The most boring concert you've ever been to?

I'd agree 100% with 1&2 as that would make no sense at all, but I've been to see lots of bands I've never heard of and enjoyed the vast majority.

Lots of people did that back in the 70's when there was much less access to information and that may have made it more exciting.

In my own Frank Zappa example up thread I went to see him with the idea that he was a major figure who's music I was largely unfamiliar with, but he was worth trying and it didn't work for me. I had a very similar experience with Styx around the same time at the same venue. Can't win 'em all.

 

Badfinger= One of saddest stories in the history of show biz..

 

Yep. Dylan about 8 years ago, for me. Yawn.

 

I'm quite embarrassed that I dozed off a little during an Astor Piazzola concert. We had free tickets, and I didn't know anything about him. The show was not well attended. I think I remember him urging the small audience to get involved in some way, but I know I dropped off at least for a moment.
I actually feel bad about it.

 

Not the artist so much as the venue, then?

 

I hate to say this but I saw Elton John a few years ago on his package tour with Billy Joel. It was all very professional, but he seemed to be phoning it in, he barely interacted with the audience and Rocket Man had a repetitive ending that seemed to go on forever. Maybe boring is too harsh, but certainly uninspired that night.

Billy Joel was the opposite. He was on fire.

 

The Merriweather lawn oversold? I'm shocked....!

 

Yeah I saw them on that tour in 2012. A real snoozefest. Opening act Kool & the Gang left a bigger impression and that's saying a lot on my part.

 

BB King late 90s. He mostly sat on a stool and told stories. Didn't play all that much.

 

Well, at least you stuck it out for half the tour- that's saying something.

 

I traveled a distance for it (from New Jersey). I thought the 1st set was very enjoyable and nicely paced.....Phil/Allen Toussaint/Grisman/Jorma/Jimmy Cliff.
The 2nd set with all the jam bands and 15 minute stage changes was incredibly boring.

 

Oh, sure, I'm familiar with their entire story, both the good (the music) and the bad (much of the rest of their story).

 

Still pondering if I've actually seen a bonafide boring performance (I've had good fortune), but now that you guys mention Son Volt I think they'd be one of the closest ~ I have little memory of their set, certainly didn't grab me by the throat or even the lapel. But the headliner was Billy Bragg & the Blokes, so that livened things right up : )

Pere Ubu is utterly forgettable, but I pretty much just tuned out after the singer started insulting the audience (quite unjustly, far as I could tell). As they never pulled me back in, I guess that was boring waiting for it to end. Would've walked if not for friends I thought were into it...who weren't very much, either, as it turned out.

Sugar was underwhelming, though not exactly boring. Mould seemed in good spirits, but his handing over lead vocals to the bass player after one verse/chorus of at least half the songs got old pretty fast.

 

Sadly, Traffic's "Low Spark" Tour, they started out playing the "new" album barely two weeks after the release date. I only played it a few spins before the show, and I and most of the Detroit's Olympia crowd was unfamiliar with the content. I don't know if the sound was poorly mixed or the hash we had wasn't good enough, but we could not wait to exit the venue.
I feel bad in saying this, as I was and still am a Traffic fan.

 

Sorry, but I've seen too many amazing shows by bands I didn't know to buy that.

 

Most of mine are Eric Clapton..........it always feels like he's going through the motions. My least favorites were the Eric Clapton/Jeff Beck shows at Madison Square Garden in 2010. Beck was great, Clapton was ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ, and the joined set was disappointing.

 

Huey Lewis and the News in the 80s with a string of hits, and John Denver in the late 70s also with a string of hits. Neither show was something I went out of my way for but was obligated for one reason or another.

 

The Dead Daisies. Their cover of "All right now" (lame song) summed up their mediocre, low energy and generic take on rock n roll.

 

Spoon at the Wiltern in LA around 2007 or so. Now I absolutely love Spoon but they just stood there, no talk between songs, and it was easily the most dull concert I've been to. Could've just been an off night.

 

I'll give you 1 and 2..........but not 3.

 

John Cougar Mellonhead

Yikes that was dull...

 

DON McCLEAN (in Sydney) in the early 70's - not one song he sang sounded close to the 'original'... B O R I N G !

 

I saw him on this tour and as much as I adore him it was dull as dishwater. Fortunately Ray Charles was excellent.

 

The Cars 1980 MSG- like watching paint dry
Jeff Lynne's ELO Radio City a couple of years ago- like watching a cardboard cutout, no interaction except the obligatory "thanks" every few songs.
Todd Rundgren- I don't remember the venues or years (I have seen him 25 times) but there were a couple in there where he was obviously doing it for the "filthy lucre" and couldn't be bothered to practice.

 

Understood, I have no doubt that you have enjoyed shows by bands that you weren’t familiar with;
I was essentially describing and encapsulating many of the posts here by others.

The 3 points I posted seem to cover the general circumstances of the posters.

(That’s my error for not clarifying my observation.)