Quick List Vol. IV - Your 5 favorite concerts

[Clams]

TC and I swapped threads for this week. So what are your five best/most memorable concerts?

INPO-

Bruce - Philly Spectrum - Dec 1980 - my first rock concert
DBT - Philly TLA - March 2008 - my first "rock show"
G'n'R - Philly Spectrum - Dec 1991 - they were on top of the world
P. Hood & Screwtopians - Philly World Cafe Live - June 2009 - possibly better than any DBT show I've seen
Peter Gabriel - Philly Spectrum - July 1986 - believe it or not
Jason Isbell - Charleston SC Pourhouse - my 2 kids and my neice and nephew sat on the edge of the stage

[beagle001]

I'll only pick one from a particular band/artist

DBT at the Pabst October 1st, 2010. Great setlist, first dbt show I cried at, sentimentally ruled since we had some first timers with and my dad as well

Lucero July 30th and August 1st at High Noon Saloon Madison and Riverside Theatre Green Bay- ok so I'm picking two just because they tied together so perfectly and left off where the other had ended two nights earlier. Got to hang with the band post show(s) and they protected me from eating an extra elbow to the face. Great band, great shows, great people

Slobberbone in Port Washington, WI- Beautiful weather (it was in a bandshell) and beautiful scenery and the band was on fire!

Justin Townes Earle Feb 26 2010- Just a blast

Merle Haggard- I cried

[Smitty]

DBT - Tipitina's, August 2005 (?) weekend before TDS release shows - got "Back of a Bible" solo, "In The Midnight Hour", etc etc etc first full blown dirty sweaty ROCK show (w/DBT anyway)

Pat & Screwtopians - Decatur Book Fest - only time i've seen Pat w/o DBT, short but sweet, beautiful weather, family-ish atmosphere, great sound

Merle Haggard - Stone Mtn, GA - legend

Little Feat/Hank Jr/Charlie Daniels Band Oak Mtn Amphitheater- CDB blew everyone off the stage, but crowd kept chanting "Hank" anyways - not that great a concert, but my first show w/o the parents, first joint, etc etc etc

Emmylou/Gillian Welch/Buddy Miller/Patty Griffin - Atlanta 2004 - just a great show

[beantownbubba]

Oooh, a fun one w/out too much guilt for a change Of course, it's also quite the memory tester so I'm sure i'm leaving out some great ones. I used to keep all my ticket stubs, but that stopped a long time ago, so it's hard to find good memory joggers.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - March '77, Music Hall (now the Wang Ctr), boston. I've written about this show before i know, but maybe that's all on 9B - more things i cant remember, lol. My 2d bruce show and the greatest concert I ever saw. Practically perfect in every way, including its 4 hour length, the famous "raps" introducing some of the songs, the full range of r&b covers and shtick (like the James Brown cape & fainting thing), the first time i ever heard that fantastic melding he used to do of Backstreets & Sad Eyes - blew me away completely. Defining versions of all the songs from the 1st 2 albums, especially Growing Up, Spirit in the Night, Kitty's Back and Rosalita. Endless encores. And the defining moment: Bruce calling everyone back to their seats after they started to leave after the 3d encore: He wasn't ready to go home yet

DBT - The so-called "easter miracle concert at the Paradise in Boston, March of ''07 (or was it '08? told u i would have trouble, lol) The closest i've ever come to duplicating the above Boss show. Transcendent. Restored my belief in the power of rock n roll. The night i went from being an enthusiastic fan to being an evangalistic, frothing at the mouth fan, lol.

Bob Dylan & The Band - Madison Sq Garden, NYC, January '74. The "comeback tour" documented by Before the Flood. Just getting tickets was probably the highlight of my life to that time (it was the first non festival mega concert and applying for tickets was an absolute nightmare process that predated Ticketmaster). It's hard to describe how BIG an event this was at the time - after all the rumors and the car accident and the less than stellar music to have him performing live and with the band, it was absolutely IT. The concert itself was great, especially the playing by the Band and the solo acoustic set Dylan did mid concert. It was the first time dylan did the kinds of reworkings of his songs that became standard over time, so some of the show was a little jarring, but ultimately that didn't mater in the rush of the gestalt of the thing. Plus w/ the help of the BTF album, some of those versions have become almost standard themselves.

