Concert highlights and stories

[Wild Frank]

I'm not sure if this has been picked up before but I was wondering about peoples highlights in gig-going history. What little moments have moved you or made you giddy with joy. Do you have any interesting stories or were you at any famous shows. Personally I can recall the following highlights.

 

My Morning Jacket: Manchester Acadamy 2009. When the boys performed 'Wordless Chorus' I felt such a feeling of joy its almost undescribable. A great song from a great live band.

 

The Jayhawks: London Borderline Early nineties. A show in a tiny London vene around the time of Tomorrow the Green Grass. I was at the front and Gary Louris kicked over my bear. He also commented on my brothers Neil Young T-Shirt. A great show.

 

Bob Dylan: Brixton Acadamy Early nineties. Another amazing show with Elvis Costello as the support act. Elvis also returned for the encore. I've seen a few bad Dylan shows in recent years but this night was up there with the very best. Also I was standing next to PJ Harvey in the cue outside, which was nice.

 

The Decemberists: Wolverhampton 2008. A strange night. It was apparent that something was wrong after a couple of songs when Colin disapeered and the band had to improvise for a couple of minutes. After he returned he looked really ill and cut the show short. He made some reference to feeling ill and, as it turned out, the rest of the tour was cancelled and was the US tour later the same year.

 

Neil Young: Finsbury Park, Mid-nineties. A Great show but made memerable because I mentioned to my friends before the show started that my least favourite Neil Young song was 'Motocycle Mama' which he then played to our astonishment. It rocked aswell, surprisingly.

 

Bjork: Union Chapel late nineties:A great venue and Bjork, with the Broski Quartet, played a great accoustic show. There was no amplification, it was a genuinly accoutsic evening. All the lighting was provided by candles and we were all sat on pews. It was one of those shows that took you to a higher place.

 

Jeff Tweedy: Union Chapel June 30th 2010. Due to the above.......I know this is going to be a good show.

[remphish1]

Good idea for a thread!

 

1. Guster 2001 smallish club- They break into a version of Ice Ice Baby and ask for a guest from the audience to sing. Could have been the alcohol but I got up there and belted it out..Got photos and a bootleg as proof!

 

2. Guster 2002- Worked security for the show...got to later play Ryan Miller in a rousing 3 game match of racquetball of which I lost badly! Made a bet prior to said match and told him if I won the band would have to play the song Getting Even that night which they did anyways!

 

3. George Clinton 2002- Also worked secuirty. Hnug with Mr. Clinton, on his tour bus...weird weird night!

 

4. Dave Chappell/Jon Stewart/James Earl Jones/Ben Stein 2002-Seperate shows I worked at. Jon Stewart asked me how to get to Dunkin Donights, Dave Chappell called me Dave all night even though I told him my name was Craig about 20 times , Tried to get James Earl Jones to record my answering machine message unsuccessfully and talked briefly with Ben Stein

 

5. Southern Culture on the Skid- Starngest concert memory I got pelted with a bucket of fried chicken from across the room...umm yeah...

 

6. Beck 1998 Sessions at West 54th taping. last show of the Odelay Tour we were the last 2 people admitted into the show. Me, 250 and Beck in a small room at the peak of their live shows. Amazing still top 3 live show of mine ever out of about 800 shows!

 

7. Billy Joel- South Hampton High School 2000. Arrived at the venue early to realize it was just me 1 other guy and Billy Joel hanging out in the parking lot. I saw him going in got to talk to him and he signed my 2 cds, booklets, physical cd he kept signing. He was friendly and I got a picture with him!

 

8. Morphine South Street Seaport, NY 1999 their third to last show ever..what a show I miss Mark Sandman dearly!

 

9. Elliott Smith 2003 Maxwells, Hoboken, NJ...even though he was in the decline I have very fond memories of the show. I met Elliott on the way in and talked briefly with him. His songs have very deep meaning to me and I was very fortunate to meet one of my mucial icons beofre his untimely passing.

 

10. Bruce Springsteen- Seen him maybe 15 times in NJ every time is a highlight!

 

as a bonus....

 

Strangest cameo...

 

I was seeing Leftover Salmon at the Horde Fest in the front row when Neil Young jumped up on stage and busted out the harmonica...I was taken aback!

 

Best free concert...

Depeche Mode Bowery Ballroom-2005 got a free ticket from their manager on the way in. I was ticketless asked if he had a plus 1..He said why should I give it to you and he liked my answer and escorted me in!

[Mr. Heartbreak]

I can come up with a couple right off the bat.

