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
Grateful Dead, MSG 9-21-90. What a killer darkStar! Jerry Garcia Band, Music Mountain 06-82. Jerry at his best. Jerry Garcia and John Kahn and Capitol Theater, Passaic, NJ. 11-84, I would include both the early and late show. Excellent show with Jerry hitting a great groove through out the night. The Bird Song and Good Night Irene are to die for! BTW the show ended at around 3:30 am. Reggie Sun Splash of 1982. Okay I'm cheating here, it was 3 days and included the Dead, ending their shaw at 7:00am with a rainbow shinning behind them with the sun rising. The Clash, who after their set walked freely around the crowd. Peter Tosh, "the Bush Dr." Jimmy Cliff, Rita Marley and the Melody Makers, Sqeeze's last show, Black Uhuru, B-52's, Joe Jackson, Toots and the Maytails, and on and on... Simon and Garfunkle reunion at Central Park, 1981. What can I say, it was a magical momment.

Neil Young, Civic Auditorium, Portland Oregon, 1989

Beautiful acoustic set. Played Silver and Gold. Live

'Natural Beauty' showed up on the album 'Harvest Moon'

Bugs Henderson, Cascade Tavern, Vancouver WA, 2000.

Filthy tavern blood and guts blues guitar at it's best.

Mr. Eddie B. Campbell, Hot House, Chicago IL 1999.

My favorite guitar performance of all time. Maxi priest

from the temple of tone.

Liquid Soul, Chicago IL, 1999.

Amazing Jazz/rap/rock fusion group. Creative.

Allman Brothers, outdoor ampi, Vail Colorado, 1995.

Didn't have to buy your own pot to get high at

that one...

Page and Plant, Denver, 1996

My date asked me "who is led zeppelin", (swear to god)

Plant rocks, Tommy Lee on drums, and Page has gotten

even better !

Evie's Edge, Colorado Springs, 1997 (?)

Deb Ast played guitar like Jimmy Page. Scary part

was that the music was original. Great vocals too.

Cowboy Junkies, Black Eyed Man tour, Royal Oak MI, 1992

That voice !

Pat Metheny, Civic Aud, Des Moines IA, 2000.

Jazz guitar for folks like me!

Charles Lloyd, Alladin, Portland Oregon, 2000.

He's right up there with coltrane and co. My favorite

horn player. John abercombe was great too !

Village Vanguard, NYC, thursday before xmas, 1999

Thursday night jazz group. Have no idea what their

name was. Drummer talked to himself the whole set.

Guess I'd better stop now !

Park West in Chicago, Armitage & Clark St, small venue (1-2,000) club that was very posh and had great sound. From 1978-85 I saw many concerts, U2 from 1981 has to be close to best ever. Couple miles up Clark St you had Cabaret Metro near Wrigley, also small club, more bohemian (whiskey a-go-go of Chicago) but had the ultra cool "Smart Bar" in the basement. Must have seen at least 50-100 bands here! Unfortunately no longer live in Chicago.
Queen in 1978 in Germany... gooood one, John Cougar, ZZ Top, Bad Company, Fleetwood Mack. In that order.
I'll have to add another one. Just got back from The Billy Joel/Elton John concert in Salt Lake City, and it was very good. Well at least to me it was, I really enjoy both of their music. Okay so I can't have 6, let's drop Bad Company.