1. Roger Waters Dark Side Of The Moon Tour
2. Neil Young
3. Mark Knopfler
4. Atmosphere When Life Give You Lemons Tour
5. Buddy Guy
HM. Rock The Bells (2009), Infected Mushroom, Bob Dylan, Santana, Rush, Aesop Rock
These are the shows that remind me of my lost youth. Yeah, I was a boring indie kid.
1. Nirvana w/ The Jesus Lizard @ the Roseland in NYC (July 1993)
2. Pavement w/3d’s @ The Metro in Chicago (May 1994)
3. Tindersticks w/ Sparklehorse, High Llamas, Baby Bird @ Astoria in London (January 1996)
4. Palace Brothers w/ Smog @ Dingwalls in London (May 1996)
5. Neutral Milk Hotel w/Elf Power, Of Montreal @ Bowery Ballroom (July 1998)
It’s hard to gage the best of all time, but in the last few years, even though I’ve attended shows sparingly compared to most music nerds, I’ve seen electrifying sets by the following bands…
The Clean – In Chicago about a month ago. The Clean are one of the best rock bands alive – anyone who would dispute this doesn’t understand rock music. All of their records are great. Watch this and tell me it doesn’t rule.
The Homosexuals – In Providence about two or three years ago. Pretty much the best punk/“post-punk” band ever aside from Wire. I’ve seen some lackluster reunions (like Gang of Four in Minneapolis) but this was definitely not one of them. Bruno Wizard is the coolest senior citizen alive and I’m in awe of his genius.
Leonard Cohen – In Tampa about a year ago. 3 hours of awesome. All of those late-period L.C. songs that sound kinda lame and stunted on record due to shoddy production sounded perfect with the full band backing him live. See this if you don’t believe me.
The New Year – In Providence about two or three years ago. Totally surreal experience of watching this expert-level “indie rock” band (ex-Bedhead) play a perfect set with chiming Telecasters in a huge venue before less than fifteen people. They sounded fantastic.
DEVO – A few months ago at Summerfest (in Milwaukee) of all places. If you like DEVO—and what kind of fool doesn’t—you shouldn’t hesitate to see them live because they’re about as much fun as a band could be, still.
I just missed the Gary Numan Pleasure Principle Tour. Kinda sore about that.
Probably gonna end up missing The Pop Group too since I’ve heard they’re not playing outside Europe.
“On thursday night, all these were surpassed by Sufjan Stevens”
that good huh? im so jealous.
I’ve never been to their concert but i really really really really (one more) really – need to see Arctic Monkeys soonish..
1. Iron Maiden benefit show for ex-drummer Clive Burr, held at the comparatively small Brixton academy, probably the last chance I’ll ever get to see Maiden in an small venue, plus they played some often neglected Maiden classics, such as Children of the Damned, which hadn’t been played live since 1986!
2. Down – I’ve seen them 4 times now, the last time being at this years High Voltage festival, and each time they’ve been perfect.
3. Slayer – I’ve seen Slayer dozens of times, but the best has to be at the Ozzfest. Although it was in the middle of a thunderstorm, the thunder and lightning seemed entirely appropriate for Slayer as they took to the stage and opened with Reigning Blood.
4. Red Sparowes – I saw them earlier this month at the Scala in London, and they were utterly fantastic. One of the best gigs I’ve ever witnessed, from one of my all-time favourite post-rock bands.
5. NOFX – I saw them at the Deconstruction festival in London, during a time when an appearance of NOFX in the UK was a rarer thing, so I was overjoyed to finally get the chance to see them, and they didn’t disappoint.
I would have said Opeth, but two of the four times I saw them in London the sets were recorded for DVD.
its very unfortunate that i have to live far away from my fav bands/musicians. all i can get is their precious little dvd. IF i can get them..this is obviously very upsetting for me..
@Ari—I’m pretty sure I was at that Pavement show too.
My tastes are kinda all over the maps, and the specifics of a lot of shows I’ve been at are, for a variety of reasons, kinda fuzzy, but:
1. Ahmad Jamal show, Chicago, IL, mid-Eighties
2. The last Replacements show, Chicago, IL, July 4th, 1991
3. Trip Shakespeare, Champaign, IL, circa 1991
4. The Afghan Whigs, Urbana, IL 1993
S. Steve Earle, Raleigh, NC, 2000
“@Ari—I’m pretty sure I was at that Pavement show too.”
There were two shows that night (early/late one). I went to both so probably.
The last Replacements show. That sounds fantastic. Or it could have been an utter disaster (I forget if they had a messy break-up or not).