 

Frank Zappa: The 3/17/88 "Special St. Patrick's Day Program" was the one and only time I got to see the great Uncle Frankie. I truly wish I could have seen a bunch of '74 shows, but this was still a pretty special night. In those days before the internet, we relied on radio, print media, or just plain rumor to find out things as basic as what to expect from a new tour of any artist's, and there was a rumor going around at that time that Zappa had quit playing guitar completely in exchange for the Synclavier. The expectation was that this 1988 Monster Band, with new "stunt guitarist" Mike Kenneally, would not feature any FZ soloing at all, so imagine the surprise, the thrill, of seeing old Frank pick up an axe during the very first number! The place went wild, and went wild again every time he picked up the guitar (he kept putting it back down after each solo). Then, a few songs into the set, the band played a series of songs that seemed to lift the roof off the place: My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama > Willie The Pimp > Montana > City Of Tiny Lites > A Pound for a Brown. My mind was sufficiently blown, but then the second set opened with three songs from what I still consider the greatest rock album of all time, One Size Fits All: Florentine Pogen > Andy > Inca Roads. This still ranks in my top 3 concert experiences ever.

 

Roger Waters: I caught one show on the 1984 Pros & Cons of Hitchhiking tour with Eric Clapton on guitar. Clapton didn't try to play like David Gilmour on the Pink Floyd classics, but he didn't really sound like his usual self either. From what I remember (and I must admit, I was in a deeply twisted pharmacological state), he sounded more like he was channeling Jerry Garcia. Amazing show, too bad I wasn't, um, well enough to truly enjoy it.

 

Grateful Dead: You never forget your first show, right? On 9/23/82, I saw Jerry and the boys at "the old barn," as Bob Weir called it, Veterans Memorial Coliseum in New Haven, CT, about 40 minutes from my home at the time. It was a real night of firsts: the first time I ever heard the songs Throwing Stones and Touch of Grey - both still five years away from being officially released, yet the crowd sang along - and also the first time I'd ever heard the Bob Dylan song It's All Over Now, Baby Blue. Amazing night.

 

Warren Zevon: About a year before the abovementioned Zappa show, I caught another Mr. Z in the same arena when Warren Zevon was the headliner for a special concert for MTV. Like most college students at the time, I pretty much knew Warren from his radio hit Werewolves of London, and I may have been peripherally aware of Poor Poor Pitiful Me, since Linda Ronstadt covered it. His show was excellent, but what really knocked me out was the song Carmelita. Powerful stuff, and I was a fan from then on, catching him five or six more times over the years. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to exist any tape of the show, and I have never even been able to track down the exact date. Maybe I should call MTV. Mm, maybe not.

 

Wilco: 8/31/99. The Jannus Landing show in St. Pete from 1999 was my first Wilco show, and it seriously rocked. I have since become a follower, seeing them any time they make it down here to F-L-A. Special bonus: I won the tickets on the radio, so it was free!

 

Paul McCartney: I posted a review of the Miami concert from this past April 3rd in After The Show, and it's really stayed with me. I think it's the only concert where I've literally been moved to tears more than once. The tributes to George Harrison and John Lennon were beyond touching, and Paul's rendition of Yesterday was better than anyone could reasonably expect. Also, a whole lot of the show rocked hard, which was a pleasant surprise. Another show for the ages.

[cooperissup3r]

wilco - 6/15/2009

 

jeff gave me his pick. my mind was blown.

[Lammycat]

Grateful Dead: You never forget your first show, right? On 9/23/82, I saw Jerry and the boys at "the old barn," as Bob Weir called it, Veterans Memorial Coliseum in New Haven, CT, about 40 minutes from my home at the time. It was a real night of firsts: the first time I ever heard the songs Throwing Stones and Touch of Grey - both still five years away from being officially released, yet the crowd sang along - and also the first time I'd ever heard the Bob Dylan song It's All Over Now, Baby Blue. Amazing night.

I was at this show, as well. That was a pre-drums Throwin' Stones, too! They've since torn the NH coliseum down. That outdoor elevator always creeped me out, as well as the round ramp to get to the parking garage....

[Wild Frank]

 

 

Roger Waters: I caught one show on the 1984 Pros & Cons of Hitchhiking tour with Eric Clapton on guitar. Clapton didn't try to play like David Gilmour on the Pink Floyd classics, but he didn't really sound like his usual self either. From what I remember (and I must admit, I was in a deeply twisted pharmacological state), he sounded more like he was channeling Jerry Garcia. Amazing show, too bad I wasn't, um, well enough to truly enjoy it.

 

Grateful Dead: You never forget your first show, right?

