What are your top three live concerts of all time?


I'll go with ;  1.Santana  at the Music Hall in Boston      2.Jimi Hendrix at the Boston Garden   3.Supertramp at the Music Hall.                                                                                                                                                             
rockysantoro

Maiden...Power Slave tour....84, along with all the other Maiden shows.

 

Queensrych,  Empire tour 91....see above.

 

Steve Miller Band......96, first time I saw him, wow what show....the track "Winter Time" simply amazing. 

First concert I saw was Styx Grand Illusion The Forum box office seats.

j. Gail’s Band  Sanctuary The Forum

UFO Lights Out The Forum

 

 

Paul Simon's Graceland concert

Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon

Bruce Springsteen over 30 years ago

kd Lang decades ago (talk about goosebumps). 

 

 

 

NO Particular order:

Mott the Hoople - Indianapolis - Halloween 1973 (Aerosmith opened)

Michael Hedges w./ Leo Kottke - OKC - 1989

Billy Joel - Tulsa - 1975 (52nd Street tour)

Steely Dan - Atlanta - 2008

The Who - DC - 2017

Snarky Puppy - Columbus, OH - 2020

Yes 1977 Chicago Amphitheater, Going For The One Tour.

Talking Heads @ The Park West, Chicago 1978

B5'2 Poplar Creek, Hoffman Estates IL 1983

Psychedelic Furs and Depeche Mode 1983 at Aragon Ballroom, Chicago

 

 

@nhodge - thanks for the link...  Just watched the film 'Murder In The Front Row' last week, about the Bay Area thrash scene; great stuff! 

@larsman: I mean, the place was pretty packed, but the crowd was just super engaged,  While the space was acoustically suboptimal, I recall the band as seeming to be on point.  Iirc, there were some videos around . . .  Ah yes:

https://youtu.be/ptzFrLNJrL8

🤘

@nhodge = Metallica played Rasputin's in 2016? What was that like? I did see them at the Old Waldorf around 1982 - they were the middle of three bands on a 'Metal Monday'; Dave Mustaine was still with them then. They blew the roof off the sucker. Not many people stayed around for Laaz Rockit, who were the 'headliners'. 

3---Furtwangler directing Bruckner ninth symphony in 1944 in Berlin under bombs noise ... Apocalyptic and unsurpassed musical event.. Listening it you are there...

 

2--- Pianist Sofronitsky playing Scriabin in the Nazi assaulted Leningrad in 1941or in Moscow brought by plane in 1942 and listen in ectasy by Russian crowds waiting for germans...Scriabin is so hard to play right but Sofronitsky is a god... Even his disciple Gilels and Richter bowed to him...Listening it you are there ...

1--- Or Maria Yudina playing a Mozart concerto one time for the radio when Stalin was listening... Stalin loved it so much he ordered to have the vinyl album right now...Now one dare to say no... The concert was not recored but live... Then in the night Yudina played it a second time for the engineers to record it changing even of maestro, because the first one was sick by fear... And guess what? After listening the album in ectasy Stalin offer big money to Yudina... One of the greatest pianist of all time, and a fearless woman, who declined the money for herself  but accept it for his church even if she lived  in abject poverty  and say to the dictator that she will pray God for his crimes instead... textually :   "Thank you for your aid. I will pray day and night and ask the Great Lord to forgive you your great sins. The Lord is merciful and He will forgive you".

Extraordinarily, Stalin did not put her on execution or on Solovki island in the artic circle, as he did for EVERYONE else who dare to accused him ... Even Shostakovitch was sleeping waiting death with a suitcase ready each night,  and never say a negative word against Stalin as Yudina the fearless pianist say it loud to Stalin in his face on telephone... Guess what ? Some 10 years after  Stalin was discovered after 2 days alone in his room dying alone because everybody fear him too much to dare to open the door without permission...On his table near his bed some vinyl album was turning without had been stop by no one  for hours and hours after Stalin death : it was the Mozart same album concerto no 23 especially recorded in one night for him by Yudina...

Imagine the bravery of this woman... And in Russian pianist school she is beside, not under, Neuhaus, Sofronitsky, Scriabin, and the others giants ...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdJtR6HNRQ4

Slightly jealous of people here listing some serious classics from before I was born . . .  But let's see what I can come up with.  Chronological order:

Nine Inch Nails, Calamity Janes, Las Vegas, 1989: Super early show, NIN was more or less unknown, but very high energy

Ministry, Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, 1990: Tour for "The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste", violent, I definitely suffered some high frequency degradation at this show

Buena Vista Social Club, Chicago Theater, Chicago, 1999 or so: Old building designed for acoustics + old school Cubans with incredible musicianship = really fun evening 

Metallica, Rasputin Music, Berkeley, 2016: Not much to say here . . .  Fun to see such a legendary act in such a small space

Three rock concerts  that come to mind:

Led Zepplin, 1969 Jacksonville FL

Jethro Tull, 1972, New Orleans

Rolling Stones, 1978 Lexington KY

Chick Corea Acoustic Band Live in Pasadena mid 80s

Return to Forever 2015

Led Zepplin 1995

Rush Moving pictures Tour

Jean Luc Pony Greek Theatre and Hollywood bowl 80s and 90s 

 

 

Queen - Manchester Apollo - Crazy Tour 1979

Genesis - Six of the Best reunion with Gabriel at Milton Keynes, UK in 1982

Pink Floyd at Main Road Manchester, UK in 1988

Yes, I'm old.

