Best show you ever saw?

What singer/band/etc put on the best show that you've ever seen/heard? Where? When?

I'll start...

Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper at the old 9:30 in DC sometime around 1986 or 1987. Amazing energy that I never felt at a show before or since. Mojo was dancing all around hte club...running up and down on top of the bar. Just incredible.

(and he "bought" me a beer when one of the opening bands was playing )

A very simple show - Dar Williams at Bryn Mawr. No effects, no laser lights, no pyrotechnics in an enclosed space. She just carried it with her voice and personality, sometimes funny, sometimes touching. I ran out and bought three of her albums the next day.

Blue öyster Cult - UCSB's Rob gym, December 1976!




I ushered so many punk/new wave concerts in the early
80's that I lost 20% of my hearing, at least.

Billy Idol, Adam Ant, X, Oingo Boingo.

Adam Ant will certainly not end up in the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame. He had 2 drummers onstage, though, and his
guitar player Marco(?) was insane.

As an usher I'd always end up in the front row as soon as
the bands started playing.

There was so much energy behind the music in those days...

Great show, all of them. Oh yeah, forgot Elvis
(Costello), and The English Beat!

Soul Coughing - 9:30 Club, Washington DC - 25 October 1998
John Hiatt - Wolf Trap - Late summer 1987

I have seen several shows that have brought me to tears (good music affects me strongly)...

Dave Brubeck Not a jump around the stage kind of act, but his talent alone carries him. It was in Columbus, OH about 15 years ago I'd guess. I think I was the only teenager in the audience who wasn't there against her will! In fact, I treated my parents for their anniversary.

Manhattan Transfer I've seen them twice. The first time was overwhelming, though unfortunately, the second show underwhelmed me.

Lyle Lovett and Bonnie Raitt Saw them in August (day before I got my bimmer!) in Va Beach. I've never been a huge fan of hers, but the two of them together had an incredible chemistry and I could have listened to them forever.

Rolling Stones Bridges to Babalon tour in Norman OK at the stadium. Think it was 1998? Worst concert was the Stones about 8 months later in an indoor arena. Johnny Lang was a lot better than they were.

Definately a stadium band.

Originally posted by SoonerE39
Rolling Stones Bridges to Babalon tour in Norman OK at the stadium. Think it was 1998? Worst concert was the Stones about 8 months later in an indoor arena. Johnny Lang was a lot better than they were.

Definately a stadium band.

Yeah. The stadium setting gives them more room to manuever the wheel chairs.

Originally posted by TD
Yeah. The stadium setting gives them more room to manuever the wheel chairs.

And for Keith to roll around that blood transfusion machine...

Originally posted by TD
Yeah. The stadium setting gives them more room to manuever the wheel chairs.

-galbimmer

U2

Austin, 2001

Originally posted by SoonerE39
And for Keith to roll around that blood transfusion machine...

He was in the hospital tonight. They found traces of blood in his drugs stream.

Sting

Charlie Daniels Band

I saw a really good show in Amsterdam once, there 5 girls and they were....

Originally posted by London Talking
I saw a really good show in Amsterdam once, there 5 girls and they were....

them?

The Who - Three River's Stadium
Robert Plant - The Spectrum
Pink Floyd - Vet Stadium


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Best non big shows, City Island concerts in Harriburg back in early 80s. Lot of bands hit there on there way up.

Originally posted by Mathew
them?

The one on the left was definately there [Smirk]

Originally posted by The Roadstergal
A very simple show - Dar Williams at Bryn Mawr. No effects, no laser lights, no pyrotechnics in an enclosed space. She just carried it with her voice and personality, sometimes funny, sometimes touching. I ran out and bought three of her albums the next day.

I saw Dar in concert, she is a great performer. I too went album shopping the next day.

--nw

Some Others:

Buddy Guy at Antone's (about 600 person capacity)
Albert Collins at Antone's
Roy Rogers at Antone's
Radiohead in 1998 and 2001, in Houston
Lyle Lovett & His Large Band at The Backyard (Austin)

I love live music - one of my true passions. Some of the more memorable would be (no shock here) Pink Floyd - Chapel Hill - 1987, Clemson Death Valley - 1994, Roger Waters - Charlotte, NYC, Atlanta 2000-2001 --- Simply the best concerts of my life.