 

 

I would have love to have seen the Pros and Cons tour. I always wondered how Claption would have played those shows. I did managed to get to Berlin to see 'The Wall' in 1990. That was a strange gig. It was about 500,000 people from every corner of the globe cramed into Potzdammer Platz.

 

You're right about the 'first concert' moment. For me it was Aerosmith on the 'Pump' tour. I was about 15 years old and on the forth or fifth row. Aerosmith had a big curtain over the stage which dropped down as Steven Tyler kicked into 'Rats in the Celler'. Blew my tiny mind to be honest.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

Yeah, the first set of the Pros and Cons tour was really the fantastic part: it was a Pink Floyd overview, with a few songs from various albums. Highlights were the opener, Set the Controls For the Heart of the Sun, Welcome to the Machine, Nobody Home and The Gunner's Dream. And of course, the great Brain Damage/Eclipse combo for the encores.

 

That Dead show was my first experience with them, but my very first rock concerts were actually Kiss and Aerosmith. (I think I saw both those bands at the old barn, too, Lammy!) Yes, I was into the hard rock as a youngster.

[uncool2pillow]

Iggy Pop - Metro, 1988 - Stage dove right on top of me. I thought I might die. I didn't.

[Preferred B]

U2 at the United Center in ... 2005? ... Bono pulled a friend of mine up on stage to play guitar on "Party Girl." We couldn't believe it.

 

Wilco - there's a lot I could pick from since I've seen a million shows over the years. When I turned 30 in Eindhoven last November, Jeff led the crowd in singing "Happy Birthday" before the encore. In other highlights that aren't self-centered, the first shows with the new lineup in Dekalb were both very memorable.

 

Decemberists - Halloween 2008, saw them in a chapel at one of the most Christian colleges in the country. The band dressed up as characters from The Shining.

 

 

I still haven't seen a Beck show, but I'd like to.

[Turnips]

some great stories so far, keep em coming!

 

I have sooo many, which I'll try getting to next week.

 

 

The best was Eric B and Rakim at Masonic Temple in Toronto when I was in high school. By 1 am, the sell out crowd started to realize that they weren't showing up. The promoters put on the worst 3-man RnB group instead, without any announcement as to what was happening. Shitty RnB is a bad idea when you're trying to please angry hip hop fans.

 

Basically, a full-on riot broke out - fights, bottles being thrown everywhere. People were ripping out entire sections of chairs on the balcony and throwing them down onto the crowd on the floor. People were getting trampled and the girl manning the money till was beaten up and robbed. Sheer insanity.

 

When we finally made it out, there were about 50 cop cars outside, and even more officers with guns drawn.

 

Needless to say, I stopped attending hip hop shows shortly after!

[jc4prez]

"3. George Clinton 2002- Also worked secuirty. Hnug with Mr. Clinton, on his tour bus...weird weird night!" remphish

 

so you smoked crack then I take it?

[bigshoulders]

Tom Waits My first chance to see him happened to be a general admission show at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, GA in 2006. Of course I showed up 4 hours before the doors opened, clad in black on a day that may have been 100 degrees, but I was right up front and center (behind only one other Raindog) when the show started. It was nothing short of magical. I've seen him six other times besides that one, but you never forget your first time. Never.

[Vacant Horizon]

Tom Waits My first chance to see him happened to be a general admission show at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, GA in 2006. Of course I showed up 4 hours before the doors opened, clad in black on a day that may have been 100 degrees, but I was right up front and center (behind only one other Raindog) when the show started. It was nothing short of magical. I've seen him six other times besides that one, but you never forget your first time. Never.

 

i was at that show. sat in the balcony. mesmerizing show to say the least.

[Cam Jones]

Bob Dylan, Raconteurs, October 2006- First time seeing Dylan. I've heard terrible things about contemporary Dylan shows, but he and the band were on fire that night. The recorded announcement said "Ladies and gentlemen... Columbia recording artist... Bob Dylan" they jumped into a slammin' version of "Cats in the Well." Raconteurs were killer as well

 

Roger Waters, July 2007- One of the best shows i've ever seen. Everyone in the band was in top form. Visually, it was spectacular. And got to see one of my favorite albums performed live (twice)

 

 

Springsteen, November 2007- Need i say more?

 

Billy Bragg, November 2008 - I love Billy. It was one of his last shows before the election, he had a lot of things to say.

 

Gene Ween Band, Brad Barr, April 2009- AWESOME AND RIDICULOUS. Everyone in that band can play the shit out of whatever they play. Brad Barr played an awesome set. I hope GWB goes out for another tour. completely worth it.

