What was your favorite concert of all time and why?

cnbpjb · 07-17-2005, 11:02 PM

I want to know what concerts people have been too, especially your favorites and even more importantly, Why?

If I had to make a choice I would say my favorite concert of all time would have to be when Pat Benatar came in concert at the Atlanta's "Tabernacle" back in July 2001.

Why? I had always had a crush on Pat and she had a song that I danced to at my homecoming dance (back in 1980) entitled, "We Live For Love" (she performed that after, "Heartbreaker" and I was in seventh heaven) and I danced to it and was told I was a really great dancer. She also has that opera trained vocals. I was especially happy that she led us in a sing along to "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" -- my group (she broke the audience into a group of threes) was the loudest of the group during the sing long (from where Pat sings, "Before I put another notch in my lipstick case ..." to where she sings the final, "Fire away!") The history why Pat asks people to sing along to "Hit Me" is because at one point in the 1980's she lost her voice in the final "Fire away!" and she won't sing, "Hit Me" without the audience partipating and she told us audience in Atlanta we were the best of the sing alongs she ever had! (So, that was very cool!) She also performed the song, "All Fired Up" and another tune, "Love Is A Battlefield" with her guitarist - husband that they turned into an acapella version! And the guitarist that opened for her was also very brilliant, Dominic Gaudious.

Pat also ended on time and gave a very tight, but brilliant set -- with two encores (even ending on time)!!! Which allowed me to get home at a decent time on Atlanta's MARTA.

Second and third, of my favorite concerts, would have to be in this order:

2. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, January 1990.
3. Bruce Hornsby & the Range, May 1988.

So what is your favorite concert of all time? And more importantly, why?

AboutAGirl · 07-17-2005, 11:25 PM

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers was great because I knew basically all the songs played and it the music was awesome. Plus the Black Crowes opened and they had a beautiful sound (I think heavy rock is quite beautiful). The whole concert was an energetic & powerful mood, almost a warm kind of feeling. People sang along for almost the whole concert and I remember the fun of the group opening with "Listen To Her Heart", we had just been singing that song in the car on the ride there. After that song he want right into a good You Don't Know How It Feels with good harmonica. Much later on they did a totally cool acoustic (no drums) version of Learning To Fly, it was really mellow and powerful with everyone connecting to it. Also they did the most amazing version of Baby Please Don't Go I've ever heard. And I was completely stunned when they started playing Rainy Day Women, that was a blast & I had heard Bob Dylan do it live also. Another favorite performance of mine was when they did Don't Come Around Here No More, it was groovey. Also I remember vividly the song the Crowes opened with, Only Half Way to Anywhere. That was a great song.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse was great because it was a unique experience (Greendale), it was such an ULTIMATE rush seeing Hey Hey My My live, and we had a bunch of fun tailgating before the concert with a custom made NY comp I made. Plus the Greendale closer Be The Rain was filled to the rim with energy, the Post Gazette Pavilion seemed like a rave at that point.

CSN was great because they had an awesome sound and I knew a lot of the songs. It was sweet to hear them do For What It's Worth and Love The One You're With, which I guess are special treats since they're not CSN songs. I know some people would probably say that a band such as CSN has a weaker sound now adays compared to when they were young but I actually adore how it sounds today. It's a little bit dirtied, a little bit reckless and thusly it's more powerful. I've seen 'em twice and I hope to see them again. They opened with Carry On both shows and I pray they open with it always because it's one of the best openers ever. I recall the mood for the new acoustic songs they were debuting, very straight-forward and melodic. Strong messeges, strong sentiments. At the first show Nash did a stunningly spot-on performance of Our House which I totally loved. At the second show they did an excellent jam version of Deja Vu with a bunch of solos and everything. Oh yeah and I also got to hear Suite Judy Blue Eyes which is a song they don't often play.

Deep Purple was fun because that was the only concert I didn't have a seat for, I was just standing in a group. I'd like to do more of that some time. It was loads of fun rocking out and headbanging for ultimate riffage classics such as Space Truckin', Highway Star, Smoke On The Water, and Lazy. Plus they did a really cool insturmental song.

