Top 5 artists you’ve seen live the most

Dead Milkmen! Were some/all of those in their original run when Dave was still around?

 

Artist, Times, Years, Locations (Metro Areas). I listed the acts I have seen 9x or more.

Blue Rodeo, 32x, 1988-2017, K-W, Niagara, Toronto, Hamilton, Barrie, Buffalo
Billy Bragg, 15x, 1987-2017, Toronto, NYC, Chicago, Calgary
Elvis Costello, 12x, 1991-2016, Toronto, Newport RI, Niagara, Buffalo
Lucinda Williams, 12x, 1997-2009, Toronto, Buffalo
R.E.M., 10x, 1984-2008, Daytona Beach, Toronto, Buffalo, Detroit
Richard Thompson, 10x, 1996-2011, Toronto, Buffalo, Newport RI
Paul Kelly, 10x, 1998-2017, Toronto
Bruce Springsteen, 9x, 1984-2009, Toronto, Edmonton, Buffalo, Detroit
Los Lobos, 9x, 1993-2017, Toronto, Buffalo, Chicago
Lowest of the Low, 9x, 1993-2005, Edmonton, Niagara, Toronto, Buffalo

 

I don't go to many concerts. Only bands I've seen multiple times are KISS, Def Leppard, and Skid Row (3). Alice Cooper, Bryan Adams, Ted Nugent, Poison, Warrant, Cinderella, and Butch Walker (2).

 

Top of mind:
Stones
U2
Maiden

 

RHCP, never counted but it was a ton. This was all pre BSSM, all clubs no stadiums. They played so much in the Valley/LA/Santa Monica back then. Always a great time.

Also used to go see a local band called The Splitters a bunch. Really great show they put on. I can find absolutely zero trace of them online.

 

Sonic Youth (16) '87 (SF), '88 (SF), '90 (Sacramento) and (SFx2), '91 (Sacramento), '92 (SF), '93 (SF), '99 (Berkeley), '00 (SF), '03 (NY), '04 (NYC), '06 (NYC), '07 (NYC), '08 (NYC) and '11 (NYC)

Melvins (12) '90 (SF), '91 (Chico), '92 (SF), '93 (SF), '96 (SF), '07 (NYC), '10 (Minneapolis), '11 (NYC), '12 (NYC), '13 (NYC) and '14 (NYC)

The White Stripes (9) '00 (SF), '01 (Austin x 2), '01 (SF), '02 (SF x 2), '03 (NYC) and '07 (NYC X 2)

Thee Oh Sees (8) '10 (NYC), '12 (NYC), '13 (NYC), '15 (NYC), '16 (NYC x 2), '17 (NYC) and '18 (NYC)

Parquet Courts/Patti Smith/Nirvana (7)
PC- '13 (NYC), '14 (UK), '15 (NYC), '15 (NYC), '16 (NYC), '17 (NYC) and '19 (NYC)
PS- 00 (Austin), '01 (SF), '04 (NYC), '05 (NYC), '07 (NYC), '08 (NYC) and '19 (NYC)
Nirvana- '90 (Chico),' 90 (Sacramento), '90 (SF), '91 (Sacramento), '91 (SF x 2) and '93 (Oakland)

 

Jethro Tull - 4
Oingo Boingo - 3
The Police - 2
King Crimson - 2
The Who - 2
Los Lobos -2
The Blasters - 2 (2 times the same day!)

I also saw Devo twice but they sucked so bad the first time I just want to forget that ever happened.
I saw Black Flag a bunch of times back in the punker days too but I don't really remember a lot of those shows.

Everything else was a one-off I think.

 

Stones, McCartney and Dylan are 3 times each
2 Lou Reed shows
The rest are one offs

 

Iron Maiden (5)
Megadeth (4)
Motorhead (4)
Counting Crows (4)
Ronnie James Dio (1x as Dio, 2x with Heaven and Hell)

Also saw Pink Floyd, Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, Metallica, Smashing Pumpkins, Zebra 2x

 

Rush 7x
Scorpions 7x
Iron Maiden 5x
Steven Wilson 3x
Earth, Wind & Fire 3x

 

Yup! I saw them 7 times between '90 and '94 and then 4 times over the last 10 years with Dandrew. I've gotta say, the first time I saw them post-Dave was the best I ever saw them, period.

Of course, I also caught them a lot when things were winding down in '93-'94, so it might not be the fairest comparison. But they really brought it live as recently as Dec. '18.

 

probably Gene Clark, America, Poco, Joe Walsh, Michael Stanley

 

I can’t compare, since I only ever saw the newer incarnation of the band, but they are always a great time when I catch them. The best people, too. Were you at the Halloween 2012 show at Union Transfer by any chance?