 

Wilco, Summer 2009- On the Maine State Pier in Portland (my home town) great first Wilco show. Got to meet Nels, Pat, John, and had a little run in with Glen. Conor Oburst opened. I dont like him at all. But the Mystic Vally Band is really tight.

 

Wilco, Aprl 7th 2010- This takes the cake as the best show i've ever seen. over 3 solid hours of my favorite band. Most of my favorite songs played. Really entertaining show. Went to go meet Jeff after the show. He snubbed me but i got my The Wilco Book signed anyway. Talked to Glen for a few minutes. AWESOME!

 

Concerts to come: Ween- July 16th, Gaslight Anthem- August 2nd, EELS (hopefully) September, Roger Waters- The Wall- September 29th

[Vacant Horizon]

My favorite concert is probably Neil Young solo acoustic in spring '92. it was at nutter center in dayton which was very close to my house, so no hassle. had awesome seats and the bonus was shawn colvin opened. i had really digged her first album so that was a treat. neil just fucking acoustic neil. fringe jacket lots of requests. so great!

[remphish1]

"3. George Clinton 2002- Also worked secuirty. Hnug with Mr. Clinton, on his tour bus...weird weird night!" remphish

 

so you smoked crack then I take it?

Umm no...but it was quite the party. His bus is what you imagine..shaggy purple carpeting, mirror balls, hazy! I got to dig it out but I got a picture with George Clinton and he is holding a giant jug of Prune Juice in the picture..I guess it is so he can keep going on the road...Anyway the strangest memory I have that night is someone in his posse was driving a beat up old mercedes to follow the bus and George was sitting in the pasenger seat just staring bug-eyed at a map of Ohio for minutes on end...I think he was partaking in some of the earlier activities and was fried!!!!

[froggie]

Bob Dylan - Mercury Lounge 1998. standing 3 meters away from him, in a 700 capacity club. close enough to see the sweat dripping off his beak

 

Wilco - Sydney 2007. great company and great show

 

Page/Plant - 1 Feb 1996. the last show of the Unledded tour

 

Ed Kuepper - some time in early 2008. unpromoted gig with 21 people in the audience (i did a head count). sitting with legs crossed on the floor. felt like being in school again!

 

Roger Waters - 2002. the closest to i'll ever see pink floyd on stage

 

John Fogerty - 2005. shit, he sounds better now than he did in 1970!

[PopTodd]

Tom Zé - 1998(?):

At the encore, this 65-year-old man, who had already been hopping around the stage for almost 2 hours, wheeled out a 15-ft. industrial saw, donned a welding mask and started rhythmically sawing away at a piece of sheet metal. His band (consisting mostly of members of Tortise) then improvised an instrumental around the rhythm, as he continued sawing, directed like a conductor, and sparks flew all over the stage at the Park West.

 

Super Furry Animals - 1997:

As the band played "The Man Don't Give a Fuck"... the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd at Lounge Ax began undulating as one giant wave of people. We all got caught up in the groove and in the moment together and became one. It was beautiful!

 

Uncle Tupelo - Halloween, 1989

I had only seen their posters around Columbia, MO but finally decided to catch these local yokels when they opened for fIREHOSE. I can't remember if they opened with "Graveyard Shift" or "Whiskey Bottle", but the moment they hit that first chord, my jaw hit the floor and my world changed. So powerful.

 

Television - 1992:

I got to interview Richard Lloyd for my local college music rag (Carbondale Nightlife) and get to see the band at Mississippi Nights in St. Louis on the guest list. Their final song was "Call Mr. Lee", which ended with Lloyd tearing speedy runs up and down the neck. Veins were bulging out of his neck and forehead as he struggled to get even more out of his instrument than seemed possible. In the end he just started slamming it with his right hand, detuned all the strings and TORE THEM OFF THE GUITAR, while feedback squalled all around. One of the most-intense things that I have ever seen.

 

P-Funk - 1996(?)

Free concert in Grant Park. I was on the lawn, with a sort of seedy-looking, kinda scary, large black man sitting next to me, looking kinda dangerous. Everyone was grooving, though. And then, when we heard "Bow-wow-wow Yippie-yo Yippie-yay", said scary man, turned to me, grabbed my shoulders, and with a huge smile, got right in my face and screamed with happiness like a little kid screams on Christmas morning: "ATOMIC DOG!!!" And started dancing with me.

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

Super Furry Animals - 1997:

As the band played "The Man Don't Give a Fuck"... the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd at Lounge Ax began undulating as one giant wave of people. We all got caught up in the groove and in the moment together and became one. It was beautiful!

[suites]

I think I have done this before but I will list a few.

