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Best concert

François Pugh

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The bucket list got me thinking.
What's the best concert you can remember (guess that rules out woodstock ;) )"? and why?

For me it has to be Heavy MTL 2014. https://www.heavymontreal.com/en/relive/2014
For a lot of reasons: first concert in a long long time; people I was with; introduction to the mosh pit; first concert where the booze comes to you....much Vodka and Monster (and beer to rehydrate); no injuries, many great bands (see link) that all played superbly, etc. etc. etc...
 

tch

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Lucinda Williams in Torrington, CT sometime in 1999 right after Car Wheels on a Gravel Road came out. She was 1.5 hours late, so drunk she could barely stand. She stumbled up to the mic, and slurred out "what am I supposed to do?" Someone yelled, "Just sing, damnit!" and the band kicked in behind her. They went two hours straight without even giving her a chance to stop between songs. As one song wound down, three guitar techs would run out and give the musicians new instruments, the drummer would count off the new rhythm, and off they'd go.

The band was INCREDIBLY tight, and they ran off extended versions of everything. I was so pissed at the wait, but then I couldn't stop grinning at the beauty of the whole thing. Memorable forever.
 

dbostedo

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I've been to so many punk, ska, rock, and festival shows it's hard to pick... some of my favorites have been small shows from bands that may not even be my favorites, but were great and/or fun live. Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, Tune-Yards, Pearl Jam, Parliament, 2 Skinnee J's, Pietasters, Coldplay, Dave Matthews solo, N.E.R.D., Bouncing Souls, Chvrches, and on and on (probably another 50-60 groups/bands at festivals).

The ones I didn't like actually stick in my head more - Metallica was poor - mainly because the sound in the arena was terrible. And Jay-Z was terrible... mainly because he spent a lot of time bringing out his friends and promoting their albums. And the hit songs he has were done in a few minute medley at the expense of him doing more new stuff or unknown stuff. (Maybe his hardcore fans liked it more.)
 

KingGrump

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Travis Tritt solo acoustic at the St. George Theater in Staten Island last year.
Just Travis, a chair and a couple of guitars on stage. About 25 feet away. Felt like he was in my living room.
That boy can sing. Simply amazing performance. No bullshit. No gimmicks.
 

SpikeDog

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Sometimes the sound can be crummy for sure - Page and Plant in the 90's was meh due to the Delta Center in SLC's shitty acoustics. Kasmir turned to mud in that echo chamber.

The best one that sticks in my mind was an all day festival in the early 80's at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. The Babies, Eddie Money, Santana, and maybe Heart (not entirely sure, as many concerts there all blend together, could have been the Dio fronted Black Sabbath). The reason it sticks in my mind was this: I'd gotten a horrible sunburn bodysurfing the day before. The first time I ever used sunscreen (a burly SPF 15), it got me through the whole day in the sun. Mind you, it wasn't a common product at the time, and I thought I was going to be miserable - not!
 

SpikeDog

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Sometimes the sound can be crummy for sure - Page and Plant in the 90's was meh due to the Delta Center in SLC's shitty acoustics. Kasmir turned to mud in that echo chamber.

The best one that sticks in my mind was an all day festival in the early 80's at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. The Babies, Eddie Money, Santana, and maybe Heart (not entirely sure, as many concerts there all blend together, could have been the Dio fronted Black Sabbath). The reason it sticks in my mind was this: I'd gotten a horrible sunburn bodysurfing the day before. The first time I ever used sunscreen (a burly SPF 15), it got me through the whole day in the sun. Mind you, it wasn't a common product at the time, and I thought I was going to be miserable - not!

Close second was Van Halen in OKC - the return of Sammy Hagar in 2004.
 

Tom Co.

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Not a concert but a live show--- COME FROM AWAY a musical. This thing just blew me away. It's the most heartwarming, restore your faith in humanity show I have ever seen. The whole audience just jumped to their feet and were cheering for a looong time at the end. It is about how the people of Gander Newfoundland turned out to help the thousands of Airline passengers stranded at their local airport after 9/11. I would see this again in a heartbeat.
I've been to lots of concerts, shows, plays but nothing like this. It is just great.

https://comefromaway.com/tour.php
 

luliski

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Lots of Grateful Dead shows, the Knitters at Slims in San Francisco; more recently Cafe Tacuba at the Crest in Sacramento, and I really enjoyed Winter WonderGrass Tahoe last spring (especially The Devil Makes Three and The Shook Twins).
 

SSSdave

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A full list of groups with concert dates through the classic rock era:

http://concerts.wikia.com/wiki/

Among a long list of venues, went to Filmore West (Carousel Ballroom) dozens of times in 1970 and 1971 when 2 to 4 touring groups would play each night all week:

http://concerts.wikia.com/wiki/Fillmore_West

Also many at Winterland, Cow Palace, Oakland Arena, Shoreline Amphitheatre, Concord Pavilion and numbers of Day on the Green Concerts where that term started. Almost all concerts into the late 1980s were general admission, sit or stand anywhere, and far more people were dancing. It was all a long time ago and a foggy expanded consciousness blur so for this person I've never had a single concert I brag like "best" about. I will brag that after that era people today have little perspective on how vibrant and powerful the SF Bay Area rock music scene was in those days. Nothing like it ever since. Consider line ups like this at the peak of the hard rock era in 1978:

http://www.vhnd.com/2014/07/23/live-photos-1978-day-on-the-green-festival/

With AC/DC, Van Halen, Pat Travers, Foreigner, then Aerosmith. Or Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin in 1973 at Kezar Stadium in Golden Gate Park. November 1994 when The Rolling Stones played Oakland Colosseum 4 straight days with Pearl Jam opening, and I went to each:

http://www.rollingstonesnet.com/oak.html

It all makes my blood still run hot with excitement.
 