For me seeing music live is a religious experience. I wish I would do it more often.

willg54 · 07-18-2005, 08:18 AM

favorite concert . . .summer, 1970, Dallas Memorial Auditorium, . .Hendrix . .why my favorite? . . because it was Jimi . .why else

cnbpjb · 07-18-2005, 08:48 PM

Originally Posted by willg54

favorite concert . . .summer, 1970, Dallas Memorial Auditorium, . .Hendrix . .why my favorite? . . because it was Jimi . .why else

That would have definitely been my favorite if I had been old enough to have gone!

Of course if I could have seen Jim Morrison and the Doors around the same time I would have also been in seventh heaven. This is what happens when you only 6 years old during most of 1970. Although at one point the following year when I was 7 years old I snuck into a showing of the movie, "The Last Picture Show" and saw Cybil Sheppard in one of her finer moments on screen.

:p ; okay I'm guessing others didn't want to read that, right?

TeleCat · 07-21-2005, 10:15 AM

My favorite concert was Deep Purple in 1985 for the Perfect Strangers tour. It was their reunion so they were very inspired and Blackmore and Gillan weren't at each other's throats yet (again). I was in my Jimmy Page phase at the time but began to get into Ritchie Blackmore's style and seeing him live nailed it home for me.

A close second would be Jeff Beck for the Who Else tour. Front row in the rain and everybody grooving on the same wave length. Simply awesome with Jennifer Batten on guitar complementing Jeff.

kvcoty · 07-21-2005, 12:15 PM

My three favorites were all collective group concerts:

1993 Spudstock ( yes that is what they really called it) in a potato field in Fort Fairfield, Aroostook County, Maine ( population: 2500 people) The title was lame but the concert was classic and memorable.

They had advertised this concert as selling 30,000 tickets. So the people in this small town were freaking out. When wegot there they had 2500 -3000 tops. The vendors lost their shirts, but the fans got front row action.

Lineup: The Guess Who, Blue Oyster Cult, Quiet Riot, Rick Derringer, Eddie Money, The Outlaws, John Anderson, etc. ( various artists from other seventies bands that jammed together.)

Quiet Riot would not leave the stage cause they wanted to rock all night and BOC tried to take the stage and the bouncers tried to remove Quiet Riot, they wouldn't budge so BOC walked off in ahuff and never played they left for the Presque Isle Airport. Therefore Eddie Money went on at midnight and played 'til 3am. Awesome music to fall asleep to in your tent. The highlight of the whole weekend was The Outlaws playing Green Grass & High Tides, the dueling guitars was screaming. I had to back up or my ears would bleed. Unforgettable lineup all the way around.

1999 Shediac New Brunswick Canada at the speedway

Lineup: Styx, ZZ Top, Nazareth, Collective Soul, Individuals from various Seventies groups who jammed together like The Cars, Ted Nugent's Band, Etc.

Highlights: Collective soul's version of Ozzy's Crazy Train - off the charts, I became a Collective Soul fan right then and there. Nazareth's performance was classic they played every song they ever did live. Styx is always etertaining live. Unfortunatley I had to work so I missed most of ZZ Top's ste, but my friends who stayed said they were the best.

1997 0r 1998 Presque Isle Maine Forum:

Molly Hatchet
Foghat
The Yardbirds

The Forum only holds about 400 -500 people there the acoustics in that tin place can be iffy but they rocked the house that night. Foghat was probably the best. especially Slow Ride. But the Yardbirds pu on a good show and had some of the original members.

Honorable Mentions: Kansas, The Allman Bros. Band (they never disappoint), J. Geils Band, ( I saw them play in White Horse Beach in a tiny little place when I was 12 and then the Freeze Frame tour so much energy), and most recently Mark Nopfler his guitar work is perfection. almost forgot Grand Funk Railroad they still put on a show like it is 1971 if you ever get a chance to see them.

awesome.titklIt

Guitarplayer1989 · 07-21-2005, 08:39 PM

Favorite concert was Cheap Trick. Saw them down in Myrtle Beach at the House of Blues in, i think, 2003 or 4. They still are great. It was hysterical because the two "geeky" ones look just like they used to and the two "pretty" ones are going bald. Still great though. in fact i'm seeing them again on a double bill with alice cooper.

