I just left a remark about a favorite band of mine back in the day - April Wine - that I saw in concert and was disappointed. Could have been that it was an off night for them, or maybe they were never good in concert. Maybe the lead guitarist had too much to drink? April Wine was not the worst, however. I remember Neil Young in the 1990's who was on his one-man acoustic show type of tour that many artists were taking advantage of (perhaps for financial reasons) during that time. While a friend of I had near front row seats at Desert Sky Pavilion (now Ak-Chin) in Pheonix, the crowd was just roused up into a frenzy by the warm-up band (James) and here comes Neil and his guitar/harmonica. Wow, what a sonic letdown. I remember getting up and leaving and feeling Neil's glaring eyes on us as we ushered out. I think, to this day, he probably still remembers me. We all can remember the great live concerts we attended, but what were the worst and why?
Worked at the Tinley park world theatre first year it opened. Grateful Dead was ok. my friend and I bought some pb&j sandwiches from those damn hippies, little did we know, they were not normal sandwiches. We put o n our African shirts with the V neck design, used our badges to get into show. Had a blast, not including the cruddy surprise from those darn sandwiches. Went to his house, watched “best of the best” blitzed on whatever was in those sandwiches. Drove back , put work shirts on, and punched out after traffic left, we did this for almost every good rock show the opening season. Had a blast and made a 30 year friend to boot! Show was good, I was used to the music being a fan of the band. The Dead were a good live jam band.
Dwight Yoakam April 16, 2016 Pikeville, KY. What a letdown. The sound was so bad when he talked between songs you couldn’t understand him. Not one word. Since I pretty much have his entire catalog committed to memory I could make out which songs he was playing but only barely. I thought maybe the whole audience was on the MTV show Punk’d. Sadly we were never let in the joke if indeed we were. This was my 9th or 10th time seeing Dwight and all times before the sound had been sublime but not here. And to beat it all it was his hometown and he had family members in attendance. Best show Pearl Jam September 5, 2000 Pittsburgh, PA. They kicked the show off with Evenflow, to my knowledge the only instance they’ve played it as an opener, and it was buckle your seatbelt from there on. I personally feel that they were at the peak of their power on the 2000 tour, I saw them in multiple venues that year but the Pittsburgh show reigns supreme. It was truly a religious experience. It was outdoors in an amphitheater and the sound was still fantastic, although the boys threw down so well that night I think it would’ve sounded good on an old Sears tape recorder. I’m 95% sure the official bootleg of this show is available on iTunes. I highly recommend checking it out. Runner-up and another religious experience was Fugazi April 5, 2002 in Huntington, WV. These guys were amazing live and that’s all I can say. It was life changing.
Two particularly bad shows for more for different reasons. Hall and Oates as they opened the Fillmore in Philadelphia. As they took the stage at 8 walked off the stage at 9:30 . including 3\minutes of Daryl promoting his TV show . For the home-town boys this was the worst christening of a venue in Philly on record! No second set - maybe they had to go put their make-up on and got lost in the new building..... Springsteen at the LINC in Philly - great 3 hour show that was marred by me being two rows from the top and the sound reverberating all night long . I should have paid more to be down on the floor. A third bad experience was going to see Marshall Tucker , The Outlaws and I think Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet band at the Spectrum . Rear-ended on the Schuykill expressway on the way down. Someone selling glow sticks accidently breaking one and spraying the liquid on my face - I was in stinging pain in one eye for nearly an hour . and ...the person behind me throwing up on me during the show ..........seriously the Trifecta. The show was great and I stayed to watch it all
Led Zeppelin July 1977. The second show at the Oakland Coliseum after the fight with Bill Graham and Security. John Bonham was arrested the next day for assault. We waited over 90 minutes for them to come out and they mailed it in.
Close second was Diana Ross at Saratoga Mountain Winery. Opened with her daughter, then Ms Ross came out and sang for less than an hour. I’d paid over $400 for a pair of tickets and felt ripped off.
I attended numerous shows at the Fillmore East in the late sixties and always experienced a great show there with respectful audiences. In later years It was difficult to enjoy shows that cost many many times more money with the rudest selfish people in the audience standing on chairs in front of you, constantly walking up and down the isles and talking loudly over the music and awful sound systems. I gave up large venues for rock music a long time ago and for many decades I enjoyed small Jazz clubs with the top Jazz musicians and I have never heard bad Jazz set. I enjoy my audio system and concert dvds when I feel the need.
