Best Live Show Ever!!

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Doug Hess Jr., Aug 29, 2002.

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  1. Doug Hess Jr.

    Doug Hess Jr. Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Belpre, Ohio
    First of all, as noted in concerts you've walked out on, the sound guys may be doing as many drugs as the band is accused of. As a result you may get muffled vocals, piercing guitars, earthquake bass that covers everything else or an overall mix that is so loud it sounds perfect at 1 mile.

    Despite those shortcomings (and others like people who keep standing up in front of you so you can't see, etc.)... What's the best overall live concert you've ever been to-- in terms of total experience?

    Mine would be James Taylor in the amphitheater at Kings Island near Cincinnati, Ohio during the 1985 "That's Why I'm Here" tour. Great sound, super musician and it was a beautiful day with the sound mixed perfect. Played 22 songs-- one 15 minute break between 8pm to 10pm.
     
  2. Joseph

    Joseph Senior Member

    Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Toronto 1978 (?). My first live Bruce experience. Was sitting in the last row of a large hockey arena (Maple Leaf Gardens). Felt like I was sitting front and centre. I literally forgot I was sitting in the worst seats in the place.!
     
  3. reechie

    reechie Senior Member

    Location:
    Baltimore
    McCartney, Madison Square Garden, NYC, December 15, 1989
     
  4. Gary

    Gary Nauga Gort! Staff

    Location:
    Toronto
    .......pick one, Gary, just pick one..........

    Lynyrd Skynyrd, final tour date, Starlight Theatre, Nashville, Tenn.

    Drove all night to get there and then could not check into the motel until after 2. So we toured Nashville, the Grand Old Oprey and a few other places.
     
  5. John B

    John B Once Blue Gort,<br>now just blue.

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    The Who - Hammersmith Odeon 1975ish

    In terms of sheer fun, Ringo's All Starr Band Casino Rama 2001. To see such a talented bunch performing their best songs was pretty amazing.
     
  6. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    Led Zep & Buddy Guy...Flushing Meadows, Queens, NY..
     
  7. Ken_McAlinden

    Ken_McAlinden MichiGort Staff

    Location:
    Livonia, MI
    My favorites have been:

    R.E.M. at the Fox Theater in Detroit in October of 1986. I've seen many good and a few bad shows from them, but they were really on top of their game that night. The opening act was Camper Van Beethoven.

    I saw a solo acoustic set from Robyn Hitchcock at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor Michigan some time around 1990 that was right up there, too.

    Regards,
     
  8. Uncle Al

    Uncle Al Senior Member

    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    Springsteen and the E- Street Band at Nassau Coliseum December 1980 (3 shows were played, I attended the one before the final one on New Years Eve). These shows were recorded, and the concerts have been widely bootlegged. This was my second Springsteen show, and it was a four hour plus marathon. The 3 shows played at this stand comprise the longest sets he's ever played, and they were awesome.

    No wonder I always felt he began to shorten his sets in 1984, when he played ONLY 3 1/4 hours.
     
  9. Larry Geller

    Larry Geller Surround sound lunatic

    Location:
    Bayside, NY
    Roosevelt Raceway, NY, 1974 (I think it was Labor Day). Jesse Colin Young, The Beach Boys, Tom Scott & The LA Express, Joni Mitchell With Tom Scott & The LA Express, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (with Joni on about 1/2 of their set). CSNY's set was over 4 hours by itself (available on a bootleg 3CD set).
     
  10. RDK

    RDK Active Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Well, for the sheer spectacle and experience of it all, it would probably have to be the Amnesty International concert at the L.A. Coliseum back in 1988 (?). It featured Peter Gabriel, Sting, Bruce Springsteen and several others. What made it most impressive was that we were sitting in the second row dead center of the stage. That was the night when I actually touched "The Boss" when he jumped down and ran through the pit. The coolest moment, though, was when, during his performance, all the lights came up and we turned around to see 80,000+ people behind us!

    Ray
     
  11. RDK

    RDK Active Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    But if you're talking about "best show ever," whether I was there or not, my vote would go to Springsteen's Winterland performance from December '78, broadcast live and bootlegged everywhere. Amazing!
     
  12. chip-hp

    chip-hp Cool Cat

    Location:
    Dallas, TX
    On Friday, December 8, 1967 ... I was a college student at Vanderbilt University ... that night the University sponsored a concert in the gym ... it was a small concert ... maybe 3 or 400 hundred people ... the bill included a group somewhat past their prime ... but still one of my favorites ... Little Anthony & the Imperials ... an instrumental group with only one top 40 chart record at the the time ... the Bar-Kays ('Soul Finger') and a soul singer with a lot chart singles, but nothing in the top 20 at the time ... Otis Redding ... I really enjoyed the music ... but I didn't realize how special it really was ... until 2 days later when I read about the death of Otis and all but one of the Bar-Kays in a plane crash after their Saturday night concert at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. :(

    I have seen better shows since then ... but none more memorable.
     
  13. keep amonte

    keep amonte New Member

    Location:
    OK
    I saw Stevie Ray Vaughn up in Alpine Wisconsin on a sunday night. Jimmie Vaugh , Eric Clapton, and Jeff Healy joined him on stage for the best jam session I have ever heard. Every time I hear Voodoo Child I shiver! Stevie died that night and is really missed.

    All 8 Springsteen shows I have seen rank right up there. The Boss Rocks!
     
  14. danstone

    danstone Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington State
    I've been fortunate enough to attend many memborable shows (primarily heavy metal/hard rock acts), but the one that stands out as being a notch above the rest was Judas Priest with Slayer opening on the last night of the Ram It Down tour in 1988.

