I just recalled seeing and hearing Van Dyke Parks and his small orchestra in the concert room located in McCabe's Guitar Shop on Santa Monica Blvd. A once-in-a-lifetime experience! One of the musical geniuses of our lifetimes.
Then there was hearing Jimmie Dale Gilmore in the 90's---just he and his acoustic guitar---in a conference room at his record company distributor's office in Burbank. A very intimate performance by a very unique, very special artist. He and his Flatlanders partners (Joe Ely and Butch Hancock) have a new album out.
Also early Chicago and later Neil Young and then the Rolling Stones, man, did they put on a show at the Pontiac Silverdome. My then early teenage daughter still talks about that one.
The Who, about Quadrophenia release time, so 1973, 4. Cobo Hall Detroit. Few if any knew the music, expecting to hear Who's Next. The quietest audience I've ever heard at rock concert, everyone awestruck.
Eugene Ormandy and Philadelphia Orchestra, mid 1970's Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor. Hill is one fine sounding auditorium. Mitch Ryder & Detroit Wheels, probably 1970, benefit for John Sinclair, dancing on stage with Leni Sinclair, smoking pot backstage with the Wheels after concert. Spencer Davis solo also on bill, had some congas on stage, my buddy just walked up on stage, asked Spencer if he could play, Spencer was amenable. Rob was great on the congas, went on to play drums with Destroy All Monsters.
@dayglow -- Yeah, I saw the Berliner Philharmoniker with Abbado, too. Which is why I was unclear as to where I saw the Berliners with von Karajan. I now realize I saw the damn band twice! In any case, Abby & the Burlers weren't quite the religious experience they were with HvK, but still utterly superlative.
Went to the Palace in 1995 for the "Ballbreaker" tour. They were good but nothing special as if they aged 20 years in a period of 4 years. Have never seen AC/DC since 1995.
1.Santana-Fox Theatre Detroit 1990 2.Berlin Philharmoniker/Claudio Abbado-Hill Auditorium Ann Arbor 2001 3.AC/DC-The Palace Auburn Hills 1991
Santana-Performed on the level of the Lotus recording. Berlin-Razor sharp/dynamic(Beethoven) made the DSO sound 2nd rate! AC/DC-Intense/hungry and precise from an already aging band.
1) U2 - Shea’s Theater (Buffalo, NY) - 1983 - early in the tour that was later documented in the film "U2 Live at Red Rocks"
2) Rolling Stones - Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles, CA) 1997
3) Tie - Stevie Wonder solo charity show - Marla Gibb Theater (Los Angeles, CA) - early 1990s Michael Jackson & The Jacksons Victory Tour - Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles, CA) 1984
BEST 1. Jimi Hendrix Experience, 1969, (Woosley Hall, Yale) - also saw him on many different occasions including Woodstock, 1969; 2. Cream (Woosley Hall, Yale-heard them twice in New Haven, CT) 3. Mahavishnu Orchestra (John McClaughlin) 1970, Wesleyan College, CT); 4. Doors - Arrest of Jim Morrison, New Haven, CT, 1970? (mostly because I was in love with Sally Barber); 5. Allman Brothers Band, Middletown, CT, 1970 - Emily Apter, my companion, who is now a chair at NYU in NYC, told me - "they will never go anywhere." 6. Seeing many great violinists with my father; 7. Seeing the last concert by Yehudi Menuhin in Washington, CT in the 1960s; 8. Growing up with Dave Brubeck's children in Wilton, CT, and seeing him play in the 1960s at Wilton High School;
2 of the 4 nights of the Allman Brothers at the Fillmore East ( I can hear myself shouting and clapping in the audience, when listening to it ( lol ) . Return to Forever at the Beacon Theater. Oh, and Woodstock ( outside of the farm, somewhere on the road ). Many more great memories of great performances.
Allman Brothers at Carnegie Hall in NYC a month after Duane's death in 1973
CSNY in Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City the night that Nixon resigned, they announced it and played Ohio to capture the moment in 1974 Led Zeppelin at Carnegie Hall in NYC in 1969
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....
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?
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.
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.
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.
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"?
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!
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!
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!
@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.
@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
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.
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