Norwood, OH
Alice Cooper promoting his Welcome to my Nightmare tour would be first and a close second was Emerson Lake and Palmer when they promoted their Brain Salad Surgery album.
(Topic ID: 166827)
Best concert? That's a tough one, there's been so many. David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust tour has to be up there for me!!
Quoted from poppapin:Best concert? That's a tough one, there's been so many. David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust tour has to be up there for me!!
Man, would I have loved to have seen that! Unfortunately, I was about two weeks old at the time.... 
That's tough because part of it is seeing the musician(s) you love and the excitement of that, but other things factor in.
Which album, performance quality, crowd. Its hard to pick just one but if I had to, it would be David Byrne 'Look into the Eyeball' tour at Chicago Navy Pier.
It was very well performed and when the crowd was moving the entire complex 'bounces' on the water. Not the best album, but definitely the best performance and crowd. A very memorable experience.
Lucky to see Wilco, White Stripes, and Drive by Truckers all in small venues before they blew up. All great shows but the physical/crowd experience of DB tops it.
Best crowd, Tom Waits at the Orpheum in Memphis - who knew there were that many people like me
Best Energy - Aerosmith at House of Blues in NOLA. Steven Tyler owns the venue and showed up under psudonym, so a surprise to 'part' of the crowd. I had a friend working there and so had an in. Not a huge fan of the band but a very good show.
Best Spot - Dead Center front row 10 feet from Laurie Anderson (who I totally crushed on in undergrad) in St.Louis, small performance with Lou Reed spotting after the show.
A few memorable shows but not 'best'
Worst opening band - toss up, a lazy stoned Willie Neslon opening for Bob Dylan at a ball park in IL around 2000, or a very drunk Green Jello opening for Propane in New Orleans. Willie kept giving the pistol point and wink at every lady who shouted his name during the performance, and one of his kids was mangling guitar. In very very stark contrast to the bullet precision of Bob Dylan. A total machine. Howdy 'fill in blank town name here' GO! Thanks 'whatever town I'm in, good night' off the stage, no encore. On the bus and on to the next town.
Worst Sound - Jane's Addiction with Nine-inch-nails at a drag strip in CO, I didn't miss much, I was wagon wheeled in the head with a Doc Martin wearing punk and the concert ended when someone threw a shoe up on the stage.
Wish I could have seen Frank Zappa or Lou Reed. Van Morrison's getting up there, hoping I can catch a good show before he's gone.
And NONE of these musicans will ever get a pinball machine, that is unless I make it myself.
Subhumans , small venue I was able to sit at a bar about 15 feet from the stage and watch one of my favorite bands .
Quoted from o-din:The worst concerts I saw were Aerosmith and The Plasmatics. Seperatelly. But at least Wendy-O tried.
I saw Aerosmith in about 1978.They sucked so bad you could barely tell which song they were playing.I think they were really fucked up.
Quoted from jhanley:I saw Aerosmith in about 1978.They sucked so bad you could barely tell which song they were playing.I think they were really fucked up.
Amen, brother. I saw the Night in the Ruts tour when they were at the peak of their drug use. Falling all over the stage...it was pathetic.
Quoted from jhanley:Last one was Styx in Wendover,Nv this year.They were great.
That was a cover band. No Dennis DeYoung, no Styx. Likewise, no Lou Gramm, no Foreigner. And Queen was a bullshit band with those other singers...especially Adam Lambert.
Quoted from beelzeboob:Amen, brother. I saw the Night in the Ruts tour when they were at the peak of their drug use. Falling all over the stage...it was pathetic.
That was a cover band. No Dennis DeYoung, no Styx. Likewise, no Lou Gramm, no Foreigner. And Queen was a bullshit band with those other singers...especially Adam Lambert.
I would love it if Dennis was with them but I like Tommy Shaw more than him any way
Quoted from pezpunk:i've been to over a thousand concerts. i've seen tons of huge acts in big arenas -- Metallica, Guns n Roses, AC/DC, you name it. i've been to a half dozen lollapaloozas, countless HFStivals and other big fests. Seen everyone from Megadeth to Phil Collins. honestly, though, arena shows and huge festivals are boring and annoying. give me a medium-size club or better yet a dive bar 100 times out of 100.
