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Your 5 Fav Rock Concerts

There are certainly more than a few geetar fanciers among us judging by all the threads on guitar bands and best guitarist. This thread is about the best rock shows you saw. Let's limit it to the rock shows. Not Blues or Jazz or solo performers. The concerts that raised the hairs on your neck or made you want to take up an instrument or raised your pulse through their sheer energy or just moved you through their performance on stage. The only ones that count are the ones you've seen. After making a list in my mind of the many rock concerts I attended, most from the late 1960's through early 80's, I have come up with mine. It was tough, I’ve seen well over 200 rock concerts over the years and it is really hard coming up with a top 5 but we have to limit this so here go mine. "Yes" - This group stands out as the 2nd best concert I ever saw with Steve Howe and Chris Wakeman. They opened for Emerson, Lake and Palmer and after their set I do feel that EL&P were disheartened and knew they couldn't match it; they didn't. Funny thing is like most, I was there to see EL&P. They were forced to have another concert the following night by popular demand. Virtuoso musicianship, “Poco” - This group could put on a show. I saw them 4 different times in the many various stages of their evolution. They never had the commercial recognition of some of the other great bands of their era but they sure made up for it in their live performances. No one stayed seated during a Poco concert. “Rod Stewart and Faces” - Ron Wood on guitar and Rod Stewart strutting all over the stage. Rod was probably the greatest natural Rock showman I ever saw, including Mick Jagger. His uninhibited manner and constant movement and soulful vocals brought the house down. The crowd wouldn't let him go after the 5th encore so he invited everyone ("especially the pretty young ladies") to his hotel to “party on”, and so they came; Led Zeppelin I had to include them because next to the Doors and of course Jimi Hendrix they were my favorites of that era and I never did get to see either of the other two. The acoustics were bad and they played so loud you couldn’t really hear the music. But they were great none the less and it was special to me. The best should be kept for last. "The Who" was acknowledged as the best concert band at the time. Getting tickets meant getting in line and waiting. I imagine at the time the only tougher ticket would be the “Beatles” and they weren’t even together then. They didn’t disappoint. The reaction of the audience was beyond anything I ever saw at a live concert before or since. The band was so cohesive and the energy they put out put them into a different realm. They just have to be on a very short list of the best live bands ever.
tubegroover
siddh
345 posts
 
1. SPRINGSTEEN: at the Milwaukee lakefront this summer playing for the Harley 105th bash...did not expect such an energized enjoyable evening of music.
2. QUEEN: Two shows at the Uptown Theater in Milwaukee, 1800 capacity, circa 1975-76. Explosive...I ushered the show, allowing views from rear to stagefront.
3. PATTI SMITH: "Gung Ho" 2000 at small theater in Madison, WI. Arrived very early for general admission. Stood dead center front-stage at Smith's ankles and spitting range. She tore the place apart.
4. Pink Floyd: DSTOM at Milwaukee County Stadium. Almost didn't go, cause tickets cost an absurd 12 bucks. It rained and the sun shined and then it rained again. The show was a forever memory.
5. Stones at Alpine Valley, WI: 1989-90. "20,000 Light Years From Home" pretty well sums it up.
montejay
285 posts
 
5-Joe Jackson August 1979 London very small venue before Look Sharpe hit in Noth America
4-J Geils Band Montreal summer of 1977 opening act for Peter Frampton.Frampton was quite the let down after
3-Page Plant Skydome Toronto 1994. The closest I ever got to a Zep show.
2-Steely Dan 2008 Rama Ontario. Waited twenty five years to see one of my favorites.
1-Pink Floyd 1977 Olympic Stadium Montreal. Pigs do Fly!
rafree1
6 posts
 
1. George Harrison front row with Ravi Shankar
2.) Paul McCartney back stage passes @ the Highline Ballroom New York City
3.)Jethro Tull
4. C.S.N.Y. who played for three hours straight with a warm of up Elvin Bishop and the Marshall Tucker Band in Memphis.
5.)Buddy Guy is tied with a back stage pass to see Bill Monroe whom I met.

Too many others to list but, those are the most memorable ones so far.
valgolfs
5 posts
 
Bob Marley Berkeley Greek late 70s.
Peter Gabriel same venue 80s.
Talking Heads same venue late 80s.
The Who Oakland late 70s.
Led Zeppelin Oakland late 70s.
The actual dates are a little fuzzy, but my hearing is still in tact.
sonicbeauty
324 posts
 
1. Rollings Stones at the El Mocambo in Toronto, an ex-famous drinking hole. Nobody knew. Outside, the sign said '' The Cocroaches''. Around 10 pm, on came Mik and his pals. Totally incredible. Some of those tracks can be heard on the ''Love you live'' LP. It was like being at a private party.

2. The Police. When there were virtually unknown, again in a bar.

3. The Eagles ''hotel California tour'' 1976

4. Emerson Lake and Palmer at Olympic Stadium in Montreal.

5. Paul McCartney last year 2008, 250,000 people in Quebec City. (saw him in '76 also, mainly Wings material). As close to listening to live Beatles as I am ever going to get.

6. David Bowie 1984 ''Let's Dance'', The Who 1975 .... Pat Metheny, Oscar Peterson, both at the Montreal Jazz Festival a few years ago , I'll stop here I guess....
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