Best Live Band(s)

[lifesizehobbit]

Some of my favorites:
Zac Brown Band a few years ago; they sounded almost as good on stage as their professionally controlled CDs.

Kenny Loggins

Tom Shiness

Bonepony

Roy Clark (yeah, he's a lot more than Hee Haw)

Bob Seger

Beach Boys

Mary Chapin Carpenter
Worst:

The Guess Who - it was years after they were popular, playing an indoor car show and thought we wanted to see them smash guitars and amps...

 

[jmagen]

Man I have the stupidest smile seeing so many of you have been to shows with bands I listen to! Misfits, Circle Jerks, Pogues, Smiths, man so many! Since I was 11 or 12 I've been the odd man out with regards to taste in music. Nowadays, it's the pipe's fault too. Never gave a damn, never will. Wish I coulda been a some of the shows you guys made!

I worked the door at a bar throughout college and two shows stand out: Hagfish and Jawbox, Jawbox being TONS better. Hagfish was pop-punky, probly around the time Green Day was out, but compared to f'n used car salesmen doing karaoke, and local cover bands, it was cool. Chic bass player from Jawbox pogo'd the entire fckn show. How her calves weren't bigger than her neck, I'll never know.

 

[prndl]

Steppenwolf, Birmngham, 1968.
This band was so much more than "Born to be Wild". As a footnote, Kay did not get arrested on obscenity charges for singing "The Pusher" which, at the time, was a lot more than what other folks in Birmingham were getting arrested for.
Arlo Guthrie, Ole Miss, 1971.
Let's just say he made 10,000 people feel like they were sitting in his living room that night and leave it at that. If you ever get the chance...
Rolling Stones, Tuscaloosa, 1972.
Sticky Fingers with a heavy dose of EOMS and Mick Taylor. At their best, long before they became a parody. Stevie Wonder opened, as an added bonus.
Pink Floyd, Los Angeles Civic Center, 1975
First set was DSOTM. Second was WYWH. "Echoes" for encore. Added bonus, as we were walking outside afterwards, there were a dozen huge klieg lights around the center shining straight up at...what else?...the full moon.
John Denver, Fabulous Forum, 1975
GF talked me into it and I'll have to say this one surprised me. There were truck driver hats, doo-rags, cowboy hats, turbans, fez's, gay posse's, grandmas and grandkids and everybody in between at that concert. The man just seemed to reach across the world. And, yes, he could sing "Rocky Mountain High" just as good in person as on any record.

 

[newbroom]

I've seen a lot of performers. I only walked out on one concert. That was Aerosmith back in '69.

One of the most memorable, because of its musical impact on my brain, was Roy Buchanan and the Snakestretchers.

Another, and one that preceded my seeing Roy, was a free show in Central Park in '68 or '69...with Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart, Nicky Hopkins and Ron Wood performing the Truth album.

Years later, I took my kid brother to see Merle Haggard...and that was pretty darned good too.

Among those I've seen are Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Chuck Berry, Jim and the Doors, John Lennon with Eric Clapton, and way way back, the first...Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels....

there are lots more...many have been mentioned here.

 

[snag]

Been to too many Grateful Dead concerts to count.

And many others.

Stevie Ray Vaughn put on the best shows I've ever heard

 

[johnbarleycorn]

One I forgot Hot House Flowers at s tiny club in Memphis was a phenomenal show.

 

[kane]

Oh man, Roy Buchanan. The master of the Telecaster. He could really make that thing weep and scream. Lucky you to have seen him!

 

[josephcross]

Ozzfest back in 2000 was magical! Opeth was an amazing show 10 years ago. I saw Tool a while back(not really my cup of tea), but boy the put on an amazing live show!

 

[prndl]

Oh, yea.
Ike and Tina Revue, Mid-South Coliseum,...damn near any Friday night in the early to mid 60's.
You'd think that concrete ediface was made of plywood the way it rocked.

 

[northernneil]

I was talking with the wife about this last night. She reminded me about the first time we went to Sasquatch Music Festival at the Gorge in WA state. Walking over the hill leading to the main stage, seeing the view open up to an amazing river valley, hearing Of Monsters and Men from Iceland for the first time; absolutely priceless!

 

[northernneil]

To give you an idea of the festival atmosphere

 

[northernneil]

 

[perdurabo]

Best Shows? Wow, I hate concerts, But when dragged to them they get interesting.
1. Deftones- Enormous energy from this band. Plus singing with Chino was a blast.
2. God Lives Underwater- Saw them in Atlanta, after the show hung out with Dave Reilly, ate some dinner and had a great time. Super nice guy and great talent. It saddeneds me that he passed away.
Worst:
Korn

Wilco

Totally bored out of my mind.

 

[perdurabo]

Ash- I know about those Vacant Warehouses. Best shows in the world. That's where it's make it or break it.

 

[perdurabo]

Man I would have loved to see John Denver, he's one of my favorites. Totally jeoulous.
Great thread.

 

[sallow]

So this show was notable to me because it was my first step out of the huge stadium shows to a smaller venue. The Farmers were the opening act.
Other favorites of mine were as follows:
Beck (Sean Lennon opened)

Sloan (20th anniversary of Pen Pals)

Eric Clapton (Robert Cray Opened)

REM (Robyn Hitchcock opened)

King Kong

 

[indianafrank]

The Doors

Creedence

Grateful dead

The Who

Jefferson Airplane

Crosby Stills & Nash

 

[iamn8]

If I could see any concert in all of history it would be The Doors. I was in primary with Danny Sugarman
Durabo, you sang with Deftones?!?! I was supposed to see them, front/center, but gf was horribly sick

 

[deepspringfarm]

Gillian Welch/David Rawlings

Better than their studio albums. Amazing.

 

[johnbarleycorn]

^ saw them this year. Amazing show!!!