Berlin Philharmonic with Von Karajan in the ’80’s. Either the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion or Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena. Record company seats. I just can’t remember. Bruce Springsteen at the L.A. Forum in the ’70’s. Record company seats. Led Zeppelin at the Rose Palace in Pasadena. Was it 1969? "Festival seating." Me and my girlfriend ooched our way to the front. Yeah, good seats can be important.
Little Feat at the Paramount Theater, Austin TX Van Morrison at Armadillo World Headquarters, Austin Lyle Lovett and Allison Krauss at the Paramount Theater, Seattle
I won’t include The Beatles at The Cow Palace in S. San Francisco in ’65, ’cause though a historic thing to experience, even at the time I was not very impressed with them as a live band.
And though I liked them at the time, the Cream, Hendrix, and Who shows I attended in ’67, ’68, and ’69 now pale in comparison with what was to follow. Including:
The Kinks at The Fillmore in 1970. Unbelievably loud (topped only by The Ramones), and so much fun!
Big Joe Turner backed by The Blasters at Club Lingerie in the mid-90’s. One of my favorite male singers (what a man!) and Rock ’n’ Roll bands (whose members that night included Lee Allen---a member of Little Richard’s 50’s band!---on tenor sax).
NRBQ at The Roxy, sometime in the 90’s. Just about the coolest band I’ve seen live. Bassist Joey Spampinato (one of my favorites on the instrument) can seen playing in the band Keith Richards hand-picked for the concert at the end of the Chuck Berry documentary he made, "Hail, Hail, Rock ’n’ Roll." Joey was offered the bass chair in The Stones when Bill Wyman left, and turned it down. Why join "The Best Rock ’n’ Roll Band In The World" when you’re already in the best Rock ’n’ Roll band in the world? ;-)
Rockpile at The Country Club in Reseda, CA, 1980. Three nights in a row, Moon Martin opening. 100 proof Rock ’n’ Roll! THE Rock ’n’ Roll Super Group, comprised of Dave Edmunds, Nick Lowe, Billy Bremner, and Terry Williams.
Dave Edmunds at The Ritz in NYC, 1983. My favorite Rock ’n’ Roller; a great guitarist, singer, and producer. My ex-wife’s all-time favorite live show. This night he had the dearly-departed Mickey Gee on second guitar, and UK madman Geraint Watkins on piano.
Iris Dement at The Troubadour in the mid-90’s. My favorite female singer, a great songwriter, and an absolute angel.
Little Village on a soundstage in Burbank, CA, at the time of the release of their sole album (if you ignore their collaboration on John Hiatt’s Bring The Family, their first time playing together). Though the LV album was a relatively mediocre disappointment, live they were astonishingly great. Being comprised of John Hiatt, Ry Cooder, Nick Lowe, and Jim Keltner, that’s not surprising, ay?
The Lyres at Club Lingerie, late-80’s. My favorite modern Garage Band, led by singer/Vox organist Monoman (Jeff Conolly).
Foster & Lloyd at The Roxy, late 80’s. A Country guy and a Pop guy who made great music together. They had a KILLER band too.
Last but not least, The Band at The Berkeley Community Theater in 1970. The Band are the best self-contained ensemble (songwriting, singing, musicianship) Rock ’n’ Roll has yet produced. IMO, of course.
Pink Floyd - The Wall @ the Colosseum, Los Angeles Lyle Lovett - Joshua Judges Ruth Tour - Rialto Theater Joliet, IL Huey Lewis and the News - Sports Tour - SIU Arena Carbondale, IL
Oops, Big Joe Turner with The Blasters was in the mid-80's, not 90's. Joe passed away soon thereafter, I feel lucky to have seen him. Missed Howlin' Wolf, however.
1. I saw Def Leppard open for Ozzy on their first tour in the states in South Florida! Unbelievable!! 2 Toss up between Van Halen on women and children first tour and Rush on Moving Pictures.3. Steven Wilson formerly of Porcupine Tree. Maybe the best musically driven show I've ever seen!!
I'll break the rules and contribute a couple more best live performances. Bob Marley and the Wailers at the Roxy. Front row. Television at the Whisky. Rudolf Serkin at UCLA's Royce Hall. The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields...I wish I remember exactly where. And ya know? Debbie Harry and Blondie was a ton of fun at the Santa Monica Civic.
@edcyn The Bob Marley at the Roxy disc is one that I have to listen to once a month. Just a fantastic show. I can only imagine how you must have felt to actually see that show live.
1. Rush In Toronto 2. Pearl Jam in San Francisco 3. Santana in Toronto
@lenmc2964 - I was at that same 1972 Rolling Stones concert in Ft. Worth. The Stones were great, of course, but the thing I remember best was Stevie Wonder's first appearance as Stevie Wonder instead of Little Stevie Wonder. I thought he came close to stealing the show.
yyzsantabarbera -- Marley had yet to become an icon. I just drove down to the Roxy box office a couple days before the show and bought the ducats. I don’t remember having to stand in line. My date for the evening had no idea who Marley was or what reggae was. None of my buddies...all long haired rock-and-rollers...could’ve cared less. Was the Roxy filled with music heavyweights? I don’t recall. tpreaves -- I saw Slim Whitman live, too!