The Who, Madison Sq Garden - I want to say it was late '79, could have been early '80. The third time I had seen them and the first time i understood why i kept shlepping to the shows, lol. They just blew the roof off the motherfuckin' place just like i used to read about shows back in the legendary early days. Incredibly loud, the energy was boundless and the playing was spectacular. I remember after a stunning "See Me, Feel Me" the cheering was so loud and so long it was like waves roaring over everything drowning out any other possible sound.

I feel like I have to mention The Kinks, Felt Forum, NYC, June (I think) of either 72 or 73 i think. In retrospect, not a great show, w/ ray davies spending a large part of it drinking &/or spilling beer all over himself and the first couple of rows, but hey, my very first rock concert, and at the time i of course thought the show was fantastic.

Because that one doesn't really count, I'll add one more: This one might change, because it was a tough call among a few great ones, but i'm gonna go with Steve Goodman at Passim's in Cambridge, MA in either '75 or '76. It's hard to describe the charisma and magnetism of this short dumpy balding guy but he had it in overflowing amounts. Plus the compelling story of his fight w/ cancer back in the REALLY bad old days of chemo and such, plus the inspiring way he was so positive and funny despite his personal tragedy and, oh yeah, the songs, the singing and the playing. Sorely, sorely missed.

The shows i produced in college were of course very special to me - the first was Gil Scott Heron. Great show too, tho i had to spend too much of it keeping gate crashers out GGGGRRRR.

[Tequila Cowboy]

1. Bob Dylan with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers July, 1986 Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, WI

I was in the third row for this one and it was every bit as good as it sounds. I can still hear the smoking version of "When The Night Comes Falling From The Sky" in my head. I never saw the Band with Dylan like Beantown, but I think this must've been close.

2. R.E.M. Fall 1983 Mabel's, Champaign IL

R.E.M. when they were just getting going in a small club. Nuff said.

3. Elvis Costello- Cabaret Metro, Chicago 1982

Front and center. Amazing and it cost $5.

4. My Morning Jacket 2004 Bonarroo

The famous thunderdome show. The band was on fire and literally fighting one of the scariest storms I've ever seen. StevieRay was with me at this one.

5. DBT 1/16/2009 The 40 Watt

The day after the request show. The band just cut loose.

[4sooner]

1.The Who-OKC Myriad Spring 1976
A religious experience. By Numbers had just come out. Slip Kid was great, but when they broke into the Tommy part of the show it was otherworldly. I've talked to people in the years since who said things like "I still don't listen to The Who that much, but there was something about that show...." I made my way to the front row, I can still see daltry's mic flying above my head as he flung it around.
2.Boss & E Street-Noble Center, Norman Ok. 12/2/78
The Darkness tour. Half full arena. 3.5-4 hrs of rock. As with BtB's show, he called the crowd back after the house lights went on. This was mine & ex wife's first anniversary. Again we just walked up to the stage, where she actually grabbed Bruce's boot during Rosalita. I made her let go as I saw security headed our way.

3. DBT-ACL Taping 9/26/08
Because it was my favorite band at the studio of my favorite music show. Unbelievable day.
3A. DBT-St. Louis-Pageant March,09
Road trip for just the youngest Soonerette & I. Great show. Met up with TC,LM,Cotter, et al. And the famous Cooley/soonerette handshake.

4. Neil Young & CH-Myriad OKC, 3/17/91
Ragged Glory tour. Weld was recorded on this tour.
Social Distortion and Sonic Youth opened. Need I say more?

5. Little Feat-Noble Center, Norman ok Jan '79 (I think.)
Lowell's last tour. Waiting for Columbus recorded on this tour.

Great thread.

[Clams]

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - March '77, Music Hall (now the Wang Ctr), boston. I've written about this show before i know, but maybe that's all on 9B - more things i cant remember, lol. My 2d bruce show and the greatest concert I ever saw. Practically perfect in every way, including its 4 hour length, the famous "raps" introducing some of the songs, the full range of r&b covers and shtick (like the James Brown cape & fainting thing), the first time i ever heard that fantastic melding he used to do of Backstreets & Sad Eyes - blew me away completely. Defining versions of all the songs from the 1st 2 albums, especially Growing Up, Spirit in the Night, Kitty's Back and Rosalita. Endless encores. And the defining moment: Bruce calling everyone back to their seats after they started to leave after the 3d encore: He wasn't ready to go home yet

JEALOUS

Dylan & The Band - Madison Sq Garden, NYC, January '74. The "comeback tour" documented by Before the Flood. Just getting tickets was probably the highlight of my life to that time (it was the first non festival mega concert and applying for tickets was an absolute nightmare process that predated Ticketmaster). It's hard to describe how BIG an event this was at the time - after all the rumors and the car accident and the less than stellar music to have him performing live and with the band, it was absolutely IT. The concert itself was great, especially the playing by the Band and the solo acoustic set Dylan did mid concert. It was the first time dylan did the kinds of reworkings of his songs that became standard over time, so some of the show was a little jarring, but ultimately that didn't mater in the rush of the gestalt of the thing. Plus w/ the help of the BTF album, some of those versions have become almost standard themselves.

