Your 5 Fav Rock Concerts


There are certainly more than a few geetar fanciers among us judging by all the threads on guitar bands and best guitarist. This thread is about the best rock shows you saw. Let's limit it to the rock shows. Not Blues or Jazz or solo performers. The concerts that raised the hairs on your neck or made you want to take up an instrument or raised your pulse through their sheer energy or just moved you through their performance on stage. The only ones that count are the ones you've seen. After making a list in my mind of the many rock concerts I attended, most from the late 1960's through early 80's, I have come up with mine. It was tough, I’ve seen well over 200 rock concerts over the years and it is really hard coming up with a top 5 but we have to limit this so here go mine. "Yes" - This group stands out as the 2nd best concert I ever saw with Steve Howe and Chris Wakeman. They opened for Emerson, Lake and Palmer and after their set I do feel that EL&P were disheartened and knew they couldn't match it; they didn't. Funny thing is like most, I was there to see EL&P. They were forced to have another concert the following night by popular demand. Virtuoso musicianship, “Poco” - This group could put on a show. I saw them 4 different times in the many various stages of their evolution. They never had the commercial recognition of some of the other great bands of their era but they sure made up for it in their live performances. No one stayed seated during a Poco concert. “Rod Stewart and Faces” - Ron Wood on guitar and Rod Stewart strutting all over the stage. Rod was probably the greatest natural Rock showman I ever saw, including Mick Jagger. His uninhibited manner and constant movement and soulful vocals brought the house down. The crowd wouldn't let him go after the 5th encore so he invited everyone ("especially the pretty young ladies") to his hotel to “party on”, and so they came; Led Zeppelin I had to include them because next to the Doors and of course Jimi Hendrix they were my favorites of that era and I never did get to see either of the other two. The acoustics were bad and they played so loud you couldn’t really hear the music. But they were great none the less and it was special to me. The best should be kept for last. "The Who" was acknowledged as the best concert band at the time. Getting tickets meant getting in line and waiting. I imagine at the time the only tougher ticket would be the “Beatles” and they weren’t even together then. They didn’t disappoint. The reaction of the audience was beyond anything I ever saw at a live concert before or since. The band was so cohesive and the energy they put out put them into a different realm. They just have to be on a very short list of the best live bands ever.
tubegroover
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Wow. Almost easy!

1.) My first, Humble Pie at C.W. Post college, Long Island. Frampton had departed by this point but it most certainly did not matter whatsoever.  Steve Marriott was Steve Marriott, say no more...

2.) Newport Folk, the year Bob finally returned after having gone "electric" decades earlier - but most certainly not him. The highlight for me was Guy Clark, John Hiatt, and Lyle Lovett sitting on three stools and playing each other's stuff together. Second only by trying to adhere to the spirit of this discussion was Arlo Guthrie's closing the weekend while the sun began to set. Memorable. 

3.) Lucinda Williams, Planting Fields Arboretum, Long Island. My gf at the time was a very big fan but I had barely heard of her at the time. World Without Tears had just been released. Been a fan ever since, try to catch her every time she's around New York. 

4.) Back in the day when you actually bought tickets at the box office my friends and I were driving aimlessly around when we passed the Nassau Coliseum and noticed that tickets were still on sale - for Marshall Tucker and The Doobie Brothers. This show remains on my list because I never really paid much attention to The Doobies prior to that night. I figgered, "what the hell", how bad could it get?  Well, they pretty much surprised the hell out of me. Great show, and a reminder that seeing live performances can change one's mind 360 degrees. 

5.) The soundtrack to my wayward youth, Led Zeppelin Madison Square Garden 1977, all shows, same seats, stage left first tier, every night. First night opening salvo was The Song Remains The Same which was FELT in the chest. Talk about loud?  Ear plugs? Ha!  We didn't want no stinking earplugs! Often overshadowed by Cream and others as a 3 piece band, Zeppelin was amazing.  Except for the drum solo - beer and joints, anyone?

Nice forum!
ZZ Top at the Warehouse in New Orleans for mardi gras early seventies, Alvin Lee at the warehouse early70s, Savoy Brown at the warehouse early 70s, Bruce Springsteen at the Summit in Houston Texas I believe 1978, Led Zeppelin at the auditorium in New Orleons for the Houses of the Holy tour and have to add the sixth was the Rolling Stones in Baton Rouge in I believe 1976, had tickets to the first show and scalped tickets for the second show as we were walking out of the first show.
The Grateful Dead 7/18/89 alpine valley 

The Grateful Dead Copps Coliseum 3/21/92

Phish 12/31/95

The Disco Biscuits
12/31/99  TLA Philly 

The Disco Biscuits 
4/7/2001  9/13/2001  Majestic Theater Detroit.   Overall most incredible jamband!  Still performing great shows just can't list them all. 

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