the only act i've seen in a huge place that actually made it worthwhile was -- yes, i'm dead serious -- Weird Al Yankovic. his live show absolutely blows away anything else i've seen done at a large venue. he plays 5 or 6 songs with a common theme (say, new wave/80s stuff) while he and his band wear Devo costumes or whatever, then he runs back stage to change while huge screens show rapid-fire clips from UHF and Al TV and other random insane things he's done over the years, and then less than 60 seconds later he comes charging out again in, say, the fat suit costume from his "Fat" video, and does another set of songs about food. he keeps going with themed costume changes all night long. the man must be in fantastic physical condition, because he spazzes out for like 2 hours and doesn't slow down. dancing around for 15 minutes in that fat suit alone would ruin me. his band is excellent: they can ape any music of the last 40 years, and it's the same 4 guys he's had since the very beginning. Al Yankovic gets absolute top respect from me as an entertainer. i highly recommend checking out his show if he swings by your town. no joke, it's worth every penny.
other than that, all of the shows i would consider at the top of my list were at much smaller venues. i'll list a handful of my absolute favorites. there's just no way i could pick one.
- Joan Jett fronting a punk band called Evil Stig at the original 930 club (DC) in the early 90s. there were only a handful of people there. the old 930's stage was only about 2 feet off the ground, with no barrier in front of it. i stood basically eye to eye with Joan and she basically sweated and spit all over me during her set. absolutely one of the best shows i've seen. they played a bunch of classics like Crimson and Clover and I Love Rock n Roll, as well as the punk stuff from Evil Stig's repertoire.
- The Dead Milkmen, again at the old 930. it was 1990. i was starting high school, not yet old enough to drive. My future drummer was at this show, too. i hadn't met him at this point, but he was going berserk and bounding around the pit like a lunatic. i watched him break his arm against a support beam, a really nasty break, and he seemed kind of excited about it. i remember thinking he was a psycho. years later, after getting to know him and playing in a band with him, i can say my initial impression was entirely accurate. The Dead Milkmen were one of the most interesting bands ever. they had such a weird vibe, all rooted in this kind of dark surrealist humor.
- The Buzzcocks at the Black Cat in DC, early 90s. These guys were one of the first bands i was ever into, one of the giants in forming my musical tastes. they were like living legends to me, and seeing them play live was just an incredible experience. it was not close to a sold out show, there was plenty of room for dancing on the floor, and Pete Shelley was conversing with us and giving props to the dance moves of some of us between songs. those of us who were there had an absolute blast, it felt like we were just hanging out with them while they happened to be playing a concert. and to my delight, their live show was off the charts in terms of energy. the fact that the place was half full mattered not one bit, they gave everything they had that night.
- Fugazi at Fort Reno, late 90s. everyone in DC has a story about the time they got yelled at by Ian Mackaye, and this is mine. i wasn't even moshing or anything. i wasn't even standing near the front of the audience. Fugazi was between songs and i said something to a friend, i have no idea what, but it caused Ian to stop the show for a lecture directed at me about the proper way to watch a band perform, which apparently does not include any conversation with friends. i definitely felt like a kid whose teacher had just caught him passing notes in class. except in this case the teacher was the Founding Father of DC Punk, the Straight Edge movement, and Dischord records.
god, so many awesome shows ... The Ramones, Billy Bragg (AWESOME showman! go see him!), Two Man Advantage, Agnostic Front, Dropkick Murphys (when they first started out and their shows were just BONKERS), DRI, MDC, i can't list them all. i'm probably an ass for doing this, but i'm gonna throw in two of my own:
- my band at the (new) 930 in 2004. sorry i'm just blatantly bragging here, but it is a show i will never forget. we got to play a sold out show at the 930 and we had such an amazing time. by the end of our set, 40 or so of our fans had stormed the stage and were chanting our lyrics along with us. i think i've posted this pic before, but oh well. deal with it.- our bassist's bachelor party show in 2010 at the Sidebar Tavern in Baltimore. while we were playing, someone opened several cases of Twinkies and threw them all over the bar and stage and floor. the entire club was covered in a slick white goo. it was the most hilarious mosh pit i've ever seen. not one person could stay standing for more than a few seconds. it was just an endless series of hilarious pratfalls. no sooner would someone go charging in than their feet would fly up over their head and they'd knock two others on their asses. i have no idea how many concussions were sustained that night. our instruments were coated in the stuff too. and man, then after we were done playing ... oops this is a family site ... i'll just stop there.
New life goal : become more like the DC cool kids and get scolded by Ian Mackaye. That is beyond cool.
Next time stfu Pez. 
Quoted from jhanley:I saw Aerosmith in about 1978.They sucked so bad you could barely tell which song they were playing.I think they were really fucked up.
Yep, 1978 I saw them with about a half million other people at Cal Jam 2. I'm somewhere in the middle of that mess. Ted was pretty darn good that day
Saw Styx on the Grand Delusion tour with April Wine at the Anaheim convention center.
