Your Favorite Concert

[cygnus]

Back in my University days I would often see the late great Stan Rogers in concert at various bars and coffeehouses around town. Loved him, and he was gone much too soon.

I saw the Barenaked Ladies back before they hit it big (and again twenty or so years later)- lots of fun. I think I preferred the earlier one, when they were a little less "polished".

Great Big Sea gives a great energetic concert.

A few years ago I saw Sting during his "Symphonicity" tour. A lot of fun, and some fresh new takes on his hits with the orchestral accompaniment.

Among those who haven't really made it big yet, Heather Dale has some lovely songs and has performed in some lovely concerts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWj5g4V4QKg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfOeANDsXbA

A favourite singer of mine died last week- I used to look forward to his performances every year. RIP Owain Pfyfe

[duane]

I've never been to a concert! If I could go back in time, I would have loved to have seen Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall or an early Motown Revue. I've heard concerts by Queen and the Red Hot Chili Peppers were/are amazing.

No way could I ever attend a rap concert, or those by artists who (due to lack of true talent) rely too heavily on dancers, light shows, pyrotechnics, etc.

[Aimless]

Dweezil Zappa playing his father's music. He rehearsed for over a year to be able to pull off those intricate rhythms. He had a terrific ensemble--such hard music to play. The ultimate tribute band. I had no understanding of Zappa when I was a kid, but now I appreciate him a lot. Saw them at Westbury Music Fair on Long Island, on a slowly rotating stage, packed with musicians and instruments. A memorable intellectual and artistic experience.
And Crosby Stills Nash and Young about 6 years ago, outdoors at the Jones Beach Theatre, on a evening of the most gorgeous weather, the sweetest air, and all those songs that have been part of my entire conscious life.

[The Accordion]

Ella Fitzgerald!

The tickets were sold out in minutes but my brother kept calling back and they eventually added seats on stage with her!

Other highlights are

Spirit of the West
Sting
The Barenaked Ladies (small pub or large theatre or arena - they were always great!)
Great Big Sea

[Simone411]

This isn't easy because I went to several in my younger years (20's and 30's). Out of all of them, I would say that Journey with Steve Perry stands out the most.

ETA that Heart, John Cougar Mellencamp, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, REO Speed Wagon and AC/DC were pretty cool, too.

[Lara]

Keane and Elbow who played small venues in Boston and both stayed on stage for almost 2 hours . I whine a lot about Brit bands I like not being big in the US, but when I get to seem them up-close, it makes it all worth it .

I ended up skipping Coldplay this June because the ticket prices were just too high. There are definitely advantages to Keane etc. not being as big!

Hard to pick, but one of my top would probably be Muse + U2 (first 360 tour) at Giants Stadium due to the combo of perfect weather and vantage point.

[Lorac]

Add me to the list of Bruce Springsteen admirers - I have seen him over a dozen times over the years and each and everytime he has upped the bar - which takes some doing. I think he is even better now than he was over 35 years ago - he leaves all of himself out there on the stage - total blood, sweat and tears

[ioana]

Hard to pick, but one of my top would probably be Muse + U2 (first 360 tour) at Giants Stadium due to the combo of perfect weather and vantage point.

Am sure it doesn't hurt that both bands are very good live & play with tons of conviction. That was a tour.

I'm a huge Nicole Atkins fan, but only got to see her live this weekend as the opening act for the Jayhawks at the Williamsburg concert series. She lived up to how great she sounds in all the live recordings I heard -and then some!

And since I am a dork, here are some videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHCEOi8pvpw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A23EMbtq094

[GarrAarghHrumph]

RHCP(Red Hot Chili Peppers), Blood Sugar Sex Magik tour 92. Greatest live band ever. The most fun I had a concert, EVER!

I saw the Chili Peppers in 1986 at a very small concert in Massachusetts. They wore socks, and that's about it. They're an amazing live band.

[genevieve]

I have seen so many shows, it's hard to pick out one (or even 10), but I always loved seeing Ani DiFranco play - whether performing solo or with her longtime drummer, Andy Stochansky, she would both play ferociously and ad-lib the whole time, stopping in the middle of a song to say whatever was on her mind and then jump right back in where she stopped. I saw one show of hers at Bumbershoot where she and Andy traded instruments and she ended up knocking over the drum kit. She was laughing so hard she was crying, but in the end they came together at one mic and finished the show a capella.