“Leonard Cohen – In Tampa about a year ago. 3 hours of awesome. All of those late-period L.C. songs that sound kinda lame and stunted on record due to shoddy production sounded perfect with the full band backing him live. See this if you don’t believe me.”
yeah that’s true. after istening to the live album i definitely agree. his production has sucked for at least 25 years now, if not more.
my picks:
Slayer/Biohazard@Festival Hall(mid 1995)
Rammstein@Big Day Out(January 2001)
Radiohead@Festival Hall(1997)
Faith No More@Festival Hall(mid 1993)
Public Enemy@Festival Hall(1992)
The Replacements show was good—not great in the same way the drunken, Bob Stinson-era shows, but good. They were touring for All Shook Down, which was originally supposed to be Westerberg’s first solo album, but they decided to release it as a ’Mats album and tour one more time (the prior one was a disaster). End of an era.
Hey, Matt: I was at that Grant Park show, too. Your characterization is apt: the show was solid enough but missed the maelstrom that Stinson provided.
I imagine Ryan Adams, solo, is less anarchically compelling that he was in the Whiskeytown days when it was just a matter of time before he slammed the last of the Jagermeister and dove backwards into the drum kit.
his production has sucked for at least 25 years now, if not more.
I remember The Future being reasonably decent, but it’s been a while since I’ve heard it, and either way it’s not a patch on the sound of those first four albums.
I’ve seen many great concerts/festivals over the years…a partial list :
Highlights : Bob Dylan 1965, 1974, 1976, Stones 1965, 1972, The Plastic Ono Band 1969, Blind Faith 1969
(wish I could revisit on DVD all the 1960s-70s concerts)
1965-1970s
The Rolling Stones (1965, 1972, 1978)
Bob Dylan
The Who
The MC5
The Troggs
The Kinks
The Plastic Ono Band (John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Eric Clapton)
Blind Faith (Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker, Rick Grech)
Delaney and Bonnie and Friends
Jeff Beck Group
Traffic
Led Zeppelin
Melanie
Cat Stevens
Frank Zappa/Mothers of Invention
The Band
Eric Clapton
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
Grateful Dead
Mountain
Taste
Joni Mitchell
Sly & the Family Stone
Tim Hardin
Gordon Lightfoot
Joan Baez
Ramblin’ Jack Elliott
Steve Goodman
John Prine
Leon Redbone
Chicago
Stevie Wonder
Van Morrison
T Bone Walker
Buddy Guy
Bukka White
Slim Harpo
Todd Rundgren
Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show
Steppenwolf
Status Quo
Buffy Sainte-Marie
Harry Belafonte
Johnny Winter
Blood, Sweat and Tears
Ten Years After
Procol Harum
Jefferson Airplane
Janis Joplin
Velvet Underground
The Doors
Jerry Lee Lewis
Chuck Berry
Carl Perkins
Little Richard
Sha Na Na
Al Kooper
Syrinx
Dr. John
Dolly Parton
…and others ….to my regret I never saw The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix live, although both played my area
1980s – present
Bob Dylan
Colin James
Blue Rodeo
Amalia Rodrigues
Reba McEntire
The Rolling Stones
Santana
etc.
Last concert : Simple Plan (2011-2012 New Years)
You see the above list, people?
Give up now. Nobody on this site will top it.
Actually, the above list looks like a Woodstock line-up
I’d love to see and hear Melanie (Safka) play live. Buffy Sainte Marie, too.
But I must say, why would you wanna relive a concert as a DVD only? Why not 70mm film? Or at least 35mm.
I saw Bob Dylan once, but I was too young to appreciate him.
>>Actually, the above list looks like a Woodstock line-up<<
Wasn’t at Woodstock (too far ) but I was at the much smaller 2-day 1969 Toronto Pop Festival, and the 2-day 1970 Festival Express (also Toronto)… the latter is available on DVD (and 35 MM)
damn! i would kill to have seen exile era stones. at least there’s a decent film. i wouldn’t pay to see them now. i’ve seen dylan twice tho: one good, one sucked. my older brother saw zeppelin on their last u.s. tour. he said they were very drunk :P
i was at coachella 2008, dark side of the moon tour was the best show there but prince was also fun xD
Totally jealous of Mais1 list!! My list pales in comparison but nevertheless, my 5 favourites would be:
1. Queen (1976)
2. David Bowie (1978)
3. Neil Young (1985)
4. The Easybeats (1986)
5. Cold Chisel.
Why not 70 mm or 35 mm, Mark? Sure, if your man-cave has such apparatus, by all means. If, like the rest of us mere mortals, you’re forced to watch films on DVD or Blu, then the OP was correct as posed.
