Ok, we've been reading about the duds, let's hear about the good ones. One of the best live bands I've seen lately has been Lukas Nelson. Legit group, top notch players and tight as can be. Killer sound guy, Joel Eckels. Well worth a night out to check them out if you're into good soul rock with some country roots.
Haven't been to a a concern in many decades but KISS and Poison both (not the same venue) were effen awesome. So much energy, was amazing.
Bruce Springsteen, The Omni Atlanta, early 1981. 3.5 hours long, with just a short break in the middle.
Beach Boys at the Ohio State Fair in the early 1980's. It was during the day, so no way to turn off the lights and tell the fans it is time to go. After the 2nd encore the crowd stood and kept cheering for 20 solid minutes. They came back out and you could tell they were choked up about it and managed two more amazing songs.
Hmmm, some great ones that I can remember right now. Toasters (and a bunch of other ska bands) at the 9:30 around July 4th and around 97 or 98. Just a lot of fun. face to face, teenage bottle rocket and a few others at the black cat in DC. Maybe 200 people there, the club treated you like an adult (beer in bottles and cheap. Want to go outside to smoke or talk to the bands? Have at it). If you’ve been to the BC you know that you’re inches from the band. F@ckin’ awesome show in every way. Sick of it All on the warped tour in Asbury Park. Good tour but Soia was pure insanity that day. we went over a few minutes before they started and I was way back when Sam started to walk up towards the front and into the crowd. “Just wait.” “But I want to get up close!!!” “Just wait.” They come on, hit the first chord and the place absolutely exploded. People flying everywhere, pieces of the barrier flying, literal chunks of concrete and rebar flying (it was near the stone pony at the time it and the outside area were falling apart. “I guess you were right about waiting. “ Bad religion, rise against and 4 year strong at the 930. BR and RA played together a bunch but with 4 year strong that time just pushed them to great.
Haters gonna hate, but Kid Rock puts on a damn good spectacle. Blackberry Smoke never disappoints musically. Too many bands suck live. They're sometimes actually better than the studio cuts.
Bruce Springsteen, The Empire Pool, Wembley, May 1981. 3.5 hours long, with just a short break in the middle.
Zeppelin. Because I was a 16 year old kid and in the mid 70's they were the gods of rock. Most surprising was Gary Numan. He came to a small venue a couple years ago and I went simply for the nostalgia. I had not heard any of his new material and it was fantastic. Best lineup was Cake, Devo and Smashing Pumpkins.
My favorite concert will be a bit oddball for this crowd. My dad was a fan of a broad scope of music and artists. One of which was the Oak Ridge Boys. Road trips, camping and backpacking trips, general life, I heard them quite a bit in my youth. Because of that, they are included in my musical fandom world. About 15 years ago, they did a Christmas tour and came to the symphony hall in SLC. My wife and I took my parents to the the show, and my dad loved every minute of it. I enjoyed it as well. Great sound, great performances, just a nice overall show and evening. My dad was taken by cancer just a few years later, and that concert will always be special to me.
Saw them, too. Probably at the tri-state fair in Amarillo in the 70s. Not 1978,though. That year Mel Tillis was the headliner. The sound system was AFU throughout his set, kept cutting in and out. Finally he had had enough and cut the show short. He stormed off the stage and out the back to his bus. I was crushed because I had promised Ms Hollingsworth (5th grade teacher I had kid crush on) that I would get her an autograph. I was leaning on the side of the stadium squalling when one of the guys in the band walked by and asked me what was wrong. I sobbingly explained and he said, "Come with me." He walked up to the bus and opened the door and walked in. There was Mel with the rest of the band. Band guy told Mel what was going on and said Mel needed to think about the fans. Kinda ballsy move, but there was 10 year old me, grinning ear to ear as I walked off that bus with an autograph after a pretty good ch-ch-ch-chat w-w-with Mel. Yeah, maybe that has to take my top spot now that I think about it. No way could any performer have some random kid on their tour bus now. Sad.
First Concert ever- 1989 in Tijuana Mx. Social Distortion. The offspring opened for them (nobody even knew who they were). Epic. I was 15. My 21st Birthday- Tom Petty in San Diego. Magical. Closed the night at a bar afterwards.
Zeppelin, because I was a 14 year old kid. My buddy worked at a Karma Records store and got me 4 very good seats. I saw Beck and Cage the Elephant a couple years ago and it was stellar.