REALLY JEALOUS

The Who, Madison Sq Garden - I want to say it was late '79, could have been early '80. The third time I had seen them and the first time i understood why i kept shlepping to the shows, lol. They just blew the roof off the motherfuckin' place just like i used to read about shows back in the legendary early days. Incredibly loud, the energy was boundless and the playing was spectacular. I remember after a stunning "See Me, Feel Me" the cheering was so loud and so long it was like waves roaring over everything drowning out any other possible sound.

REALLY REALLY JEALOUS

1. Bob Dylan with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers July, 1986 Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, WI

I was in the third row for this one and it was every bit as good as it sounds. I can still hear the smoking version of "When The Night Comes Falling From The Sky" in my head. I never saw the Band with Dylan like Beantown, but I think this must've been close.

Funny b/c I caught that tour too, and, while Petty rocked hard, Dylan was pretty much unintelligible. The sound was muddy and his voice even muddier. I thought he sucked.

2.Boss & E Street-Noble Center, Norman Ok. 12/2/78
The Darkness tour. Half full arena. 3.5-4 hrs of rock. As with BtB's show, he called the crowd back after the house lights went on. This was mine & ex wife's first anniversary. Again we just walked up to the stage, where she actually grabbed Bruce's boot during Rosalita. I made her let go as I saw security headed our way.

REALLY REALLY VERY JEALOUS

4. Neil Young & CH-Myriad OKC, 3/17/91
Ragged Glory tour. Weld was recorded on this tour.
Social Distortion and Sonic Youth opened. Need I say more?

saw that one about a month before you and I agree, it was loud and awesome.

[never going back]

In no particular order...

Steely Dan at Chastain

John Prine at Chastain

Frank Sinatra at The Mosque

JGB at Hampton Coliseum

DBT in Vancouver

[shuffle]

I'm really jealous. I've only been going to concerts since '06

Bruce Springsteen @ Ullevi, Gothenburg 2008
first Bruce show and I had the time of my life...stood about five-seven metres from the stage and even if one of the other two times I've seen him might've been better this one is still my favourite.

Håkan Hellström @ Way Out West Festival, Gothenburg 2010
the same insane feeling and crowd participation as a springsteen concert but x2 somehow. this guy is huge in sweden, and especially in gothenburg and during this "exclusive" festival gig he played his debut album in its entirety, and it's the kind of album that every music (pop & rock at least) fan in sweden have been listening to for the last ten years.

The Tallest Man On Earth @ Debaser Slussen, Stockholm 2009
third time I saw him, both the earlier gigs were half empty, this one was overfull (half a year later). insane crowd contact and impeccable performance, plus it was before the release of the wild hunt but I had gotten a promo a few weeks earlier so I knew all the new songs and mouthed along, which made him look at me kinda weird since I was front row

Drive-By Truckers @ Nalen, Stockholm 2008
first (and so far only) DBT show (number two is in a month). this was only a few months after I discovered the band so I only really knew the dirty south, southern rock opera and about half of btcd. I had only heard decoration day for the first time the day before the show. I was right at the front, in the middle, in front of patterson and the whole thing blew me away...just wish I'd known their catalogue as well as I do now. I had a great time and got one of patterson's picks, plus he complemented my hellacopters t-shirt, and shonna gave my friend one of brad's drumsticks.

Muse @ Hovet, Stockholm 2007
the first time I saw a band in their prime (I had seen axl's gn'r, motley crue, the who and europe before) and it's still one of the best shows I've been too. I'm not a big fan of muse's studio work, but as a stadium live band they're really something...it's all overblown and bombastic but it's just done in the right way. plus matt's an amazing singer live too. I saw them in 2009 too and while it was almost as good, it was almost too overblown, plus their latest record isn't nearly good enough (even if the songs are much better live than on record).