 

 

Live Aid - Had General Admission seats, got in line at 5:00am watch a couple people scale the walls of JFK...nuts. Magical day when they announced Led Zeppelin and when Plant said...does anyone remember laughter? I know the performance was widely panned (even from the players) at the moment it didn't matter.

 

Neil Young - "Smell the Horse Tour" 1991. First row right in front of Neil. Got those tickets because I was in line since 8:00am on day when they went on sale....no other person ever came...at 10 the guy at the store went on computer and pulled up 1st row...legit. Days before everyone had access to online tickets. You had to get at an outlet.

 

U2 - Hollywood Sportatorium 1984 summer. Bono just blew me away and the band was playing with fire. First time I ever saw them bring up a person and played edges guitar.

 

Allman Brothers - Sunrise Musical theater maybe 1986. Dickey and Warren and Greg all in a grove and they played for like 3 hours. After the main set my GF (now my wife) was ready to go. I told her they would play 1 more song (Whipping Post) I didn't tell her it would be 30 minutes. Dickey Betts one of the most underrated guitarist ever.

 

Guns and Roses - NYE Joe Robbie Stadium - Forgot where I parked. Took me an hour to find my car.

 

Drive By Truckers - Culture Room (late night during Langerado). Just pure Rock and Roll. Show started around midnight and did not end until 2:30-3:00.

 

Wilco - Fillmore 2010 - favorite group playing over 3 hours right in front of my face in a very good venue debuting Acoustic Set in middle of show (ala Led Zeppelin 1977). 5 feet in front of me was Nels and he was all business.

 

Page / Plant - First tour they did. Never saw so many happy people at a concert. When they went into "The Song Remains the Same" with Jimmy on double neck. I looked around the arena and every single person was smiling ear to ear.

 

David Bowie - Serious Moonlight Tour (1983?) The Spectrum in Philadelphia - Left Summer Camp for night out and drive 1.5 hours to see this with no tickets. We got tickets at box office that we 3rd level on the side of the stage but we didn't care. Bowie was the shit. He played Ashes to Ashes in a enclosed lighting thing and never came out.

 

Billy Joel - 52nd St. Tour - Sportatorium 1979. First real show for me with my parents but still cool to think I saw that (I was 13).

 

Bruce - Born in USA Tour - Orange Bowl - Missed him when he played in South Florida for the River tour so this my was first Opportunity to see the man. Have seen him at least 10 times since.

[Moss]

SRV at Red Rocks in 1985 (I think) - Sandwiched between Talk Talk and Berlin on the bill. First of many SRV shows for me.

 

Pearl Jam on Halloween at the greek theatre in Berkeley - Just a cool show with the band really loose, early 90's, Henry Rollins and American Music Club opened.

 

Guided By Voices - Rober Pollard hands me a Budweiser from the stage.

 

Gang of Four - Band was incredible, just a mass of humanity dancing and singing to every song.

 

Paul Westerberg - Loose and having fun, dropped his pants to show the injury he recieved the day before and sang most the song in his underwear.

 

Neil young with Pearl Jam - Eddie left the stage with the flu so Neil Young played the entire show. Cortez was amazing.

 

Bill Graham tribute concert in Golden gate park - My Only Grateful Dead show sadly.

 

Joe strummer at house of Blues in LA - So intense

 

First Wilco show - Blew my mind

 

So many more...

[Dmada]

roger waters-pros and cons tour

just got out of the show, feeling very good and with a serious case of the munchies, my bro and I are standing in line at the chili dog truck and a limo goes by-its waters sticking his head out and waving-like two feet in front of me

very cool

[Wild Frank]

roger waters-pros and cons tour

just got out of the show, feeling very good and with a serious case of the munchies, my bro and I are standing in line at the chili dog truck and a limo goes by-its waters sticking his head out and waving-like two feet in front of me

very cool

Don't know why but that made me laugh. I always imagined Waters in the back of a limosine would be like a facist dictator or something like the character in the movie version of The Wall. The image of him hanging out the window waving seems contrary to his image.

 

Alot of people have mentioned the pros and cons tour here recently. I must stick on the album as I haven't heard it in a long time.

[PopTodd]

Guided By Voices - Rober Pollard hands me a Budweiser from the stage.

 

Extra-super cool!

[Preferred B]

Nice! I just remembered a "private event" Jack Daniels-sponsored show by the New Pornographers a few years ago in Madison. A.C. Newman busted out one of their free bottles of whiskey and passed it around the first few rows of the crowd, and I think I took a sip. Looking back, it's a shame Dan Bejar wasn't at that show.