Funny, and good, that everyone's different. As goodlistening64 referenced in the thread's opener, I, too, saw Neil do has solo act at Deer Creek Ampitheatre, Indianapolis, late 90's. Beautiful fall evening with a full moon. To this day, his rendition of 'Harvest Moon' that evening is the most memorable musical experience I've had to date. And I've been to a show or two. Having a very cute young lady's head resting on my shoulder might have had added a little something to it, but it was just a wonderful experience, regardless. When he laid into 'Like a Hurricane' on the pump-pedal organ...YUM.
Always fond of CSN&Y. Had chance to catch CS&N at Deer Creek as well. Expectations were perhaps a bit too high. Michael Hedges opened. I'd never even heard of him before. And he just killed it. Simply mesmerizing. CS&N came out sounding/looking dreadful. Weren't even close to being in the same game. Still's should have just come out and said 'sorry folks, we simply can no longer give you what he (Hedges) just gave. Good nite.'
Indy put on an outdoors Jazz Festival downtown late 90's. Broad range of serious talent. Richard Thompson did a short solo set on acoustical guitar. Somehow, and I'd never heard this before or since, they had his guitar in 2-channel stereo over the PA system. Confess I've never really been a big Thompson fan, but whoever was running the boards and however they dialed in the mic-setup was epic. It was a broad, open, fairly expansive chunk of lawn. Nothing intimate about it at all. But i've never heard any PA'd concert acoustics that have ever come close to that since. Outstanding. Wish more attention were devoted to dialing in the acoustics. Makes all the difference in the world.
@ecolnago -- I gotta ask. Are you honoring Ernesto (who I had the opportunity of meeting once)? Or are you committing an unpardonable sin by contemplating/constructing an electric 'Nag?
Afraid I've no idea what an electric 'Nag could even be...? Many (many) years ago I acquired a Master Light frameset. Only other Colnago frame in town (Indianapolis) was something, story told, that Ernesto had built for the Russians and wasn't particularly all that nice and it's tires never touched the road.
For a couple years, I was the only rider in town straddling a Colnago. Slowly they started popping up in the region one by one. Picked up a C-40 some 20 years ago. It remains main primary road ride. In a position now that I could have pretty much any bike I might want, but I just can't let go of the C-40. Fits perfect and just feels so damn good. Very 'old school' now by appearance, but really don't care. Always Campy. Love Dura-Aces ergonomics and endurance, and quite fond of the Sram Red set-up on our tandem, just thinking Ernie might be a little disappointed were his machine not all Italian... Did have chance to meet Mr. Merckx at the Atlanta Olympics, but would loved to have also made Ernesto's acquaintance as well.
The wife has three Colnagos. Two carbon, one aluminum. All Campy. Loves them to distraction. I've had two. An aluminum Dream in Mapei colors, and a steel Master Extra Light. I loved that Mapei dearly but I got rid of it in a fit of downsizing my life. As for the Master Light, it just weighed too much for this weight weenie and I didn't keep it much more than a couple years. Now I'm a happy happy camper with a Bianchi Infinito. Designed specifically for the cobbled classics, it's the perfect racing bicycle for somebody getting on in years. Soft as a feather bed. Relaxed angles but still precise as hell.
The My Bloody Valentine reunion tour in Portland Oregon a couple of years ago. Their music is a wash of feedback with melody underneath, transcendent. Except there was no melody, nothing to hear that identified any of their music, just feedback at 110db.
The worst I ever saw was Boston opening for Black Sabbath and BOC whoever paired them with those other two bands was a world-class moron. Secondly, the sound Boston created in the studio was something technology had not yet caught up to in Live PA systems at that time (early 1980's) They got (Boston) booed off the stage.
Big Joe Bonamassa fan. Wife and I have seen him 5 times but the last one 4 or so years back at the Fox Theater in Detroit was just too darn loud and that ruined it for me. So loud you could not hear the music. Add the cost of front row seats and I’d have to say it all added up to be the worse I’ve attended.
I know you didn’t ask but the best took place on August 15-18, 1969. Sound was less then to be desired but the fun factor..OH the fun factor.
Motion City Soundtrack in Bloomington IL. Can’t remember the name of the venue. Whoever was running the soundboard that night was either a rookie, tone deaf or absent.
U2... the were the first event in Jerryworld (Dallas AT&T stadium). The sound was better outside the arena than inside. I know because I left in middle of the concert. I don’t blame U2. The arena wasn’t designed for acoustics and the echoes were horrendous
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