Eric267

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Used to go to a ton of shows back in the day. Did the endless tour hustle with phish, the other ones, Phil Lesh and friends, widespread panic for a few years after high school 98-2002. Saw phish 83 times in that short stretch and probably 25-30 shows I was at that got shut out in the lot. We traveled to shows constantly

A few that stick in my head from over the years

Tribe called quest and beastie boys "99

Eric Clapton 2000

Saw bob Dylan a bunch of times. Sometimes he absolutely sucked, but when he was on and busted out the harmonica it was magic

Phish Darien lakes NY 98

Phish NYE y2k Seminole Indian reservation Florida

Bela fleck

Pink Floyd 94

The first Furthur (3 shows) at the fox in Oakland 2010?

Allman brothers (lots of good ones)

GD-50 Santa Clara (2nd night)
 

noncrazycanuck

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hard to pick top concerts or even which genre. Ask tomorrow and you'll get another answer.
Guess for me the most memorable are the ones that either won't be repeated or were in a unique setting (even if the performers weren't at their prime)
Benny Goodman at Tivoli
The Welsh Irish and Scotch Fusilliers complete with cannons and musket fire for a Christmas Concert in the Albert Hall
Feidler the Pops and fireworks on Boston Common for the 1976 New Year's Eve
Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard "sharing" the same stage
ABBA at a small Swedish festival.
A Cathedral organ

Alice Cooper, Paul Butterfield ,Stones, Edgar Winter ACDC, The Who, Cleo Laine and many others have put on great shows - my memorable dud list is quite short
 

Philpug

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The fore mentions Queen concert from the other thread. Billy Squire opened and his his opening song was Lonely is the Night...which set off the show fantasticly

Plant & Page, unlike @SpikeDog, the Philly show sounded great.

Plant solo, his first tour with Phil Collins on drums

U2 Joshua Tree tour, I think it was the last tour of theirs that they still played indoors...areas after that. I noever saw a band control an audience like that....even Queen

Men at Work (with INXS opening), what a fun show. Colin Hay told all the people in the orchestra section...with their Guggi bags...that they didn't deserve to be there and to let the real fans up front, to that we all rushed the stage.
 

Andy Mink

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Rush and Genesis back in the 80s, not together but same year.

The Eagles before Glenn passed. No huge light show, just glorious harmonies and outstanding musicianship.

The Who at Harvey's Tahoe, summer of '17. Insane what two 70-somethings can do! Ringo's son on drums was awesome; he's a beast.

Sting and Peter Gabriel at Harvey's. I figured it would be one then the other. They played together, sang each other's songs, and put on a damn fine show.

Elton John with just his piano. So. Many. Songs. Outstanding.
 

Wilhelmson

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James Brown and Little Richard in CA around 2002.
 

dbostedo

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Colin Hay told all the people in the orchestra section...with their Guggi bags...that they didn't deserve to be there and to let the real fans up front, to that we all rushed the stage.

I was working staff/security for a Coolio show in college, that was being held in a large auditorium. Early in the show, he asked everyone to just come on up front to the stage (there was a big orchestra pit in front of it). So I spent the rest of the show sitting on the stage, keeping people from climbing or being surfed up on to it. It was fun.

When Dave Matthews (solo) played some time later, people got up and started to move to the stage. Dave stopped the show and asked them to go back to their seats. Very different show. Though I think there were equal amounts of smoke in the air for both. :cool:
 

Crank

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Possibly Summer Jam at Watkins Glen, NY in the summer of 1973. Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers Band and The Band. This was the only time I ever got to see The Band and they were really great. Dead and Allman Brothers jamming at the end was special. The night before the show the Dead played a sound check that lasted for over 2 hours.

Tedeschi Trucks and nearby Capitol Theatre in Port Chester NY, 12/3/15. Have seen this band at least 6 times over the last 6 years and they are possibly the best live band going. Derek Trucks always plays great. That night he was absolutely on fire. The capitol is a beautifully restored theater built in 1926. It has wonderful acoustics and one of the best PA systems I have ever heard.
 

BS Slarver

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Best ? That’s a tough one.
All of favorites have been ones in small intimate venues

Dave Matthews in Charlottesville late 80s, the club scene then was amazing in town

Stevie Ray Vaughan front and center just before the Heli crash.

Chris Botti at the Bardavon NY
Bella Fleck with the Nashville symphony orchestra - acoustics in that hall are the best

Carlos Santana - my brother and I where the only white dudes in the first five rows, all the rest spanish buds, the booed the opening act off the stage, Santana came out and ripped it for hours

Jeff Becks new band - insainly tight !
 

SSSdave

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The Rolling Stones just announced 2019 tour dates today. Will be coming to Levi Stadium in Santa Clara May 18 with tickets going on sale 10am November 30. That will be a tough one to snag. Probably will be enough !@#$ scalpers alone, without any interest in their music to fill the stadium.
 

aveski

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Possibly Summer Jam at Watkins Glen, NY in the summer of 1973. Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers Band and The Band. This was the only time I ever got to see The Band and they were really great. Dead and Allman Brothers jamming at the end was special. The night before the show the Dead played a sound check that lasted for over 2 hours.

Tedeschi Trucks and nearby Capitol Theatre in Port Chester NY, 12/3/15. Have seen this band at least 6 times over the last 6 years and they are possibly the best live band going. Derek Trucks always plays great. That night he was absolutely on fire. The capitol is a beautifully restored theater built in 1926. It has wonderful acoustics and one of the best PA systems I have ever heard.
I was at Summer Jam too. Hitched from Portland ME. Got a ride almost all the way there and back, with a few others I met at the exit in South Portland. Car broke down on the way there and back. Pooled our money to get it repaired. It was a great show!
 

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