The Concert Thread • So ya, thought ya, might like to, go to the show...

[DisplacedCornellian]

Re: The Concert Thread • So ya, thought ya, might like to, go to the show...

I don't have nearly as many experiences as some who've posted here, but my most memorable (and recent) concert experience was the Foo Fighters at the Verizon Center in DC this past November. They put on a fine rock and roll show. Their entire set felt like an encore. Amazing energy, and Dave knows how to work a crowd.

Social Distortion opened for them, so that didn't suck either.

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: The Concert Thread • So ya, thought ya, might like to, go to the show...

Def Leppard in 88 with opening act Tesla. Tesla was the better act musically. Leppard had an awesome stage show. That would probably be my #3.

So:

1. Kiss in 1979 and the reunion tour in c. 1995.
2. Queensryche in 1991.
3. Def Leppard / Tesla in 1988.

Kiss in 1979 and Def Leppard in 1988 were both at the old Met Center where the North Stars used to play.

Smaller Venue shows I'd have to pick.

1. Ace Frehley's Comet at First Avenue in c. 1987.
2. Paul Stanley's Solo tour in 2008 at a club in Twin Cities area, forget the club name. Small place.

I've seen Metallica twice but neither of those shows are as memorable as the ones I listed above.

[Jaws]

Re: The Concert Thread • So ya, thought ya, might like to, go to the show...

Been to many shows over the years. 1st was Beatles at the Met Aug 21,1965. God I wish I'd kept that Ticket stub. So you see I've been at it a while. Best of the last few years was Jeff Beck at the State last spring.Head and shoulders above anything else I went to last year. Mostly do club shows these days. Live music is the best.

[Gurtholfin]

Re: The Concert Thread • So ya, thought ya, might like to, go to the show...

Some of my favorite shows in no particular order...

Pink Floyd @ Camp Randall in 1994 • By far the best light show I ever saw. Man, I wish they'd tour again. The Pulse DVD captures it very well.

U2 @ Ames, Iowa in 1992 - ZooTV outdoor tour • Really liked the ZooTV tour for visuals and Achtung Baby was their best album. This was the best of the 3 Zoo shows that I saw.

U2 @ Rosemont Horizon 10/28 & 29/87 • U2 was my favorite band at this time and these were my first rock concerts. Stayed out drinking overnight to buy tickets with buddies. 17 years old. We thought we were so grown up. Ha!

Grateful Dead 9/6/91 Richfield, OH • Best Dead show I saw. Smokin' Fall tour in 91 and this show had many, many epic moments. I missed the first week of classes for this roadie and we camped in some forested campground. During the post show campfire, a skeleton on guitar and a demented monkey on bass sat in the branches above us and played along with the show on the boombox.


I'm sure I'm missing something that I really liked, but that's all I can think of right now.

[NMU8405]

Re: The Concert Thread • So ya, thought ya, might like to, go to the show...

Looking at checking out RHCP in Boston this summer, or Blink 182 in New Hampshire. Not too high on Blink. Im not a punk kid, or a 14 year old whore.

[Proud2baLaker]

Re: The Concert Thread • So ya, thought ya, might like to, go to the show...

Ive only ever been to a few concerts in my life: Wilco (@ Purdue fall 2007? or maybe 06); Farm-Aid (St Louis 2009 I believe...went mostly for Wilco); Wilco (South Bend summer 2010..easily my favorite show Ive seen...also notice a trend?) and the last one was My Morning Jacket in Indianapolis in August 2011. Ive seen shows at small bars and stuff but those other 4 are really all Ive seen as far as real concerts. I dont really like huge crowds so it has to be a band I really want to see. I'm also usually broke and dont have tons of spare time so it has to be close to where I am living or coincide with a vacation or time I have money. The first Wilco show was a gift from my brother who is also a big Wilco fan. The Farm-Aid show was only 2 hours away in St Louis so it was an easy drive there and back in the same day. The other Wilco show as a gift back to my brother and it happened while I was home for a visit with family. Same story with My Morning Jacket (family lives in NE Indiana).

[gscott13]

Re: The Concert Thread • So ya, thought ya, might like to, go to the show...

a small sampling...

Guns n Roses
Allman Brothers Band
Foo Fighters w/ Kid Rock, Primus, and Bustah Rhymes 1999
John Butler Trio
Amos Lee
Wilco
Rage Against the Machine
Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals
G Love & Special Sauce
State Radio
Black Crowes
Blues Traveler
Rusted Root
Carbon Leaf
The Decemberists
Pearl Jam
Nirvana
Ray Lamontagne
Ryan Adams & the Cardinals
Swollen Members

[The Rube]

Re: The Concert Thread • So ya, thought ya, might like to, go to the show...

Not in order:

AC/DC (three times)
Pearl Jam (twice)
Bad Religion (three times)
Rancid
Cake (twice)
Metallica
Kid Rock
The Cure (three times)
The Queers (twice)
Aerosmith
Jackyl
Rolling Stones
Wesley Willis (talk about a cult following there!)

countless $5 shows at First Ave involving small time punk bands, just for something to do on a weekend, and there are other bigger bands, too.

[duper]

Re: The Concert Thread • So ya, thought ya, might like to, go to the show...

