Your 5 Fav Rock Concerts


There are certainly more than a few geetar fanciers among us judging by all the threads on guitar bands and best guitarist. This thread is about the best rock shows you saw. Let's limit it to the rock shows. Not Blues or Jazz or solo performers. The concerts that raised the hairs on your neck or made you want to take up an instrument or raised your pulse through their sheer energy or just moved you through their performance on stage. The only ones that count are the ones you've seen. After making a list in my mind of the many rock concerts I attended, most from the late 1960's through early 80's, I have come up with mine. It was tough, I’ve seen well over 200 rock concerts over the years and it is really hard coming up with a top 5 but we have to limit this so here go mine. "Yes" - This group stands out as the 2nd best concert I ever saw with Steve Howe and Chris Wakeman. They opened for Emerson, Lake and Palmer and after their set I do feel that EL&P were disheartened and knew they couldn't match it; they didn't. Funny thing is like most, I was there to see EL&P. They were forced to have another concert the following night by popular demand. Virtuoso musicianship, “Poco” - This group could put on a show. I saw them 4 different times in the many various stages of their evolution. They never had the commercial recognition of some of the other great bands of their era but they sure made up for it in their live performances. No one stayed seated during a Poco concert. “Rod Stewart and Faces” - Ron Wood on guitar and Rod Stewart strutting all over the stage. Rod was probably the greatest natural Rock showman I ever saw, including Mick Jagger. His uninhibited manner and constant movement and soulful vocals brought the house down. The crowd wouldn't let him go after the 5th encore so he invited everyone ("especially the pretty young ladies") to his hotel to “party on”, and so they came; Led Zeppelin I had to include them because next to the Doors and of course Jimi Hendrix they were my favorites of that era and I never did get to see either of the other two. The acoustics were bad and they played so loud you couldn’t really hear the music. But they were great none the less and it was special to me. The best should be kept for last. "The Who" was acknowledged as the best concert band at the time. Getting tickets meant getting in line and waiting. I imagine at the time the only tougher ticket would be the “Beatles” and they weren’t even together then. They didn’t disappoint. The reaction of the audience was beyond anything I ever saw at a live concert before or since. The band was so cohesive and the energy they put out put them into a different realm. They just have to be on a very short list of the best live bands ever.
tubegroover
Absolutely no question, from then till now... inaugural show Dark Side Of The Moon - 1973, in Jacksonville, Fla. at the venue across from the then Gator bowl.. The only act that night and certainly they were enough. Catch as catch can seating... $6 or $7 I think. 21 700 watt Phase Linear amps, (Bob Carver's offering), eight stacks of speakers spread around the venue with the engineers actively mixing during the show... no taped perofrmances back then. (the engineers let us sit on the platform in front of their mixing boards directly in the center of the theater... the absolute best spot!)

#2 July 4th, 1976 at University of Tamp, tampa, Fla. KISS, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Pure Prairie League, Johnny Winter with Rick Derringer, Charlie Daniels Band, Marshall Tucker Band, and ZZ Top. ...ZZ Top didn't stand a chance by the time they took the stage to end the concert.... CDB Johnny, & Marshall all on stage at once for the Marshall Tucker encore (s) , blew everyone away! $12. Deal, huh?

#3 Cat Stevens Yeha, I know, I know, but trying to decide between that show and the then farewell tour for David Bowie with Jackson brown as his front man was pretty hard. Cat gets the nod as the more memorable event. Passion, power, accuracy, and acoustics remain still vibrantly memorable... (before the name change, of course) at the now defunct 'Curtis Hixon Hall' Tampa, Fl. 1969 - 70 (?) He did his Tea for the Tillerman, completely, and followed it by his then, new release, teaser and the Firecat. Didn't miss a beat, absolutely on time and sonically super... simply outstanding acoustic performance... remarkable & most memorable. best $3 I've ever spent. Never heard of him before that night, just giving a friend a ride... and decided to go too..

#4 Aerosmith & Black Oak Arkansas. Whew! Words simply do not say enough. Inagural tour for Aerosmith, toys in the Attic album, and Oaks "Hot & Nasty' offering Wow! My ears are still ringing... Sweat, power, exploding guitars just amazing! Black Oak opened and if you left right after they did their gig you would have had gotten your moneys worth... $7.50 ... inflation, I guess.

#5 Paul Thorn. Doing his 'Ain't Life Strange" album entirely, along with some of his upcoming offferings, at a local venue, Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa,Fl. 2004. As entertaining a show as I've ever attended. Very funny guy with great driving rythym & blues rock. An involving fan oriented showman. Just palyed forever!.. Best $15 Iv'e spent in years...
Frank Black and the Catholics @ the Starry Plough
Sugar and Radiohead @ the Warfield
The Cranes and Dinosaur, Jr. @ San Jose State
DOA @ The Outhouse
Jesus and Mary Chain @ The Fillmore

Well, you asked for best shows, not best bands. But aren't they if they are that good live? A conundrum.
In no particluar order:

1. Stevie Ray Vaughn, the pier in New York City, played with Double Trouble, The Fab Tbirds opened up for them, encores with Steve Winwood and texas bluesman Johnny Copeland...1985

2. Desmond Dekkar, Hepcat, The Whiskey, LA -1992

3. Fishbone, Palladium, NYC 1991

4. The Dickies, Jawbreaker, and Huskier Du, some punk club that held about 40 people...

5. Reggae Sunsplash, LA 1988
WOODSTOCK -- 1969
Remember Shakti -- 12/2000 in Bombay
Mothers of Invention, Uncle Meat -- 1969
Procol Harum -- 1969
Jimi Hendrix -- 1968
If i ever get ahold of one of those time machine things, i might have to start off w/ that Uncle Meat show! I bet hardly anyone there in 69 was ready for it.