Best Show You've Ever Been To!

[musicpaw]

What is the best concert that you've ever been to? And what made that concert so great?

I saw Radiohead when they were touring for "hail to the thief" which was obviously amazing!

One of my favorites would have to be the time I saw Sufjan Stevens at an old cathedral in Vancouver. It was the perfect venue. People were actually listening. No drunken cheers. No premature clapping. And the acoustics were really good. All in all made for a great concert.

[ThunderInTheSky]

the Unicorns with Arcade Fire and Fiery Furnaces opening in 2003
the Unicorns last ever show
the Beastie Boys in 95 with the Roots and Jon Spencer's Blues Explosion
the Cramps in 97 with Guitar Wolf
Rage Against the Machine Battle of L.A. tour last Houston show

[Fixer808]

Top three are:
1) Crosby, Stills, and Nash - Vancouver 2003 (lots of herbal remedy!)
2) Einsturzende Neubauten - Also Vancouver 2005 (?)
3) Coachella in 2001 (not technically a concert, but who cares?)

[AbundantChoice]

First time I saw Dead Can Dance live, no question. What made it great? Hmm.. this was when Brendan and Lisa *didn't* hate each others guts, and the supporting musicians (about 7 of them) were all of the utmost quality. The whole show was absolutely transcendent.

A close second would be the moment in Nine Inch Nails "The Fragile" tour where, during "Wish", the huge rectangular lighting rigs that were above the band, began to slowly drop down and move behind the band, then began to light up, blasting the huge rigs of light plus massive LED screens of color directly at the audience as Trent & Co built that furious song to it's crescendo... it was like standing into a freaking hurricane of light and sound.

[matsuolost]

-DAFT PUNK
need i say more?
-manu chao
perfect vibe. so much energy
-the flaming lips
who can forget a flaming lips performance?

[€uroMeinke]

King Crimson, Oberlin College - recently reformed (at the time c. 1982?) with Adrian Belew. There was so much energy between the crowd and the band that they ran out of songs to play for an encore - so they just started again from the top because no one would leave.

[Proadict]

Wolfmother 2006
bad religion 2006
AFI 2006
DAFT PUNK 2006
Depeche mode 2006
franz ferdinand 2006
Zoe 2006
My morning jacket 2006
sigur ros 2006
yeah yeah yeahs 2006

[sydaud]

The White Stripes--November 28, 2003 @ the Masonic Temple in Detroit. My wife, who absolutely hated them until the show, said it was the best concert that she'd ever seen.
They just flat out rocked that night. The Mrs. said there was a ton of sexual tension between the two of them, but that was just too much for me to process....In this case, too, touring behind a good album helped make the show more entertaining.

[Boourns]

...

[roberto73]

I saw Editors with Cold War Kids in August, which was pretty amazing. CWK proved that the hype is completely justified, and Editors transcended all the weak Joy Division/Interpol comparisons. An unbelievable show.

[suprefan]

Sigur Ros - 8/11/05 @ The Avalon

Coldplay @ The 9:30 Club in the warzone of D.C. wayyy back in 2002 (shut up)

This is acceptable, Rush of Blood was a really good album so only hearing songs from the first 2 records in a small club is awesome... I was at that show too but still think my other choice was better for sigur ros.


Just a short list of the heavy hitters, I think everyone could bust out big bands in small places....

Radiohead - Night 2 of Berkeley 2006(best of the 6 hands down)
Daft Punk - Coachella
Nine Inch Nails - Key Club Morongo 2006
Pixies - The Warfield 2005 (late show)
Sigur Ros - Wiltern 2002 night 1 (4th row seat cant beat that)

[Pemakarpo]

Basement Jaxx - 2006

Primus/Beck/Neil Young - 1999

Underworld - 2002

and most of the 50 or so Strangefolk shows that I went to in high school.

[chiapet]

Hrmmm.. Legendary Pink Dots at Slims in SF in 2000 -- they are incredible performers and the crowd that night was really mellow and fun to be around. Dead Voices on Air was a good choice for an opener.

