Best and Worst Rock Concert Moments

Best-Pink Floyd 94 Oakland Col.  It was unforgettable and the experience of a lifetime. I didn't know I could get that high, or as frightened. 


Worst, and I was really surprised by this, Esperanza Spaulding touring behind her alter ego rock record. Maybe it went over my head but I thought it was really pretty lame. 

My band in 1969 Honolulu had great management and we were in the orchestra pit right in front of the band for a Hendrix show on a Friday night (Waikiki Shell venue…sort of a Hawaii Hollywood Bowl)…he did part of a set and left the stage until they could fix a hum or something, and we had to leave then for a club gig anyway. Oh well...He never came back on! Oops. Stoned hippies wandered the town…he did his scheduled Saturday night show and we couldn’t make it due to our gig, but because he had bailed on his Friday show he made it up on Sunday so HUZZAH…back in the orchestra pit we went, and enjoyed Jimi from 10 feet away for the entire thing. I hung out with him a little at some point as he was around for a week vacationing, and Mitch Mitchell sat in with us at our club gig one night. Whew…those were the days…We also opened for Led Zeppelin one night on their first tour…they were real good live at that time…real good…I wonder what happened to those guys...

Back in the early 90's Pink Floyd was getting ready to start their tour. They had rented one side of the Canadian Airlines hanger in Toronto to do their rehearsals I was working as a tech for the airline at the time and got to see a full dress rehearsal the night before the tour opened. I also had tickets for the show but that night was special.  The next week Aerosmith's plane landed for their concert, as everything was closed at the airport they asked us if we could fix a minor issues with the plane, very cool talking to them very down to earth guys. afterwards they gave us tickets to the show the next evening.

Don't know what it is with Jethro Tull, but things happen when he performs.  Mid '70's at Red Rocks somedumbfuc had to throw a beer bottle at a cop and smack him in the face.  It really hit the fan when the cops turned their dogs loose on the crowd and a stampede to the exits started and the cops on horseback just started hitting anyone within range with nightclubs.  That mess made its way to the parking lot and people were crawling under cars to get away from the seemingly insane cops running people down with the horses and smacking anyone standing.  A really bad show.  No more rock concerts there for a number of years.

The best.....first to mind is Bruce Springsteen at Wollman rink
Central Park summer of 73 I think,when he opened for Anne Murray.
An all out blow out show and just pockets of couples remained
after he finished, to hear Anne Murray. I was just getting into Bruce
and went with a high school friend and we were in the bleachers
and ended up with a rabid pack of college guys and gals that welcomed us into their fold. Crazy good night.
Also my first show....which was also at Wollman...The Allman Bros.
...at 15 or 16 years old and with my cool high school love and the 
Brothers introduced me to live rock and roll !
  Though not an official DeadHead  saw some great shows with
some great friends in NY area....Nassau Coliseum,The Garden
and best of all the Meadowlands where we partied all day and
took many a toke over the line and then rambled inward to get
our grooves on. 
  Actually my first show was believe it Bob Dylan at Commack Arena
if my memory's correct....I was a kid but my sister,four years older
went with my dad as 'chaperone' and took me along....Nighthawks
his band,not that I knew at the time....before the hippies...I think
everyone was wearing leather.
Some good shows at MY Father's Place: Mink DeVille, Asleep At the
Wheel  which I went to only because a college friend from Johnston
College in Redlands CA. called me up out the blue and said we had
to go see this band.Friend was Jimmy Stodgill from Texas so off we
went...what a show,all new to me.After first show we wanted to get in
for 2nd show and hooked up with two guys who claimed to be in
Asleep At The Wheel fan club called The Lugnuts and knew the band
and all that so we put our name in at the door in high hopes with a long line for 2nd show snaking down the block. We were denied....
a guy came to the door and yelled in very loud voice   "Lugnuts
Lugnuts,where's the guys from the lugnuts....sorry guys I can't let 
you in...I was slightly mortified to be identified as a Lugnut in front
of all those waiting people..Ohwell. I guess I've been to more shows
than I first thought and almost all good...a few clunkers but too few
to mention. some great lists here....lots I missed