Best and Worst Rock Concert Moments

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

Best Moment-  Too many to count.
Worst Moment- Grateful Dead, Springfield MA, 1971/72-ish.  Open seating show in large indoor venue; maybe seating 12-15K.  Very close to the front of the crowd waiting for admission, when some bozo opens ONE of the plate glass doors and the whole crowd surges forward.  We were sure we were going to die, either trampled or pushed through the glass doors.  My GF (now wife) was lifted off of her feet and pushed backwards through a (luckily) opened door. 
Worst Moments- All of those times when I thought it was cool that my ears were ringing for several days after a show.  Worst offenders (as best as I can remember) Quicksilver Messenger Service and John McLaughlin/Mahavishnu Orchestra.  Wonder if I can get them to pay for my hearing aids...????

Here's one of my favorite times... although not a large concert.  At a small local venue, Rickie Lee Jones was playing.  Dakota Jazz Club is a small place, like 300 or 400 people, and more like a supper club than a concert hall.  Great place for a show.  

So, I brought the RLJ album thinking we may be able to get her to sign it for us.  I asked the waitress if she could help, and she said yes, but that ended up being a dead end.  

After the show was over, I stayed behind to pay the bill while my GF went down by the stage door entrance by the bar.  15 minutes later, I go to the bar, and she's still waiting.  May as well have another cocktail, right?  So, I'm chatting with a guy at the bar while we wait.  GF is getting frustrated after another 15 min, says she is giving up, and is going to the rest room.  

Of course, not 30 seconds later, here comes Rickie.  I chat with her a bit, tell her I'm a big fan, she signs the record, and out the door she and her friends go.  Not 30 seconds later, here comes the GF.  haha!  I told her what happened and naturally, she didn't believe me.  "I know what you did... You signed that!"

Then, at the end of the bar, a guy who I hadn't noticed says, "would you like a picture?"  Well, yeah!  It turns out, he was a professional photographer and was taking pictures of the show.  He was quietly waiting at the bar for a few cameo shots of her exit.  In his camera, he has like 40 pictures of me talking with Rickie and getting her autograph.  Next day he emailed me a few, and one of those pics hangs on my wall with the signed album.  My GF is still upset that she didn't get her chance to say hello.

Memorable show, and even more memorable story... for us, anyway.  I doubt that Rickie remembers it as well as us.   :-)