07-22-2005, 01:27 AM

Either Skynyrd (original line-up) or Eagles/Poco-- can't decide; they were both excellent concerts.

As far as artistry, I'd have to say best sound was America. I was invited to that one so my expectations were low but their reproduction of their songs turned out to be pretty damned dead on.

maccafan · 06-27-2008, 06:26 PM

Wings, June 10th, 1976 Seattle Kingdome the night the Wings over America album was recorded! To this very day it is still the best concert I've ever attended in my life!!

Why, there's many reasons, first of all back then for me it was the thrill of finally seeing Paul McCartney in real life!

Then it was the thrill of hearing all those fantastic songs actually performed live. There was and is this misconception that Wings were a light weight band, but the moment they stepped on stage and launched into the hard rocking songs Rockshow and Jet, it was clear that Wings were indeed a legit hard rocking band!!

I'll never forget that night!!

billtjr51 · 07-02-2008, 10:36 PM

Probably Savoy Brown at the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin Tx in the mid 70's. Kim Simmonds is one of my favorite guitar players. He was excellent at the "Dillo".

Coolconman1 · 07-20-2008, 10:37 PM

I'd say the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus.
Lineup:
Jethro Tull
The Who
Taj Mahal
Dirty Mac (John Lennon, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton and Mitch Mitchell)
Yoko Ono (Awful)
And of course the Stones.

usandthem · 07-26-2008, 03:21 PM

Pink Floyd, June 1975, Landover, Maryland. They open with SOYCD, followed with two songs that would later show up on Animals with different names. Next, WYWH followed by the conclusion of SOYCD. End of set one.
Next comes DSOTM in it's entirety. This brings the house down. End of set two.
Encore- Echoes. Wholly S**T! What a show. I didn't even mention the light and video show that went on through out the event, mainly because the musicianship of these guys was incredible. You didn't need a light show.

Mr. Shadow · 10-03-2009, 12:34 PM

The Rolling Stones--Steel Wheels Tour in Raleigh, NC.

I had just seen the Who the week before and we expected a less behaved crowd. I was working security. The fans were great, Mick was entertaining, and it was a wonderful show. I will say In Living Color sucked.

**eberg15101** · 10-03-2009, 01:05 PM

Originally Posted by lastofthesummerwine

Either Skynyrd (original line-up) or Eagles/Poco-- can't decide; they were both excellent concerts.

As far as artistry, I'd have to say best sound was America. I was invited to that one so my expectations were low but their reproduction of their songs turned out to be pretty damned dead on.

I would give anything to be able to see the original skynyrd line up, and poco and eagles in their prime, I missed poco last summer, and my dad and I were going to go see the eagles, but neither of us could afford a ticket haha, it was like 130$$$ for a crappy seat in a hockey arena lol

I saw skynyrd last summer and the show was very lame, it was after a baseball game though so,....

anyways my favorite was

Aerosmith and ZZtop this past summer -- zz top opened, they were not as eneergetic as other shows on the tour, but they played outstandingly, they extended a lot of songs, and it was incredibly playing, then aerosmith came out.... insane, only word for it, steven is still dancing and prancing at what 68? or something around there, I still think he is the only man in this world that can prance and dance like that and still bea man, the only low point of the show is when joe perry tried to sing
that was a pretty horrible moment

also, probably the only reason I liked the aerosmith/zz top show better was because of the venue and promotion, but

Joe Gruschecky - free show - incredibly, hes getting up there in age too, but still jumping around and the music was great, so energetic and fun

**Magic** · 10-03-2009, 06:00 PM

Originally Posted by eberg15101

I would give anything to be able to see the original skynyrd line up,

I never saw them live, but I do have a super duper screen HD TV, and two nights ago *i think it was 2 nights ago* Palladia had a full concert of Skynyrd. It was pretty awesome to watch.