Saw Lenny Kravitz and Blues Traveler at HORDEfest in Pittsburgh in '95. U2's PopMart tour in Pittsburgh in '98 and Elevation Tour in Phoenix in '01. Billy Joel/Elton John Face-to-Face tour in Vegas '02.

(My mom told me she took me to a Barry Manilow concert when I was 8, but thank goodness I've successfully flushed that from my memory.)

Thursday puts on a great show.

Slipknot...sickest, most creative show i've been to, this was back in like '99 before IOWA. and System of a Down, one of the funniest, most entertaining, energy filled shows right before TOXICITY was released, but the set was a mixture of thier selftitled and that one. Daron: "stop throwing beer bottles on stage or your daughters will grow up with small tits and if you have a son he'll have a small dick"

Paul McCartney in Atlanta. The energy in Phillips that night was as if lightning was about to strike.

Hands down, The Flaming Lips.

in order of magnitude:
fela anikulapo kuti and egypt 80 (1984)
talking heads, remain in light tour
art ensemble of chicago (4 or 5 times, cant remember exactly)
sun ra arkestra

out of order of magnitude:
einsturzende neubauten--silence is sexy tour
massive attack--mezzanine tour
the congos
gregory issacs
roni size
the who (1976)
black sabbath (last tour with the original lineup)
mercury rev
p-funk (many times, each great)
ali farka toure and salif keita in paris
john zorn, fred frith, bill laswell and the drummer from slayer in paris
dahlek
l. shankar, zakir hussein and the guy who played clay pot (3/4 of shakti)
the vienna philharmonic doing berg's violin concerto no. 1
la monte young at the dream house, tribute to pandit pran nath (last year)
jaap blonk (sound poetry performance a couple weeks ago--just amazing)

latest:
dj/rupture this past weekend, 3 times--best turntablist i have ever seen, bar none.

Four concerts I can think of:

Kansas Leftoverture tour, just before Kansas made it big, 1975 or 1976. Small theater in Waterbury CT, sitting in the rafters. Pot smoke rose to the rafters and I got buzzed. At the time, Kansas was hot. Saw them a couple years later in Springfield Ma on their Point of Know Return tour and wasn't impressed.

Woodtsock '94 and Woodstock '99 (left just before the riots) lots of good bands and the whole crazy weekend.

Nine Inch Nails in Albany NY Dec 1994. Probably the wildest concert I've been to other than the Woodstock concerts. At the end of the set everybody was waiting for the encore. After about 10 minutes the lights come on and somebaody made an announcement that the show was over. Somebody had thrown a shoe at the drummer and gave him a concusson.

Lots of other good concerts over the last 15 years but those were the best.

Fleetwood Mac....last summer....GREAT

Trans-Siberian Orchestra, in December '03. They played at a rather smallish-to-medium-sized venue, but had pyro and the works. The music was amazing, themed for Christmas, and brought out very positive emotions. It was an amazing show.

I was going to see them this year, but they are playing at the huge stadium in Madison Square Garden, which I can't stand, and the available seats are just awful, so I guess I'll have to miss out.

1. The Cure - Disintegration Tour at Dodger Stadium 1989.
2. Depeche Mode, OMD, Thomas Dolby, and Wire -
Concert for the Masses (Rose Bowl June 18th, 1988)

POD, Blindside, Lacuna Coil, and Hazen Street, June 2004 at Bogarts in Cincy.

OAR day before Halloween 2004 at Taft Theater in Cincy. If you haven't seen them, they are totally different from their recordings and anything else you've ever seen before.

The Beach Boys when I was 5 at Polaris Ampitheater.

Frank Zappa through the 70's and up to the 1988 tour. Never the same show twice, always entertaining. In Detroit in 83, he came on stage an hour before the concert, grabbed his guitar and just played. It was a beautiful thing...

Anything at the Wetlands (RIP)

Standing on seats in the second row of a Wyclef/De La Soul/Black Eyed Peas concert, after Wyclef told security to get lost.

Bad Religion, their being soccer dads only enhances their punk rawk vibe.

Robin Black and the Intergalactic Rock Stars on Holloween 2003. They played at my favorite bar (Zaphods in Ottawa). They put more energy into their show than anybody else I have ever seen. They also had some girl mixing and giving out (free) shots on stage to people in the audience. I got seriously trashed.

Heh, I was at a local concert with Emery and Boys Night Out.

1. I got kicked in the stomach by a hardcore dancer.
2. Two crowd surfers landed on my neck.
3. Being pushed around by a guy twice the size of me.

It was awesome.

