Best concert ever?

Thump553 · « **on:** 2 Sep 2006, 09:56 am »

I was listening to a Jimmy Dale Gilmore interview/concert on NPR the other day and he mentioned his father taking him and his sister to a Johnny Cash/Elvis Presley concert. He was 10 at the time. According to allmusic.com he was born in May, 1945, so this concert must have been in 1955-the Sun years.

I can't imagine how great that concert must have been.

chadh · « **Reply #1 on:** 2 Sep 2006, 01:50 pm »

Another one I heard about was a Jimi Hendrix show.

Hendrix was scheduled to play in Harlem the very night after Martin Luther King was shot. Apparently, the crowd was seething, and everyone was anticipating a riot. Concert organisers wanted to cancel the show, and most people involved with the production didn't want anyone to go on stage. Eventually, Hendrix went out on stage by himself and played one solo instrumental piece. In the interview I heard, the guy who did Hendrix's lighting claimed it was the single most beautiful thing he had ever heard in his life. At the end of the performance, Hendrix walked off the stage. The crowd was completely silenced, and walked out of the venue and went home quietly, many of them with tears streaming down their faces.

What makes the story even more amazing is that it seems this was about the only Hendrix performance that was never recorded. Over the years, the lighting guy has collected bootleg recordings of almost every Hendrix show. But he has never been able to find a bootleg of that performance.

Chad

Soundbitten · « **Reply #2 on:** 2 Sep 2006, 10:40 pm »

I saw the Jimi Hendrix Experience in concert in Rochester in 1968 . The Soft Machine was the opening band . Probably the best concert I ever attended .

Russell Dawkins · « **Reply #3 on:** 3 Sep 2006, 12:17 am »

If Woodstock counts as a concert, that would have to be it for me.

The Who started Tommy at about 4 AM in pitch blackness, and by the time they had finished the set, it was full daylight.

Unfortunately for Jefferson Airplane, they had to follow at about 6:30 AM. At least half the audience left to get some sleep.
I would imagine that never have so many people walked out on an Airplane performance, but we were all exhausted.

I would really like to have been at that Jimi Hendrix performance in Harlem, though, or at least have a recording of it.

Merle · « **Reply #4 on:** 3 Sep 2006, 01:03 am »

Nothing as exotic as those mentioned above but I've seen a lot of live music. My favorite was probably seeing Richard Thompson do a solo acoustic concert in a small theater here in Baltimore. It was pure magic. The man gets more out of an acoustic guitar than most bands could ever dream of. I've seen him several times with his band and all of those were great but his solo acoustic gig was just amazing. If you ever get a chance to see him solo, do it. Growing up around DC in the 70's, I was also able to catch both Roy Buchanan and Danny Gatton live many times. To see Roy or Danny live was quite an experience. Neither ever captured what they did well on records. To understand why Roy & Danny are absolutely revered as guitar Gods, you would have had to see them live. Go to youtube and search for Roy Buchanan. Fricken amazing.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #5 on:** 3 Sep 2006, 01:08 am »

I'd agree with Russell...Woodstock.Three days of great R & R (ending on Monday with Jimi)...and mud.

But it was well worth it.....

Frihed91 · « **Reply #6 on:** 3 Sep 2006, 09:09 am »

I have been so fortunate over the years and today, over 60, I get to go to Roskilde Fest every year. The most memoriable (excluding sex and drugs), Louis Armstrong some place in Massachusetts. I can't remember where it was, but it was in the summer of 1959 or 1960, i think. I had just met Cynthia Bryant! Those were the days.

Some of the best concerts i have been to were not by the best groups and the openers were better than the finishers. I heard a concert by Squeeze late in their career opening for Fleetwood Mac in the Gorge, in Eastern Washington. I'll never forget that. No drugs or sex.

The first concert I went to. Victor Borge in Boston. I was 7-8. I remember it vividly. The last concert: Destroyer in Portland if you don't count Jollie Holland's performance in that big record store in the Haight. Wrong...it was Josh Ritter here in Copenhagen.

