What was the most memorable concert you ever attended and why? Who was it, were was it?
I think my "most" memorable was in the summer of 73 when I saw Hot Tuna st The Capital in Passaic NJ..
They played so long that when they finally said goodnight the sun had already risen. Amazing 9 hours.

King Crimson , Nov 21, 1969 ,Early show at the Filmore East..

Open for Joe Cocker/Grease Band and the original Fleetwood Mac with Peter Green.
I wouldn't say Crimso blew the other guys away but I never saw an opening act have such an effect on the rest of the show. People couln't belive what they heard that nite. THe dynamics and power (not volume) was something to behold. Some say they were the first proggers.

Edgar Winter at a local nite club. Maybe 400 people there. I was so close I could have tied his shoes. This was about 25 years ago. Stage was chest high.

I also recall seeing King Crimson right after the release of "Starless and Bible Black" at the Boston Music Hall. They were on top of their game that night. I later read (a year or so ago) that it was considered one of their best ever performances.

The Mothers, Carnegie Hall, New York, 1971

I'm not generally a concert person, so I haven't gone to many. Best was probably a Hot Tuna split acoustic/electric show at the Regent in Arlington, MA about a year ago. For some guys in their 60s they still can rock. Tiny little place--I was in the balcony almost on top of the stage.

1977 Led Zeppelin at the Capital Centre in D.C. Four of us has 2nd row Center. we were all 16 and it had to be the concert of our lives (ge may have had something to do with it!).

I had a beautiful young lady beside me and she was enjoying our "Refreshments" and ignoring the guy she was with. She did not even share with him.

It was just an unbelievable concert for us and I still have my ticket stub somewhere.

A very close 2nd was The Allman Brothers and YES at about the same time but my hazed memory of Zep will remain with me for the rest of my days.

The Mothers, Carnegie Hall, New York, 1971
As I recall that was a fairly unusual/controversal show for Carnegie Hall.
I think they went with it based on zappa's clasical training.

Memorable as if I can remember...hmm

The were many but, ZZ Top at the Cow Place in the late 70s. It was definitely a trip.

Best ever for me was YES at The Fabulous Forum...In The Round concert..
Second is them again, but in modern form with Trevor Rabin at MSG in NYC...one of the 4 or 5 sold out shows in a row....

Richard Thompson solo...what a gift that man has...

California Guitar Quartet at Michigan State Univ..I just had to walk 30 yds from the graduate school dorms...best guitar ensemble ever....

King Crimson in the late 90's in Detroit with the double trios...

BUT, there is no forgetting Steve Howe when he is pumped up at the helm of a ES-175D widebody axe..

1977 Led Zeppelin at the Capital Centre in D.C. Four of us has 2nd row Center. we were all 16 and it had to be the concert of our lives (ge may have had something to do with it!).

I had a beautiful young lady beside me and she was enjoying our "Refreshments" and ignoring the guy she was with. She did not even share with him.

It was just an unbelievable concert for us and I still have my ticket stub somewhere.

A very close 2nd was The Allman Brothers and YES at about the same time but my hazed memory of Zep will remain with me for the rest of my days.

:yes: memories

As I recall that was a fairly unusual/controversal show for Carnegie Hall.
I think they went with it based on zappa's clasical training.

Hot Tuna did a show there around 1972-74. I used to have a recording--totally off the wall.

Two. Lots in between, but these two stand out.

Iron Butterfly at the Rainbow Ballroom in Fresno, California. Had to be about '67 or so, maybe later. I really don't remember exactly. No jokes! It was a small place, and I was sitting on the floor in front of the stage. The drum solo for Innagadadavida was real, complete with lots of sweat. I'll never forget it.

And, two weeks ago, the Patricia Barber Quartet at the McAninch Arts Center at the College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Illinois. Breathtaking. Mesmerizing. Amazing. I'll never forget it.

I've seen so many that's difficult to narrow it down.

Rock: Cheap Trick and Rush in 1977 I think. It was at the old Rockford, Illinois armory and Cheap Trick who was just about to release their first record opened for Rush who was on their "All the World's a Stage" tour. Cheap trick, who was a local favorite just came out blazing and left Rush in an untenable spot. Best opener ever.

AC/DC and Aerosmith in 1979 in Salt Lake City. AC/DC was touring for "If You Want Blood" and Aerosmith for "Cal Jam 2". Again a case of the opened being so good that the headliner didn't quite what to do. Stephen Tyler was sitting jus a couple of rows from us for most of AC/DC.

Jazz: Wayne Shorter a couple of years ago following his "Footprints Live" release and playing the music that was to be "Beyond the Sound Barrier".

