Live music you have attended that left impact....perhaps better than you expected.

- Leonard Cohen at The Universal Amphitheater in the early-2000’s. Very dramatic, sophisticated, and musical.

- In the early-80’s I went to see The Plimsouls at a little "club" on Ventura Blvd. in Studio City named The Garage (it was an actual garage, a converted former car repair shop). The opening act was anounced, a name unfamiliar to me. When Los Lobos started playing and singing I was gobsmacked. Fantastic!

- The Lyres at Club Lingerie on Sunset Blvd. I liked this Garage Band’s albums, but seeing them live in the mid-80’s was a whole ’nother experience. Monoman on Vox Continental organ (right hand) and tambourine (left) and his tough 3-piece band was a mindblower. Intense, man!

- The Beach Boys at The Fillmore Auditorium (or was it Winterland?) in ’73 (I believe it was, though it may have been a year earlier). I had already seen them in the Summer of ’64 (my first concert), when they were just a semi-pro Surf Band. By ’73 they had evolved into something else entirely. Dylan himself was surprised and impressed seeing them at that time. His response was "Hey, they’re really good." They were, even without Brian.

@edcyn ...."Far out, man..."*L*  The 'improper tix' holds a certain element of risks, but the house looked full up...and we were just broke enough for gas...*G*

...but a Good Time seemed to be had by all.

....it was an Era all it's own, fur chure....;)

Cream.  In Sutton Town Hall (south London).  An 'intimate' small venue.

Who could believe three guys could make so much music?  Indeed, so much noise with the small 100 wat amps of the time.

Seemed like there were about five of them.

Beatles--August 15, 1966--DC Stadium (RFK now)

Rolling Stones--July 4, 1966--The Dome, VA Beach (Long gone, alas...)

Ray Charles--June 29, 1963--The Dome, VA Beach

The Monkees--July 8, 1967--Jacksonville Auditorium (JIMI HENDRIX was introduced as "a guitar player from England" and was SECOND BILL.  Micky Dolenz fell off the stage at one point.

Jimi Hendrix--May 9, 1967--Charlotte Coliseum--(CHICAGO (Transit Authority in those days) was introduced by Jimi as a "great new band)

Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Loggins & Messina--Tampa Stadium--July 4, 1976

(Hotel California/Rumors tour--pretty amazing).

Lots more, and I keep ALL my ticket stubs, but these are memorable.  At my school, UNC-Chapel Hill, we had $2.00 concerts during the week sometimes at a small venue (Memorial Hall, I think) and we saw James Brown and the Famous Flames and Little Anthony and the Imperials.  I think it sat about 400 people.

James Taylor 

Linkin Park

Cat Stevens

Pink Floyd / Roger Waters solo

Santana

The Smiths