Frihed91 · « **Reply #7 on:** 3 Sep 2006, 09:14 am »

I forgot...Roskilde Fest was in June! I guess i have just grown used to it. The nice thing about Roskilde is that there are always a number of "sleeper" groups you have never head of. This year it was a swedish indie group that had a song, the refrain for which was "Bye Bye car keys...". Roger Waters was truely awful and i got a sort of kick out of the energy of the Kaiser Chiefs, although one song was pretty much the same as the rest. Placebo put in a memoriable performance. Dylan wasnt bad either for a guy whose 2-years older than me.

kbuzz3 · « **Reply #8 on:** 3 Sep 2006, 02:53 pm »

While not in the historic proportions of the above. Van Morrison at the Beacon Theater in 85 was three plus hours of musical bliss. Guest stars include john lee hooker amongnst others. I was blown away by both the voice and the band.

Interstingly, the next night was used for a video release but the night I saw was waaaaaaaaaaay better.

Wayner · « **Reply #9 on:** 3 Sep 2006, 10:46 pm »

Yes at the Orphium Theater in Minneapolis. A friend got me tickets in the 2nd row in the pit. Steve Howe and Jon Anderson were 10-12 feet away from me. Jon's wife was seat forward and one seat to the right. They did all of Close to The Edge and The new album "The Ladder".

W

Willie the Squid · « **Reply #10 on:** 8 Sep 2006, 05:31 am »

Good question.

I started attending concerts in fall of 1969 as a 17 yr. old high school senior.

Must have seen at least 150 shows over the next 10 years...mostly in California, and later in Washington State. So all west coast stuff.

Fabulous concerts included: Jethro Tull (my very 1st concert, Fillmore West) The Band (1970, killer), Dan Hick and His Hot Licks (1970, venue was a fraternity!), Cannonball Adderley (1970), Leo Kotke (1970), Richie Havens (1970), Pink Floyd (1971), Clapton (1973, astonishing), Bob Dylan and the Band (1973), Doobie Brothers (1973, killer), Van Morrison (1973, classic), Grateful Dead (1973,4,5 astonishing), Santana (1974), Stones (1974), and many, many others. Some were very good. Many were just OK.

But the greatest concert, no contest, was the return of the Beach Boys to Winterland in 1973 or 1974. They had been off concert scene for a while, and this was their first performance back. The show had quite a bit of low key hype in the Bay Area - many already considered them an "oldies" band. But for God's sake they were barely in their 30s!! Winterland was a venue of approx. 3,500 in San Francisco. On they come. First song, "Help Me Rhonda" blew the crowd away, and it was just incredible for the next 100 minutes. They had been really woodshedding it, practicing hard, and the PA and stage monitoring was right on because the Beach Boys were commenting to the audience between songs how well they could hear themselves sing in the monitors. They were kind of blown away themselves -- also commenting about these "cool little Shoeps mikes" they were using. Because they could hear themselves so well, because they were so well prepared and amped up for their first "return" performance, and because the PA was right on the money, they just blew the house down all evening at 110 db on the main floor. Absolutely the most memorable concert performance I've ever seen. I've dragged my wife to many shows through the years...many she could have happily avoided. But her opinion on that show was the same as mine: easily the most incredible show / singing / songs / sound of rock that ever we did hear.

Final note: we had an opportunity to see them a couple of years later, and we were totally disappointed. In just two years, they had become an oldies band, they didn't care, the sound was mediocre, they singing was not inspired, etc., etc.

Thump553 · « **Reply #11 on:** 8 Sep 2006, 09:58 am »

I saw the Beach Boys in '74 or '75 as one of the warmup acts for the CSNY reunion tour (other acts were Joni Mitchell-in here Miles of Aisles era, and Jessie Colin Young, at his commercial prime). Before the show the kindest comment about the Beach Boys among my circle of friends was why don't they have Sha Na Na instead? but this Beach Boys show was incredible, and really won over the crowd.