It was OK because we took a couple of cute girls from the neighborhood, but we had just seen Judas Priest at the Starwood the night before on the Hell Bent tour and that ranks in my all time top 5 so it's all relative.
Quoted from Gryszzz:Odin that looks like a nightmare. Folks just shittin in their drawers ? Wow the aroma.
It was a nightmare standing in line to get in for 5 hours packed like sardines, but once inside it was a total relief. We slept on the lawn and when I woke up some dude I knew that didn't come with us was standing over me with bloodshot eyes and said "wake up!"
How he ever found us in that crowd still blows my mind.
Quoted from jhanley:In the late 70's I saw Blue Oyster cult.My ears were ring'in for days.Good concert though.
I saw them with Foghat. They had the giant Godzilla that they blew up with air. So frickin' funny.
Quoted from jhanley:In the late 70's I saw Blue Oyster cult.My ears were ring'in for days.Good concert though.
" On your feet or on your knees, ladies and gentlemen the amazing Blue Oyster Cult!"
Quoted from o-din:so it's all relative.
You saw the Kentucky show ?
When our family went on vacation in Orlando my 15 year old son talked me into going to the Warped Tour.I was 52 at the time and had to have been the oldest guy there.I was 5 feet from the stage in the mosh pit slamming into kids and having a great time.There were people throwing shoes and everything else so there were bloody people everywhere.People were crowd surfing and they would get tossed on the ground when there was no one in line to support them.I lost my hat and my sun glasses about 3 different times .They just got ripped right off my head. I ended up with someone elses hat and glasses.It was total chaos but I'm glad I experienced it.
Where do I start?
DEVO has always been my favorite band. Saw them in early 80s at the Universal Ampitheatre (now the Gibson). Mark flew in over the audience! I saw them headline the Run Hit Wonder race at the Coliseum, and I've seen then in a small venue (the Canyon Club) from a couple of feet away.
Oingo Boingo in 1980 at the Wolf-Riss Miller Country Club in Reseda. This was before ANYONE had heard of them. Lots of slam dancing that night. I actually came in contact with Danny Elfman (long story) through work. He got me backstage passes when Oingo Boingo and X were playing the Pacific Ampitheater in 82 IIRC. Billy Zoom of X was insanely good and never moved his feet an inch the entire concert. Saw them again in 85 at the Universal Ampitheatre. Was so drunk that night I almost got kicked out of the show!
In reference to some others posts - Styx playing the Pantages during the theatrical run of the Paradise Theatre tour before they did the stadium shows. It was like watching a play. Fantastic. BTW, Dennis DeYoung has actually performed with them live recently.
Sat front row center in the studio when Jeff Lynne of ELO was doing the dress rehearsal for his Zoom show. I was the ONLY one in the audience. Very cool feeling to get a private show. I wanted to see him at the Bowl this year but damn ticket snipers got all the good tickets.
Debbie Harry opening for The Ramones who opened for ZZ Top at the Greek. Fourth row center for that show. Unbelievable line up.
Some other memories - an unknown band called U2 opening for the J Geils Band (who was AMAZING). The lead singer of the J Geils Band was SO energetic on stage it was phenomenal. Beastie Boys opening for Madonna (yes, I admit it!). Summer Strut at Anaheim Stadium in 1982 with Foreigner, Loverboy, Scorpions and Iron Maiden.
Ah, youth....
Quoted from RobertWinter:Sat front row center in the studio when Jeff Lynne of ELO was doing the dress rehearsal for his Zoom show. I was the ONLY one in the audience. Very cool feeling to get a private show. I wanted to see him at the Bowl this year but damn ticket snipers got all the good tickets.
I had 8th row center for the Zoom tour, only to realize that nobody bought any more seats behind me. The tour was cancelled soon after. Very depressing. I'm so happy to see him going through a revival. I had to pay close to $800 for the Bowl tickets in the super seat section, but with two orchestras, lasers, and fireworks, it was worth it to me. We're flying on miles and getting free hotel, so it all evens out.
But yeah...scalpers suck balls.
Quoted from RobertWinter:Oingo Boingo in 1980 at the Wolf-Riss Miller Country Club in Reseda. This was before ANYONE had heard of them.
Almost anyone.
Quoted from RobertWinter:Billy Zoom of X was insanely good and never moved his feet an inch the entire concert.
But I bet he was smiling the whole time.
Quoted from RobertWinter:an unknown band called U2
Hollywood Paladium 1981
Quoted from MrBally:Johnny Cash. Four concerts. Best was the first one in 1972 as I was in awe to see him live after watching the Johnny Cash show on teevee from '69 to '71.
