How about The Do Good Tanyas? I've been diggin them for the same reasons as my previous post.
most memorable concerts?
- Thread starter Fran604g
- Start date
So many...here's a few in chronological order:
Louis Armstrong at the UofC Theater in Chicago, 1962. My mom took me. He played a blues and I began to cry..."Mommy, why is he so sad?" She just smiled.
The Amboy Dukes and The Shadows of Knight at The Cellar in Arlington Heights IL, 1967. My cousin was in the Amboy Dukes. They were incredible. I think that's when I first knew I'd never be anything if not a musician.
Mountain and Fleetwood Mac at the Syndrome in Chicago, 1970. Loud but beautiful. Some of the best live rock sound I've heard. The original band with Steve Knight on keys were capable of stellar performances and this was one of them.
Black Sabbath and Wishbone Ash, Arie Crown Theater, 1970. Wonderful sounding room and good performance.
Led Zeppelin International Amphitheater Chicago, 1971. Sat behind the stage and probably heard better sound than most of the house. Could've tapped Bonham on the shoulder had I a pool cue.
Jeff Beck Group at the Arie Crown, 1972. Stupendous concert. Tim Bogert and Carmine Appice were the rhythm section, and they still had Bob Tench singing and Max Middleton on keys.
West, Bruce and Laing at McGaw Hall, Evanston IL 1972. Their first show in Chicago. I have the cassette recording I made...still gives me chills.
Queen, Dane County Coliseum Madison WI 1975. Unforgettable. These were the days when I'd arrive early and park myself up front, elbows resting on the stage floor. I remember being struck by the blue-ish tint of Freddie's hair and beard shadow. We made eye contact and for a split-second he just looked like a scared kid before regaining absolute composure and ruling the stage.
ZZ Top Dane County Coliseum, Madison WI 1977. special appearance winding down the big tour from the year before. Jeans, T Shirts. cowboy hats, and boots. Real pros.
Jethro Tull Dane County Coliseum, 1977. Possibly the most memorable show of my life. Stellar musicianship, staging and pacing.
Truly, a magical and surprisingly intimate experience.
Luciano Pavarotti in the recital hall of the Lyric in Chicago, 1979. 'Nuff said.
PJ Harvey at The Riviera in Chicago, September 13, 2001. Driving in from WI past O'Hare with no air traffic...magnificent show.
I've been so fortunate to have these experiences...I'll share some more as I recall them!
Louis Armstrong at the UofC Theater in Chicago, 1962. My mom took me. He played a blues and I began to cry..."Mommy, why is he so sad?" She just smiled.
The Amboy Dukes and The Shadows of Knight at The Cellar in Arlington Heights IL, 1967. My cousin was in the Amboy Dukes. They were incredible. I think that's when I first knew I'd never be anything if not a musician.
Mountain and Fleetwood Mac at the Syndrome in Chicago, 1970. Loud but beautiful. Some of the best live rock sound I've heard. The original band with Steve Knight on keys were capable of stellar performances and this was one of them.
Black Sabbath and Wishbone Ash, Arie Crown Theater, 1970. Wonderful sounding room and good performance.
Led Zeppelin International Amphitheater Chicago, 1971. Sat behind the stage and probably heard better sound than most of the house. Could've tapped Bonham on the shoulder had I a pool cue.
Jeff Beck Group at the Arie Crown, 1972. Stupendous concert. Tim Bogert and Carmine Appice were the rhythm section, and they still had Bob Tench singing and Max Middleton on keys.
West, Bruce and Laing at McGaw Hall, Evanston IL 1972. Their first show in Chicago. I have the cassette recording I made...still gives me chills.
Queen, Dane County Coliseum Madison WI 1975. Unforgettable. These were the days when I'd arrive early and park myself up front, elbows resting on the stage floor. I remember being struck by the blue-ish tint of Freddie's hair and beard shadow. We made eye contact and for a split-second he just looked like a scared kid before regaining absolute composure and ruling the stage.
ZZ Top Dane County Coliseum, Madison WI 1977. special appearance winding down the big tour from the year before. Jeans, T Shirts. cowboy hats, and boots. Real pros.
Jethro Tull Dane County Coliseum, 1977. Possibly the most memorable show of my life. Stellar musicianship, staging and pacing.
Truly, a magical and surprisingly intimate experience.
