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
Being a veteran of 300+ concerts seeing just about every band from ABBA to Zappa,Iv`e been to some tremendous concerts in my time.I have also been to some pretty crappy shows too.In no order, some of my best.

1. Supertramp "Breakfast in America" tour.Simply a perfect,clean,awesome sound.This could well be the best sounding show I have ever heard.It was almost like they put on a CD (even though they weren`t invented yet)and played the CD.Just blew me away.Even after all these years,there have been hardly any concerts that compare to the sound of this tour.
2. Pink Floyd "In the Flesh" tour.For some reason,they were promoting the album "Animals",but they called the tour "In the Flesh".This might well be the best concert of my life considering all the criteria that make up a great show.From the staging,lighting,big round video screen,floating inflateables,and sound system....just a perfect,perfect concert.This tour are what other concerts were judged by at the time.
3. Yes- A tie between "Relayer" and "In the Round" tours.
Two of the most fantastic performances ever.The muscianship from all members of Yes were truly top notch.The only difference between these two tours was,"Relayer" utilized the Roger Dean staging(the so-called,crab nebula)while the "In the Round" was just Yes on a empty round stage.The sound was tremendous for both tours.
4. Kansas "Left Overture" tour. This show was at a accoustically perfect venue called the Tower Theater in Upper Darby,Pa. A great album that actually was better live.The sound was just DEAD-ON with some of the best live guitar work I have ever seen from Kerry Livgren and Richard Williams.
5. Electric Light Orchestra Part 2 (?????) tour. I don`t know what they called this tour but it was the best performance I ever saw from this band,with or without founder Jeff Lynn.I saw them in the 70`s with Lynn,and they were excellent, but this tour had the band performing with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Academy of Music.Simply a perfect sounding venue.The new singer(???) who sang Lynn`s parts was just OK, but the band with orchestra, was simply incredible.

Honorable mentions go out to Jethro Tull,The Kinks,Journey,
Hall and Oates,Tom Petty,Bruce Springsteen,Jefferson Starship,Peter Frampton,The Cars,Boston,Asia,10CC,Jackson Brown,Alan Parsons Project,Bob Seager,and Genesis.
Rolling Stones, Dodger Stadium, "Bridges to Babylon" tour.

Honorable mention to U2, Shea's Theater Buffalo, "War" tour.

Tlopes, I have often thought that the Kansas show from the "Leftoverture" show was amazing. I thought my pleasant memories were due to a fogging with the passage of time. I'm glad to read somone had the same experience I did.
Hey Tvad here is some things I remember from that show...not many,but a few....See if any of these jog your memory...remember when the strobe lights came on?(I don`t remember what song)There was a nude dancing girl on stage dancing.If you didn`t look close enough you would have never even noticed her.How about at the end of the song "Miracles out of Nowhere" when Phil Erhart hits the big gong...lasers came shooting straight out and over his drum kit.A perfect ending to the song.Steve Walsh was introducing a song (?) and I don`t know how they did it, but his voice kind of sped up really,really fast sort of like when you put a tape recording in fast-forward mode.Then his intro would slow down to a normal speed and then all of a sudden it would speed up again.I have never heard this since. It was a great way to introduce a song.Other then a great sounding concert,thats all I basically remember.I know there were more little things they did on stage but dam...it was many years ago.
Tlopes, your memory of that show is frightening. I do distinctly remember that I had never been to a show that had such excellent sound. And, I was amazed at the lasers that literally flew out over the audience...seemingly just over our heads. Man, I wish I could remember the dancing girl :)
1)The Who - 1974 Quadraphenia tour (Boston Garden, MA)
2)Genesis - 1974 Lamb Lies Down on Broadway tour (Music Hall, Boston, MA)
3)ELP - 1974 Brain Salad Surgery tour (Boston Garden, MA)
4)U2 - 1984 War tour (Music Hall, Boston, MA)
5)Sigur Ros - 2003 ( ) tour (Paramount Theatre, Oakland, CA)