Best Concert Moments
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I can't stand Queen. For the life of me, I can't see how their performance at Live Aid was so stupendous. Obviously, my dislike of them colors my opinion of that performance and I know I'm in the very, very small minority, I get it. But, their music just bores the crap out of me and Freddy Mercury's stage presence seems/seemed scripted, like he had memorized where he was supposed to be at a certain place in a song and which pose he was supposed to strike. It really had the feel of a theater production, not a rock concert. It never seemed spontaneous at all and it wouldn't surprise me to find out that he practiced his stage poses.
I know - blasphemy. In my very personal definition of what is rock 'n roll, 'Bohemian Rhapsody' is no more rock than any of dozens of Broadway shows that happen to use electric guitars.
Great concert moments? How about The Who at Monterrey where they smashed all their instruments only to be one-upped by Hendrix who set his guitar on fire (and, IIRC, still played it!!!)?
I know - blasphemy. In my very personal definition of what is rock 'n roll, 'Bohemian Rhapsody' is no more rock than any of dozens of Broadway shows that happen to use electric guitars.
Great concert moments? How about The Who at Monterrey where they smashed all their instruments only to be one-upped by Hendrix who set his guitar on fire (and, IIRC, still played it!!!)?
If you go into so much detail about why you don't like Queen, then you actually do LIKE Queen
5 Finger Death Punch over a decade ago at Bogarts in Cincinnati. Got my *** knocked down several times in the Mosh Pit.
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I've seen a lot of shows but STP at Louisville Gardens around 97 stands out. After a solid hour plus they leave the stage. The encore was the entire Mtv Unplugged set. Decor and all. Absolutely fabulous.
Was that the show that cheap trick opened for them? If so, I was at that show as well.
I think so. I'll have to go back and look at my stubs. Regardless, we didn't see the opening act. Was doing extra curricular activities in the parking lot.
how about this, Jimmy Buffet at Pine Knob Michigan. Raining like crazy at an outdoor venue. 30 minutes in drunk people are running and sliding on their stomachs in what has become a giant mudslide water park. Large-ish lady in a black leather mini-skirt, walking slide ways up the hill with beer in each hand trying not to slip and fall. My drunk 98 lb buddy, is grabbed by another buddy and I by the wrists and ankles and launched down the mud slide right at the lady. His feet kick her feet in passing, she falls and slides all the way back down with mini skirt now having made its way around her upper body and face with arms sticking straight up in the air. As she stands and wriggles her way to redress with her skirt in proper location, is caught by Buffet who had seen the whole scene, laughing and asking the venue to give that lady two more beers via stage microphone.
I've seen Iron Maiden nine times (every time with the same group of friends), and every show's been an absolutely incredible experience. Some of the best all-night parties of my life. 
The Who’s return to Cincinnati and tribute to the kids who died in 1979. Very beautiful and emotional. I was there . People were crying.
Don’t know about awful, but Queen is very overrated. I wouldn’t put them anywhere in the top 50 all time.
Man, grew up on the 80's Glam Metal, went to concerts at least monthly.
Kiss / Judas Priest
Motley Crue / Cinderella
Ratt / Poison
Ozzy / Metallica
Kiss / Van Halen
80's band, you name them, I probably seen them. Roberts Stadium (Evansville) / Mesker Outdoor Theater for Ozzy / Metallica.
George Strait Country Music Festival (Popa Johns Stadium 1st year it opened)
George Strait
Allen Jackson
Tim McGraw
Kenny Chesney
Mark Wills
Dixie Chicks
Several other great shows, too many to name.
Queen is VERY overrated. IMO. Of course there will be people who hate the acts I listed. It is why there are different styles of music, not everyone will dig what someone else does.
Kiss / Judas Priest
Motley Crue / Cinderella
Ratt / Poison
Ozzy / Metallica
Kiss / Van Halen
80's band, you name them, I probably seen them. Roberts Stadium (Evansville) / Mesker Outdoor Theater for Ozzy / Metallica.
George Strait Country Music Festival (Popa Johns Stadium 1st year it opened)
George Strait
Allen Jackson
Tim McGraw
Kenny Chesney
Mark Wills
Dixie Chicks
Several other great shows, too many to name.
Queen is VERY overrated. IMO. Of course there will be people who hate the acts I listed. It is why there are different styles of music, not everyone will dig what someone else does.
Kind of indifferent on Queen. Do not hate / do not like. They have some pretty good tunes, and some pretty terrible ones like ALL bands. Just not ME. I am sure tons of people hate KISS, but 10-12 year old CatsfanBGKY thought they ruled rock. Live shows are as entertaining as any band.