End of this summer I saw Bela Fleck, Keller Williams, and Yonder Mountain String Band in Chicago and they never had a break, they would bring in other members and at the end it was one big ass jam session and when wooten started playin Come Together I was extatic.

Some other great ones:
Galactic (Bonnaroo with the thunderstorm rolling in and the guys continue to tear it up SURReAL)
G. Love and Special Sauce followed by 311 was amazing but I liked em both better solo
Slipknot was one of the more intense shows
Sevendust totally kicks all ass
Cut Chemist (also Bonnaroo) was some of the best DJin I have seen
INCUBUS damn that belonged higher up
Cypress Hill watchin them take bong loads on stage
Phish has been amazing a few times
Oh and OAR is NOT that great live but BY FAR the most hotties in the audience I have ever seen!

oh and to the dude that saw DJ Shadow on the first page, I almost broke out in tears thinking what that would be like :( I wish he would tour

Slayer in Oakland during the Divine Intervention tour.

Anyone in the Baltimore-Washington are should try to go to an Hfstival. The quality of the bands attending has been declining but there are usually at least a few good bands there. But its really the atmosphere of the place. It's very laid back and if you want to mosh even though youre a little guy (like me) it's no problem cause if you fall down there will be 20 people picking you up before you hit the ground. There are multiple stages with local bands and lesser known bands. As well as a tent that plays electronic music incase you bring any hallucinogens.

i haven't been to too many concerts, but Cross Canadian Ragweed put on the best show i've ever seen. they play a genre of music known as "red-dirt" that orginated in Texas/Oklahoma. i think they're kinda pigeonholed by not fitting into existing established genre's, but they make some good music and put on a damn good show.

a few years ago we had a FREE underage concert where 28 Days played... that was GREAT!!!!
last year we had the same thing and Spiderbait played... not the best, but its a small town and we don't get many big names here!!

Starflyer59.

the combination of where/when/how was unreal.

I can't believe Pantera has only been mentioned once. I've seen them 9 times since '94 and they are far and away the best live show I've ever seen. The biggest surprise good show that I've seen, believe it or not, was Methods of Mayhem. Saw them at Ozzfest a few years ago and they totally blew me away.

best live shows ive see would have to be:
NIN
Radiohead (seen them twice at red rocks)
Metallica, even though there new music sucks, i saw them last year and they only played old school stuff, 2 hours of music and I counted maybe three songs from any album newer then load.
and of corse my fav
Tool, seen them 5 times and they never to ceese amaze
also ive seen static x maybe 8 times and they always put on a good show

I was at the first Bonnaroo music festival in Manchester Tennessee. Widespread Panic, The Dead (well at the time it was Phil Leash and Bob Weir), Jack Johnson, Ben Harper, Trey, Galactic, Moe, Les Claypool.

It was amazing! I'm not what you would call a "Hippy" but I really enjoy the jam bands. Not allot of people now a days make real music. I don’t think I have ever been offered so many drugs in my life though. The group I was with settled on some nice shrooms which were freaking amazing. I think I lost my mind a couple of times that weekend ;-).

One of the greatest experiences of my life. If you like music, like a laid back atmosphere, and can get away for a weekend in June, I recommend you check it out.

http://www.bonnaroo.com

Best chill-out and smoke-out show: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, April 1995. ($20)

Best intense, kick your neighbor in the head and bleed from your nose show: Rage Against the Machine, Oct. 1996. ($13)

Best ears bleeding and a nursing a headache the next day show: Dick Dale, Every winter ($15)

Concerts don't really seem to do it for me, anymore. Perhaps it's the price or maybe the quality of music just isn't there. Last show I went to was the Reverend Horton Heat and that was almost a year ago. ($25) Before that was the Strokes who showed up late and drunk and only played 45 minutes. :mad:

I don't care that much for Springsteen's albums, on which he sounds kinda bored. But man oh man in concert he's a freaking maniac. 3 hours plus, nonstop, and all his songs are energentic and anthemic.

Pretty Girls Make Graves are really very impressive live.

So are The Tossers, a Chicago based Celtic punk group.

The best I've seen live, though, is Ted Leo and The Pharmacists, who just kicks unbelievable ass. Live, Leo bounces around and plays as hard as he can. My right ear didn't stop ringing until the next morning. And let me tell you, I go to a small school where most students (including me) are the shoe-gazing type, but everyone was completely losing their shit when he played.

Recently, The Pixies in Philadelphia over the weekend. one of the few bands that would could possibly make being in the company of 5000 pretentious insecure teenagers worthwhile (where the hell did they come from anyway - they haven't played in like 10 years). Even the guy behind me yelling every word to every song in my fucking ear didn't ruin my good time.