Momus shows in 2001 in support of Folktronic at bottom of the hill in Sf, omg I love that album. All the live performances I saw were great.

Actually, I think most of the shows I saw at great american and bottom of the hill in 2000-2001 were brilliant.

[plethora]

I'm going to have to say Buena Vista Social Club at the Hollywood Bowl was pretty amazing. I could mention a bunch, but that one continues to stick out in my mind.

[Pixiessp]

That's a tough one.
Here are a few that stick out in my mind.

Pixies at the Ventura Theatre in 91
The Cure,Love and Rockets and The Pixies at Dodger Stadium in 89
INXS at the Santa Barbara County Bowl three months before
Michael Hutchence died.
Ozomatl at some weird little club in Santa Barbara
Frank Black at that same weird little club in 94 I believe
Daft Punk at Coachella 2006

[C DUB YA]

Ok - here are a few of my faves, in no order...

Sigur Ros - Taak tour in Las Vegas (Hard Rock)
Echo and The Bunnymen (1988 last tour with Pete)
Oasis - first US tour 94, Grog Shop, Cleveland (tickets were $5.00)
U2 - Cleveland Stadium 1987
Super Furry Animals - Beachland Ballroom (Rings tour)
Mighty Lemon Drops / Ocean Blue / John Wesley Harding (1989)
Underworld - Coachella 1999
Muse / Razorlight - Absolution tour at the LC (Columbus, Ohio)
The Rapture - Echoes tour at Little Brothers (Columbus, Ohio)
Inxs with Public Image Limited - Richfield, Ohio (1989)
Belle and Sebastian with Momus - 1998 Metro (Chicago)
Underworld 2001 tour at Clutch Cargo's, outside of Detroit
U2 / The Pixies - Zoo TV, Richfield, Ohio (1993)
Ramones - 1993 Newport Music Hall, Columbus Ohio
Jeff Buckley - Grace tour, Cleveland's Agora
Love & Rockets with The Pixies - 1989, Mershon Auditorium, Ohio
Bloc Party - Intonation Festival 2006 (Chicago)
Coldplay - 2002 tour (Ohio)
Radiohead / Kid Koala, Kid A tour, Blossom (Cleveland)
The Fall - Middle Class Revolt Tour 1994 (Bogarts Cincinati)
R.E.M - Green Tour - Pine Knob (Detroit)
Portishead - NYC Roseland (yep the live recorded one)
Primal Scream - Xtrmntr, St Andrews Hall (Detroit)
Lamb - 1999 Coachella
Underworld 2003 Coachella
Blur - Caddy's Complex - Cincinnati 1997
Daft Punk - Coachella 2006
Supergrass, opening for the Foo Fighters - Caddy's Complex - Cincinnati 1999
Kasabian / Mew - Grog Shop Cleveland 2006
Sigur Ros - Taak tour, at the LC (Columbus, Ohio)
David Bowie / Nine Inch Nails - Outside Tour (Columbus, Ohio)

[offyerhead]

Jesus and Mary Chain - 1988 in London at the ULU

[bmack86]

Joanna Newsom on the Ys tour. It was amazing how she reinterpreted the album for a spare intstrumental base.
Daft Punk was great as well, and The Arcade Fire killed me at Coachella 05.

[suprefan]

Ok - here are a few of my faves, in no order...


Radiohead / Kid Koala, Kid A tour, Blossom (Cleveland)

The Beta Band was on the tour also.....

[dontfeedthebird]

1. Badly Drawn Boy - 2003 - unknown name
2. Depeche Mode - 2005 - Touring the Angel
3. Marily Manson - 1999 - Rock is Dead.

[vinylmartyr]

Sum41 at the Hollywood Palladium

[vinylmartyr]

Thats a lie.

[vinylmartyr]

Eric Dolphy at the Blue Note

[Philthy]

Muse, Brick by Brick in San Diego CA, the day after Coachella 2004.

Glastonbury 2004.

[C DUB YA]

The Beta Band was on the tour also.....

