Best concert you've attended

My very first one: Olympia Stadium, Detroit, 196?, 7th row center, Alice Cooper and Steppenwolf. Was it the best music or performance I've ever heard live? Probably not. But it was life changing. I walked into that concert a stupid, pimply-faced teen, and walked out a Rock/Blues lover with an insatiable appetite for more, though still stupid and pimply-faced.  

I’ve seen a lot of great bands but best would have to be Tower Of Power at the University of Texas Summer Jazz Fest around 2014. Phenomenal performance!! Ranking right up there more recently, Doobies, Santana and Earth Wind and Fire. 

Two more I just have to mention:

- Steve Earle and The Del McCoury Band at The House Of Blues on Sunset Blvd. in 1999. Lots of harmony singing and 100% acoustic instruments, all the guys standing around a single big ol’ large capsule (ribbon?) microphone. They sounded FANTASTIC!

- Throughout the 1980’s my girlfriend and I saw Dave Edmunds live quite a few times, and he was always great (his show at The Ritz in NYC in 1983 being her favorite show of all time). I liked him and his band even more than Rockpile, Dave’s 1950’s-based Rock ’n’ Roll undiluted by Nick Lowe’s 1960’s-based Power Pop.

Dave always had a great band, sidemen including guitarists Billy Bremmer (from Rockpile) and Mickey Gee (an excellent Telecaster player), pianist/singer Geraint Watkins, bassist John David, and drummer Dave Charles. Dave alone kept Rock ’n’ Roll alive in the 1970’s and 80’s. John Lennon cited Dave’s first single---a blistering reworking of the Smiley Lewis Blues song "I Hear You Knocking"---as a favorite of his at the time of it’s release (1970).

I have quite a few concerts that I would rate at equal levels of greatness!

Prog-rock:

Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway tour at the Shrine Auditorium, 1975

King Crimson - at the Shrine Auditorium, 1972

Gentle Giant - at the Shrine Auditorium, 1977. With Renaissance opening!

YES - the LA Forum, 1973

Camel - The Roxy, 1976

Jazz:

Mahavishnu Orchestra - the Shrine Auditorium, 1973

Al Di Meola and U.K. - Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

Jean Luc Ponty - the Greek Theater, 1981

Brand X - the Roxy, 1977

Weather Report - Perkins Palace, Pasadena, 1980

Oregon - Hop Sings, 1982

Allan Holdsworth - the Country Club, 1982

I have plenty more recent concerts, that I'd also rate as highly. ,