My favorites from way back when…
1976 in Cincinnati saw Montrose and Blue Oyster Cult. BOC had a laser light show during the concert that was by far the coolest thing I had ever seen at that point.
Saw Van Halen and Black Sabbath in Denver in 1978. Great show.
Later, same venue same year, saw The Isley Brothers. Loved it.
1980 in Cincinnati I saw Atlanta Rhythm Section and ZZ Top. ZZ Top was the loudest concert I’ve ever experienced. Almost painfully loud.
Again, same year same venue, I saw Judas Priest and KISS. I was there only to see Judas Priest. They kicked ***. I’ll simply say that at 21 years old I was not in the target age group for KISS. Saw way too many pre-teens with face makeup, and accompanied by parents. And first and only time I watched concession people walking the aisles selling cotton candy.
In 1999 I was pretty heavily into Blues and was in heaven when I got to see in one show…Tommy Castro, Susan Tedeschi, Buddy Guy, and BB King.
1976 in Cincinnati saw Montrose and Blue Oyster Cult. BOC had a laser light show during the concert that was by far the coolest thing I had ever seen at that point.
Saw Van Halen and Black Sabbath in Denver in 1978. Great show.
Later, same venue same year, saw The Isley Brothers. Loved it.
1980 in Cincinnati I saw Atlanta Rhythm Section and ZZ Top. ZZ Top was the loudest concert I’ve ever experienced. Almost painfully loud.
Again, same year same venue, I saw Judas Priest and KISS. I was there only to see Judas Priest. They kicked ***. I’ll simply say that at 21 years old I was not in the target age group for KISS. Saw way too many pre-teens with face makeup, and accompanied by parents. And first and only time I watched concession people walking the aisles selling cotton candy.
In 1999 I was pretty heavily into Blues and was in heaven when I got to see in one show…Tommy Castro, Susan Tedeschi, Buddy Guy, and BB King.
I was a huge KISS fan when I was a kid. Had all their albums and a lot of posters. I wish I still had them.
Me too. had a Peter Criss drum stick and Gene Simmons guitar pick, Ace Frehley pick. Tons of posters. All burned up in my house when I was around 20 years old. First concert was a birthday present from my older brother, Dynasty tour. Ended up seeing them around 10/11 times. Not for everybody, but they put on one hell of a show. Never was a fan of the make up, but the music was good. I get it that SOME may look at the make up as for the kids, not myself.
Metallica’s performance at the 1991 Monsters of Rock Tour at Tushino Airfield in Moscow. An estimated 1.6 million in attendance with armed Soviet military roaming and helicopter flyovers attempting crowd control. The video looks insane . . . soldiers shedding military gear to headbang and mosh during Metallica’s set.
Queen is one of the all-time greats and Freddie is universally named as the greatest singer/front man of all time. The Live aid performance is by actual critics and the industry judged the greatest performance because of the EVENT that had every major group doing what Queen did that day. Bob Geldof and the rest recognized that Queen on that day was the best. Why try to argue that point.
As for Freddie on stage....none better. He held the audience in the palm of his hand. Not all front-men interact with the audience. Jeff Lynn (ELO) for example does very little talking. But no doubt, their show is without rival.
Seen too many concerts to even remember them all. Queen deserves its spot in the Rock HOF.
As for awful music, did the Who even have a top ten single in the US? I rank the Who just 1 spot ahead of The Boss who is the worst and most rated ever.
As for Freddie on stage....none better. He held the audience in the palm of his hand. Not all front-men interact with the audience. Jeff Lynn (ELO) for example does very little talking. But no doubt, their show is without rival.
Seen too many concerts to even remember them all. Queen deserves its spot in the Rock HOF.
As for awful music, did the Who even have a top ten single in the US? I rank the Who just 1 spot ahead of The Boss who is the worst and most rated ever.
Legend Valley Summer Jam in Thornville, Ohio on July 12, 1980.
In Order:
Def Leppard (1980, first USA tours)
Blackfoot (Rickey Medlocke/ Train-Train)
Scorpions (Excellent)
J. Geils Band (Love Stinks, still not sure about them being included??)
Ted Nugent (Clasic Ted anthems from mid-to late 70's)
It was CRAZY!!!!!
We lived a couple of hours away, left home early, got to our exit about 9am, rained during the morning, lots of muddy Slip-N-Slides as the day went on, beer sold in gallon milk jugs (dude threw one, hit Nugent in head, Security had to hold Ted back), parking was atrocius (I drove 5 of us up in a 1978 Dodge customized van, parked in a cow pasture), a heavy thunderstorm/ tornado hit in the area that evening and we didn't get out of the field until early the next morning (too many people stuck, so we slept it off).