Luciano Pavarotti in the recital hall of the Lyric in Chicago, 1979. 'Nuff said.
PJ Harvey at The Riviera in Chicago, September 13, 2001. Driving in from WI past O'Hare with no air traffic...magnificent show.
I've been so fortunate to have these experiences...I'll share some more as I recall them!
Pavarotti! You win.
Ha! Yeah, it was heavenly. I remember there were 6 encores before he said, in broken English that, "This must be my last...".Pavarotti! You win.
To hear him in his prime, in recital in that intimate space...once in a lifetime experience. Oh, yeah...our friend was sick so they gave us their tickets!
Snade
Site Supporter
Not a concert but an unexpected live musical experience.
About 1986 I worked in state government in Illinois - my job was selling state bonds for infrastructure projects. I worked mostly with bankers and bond lawyers. A couple of bankers suggested we go to London to explore selling bonds there.
My first trip to London, someone on the trip said he had tickets to a new musical, it just opened and was getting good reviews.
None of us were familiar with it.
So we went - the musical was the first run (in English) of Les Misarables - the original London cast at the Palace Theatre.
I was blown away by the production, the voices, and the drama of it all. I had been to a few musicals in Chicago, but nothing like this.
I remember it well.
Cheers,
Snade
About 1986 I worked in state government in Illinois - my job was selling state bonds for infrastructure projects. I worked mostly with bankers and bond lawyers. A couple of bankers suggested we go to London to explore selling bonds there.
My first trip to London, someone on the trip said he had tickets to a new musical, it just opened and was getting good reviews.
None of us were familiar with it.
So we went - the musical was the first run (in English) of Les Misarables - the original London cast at the Palace Theatre.
I was blown away by the production, the voices, and the drama of it all. I had been to a few musicals in Chicago, but nothing like this.
I remember it well.
Cheers,
Snade
Many memorable Live Show but here's two of my favorites:
Bruce Springsteen and The E street Band 1979 Darkness Tour, Miami University Oxford Ohio, Lil Sibs weekend visiting my older brother.
Wide Spread Panic "Panic in the Streets" 1998 in Athens, Ga. where I've lived for the past 25 years.
Bruce Springsteen and The E street Band 1979 Darkness Tour, Miami University Oxford Ohio, Lil Sibs weekend visiting my older brother.
Wide Spread Panic "Panic in the Streets" 1998 in Athens, Ga. where I've lived for the past 25 years.
Taylor Player
Site Supporter
Memorable for being great:
The Kinks-1982
Van Halen-1984
Metallica- April 1986 (4 months before Cliff Burton passed away)
Alice in Chains- 1991
Jewel- 1997
Stone Temple Pilots w/Cheap Trick - 1997
B.B. King- 2000
The Police - 2007 (Fenway Park)
Paul McCartney - 2009 (Fenway Park)
Steve Vai - 2012
Memorable for being awful:
Smashing Pumpkins - 1997
The Kinks-1982
Van Halen-1984
Metallica- April 1986 (4 months before Cliff Burton passed away)
Alice in Chains- 1991
Jewel- 1997
Stone Temple Pilots w/Cheap Trick - 1997
B.B. King- 2000
The Police - 2007 (Fenway Park)
Paul McCartney - 2009 (Fenway Park)
Steve Vai - 2012
Memorable for being awful:
Smashing Pumpkins - 1997
RDSChicago
Site Supporter
Bad Company backed up by Kansas and Poco, Philadelphia Spectrum, 1974, my first concert at age 12!
July 3, 2023, Dead & Company, Folsom Field, Boulder, CO, especially the last 5 songs where they brought out Dave Matthews who did a rockn’ version of Watchtower. And the drone laser show was to die for.
July 3, 2023, Dead & Company, Folsom Field, Boulder, CO, especially the last 5 songs where they brought out Dave Matthews who did a rockn’ version of Watchtower. And the drone laser show was to die for.
Attachments
I was a big fan of all 3 of these bands! What a great show that must've been.
Hard to pick the best or worst of the hundreds of concerts I have been to, but some of the most memorable are:
Lawrence Welk in Tahoe. Only memorable as it was my first concert and I was with my grandparents. I remember the intimate venue, bubbles and red Naugahyde seats more than anything.