    As we found out later, this ended up being the last show they performed with Dave Holland on drums and they certainly seemed set on giving him a fantastic farewell. While I've seen Priest several other times, Halford's voice was amazing that night and he was hitting notes that were noticeably higher than the other times I've heard him perform. The song selection they performed that tour was a very nice mix across their various albums with several songs included that they hadn't played live in quite awhile.
     
  15. Larry Naramore

    Larry Naramore Bonafied Knucklehead

    Location:
    Sun Valley, Calif.
    I gotta stick with Donovan at "The Trip" in Hollyweird because it was such a small venue.
     
  16. joelee

    joelee Hyperactive!

    Location:
    Houston
    Led Zeppelin-1975-Sam Houston Coliseum

    Against the stage on Jimmy's side when I was 15 years old.

    Left quite an impression.

    Joe
     
  17. Pinknik

    Pinknik Senior Member

    Roger Waters at Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. It capped off a nice vacation weekend that included trips to three very nice museums including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Excellent sound, nice crowd, Roger and company sounding good and in great spirits. The only thing I missed was the movie film he usually accompanies his shows with. On the U.S. leg of his IN THE FLESH tour, he just had "moving" slides, but it's a minor quibble. For me, he made the elusive connection between audience and performer that should be the goal of every concert. Good stuff.
     
  18. Blair G.

    Blair G. Senior Member

    Location:
    Delta, BC, Canada
    Neil Young at the Orpheum in Vancouver, late 80's or early 90's. (Wish I could remember the date!). The venue is an ornate 2700 seater built in the 20's. I was in the first row of the balcony, which in this theatre, is very close to the stage.
    He was touring the Freedom album. Did a two hour acoustic set first, starting alone with nothing but a guitar & harmonica, a bucket to wash out the harmonica, a stool and a sheet of plywood to stomp on. He slowly added other band members until the intermission.
    He returned for an electric starting with a blistering version of 'Rockin' in the Free World' that I will remember until the day I die. Outstanding.

    Honorable mentions:
    Fleetwood Mac, Pacific Coliseum, May 1980 (Tusk Tour)
    The B-52's, Commodore Ballroom, 1980 (Wild Planet Tour)
    Elton John, Pacific Coliseum, late 90's
    The Who, GM Place, late 90's (Quadrophenia)
     
  19. Roland Stone

    Roland Stone Offending Member

    The Waterboys

    The best concert I ever attended was The Waterboys in support of their FISHERMAN'S BLUES album, I believe in D.C.'s Constitution Hall.

    The large ensemble managed to mix acoustic and electric instruments in very good, balanced sound. The set was stellar, and the drummer was phenomenal without overwhelming the rest of the band. They about played the whole new album, and older favorites like "This Is the Sea" were improved by the new approach.

    I also very much enjoyed a 10,000 Maniacs concert at Constitution Hall as well. I think that place has the best sound in the D.C. area.
     
  20. Henry Love

    Henry Love Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicagoland
    Well'I've seen a lot of great shows over the years.The most awesome display of musicianship was Eric Clapton in the 70's particularly 1974.
     
  21. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    My choices would be...

    Best Visual concert: Paul McCartney "Driving Rain" Tour Gund Arena Cleveland 2002

    Best Performance concert: Don Henley "Building The Perfect Beast" Tour Blossom Music Center Cuy. Falls, Ohio

    Loudest Concert: Burton Cummings Late 80's Ohio Theater Cleveland, Ohio
    (Damn, I got blisters on my eardrums!)

    Best Sounding concert: Gino Vannelli Late 90's Rosebud Pittsburgh, PA
     
  22. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Best show ever? Prince, "Lovesexy" tour, 1988. Hard to believe the schmoe stinking up the joint nowadays is the same guy...
     
  23. Bill Pafford

    Bill Pafford Hyperactive!

    Location:
    Surveyor, WV
    I would have to say the best all around concert experience would be the Grateful Dead at Buckeye Lake in 1991. It was a perfect day (a little on the hot side though.) Great vibes, Great friends and the best sounding Dead show I ever saw. Dan Healy even mentioned in Dupree Diamond magazine that it was one of the best mixed and sounding shows he ever did.

    Another show that really stands out in my mind was when I saw Hot Tuna at Cape Cod Coliseum in 1975. James Gang was the opening act, they were awesome, but Tuna was not to be denied on this night. It was probably the longest performance by one group that I ever saw. An unforgettable experience all the way around. I could tell stories about this one all day.
     
  24. CM Wolff

    CM Wolff Senior Member

    Location:
    Motown
    I also saw that show, which indeed was great. The band was very outgoing and upbeat. It was 180 degrees different from the Fables tour that preceded it, which was murky and dispirited. I also saw REM on the Document tour in Ann Arbor, which was almost as good as the 1986 Pageant show. (A couple of performances will always stick in my mind - 'I Believe' and 'Toys in the Attic' in 1986, and a cover of Ain't No Sunshine that brought down the house in 1987). I haven't seen them since, but still am a fan of their records.
     
  25. Ralpho

    Ralpho Senior Member

    Location:
    CA
    I remember seeing Prince storm out of stage once. After playing only 2 songs, he was booed (literally saw fruit & stuff being thrown! [​IMG]) booed off the stage, while openning up for Thorogood, J-Geils & the Stones (I think 1982 Tattoo You tour?).

    Fast forward some years later and still (for me anyway); one of the best concerts I've ever been to, has been the Rolling Stones' Steel Wheels Tour!
     
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