Most MEMORABLE concert experience

[ModalMood]

What was your most memorable concert experience?

I have many but these take the cake:

Elvis Costello & The Attractions at the Palomino Club in the NoHo '78 or '79. We had "patio" tickets to the first show which meant we had to watch through a window! However after the first show, while they were clearing the house out, we moseyed into the club and took seats at a front and center table. No tickets and no one questioned us. We just looked like we were supposed to be there. There was a brief country set in the middle of the show as he was promoting the "Almost Blue" record.

We also had front row center(!) tix to see Steely Dan on the Pretzel Logic tour in the summer of '74. This was just before they took their 25 year hiatus from playing live.

[jjkrause84]

First "Dead" show (i.e. post-Jerry). I had secretly wished in my heart that they'd open the second set with Shakedown Street, hadn't even had the courage to tell my mates, and then, of course, they did. WOW. The whole place seemed to EXPLODE with energy. I could actually feel the energy (especially when the crowd would shout) rush up and hit the ceiling then crash back down over our heads. Moments I will NEVER forget.


Oh, that and seeing Cream in 2005....best concert I'll ever see in my life, period.

[SatelliteOrders]

Soul Asylum at First Ave. This would be something like 1990 or 1991. Pretty sure supporting And The Horse You Rode In On. I was toward the front, the last before the pit. I apologized to the woman in front of me that I was going to be all over her, but it wasn't intentional. The show rocked, the crowd was as brutal as I expected, and she thanked me and kissed me at the end.

1995. Harry Connick Jr. I was expecting the "Bastard Son of Frank Sinatra" routine, but no. He took a small New Orleans combo out and had a Hammond, a Rhodes and a grand piano on stage. He did jams on styles rather than songs, at least until "Whisper Your Name" in the encore. I had a great time. The whole row behind me, wanting the crooner Harry, left at intermission.

[gitold]

My Ex and I saw a add in the paper for a Jazz concert at the local junior college. The headliner was Eddie Palmieri. We are both Latin Jazz fans and the tickets were $15 so we went. We got there a half an hour early ,drove right up to the building , parked 20 feet away, parking was free. We went in there and there wasn't anyone there but the ticket sellers. $30 bucks for 2 tickets no service charge. We take our seats and by the time the show started the place was filled up, maybe 350 people. First the collage band played and they were all right. Then the faculty played and they were very good. Then Eddie came out with a smoking band and played for 2 hours. They had a very young guy playing rhythm. No trap set ,he had timbales, congas , a snare and a high hat and I have never heard anyone play like this. Just amazing (I'm a closet drummer)
Well after the show ended the band said they would be selling Cd's in the next room. Most of the people just left but maybe 50 people went to the other room. Not only were they selling Cd's but they had wine ,cheese and fruit plates, enough for 350 people. For free!!! We all sat around and talked to the band and ate and drank. Talk about getting your moneys worth. Eddie died not long after that so I'm really glad I got to see him. He was in his 80's and played his as^ off.

[Skully]

I'll just paste mine from comments I made on previous threads.

One of my favorite concert moments came during a Fixx show. It was at the New Wave Day on the Green" in the summer of 1983. The Fixx was the last band before the headliners, The Police. During the song "Lost Planes" people started throwing smashed paper cups, and within moments the sky was filled with flying paper projectiles.

Did a search, found a comment about it from lead singer Cy Curnin: "I forgot the words during 'Lost Planes,' and people started throwing cups and paper plates in the air. From where I was standing, it looked like a white sea of flying objects, almost quasi-religious. Anyway, I was tripping away on the buzz of the moment."

The other acts that day were Madness, Thompson Twins and Oingo Boingo. I got the quote from this newspaper article written on the 20th anniversary of the show.

My favorite concert moment was when The Plimsouls played the song "12 O'Clock Midnight," about turning 30 at midnight, as I was turning 30 at midnight. Lead singer Peter Case looked right at me, as if he knew. But, of course, he didn't.

Most interesting concert: Billy Idol playing a Catholic school carnival fundraiser in Sherman Oaks, CA, circa 2000. (His son attended the school at the time.) During the opening act, I thought to myself, "Who are these music store employee wankers?" Shortly thereafter, I figured out it was Toto with Simon Phillips on drums. The "wanker" observation was inspired primarily by guitarist Steve Lukather. They went on to back Billy Idol, who changed the lyrics to "Rebel Yell" to make them filthier, humped the drum riser, etc.

