Hard to say just one, so I’ll say these three (to give a trilogy vibe), because saying just one is like choosing just one fave movie or someone asking “what’s your favourite type of music?”, which seems kinda silly:
Lenny Kravitz, Halloween 1993, Vancouver, Pacific Coliseum. Yes, the old dread-locked Lenny touring “Are You Gonna Go My Way”, the final date on that particular tour taking place in Van. This is the concert when Shannon Hoon, lead singer of Blind Melon (who opened), stripped naked and pissed on the audience. Awesome, because I was up a level watching it all from above. Complete chaos after their gig, what with Hoon still naked, wrapped in a blanket, trying to escape the cops. A tough gig to follow for Lenny, but he and his band, including the absolutely fucking amazing drummer, Cindy Blackman, blew the fuckin’ roof off the place. And it was Halloween night, with people tossing firecrackers into the air, with one hoping they wouldn’t get too close to exploding near your ears. Entire audience singing along – in harmony!!! Incredible energy. Not bad for a concert that was a last-minute decision with my friend Pete, and we managed to get good seats from the box office, not the asshole scalpers, for a decent price. For the record, I don’t listen to Lenny’s music any longer. That one experience was enough – and perfect.
I’d also have to give major props to Maceo Parker at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, 1994. Wickedest get-down-and-boogie-funk-it-up-on-the-dancefloor-high-as-hell-can’t-stop-won’t-drop-crowd-scene-ever! I’ll never dance that much again, and I remember being somewhat in a daze afterwards from 2hrs plus of dancing, but I’ll never forget it.
Caetano Veloso, Vancouver, late 90s (maybe 1998?) at the Orpheum Theatre. His first-ever concert in Canada, as part of the Vancouver Jazz Fest that year. Incredible, beautiful, spiritual, elegant, worldly, musically inspired beyond measure. Gotta give props to a guy named Shigs who recommended that one. I wouldn’t have gone if he hadn’t of insisted I check it out.
Honourable mentions: Mudhoney at the Starfish Room (no longer in existence), Vancouver. Maybe 2002? Super intense, fuzz and burn hard-hitting punk and rock musical action. Spooky, trippy, Jim White with Morcheeba at Richard’s on Richards, 1998. PJ Harvey, Vogue Theatre, Vancouver, 2004, my fave hard-rocking lady artist. And I gotta mention Pink Floyd doing the Division Bell Tour in 1994. A great concert and spectacle.
Damn, I want to go out and see some more live music now.
What a great thread!
- Readings by Mailer, Updyke
- Spinoza & Santayana
- Ella Fitzgerald & Joe Pass….you dog! Was that at a concert or club?
- Ma & Ashkenazi
+ great knowledge, great wisdom, great humour,…witty, droll, clever
…my faith is renewed
Traag-1 referred to them as ‘experiences’ and that is what they are!
Leonard Cohen
Three hours of sheer delight. What a songwriter, what delivery, what a presence. Humility, spirituality. The only clothes that came off were his hat, and that was to recognize and salute the audience or his band. (I’ve seen Madonna, by the way)
Nicholas Payton
Under a tent. With a team of about 11 musicians. 98* outside. Gotta be 15 degrees warmer inside. The guys had to keep their suit jackets on. This is Canada you know. The crowd wouldn’t let him go and he knew it.
First two that come to mind…
Tom Waits, Glitter and Doom Tour in St. Louis. It was soul food.
Rage Against The Machine reunion tour, Alpine Valley Ampitheater. Imagine a hill big enough to fit like 40,000 drunk/drugged people that had turned into a giant mudslide. Quite a freakshow and a spectacle.
ok, i’m adding one. Dr. dog in a small club. It was simple splendor, was great with no need for spectacle.
Well, Weezer, Pearl Jam, Bad Religion all great shows.
Saw Chris Cornell as part of a 7 band show and his set was amazing.
Phish at Bonnaroo
:)
I saw Smashing Pumpkins in Phila. one week before the drummer OD’d. They were amazing. Also great were Jethro Tull, Tina Turner, Pink Floyd and Elvis Costello doing the Armed Forces tour (yes, I’m old!).
Jeff – Dr. Dog! Good man! I’ve been meaning to see them.
Out of hundreds of Concerts that I’ve attended, these particularly stand out
The Rolling Stones (1965, Maple Leaf Gardens) I was 12 (Ticket price : $1.50)
The Who (1968, CNE Coliseum)
The Kinks (1969, The Hawk’s Nest) maybe 300 people showed up
1969 Toronto Pop Festival (Al Kooper, The Band, Johnny Winter, Velvet Underground, Sly & The Family Stone, Procol Harum, Slim Harpo, Dr. John, Blood Sweat & Tears, Steppenwolf, etc.)