[scotto]

Patti Smith, Cains' Ballroom, 1977 or so.
Talking Heads, 1978
Roxy Music, 1978
Sun Ra, New Year's Eve 1982
Bob Marley and the Wailers, 1979

[4sooner]

Patti Smith, Cains' Ballroom, 1977 or so.
Talking Heads, 1978
Roxy Music, 1978
Sun Ra, New Year's Eve 1982
Bob Marley and the Wailers, 1979

Talking Heads, 1978 at Boomer Theater in Norman is one I meant to have on my list. Don't know what I'd take off though.

[beantownbubba]

4. Neil Young & CH-Myriad OKC, 3/17/91
Ragged Glory tour. Weld was recorded on this tour.
Social Distortion and Sonic Youth opened. Need I say more?

Can't remember why i missed this tour. Something to do w/ the kids, no doubt, lol. But the tour that became Live Rust is definitely one of the contenders for a spot on my list. The best of the NY shows i've seen. The Stills/Young band tour ranks as the worst.

Shuffle, really surprised to hear that Muse is that good live (not arguing, just surprised). I'm not a fan to begin w/ but it hadn't occurred to me that their stuff would translate well live.

[shuffle]

Shuffle, really surprised to hear that Muse is that good live (not arguing, just surprised). I'm not a fan to begin w/ but it hadn't occurred to me that their stuff would translate well live.

well yeah, it might not be what one would expect but they're a kickass live band...and it's definitely stadium rock (pretty much the only band I'd rather see at a big arena than a club). it's ridiculously overblown to extremes but it's just so much fun (and good). too bad there's tons of 14-17 year old twilight fans at their shows nowadays.

[never going back]

Shuffle, really surprised to hear that Muse is that good live (not arguing, just surprised). I'm not a fan to begin w/ but it hadn't occurred to me that their stuff would translate well live.

well yeah, it might not be what one would expect but they're a kickass live band...and it's definitely stadium rock (pretty much the only band I'd rather see at a big arena than a club). it's ridiculously overblown to extremes but it's just so much fun (and good). too bad there's tons of 14-17 year old twilight fans at their shows nowadays.

We saw them open for U2 last year and they were awesome.

[sactochris]

Big Star, March of 2002, The Fillmore, San Francisco CA.
The Hold Steady, September of 2009, Vogue Theater, Vancouver B.C.
Wilco, November of 1996, Great American Music Hall, San Francisco CA.
U2, May of 1985, Cow Palace, Daly City, CA.
The Replacements, July of 1987, The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA.

[Zip City]

y'all are some old motherfuckers!

[Swamp]

NPO
76; the Who in the Gator Bowl with LaBelle & Black Oak Arkasas
78; the Stones in the Super Dome with the Doobies and some band called Van Halen I had never heard of.
(it was like, who's this Jim Dandy wannabe? )
86; Neil Young with Crazy Horse in Daytona Beach
06; DBT in Macon
10; the whole DBT weekend in Asheville

The Stills/Young band tour ranks as the worst.

I had tickets for the show in Jax but Neil got death threats. Stills still played but they
offered refunds which I got and bought tix to see Yes, J Geils and CDB in Tampa

[Clams]

y'all are some old motherfuckers!

If I recall correctly from a similar thread on 9b, BTB saw Beethoven open for Mozart at the Paradiso in Amsterdam in 1785.

[Cubfan06]

1) Phish- NYE '99-'00. Big Cypress Indian Reservation in the Everglades. 11:50 -Sunrise set on NYE....long and strong
2) Oysterhead at the Aragon Ballroom
3) DBT at The Metro, Halloween 2004. A 30 song show.
4) Jeff Tweedy- any of his annual sit down request shows at the Vic Theatre.
5) Rage Against The Machine at the Aragon Ballroom the week that Evil Empire came out.

[beantownbubba]

y'all are some old motherfuckers!

If I recall correctly from a similar thread on 9b, BTB saw Beethoven open for Mozart at the Paradiso in Amsterdam in 1785.

Yep. And Stradivarius himself took the fiddle solo.

[4sooner]

y'all are some old motherfuckers!

If I recall correctly from a similar thread on 9b, BTB saw Beethoven open for Mozart at the Paradiso in Amsterdam in 1785.

Yep. And Stradivarius himself took the fiddle solo.

Fiddle!!
Dude could play some fiddle.

[beantownbubba]

If I recall correctly from a similar thread on 9b, BTB saw Beethoven open for Mozart at the Paradiso in Amsterdam in 1785.

Yep. And Stradivarius himself took the fiddle solo.