And also a couple of year ago "Directions in Music" with Herbie Hancock, Roy Hargrove, John Patitucci, Brian Blade and lastly and certainly not least we will miss him Michael Brecker. Michael was fabulous that night. Both of these concerts were in Eugene, Oregon.

Classical: Oregon Bach Festival a couple of years ago for Golijov's "La Pasion Segun San Marcos", with the original Orchestra, cast and conductor from the Hanssler Classic release. Wonderful night of music.

Well I've already said too much! Portland Jazz Festival in a couple of weeks, new memories await.

It was 1975, 1976 or 1977, I think. It was in summer - a very hot summer. It was one, maybe even the first, of a series of outdoor concerts held in or around Chicago under the title "The World Series of Rock". This particular concert was held in Comiskey Park, home of the Chicago White Sox, in the heart of one of Chicago's (notorious) South Side neighborhoods, Bridgeport. We won't even go into that aspect of this day of music.

The concert's card included the newly Roy Buchanan-ified Jeff Beck, supporting "Blow by Blow" or "Wired", maybe even both of those LPs, one or more lesser entities whose identities I've long-since forgotten, and that late-70s "toxic twins" drug-bloated version of Aerosmith. This was and remains the worst concert I have ever seen, heard and otherwise experienced, and for so many reasons.

1. The PA sucked during Jeff Beck, who my brother and I came principally to see & hear, not being Aerosmith fans. (We preferred Blue Oyster Cult & that sound)

2. The bands that opened & played before Beck (better make that "Jeff Beck
for the youngsters who might be reading this... "Today's" Beck was just 5 or 6 years old at the time this took place) were awful, or at least they weren't memorable. (Probably some young up & coming acts on Columbia records, Aerosmith's and (Jeff) Beck's label during the late 70s)

3. There was Aerosmith: too loud, too stoned and, though the PA output had magically increased to a deafening level, even for an outdoor venue, the sound still sucked. But it could have been their playing.

4. Kids, young adults & oldsters, all were severely dehydrated & fighting for refreshments on the field, in the washrooms and in the stands.

5. Two fires erupted: One on the field at around "Second Base", the other in the Lower mezzanine portion of the stands, left field / third base side.

It was a day in hell, but excepted for those opening acts, it was a most memorable concert "experience".

As I recall that was a fairly unusual/controversal show for Carnegie Hall.
I think they went with it based on zappa's clasical training.


I don't think they "went with it" ever again. When we brought the band back for the second encore, Frank came out by himself, and explained that the management at the hall told him he'd have to pay an additional $600 if he wanted to use the hall past midnight. We all started putting our coats on. Frank announced "I'd be HAPPY to pay $600 to play for you people some more!" The place went apeshit, the band came back onstage, Frank leaned into the mic and said, "This song is dedicated to the pr!ck in the back counting the overtime money."

That concert was sandwiched in between two other great Mothers shows that I attended, The Fillmore East June 1971 show (the album), and the concert at Stonybrook University out on Long Island (fellow AKer "Nitrous" who is completely out of his mind and a real good guy was there also). The repertoire was basically the same at all three shows, but Carnegie Hall sticks out because of the hall acoustics (they hadn't re-done the hall it and dicked it up yet), and because Frank was CLEARLY pleased to be playing there. PLUS, The Persuasions were the warm-up band and we didn't boo them off the stage, in fact, we brought them out for a couple encores. Not booing them off the stage may have been a first for the New York City Mother's fans. In 1973 we heaved The Bob Seger System out of The Felt Forum before he finished his opening song. It was sublime.

Hot Tuna did a show there around 1972-74. I used to have a recording--totally off the wall.

At Carnegie? I didn't think that I had missed a Tuna show in the Northeast during that time frame. Electric, acoustic or both?

I work in a theater so I see my share of concerts. Mostly I am not impressed with what I see. I prefer the studio sound to live. There are, however, 3 concerts that have impressed me. #1 was my very first concert. It was James Taylor at the Electric Factory in downtown Philadelphia in 1969, I think. It was his "Sweet Baby James" Tour. It was a small intimate space and all seats were close to the stage. He played all his greats. The second was again JT at the Arena in Orlando. I expected the sound to be horrible. Instead, the concert was great and the audio was some of the cleanest, most tasteful sounding concert audio I have ever heard. The third was a George Benson concert at the theater where I work in the early 80s. It was well produced, well lit, sounded great and had a theater that was packed with the most beautiful women I have ever seen in the audience at one time, in 27 years of working in this theater and I got paid to see it.