Tears for Fears - 1990 - amazing - they were at their peak. Oleta Adams had just been discovered, what a treat.

Bob Seger - how many hits does this guy have? No fancy show, just good music, probably 1985-ish.

David Bowie in 87, Glass Spider Tour - he's amazing. Peter Frampton was playing guitar but I didn't realize it until halfway through. Fantastic.

George Winston - every year, such a humble guy, such an excellent pianist. He doesn't make a big deal about it but he always does a free show for the patients at the local hospital in every city he plays. Music to soothe your soul.

Sarah MacLachlan on a full moon night in July 2000, David Sanborn when he plays the old stuff, Harry Connick Jr. is so talented, the Moody Blues with the Symphony under the stars is pure heaven.

Great, but fuzzy memories from my youth - Rush, Boston, Nugent (lost some hearing at that show), Yes, Journey, Dreggs, Aerosmith, Styx, Nazareth, Fleetwood Mac, Blue Oyster Cult, Santana, Foghat, god I'm feeling old.

Shows I was less enthusiastic about seeing but loved once I got there: Phish, Live, Cake, Counting Crows, B-52's, Lyle Lovett, Bobby McFerrin, Springsteen, Black Crowes, Garth Brooks, the Dead and that whole Lollapalooza thing.

Most surprising unknown: Josh Smith and the Frost, West Palm Beach. I was there during spring break and Joni Mitchell was playing in the park. I was going crazy so walked to the 'bad' side of town into Ray's House of Blues. This kid was all of 17 at the time and played guitar like no one else. I literally stood with my mouth open as I watched him - blues rock sound - a phenom. I don't know what became of him but I did see his name at the HOB in Disney a few years ago.

Current lusts: Third Eye Blind's Stephan Jenkins with that whole California thing going on - whew. And always Chris Isaak - he is the man. I think I'll stop now....


-galbimmer

Either

Dave Matthews Band at any one of a dozen different venues

or

Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals at the 9:30 Club

Originally posted by bh330ci
Either

Dave Matthews Band at any one of a dozen different venues

or

Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals at the 9:30 Club

Ironic as hell that you post this now as I have "Steal My Kisses" stuck in my head as I type this. I hear he puts on a great show.

I just dug out my CD.

Originally posted by TD
Ironic as hell that you post this now as I have "Steal My Kisses" stuck in my head as I type this. I hear he puts on a great show.

I just dug out my CD.

He/They just released a new CD yesterday. I have yet to pick it up, but I liked the single they performed on Letterman 2 nights ago.
He was sweet at 9:30. I saw him two nights in a row. The second night I got there early and was literally at Ben's feet during the show. He sits the majority of the show so he was almost eerily close. Very intense.

Bruce Springsteen Berlin, Oct 2002 - the place only holds around 4k people and we sat right next to the stage.

Bruce Springsteen, Austin Mar 2003 - makeup for Nov 2002 show that was cancelled because of eye surgery for Saxaphonist Clarence Clemons. Worked out great for me because I had to go to Germany in Nov and would have missed the show.

Bruce Springsteen, Buffalo 1984 - Born In The USA tour - the height of his popularity

Bruce Springsteen, Toronto 1984 - CNE stadium - I hate stadiums but the show still rocked

Bruce Springsteen, Buffalo 1970-something - the River Tour - first time I saw him, and concert went 4 hours. I walked out a huge Springsteen fan and haven't looked back since

Sense a pattern here?


Other non-Bruce shows:

The Who, their "final" show in Toronto Maple Leaf Gardens. 1980something. It was broadcast live on HBO and if you watch the tape you can see us right next to the state - John Entwistle side. Of course, that wasn't their final show, but they billed it as "We Won't Get Who'ed Again".

[bTom Petty and the Heartbreakers[/b], Austin 2001 - my wife didn't want to go, but when she left she couldn't believe (1) how many songs she knew and (2) how good the show was.

KISS - Buffalo (1979)? - Love Gun tour, my first concert and boy did they put on a show. The music wasn't the greatest, but who cares?

Cheap Trick - Buffalo (1978) before "At Budokan" they played little arenas like Shea's Buffalo and the energy was amazing

Neil Diamond - Toronto 1986. The guy knows how to put on a show. Plus his catalog of music is just amazing. He's still selling out shows and he's pushing 80, isn't he?

SteveH