Fiddle!!
Dude could play some fiddle.

Hell yeah...the behind the head shit got old fast, but when he played w/ his teeth the crowd went nuts. Well, by 1785 standards anyway: Everybody nodded politely. And when he took his teeth out when he took his bows, 2 women fainted.

[LuthierJustin]

I didn't wanna go but now looking back on it John Denver at the Fox with my parents the year before he died was pretty good, it was my first ever concert.
My second concert was also at the Fox, and one of my favorites, Trans-Siberian Orchestra before they blew up and started a huge pyro show.
Both times I've seen Tori Amos were amazing, because I love Tori. First time Ben Folds opened for her, that was the first time I saw Ben too, I saw him again on my 23rd birthday and that was another very good show.
First 2 times I saw DBT and the 5th were amazing, first time was music midtown in atlanta, they opened for New Earth Mud (Chris Robinson) and The Doors with Ian Astbury, that was 04, Jason was still in the band then. The next 2 times were on The Dirt Underneath tour at the now gone and much missed Georgia Theatre, The 5th time was at the 40 Watt, first time they ever let me come hang out. It was pretty surreal got to meet Spooner, nicest guy ever.
Buckethead at the Ga Theatre was a blast too, I got there like 3 hours before the doors opened and waited so I could get to the stage. I got to the stage and watched his hands all night he was amazing. There was some drunk, fat sorority girl poking all night, then putting her foot on my back, that got annoying. There is a part of his show where he stops playing, and gets a bag of toys and hands them out to the front row, i got a styrofoam sign that says "BONEYARD". I was about 5 feet from his amps, He was so loud my ears rang for 3 days.

[Tequila Cowboy]

1. Bob Dylan with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers July, 1986 Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, WI

I was in the third row for this one and it was every bit as good as it sounds. I can still hear the smoking version of "When The Night Comes Falling From The Sky" in my head. I never saw the Band with Dylan like Beantown, but I think this must've been close.

Funny b/c I caught that tour too, and, while Petty rocked hard, Dylan was pretty much unintelligible. The sound was muddy and his voice even muddier. I thought he sucked.

Dylan has never been consistent, even night to night. Sorry you got a bad one. Hope you've seen good Bob since. Seriously the best show I've ever seen to this day.

[Slipkid42]

The Who - Cap Center '76 Bicentennial Tommy (w/K. Moon stompin' on his drum kit like a maniac)

Lowell George Tribute Concert - Inglewood Forum '79 Little Feat, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, EmmyLou, Jackson Browne, Nicolette Larson, J.D. Souther & others played on till their wasn't a dry eye in the house.

Allman Bros. - Cap Center 12/73 My 1st 'real' concert (although Grin played @ my high school earlier that year). It was also the 1st show ever @ the Capital Center. The boys opened the joint w/a bang. I had barely turned 16.

Soft White Underbelly (a.k.a. Blue Oyster Cult) - The Bayou (D.C.) '82 After headlining the Cap Center w/Sabbath, BOC snuck into town disguised as their former selves, and thrilled the 1/2 full Bayou to a request fest (incl. Dominance & Submission).

The Who/Lynyrd Skynyrd - Cap Center 12/73 2 days after the Allmans I went to this unforgettable show. Quite the contrast.
Quadrophenia & Freebird. No one had heard much of Skynyrd, and it was a real eye opener. The Who sizzled again.


No DBT in my top 5, but the recent 9:30 show is very high up my list (as are the 2 more recent Richmond shows).

Yeah Zip, another old county heard from.

[beantownbubba]

The Nils Lofgren Grin???!!

Who the heck is Oysterhead?

[LuthierJustin]

Who the heck is Oysterhead?

Les Claypool
Ernest Gesepie (Trey) Anastasio
Stewart Copeland

[LuthierJustin]

[Slipkid42]

beantownbubba wrote:

The Nils Lofgren Grin???!!

Yeah bubba, They played for about an hour during school hours. No one played hooky that day.

[scotto]

An interesting sub-category to this thread would be your 5 favorite small-venue shows (clubs, etc., as opposed to "concerts").
Some of mine:
Billy Bragg at the late, lamented Mississippi Nights in St. Louis during the Mermaid Ave. tour.
The Mooney Suzuki at 7th St. Entry.
Richard Hell at some Lower East Side shit hole.
Whiskeytown at Duke Coffee House.
Holly Golightly with The Greenhornes at The Brick, KC.