What’s the best concert you’ve ever seen?
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BooMan
Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
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Kindergarten Christmas concert, 1986 – Goldwood Elementary School. Bar none.
…and the mosh pit was crazy!
got a bootleg?
#1 – Megadeth at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago (sometime in the late 90’s)
#2 – Opeth at the Orbit Room in Grand Rapids last year
#3 – Paul Simon / Bob Dylan at Pine Knob near Detroit a few years ago
Ry Cooder, European Tour ’80, Hammersmith Odeon, London. Included John Hiatt.
Best non-dead show I ever saw was in So. Cal about a week before Stevie Ray Vaughn died in a helicopter crash.
This was the lineup.
Top that.
Supertramp, Mann Music Center, Philadelphia, July 1997
Steely Dan, Hershey Star Pavilion, August 2003
Garbage, TLA, Philadelphia, April 2005
that’s easy. crash worhip. ’96 (?) in a philly warehouse. obscure california tribalistic percussion band. i had never heard of them and had no idea what i was in for. they came out last, after the typical assortment of local grunge bands, after 2am, long after all the drinks had run out. i wondered why everyone nonetheless stuck around, so i stuck too.
then lights out. drums drums drums. fire. lots of fire. in industrial drum containers. being juggled and tossed around. to the ceiling. in the crowd. a naked guy stalking around with horns, painted red and with a literal flaming bare wire tail trailing behind him.
a guy running through the crowd swinging a flaming bike wheel on a chain attached to a broomstick. another guy with a similar toy, but with something like a basketball on the end. lots of fire-eating and blowing.
meanwhile the crowd became increasingly orgiastic, shedding clothes and grinding in a mass. at the climax a naked masked painted chick was carried into the crowd on a large fruit platter tossing sweets to and splashing wine on everyone. but i remember getting splashed with lighter fluid at some point. i could taste it.
outside afterwards i was stunned how filthy everyone was, including me. people were staggering out, drenched with water, wine, sweat and smeared with black soot like the victims of a bombing that you see on the news. it was beirut at dawn.
haven’t been to a better show since.
Not the best, but on topic:
I saw the Grateful Dead’s LAST show, in Chicago in 1995. I liked them enough, was not deadhead, but was doing too many drugs that year. We were in college. We all got tix & I decided to go because, my exact words, “I have to see them before Jerry Garcia dies.” I saw them. He died. It was trippy on many different levels.
(Best concert: Poi Dog Pondering puts on an amazing live show.)
i saw their last show in philly, at veterans stadium. i’d been to a lot of their east coast shows (ny, pa, ma, nh, nj) during the 80s and 90s.
I’d never seen them before. I was lucky enough to catch the last show they ever performed together. Whew. Cut it pretty close… 😉
The Miles Davis Quintet, Lennie’s On The Turnpike (Just north of Boston), mid ’60s. Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, Ron Carter and Miles.
The greatest small group ever in jazz, playing at the peak of their achievement.
To maybe 150 people.
Priceless.
I was there 5 nights.
Changed my life.
AG
Ozomatli – don’t make me choose, I’ve seen them nine times in four different cities.
last year, doing Mussorsgky’s Pictures At An Exhibition — first time I’d heard a classical version of the entire work (I was only familiar with the Emerson, Lake & Palmer version) and I fell in love with it.
And second half of the concert was Jon Nakamatsu accompanying the orchestra — I forget what piece he did, but it was magnificent, and a great opportunity for the kids.
You’re going to laugh.
El Vez, the Mexican Elvis. DC, 1999. It was a blast.
If he’s ever in your town, go.
The warmup concerts at in Asbury Park at Convention Hall.
Late march, rear doors open, smell of salt water wafting in off the beach and about 50 feet from stage.
Heaven
The Beatles at Shea Stadium in August 1965. I was sixteen. Paid about $13.75 for the ticket and a chartered bus ride from my small upstate town to NYC. The city was all agog and enjoying the influx of teenagers – great fun. Made lots of friends and amazingly only encountered one unpleasant person. Great color, incredible sound- 56,000 excited girls.
Twenty years later, Bruce Springsteen at the Miami Orange Bowl.
Bob Dylan anywhere, as long as he’s in a good mood.
The Beatles at Shea Stadium in August 1965.