Did you catch Hot Tuna at Fordham U. in The Bronx? I did. Wasn't supposed to. Might have been the late, late 60's. Jefferson Airplane was who I bought tickets to see. Jorma and Jack is all that showed. People were VERY pissed. About a two hour subway ride from Brooklyn to The Bronx? I want to hear drums.

Supposedly their first concert performance as Hot Tuna.

A "Day on the Green" at the Oakland Coleseum late 70s or early 80s.

Bow wow wow
Ramones
At least 6 or 7 other bands, that I long since forgotten
Topped off with the Stones dropping thousands of ping pong balls with their logo from a helicopter.
12 hour music marathon with 30,000+ crazies.

Bob James and Earl Klugh. Circle Star Theater. Front row seats, 3 feet away from the stage in civilized comfort.

Santana, Pat Benetar, Dixie Dregs, Elvin Bishop, Soft White Under Belly, John Lee Hooker in small intimate Bay Area clubs.

Berlin in a San Diego bowling alley.

Jefferson Starship at a backyard BBQ of a company I worked at two years ago.

Marshall Tucker Band and Lynard Skynard at DAR Constitution Hall in DC in the 70s. All concert memorries are of the one you were with, or the one you forgot you were with - it was a great night as best I can remember. Also Gino Vannelli at the Sheraton in Silver Spring about the same time there were maybe 50 people in the small lounge but his band was very electronic and impressive.
Ahhh the good times!!!:banana: :banana:

What a great thread !!!

RUSH - PRESTO TOUR
June 22, 1990 - Fiddlers' Green Amphitheatre. Englewood, Colorado

We had 6th row just left of center stage tickets, pretty dang good seats for standing in line for 8 hours when the tickets went on sale. Half way through the first song (Spirit of the radio) the crowd rushed the stage… spilled my full beer and man I was ticked off. I seemed to get over it pretty darn quick when I realized that I was using the stage to help myself stand back up. Man, what a show… 3 + hours literally standing at the feet of Alex Lifeson… :ntwrthy: going to be pretty dang tough to top that one for me anyways !!!

In 1973 we heaved The Bob Seger System out of The Felt Forum before he finished his opening song. It was sublime.
I knew there was something I liked about you.


Carl

Mine would be James Brown in 2004, De La Soul in 2002, and...Mocking Shadows in 2002 (but that one was probably assisted by the LSD :) )

Seeing "Funkadelic" was pretty cool too, but most of the band couldn't make it across the border.

George Thorogood played at my sisters club in 81 or 82 on his 50-50 tour. He play small clubs in every state. Started in Alaska then Hawaii then crisscrossed the US. 50 states in as many days. I had front and center table which was butted up against the stage. Was in Moorhead Mn. He was at the top of his game then. Great show and awesome party.

I hear you Carl. However, he did get the last laugh a few years later with The Silver Bullet Band (which wasn't any better than what we booed off the stage)........... by selling about a trillion albums. I do laugh whenever I hear that Chevy commercial though. "Liiiiike a rock".

On the other hand, from what I see posted above, Jefferson Starship will soon be doing supermarket and car dealership openings. Sad what happened to The Airplane.

Id have to say the best performance I saw was Richard Thompson and T Bone Burnett at the Palace In Hollywood,in 1984.Two great artists near the top of their game.

The best "show" was probably the Budfest at the Rose Bowl in 1982.Third World,Frankie Beverly and Maze,Quincy Jones with his whole crew,including Patty Austin and James Ingram and Michael Jackson,Luther Vandross,Ashford and Simpson,Aretha Franklin,and Stevie Wonder.Wow.

The best"Opening Acts Upstaging the Headliners" had to be The ROlling Stones at the LA Collesium in 1981.Already past their prime and mailing in their performances most nights,they were preceded by Prince,and by George Thourogood and the Destroyers.Prince didnt go over that well with the rock crowd,even though I thought he did a great rocking show.But GT definetly got everyone going.
Jimmy

But Supertramp in their last tour (1983?) was a sonic treat.

I recall walking up to the sound board and asking who the warmup band was...

In a very thick and indignant British accent, the reply was "There will be no warmup band."

When the guitar solo kicked in during "Goodbye Stranger" toward the end of song, The energy and sound was incredible.

Like KingBubba, I prefer the studio sound to live and have only ever been to three pop/rock concerts. Of the three, the best was back in early '77 at my college, Case Western Reserve in Cleveland. Al Stewart came right after his hit "Year Of The Cat," and naturally performed it along with his other stuff. I liked all his music (and still do) and the concert was really a blast.

Of course, this thread doesn't specify the type of music. Also on campus was Severance Hall where the Cleveland Orchestra played. Seeing Yitzak Pearlman perform up close (students got the front row seats that nobody else wanted) was truly a thrill.