Queen | With Freddie M.

Pink Floyd | The Wall

Elton John and Billy Joel.world tour. 

1) Lucinda Williams at Rosebud in Pit when she was touring the Car Wheels CD

2) Steve Earle at Rosebud in Pit when he was touring the Telephone Road CD,

3) Emmy Lou Harris at Rosebud in Pit touring the Wrecking Ball CD

4) I'll throw in a tossup for 4:  between the second time I saw The Cowboy Junkies, at Hartwood Acres in Pit (touring the MFOH CD) about a week before 9/11 happened; or the second time I saw Lucinda Williams, this time at Metrohell in Pit, and I believe still touring the Carwheels CD.

I pretty much don’t include the bigger name concerts I went to in the 70s & 80s as I was usually so intoxicated on something that I never remembered much about them.

 

 

 

Romeo Void at the University of Arizona Student Ballroom. The guitar, bass, drums and sax of this band were really locked in and was mesmerizing. I also saw the Talking Heads and Ramones at the same location but Romeo Void was best.

Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers at a club. Before he went it alone, Jonathan had two band members and he did a really long set and was just fantastic.

Violent Femmes at the University of Arizona Cellar. I was a student and just went there to eat and this was a free concert set up that I had no idea was happening. First album VFs. They had fun and were playful and great. A wonderful surprise.

I also saw The Kinks, Ray Davies by himself, The Church, Aimee Mann several times (she was excellent), The New Pornographers, Blue Oyster Cult, Bruce Springsteen (thought it went on way too long), Thin White Rope, Spoon, The Cure, Crowded House, Meat Puppets, Elvis Costello, Arlo Guthrie, Iggy Pop, TSOL, Punch Brothers,  Chris Thile solo, Snakefinger (a nice concert), Diane Schuur (got kicked out of the bar because I didn't drink although I bought the 2 drink minimum sodas), Fishbone, Wednesday Week, Richard Thompson, Pere Ubu, Deer Hoof, Of Montreal, and local Tucson bands such as The Giant Sandworms (then Giant Sand), Street Pajama, and The Serfers (before some of them became Green on Red).  

Another much the same, was The Bee Gees playing on a wooden stage in a parking lot of Soutgate Shopping Center, Maple Heights, Ohio in 1970 or 1971?. 

Not so much a concert; Joe Walsh playing in the basement of a bar near Kent State University Campus in 1980, dark, loud students with pitchers of beer costing 1.50 a pitcher, and everyone enjoying Joe.

The Clash 
The Cure
Harry Styles yep great performer seen him twice. Jenny Lewis was awesome opening for Harry.

Honorable Mentions. 
Yes, Supertramp, Van Morrison, Talking Heads, B52’s. 
1. Bruce. Portland, OR
2. Talking Heads. 1977 in a honky tonk, Eugene, Oregon. I’d not heard of them. My roommate said he’d by me a beer, so…
3. Jethro Tull. Stand Up concert. Forum, Los Angeles. 

1. Yehudi Menuhin, Bach's partitas and sonatas for solo violin, Washington CT Congregational Church, 1973;
2. Dave Brubeck quartet, complete Take Five and Time Further Out (Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond, Gene Wright, Joe Morello), my family's living room (in the parsonage), Wilton, CT, 1962 (I was 8 years old);
3. The Cream, Woolsey Hall, Yale, New Haven, CT, April 10, 1968;
4. The Doors - Jim Morrison arrested onstage, New Haven, CT, December 9, 1967.
What do you mean? African or European swallow?  

My best concert was either Supertramp, who had the best sound (incredible sound!) or The Eagles, who had the best vibe. Vibe so good I never even cared about the crap sound quality. Holly Cole was best in that she came on stage singing totally without a mic or amplification of any kind. Patricia Barber best dinner and drinks show. Why are we so concerned with air speed velocity anyway?
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Sorry. I just don't remember Phast Phreddie. But can I tell you how much I miss the restaurants in the area?  Just for starters, Rigo's Tacos at Oxnard & Woodman for their Al Pastor burrito. The Carnival Restaurant for Lebanese. That dessert cabinet!
Yes Masterwork tour @ Sandstone Amphitheater
Pink Floyd Division Bell tour @ Arrowhead Stadium
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Echo Tour @ Sandstone 
And Lucinda Williams every time I've seen her perform  Now 6
Trans Siberian Orchestra 2019 Stories of Christmas Eve, First time played in public for 25 yrs. 

