In the 50+ years I have been going to see "live" music, I have had the pleasure to many fabulous concerts, but for brevity's sake I will only include a few highlights from the 1970's. Most are the first time that particular artist visited Vancouver (Canada).
Pink Floyd (Dark Side of the Moon Tour) at the PNE Gardens Auditorium on Sept. 30/1972. The Gardens is a small, 5,000 seat venue and the band was mesmerizing. Their quadraphonic sound system combined with a chemically enhanced audience made it lots of fun.
Johnny Winter And, featuring Rick Derringer at the Pacific Coliseum on April 2/1971. The band also included Edgar Winter along with bass and drums by Double Trouble, who went on the join Stevie Ray Vaughn. Although they were backing up John Mayall, the concert died when they left the stage. Probably the highest tempo concert I have ever seen.
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers at The Commodore Ballroom on June 15/1978. The first tour by a music legend. The Commodore is basically a music nightclub with a dance floor installed over a layer of rubber tires and Tom and the band had it rocking. Because he only had one album at the time, there were a lot of cover versions and the 3rd encore was the Bobby Fuller Four classic "I Fought The Law".
Edgar Winter's White Trash at PNE Agrodome on July 23/1971. One of the most underrated bands ever. A combination of funk, blues, R&B, and rock & roll, including great vocals by Winter and singer Jerry LaCroix and a killer horn section, they absolutely ripped it up.
Elton John (1st tour) at the PNE Agrodome on April 23/1971. I saw Elton 5 or 6 times between 1971 and 1984 and during his heyday he was the gold standard of keeping an entire arena on its feet for 3 hours. This was before all the theatrics and the setlist was completely the "Elton John" album and Tumbleweed Connection.
Bruce Springsteen (Darkness on the Edge of Town Tour) at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on June 26/1978. Simply the best live show I have ever seen. Over 4 hours of vintage the Boss and the E Street Band. The had two sets with a 15 minute intermission. He was back playing in 10 minutes and went on the play everything you wanted to hear, bought the show up the aisles into the audience and Clarence Clemons was phenomenal.