Yeah - I arrived late (3hrs drive) and missed the Beta Band, but did see Koala inbetween.

[Tylerdurden31]

Pearl Jam @ MSG night 1 in 2003 or Randall's Island night 2 in 1996

MSG night 1 was ridiculous with the energy and the crowd was amazing. when you have 4000 fan club members and 4000 of their friends at one show...it turns into something awesome.

Randall's Island night 2 was awesome due to the setlist:
09/29/96 - Downing Stadium (Randall's Island): New York, NY [168m]
attendance: 30,000
support act: Ben Harper, The Fastbacks
set: Sometimes, Go, Spin the Black Circle, Hail Hail, Animal, Tremor Christ, Who You Are, Corduroy, Lukin, Better Man, Not for You, Jeremy (new), Once, Rats, Last Exit, Habit, Rearviewmirror, Immortality, Whipping, I Got Shit, Black, Alive, Porch
enc 1: In My Tree, Even Flow, Daughter/(The Real Me)/(ABitW)/(WMA), Mankind, Long Road, Leaving Here
enc 2: Off He Goes, Present Tense, Yellow Ledbetter
notes: A nearly three-hour show with a raging pit. The band stops playing several times in an effort to get the crowd to settle down. During 'Porch,' Ed duct-tapes his *entire* body and jumps into the pit. (Thought we'd never see that again!) Just before the first encore, someone throws an "Eddie Vedder for President" t-shirt up on stage. Ed looks at it and says, "Well I'll tell you the truth ... I smoke pot! I didn't exhale though!" Stone asks for a chant of "Stone, Stone, Stone!" before singing 'Mankind.' During the encore, Mike starts playing 'Yellow Ledbetter' after 'Leaving Here,' Ed stops him and they go into 'Off He Goes' followed by 'Present Tense!' Incredible setlist.

[chiapet]

Oasis - first US tour 94, Grog Shop, Cleveland (tickets were $5.00)

Hey, I was at that show! Made me miss my 7AM class the next morning (I was at Kent at the time).

[sonofhal]

LL Cool J, Eric B + Rakim, Public Enemy - Hammersmith Odeon Nov 87
Front 242 - The Astoria - Apr 89
Pixies - Kilburn National - July 89
Curve - The Astoria - Dec 91
That Petrol Emotion - Clapham Grand - Dec 91
Smashing Pumpkins, Catherine Wheel, Verve - Astoria - Feb 92
Ride - Brixton Academy - Mar 92
J.A.M.C, My Bloody Valentine, Blur, Dinosaur Jr - Brixton Academy - Apr 92
Nirvana - Reading Festival - Aug 92
Rage Against The Machine - Camden Underworld - Jan 93
Oasis - The Water Rats -Jan 94 (Went on a whim, as my brother said they might be worth checking out) Their 1st headline show in London.
Radiohead - Zeleste (Barcelona) - May 97 (OK Computer preview gig)
Bran Van 3000 - Subterania - May 98
Fugazi - The Rex - May 99
Pavement - Brixton Academy - Nov 99
Daft Punk - Coachella - Apr 04

[vinylmartyr]

Ornette Coleman at the Village Vanguard

[algunz]

How do you all remember dates, so damn well?

It's amazing how live music in essence can change you. My most memorable shows in no particular order and with dates and places included only when significant or remembered.

Guns 'N Roses @ The Forum '90
No Doubt - a free show at a local mall '90
Moby @ Columbia University's "Reality Fest" '91
Lollapalooza @ Irvine Meadows '91 (we snuck in 2 of the 3 nights)
RHCP with Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, and Pearl Jam '91
Ray Charles @ The Blue Note '92
Glastonbury '94 (don't remember a whole lot, but it was awesome)

This is where things start to run together as far as dates - sorry, but they fall anywhere between '92 and 2006
Green Day
Jamiroquai
Fishbone with NOFX (fell in the mosh pit and was rescued by Vernon Reid)
James Taylor (brought tears to my eyes)
Zero7

Coachella - every year