Harry Chapin, shortly before he died. His band was stuck in Chicago by a winter storm and he got to Flint and played 3 hrs, just him. a chair and his guitar.
Moody Blues at Red Rock
Yup, Harold Bronson owned Rhino, both record shop and record label. The label started small, issuing offbeat, obscure artists in the 1970’s, selling them in the store. They then got into assembling comps of 50’s and 60’s music, and then single-artist/group greatest hits albums. I’m sure Rhino’s deal with Warner Brothers made Harold a fairly wealthy man ;-) .

Remember Rhino’s store employee Phast Phreddie? He was a Blues music expert, and played around town, fronting a pretty good band comprised of local hipsters. He left L.A. in the 80’s, moved back East. A lot of musicians and songwriters paid the rent and ate by working a day job in a record store. In the late-80’s Lucinda Williams was working in the Moby Disc store in Sherman Oaks, three blocks from my apartment. I’d be thumbing through the LP’s and see her standing behind the cash register, staring off into space. Composing song lyrics, I suspect. The store manager was Kip Brown, the guitarist in the Punk band Shock, and later in The Little Girls, a band fronted by two sisters.

As happened to the great record shop in Mill Valley---Village Music (which had an incredible inventory of UK and European pressings of Blues, Jazz, Rockabilly, and Hillbilly LP’s and 78’s, and was frequented by musicians. I saw James Burton shopping there in the 80’s)---the introduction of and takeover by CD’s ruined the store.
bdp -- I’m sure we ran into each other more than once. My sister was buddies with the Rhino Records crew. She constructed the store’s giant papier-mache rhinoceros horn that eventually (at least I think) resided in my apartment. Do I get the name Harold Bronson right? Was the name of his band The Fabulous Sheepskins? I made myself a nuisance at Norm’s Rare Guitars. Did I buy my Fender Custom Shop Fifties Tele there?
Oh yeah @edcyn, McCabes is not on Santa Monica, it's IN Santa Monica. I think. I always got there from Westwood Village, where I shopped at Rhino Records. Also on Pico were a coupla great record shops, Record Surplus a long-time favorite of mine.

McCabes is also a favorite of Ry Cooder and David Lindley, though I never saw them there. I took my '68 Fender P Bass to Norm's Rare Guitars in Encino to sell, but they weren't willing to give me what I wanted for it. Bought it in the 90's for $500, sold it in 2010 for $3500. Vintage guitars are always a good investment.
@bdp24, Yeah you probably realize it but McCabe's Guitar shop is on Pico Blvd., not Santa Monica. I was a true regular there. Saw many acts, and spent more hours than I should taking Martin Guitars off the wall and playing 'em.
Arlo Guthrie
Jethro Tull
Robin Trower
Peter Frampton
Blue Oyster Cult
Heart
Mike Seeger
Sarah K.
I just recalled seeing and hearing Van Dyke Parks and his small orchestra in the concert room located in McCabe's Guitar Shop on Santa Monica Blvd. A once-in-a-lifetime experience! One of the musical geniuses of our lifetimes.

Then there was hearing Jimmie Dale Gilmore in the 90's---just he and his acoustic guitar---in a conference room at his record company distributor's office in Burbank. A very intimate performance by a very unique, very special artist. He and his Flatlanders partners (Joe Ely and Butch Hancock) have a new album out.
Would have loved to listen to Johnny Cash in St. Quentin, sadly didn‘t get in😂
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Also early Chicago and later Neil Young and then the Rolling Stones, man, did they put on a show at the Pontiac Silverdome. My then early teenage daughter still talks about that one.

ozzy
Clifton ChenierPaco Delucia
J Geils Band
Frank Zappa
Andre Segovia
Big Joe Turner
Hound Dog Taylor
Mariza
Fabulous Thunderbirds
Eagles




In there heyday:

Creedence Clearwater Revival
Alice Cooper
Rolling Stones

ozzy
The Who, about Quadrophenia release time, so 1973, 4. Cobo Hall Detroit. Few if any knew the music, expecting to hear Who's Next. The quietest audience I've ever heard at rock concert, everyone awestruck.