Ozzy Osbourne and Motley Crue in 1984 at the Portland Coliseum. It was the last stop of the tour and there were some shenanigans going on at that show. I remember a sack of flour being dumped on Ozzy from the rafters by the Crue stage hands. I was 17 at the time and I remember being pissed off that my 12.50 ticket actually cost me 14.50
Not a big country fan, but I do like much of the old and outlaw type music. Hank Williams Jr. was memorable. That was back in the days he won entertainer of the year a couple years in a row. My first country music show. He was also quite the instrumentalist and could (and did) play evry instrument in the band. Much the same as Edgar Winter.
Edgar Winter and Leon Russell at the Roseland theater. Edgar can play pretty much anything and proved it as during the drum solo he played every instrument on stage. Leon reminded me of Santa Claus playing piano in a Hawaiian shirt.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd at the Roseland Theater. Memorable because it was my wife's very first concert ever and she picked some terrific front row balcony tickets.
Eric Clapton at the Rose Garden arena. Memorable because hey, it's Clapton. I secretly bought a pair of tickets for our anniversary and so did my wife. We had no problem selling the extra pair though. Also the most expensive concert I have ever attended and the worst seats. I think we would have been better off with the tickets we sold, even though they were farther away.
Joe Cocker at one of his later shows. Memorable because I thought he was going to pass out doing some of his long screaming growls. He spit while he sang more than any artist I have ever seen. Also the 60+ year old groupies dressed in leather made me really wonder how people view themselves in later life.
Van Morrisson at the Gorge Amphitheatre. I remember my wife was on the phone when I got home from work. I got on the laptop and browsed to AK and the wife annoyed me with a few trivial questions which I thought was really strange as she never talked to me while she was on the phone. Come to find out she won free tickets to the show with my answers. It was a strange show. Van flew in by helicopter while the band was already on stage. He didn't say a word to the audience the whole show. Then laft as abruptly as he showed up while the band was still playing. He was old enough that a lot of the lyrics would have been unintelligable had I not known the songs. Luckily it was a great setlist with pretty much all his greatest hits, which kind of surprised me. Oh yeah, forgot to mention that they were great seats. The wife seems to have a knack for getting them.
Lawrence Welk in Tahoe. Only memorable as it was my first concert and I was with my grandparents. I remember the intimate venue, bubbles and red Naugahyde seats more than anything.
Ozzy Osbourne and Motley Crue in 1984 at the Portland Coliseum. It was the last stop of the tour and there were some shenanigans going on at that show. I remember a sack of flour being dumped on Ozzy from the rafters by the Crue stage hands. I was 17 at the time and I remember being pissed off that my 12.50 ticket actually cost me 14.50
Not a big country fan, but I do like much of the old and outlaw type music. Hank Williams Jr. was memorable. That was back in the days he won entertainer of the year a couple years in a row. My first country music show. He was also quite the instrumentalist and could (and did) play evry instrument in the band. Much the same as Edgar Winter.
Edgar Winter and Leon Russell at the Roseland theater. Edgar can play pretty much anything and proved it as during the drum solo he played every instrument on stage. Leon reminded me of Santa Claus playing piano in a Hawaiian shirt.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd at the Roseland Theater. Memorable because it was my wife's very first concert ever and she picked some terrific front row balcony tickets.
Eric Clapton at the Rose Garden arena. Memorable because hey, it's Clapton. I secretly bought a pair of tickets for our anniversary and so did my wife. We had no problem selling the extra pair though. Also the most expensive concert I have ever attended and the worst seats. I think we would have been better off with the tickets we sold, even though they were farther away.
Joe Cocker at one of his later shows. Memorable because I thought he was going to pass out doing some of his long screaming growls. He spit while he sang more than any artist I have ever seen. Also the 60+ year old groupies dressed in leather made me really wonder how people view themselves in later life.
Van Morrisson at the Gorge Amphitheatre. I remember my wife was on the phone when I got home from work. I got on the laptop and browsed to AK and the wife annoyed me with a few trivial questions which I thought was really strange as she never talked to me while she was on the phone. Come to find out she won free tickets to the show with my answers. It was a strange show. Van flew in by helicopter while the band was already on stage. He didn't say a word to the audience the whole show. Then laft as abruptly as he showed up while the band was still playing. He was old enough that a lot of the lyrics would have been unintelligable had I not known the songs. Luckily it was a great setlist with pretty much all his greatest hits, which kind of surprised me. Oh yeah, forgot to mention that they were great seats. The wife seems to have a knack for getting them.
