OT: Best concert you have ever been to?

fsg2_rivals

Heisman
Apr 3, 2018
10,881
13,184
0
Anyone ever catch a show at Double Ds? Assume it's not there anymore.

Saw Blue Oyster Cult there back around 02 or 03. The world needs more rock/strip clubs!
 

Source

All-American
Aug 1, 2001
11,228
6,261
0
Anyone ever catch a show at Double Ds? Assume it's not there anymore... the world needs more rock/strip clubs!
I saw the Pink Floyd tribute band "The Machine" at Double D's. Really good. They performed the song Pink Floyd used as its demo for the record company in the 1960s and had the lights and fog machine going as well. Long time lead singer Joe Pascarelli passed away this past January. The band still performs though.

Favorite:

Steely Dan at the PNC Arts Center in 2015 and another show years earlier at the same place. We sat on the lawn. The sound was better than sitting underneath the roof. Love the Dan.

Most memorable:

Rolling Stones with the Counting Crows in August, 1994 for the Voodoo Lounge Tour at Giants Stadium. Lightning storm warnings and a complete downpour didn't stop the Stones from performing out in the open or me practicing my breast stroke down where the field was.

The end of Double D's, May, 2006:
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: fsg2_rivals

Bababooey_Class'80

Sophomore
Nov 18, 2011
124
135
0
I previously posted my favorite, but given the RU relevance, I am compelled to also note Elvis Costello at the "Ledge" in 1978 when I was at school. I have seen many hundreds of concerts, but this one still remains clear in my foggy memory.
We didn't have cell phones back then to record, but I did find this video from the same time/tour that captured what a confident singer/songwriter he was that night. I didn't fully appreciate his theatrics with his lyrics to really sell a song ("Alison") at the time, but this reminds me of how he commanded the stage that night at old RU in the seventies.
 
Last edited:

DJ Spanky

Heisman
Jul 25, 2001
46,449
56,372
113
 
  • Haha
Reactions: LeapinLou

RUsundevil

Junior
Jul 7, 2002
8,526
202
0
Best song was Dramarama singing Anything, Anything in Phx which I got to tell the leader singer after the show.
Ozomatli at College Ave was pretty awesome too.
 
Jul 31, 2001
835
200
0
...Lastly, It's quite clear that most (with few exceptions) are holding on to memories from moons ago. There is contemporary music that is worth listening to, specially when performed live. As someone mention above, 21 Pilots (there is more than the radio stuff), Muse, and last but not least Biffy Fvcking Clyro. Biffy what? here you go..... (hope the link works)

 
  • Like
Reactions: MAXRU18

MAXRU18

Redshirt
Oct 12, 2016
10
5
0
...Lastly, It's quite clear that most (with few exceptions) are holding on to memories from moons ago. There is contemporary music that is worth listening to, specially when performed live. As someone mention above, 21 Pilots (there is more than the radio stuff), Muse, and last but not least Biffy Fvcking Clyro. Biffy what? here you go..... (hope the link works)


Yay fellow Muse fan. They're one of my favorites, seen them twice and they do some sick live shows... 21 Pilots also good live. I will check out Biffy as well.

I've also seen Coldplay 2x (awesome effects with the LED wristbands they give the whole stadium), U2 @ MSG, Foo Fighters, Tool, and The Struts.

And Dua Lipa, she's a rockstar.
 

RedTeamUpstream94

All-American
Jan 15, 2021
3,261
6,063
113
Also remember a Happy Mondays concert I hated — was particularly chaotic, way too loud and annoying.
Happy Mondays are one of my top 5 favorite groups !! Love the Happy Mondays!!! Never got to see them live but I can totally see a show of theirs going off the rails.

i am sure I am missing a few but the top 3 that come to mind:

- lollapooza (the original)

- Wilco at count Basie 15 year ago or so here’s vid from that show :

- most recently Yacht Rock Revue. We saw them at stone pony summer stage. Lame choice? Sure but f’it Just plain fun- isn’t that what life’s about

lastly, I go to a local house concert venue . There is NOTHING better than seeing talented musicians play in such an intimate setting. but I’m gonna keep that venue to myself ;)
 
Last edited:

RUGuitarMan1

All-Conference
Apr 5, 2021
2,243
3,437
73
Anybody see Elton John in NJ a few weeks ago?
The three year "goodbye" tour lol
I saw him back in Feb. at The Prudential Center. It was actually the first time I’ve seen him live and thought it was outstanding. I was amazed at how well he sounded both vocally and on piano. He may go on this farewell tour for a few more years.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ashokan

Jm0513

All-American
Aug 16, 2018
5,952
7,396
46
My favorite concert was The Lumineers.
They are amazing live every time.
I’m going to see them and Stevie Nicks in Connecticut next month.