 

Procol Harum (I'm probably missing a few shows/dates):

Montreal Forum - Apr. 26/71 (with Ten Years After, Michel Pagliaro)
University of Montreal - April 7/73
Hemel Hempstead Pavilion, UK - Sept. 28/74
Winter Garden Theatre, Toronto - Sept. 23/91
Canada's Wonderland, Toronto - Sep. 04/93 (with Jethro Tull)
IMAC Theatre, Huntington, NY - May 10, 2003
Ontario Place, Toronto - June 18, 2010 (with Jethro Tull)
Long Island, New York - July 11 & 12/2014
Dominion Theatre, London UK - Nov. 24/2014
Royal Festival Hall, London UK - Mar. 3/2017
Palladium Theatre, London UK - Oct. 9, 2018
City Winery, NY - Feb. 25 & 26, 2019

I had tickets for the April 2, 2020 show at the London Palladium, which has now been rescheduled to May 16. 2021.


Bob Dylan:

Montreal Forum - Jan 11 & 12/1974
Montreal Forum - Dec. 4/1975
Maple Leaf Gardens (Oct 12/78
Maple Leaf Gardens - Oct. 29/81
CNE Grandstand, Toront0 - Aug 29/88
Concert Hall, Toronto - April 28/96
Copps Coliseum, Hamilton - Jul. 11/80
O'Keefe Centre, Toronto - Jun 05/90
Kingswood, Toronto - Jul 26/91


Bruce Springsteen:

Montreal Forum - Nov 08/78
CNE Grandstand, Toronto - Jul 24/84
Paris, France - Jun 30/85
CNE Grandstand, Toronto - Aug 26/85
Skydome, Toronto - Nov 06/92
Air Canada Centre, Toronto - May 03/00
Air Canada Centre, Toronto - Dec 05/02
Skydome, Toronto - Sep 10/03
Copps Coliseum, Hamilton - Mar 03/08
Copps Coliseum, Hamilton - Oct 21/12
Air Canada Centre - Jan 21/16


As for numbers 4 & 5, I've seen Arlo Guthrie, Rod Stewart & Dr. John at least 5 times each.

 

Grateful Dead 8x
Yes 4x
Iggy 3x
Jeff Beck 2x
Jefferson Starship 3x
The Who 4x
Cheap Trick 4x

 

Peter Himmelman (amazing live)
Warren Zevon (saw a fantastic live show at the Belly Up in Solano Beach, CA in 1985 that was among the best shows I've seen)
Journey (never by choice--they seemed to be the opening act for every large show in the LA area in the mid/late '70s)
Dan Wilson
Jane Olivor

 

Yeah - big difference in how I viewed music at 10 vs. 16/17!

No idea how I would've reacted to AC/DC if I'd been 16 in 1977 instead of 10. All I know was my friend and I really hated 'em!

 

The Kinks - 12 shows (1972-1993)
Sir Doug Sahm = 50+ shows (1974-1996)
The Ramones - 18 shows (1977-1993)
N.R.B.Q. - 10 shows (1983-1999)
Alex Chilton - 16 shows (1979-1995)

 

Grateful Dead: 20 shows and lots of venues between '76 and '95
Jackson Browne: 16 shows starting in '83
Hot Tuna: 6
Sting: 6
Bruce Cockburn: 5

Honorable mention goes to Pat Metheny. I've seen PMG 4 times but I've caught Pat 6 times including a solo show (Orchestrion) and another in his trio.

 

Bob Dylan
Lucinda Williams
Rodney DeCroo
Los Lobos
Fleetwood Mac

 

Bob Dylan
Neil Young
John Martyn
Steve Winwood
Jeff Beck

 

I wish! I've never seen them in their hometown - just Boston & NYC. That must've been great - on Halloween, no less. And yeah, they really are super guys. Joe sat in for a gig with my old high school/college (and very Milkmen-influenced) band once about 30 years ago and it was just the coolest thing ever. OK, I don't think the music they've released since they got back together can touch the old stuff but live? They're probably a little better now. Not as nuts, but better musically with much longer sets.

 

Grateful Dead, 1967-1970, Bay area

Richard Thompson, Bay area, Santa Rosa, Carmel, Santa Cruz, Atlanta, Seattle, Worcester UK

Santana, early years, opening or mid bill at Bill Graham venues.

Mose Allison, Fairfax to Santa Cruz and points in between.

Leo Kottke, Athens GA, Grass Valley CA, Bay area.

 

The Wonder Stuff (172 times between 1991-2019)
Suede (65 times between 1992-2019)
Manic Street Preachers (56 times between 1992-2018) - could have easily been more, but their sets have become very, very predictable and the albums tedious
U2 (38 times between 1997-2018) - wanted it to be more, but getting tickets for the 1992 and 2001 tours was very, very tough

 

Grateful Dead
The Other Ones/The Dead/Dead & Co.
Bob Weir/Ratdog
Billy Joel
Los Lobos
Allman Brothers Band
Paul Simon

Yeah, that’s more than five... But if you roll (heh) all the GD-related stuff together then it comes out to five.