who surprised and who disappointed

SURPRISES:

Talking Heads: Reluctantly agreed to go with a friend to see them. After the show, I drove around NorCal to see their next three concerts.

Kings X: Every song, even those that miss on CD, is explosive live. Tightest band I've ever seen, they sound like one mind playing three instruments simultaneously.

Dylan: Once show a big surprise, another a big disappointment.

Springsteen in a stadium: He worked it like a small nightclub.

Eminem & Dr. Dre: Two of the most captivating performers I've ever seen. I like their recordings well enough, but in concert they blew the doors off!

Meat Puppets: Sleepy on the recordings, rippin' live.

Nels Cline Singers: Nels Cline is the most compelling, masterful musician I've ever seen.

Throwing Muses: Good recordings (especially "Limbo"), but amazing in concert.

Soundgarden: I saw them at a surprise gig at a small club. They sounded monolithic.

Primus: Used to see them do afternoon gigs at a little bar on Haight Street. They were far too big for the local circuit, and quickly proved to be.

Spin Doctors: Not what you'd expect to see at a little bar on 2nd Ave in NYC. Soon thereafter, they shot to fame.

DISAPPOINTMENTS:

Catherine Wheel: More energy & creativity on the recordings than live.

Milton Nascimento: A musical hero of mine, he sat on a stool the entire night. Boring.

Biggest disapointment in person was Weather Report years ago. The biggest surprise this year so far is a tie: Conner Oberst- Bright Eyes, and Jeff Tweety solo, both are consumate musicians and obsessive about their sound.

Harry Chapin (but now you know how old I am).

His records were mediocre at best, but I loved his concerts (especially when I got to see him in some very small venues on college campuses)

Disappointed: Most "pop" artists disappoint in live performances...Duran Duran, Spice Girls, Dido, Rod Stewart are some of the worst I can recall but there are many others. They depend on good producers/engineers and many takes IMHO. It is mostly the vocals that don't hold up.

Surprises: Tom Petty. Queen.Alanis Morrisette. Average White Band. Bryan Adams. INXS. M People. Cleo Lane.

Mediocre: Simple minds, U2, Genesis were all reasonable live but much better in the studio. Stones do a great show but don't sound nearly as good as they do in the studio.

I could go on and on...

Well Kublakhan, luckily for me I gave the Dead a second try, or else I would have called you a liar!

My first experience at a Dead concert was one of the worst concert experiences of my life. It was dull, boring and the accoustics were terrible. (I saw them at one of their New Years shows (albeit a Chinese New Years show in Oakland), many, many years ago. The set list stunk, (unbelieveably, the best song they played was Alley Oop), and their playing was uninspired.

Luckily, I caught them a few years later when they backed up Bob Dylan for one of the Days on the Green type of Concerts in the Oakland Collesium. They seemed like a totalling different band. Energized, rockin' and just having a good time. (And the set list was great, not a bunch of obscure songs from their lessor albums and B sides.)

As far as live performances that exceeded my expectations:
Nils Lofgren, (I had never heard of this guy, and he played at a Bridge concert and blew me away!)
Stone Temple Pilots,
Kronos Quartet

Those that dissappointed me included:
Jethro Tull, once anyway. (And like the Dead, a second concert impressed me as to how good they could be, given the chance).
Smashing Pumpkins (Twice they stunk! Never again for me!)

My two cents worth anyway.