"" The next concert that we will see will probably be the wiggles :scratch2: ""

LMAO !!! How true !!!

:lmao:

Best bang for buck and arena fun: Bruce Springsteen River Tour at UT/Austin. Opened with Ernest Tubb's "Waltz Across Texas" and about 4.5 hours and three encores later we went home. Exhausted.

Early 70s I got to see John Mayall when he had jazz man Blue Mitchell in his group. He came on, told the light man where to set the lights and said, "You can go home now." And played blues/jazz fusion for about 2-plus hours.

Took about two weeks for the nuclear guitar buzzing to calm down in my head after I saw the Outlaws ("Green Grass and High Tides) and 38 Special opening.

Roy Buchanan at the Armadillo World Headquarters made me want to give up hacking around on the guitar. Asleep At The Wheel there is lost to the "mists" of time.

Big big time with The Blasters opening for Joe Ely Band in early '80s at the National Guard building in Austin. The Blasters were supporting their first album, and they had the great Lee Allen (Little Richard, et. al) on sax. Man, did they rock! Ely band came out and met the challenge with a killer set, and then they all shared the stage for some songs and encores. It was crazy fun.

Saw Heart in a small student union at New Mexico State when they were just starting out. Also The Nighthawks and George Thorogood -- back when he'd play everyone into the ground. We had a great student booking group.

At Carnegie? I didn't think that I had missed a Tuna show in the Northeast during that time frame. Electric, acoustic or both?

From Tunabase. I also have the recording somewhere, billed as such independantly. The soundboard tape mix was a little fouled up, so you basically hear the drums and Jack wailing away on what I think was his Alembic 001. Heavy electric. "Eat Starch Mom" is a weird addition, since that was a song Grace did the lyrics to with JA.

04-03-72
Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
w/Papa John Creach, Sammy Piazza
Opening act: Mick Greenwood Band

Set 1:
True Religion
I Know You Rider
Hesitation Blues
Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning
Rock Me Baby
John's Other

Set 2:
Uncle Sam Blues
Keep On Truckin'
Sea Child
Trial By Fire
Down Home Blues
Feel So Good
Baby What You Want Me To Do
Eat Starch Mom

royal oak theater around 1983
honorable mentions
roy buchanan-el macombo toronto-1979
jethro tull- thick as a brick-1973 cobo hall -air conditioned
pink floyd - dark side of the moon-cobo hall
allman bro band-post dwain-cobo hall
al dimeola-royal oak
billy cobham-royal oak
howlin wolf-fry fogals ( london bar-1973)
james cotton-fry fogals
johnny winters-cobo hall
edgar winters-cobo hall
john mayall- centennial hall london
zappa mothers-london arena
spiro gyra-medow brook
bb king-alumni hall london-1974
eric clapton ( jimmi vaghan warm up band) maple leaf gardens 1993

There are 3 that I could never choose between:

(a) Black Sabbath, Philadelphia, 1980 - Heaven and Hell tour. Ronnie James Dio as lead vocalist. I had gone to Penn in Philly to see my brother graduate college, and we spied this concert a block away from his apartment on a night that we didn't have any plans. The setting was this very heavy concrete stadium and Sabbath's concert left my fillings ringing for 3 days, and it took 4 days for my hearing to return fully. Yea, that was a good 'un.

(b) Al Di Meola, John McGlaughlin and Paco De Lucia at PennState ~1981 playing the Friday Night Live in SF tour. Very memorable. Some of the best guitar playing you'll ever see.

And (c) George Winston, ~1999. He used to come to Juneau every other winter and play at the high school auditorium. He played some solo piano from his Winter CD that almost had me in tears. The music was magical and the acoustics did not detract in the least. It's about as good as it gets.

Oh, and every Rush and Scorpions tour I've ever been at ....

1972-Alice Cooper(Killer tour) Also on the bill and both quite memorable Doctor John and Edgar Winter White Trash. This was at Cobo Hall in Detroit. Great performances by all!

I hear you Carl. However, he did get the last laugh a few years later with The Silver Bullet Band (which wasn't any better than what we booed off the stage)........... by selling about a trillion albums. I do laugh whenever I hear that Chevy commercial though. "Like a rock".

On the other hand, from what I see posted above, Jefferson Starship will soon be doing supermarket and car dealership openings. Sad what happened to The Airplane.


