Top 5 artists you’ve seen live the most

I was also at the All star show with Todd at Summerfest; nowhere near as good as that first band. However, around 1994 Ringo had a band featuring John Entwistle, Randy Bachman, Felix Cavilieri and Mark Farner that played at the Miller Stage at Summerfest that was outstanding.

Regarding that CSN show - I had incredible seats for the State Fair show that got rained out. Unfortunately, that make up show at Alpine was scheduled for the same night that Bowie was performing in Milwaukee; it was 1987, and I went to the Bowie show.

 

Bruce Springsteen 50x
Marshall Crenshaw 10x
Paul McCartney 7x
Southside Johnny 7x
Jackson Browne 6x

 

Yes - 13
Steve Hackett - 10
Eric Clapton - 7
Steven Wilson - 6
Paul Kelly - 6

 

Prince 5x
Bob Dylan 4x
Rolling Stones 4x
Beck 3x... by accident: knowingly went to see him once, the other two times, for some reason or another, I ended up at one of his gigs.

And then a whole bunch of artists I’ve seen once or twice. I don’t usually care to see an artist more than once... Prince, Dylan and the Stones were the exception; Dylan and the Stones I’m done seeing, Prince would be the only one I would continue to see wherever, whenever.

 

Black Crowes = 15ish
Springsteen = 12ish
Stones = 4
Widowmaker (Dee Snider's post TS band) = 7
Twisted Sister = 80+ (mostly while they were still playing in the Clubs)

 

Allman Brothers 8 times, all at Red Rocks.

 

If I had included acts I have seen 2X, I could have included Crenshaw. 1983 (I know he opened for the B52s), 1979 (I THINK he might have been with Beatlemania)

 

Elton John - 5
The Kinks - 3
Jethro Tull - 3
Blue Oyster Cult - 3
Multiple artists at - 2 including The Who, Styx, Doobie Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, Heart, Pat Benatar, Parachute Club, Simple Minds, Beach Boys, Doucette

 

Oh, sure... Bowie at the Marcus Amphitheater. Glass Spider tour. Peter Frampton on guitar. Never saw Bowie, as I guess that was the last time he played Milwaukee?

Anyhow, CSN was really good. They did a couple of songs that would end up on American Dream the next year (Those were better onstage than on record, as it turned out), and I was glad I saw them.

Saw them one more time, two years later, at Summerfest. Not only was 1989 a really great year for albums from a lot of classic artists, but that was my favorite year at Summerfest. CSN, Dylan with Steve Earle, Jackson Browne, Jimmy Buffett with The Neville Brothers, and on the final night Tom Petty.

That was just the Amphitheater shows I saw. Trying to remember who else I saw on the side stages... Pretty sure Johnny Winter was the same night as Dylan, and my friends and I went to see him after Dylan’s show let out. I’m sure I saw at least 2-3 other side stage shows that year.

Dylan himself was not so great that night. Mumbled his way through many of the songs, seemed angry (July 3, so Milwaukee’s downtown, lakefront fireworks were competing with him) and I remember him slamming guitar down on its back and storming off. Not even sure he actually did a encore. But it was still cool to see him, and Steve Earle was a revelation.

 

1: The Waterboys (36+)
2: Van Morrison (15+)
3: Bob Dylan (12+)
4: Neil Young (8+)
5: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (6+)

Many more I`ve seen at least 5 times and down at the bottom of the charts The Beatles once.

 

Actually, the last time Bowie played Milwaukee was May, 2004. It was one of his last shows in the USA. His tour was cut short in Europe two months later when he had his heart problems, and he never toured again.

 

Einstein Space Party (my son was the drummer)
Oak
The Kinks
Ian Hunter
Tired Starlings (another band my son was in-and yes they played "Sunshine Of Your Love")

 

Wow, I completely missed that one. Wonder how I never knew. Bummer I never saw him.

 

Bob Dylan 26x (1988-2016)
John Hiatt 16x, plus Hiatt+Lyle Lovett 2x, plus Little Village 1x (1988-2019)
Paul McCartney 18x (1989-2016)
Styx 14x (1980-2018)
Richard Thompson 13x (1990-2019

Others over 10: Elton John 11x, plus 1 w/Billy Joel (1982-2019), Josh Ritter 11x (2007-2019), Peter Himmelman 11x (1994-2005)

 

Not many:

Buzzcocks - 7 or 8 times (late 70s)
Warsaw/Joy Division - 5 or 6 times (late 70s)
The Clash - 3 or 4 times (late 70s/early 80s)
Bowie (Stafford 78 and London 83)
The Rolling Stones (Knebworth 76 and Marseille 90)

 

Paul McCartney (3)
Bob Seger (3)
Bloodgood (4)
Stryper (3)
Rain (4)

 

Robyn Hitchcock
Cheap Trick
Public Image Ltd.
The Ramones
Goldfinger

all in Chicago.

 

Bob Dylan
Rolling Stones
Replacements
Minutemen
Richard Thompson

 

I feel kind of bad... I’ve seen so few bands more than once... only three bands twice... Journey (‘83, ‘86), Yes (’11, ’13), and The Joe English Band (the former Wings drummer who went CCM in the 80s).

I’ve loved music so much for years, but never really got into going to live shows.

 

The Replacements
REM
The Stones

Now it gets tricky

The Waterboys
Springsteen

 

ELO
Paul McCartney
Cheap Trick

 

Frank Zappa
King Crimson
St. Vincent
Jeff Beck
Tie: Adrian Belew Power Trio/Beer for Dolphins/Living Colour/Smithereens

 

Neil Young
Thin Lizzy
Billy Bragg
AC/DC
Genesis
Page/Plant and Plant Solo
Steve Earle

 

Fear Factory
Richard Thompson
Mastodon
Bad Religion
Metallica

Pretty predictable given my listening tastes.

 

Rush 14
Maynard Ferguson 7
CSN 6
Judas Priest 5
Pearl Jam 4