Grimace: I agree with you 100%. Because of the obnoxiously loud and/or unnecessarily amplified 'live' concerts I have decided to put my money on good recordings instead. I can get a number of excellent CDs for the price of one concert. A well balanced home system beats any and all PA systems. Stay home, save money, hear better, enjoy more.
Sounds better at home
Does anyone else think that mic/pa setups at live events are crappy? We went to see Gary Burton at a well respected jazz theatre here in Pittsburgh and the sound quality - as usual - was disapointing. This hall has two large p/a speakers hanging high on the wall and they almost always eliminate any sense of real acoustics in the hall, even when they're being used sparingly. I've even seen artists - most recently Jimmy Heath - turn the system off after a number or two. Looking for a good acoustic experience, the whole thing is frustrating and in general my system at home sounds better.