Recommend good concert DVDs / BlueRays

[TheGoodTexan]

I'm revamping my music room, and I just put a TV in there for watching concert videos. I've got a dedicated home theater set up in our bonus room, which is more suited for movies and such. But the system in my music room is more suited for stereo music listening, then switching over to surround for concert videos. It's a luxury I have, since my father was in the stereo hifi / home theater business for so many years... and I've collected tons of classic gear over the years.

So I'm about to have this all set up, but I only have a few concert videos. What are some of the best produced / best sound quality DVDs and Blue Rays? I'm a fan of almost all genres of music.

[Skully]

Are you into surround sound?

[WaylonFan76]

I love ZZ Top's Live From Texas. First music dvd I ever watched from the first second to the last without touching the remote.
Merle Haggard @ Austin City Limits '78 is amazing.
I'll think of more later.
You know you can find 5.1 mixes of a few rock albums on DVD... I have The Dead's American Beauty, ZZ Top's Tres Hombres and the whole Doors discography. Makes a HUGE difference.

[TheGoodTexan]

Originally Posted by WaylonFan76

You know you can find 5.1 mixes of a few rock albums on DVD...

Makes a HUGE difference.

Does it show any video while the music is playing?

[ADinNYC]

Joe Bonamassa just released a concert DVD from a show he did at the Beacon in NYC. The sound quality is great.

[WaylonFan76]

Originally Posted by TheGoodTexan

Does it show any video while the music is playing?

The Dead one shows a slideshow of pictures, the other ones I have are not store bought copies...

[garymaddox]

I just watched Levon Helm's Ramble at the Ryman. It's worth having.
Jeff Beck Live at Ronnie Scott's is terrific if you like El Becko. You can even find it cheap.
I am not a Talking Head's fan but Stop Making Sense is very well done.
The Last Waltz should be in everyone's collection as should Woodstock.
Hard Day's Night is not a concert video but it's another one for the pile.
There are tons on live shows that are worth viewing, but not necessarily worth buying. You might do a disc sub to Netflix and knock out a few that way. If you like them, you can often find pristine used copies on Amazon.

[KC]

The "American Folk Blues" series is pretty fantastic -- sixties TV stuff from Germany with the real heroes of the blues, from Lightnin Hopkins through Magic Sam. The T-Bone Walker stuff alone is worth the price of admission.

Also the Zep two-DVD live set is great.

[PrivateIron]

Not really sure how they rate in quality, but two concert DVD's I'd recommend are:
Rory Gallagher, Irish Tour '74 (not the best quality video)
John Mayall (& the Bluesbreakers and Friends) 70th Birthday Concert

[purpletele]

Los Lobos @ the Fillmore

[Skully]

Does it show any video while the music is playing?

I have a lot of 5.1 audio mixes and quad mixes. They can be fun, but it's better to get concert videos with good surround mixes.

Personally, I like the unnatural ones, where the instruments are spread across all the speakers, in front and behind. The Eagles do this with their concert vids ("Farewell Tour I" and "Hell Freezes Over"). So do Kraftwerk's "Minimum Maximum" (a fave) and "Roy Orbison: A Black & White Night." These aren't necessarily the ones with the most dynamic performances, mind you.

If you're interested in the Rolling Stones, the best place to start is "Four Flicks."

I think "Led Zeppelin" is really good, and I'm not even a huge fan.

"Queen's Greatest Video Hits" has a great surround mix. "The Police - Every Breath You Take" and (gasp) "Billy Joel - The Essential Video Collection" also have strong surround mixes.


"Alice Cooper - Brutally Live" is very good on all fronts -- sound (although I think it's only 4.1 for some reason), performance and video. If you're not an Alice fan, it might make you one. I have other performance DVDs of his from various eras, and it's his best, IMHO.

Some that became my favorites surprised me a bit, like "Simon & Garfunkel - Old Friends." They don't jump around on the stage, but the songs are great and the set list dynamics are great, playing on nostalgia -- or should I say acknowledging the passage of time -- in the best way possible. ELO frontman is one of the least dynamic performers on the planet, yet I love "Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) - Zoom Tour Live.". Conversely, Aerosmith is a great live band, but their concert DVD "You Got Move" bites the big one.

You can't go wrong with U2. Their first concert video, "Under a Blood Red Sky," is still their best (it's even more amazing when you read about the behind the scenes drama), but their latest, "U2: 360° at the Rose Bowl," is really good, too.

There's some good AC/DC stuff out there, if you're into them.

The Last Waltz should be in everyone's collection as should Woodstock.

I think the latter is better when taken simply as a documentary and the former is wildly overrated, unless you're really interested in hearing coked-up guys talking about themselves and their "art."

[TheGoodTexan]

Very good stuff folks.

Thanks for all the detailed information Skully. I'm no surround snob... in that, when I listen to movies or music in surround, I'm not near as concerned if I'm listening in 5.1, 7.1, 10.2, 22.2... etc. I'm more concerned with does it sound good? I do have a nice Yamaha 7.1 receiver for movies in the bonus room, but I rarely listen to it in 7.1. I think 5.1 sounds better for a lot of things.

When it comes to concert video in the music room - I'll probably be more interested in "Does it sound natural? ...like it would sound if you were actually there." That doesn't even always require surround. My Vandersteens sound amazing for this type of stuff.

I am planning on building a subwoofer for the music room. That probably the only thing that's lacking right now. I've got two Rockford Fosgate 10" woofers that have been doing nothing for a few years. I'll build something for them and dump some power on them.

[Suttykins]

I disagree about The Last Waltz, if you can get past Robbie Robertson's tedious (and clearly rehearsed) musings what you are left with is great footage of a great band at their peak with a star studded guest list.

The sound is fantastic too!

Similarly, George Harrison's 'Concert For Bangladesh' film is a must see.

Such a great sounding band and Ravi Shankar's set is mesmerizing.

[drb1346]

Black & White Night - Roy Orbison's last concert. Springsteen, Costello, T-Bone, K.D. Lang, and too many others that I can't remember. The best of it all is (other than Roy) is James Burton backing up Orbison with some absolutely killer stuff. Puts The Boss to shame!! I got mine at Amazon for about $10

[Guitarzan]

The Black Crowes.

Freak N Roll Into The Fog

The CD version of this is the best Crowes work I have. Great tone and work between Marc Ford and Rich.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Black-Crow...5462579&sr=8-1


Redd did a live recording with Merle at Billy Bob's, but I'm not sure which year or whether it is this one.

http://www.amazon.com/Merle-Haggard-...5462807&sr=1-1

[JCSouthpawtele]

Storyville Live at Antones. You will have to call and order it from a record store in Austin. Or look for it at WWW.amd64live.com
Its a two or three camera DVD but you get David Grissom and David Holt on guitars with the double trouble rhythm section.

[WaylonFan76]

Originally Posted by Guitarzan

Redd did a live recording with Merle at Billy Bob's, but I'm not sure which year or whether it is this one.

http://www.amazon.com/Merle-Haggard-...5462807&sr=1-1

I almost forgot: Redd Volkaert's Tele Twang video, part tutorial, part comedy , part concert @ The Continental Club in beautiful Austin, TX. Get it if don't have it yet, that's an order !
http://www.amazon.com/Redd-Volkaert-TeleTwang/dp/B000JJSJN2/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1335463552&sr=1-1

[tele_pathic]

SRV's live at the el mocambo.

[fuzzbender]

It's a very good question

[horsespatoot]

Chicago Earth Wind & Fire ....... will knock your socks off. It's $10 on Amazon.