I like smaller shows better, any good ska band, but my absolute fav live band is Eastern Standard Time.

Incubus. They came and played a show at my school (NIU) on November 12th this year and it was awesome. I can't believe I got to see them by walking 15 minutes out of my room. It was the third time I've seen them live and probably my favorite time. I saw them in 2002 at UofI, this past july at Allstate Arena (Chicago) and then November 12th at NIU. The live show keeps getting better and more energetic. The new DVD Alive at Red Rocks shows off what they're made of.

I gotta say the best show I've seen was Prince on the Musicology tour. No pyrotechnics, no lasers, no cheap effects. Just a great band and a kick ass performer! Excellent show! 2nd would be Peter Gabriel or having a great stage show. The Chili Peppers were good, but they played such a short show I have to knock some points off.

I went to a pretty rockin' concert last night. It was one of those big shows put on by Seattle's alternative station. Saw Snow Patrol, Keane, the Shins, the Killers and Franz Ferdinand...left before Modest Mouse went on. I couldn't stand the idea of teeny bopper girls screaming for Modest Mouse...it seems so incongruous. Blah. The show was great, especially Keane. I highly recommend them live. Franz Ferdinand also knows how to rock. Damn. With the exception of having to put up with too many too-cool-for-school teeny boppers running riot around Key Arena, it was fun.

Seeing the Vienna Philharmonic play the New World Symphony was trancended.

However, Rammstein puts on a god damn show too.

Nine Inch Nails, Tool, and The Smashing Pumpkins.

i'm a decemberists fan. been to about 5 of their shows, as they are just as entertaining with each visit.

deerhoof puts on an amazing live performance.

if you want a good dancing experience, try to check out franz ferdinand live. the crowd feeds off their energy.

weezer is pretty cool live. feel like snuggling... memorize a couple dashboard songs and have a ball.

the d (tenacious d) is the king of rock and roll. you simply must go to see them next time they tour or be banished from the land.

oh yeah, ima robot.

derek was there too. i agree whole heartedly about the teeny bopper thing. hopefully they'll grow out of it.

did i mention stephen lynch? that man has balls to perform some of those topics live. he also hits the high notes like he has no balls. very funny.

Slayer last sunday, (December 12th) at the Roseland. Best fucking show ever. I saw a lady get punched in the baby.

This was a while ago, but The Ataris at the Fireside Bowl in Chicago. It is a little bowling alley with the tiny stage.

Me and a buddy got to get up on stage and sing San Dimas High School Football Rules with Kris Roe. Awesome.

Small venues rule.

I just saw Social Distortion last night.


It was like meeting God.

acid mothers temple

Bob Dylan
Simon and Garfunkel Reunion Tour
Joe Satriani - G3 Concert w/Steve Petrucci
Joe Satriani - Engines of Creation Tour
Drivin N Cryin'
Jack Johnson
... damnt a couple more I cant think of at the moment

Tool in 2001.
Opeth in San Diego 2003. Got there so early I had lunch with them before the show. Beat that! :D

--jaded

Underworld at Clutch Cargo's in Pontiac, MI October 2002. Hearing (and singing to) Born Slippy in the company of about 400 others was just amazing. And the laser effect that pierced the air in the middle of Twist had me creaming my pants.

Radiohead at The Skydome in Toronto, ON October 2003 (supposed to be August 2003, but The Power Outage happened). Kid Koala opened up for them, and I swear to God he is the best scratch artist out there. Pick up anything he's released! Radiohead opened up with The Gloaming and There There and blew me away. The concert was only an hour and a half, but well worth the $150 pair of tickets and 3.5 hour drive (each way) to see them.

AC/DC, The Palace of Auburn Hills, August 3rd, 2000. Stiff Upper Lip tour. A statue of Angus, complete with fire, smoke and lights.. a huge bell, all the classic songs.. and even some gunfire (someone was shot at after the concert out in the parking lot).

Metallica. Finally got to see them at the Summer Sanitarium Tour and they were awesome! I could even listen to their stuff off of St. Anger because they are such a great live band. I recommend seeing them live as much as possible.

I saw Primus in Charlotte last year during the "Animals Should Not Act Like Humans" tour, and it was amazing. I've never seen a band or an audience get so caught up in the music, and watching Les Claypool play the slap base was an experience in it's own category. This was the only show I've ever seen that made me want to be a roadie.

Hrmm, have to say Pantera, with tool a close 2nd. As far as local bands, blindspott would have to be my pic, despite the fact that im sure 99% of tfp users will never have heard of them :)

O.A.R. puts on the most amazing live show I have ever seen.