Last edited:
Nowdays the fees are $14.50, if not a lot more! 😮
I haven’t been a ton of big concerts but the ones that really stood out would have to include:
Rush, Joe Louis Arena, Detroit 1986 on their Power Windows tour. This was my first real stadium concert. Marillion was the opening act and they played their album, Misplaced Childhood start to finish as their set.
Hall and Oates, DeVos Hall, Grand Rapids, MI 1988. They were supposed to play a large venue but something happened and the show was moved to the 2500 seat symphony venue. Great show. They were at the top of their pop fame and it was just a great evening. That was also the show that taught me to wear ear plugs when going to a live venue.
Spinal Tap at Pine Knob in 1992. I loved the movie and the concert did not fail to entertain. Earler that year I was in the audience for a taping of Late Night with David Letterman and they were the musical act. I got to ride up in the elevator with the band before the show (my then girlfriend worked on the show).
Tony Bennet at Lincoln Center in 1999. Great show and the band had been playing together since fire was invented and it was just a fun show. Plus I got to meet Bill Russel in the lobby before the show.
Paul McCartney, Miller Park, Milwaukee 2017. What can I say, he’s a Beatle. Great show, great band. Hottest show I have ever attended (temp outside was 93 and humid).
Aretha Franklin, Ravinia, Chicago suburbs. This was one of her last shows before she passed. Her voice lacked the power she was known for but it was an amazing show. She played the piano for several songs and you could tell she was doing the concert the way she wanted to do it and was clearly having fun.
Tower of Power, Naperville, Illinois. One of my all time favorite shows. Even though Rocco was no longer playing with the band they absolutely killed it! They were on their 50th anniversary tour and they were still rolling at full steam.
Our local Zoo runs a jazz concert series in the summer so i’ve been fortunate enough to see some great acts (Larry Carlton, Rippingtons, Eric Darius, Gerald Veasly, Gerald Albright, etc) up close and personal. I find that I prefer smaller venues these days.
Rush, Joe Louis Arena, Detroit 1986 on their Power Windows tour. This was my first real stadium concert. Marillion was the opening act and they played their album, Misplaced Childhood start to finish as their set.
Hall and Oates, DeVos Hall, Grand Rapids, MI 1988. They were supposed to play a large venue but something happened and the show was moved to the 2500 seat symphony venue. Great show. They were at the top of their pop fame and it was just a great evening. That was also the show that taught me to wear ear plugs when going to a live venue.
Spinal Tap at Pine Knob in 1992. I loved the movie and the concert did not fail to entertain. Earler that year I was in the audience for a taping of Late Night with David Letterman and they were the musical act. I got to ride up in the elevator with the band before the show (my then girlfriend worked on the show).
Tony Bennet at Lincoln Center in 1999. Great show and the band had been playing together since fire was invented and it was just a fun show. Plus I got to meet Bill Russel in the lobby before the show.
Paul McCartney, Miller Park, Milwaukee 2017. What can I say, he’s a Beatle. Great show, great band. Hottest show I have ever attended (temp outside was 93 and humid).
Aretha Franklin, Ravinia, Chicago suburbs. This was one of her last shows before she passed. Her voice lacked the power she was known for but it was an amazing show. She played the piano for several songs and you could tell she was doing the concert the way she wanted to do it and was clearly having fun.
Tower of Power, Naperville, Illinois. One of my all time favorite shows. Even though Rocco was no longer playing with the band they absolutely killed it! They were on their 50th anniversary tour and they were still rolling at full steam.
Our local Zoo runs a jazz concert series in the summer so i’ve been fortunate enough to see some great acts (Larry Carlton, Rippingtons, Eric Darius, Gerald Veasly, Gerald Albright, etc) up close and personal. I find that I prefer smaller venues these days.
Yes, small venues. The first big rock shows I saw were Kansas (maybe my first cassette purchase), and ZZ Top. I would leave with my ears ringing. Then many Dead shows - and my ears didn't ring. Great sound and dynamic range for a live rock band. But what I really ended up enjoying were the small venues when I was living in Boston. Pat Metheny was living in town and would play small bars, and Jerry Bergonzi who lived there. Oh man, Jerry Bergonzi... Scofield, Abercrombie etc. would pop into town too.
Similar threads