Just saw it last week in GR going again Sat in Detroit.- OMG,Trans Siberian "Christmas Eve and other Stories." Not a concert, not a play BUT Magic!!!!!! Worth $400 for a pair of tics Almost as good as a great orgasm!
Man, Danny and crew were the sh*t, I saw them at least a dozen times from 1980 to the end. There's some great gigs listed above, I was at a few during these tours.
I think we need a top 3 for each decade, and even that would be hard! I'll eliminate the obvious stadium masterclass types like Moodies, Tull, Yes, Floyd, ELP, Zep, Who, Stones, Rush... I'll choose shows I saw in college.
Devo: Freedom of Choice tour 1980, Warfield Theater, San Francisco
Gary Numan: Telekon tour 1980, Warfield Theater, San Francisco
Oingo Boingo: Nothing to Fear tour 1982, Keystone, Palo Alto
The above could change depending on time of day and barometer pressure. The Tubes, Split Enz, Psychedelic Furs, Clash, Todd, Steve Hackett, Peter Gabriel... 1978-1982 was an awesome time to be young and stupid in college!
Stop jogging my memory dudes! I enjoyed the heck out of Devo. I saw Oingo Boingo when they were still the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo (was it at the Whisky?). I saw Pink Floyd a couple times. I saw the Tubes. I was a semi-regular at the Santa Monica Civic. It's where I saw Alison Kraus & Union Station, Ravi Shankar, ELP and Pink Floyd. I also saw Pink Floyd at UCLA, at the foot of Janss Steps. I saw a whole host of acts at the Troubadour, including Judy Collins and Blood Sweat & Tears. I wish I could remember the acts I saw at the Palomino. What was the name of the guy who did the song "Guitars, Cadillacs and Hillbilly Music"?
Wow. So many to choose from, especially during 80s to mid 90s but probably the following: 1) Santana at Cape Cod Coliseum '83. Just Incredible. Carlos even mentioned this show in Sweet Potato magazine years later. 2) Prince- Worcester Centrum '88. Felt privileged to have seen this show! 3) Stevie Ray Vaughn/Jeff Beck Worcester Centrum late 80s. Honorable mentions: Rush- moving pictures TD Garden Allman Bros- any of 3 times Steely Dan- Great Woods MA.
I just saw Iris Dement again, at a nice theater in Portland, The Aladdin. Accompanying herself on piano and acoustic guitar, singing as only she can and does. Like Randy Newman, her piano playing is very New Orleans-influenced (along with her Pentecostal upbringing). A great, great songwriter, whom I learned of from Merle Haggard (he recorded her "No Time To Cry", a heartbreaking song), who raved about her in an interview I read.
1) Ivan Moravec (Carnegie Hall), 2) the original Pat Metheney Group (with Lyle & Jaco), 3) Alice Cooper (with the snake). No, no. Wait a minute.... Was I really there? That last one can't be on there.
1)Paul Rodgers in 1993 at the Fern Park Station in Fern Park, Fl on his Muddy Water Blues tour. He and Neal Schon were literally 12 feet from where we were standing. Talk about a live performance. 2)Peter Gabriel in 1993 at the Orlando Arena on his "Us" tour. 3)Sara Mclachlan at the Bob Carr theater in Orlando. Not sure exactly what year mid 2000's maybe?
I'll name the last great concert I went to, Prince believe it or not. It was 3 year or so before his demise. Oakland Coliseum.
Loudest, always at Winterland, left that place more than once. Deep Purple blew me right out of the place, so did Journey. Great bands but couldn't take it, with wet TP in my ears.
Craziest, The TUBES, crack me up...
The RAUNCHIEST, "The Ramones", nasty nasty nasty...Left that one too, the worst.. by far..
Most welcomed, B.B. King in Anchorage, Alaska, 1775 or 6
Very memorable, Queen. Freddie Mercury's voice was fried, We are the Champions, tour..
Jean-luc Ponty, really surprised me. Great sound guy who ever it was...
Couldn't believe my ears, Pavarotti, In the early 80s San Francisco Opera. WOW
Best sounding, really new how to concert, Santana and usually whoever started the show. I like him with, Al Di Meola at the Greek Theater
Tony Williams Sr./Stanley Clark/Herbie Hancock, great show, Berkeley Community Theater or The Great American Music Hall, can't remember.
Great events, Day on the Green 2, 3. lots of good bands, Gram Central Station, Tower of Power, on and on
ZZ Top, oh yea....
Emerson Lake and Palmer ELO Pink Floyd Roxy Music, That guys voice.. Bryan Ferry
Me in the shower, LOL, even the snails scurry away....
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