Saw the Prodigy at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, Ga in about 98, i think the whole place was in the same frame of mind... rolling on X and it was like a religious experience. The music was totally awesome and the crowd was connected to the band. We were all dancing and feeling the vibes... I think back to that concert and get cold chills to this day. Ahhhh the good old days.

I just got back from the "Benefit: Dimebag Darrell with Disturbed, Anthrax, Drowning Pool, Soil" and it was awesome. To be honest, I only really cared about seeing Anthrax, I don't care much for the other bands. That said, Soil was really good and played an incredible version of Damageplan's "Save Me." The two best songs of the night belonged to Anthrax. First, they opened their set with Pantera's "Fucking Hostile." They finished their set by bringing out Vinnie Paul to play drums on an old Pantera song (I'm too tired right now to remember the name of it) along with the guys from Soil, and I think I spotted the rest of Damageplan on stage as well. It wasn't easy to tell because I was a bit away, and there were tons of people running around on stage during that song.

Jam band shows always have such a fantastic atmosphere, especially when they're outdoors. Everyone's happy and laid-back, friends with the world. It is enough to make me believe in "good vibes".

The best show I ever saw was the Dead at Shoreline - sunny afternoon/evening, beautiful people, fantastic music. I know why people follow them.

Bingle

metallica and godsmack-may 9

Britney Spears at the Avalon. nuff said

I can't believe I haven't posted here yet.

My favorite is definitely Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds in late 2003, I think it was about November. It was just after the Nocturama release.

The concert was at the Music Bowl in Melbourne, we had a rug and a picnic on the side of the hill looking down onto the stage and since it was summer it was stinking hot. We got there around 4pm and the concert started around 9pm. Words can't even begin to describe the radical-ness of this concert, there were all my favorite songs, new ones and old ones, an awesome crowd, and they did a heavier version of Wonderful Life that it is on the album, and it blew my mind, and I've never heard a cooler song since.

I just got back from the House of Blues where the original Anthrax lineup just played, and it was awesome. I've almost lost my voice from yelling. It was all older Anthrax songs, and it was great. I still prefer John Bush as the front man, but this was still one hell of a show.

Now I know, it was "A New Level."

Ozzfest 04 was my best experience so far, looking
forward to 05 because of "In Flames"

NIN Fragility Tour '00. Every time I turned around there was a joint in my face.

I just saw Audio Adrenaline for the second time at a festival and have to say that they have one of the best shows ever, period. Incredible music and absolutely stunning visuals. Loads of fun.

Also saw a band called Seventh Day Slumber. I urge you to give them a listen and go see them. They are extremely passionate about what they do.

The Marc Atkinson Trio-The man did the best solo of my life, and played percussion on guitar, with slap style, harmonics and regular hand drumming style, fuckin awsome

Two come to mind

The Grateful Dead/Bob Dylan in the early 90s, when I lived in Minneapolis. Started out on upper levels -- sound sucked, etc. Slowly sneaked downstairs -- caught by security at the last gate, but deadheads grabbed the security guys and let a few slobs like me on to the floor in front -- had a WILD time.

Another Dylan concert ten yearls later -- he was actually pretty coherent -- smaller venue -- and the rich dudes behind us kept buying beer and food for everybody in their area. Great communal, happy concert with peaceful folks.

Best overall show: Rolling Stones, Dallas 1989

Best overall musical performance: Little Feat, Tulsa, 1990

Biggest surprise: Dr. Hook, 1978, Russellville, Arkansas (a free concert at college, it was great!)

Best opening act: Bob Seger, Little Rock, 1976 (opening for the Doobie Brothers, Seger was better in his 30 minutes than were the Doobies in their whole show).

Honorable mention: Paul McCartney, Kansas City 1993, in which there was a great show and great music, it's just shaded a little on each element by the Stones and Little Feat.

There has been a few that I'll never forget.

Metallica - First concert ever
Tool - Probably my fav out of the lot
Rammstein - Excellent stage show.

Forgot to mention my first concert ever -- Cheap Trick, in Bismarck, ND, 1980, a few days after Mt. St. Helens erupted in Washington , with ash falling from the sky from more than a thousand miles away.

Wow, I've been to some great ones over the years in many styles and places...

The first time I saw Tori Amos (a little after Under the Pink came out) was a truly revelatory experience.

Then there was seeing The Pretenders in Cotati at The Inn of the Beginning ... this was before their first album came out! Man, did they kick serious ass!

Hearing Robin Williamson play harp and tell silly (and not-so-silly) stories in New Hampshire on a winter's evening was pure magic.

Hearing the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra play Beethoven's 9th Symphony was almost beyond description.