The show was a crazy, GREAT memory!!! From what I remember it ran from noon till just about dark. It was a VERY wide mix of music styles.
A couple of sample pics ofthe traffic issues and from inside the venue (field).
In Order:
Def Leppard (1980, first USA tours)
Blackfoot (Rickey Medlocke/ Train-Train)
Scorpions (Excellent)
J. Geils Band (Love Stinks, still not sure about them being included??)
Ted Nugent (Clasic Ted anthems from mid-to late 70's)
It was CRAZY!!!!!
We lived a couple of hours away, left home early, got to our exit about 9am, rained during the morning, lots of muddy Slip-N-Slides as the day went on, beer sold in gallon milk jugs (dude threw one, hit Nugent in head, Security had to hold Ted back), parking was atrocius (I drove 5 of us up in a 1978 Dodge customized van, parked in a cow pasture), a heavy thunderstorm/ tornado hit in the area that evening and we didn't get out of the field until early the next morning (too many people stuck, so we slept it off).
The show was a crazy, GREAT memory!!! From what I remember it ran from noon till just about dark. It was a VERY wide mix of music styles.
A couple of sample pics ofthe traffic issues and from inside the venue (field).
If we're talking best concert that I attended then it would have to be Yes, 1976 (?). Laser light show blew a then 16-year old away. Couldn't stop talking about it. Of course, it probably wouldn't age well in today's world but back then? Man o man!
The Who, Riverfront Coliseum (12/08/75) ... Best concert of my life !!
Robert Randolph & the Family Band, The Dame
Brian Auger Express, The Dame
The Zombies, The Dame
Monte Montgomery / Umphrey's McGee, The Dame
Arcade Fire, The Dame
Maktub, The Dame
Blue Cheer, The Dame
Los Lonely Boys, The Dame
Marbin, The Burl
The White Stripes, Palace Theater
The Strokes. Jillian's
Unknown Hinson, Phoenix Hill
Midnight Oil, Bogarts
The Cult, Bogarts
Gov't Mule, Bogarts
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Busters
Finn Brothers, Headliners
Pretenders, The Marat
Jethro Tull, The Marat
Crowded House, House of Blues - Chicago
Joni Mitchell, Convention Center
Peter Frampton, Convention Center
The Waterboys, Woodsongs
Elizabeth Cook, Uncle Slayton’s
The Jompson Brothers, Cosmic Charlie’s
Sunday Valley, Cosmic Charlie’s
… just to name a few
Robert Randolph & the Family Band, The Dame
Brian Auger Express, The Dame
The Zombies, The Dame
Monte Montgomery / Umphrey's McGee, The Dame
Arcade Fire, The Dame
Maktub, The Dame
Blue Cheer, The Dame
Los Lonely Boys, The Dame
Marbin, The Burl
The White Stripes, Palace Theater
The Strokes. Jillian's
Unknown Hinson, Phoenix Hill
Midnight Oil, Bogarts
The Cult, Bogarts
Gov't Mule, Bogarts
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Busters
Finn Brothers, Headliners
Pretenders, The Marat
Jethro Tull, The Marat
Crowded House, House of Blues - Chicago
Joni Mitchell, Convention Center
Peter Frampton, Convention Center
The Waterboys, Woodsongs
Elizabeth Cook, Uncle Slayton’s
The Jompson Brothers, Cosmic Charlie’s
Sunday Valley, Cosmic Charlie’s
… just to name a few
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Best concert-Paul McCartney at Riverfront Stadium in the early 90s. I can still remember the fireworks show to Live and Let Die.
Worst- Eric Clapton at wherever the arena the Pacers play now is called. You ever showed up for work mad, sick or both and said these people are idiots for paying me today? That was him that night and it very much showed. Only show I ever went to with no encore.
Best personal moment nobody else will care about- Springsteen at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. They have an obscure remake of a Jimmy Cliff song called Trapped that has my favorite Clarence saxophone solo. Never thought I would hear it and they played it. That was the next to last night on that tour and Clarence died before they toured again.
Best surprise opening band- Went to see Iggy Pop at the old Vogue Theater in Louisville. Frickin Alice in Chains sang a song about a Man in the Box about a month before they blew up.
Weirdest- The Black Crowes walking off stage after 1 song at Louisville Gardens. Something happened with the cops and their backstage crew. They said they had to go backstage to check on something, came back 5 minutes later and gave some speech about how they came to give us the gift of their music and weren't going to be hassled, left and that was it. They avoided a riot by announcing everyone was getting their money back.
Worst- Eric Clapton at wherever the arena the Pacers play now is called. You ever showed up for work mad, sick or both and said these people are idiots for paying me today? That was him that night and it very much showed. Only show I ever went to with no encore.