And you win the prize!
In about 1994 I saw the Allman Brothers and Blues Traveller at red rocks. It was such a cool venue and vibe.
Quoted from RobertWinter:Oingo Boingo in 1980 at the Wolf-Riss Miller Country Club in Reseda
Oh yeah, Oingo Boingo early concerts......Maybe 50 people at their show at the Ritz in NY 1979, I think.
Nice guy, bogarts too much, though...at least that night!
Quoted from o-din:But I bet he was smiling the whole time.
He sure was! He never moved from the waist down the entire concert. He came out at the beginning, got in his familiar stance with his feet about 3 feet apart, and shredded the entire show. I was dumbstruck at how good he was.
Quoted from Gryszzz:Teal blues traveler ?
Saw that tour 3rd row trippin my balls off. It was awesome I'm pretty sure.
LOL. I was nowhere near 3rd row, but I remember security outside finding everyone's hidden beers and there were garbage bags full of confiscated booze. Not partaking (no, really!), I also remember passing many tiny cigarettes down the row.
Quoted from RobertWinter:He sure was! He never moved from the waist down the entire concert. He came out at the beginning, got in his familiar stance with his feet about 3 feet apart, and shredded the entire show. I was dumbstruck at how good he was.
Yeah, I saw X with the Blasters at some club. Can't remember which one but it will come to me eventually.
X was awesome and the Blasters were real loud. Probably how they got their name.
The Blasters are a ton of fun. Just fantastic throwback rock n roll. In the same vein, there's a band from Baltimore called the Alphabet Bombers, a little like a faster punkier version of the stray cats. Their bassist plays a stand up bass, and their guitarist, Alex Fine, is probably the best guitarist I've ever shared the stage with. He runs an art school actually now. He did the art for tons of Baltimore flyers and posters, his work is in Time magazine and other places nowadays. He did our shirts and other merch. Brilliant talent.
I bet you've heard of Gang of Four too. Saw them open for Iggy Pop sometime early 80s. That was a pretty good double bill.
I guess since others have also shared worst concerts I'll do the same . My friends and I walked out halfway through Styx a few years ago when they played Walworth county fair . It was only one guy from original styx (shaw i think) and they were not good . I also worked at Alpine Valley when the Eagles played there during their hell freezes over tour , they were awful. Hotel California is the only song from the Eagles that I like but I don't need to hear it three times in one show.
Worst - 1978 Led Zepplin. I saw them at the Guthrie in 1975 - top of their game. In 1978 at the Met Sports Center, concert was supposed to start at 8pm. Their plane landed around 9:30pm, they made the stage about 10:20pm. Partied out, worst music ever. Only about 200 people were left. They should have been ashamed.
LTG : )
Quoted from Gryszzz:Hello.
How are you ?
Have ya been alright ?
Quoted from Gryszzz:Ok. So no one is answering. Can't you just let it ring a little longer, longer, longer anymore ?
You can't throw ELO lyrics at me when I'm binge-watching all of GOT again... 
Worst....2 of them.
Flock of Seagulls, at the top of their game opening for U2 at the Beachum Theater.
The Power went out on stage for the pre recorded vocals, and we heard the real Milli Vanilli Bad singing.....really bad.
Ramones New Years Eve. They were so plastered before they took the stage an hour late, no AC, and they were so Fucked
up, they were falling on stage, forgot what song they were singing, in comprehensive dribble, and a few bouts of vomitting on stage.
Outside air on this one was better.
Im enjoying reliving some of these with others posts......Gang of four, plasmatics, Dead Kennedys.....Damn Im old....
but not to old for one more System of a Down Concert!!!
Quoted from MinusWorlds:Private concert with Elton John.
Oh...is THAT what you call it? 
Quoted from o-din:Ted was pretty darn good that day
Ted still cranks it out on his guitars. Just saw him last month (July 2016) in Baton Rouge, LA. It was a lot of fun.
During the night he played 5 different guitars, finishing up with his white guitar on The Great White Buffalo.
He talks to the crowd a lot. And he let us know that a lot of his songs are "love songs".
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Quoted from Gryszzz:Gojira ?
No, it's Godzirra! 
Quoted from jhanley:In the late 70's I saw Blue Oyster cult.My ears were ring'in for days.Good concert though.
Just saw BOC for the first time earlier this month (Aug 12, 2016) in N Louisiana.
Much enjoyed the concert, but since it was a small crowd at an auditorium, and perhaps because they are getting older, they pretty much just got into playing their music, and did not try to blow out eardrums. No big Godzilla came out or anything like that.
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