Eugene Ormandy and Philadelphia Orchestra, mid 1970's Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor. Hill is one fine sounding auditorium.
Mitch Ryder & Detroit Wheels, probably 1970, benefit for John Sinclair, dancing on stage with Leni Sinclair, smoking pot backstage with the Wheels after concert. Spencer Davis solo also on bill, had some congas on stage, my buddy just walked up on stage, asked Spencer if he could play, Spencer was amenable. Rob was great on the congas, went on to play drums with Destroy All Monsters.
+1 edcyn

I do believe the Hill Auditorium acoustics and 3500 seat capacity made the Berlin Philharmoniker larger then life. 
@dayglow -- Yeah, I saw the Berliner Philharmoniker with Abbado, too. Which is why I was unclear as to where I saw the Berliners with von Karajan. I now realize I saw the damn band twice! In any case, Abby & the Burlers weren't quite the religious experience they were with HvK, but still utterly superlative.
+! tvad

Went to the Palace in 1995 for the "Ballbreaker" tour. They were good but nothing special as if they aged 20 years in a period of 4 years. Have never seen AC/DC since 1995.
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1.Santana-Fox Theatre Detroit 1990
2.Berlin Philharmoniker/Claudio Abbado-Hill Auditorium Ann Arbor 2001
3.AC/DC-The Palace Auburn Hills 1991

Santana-Performed on the level of the Lotus recording.
Berlin-Razor sharp/dynamic(Beethoven) made the DSO sound 2nd rate!
AC/DC-Intense/hungry and precise from an already aging band.


1) U2 - Shea’s Theater (Buffalo, NY) - 1983 - early in the tour that was later documented in the film "U2 Live at Red Rocks"

2) Rolling Stones - Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles, CA) 1997

3) Tie - Stevie Wonder solo charity show - Marla Gibb Theater (Los Angeles, CA) - early 1990s
Michael Jackson & The Jacksons Victory Tour - Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles, CA) 1984


Top Three:

Richard Thompson at an old refurbished church in Portland, Maine... early 90's. Best of the best. 

Oregon at Campbell Hall, UCSB, late seventies. 

Dave Holland Quintet-- Yoshi's, Oakland. They should've used THAT show for the live cd-- it was a lot hotter than the NYC show they chose. 


A few others I recall with Particular fondness...

SRV-- State Theater, Portland Maine... after he'd cleaned up-- "In Step" tour. 

Bonnie Raitt--Arlington Theater, S. Barbara. "Sweet Forgiveness" Tour.
 
Emmy Lou Harris and the Hot Band at Robb Gym, UCSB. '76?   

Freddie King-- gym at UC Riverside, '73 or '74.  

David Lindley and El Rayo X -- late 80's at Raul's Roadside Attraction, Portland, Maine.

Los Lobos in the gym at Bowdoin Collge, Brunswick, Maine. "Will
the Wolf Survive?" tour.   

The Hot Band (no Emmylou but with both F. Reckard and Albert Lee)-- Bluebird Cafe, S. Barbara-- late 70's. 

Jorma Kaukonen at a small-town Jr. HS auditorium in Maine-- mid 80's. 

John Hiatt solo performance at Crest Theater, Sacramento.  

Solas-- Center for the Arts, Grass Valley

Dead:
'73, San Diego Sports Arena
'74, Hollywood Bowl
'77, Robb Gym, UCSB


Radiohead @ MSG July 2018
The Cult @ Wellmont Theater Dec 2019
Hall & Oates @ Bethel Woods Aug 2017
Metallica - Day on the Green Oakland, Ca 1991
 with Queensryche, Faith no more & Soundgarden

Metallica with SF Symphony at Berkeley community     theater in 1999

Metallica with Guns and Roses, Oakland California 1992

 do you see a pattern? 😁 I have been to hundreds of different acts over the last 40 years and there is just nothing like the Mighty Metallica! 🤘🏼


BEST
1. Jimi Hendrix Experience, 1969, (Woosley Hall, Yale) - also saw him on many different occasions including Woodstock, 1969;
2. Cream (Woosley Hall, Yale-heard them twice in New Haven, CT)
3. Mahavishnu Orchestra (John McClaughlin) 1970, Wesleyan College, CT);
4. Doors - Arrest of Jim Morrison, New Haven, CT, 1970? (mostly because I was in love with Sally Barber);
5. Allman Brothers Band, Middletown, CT, 1970 - Emily Apter, my companion, who is now a chair at NYU in NYC, told me - "they will never go anywhere."
6. Seeing many great violinists with my father;
7. Seeing the last concert by Yehudi Menuhin in Washington, CT in the 1960s;
8. Growing up with Dave Brubeck's children in Wilton, CT, and seeing him play in the 1960s at Wilton High School;


Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Boston Symphony Orchestra-Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra-Mozart Requiem

The Stanley Clarke Band-Blue Note, NY, NY
2 of the 4 nights of the Allman Brothers at the Fillmore East ( I can hear myself shouting and clapping in the audience, when listening to it ( lol ) . Return to Forever at the Beacon Theater. Oh, and Woodstock ( outside of the farm, somewhere on the road ). Many more great memories of great performances.