Back in the day, 74 I think, I was at the Boston Music Hall for a Jefferson Starship show that was actually very inspiring. Peter Kaukonen played bass that night. He also had an album out around that time, I believe it was called Black Kangaroo. An interesting piece with very disturbing album art. Now I think this qualifies as trivia? ;)

From Tunabase. I also have the recording somewhere, billed as such independantly. The soundboard tape mix was a little fouled up, so you basically hear the drums and Jack wailing away on what I think was his Alembic 001. Heavy electric. "Eat Starch Mom" is a weird addition, since that was a song Grace did the lyrics to with JA.

Thanks for the reply. I had not been to Tunabase but just paid a visit. I realized that I had been to theaters who's names I had long forgotten. It's also interesting to know where you on a a specific date and time; previously nondescript. "Eat Starch Mom" must have been special! Now however I'll like spend the rest of the day at Tunebase shaking my memory.
Thanks for the link, don't know how I'll explain to the family why I can't leave the keyboard!

Guess I still have to call up Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt in Johnson City, TN in 1988. While moderately wine-drunk, Townes' voice was still very strong at that time, and performing live, Guy sends most other performers home early.

I would have to say "Queen" at Cobo Hall in Detroit......maybe 76 :smoke:
No other performer I've seen had Freddie Mercury's stage charisma....Outstanding !!! :D
I remember Freddie throwing out a couple of tambourines and the guy who caught the second one got clotheslined by some over exuberant/drunk asshole who wanted it more.
That was my first concert in the big Motor City.
God help you if you had to crap, I remember the stalls had hookers in them with dangerous looking pimps stationed outside the doors....sorry, maybe thats too much info :sigh:
The concert is emblazoned in my memory still, miss that Freddie's work.
Other concerts of mention:
AC/DC on their Back In Black comback tour (after Bon Scott's death) at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit....hmmmm 79 or maybe 80 but possibly 81 :smoke: :smoke:
Angus Young is the act, make no mistake.
If he wasn't jumping off impossibly high speaker columns, he was doing the Curly Pinwheel or, the topper, being carried through the crowd by 4, or was it more ?, huge muscle heads, two to carry, two to keep the crowd off, while he was still kicking out the licks on his guitar.
A guy from highschool wrestling, Ken Fisher I think, was seated right behind me and let us share his binoculars to get a better look at the performance.....talk about High Voltage....doh .....:D
And of course the Stones Steel Wheels Tour at the Pontiac Silverdome, I think sometime around the AC/DC concert....
Largest indoor concert ever at that time.
Opening acts were:
Iggy Pop who was unfortunately booed off the stage.
Santana who performed a rockin tribute to Zeppelin because Bonham had just passed :sigh:
And then the Stones.....Mick never stopped moving the entire concert, entire band still intact......beautiful.....
:thmbsp:

And then the Stones.....Mick never stopped moving the entire concert :thmbsp:

"Cocaine is a powerful drug."

-Rick James-

"Cocaine is a powerful drug."

-Rick James-

:lmao:

King Crimson , Nov 21, 1969 ,Early show at the Filmore East..

Open for Joe Cocker/Grease Band and the original Fleetwood Mac with Peter Green.
I wouldn't say Crimso blew the other guys away but I never saw an opening act have such an effect on the rest of the show. People couln't belive what they heard that nite. THe dynamics and power (not volume) was something to behold. Some say they were the first proggers.

Now THAT, in my book, would have been a memorable concert from the Court of the Crimson King and Wake of Poseidon era--powerful stuff, especially if their Mellotron was working. Robert Fripp had a name for their early Mellotron that was a source of constant breakdowns on stage, and I can't print it here, but it rhymes with "st-ack st-itch".

For me, too many memorable concerts to list here, but one would certainly be the second coming of King Crimson at the Syracuse Memorial Theater (recently restored Egyptian Revival architecture adding to the evening) in 1981 in support of their Discipline LP. Fripp, Bruford, Belew & Levin (with a Chapman Stick). True musicians, front row center, excellent music and a great concert. They played a whole bunch of early work, they had a Mellotron, Fripp used tape loops (dressed in a suit!), and they played quite a bit from their "Red" LP, Larks Tongue in Aspic, Starless and Bible Black, Islands. A very long concert and the small packed house crowd were all just thrilled.

The early (pre-1975) Genesis concerts were pretty special too (as were the later with the lasers and mirrors), including my first viewing of "Supper's Ready", and even one of Steve Hackett's early breakaway concerts to support Spectral Mornings.

Oh...just last year after eons of buying his work. I had a thrilling chance to see Allan Holdsworth in Northampton, MA at the Iron Horse Cafe. All I can say of that concert--STUNNING!