I love it when an unanticipated band really wows the crowd. Similar experiences were Hall and Oates at their prime (believe it or not, they were a killer live band) and, most strange, at a music festival when the Pointer Sisters were a last minute substitute for Waylon Jennings.

However, I still can't imagine how great a Sun Records era show with Elvis and Johnny Cash must have been, and I really don't care much for Elvis.

PS-if Leo Kottke comes around your area, don't miss him-he is still an enormously entertaining show.

dangerbird · « **Reply #12 on:** 8 Sep 2006, 10:55 am »

Woodstock

Folsom · « **Reply #13 on:** 9 Sep 2006, 06:48 pm »

Hammersmith Odeon London '75

That is the one I wish I was alive for the most anyhow...

Bill Baker · « **Reply #14 on:** 9 Sep 2006, 06:56 pm »

For myself, it was my most recent concert here locally that was held as a benefit for flood victums and on a golf course.

THE LITTLE RIVER BAND

I think it was more a combination of the right mood, a great night out (maybe a few beers in me), the cause and hearing this band sound exactly like I remember from years ago. Everythng was so perfect that night even with the band being 2 hours late do to airport problems.

I realized your mood has a lot to do with how much you enjoy any activity.

JoshK · « **Reply #15 on:** 10 Sep 2006, 02:29 am »

The best concert I've been to, won't strike anyone as fantastic, but if you were there and heard it you'd know. Nine Inch Nails at Universal Amphitheater in Hollywood. It was the night he recorded the video of Hurt from the live performance. That isn't what made it special. Trent Reznor just knows how to through a rock concert like noone else I've heard and I've been to my fair share for my generation. But I really think a lot of it has to do with the UA. That place is an amazing sounding hall, and a band that puts it all out there just knocks you off your feet.

I've seen him play a few times and he always impresses, even some of my friends that never liked NIN thought that his shows were the best they've seen. My favorite band is Tool and I've seen them a couple of times, but they pale in comparison. The opener the night at the UA was Marilyn Manson before anyone knew who they were. I was seriously disturbed.

Of course, I'd trade this all in if I could have been at the original Woodstock! That would have been the shiznit.

Antman27 · « **Reply #16 on:** 15 Sep 2006, 09:25 pm »

1986
Monsters of Rock
Kingdom Come
Metallica
Dokken
Scorpions
Van Halen

mfsoa · « **Reply #17 on:** 15 Sep 2006, 10:03 pm »

Weather Report.
Trenton (NJ) War Memorial Auditorium.
Front row, left (Zawinul) side, aisle. Killer bud (Hey, it was high school!)
I think it was the tour right after "8:30". Not a word spoken.
To see such master musicians be able to pull that off live, well, I'll never forget it.

For you Jaco fans - I took what turned out to a fabulous (and turns out creepy due to the similarities later in his tragic life w/ Charlie Parker) B+W photo - They were showing pics of the greats on screens behind the band and I took the pic as Bird's photo came up, with Jaco bent over backwards just under it, all contorted. If there's interest maybe I can scan it and show. Not too sharp, but I love it!

Russell Dawkins · « **Reply #18 on:** 15 Sep 2006, 10:12 pm »

Quote from: mfsoa on 15 Sep 2006, 10:03 pm

For you Jaco fans - I took what turned out to a fabulous (and turns out creepy due to the similarities later in his tragic life w/ Charlie Parker) B+W photo - They were showing pics of the greats on screens behind the band and I took the pic as Bird's photo came up, with Jaco bent over backwards just under it, all contorted. If there's interest maybe I can scan it and show. Not too sharp, but I love it!

I'd sure like to see it!

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #19 on:** 15 Sep 2006, 10:21 pm »

I saw Queensryche & AC/DC in about '85- that was amazing, particularly QR. Probably the best rock show I've ever seen. The Stray Cats were fantastic, too. But for a marriage of great live sound & sublime sound quality I'd give the nod to Cantus performing in the Great Hall of the Washinton Pavilion.