Another fun one was Lollapalooza 1994. A very young JM and a heavy amount of marijuana.

Worst concert- Lana Del Rey.
She sounds like a cat in heat being skinned alive.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: ashokan

RuBird

Heisman
Jun 28, 2001
18,312
22,695
113
Saw Disturbed with Three Days Grace at Mohegan Sun a few years back. Daughter loved it. Disturbed was great as always
 

MoreCowbellRU

All-Conference
Jan 29, 2012
2,199
1,339
0
Lots of great lists here so far.

The best I ever attended was Sting, Billy Joel and Don Henley together @ MSG. Was some kind of fundraiser. Sting was great, Billy Joel was off the charts, then Henley brought the house down. I said to my wife "how do you follow Billy Joel @ MSG?!?!" before he came on. Well, he answered that one in spades. They drew straws for playing order.

Foo Fighters 1st show @msg after plandemic (R.I.P Taylor)
Every other Foo's concert I attended.
Every Green day show I've made
Bruce @ Giants Stadium was a good one
Elton John and Billy Joel together @ Giants Stadium was great also. Was like tenth row.

Saw a bunch of great shows when I worked @ Six Flags. Kool and the Gang, Earth Wind and Fire...long list. The best show there was Brian Setzer from The Stray Cats. Guy was awesome. Got to meet a bunch of the artists to boot. Ted Nugent is a cool dude.

Seen lots of great performers that are not as famous.
During the lockdown I saw an Eagles cover band @ the restaurant in Monmouth Park parking lot that was nothing short of awesome. Forget the name, Ill have to look it up and share.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jm0513

e5fdny

Heisman
Nov 11, 2002
113,737
52,406
102
People mentioned the Dead…one of the worst I’ve been to was their infamous MSG show. Initially I thought it was me, since I was stone cold sober. Probably one of the few in the place that night. Lol

Found out years later from some serious Deadheads I know that particular MSG show was considered 👎
 

Knight Shift

Heisman
May 19, 2011
85,813
83,355
113
People mentioned the Dead…one of the worst I’ve been to was their infamous MSG show. Initially I thought it was me, since I was stone cold sober. Probably one of the few in the place that night. Lol

Found out years later from some serious Deadheads I know that particular MSG show was considered 👎
What year? My bro is a huge Dead fan
 

e5fdny

Heisman
Nov 11, 2002
113,737
52,406
102
What year? My bro is a huge Dead fan
Sometime in the 80s. Took the train in (I think from Rutgers) planning on meeting some friends there. Just remember how bad musically they sounded that night. Had seen them many times before and after.
 

Colbert17!

Heisman
Aug 30, 2014
17,247
18,627
113
1976 - Billy Joel at The Botom Line in the Village. I was about 15 feet from him.
Also a Midnight Ramble inside Levon Helm's home in Woodstock. Donald Fagen was the guest piano player. That was 2010?
 
Last edited:

greenknight

Heisman
Sep 1, 2001
20,563
12,284
113
Bruce 5 plus HR concert back in the day
Marshall Tucker/ 38 Special tie
Gonna get killed on this one but One Direction simply because my wife & I I took our 2 young girls as a surprise. Super fun to sing songs at concert with you pre 10 yr old girls. By far the priciest bought the tickets at met life day of scored super close tickets for $1K on cancellation zero chance I would ever do that again but for a 1 & done experience for the girls it was worth it
 

wheezer

Heisman
Jun 3, 2001
169,170
24,797
113
I saw the Pink Floyd tribute band "The Machine" at Double D's. Really good. They performed the song Pink Floyd used as its demo for the record company in the 1960s and had the lights and fog machine going as well. Long time lead singer Joe Pascarelli passed away this past January. The band still performs though.

Favorite:

Steely Dan at the PNC Arts Center in 2015 and another show years earlier at the same place. We sat on the lawn. The sound was better than sitting underneath the roof. Love the Dan.

Most memorable:

Rolling Stones with the Counting Crows in August, 1994 for the Voodoo Lounge Tour at Giants Stadium. Lightning storm warnings and a complete downpour didn't stop the Stones from performing out in the open or me practicing my breast stroke down where the field was.

