Osler's Razor

That's "person of IpLaw" to you.

Kraftwerk. Yuck. Next tell us about going to see Mike Oldfield doing Tubular Bells.

I guess the only mild surprise I ever got at a show was when I saw 10,000 Maniacs at William & Mary Hall. I was expecting something pretty mellow, but they rocked. Very impressive.

Best show ever? Hard to say. I saw Fleetwood Mac on the Rumours tour in 1977 and they were incredible, at the height of their game - but that was the my first concert ever. Saw Springsteen five time in 81, 84 and 85 before he became faux folkie and concerned political activist. Three hour shows that left everyone in the arena exhausted.

I've seen the Who several times, and twice they've been amazing. Roger Daltrey really does have one of the greatest rock and roll voices of all time.

My single experiences with Eric Clapton and the Stones were huge disappointments.

Saw some fabulous shows at the Boathouse in Norfolk, including X, just before they broke up the first time, the Jesus and Mary Chain and especially Oingo Boingo. The best show I ever saw there though was Los Lobos just after La Bamba came out. Another show I walked out of drenched with sweat and beer and ecstatic.

Perhaps the best national recording artist playing at a bar I ever saw was the Beat Farmers in Long Beach in 1989. Saw them again in '95 a few weeks before Country Dick Montana died-- onstage. Both times he hung out with the crowd before the show and during breaks. Talked to him both times -- a super nice guy.

Other close contenders would be Son Seals (Tied2Bleach must know who he was) and Webb Wilder.

Shows I've seen in the past few years that rate include Ben Kweller, Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials in a Chicago blues club and especially the White Stripes. I didn't see how a 2 person band could capture and hold an audience of 6000 in an ampitheatre, but they did. Jack White is amazing. Going to see them again next month.
 

I seriously have no response...Kraftwerk?? Seriously?? I expected so much more from you man.

I've seen some good shows. U2, Rage Against the Machine (with The Roots), REM, The Who, and Wilco rank pretty high up there. But the best show I ever saw was Radiohead on the OK Computer tour. A band at their peak, touring behind their best album, and playing at a relatively small venue. Simply amazing.
 

Without Kraftwerk, there is no Radiohead... seriously, "OK Computer?" It's derivative...
 

I just want to say that one of my other favorite bands was the band that used to play at the Triangle Tavern is South Philly. They were awesome. It was like three homeless guys and an accountant from Price Waterhouse.

But they rocked.
 

IPLG:

I've not seen as many rock concerts as you - though we did make many a Skip Trip together - but my personal fave was early in 1982 when The Go-Go's opened for the Police at the Hall.
 

Iplaw,
Yeah, I know who Son Seals is.
Funny you mention the Beat Farmers, I used to know those guys fairly well, crazy as hell but fun folks....though when you'd hang out, you always had a nagging feeling that you were on a crazy thrill ride in a car speeding towards a cliff. I can't choose one favorite show. I've been fortunate to be at several amazing ones.Bill Frisell with Brian Blade on drums and Sam Yahel on organ ranks as one that particularly stands out. It was basically what I envision it to be like to be it the mind of Beethoven as the amazing lines and counterlines flew around internally before becoming cemented to the work on the page. I saw a great albeit very show Ray Charles show. BB King played one of the coolest things that I've ever heard in the middle of an otherwise average show. David Lindley had a couple of shows that floored me. I used to see Los Lobos way back when (early to mid 80s) at concerts in a park in Ventura...great group. I saw a great original Santana reunion show and another with Buddy Miles that was a high point to be sure.
 

TT,

I wasn't gonna mention Skip Castro, as they never got a major label contract, but yes, still the best bar band I've ever seen. Only the aforementioned Beat Farmers came close, and as Tied2bleach said, they could be scary and out of control.

Perhaps the most memorable tune I ever heard any band play was the Beat Farmers doing "Green Acres." You really had to be there to appreciate it.
 

I went on about Fugazi on my own blog, but some other great shows:

- The original Lollapalooza. Jane's Addiction, Siousioux and the Banshees, Ice-T and Body Count, Living Colour... it was crazy.

- Peter Gabriel. Not a huge fan of his, but I've never seen a better showman.

- Neil Young. Solo and acoustic. Just amazing. He just walked out with a guitar and a bottle of Jack and played until the bottle was empty.

- Less Than Jake. Somehow, I spent the entire show in a bathtub. I have no idea how the tub got there or why I was in it.

- The Alkaline Trio. Saw them in a basement of a church with no A/C in the summer. It was stifling hot and I think I passed out at one point. But when the played '97 you could have heard a pin drop. Everyone was mesmerized.
 

Best concert...Matthew Sweet at Liberty Lunch in Austin. Small venues with true fans are the best. My guilty favorite concerts would have to be Depeche Mode, (I have been to many) and they were certainly influenced by Kraftwerk.

IPLG I am very jealous. I would gladly risk life and limb to time travel to 1973 to see Pink Floyd perform Dark Side and Bowie's Ziggy live.
 

Ginger,

I'm not that old! Never saw Floyd or Bowie. My brother has seen Bowie a couple times, including on the Glass Spider tour. Big fan.

Richard Waters sounds like an arrogant twit in his interviews, but yeah, the Pre-Wall Floyd would have been worth seeing. By the time I was going to see concerts though, it was too late.

I should mention that I did see Lowell George and Little Feat right before he died. The guy was obviously out of it for the first half of the show. He didn't sing lead on any of the tunes until about 45 minutes into the event, then just took over the stage and OWNED the audience.
 

IPLG,
Ha ha, no offense intended, but your mention of the Rumours tour got me thinking about concerts I would have liked to see.

I had a very similar experience to yours with Little Feat. I saw James Brown perform, then happened to meet him later that night (same hotel). He was in some ways a mess, but when he was on...a master showman approaching genius.
 

THE DEL CRANDALLS were great and I hear there is talk of a reunion with Lex of Insurection. Motorsoule and Lutfisk. This would be a huge benny for the New Haven area !