutes before the tickets for the show we wanted went on sale with nonsense like, "What do you have for Boxcar Willie in Florida?"

Greensboro, NC Columbia, SC and Tampa, Florida were the 3 different Grateful Dead concerts we went to, the Grateful Dead was the only group I went to see more than once, it's hard to explain it was like stepping back in time.

We loved them and they never failed to please, they were 100% about the music!

 

[Deleted member 217926]

Yeah the only bands I know of that have followings ( or did ) were the Dead, Widespread Panic and Phish. All 3 bands just stayed on the road almost all year and were all about the music. Hell I had some good friends who packed up a VW bus and went on tour with the Dead for a year after high school. They made money by grilling and selling food. And we are talking the early 90s here not the 1960s! They went full on hippie mode. It was 2 guys and a girl and now one guy and the girl who was then his girlfriend are married with 3 kids and both teach college and both are complete right wing Republicans! The other guy owns a really nice restaurant. So not everyone who followed the Dead is in a commune somewhere lol.


If you like drum solos ( and I do as well ! ) you should check out Rush. No one and I mean no one has a drum kit like Neil Peart. This is even smaller than the last time I saw them when he had bells in the setup too. Neil does a solo every show they play like Angus Young of AC/DC does a guitar solo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nKe7JZ41GI

 

[4Ryan6]

If you like drum solos ( and I do as well ! ) you should check out Rush. No one and I mean no one has a drum kit like Neil Peart. This is even smaller than the last time I saw them when he had bells in the setup too. Neil does a solo every show they play like Angus Young of AC/DC does a guitar solo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nKe7JZ41GI

That was fantastic! Thank You!

 

[ex_bubblehead]

He's good, but NONE of them can hold a stick to this gentleman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9esWG6A6g-k
Keep in mind that he's well into his [strike]70's[/strike] 60's (He left us in '87 at age 69) in this video.


And, if you're still not convinced: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_SSmsF_RGw

My high school jazz ensemble had the honor of playing behind him back in the mid 70's. He could drive a band like no other.