The end of Double D's, May, 2006:
As a Floyd fan I have seen most of the touring tribute groups
Currently Brit Floyd is the best imo, Australian Pink Floyd good also.... the two lead singers of Australian left that group years ago to start Brit Floyd

"The machine" was pretty good, I saw them once where they did DSOTM to
The video of the Wizard of Oz, when that was a "thing"
The Machines following is not as big internationally as Brit
 
  • Like
Reactions: DHajekRC84

RU at the shore

All-Conference
Dec 31, 2005
4,836
1,667
0
Years Approximate due to aging process and in no particular order :

The Who at Giants Stadium 1987
U2 at Byrne 1987
Pearl Jam at Randalls 1988
Rolling Stones at Shea 1990
Van Halen at Byrne 1991
Billy Joel at Yankee Stadium 1990
Page and Plant at the Capital Center 1992
Springsteen at Giants Stadium 1999
*special mention* Tom Petty at Super Bowl 2008
 

CranfordKnight

All-Conference
Jun 23, 2006
4,056
3,885
113
I've been to so many shows at big venues but my most memorable are the smaller rooms. Peter Gabriel at the old Garden State Arts Center, 3rd row, 1983, REM/10,000 Maniacs at Radio City 10th row with @RUInsanity in '87, The Hold Steady at Starland Ballroom, 2009, and just recently saw Jason Isbell solo at the State Theater. All fantastic, but very different shows. Having said that, I caught the Elton John farewell show at the Prudential Center and it was awesome. Had low expectations, having also recently seen the Who, John Fogerty and the Doobie Brothers and some of these legends are kind of mailing it in at this point.
 

mildone_rivals

Heisman
Dec 19, 2011
55,607
51,271
0
For me, one of the criteria usually required to make for a really great concert experience is the ability to get close enough to the band to see all the musicians clearly - the closer the better. Saw Rush in TX stadium (long time ago, before it was destroyed). Our seats were in the upper deck at the opposite side of the stadium from the stage. Even with binoculars, the musicians were tiny from that far away.

The sound was great, loud and clear and all (a tribute to the science of live sound engineering). But I felt so detached that it was hard to really get into the show. Like @CranfordKnight says, smaller venues and/or better seats can take a show to a whole 'nother level of greatness.

Also, the acoustic properties of the venue can make a huge difference. I saw Santana at the GSAC years ago. Really enjoy his music over the years. But it was a tremendously humid night. So all the low-end sounds (drums, percussion, bass) were very muddled, very hard to hear. Totally killed the experience.
 
Jul 31, 2001
835
200
0
Yay fellow Muse fan. They're one of my favorites, seen them twice and they do some sick live shows... 21 Pilots also good live. I will check out Biffy as well.

I've also seen Coldplay 2x (awesome effects with the LED wristbands they give the whole stadium), U2 @ MSG, Foo Fighters, Tool, and The Struts.

And Dua Lipa, she's a rockstar.
Same here, Coldplay, U2, Foo Fighters, and The Struts. Never saw tool though. Share your thoughts on Biffy.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jm0513

RUEd

All-Conference
Aug 14, 2001
3,390
1,927
113
People mentioned the Dead…one of the worst I’ve been to was their infamous MSG show. Initially I thought it was me, since I was stone cold sober. Probably one of the few in the place that night. Lol

Found out years later from some serious Deadheads I know that particular MSG show was considered 👎
I was there. Sober. Bored out of my mind
 

LeapinLou

All-American
Jul 24, 2001
12,570
5,624
113
Like many of you, I've been to so many, it's hard to label one "the best". However, I can tell you the concert where I had the most fun.

1985 - Public Image Ltd - Rutgers College Ave Student Center.

Was anybody else on this thread there?
 

Kbee3

Heisman
Aug 23, 2002
43,724
35,255
0
I've been to so many shows at big venues but my most memorable are the smaller rooms. Peter Gabriel at the old Garden State Arts Center, 3rd row, 1983, REM/10,000 Maniacs at Radio City 10th row with @RUInsanity in '87, The Hold Steady at Starland Ballroom, 2009, and just recently saw Jason Isbell solo at the State Theater. All fantastic, but very different shows. Having said that, I caught the Elton John farewell show at the Prudential Center and it was awesome. Had low expectations, having also recently seen the Who, John Fogerty and the Doobie Brothers and some of these legends are kind of mailing it in at this point.
I'm old enough to have seen the transformation from venues like the Fillmore East and the Capitol Theater to arenas like the Meadowlands and MSG and stadiums for rock concerts. I've seen some good concerts at arenas and stadiums, but there's no way they can compare to the ones at theater-type venues. No way. Even if you get excellent seats where you can actually see the performers the sound is in no way comparable.
Unless the sound is not what you're looking for at a concert. Frankly, judging by most of the acts on some of the lists posted here I would guess that sound isn't really an issue for them.
 

UMRU

All-Conference
Sep 19, 2006
7,637
3,865
113
So hard to choose just one, but The Police on their farewell tour at MSG is near the top. Sting's son's band was the opening act.