1969 Rock N’ Roll Revival (John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band with Eric Clapton, The Doors, Chicago, etc.)
Blind Faith (Clapton, Winwood, Baker, Grech) / Delaney & Bonnie & Friends / Taste (1969, Varsity Stadium)
Festival Express (CNE Grandstand, 1970) (Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead, The Band, Buddy Guy, Mountain, Traffic, Ten Years After, etc.)
Led Zeppelin (1971, Maple Leaf Gardens)
Jeff Beck (1971, Massey Hall)
Mothers Of Invention (the Kaylan / Volman edition) (1971, Massey Hall)
Bukka White (1971, Grumbles)
T-Bone Walker (1971, Toronto City Hall, open air)
John Prine (1971, The Riverboat) maybe 25 people in the club
Muddy Waters (1971, The Colonial)
The Rolling Stones (1972, Maple Leaf Gardens)
Bob Dylan / The Band Tour ’74 (1974, Maple Leaf Gardens)
Van Morrison (1974, Maple Leaf Gardens)
Crosby Stills Nash & Young / The Band (1974, Varsity Stadium)
Bob Dylan Rolling Thunder Review (1975, Maple Leaf Gardens) With Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, Ramblin’ Jack, et al
Amalia Rodrigues (1985, Coliseu, Lisboa)
@SHAKTI
The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Sly, John Lennon
Thread closed. Amazing.
yeah lot’s a great lists here, I’m certain mine won’t compare.
But I did really enjoy seeing David Gilmour and Rick Wright perform together in 2006. Fat Old Sun, Arnold Layne and most especially Echoes completely blew me away.
Another would be the Conspiracy of Hope tour at the Rosemont Horizon in 1986. On the bill were Bryan Adams, The Neville Brothers, Joan Baez, Lou Reed, Peter Gabriel, U2, and a reunited Police (on their last real tour). That show was just fantastic.
My Bloody Valentine in Spain, right on the coast overlooking the sea.
Van Morrison, Leonard Cohen, Kris Kristofferson, John Prine, Guy Clark, Liam Clancy.
Bjork at the Virgin Fest in Toronto a few years ago….suddenly being squeezed near the front of the stage didn’t seem like a bad idea once she took the stage. Mark Bell and Chris Corsano in tow she absolutely KILLED IT. I’m usually more of an intimate small venue/club—-smaller band kind of guy and detest BIG ARENA rock shows but Bjork is on another level than most artists and every concievable way. Can’t say enough great things about her.
Dr. Dog
Dr. John
Wilco
Jeff Tweedy solo
Bob Dylan
Elvis Costello Solo Acoustic
I must have been out of it in my earlier posting because I forgot:
Link Wray- saw him play three times the year he died- loudest craziest shows I’ve been to
and
The Cramps at Toads Place
I don’t get to go to many shows.
That’s why Alabama sucks.
Nothing ever comes here.
I’ve seen Sunset Rubdown 3 times and
Frog Eyes once.
My Blood Valentine followed by a 3 hour Cure set in which they had the lights and sound cut off while they were still playing.
1. Bright Eyes on the Cassadaga tour.
2. Big D and the Kids Table at Club Hell. Lots of skanking.
John Zorn’s Moonchild in San Francisco 2007
Secret Chiefs 3 in San Francisco 2006 (I think)
Teiji Ito tribute 2009
Deerhunter
Patrick Wolf
Klaxons
The xx
Crystal castles
Schwefelgelb
Brendan Perry (DCD)
Specimen
Sex gang children
The deadfly ensemble
I wish I’d seen The Cure, Cocteau twins, Cinema strange, Bauhaus, Slowdive and Bowie.. ahh.:/
Pia Zadora was wonderful (her first show in 11 years) and I got to meet her afterward.
The Clash/The Undertones/Sam & Dave…1979….way too young, but remember it as a real freakout…and sadly took part in booing Same & Dave off the stage
Oh oh oh!! It’s got to be the concert I attended in a beautiful church in Salzburg, Austria, 2007; a magnificent performance of W. A. Mozart’s requiem mass. I regret not taking a copy of the programme notes, because I can’t remember the name of the Asian tenor, and he was very good.
Nine Inch Nails in Wave Goodbye Tour,2009
The Prodigy when they were promoting Invaders Must Die,2009
HEALTH,2010
Share them at www.songkick.com.
HEALTH and Massive Attack. They were in Istanbul, in 2010. Both were mesmerizing.
lykke li because she touched my hand <3 <3 <3
Klaxons, James Blake, Foals. ooh, and M83 of course.
radiohead, hollywood bowl
stereolab, wiltern theater
31 Knots, kyoto japan
pavement, troutdale ore
elliott smith, el rey theater
Doinel