Pavarotti! You win.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!
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.![]()
I was a big fan of all 3 of these bands! What a great show that must've been.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.
Nowdays the fees are $14.50, if not a lot more! 😮I was 17 at the time and I remember being pissed off that my 12.50 ticket actually cost me 14.50
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.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.