Osler's Razor

It would be hard to beat Three Dog Night at their apex. Or John Denver as an emerging star--Country Roads and Sunshine on my Shoulders days.

But Simon and Garfunkel (plus the Everly Brothers) in a 2001 reunion tour, for personal reasons as much as anything, has to be the best.

Or any Jimmy Buffett event.
 

Simon and Garfunkel 1981 Concert in Central Park NYC.
 

Wow, Susan. That is one of the all-time best concerts I have ever seen...on tape.
Willie at some country club in Waco in the mid-90s before he came back into prominence was special. There were only about 300 of us there. All standing in front of a small stage. He was touring Spirit which is still one of my favorite Willie albums.
 

This is very tough--I've seen some good ones:

1. The Doobie Brothers -- very hungry afterwards
2. Billy Joel -- Madrid 1980
3. Barry Manilow --Met Center 1984 He gives quite a show
4. Stixs --Deaf for two days afterward
5. John Denver -- St. Peter, MN 1970 Amazing
6. Pat Benatar --Met Center 1981 Operatic

 

Radiohead touring "OK Computer" with Spiritualized touring "Ladies and Gentlemen..." In 1998. Or Rage Against the Machine touring "Evil Empire" with the Roots opening. Also, seeing Wilco touring "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" in a tiny club in Dallas before they moved up to halls and amphitheaters was pretty sweet.

RRL
 

I am super limited when it comes to music, and I have never really appreciated live music. Having said that, friends dragged me to several interesting concerts in my youth:

1983, Bangels (pre-Walk Like An Egyptian) opening for Oingo Boingo at the Universal Amphitheatre

1981, B-52s at the Hollywood Palladium

1981, saw an unknown PeeWee Herman get booed off the stage prior to a (hate to admit this one) GoGos gig at the Greek

BUT THE BEST I EVER SAW (or at least the one I enjoyed the most) WAS a few years ago in the Metroplex with the family:

Weird Al Yankovic

He started on time. No warm-up. Gave two solid hours of high-energy entertainment. Good show!!!
 

Moody Blues - front row center
Cincinnati, OH 1983 or 1984

Second to this was Elton John - back row of Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.

 

AWF - I went to a GoGo's concert during my college days.

Almost forgot one recent concert that was fantastic...

Trucks Tedeschi Band at Durham Performing Arts Center - absolutely incredible.
 

Mark, I have had fun thinking about this today and reading others comments. I do not have a favorite; maybe a top 10+ list. Some of these concerts memory recalls better than others … all were memorable … dates are largely accurate … and I think I have removed all fiction.

John Sebastian and Delaney, Bonnie & Friends (with Clapton) - Harvard Stadium (MA) - 1970
James Taylor - Saratoga SPARC (NY) - 1974
Bruce Springsteen - Utica Aud. (NY) - 1977
Dan Fogelberg and Tim Weisberg - Red Rocks (CO) - 1977
Fleetwood Mac & Chick Corea - Colgate (NY) - 1975
Paul Simon - Caesera Amphitheater (Israel) - 1978
St. Louis Symphony with Isaac Pearlman - Odeon of Herodes Atticus Amphitheater (GR) - 1978
Paul Winter Consort, Missa Gaia/Earth Mass - Seattle (WA) - 1982
J.J. Cale - London - 1975
The Dead - Syracuse Aud. (NY) - 1977
The Police and the Pretenders - William & Mary Hall (VA) - 1984
Janis Joplin - Harvard Stadium (MA) - 1970
Neil Young - London - 1975
Livingston Taylor - Weston (MA) backyard - 1974
 

Any early 70's blues gigs at Antone's on 6th street in Austin - everybody played there, from all the black blues people to anyone in town on tour. Jimmy and Stevie Vaughn and Double Trouble - always outstanding.

Any Clapton concert - saw him in the early 70's, and just last month.

Willie Nelson and Family the night they played the full album "Red Headed Stranger" for the first time in public for an invitation-only crowd in an old ballroom on South Congress in Austin.

Armadillo world headquarters - who didn't play there? Zappa, Country Joe, 13th floor Elevators - pick a legend.

The Grateful Dead - Outdoors in perfect spring weather in Austin - mushrooms were in season.



Lee
 

- Fleetwood Mac, Rumors tour, Capital Center 1977
- Oingo Boingo, The Boathouse, Norfolk 1989ish
- Los Lobos, The Boathouse 1988
- Springsteen, 1981 Hampton, 1981, Capital Center, 1984 Capital Center
- Beat Farmers, Long Beach 1988
- White Stripes, Merriweather Post Pavilion 2005
- George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers, Roanoke, 1983
-Richard Thompson, the Mean Fiddler, some place just outside London 1987
-The Who, Hampton 1979

 

I'm pretty sure you made up "Richard Thompson, the Mean Fiddler."