Beck, Bogert and Appice, Park Center, Charlotte 1972

very honorable mention

Dixie Dreggs, 1849 Tavern, Statesville 1977

small venues are the absolute best places to see great bands.

big box venues...Led Zepplin

1972 Black Dog Tour
1975 Physical Graffetti Tour
1977 Presence Tour

The Boss put on a few fine shows as well.

I am surprised no Dead Head fans are chiming in??

Krazyknuc,

It probably was a fantastic show, but in 1976 Brian Jones had been dead for about 7 years. Not a very intact Rolling Stones.

I have been lucky to see all kinds of great shows so I will just briefly mention a few standouts.

Stones 1982 @ the Capital Centre. It was the Stones and I was a teenager in the second row. Says it all.

Zappa 1988 @ the Warner Theater. Another second row seat at a mesmerizing show.

Roger McGuinn 1986 @ my college coffee house. Just him and a 12 string acoustic doing lots of Byrds and everything in between.

Grateful Dead 1988 @ the Capital Centre. Best second set I ever saw. My late friend and I with some good organics.

Too many others to mention.

Emerson Lake and Palmer. I forget the year but they played Madison Square Garden with a 100 piece symphonic orchestra. Then Queen, also at the Garden, when during the last show they had nude girls ride aound the stage on bicycles during the Bicycle Race song, and lastly Pink Floyd at the Nassau Colliseum, because some guy offered me $2,500 for my tickets on the way in and because it was such a fantastic show :banana: :banana: :banana:

#1-Ten Years After-1988 Anti Wahnsihnns (Nukes) Festival-West Germany

#Runner Up-Arlo Guthrie-Greensboro, NC He did the WHOLE "Alices Restaurant" WORD FOR WORD!!

I'm jealous of all you guys who got to see Zepplin, Yes, King Crimson, Floyd, Queen ect in their heyday. I'm a youngin' so I feel a little out of place in this thread.

My most memorable was last September (2006) when I saw the Flaming Lips in Oklahoma City. It was an outdoor concert on a balmy end-of-summer night. A cool breeze made the atmosphere in the mass of people really nice. The crowd was great. It was full of energy, but not annoyingly ruckus. The Flaming Lips were amazing. They are known for their imaginative performances, and this particular night they were debuting their new UFO show in their hometown. To start the show Wayne (the lead singer) rolled into the crowed in a big bubble from a UFO lowered from way up in the stage battens. The show was filled with a lot of great positive energy (well except for the old guy next to me who looked like he was reluctantly doing a concert review). I left covered in confetti with a smile on my face.

If you have a chance to go to a Flaming Lips show, and you like their music at all, I highly recommend taking the opportunity.

Best bang for buck and arena fun: Bruce Springsteen River Tour at UT/Austin. Opened with Ernest Tubb's "Waltz Across Texas" and about 4.5 hours and three encores later we went home. Exhausted.

----------------------------------

Roy Buchanan at the Armadillo World Headquarters made me want to give up hacking around on the guitar. Asleep At The Wheel there is lost to the "mists" of time.

Saw that Springsteen show - definitely had that Erwin Center rocking:yes:

Best show at the Armadillo? Let me see if I can remember................er, seems to be a problem there.:smoke:

Probably the most memorable from the perspective that it was my first date with my wife was The Beach Boys, July 4, 1987 in Zilker Park, Austin, TX. Fireworks during their break, then the Austin Symphony fireworks show a couple of miles down the road happening during their last few numbers, exploding above the stage.

Alan

Boy, I used to spend a lot of money on concerts and saw lots of great bands, but here are some of the outstanding ones in no particular order.

Springsteen, back before he was "BRUCE!!", The Milwaukee Bomb Scare concert @ The Uptown Theater. Played until 2:30AM after we came back at midnight.

Rory Gallagher at a bar named Humpin' Hannas. Sat 3 tables from the stage.

Leon Russell in the 70s after Bangla Desh @ some big Chicago Arena. Wimmen was rushing the stage BIG TIME :yes:

Grateful Dead @ The Milwaukee Auditorium in the early 70s

Richard Thompson last summer at a Detroit Festival, the best sound EVER!!

And my first rock concert ever, The Doors, when I was 16

geez soo many concerts that were just sooooo damn good

the old academy of music in NYC saw Spooky Tooth, Strawbs then King Crimson... when strawbs were on I kept saying..who are these guys...next day I went out and bought all their vinyl todate that was in 1974,

Yes and the Felt Forum after the Tales album holy moly they were freaking great.

saw Annie Haslam/Renaissance at the Academy of Music and I think every man in the place was In love with her certainly "aroused" she was that hot and the woman can sing. she was wearing a white gauzy thing and she was backlit and just a singing and swaying..I can still see her and shiver.Al Stewart opened for them and no one wanted him to leave the stage.

great times great bands i was privileged to bear witness to it all

I think the most I ever paid was 14.50 ONCE,lol geez louise

I have been lucky to see all kinds of great shows so I will just briefly mention a few standouts.