You win.
every concert is a great concert, if you know how to listen.
i was lucky enough to be on staff (setting up tents & etc.) for both us festivals in the early 80’s. saw every big group of the 80’s there. name it, i saw it. ramones oingo boingo b-52’s sting grateful dead metallica santana talking heads eddie money the cars the kinks pat benetar tom petty & the heartbreakers jimmy buffet jackson browne fleetwood mac the clash wall of voodoo divinyls ozzie osborn judas priest the clash men at work scorpions van halen (the good kind) berlin berlin u2 and the country acts willie nelson emmy lou harris ricky skaggs hank williams jr alabama and wayon jennings.
then after breakfast it really got going….
seriously, tho i worked a lot of the time and didn’t see every act, i did get to hear every act, and the experience itself was brilliant.
personally i wish i was young again so i could do the coahella concerts.
as for recently, loved neil diamond two years ago in los angeles, he gives a great concert, and madonna that same year, she was good, too.
saw the stones twice in my life time, once at colorado state in the 70’s (alabama opened for them, truly!) and then again in the 90’s in vegas. we were all older, mick and the boys and me. but we still loved to rock n roll.
would love to see gloria estafan, i hear she give a great show.
concert i did not see but wish i had; pink floyd’s pulse.
Hmm…so many good shows, so long ago. :>)
Pink Floyd in NYC for the Monetary Lapse of Reason tour
David Byrne, multiple times, each unique and each incredible
David Bowie with Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails
I also saw Bowie up close and personal when I won special tickets to a “Breakfast with Bowie” show. All acoustic and he was about 5 feet in front of me. Amazing.
The Roaches in in the early 80’s. They are a hoot.
The Dead Kennedys at CBGB’s in NYC in 1986 or so. It was great, I stage dived and danced with Jello Biafra.
Santana was always great too.
I just took my daughter to see her first rock concert, Jet at the San Francisco Filmore. Good show, and a great old venue. She had a blast.
ah man…don’t want to go there….depends on too many things…seen many that have been mind blowers
did see a killer political ad today tho….since it’s an open thread
later
lTMF’sA
art ensemble of chicago
african american museum, philly
sometime in the mid 80s
#1 has to be Zeppelin, in 1977, mostly because it was my first major concert ever. Zepplophiles later informed me it wasn’t a great show by their standards. Chicago Stadium, the old one. It was to me. I still believe that at the height of their powers, they were the greatest rock ‘n roll show on the planet.
#1 in the My Life Is Changed category has to be Springsteen in 1979. Nobody knew, other than my suitemate, who he was at the time, which explains why Assembly Hall in Champaign was curtained off to 1/3.
At hour number 4 or so, Bruce launched into the closer of the era, and by this time in the show I was so dazzled that I was actually up and dancing, which I was not known for doing until then, and I wasn’t alone, which made it easier, obviously. I was sold. I didn’t miss a Springsteen show for 6 straight Chicagoland appearances, one including Mom as my guest.
Pink Floyd is my #1 show in the genre of sound and overall production values. Fabulous, and I got a good show according the Floydophiles that night.
Locally, in relatively small venues, Zappa Does Zappa, Dweezil’s tribute to dad knocked my dick in the dirt. Amazing. Also higly recommended if you of are that ilk.
Worst ever? Jethro Tull, who, despite all evidence to my contrarian nature, managed to fashion 3 songs I recognized in 1:45. I understood the artistic decision, and I understood Ian’s talent. But I left laughing.
I’d say,
Whoops! I forgot:
Both Jackson and Manilow concerts were at the now-demolished Circle Star Theatre in San Carlos, CA.
The World Tour above occurred at the Oakland Coliseum around 1986 or 1987.
flashbacks! I was never in the old Circle Jerk; I saw George Thorogood at the Keystone PA for the LOUDEST show I was ever at. God that was a dump.
his orchestra were CRAMMED onto that stage. I could have seen Ray’s tonsils, that was how close I was to that stage. The place was packed to the rafters.
This was, of course, before he did those Pepsi commercials and teamed up with his friend from youth, Quincy Jones for “I’ll Be Good to You” from Back on the Block
Tina Turner – Private Dancer
Clash / English Beat at the Hollywood Palladium on the final night of the world tour (’81). Show lasted almost five hours — and I still have trouble with my right ear.
Sonic Youth / Soul Asylum / Husker Du (’86) at Irving Plaza, NYC, is a close second — and it was only ten bucks to get in.
The one that got away? Little Feat prior to the unfortunate death of Lowell George.
Lara and Reyes at the Texas Jazz Festival 1999. The best acoustic guitar duo I’ve ever seen.
hard to say, recently the guy singing and playing, “Mean Joe Brown”,on his guitar at one of the stops on the Blue subway Line in Chicago..