I’ve attended many concerts but here are few standouts I’m hoping to see again on video, pref. on HD:
Prince & the NPG- (April ’93 Civic Auditorium San Francisco)
Everything But The Girl- (‘94 U.S. Tour, Slim’s San Francisco)- brilliant show, before they went all-electronic
Van Morrison- (Dec. ‘93 Masonic Auditorium SanFrancisco)- the record is on cd, no video released I’m afraid
Red Hot Chili Peppers/ Nirvana/ Pearl Jam- (Dec. 31, 1991 Cow Palace San Francisco)- not a bad way to spend new year’s eve
Sex Pistols- (Sept. ’03 The Warfield San Francisco)- With original bassist Glen Matlock, I was expecting a rock & roll novelty act, but the band was surprisingly tight. Not the best but quite memorable- last concert I saw before I went off to war.
@Mais1
Dylan in ’65? My, my. It would be delightful to hear any particular recollections you may have of that event.
Just finally saw Bob for the first time this summer and it was perhaps not entirely exquisite(a few numbers were jaw-dropping, no doubt), but it was nevertheless completely fulfilling after years of hoping I’d simply get the chance to see him at all before, you know, his deal finally went down.
>>Dylan in ’65? My, my. It would be delightful to hear any particular recollections you may have of that event.<<
The concert was held at the venerable Massey Hall in Toronto, November 1965…so, a mere 2 months after the release of the landmark Highway 61 album…3 months after the controversial electric Newport ’65 set.
For the first half of the concert Dylan performed acoustically…for the second half he walked onstage with an electric guitar and with the Hawks (later the Band…not that I knew who they were at the time)….and, yes, there were some catcalls from the college crowd/folk purists (the core of his pre-electric audience), but these were drowned out by his newer fans that had bought copies of Like a Rolling Stone that summer. I was 13 and was transported by the experience….
The setlist, as I remember, included material from Highway 61 Revisited and Bringing It All Back Home : Desolation Row, Like a Rolling Stone, It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry, Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues, It’s All Over Now Baby Blue, Gates of Eden, Tombstone Blues, Mr. Tambourine Man, Love Minus Zero/No Limit, Ballad of a Thin Man (Dylan played piano)….
My most memorable concert experience….Dylan ’76 (Rolling Thunder Review) came close, but few others have.
Moderated
“Ingrid”, from your list I deduce two things: you are Australian and you are old—ha!
But that’s one benefit of living in Australia—you can see all the American acts but you also have frequent access to Australian groups that many Americans do not. I’ve seen Midnight Oil at least ten times, I’m fortunate that my all-time favourite band is local (i.e. in the same country).
Moderated
Cripes, if I can’t recall the exact years, please forgive me. not that I’d expect too many people to here to have attended these same shows.
Lenny Kravitz, Halloween 1993, Vancouver, Pacific Coliseum. I’m not a huge fan of his now, but I was back then, and this was the final date on his “Are You Gonna Go My Way” tour, and it kicked monumental ass! This was also the concert that Blind Melon opened and lead singer Shannon Hoon stripped and pissed on the front row of the audience! Surreal opener, to say the least!
Maceo Parker, 1994, Vancouver, Commodore Ballroom! Almost broke a hip getting funky to this one.
Caetano Veloso, Vancouver, Orpheum Theatre. 1999, maybe? His first-ever show in Canada. Stellar. Amazing. Incredible.
Mudhoney, 2004(?), Vancouver, Starfish Room. Fuzzin’ epic small-club show.
Morcheeba, with opener Jim White (1998), Vancouver, Richards On Richards. Morcheeba doing stellar trip-hop, Jim White opening with a haunting and spooky country tunes.
I saw quite a few great gigs while still living in Vancouver, as you can see.
I just found a similar topic to this here in Mubi from a year ago (“Best Concert You’ve Ever Been To”), noting the same concerts.
To point out something more recent, and here in Toronto, I’d say American group, The Low Anthem, at the Great Hall in early 2011.
Anyway, would love to see any of these shows on DVD!
And MAIS1? Great list, pretty much all I’d like to have seen, but I gotta point out Delaney & Bonnie! Good on ya!
Who has a 70mm or 35mm set-up at home (unless your name is Hugh Hefner)? You can still go to the cinemas, you know. The last time I checked, Richmond VA had a public cinema. The title of the post points to a culture where people have become too lazy to go the cinema. I find it troublesome that people are turning away from the cinemas, even when the cinemas do provide quality entertainment.
1. Marianne Faithfull (at Yoshis Oakland) less than a month ago
2. Pia Zadora (Razz Room San Fran) last May
3. Mickey Rooney (Twice in the same month) 6 years ago, Modesto
4. Ann Margaret (Turlock Comm. Theater) 8 years ago
5. Carol Channing (State Theater Modesto) 7 years ago
I do go out of state occasionally to attend things but nothing that has blown me away as much as these things
JP. Schmidt
The White Stripes w/ The Shins
The Dead Weather (pre-first album show)
thats it…