Stones 1982 @ the Capital Centre. It was the Stones and I was a teenager in the second row. Says it all.

Zappa 1988 @ the Warner Theater. Another second row seat at a mesmerizing show.

Roger McGuinn 1986 @ my college coffee house. Just him and a 12 string acoustic doing lots of Byrds and everything in between.

Grateful Dead 1988 @ the Capital Centre. Best second set I ever saw. My late friend and I with some good organics.

Too many others to mention.

I was 14, and just a couple of years to young to go to the Stones show.
I'll bet the seat wasn't that much either.
I saw Miles Davis at Pier Six in Baltimore, in 1986.
I saw Aerosmith in the fourth row at the Capitol Center in 1988. Paid $12.50. Face Value.
I saw Dewey Redman at the Unitarian Church on Charles St. in Baltimore in 2000. And I met, and spoke with him. He was a sort of an indifferent person. Sort of the way I felt Miles Davis was. Miles could be a total jerk, but I never personally experienced it.

Areosmoth and Rush 1974, they both just released their second albums. I think are both 2 of their best. Could of pulled any of them off the stage. Was in the pit at the Morris Civic in South Bend, IN. If anyones ever been there then you know how great of a place this was back then. Still is but no pit anymore.
Close second, Cal Jam II/ what a fight it was to get and stay up front at that place. Good thing I was a Marine and in great shape!

I have one that has always stood out for me - CSNY's opening concert of their 1974 reunion tour - July 9th in Seattle. Back together after splitting up in 1970.

They had a 44 song playlist, apparently they'd never figured out in rehersal that this would take a LONG time to play, and at 12:30am they decided to keep on playing and played nearly 5 hours until nearly 2am to a rapt audience of 15,000 at Seattle Center. It was surreal. I remember sitting up off the floor in the mezzanine section, and pinching myself to believe I was really seeing this super group performing together in person for so long into the night - basically all the songs in their catalog, including a beautiful acoustic set and soaring harmonies. :tresbon:

Rolling Stone review of the Seattle Tour opener here: http://www.suitelorraine.com/suitelorraine/Pages/csny74.html

Paul Simon, Madison Square Garden, 1992 is the one that sticks in my mind.

On a much smaller scale, the Pousette-Dart Band (with Livingston Taylor as warm up band) at the Paradise in Boston in 1977.

On the classical front, the Cleveland Orchestra playing Mahler's first symphony at Boston's Symphony Hall sometime in the '80s.

Rolling Stone review of the Seattle Tour opener here: http://www.suitelorraine.com/suitelo...es/csny74.html

Great SSN&Y review and thanks for sharing.:thmbsp:

The Clash, opened by Joe Ely, Aragon Ballroom, Dallas Tx, sometime in 1982, band playing 10 feet away, directly in front of me, and i've got the tinnitis today to prove it!!

...the Capital Centre in D.C...RIP. :(

And my first rock concert ever, The Doors, when I was 16

What a way to start adult life!!:smoke: That must have been absolutely jaw dropping at that age, and in that time.:music:


:zoom: :yippy: :smilemad: :jawdrop: :grnbounce: :grnbounce ::jawdrop: :smilemad: :yippy: :zoom:

Pink Floyd, 1988, Oakland Stadium. I sat in the rain and dident care. David Gilmore sticking his head out into the rain and yelling FU*K at the top of his lungs..............priceless, I'll never forget it.

I've seen waaay to many shows over the years....mostly The Dead, going back to 1966.
My very first concert had to be the most memorable....Golden Gate Park '66. Sons of Champlan and THEM (Van Morrison). My cousin said, before the show, "Here put this in your mouth".... little orange barrel.

Saw the Dead play for 40 people at my College (Alfred U) in '69.

An unheard of Jethro Tull opening for the Original Jeff Beck group in '68.

John Lennon playing with Elton John at the Garden in '73

The Stones at My Fathers Place in '75

john lee hooker at club lingere in about 1986. held his whiskey while he signed my photograph...:thmbsp:

Best was Pink Floyd in the HHH metrodome. The fans screaming was the loudest thing I have ever heard in my life. Here in fargo we had an all day affair with Foghat, Molly Hatchet, Head East, Iron Butterfly, REO Speedwagon (they sucked) Cheap Trick, and Badfinger that was pretty cool.

The best concert sound I've ever heard, believe it or not, was Nickel Creek.