My first show (not including the various performances of the Chicago Symphony that I went to with my folks or school field trips) was John Cougar Mellencamp at Poplar Creek in Chicago in 1988. My favorite show was probably Ozomatli at the Fillmore in Denver around 2002-ish. The BoDeans at the same venue a couple of years later was also excellent. The show I use to try to impress people is Miles Davis at Symphony Hall in Chicago. I think that was about a year before he died. Probably 1990. Being a HS kid, I thought it was awesome that he played Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time.

Not embarrassed about any of the shows I have seen. Including the 2 Barenaked Ladies shows, the Scorpions around 1991 (way Way WAY past their "prime"), or the outrageous prices I paid to see the Police or James Taylor in recent years. Good times all.

One show I wish I had ponied up the bucks for: Van Morrison at Red Rocks.

The oddest billing I have seen was a twin bill with Mary Chapin Carpenter and Steve Earle. Lots of lesbians and rednecks in the crowd.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: The Concert Thread • So ya, thought ya, might like to, go to the show...

Here's a list that goes in a different direction than all of yours:

First: Joe Diffie and Travis Tritt at the Target Center when I was about 8 years old.
Garth Brooks, Double Live Tour, Target Center concert #5 (he had 7 shows in 7 days at the Target Center)
[several crappy rock concerts during the time when I lost my way]
Sawyer Brown with a special appearance by Toby Keith at some arena in Louisville during the National FFA Convention
Joe Nichols at Toby Keith's in SLP
Lee Brice at Toby Keith's in SLP
Sawyer Brown at a local small town street dance, which was pretty cool
Zach Brown Band at Country Jam last year
Eli Young Band at Toby Keith's in SLP
Eric Church and Toby Keith at MN State Fair
Brantley Gilbert in Green Bay
Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan at Xcel Energy Center

Future:
Eric Church and Brantley Gilbert at Target Center
Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw at Target Field

My favorite was probably Garth, but I was really too young to enjoy it. I am hoping to go to Vegas sometime in the next few years to see him again.

[Proud2baLaker]

Re: The Concert Thread • So ya, thought ya, might like to, go to the show...

One show I wish I had ponied up the bucks for: Van Morrison at Red Rocks.

My dad is a big Van Morrison fan. He finally got to see him in Chicago a while back and as a birthday present my mom also took him to NYC to see him play a show there. The NYC show was a big deal I guess because Morrison had no plans on playing shows in the US that year I guess. But then he was inducted into the songwriters hall of fame or something like that and ended up playing a show while in New York for the ceremony. I think he played one in Boston too before heading back to Europe.

My dad is also a big blues fan. He is crazy excited because this year for my parents wedding annivesary they are finally getting to go on this Blues Cruise through the Carribean. Basically a normal cruise only there are a bunch of blues artists on board playing shows all the time.

[Slap Shot]

Re: The Concert Thread • So ya, thought ya, might like to, go to the show...

I forgot to mention that I got to see Prince at one of his after-bar shows at Paisely Park about a dozen years ago. He played roughly 1/2 his own stuff and 1/2 covers for three hours, including a wicked, wicked, wicked rendition of All Along the Watchtower, Aretha's Think, as well as versions of America, Raspberry Beret, The Ladder and Joy in Repetition that I haven't found anywhere else ever.

[duper]

Re: The Concert Thread • So ya, thought ya, might like to, go to the show...

My dad is a big Van Morrison fan. He finally got to see him in Chicago a while back and as a birthday present my mom also took him to NYC to see him play a show there. The NYC show was a big deal I guess because Morrison had no plans on playing shows in the US that year I guess. But then he was inducted into the songwriters hall of fame or something like that and ended up playing a show while in New York for the ceremony. I think he played one in Boston too before heading back to Europe.

My dad is also a big blues fan. He is crazy excited because this year for my parents wedding annivesary they are finally getting to go on this Blues Cruise through the Carribean. Basically a normal cruise only there are a bunch of blues artists on board playing shows all the time.

That would be cool minus the boat. A friend of my brother's went to see Stevie Ray Vaughn and Eric Clapton at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in Wisconsin just north of Chicago on August 26, 1990. The last song played in that show was Sweet Home Chicago. Onstage were Stevie Ray and his brother Jimmie (of the Fabulous Thunderbirds), Clapton, Robert Cray and Buddy Guy. Not a bad last song, considering it turned out to be SRV's actual last song.

[busterman62]

Re: The Concert Thread • So ya, thought ya, might like to, go to the show...

First: Head East opening for Foghat
Best: The Tubes in 84 or 85. Great songs and an even better stage show. Got to party with the band in their suite after the show .
Most Embarrassing: Barry Manilow. Got free meal and free tickets for myself and my wife. Enjoyed the whole evening
Funnest (and my newest addiction): Here Come The Mummies. Best horn section since Chicago Transit Authority
Strangest: Ray Charles. Saw him (even if he didn't see me) @ Meadowbrook outside of Detroit. Yuppie Central. They all screamed and danced for some DooWop group and left after Ray played 1 or 2 songs. Great show even though I was only one of a handful left to give a standing O (he didn't see that either).
Best Opening Act that Never Made It: Guadalcanal Diary

[Proud2baLaker]

Re: The Concert Thread • So ya, thought ya, might like to, go to the show...

Just saw the lineup for the Forecastle Festivle in Lousiville Kentucky (July 13-15). Wilco and Neko Case are playing on the 15th and its only 4 hours from Carbondale. However, it is likely that I will be in Wisconsin at a conference in Madison at that time. I'd really like to see both of them perform (and Wilco is following Neko Case on stage which makes it even better).