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
I have no all time favorite concerts but here are 5 I remember the best 1) Rich Stadium in Buffalo 1975 CSNY with Santana 2) Same place,same year Stones and The Outlaws 3) The Dome arena Roch.NY 1976? Kiss,I thought the place was going to burn down.4) same place,same year? Urhia Heep and Black Oak, both great stage acts! 5) Roch.War Memorial 1973? Black Sabbath in their prime!
- Milton Keynes UK - 1982 i think....one night only....never to be forgotten (the concert not the date!!)
Bowie 1972 Santa Monica.Bowie 1976 LA Forum. Bowie 1985 New Orleans,Super Dome (sons first concert, he was nine). Bowie 1992 Pensacola, Florida Civic Center.Bowie, 1992 Dodgers Stadium. Missed the Atlanta show where Bowie was touring with Nine Inch Nails do to a little storm called Hurrican Opal(gave the tickets to our son)Got wind in 1998 Bowie was going to play this warehouse in Atlanta.Got plane tickets to see that show too! Lots of shows in between from artists like the Stones, Who, Tull, Sabbath, Yes, Zepplin, and more.
5. Blue Oyster Cult (late '70s; State Fair Grounds, Beaumont, TX) - Hey, it makes the list just because it was a lot of fun. Hometown, open air stadium; way too cute girlfriend; appropriate substances abused. What more could you want? 4. Robert Plant (mid '80s; Colesium, Oakland, CA) - High point of this was the band backing him up. Made up almost exclusively by studio musicians, most of the members were recognizable names at the time. Technically speaking it was the best concert I've ever attended. Early in the show I pointed out that the drummer was exceptional and wondered aloud who it was. Turned out it was Phil Collins. 3. KISS (late 70's) - Too loud. Too theatrical. Too contrived. Too much fun. 2. Lynyrd Skynyrd (early '70s; Civic Center, Lake Charles, LA) - Just before they were discovered by the mainstream. Amazing rock 'n roll performers, they wrung it out for us. 1. ZZ Top (Thanksgiving Day at the Summit in Houston, TX; pick any one) - An annual event for years, I didn't miss a one until moving to CA made going impractical. Billy Gibbons is a monster guitar player who doesn't get the recognition he deserves. Their concerts stand out just from sheer numbers. (Yes, Charlie, the Fandango tour WAS as good as you remember.)