New addition:

Katrina of Katrina & The Waves held my hand during a ballad at a concert at The Stone in San Francisco, when they were riding high off of "Walking On Sunshine." I figured she was gay, but it was a nice moment anyway. They were taping the concert for a home video and the back of my pretty young head of strawberry blonde hair can me seen in some of the shots.

[ModalMood]

Oh. If this threads been done before, I apologize for taking up the space.

[yark14]

Buddy Guy in Des Moines a couple years ago. Walked out into the crowd for a really long solo. He stood right next to me for a good minute. I was close enough to hear the sound of the strings unamplified.

[Skully]

I remember another one, from a Rock the Vote Benefit at the House of Blues on Sunset Blvd. a few years back. My wife and I are next to the stage. Wyclef John looks down at me and says, "Is that you woman? Well, get ready to party with her." I think George Clinton sweated on us at the same show, which also featured Stevie Wonder. I've seen Stevie as a guest artist and several shows and, frankly, he's always been pretty boring. I also used to sell him Laser Disc movies back in the late '80s.

[nic'o'caster]

Marc Ribot Y Los Cubanos Postizos. Saw them twice... different places. Each time I found it was the best concert I had ever seen or heard ! The perfect balance of guitar crazyness, fun and groove !

[Teleblooz]

My most memorable concert experience came during a ZZ Top show in 1974 or 1975, and had very little to do with the music. This was during the days of "festival seating", which basically meant crowding as many people as possible onto the coliseum floor in front of the stage. Amid the sweaty crush I encountered a fetching and rather uninhibited young lady (never seen before or since). Details are better left to the imagination (and sweet memory). Suffice it to say that it's amazing what you can get away with standing up in the press of a crowd in a darkened auditorium.

[adjason]

The who on their Quadrophina tour in the mid 1990's...........just a captivating concert........

[Gibson]

Saw Gorillaz just last night, so I remember that pretty clearly!

Awesome show - especially De La Soul, who really brought the energy.

Also in the band, on guitar and bass of course, Mick Jones and Paul Simonon!

And solo spots by Bobby Womac! Great night.

[Earguy]

I gotta say that the Roger Waters Wall 2010 show has been stuck in my mind for two weeks after seeing it. Sure he's lip-synching half the show, and it's NOT Pink Floyd, but as a SHOW it's pretty damn amazing.

Also:
Yes in the round, probably 1978 or so.

ZZ Top's Deguello tour. It was just ON.

So many great shows...

[Warm Gums]

Buddy Guy at Wolf Trap in support of B.B. King @10 years ago, Buddy came out with a Gold Top LP, wearing some sharp looking denim bibs w/ starched white cotton shirt and said something to the effect "the last time I was here they said I played too loud..Oh well", and proceded to plug into a Marshall full stack & burn the place down..Incredible singing tone. I really feel the the LP is his true voice...

[beep.click]

The Jam at the Whisky in Hollywood, 1978 or '79. The "In The City" tour, I guess it was.

The energy was palpable. Showed me what rock and roll was capable of.

[jglenn]

Saw Roy Buchannan at the Paramount in Seattle,right around the time of the livestock record,had the good vocalist,piano and organ players both,great show dont think the place was half full.Oh J Geils band before they went commercial ,centerfold type crap !great high energy blues rock,same venue.

[e44crowe]

one of the first shows I ever went to was the U2 ZooTV tour. Public Enemy opened for them at the Birmingham, AL stop I attended. PE lynched a Klansman on stage. It was awesome. I ended up sneaking from my top row seats all the way down to the floor for U2. Got so close to the stage that I got a high five from Bono! Amazing!

[grguitar]

hey Skully
that Fixx concert you are referring to was my first concert EVER!! "Day on the Green 3 '93 , New Music Day".
I was 16 ..

[Dillon]

06.29.1968 at the Shrine Exposition Hall, Los Angeles. The Who-The Steve Miller Band-Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac-The Crazy World of Arthur Brown.

The Who did new material from an upcoming rock opera ("Tommy"), The Steve Miller Band featured the original line-up (two months after the release of "Children of the Future"), Fleetwood Mac performed one of their first U.S. shows, and The Crazy World of Arthur Brown was just that...Brown having cracked his head on the stage the night before. A special night on the hardwood.

[Oster]

Casting my mind back, one show that really sticks out was The Cramps in 1986 - the 'A Date With Elvis' tour. That felt like a dangerous show. Being 16 in that chaotic enviroment, hearing The Cramps play loud and Live - wow.