Bands/performers who put on an incredible show:
Fugazi
the Meat Puppets
Jonathan Richman
Harm Farm
The Butchies

and last year (or the year before?) I saw a Kaki King show that was just transcendent

Honestly, it would be easier for me to list shows I've seen that weren't very good.

[jotay]

As a preteen my sister and I saw The Beatles in Cincinnati!

[Cyn]

I saw the Chili Peppers in 1986 at a very small concert in Massachusetts. They wore socks, and that's about it. They're an amazing live band.

When I was a Freshman in college, the RHCP performed at the Tate Student Center at UGA in the Fall of 1985. Tickets were a bank-breaking three dollars , and they wore the same er, costumes as they did when you saw them --- everyone was (hell, I'm surprised the University let them perform on campus "dressed" like that).

It was an outstanding show.

[AYS]

Elton John, Thanksgiving 1974 (Caribou tour), when I was about a week shy of 14 yrs old. It was my very first rock concert, he was *amazing* (opened with Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding) AND John Lennon came out as a surprise guest and they did Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds and When I Saw Her Standing There (and also, Whatever Gets you Through the Night, but the other two were magic). I saw a lot of great shows over the years after that, but that was unmatchable. When I realized it was John Lennon, I (and however many thousand were there) just started screaming. It was absolutely incredible.

Obviously we didn't know at the time it would be, but years later read it was his last live performance. He was the only Beatle I've ever seen live.

[D&Sfan4ever]

Avantasia (2010) - They came with all the best singers of the 5 albums this superband has to date, and it was perfect, like a live CD.

Unisonic (2012) The best singer and guitarrist Helloween has ever had, together again, presenting their new band and CD + some old Helloween classics to remember old times = Heaven.

Megadeth (13 and 14/9/2012) the first night they played some songs of "Peace Sells..." +, as a gift for the fans, "Countdown To Extintion" in its entirety. The second night they played "Countdown To Extintion" in its entirety. Both nights with an amaysing sound and you could clearly see they where having a blast while performing.

[BigB08822]

This is going to be a little obvious coming from me but Kelly Clarkson. Her vocals are absolutely in a league of their own and it is most obvious in concert. Just incredible to hear someone sing truly live and sound like that.

The other concerts I really liked were Joss Stone and Jonny Lang.

[The Accordion]

As a preteen my sister and I saw The Beatles in Cincinnati!

Lucky!

[Kruss]

I'll add a sub-category: Best show that I'm sure I didn't appreciate fully.

A friend dragged me to see Pearl Jam a couple of years ago. I didn't know much of their music (I sort of missed the grunge/alt days in music), but it became clear to me that PJ fans would consider this one of the most amazing shows. My friend did, and she's been to 1001 shows of various performers, it seems.

When I say I didn't appreciate it fully, I mean it's because I didn't know their music, and I'm sure I couldn't appreciate it like one of their fans. But it was an amazing show, that's for sure, and woke me up to checking out some of their stuff.

And yes, PrincessLeppard, 30 Seconds to Mars was a great show. Same with Papa Roach - I'd never buy their music, but they give it their all.

Crash Kings - also among some of my favorites with their live performances.

I've really loved a few of the David Cook shows I went to, of course.

But I'll never ever get over the fact that I didn't see Journey or Steve Perry back in the day.

[Rob]

Add to my list;
The Jacksons stadium tour back in the 80s. Amazing.

Cat Stevens

[pair mom]

As a preteen my sister and I saw The Beatles in Cincinnati!

I saw them at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto...2 shows!!!! Didn't have any voice left the next day to start Jr.High...but most of the teachers figured out why!

[skateycat]

The Deadmilk Men. A special place in my heart for a special time of being a teen.

You are so lucky, I would have loved to have seen them! Bitchin' Camaro.

I was a big fan of Spot 1019 back in those days. I saw them play at UC Santa Cruz and a couple of shows in San Francisco in the late '80s & early '90s. They did a reunion show in San Francisco this June and I went to that too. Fun times.

My all time favorite rock concert? Wow, that's tough. But I measure the cost of all tickets against the $36 I paid in 1986 to see U2, The Neville Brothers, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Jackson Browne, Lou Reed, Joan Baez and Bryan Adams for the Amnesty International Conspiracy of Hope tour.

The only show I remember feeling underwhelmed by was a Los Lobos show that was plagued by sound troubles and a general lack of enthusiasm from the band.

I had very low expectations going in for the Los Lonely Boys show I had tickets for a couple of years ago, and they were a treat! Fun music, very talented, very enjoyable. Nice guys.