The J. Geil's Band put on a DAMN fine show! Peter Wolf never stopped moving or talking/singing (except during instrumental solos) and the whole band was in the groove.

King Sunny Ade knew exactly how to put a smile on my face. yeah!

The night I saw The Aquabats and Madness on the same stage was more fun than could be imagined!

And to hear 500+ pipers play Highland Laddie and Black Bear is enough to make me grab my claymore and targe and head to battle!

So, yeah, music is kinda cool :crazy:

For me it was seeing Dave Davies in 2003 with Amelia in Cleveland at the Beachland Ballroom.

He played a lot of KINKS Klassiks and his newer solo material and just jammed. He talked to the audience and acknowledged us in even the subtlest ways (a wink and smile, a wave, throwing his picks out etc.).

His band was tight and awesome.

Afterward, he signed autographs, I got a poster and his CD "Bug" signed by him.... the booklet in "Bug" I was able to get all the band to sign.

(So I have the CD, Poster, a copy of his book "KINK" signed by him and a KINKS Koncert T signed by his brother and KINKS frontman Ray.... )

The best part was going to Denny's afterward with several other fans and as we are sitting there Dave's backing band comes in, Jonathon Lea, Jim Lespesa, and Derrick....(everyone but Dave and his lovely wife Kate, who were at the hotel). They notice our table as we had alkl talked to them and Dave's fan club pres (and her hubby) happens to be a member of our table.

They come and sit next to us and talk, steal fries from our plates and just be guys and friends.

That night will be etched in my mind as one of the greatest events of my life.... the sex with Amelia that night was the best we ever had as a couple, because we were both so psyched.

It was Amelia's first concert and she, I think, enjoyed it all more than I did.

I've seen Pink Floyd, Billy Joel, the Stones, Rod Stewart, Alice Cooper, Tom Petty, McCartney, and so on in concert and all I can say is that this was by far the best of any of any of them, from the show to the signings to the Denny's aftershow party.

That would be tonight. Ben Lee, Rufus Wainwright, Ben Folds.

You know it's a good concert when: A) You meet Ben Folds outside beforehand and get a picture with him, B) Rufus Wainwright and Ben Folds sing a duet cover of the Wham! song "Careless Whisper," C) Ben Folds covers a hardcore gangsta rap song, D) Ben Folds comes out during an anthemic Ben Lee song to play a march on his snare drum, E) Your Acting Professor and her husband are there, too, F) The whole thing fucking rocks, or G) all of the above?

I've seen Tool twice and they were outstanding both times. Easily the best concert experiences I've ever had.

A Perfect Circle were really, really good as well, but I expected that. Not as good as Tool, but in my eyes no one can be compared to them aurally or visually.

I've seen 311 nine times. The first time I saw them I met the band, and got autographs from all of them. They always have a high energy show, though their last couple albums sucked, and the shows are starting to go downhill.

I've only seen Stone Sour once but the show was fun, and I met the whole band then as well.

The Urge I've only seen once also, but they played in a place so small that crowd surfers were hitting the ceiling and knocking out tiles. Awesome show!

Smoking Grooves '99 was outstanding, though I'm surprised I remember anything at all. Cypress Hill were really the only "band" I was there to see, but I was impressed overall.

Loads more, but those are the ones that really stand out to me.

Ozzy and Motley Crue back in '84 in Nashville. Damn what a show...

Tool was actually really good live. Saw them a couple years ago.

Gotta add Pearl Jam to the list again for me.

Saw them on Sunday here in Calgary and it was AMAZING!!! Had ot have been the most energetic show I've been to in terms of energy from the band and the crowd. I'm beside myself with how great that crowd was on Sunday at the dome. I've never seen it like that in there before ever... including the playoffs a year or so ago.

Great show!!

I met my wife at a Crooked Fingers show. That alone makes it my best concert experience..

Other wise... Flogging Molly puts on a great show. Sage Francis was awesome to see live.

Six Feet Under at the Palladium. Some of the best concerts are at smaller venues. It just seems more personal.

...
 

Styx. Definitely the best! It's been about 6 years - but I'll never forget that show!! Bad ass!

I saw Styx and REO Speedwagon together at the Grandstand at the Minnesota State Fair about 5 or six years ago as well. There was a cheese factor, but we were all reliving our junior high days, and I loved the music and the show.

Last Thursday night I saw the Chemical Brothers at the recently opened Newcastle Carling Academy.

The fourth time I've seen them and possibly the best. It was a definite crowd pleaser set (rather than promote the new album).

All the hits, three encores, crowd participation... what more could you ask for?