Rolling Stone review of the Seattle Tour opener here: http://www.suitelorraine.com/suitelo...es/csny74.html

Great SSN&Y review and thanks for sharing.:thmbsp:

Thanks, glad to share... I checked with my brother who also went to show with a few of his friends, and he recalled laying outside at Seattle Center on the grass after the show (this was at 2am). I remember reading somewhere that by 1am the police were beginning to make noises about the lateness of the show, curfew, etc. with the concert organizers. :smoke:

Yes at Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, 1976.

Lineup was Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Alan White and Patrick Moraz.

Sitting in line with good friends, smoking prodigious amounts of excellent weed, drinking a few beers. Kicking back in the warm sun. Good times for sure. :scratch2:

I saw Yes at least another dozen times or more, but that first show will always be "the one." :yes:

Other highlights (too numerous to mention them all): Genesis (before they turned into a "pop" band); Peter Gabriel several solo tours; Emerson Lake and Palmer (14 shows); Rush; The Cars (for the tours to support their first three albums); Renaissance (Radio City); Richard Shindell; Albert King, John Mayall, Mick Taylor, Bo Diddly; Hot Tuna, electric and acoustic tours; the Clash (their last show at the Orpheum in Boston); Government Mule (best seats ever -- 4th row directly in front of Warren); Derek Trucks Band in small club settings, twice; Allman Brothers (with Warren Haynes and Allen Woody, and numerous other lineups); Bruce Springsteen, Born in the USA tour, Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA; the Dead, last show played by Phish; Santana at the Cape Cod Coliseum, etc, etc.

And every time I say I'm finished doing live shows, I find myself buying tickets to another show.

Pink Floyd (The Wall Tour) at the Nassau Coliseum. I sat front row and it was more of a show than a concert really.

"Yes" Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, 1976.

Lineup was Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Alan White and Patrick Moraz.

Sitting in line with good friends, smoking prodigious amounts of excellent weed, drinking a few beers. Kicking back in the warm sun. Good times for sure. :scratch2:

I saw Yes at least another dozen times or more, but that first show will always be "the one." :yes:

Amen brother....!

Hell, I don't think I can just limit to one.........Paul McCartney in ?? 1985 Washington, DC.

C,S,N.........Eagles (Hotel California tour).......Supertramp 1977 (the first of three times)....Bruce Springsteen (Tunnel of Love tour) where he played for 3-1/3 hours.

Notables:

Billy Joel
Chicago
Aerosmith (3 times)
Beach Boys
Marshall Tucker
Allman Bros
Van Halen
Little River Band
Eric Clapton
Jimmy Buffet (3 times)
Santana (4 times)
RFK Stadium........Ted Nugent, Nazareth, Lynyrd Skynrd

A good place to start?


Peter Gabriel-security tour 83,Paramount-Seattle
U2-War tour,paramount again
Pink floyd's-"Wish the Animals were here" tour- 78
Led zepplin-3 nights L.A. forum 77
Jean luc ponty-open mind tour-Seattle
Pat metheny Group-as falls witchita tour-seattle
Tom waits-Paramount-seattle
Shadowfax-U of W-83
Gary newman (in cars)great show
Neil young in a local club I tended bar at!
Jonny winter here in P.T. last fall
David lindley a favorite
Ten years after w/ rory galleger
Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow
Mahogony rush opened for Rush at the santa monica civic,the 1st time I saw Ted nugent was there too!
Stevie Ray vaughn & joe cocker at the gorge in george
Cowboy Junkies-trinity tour
God it goes on,I wonder how much dough I spent
just on tickets,not to mention transpo,food lodging
and other assorted required materials???
thanks for making me look back-Sluggo!

I got in a fight with a huge drunken Marine in front of the stage Cheap Trick was playing on in 1982. They stopped the show to watch me get my clock cleaned. That was pretty memorable.

I got in a fight with a huge drunken Marine in front of the stage Cheap Trick was playing on in 1982. They stopped the show to watch me get my clock cleaned. That was pretty memorable.


That's pretty funny, I had to pull a civilian off of my drunken Marine friend who was getting his ass kicked at a Scorpions concert in San Diego back in 1983. Good times.

Probably saved same said Marines life at the 1983 US festival. Judas Priest came on, stage rush, he fell, I managed to scoop him up... Good times.

Oh yeah, Van Halen Headlined that one. Only time I've ever left a VH concert before it was finished. Not so good.

Speaking of memorable (or NOT).....David Bowie @ the Cow Palace in Frisco back in Winter 1976. Bunch of us Veterans went and bought Tequila.....so I remembered the 1st song, and the last song when the lights came up.

Puked my guts out.........still, I think it was fun! (lol)