Best personal moment nobody else will care about- Springsteen at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. They have an obscure remake of a Jimmy Cliff song called Trapped that has my favorite Clarence saxophone solo. Never thought I would hear it and they played it. That was the next to last night on that tour and Clarence died before they toured again.
Best surprise opening band- Went to see Iggy Pop at the old Vogue Theater in Louisville. Frickin Alice in Chains sang a song about a Man in the Box about a month before they blew up.
Weirdest- The Black Crowes walking off stage after 1 song at Louisville Gardens. Something happened with the cops and their backstage crew. They said they had to go backstage to check on something, came back 5 minutes later and gave some speech about how they came to give us the gift of their music and weren't going to be hassled, left and that was it. They avoided a riot by announcing everyone was getting their money back.
Gave her the old Oom Pah pah mau mau, didja? A little William on her Golden?
I saw Montrose open up for Peter Frampton in the 70s. Ronnie Montrose was a fantastic guitarist. Some of the best shows I've seen were the blues acts at the Double Door Inn in Charlotte. Tommy Castro, Bernard Allison, Tinsley Ellis, Tab Benoit, Jimmy Thackery, Chris Duarte. I've seen Buddy Guy a couple of times and the Allman Brothers several times. Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, Robin Trower a couple of times among others. Maybe the most memorable moment from any was Pink Floyd doing Comfortably Numb at an outdoor show in Clemson, SC with a few billion stars in the sky on a warm, crystal clear late spring night. Another great moment was Memphis street musician Richard Johnston's cover of Black Sabbath's War Pigs on his homemade 3 string cigar box guitar at a blues festival in Greensboro, NC.
I still listen to some of those Double Door recordings you sent me. Good stuff!
Favorite in-person for me was the Guns N' Roses reunion tour in Cincinnati in 2016 when they brought Steven Adler out to play a couple Appetite songs on drums.
For me, the most memorable concert was The Beatles at Crosley Field in August 1966. But it was technically a really bad experience, since this was before the days of suitable sound systems for stadium venues. A couple of more come to mind -- Muddy Waters at a club in Cleveland in the mid '70s. The Rolling Stones in Louisville during their Steel Wheels tour in the mid '80s. And John Prine at the Louisville Palace in the late '90s.
Everything you said up until the last paragraph is the overwhelming majority opinion, as I stated in my critique of Queen. For my money and taste, U2 >>> Queen at Live Aid but I like U2's music (at least at that point in their career) infinitely more than Queen's so I'm completely biased. I realize my opinion represents a very, very small number of people - but that's my opinion. Stating 'all critics say' is another way of saying other people's opinion is...
FM as 'best front man' - meh. Again, it does not appear spontaneous and looks overly rehearsed. Again, my very minority opinion.
The Who and 'awful music' - wow. Guess who is in the vast minority with that take? Tommy, Who's Next, Quadrophenia can stand up to any rock group for 3 consecutive albums. Live at Leeds is generally regarded as one of the best live albums ever (there's those darn critics again!). Whether they ever had a top ten single is weird metric to measure a group's quality as there are hundreds of bands who had a top 10 single (sometimes multiple ones) who sucked out loud and didn't last past their 15 minutes of fame.
No worries, though. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. On Queen and the Who, we disagree and I'm OK with that. We're good, bro.
Way too many to mention, but a few highlights...
~Bruce at Wrigley in 2012 and watching Jake nail the Jungleland solo. First time hearing it live since Clarence passed.
~First row for Prince at Louisville Palace in 2015. Captivating.
~Clapton at MSG in 2017. Bucket list item checked off.
~Elton at Caesar's Palace.
~Bruce at Wrigley in 2012 and watching Jake nail the Jungleland solo. First time hearing it live since Clarence passed.
~First row for Prince at Louisville Palace in 2015. Captivating.
~Clapton at MSG in 2017. Bucket list item checked off.
~Elton at Caesar's Palace.
Musical preference is very personal and subjective. I had a very eclectic taste in music...and by music I mean rock. The music industry has been destroyed IMO by MTV who took away the music and inserted how you look and dance. How outrageous you can act on stage or in your personal life. Guitars? Where did they go? Very sad.
U2 was widely considered to be #2 on that day. I appreciate U2 but was a bit turned off at the time by their "politics." That said, Bono has not been crazy like so many others who should shut up and sing. Freddie was NEVER political or open about his sexuality. That is one of the things I most respect about him. Not until he was about to die did he even acknowledge anything about AIDS and that certainly was the political topic of the era.
OT: If you want to see the most amazing concert you've ever seen...ELO is on their final tour later this summer and fall. Jeff Lynn is one of the greats. If you get a chance you need to get a ticket. You will know every song.