Thievery Corporation is absolutely fantastic live, as is Wax Tailor. Grandson had the best recent moshpit, I caught him after he jumped down from the rafters lmao
I saw him close to 20 years ago and the thing that always stood out to me the most was that he sounded exactly the same as he does on his albums. I was very impressed.
I was at the Foo Fighters gig where Dave Grohl fell off the stage and broke his leg, after which the rest of the band spent an hour playing various covers until Dave came back on stage high on pain meds mixed with alcohol and resumed the show. A doctor had to sit on stage and keep his leg fixed for the rest of the show until they could take him to the hospital to give him a cast, and the entire crowd dedicated "My hero" to the doctor. That show was fucking awesome.
I saw the Foo Fighters in 2008. Nothing crazy like that happened but it was an absolutely amazing show. The highlight was Dave heading to the B-stage with his acoustic guitar for Everlong, then leading into the bridge and all the lights went down. It was silent for a good 5-10 seconds until he just starts running back to the A-stage, all the lights went up, and the whole band started going hard as fuck and he screams "YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH" and they did the last verse as hard as I've ever heard it. The energy was insane.
I don't know if it was the venue, the band, the sound booth, my location, the weather, or some combination but it was the best sounding show I've ever heard, indoors or out. Also I can't wait for their collab with Billy 😍
Easily this. They have some of the best theatrics ever. The fire and smoke are amazing to watch. They even used the smoke on stage to cover a costume change during the performance
High as a kite at a friends house just hanging out after work. My friend just randomly picks up his acoustic guitar and starts noodling. His roommate comes home, disappears for a bit and comes out with a standup bass. For the next 2 hrs they just smoked and jammed for the love of music.
A heckler once shouted "Primus sucks!" at one of their shows, and their reply was "Hey, we're Primus and we suck!" and they started playing. It's been a meme at their shows since then.
Saw them in Brixton on the Ænima tour, they were warming up and soundchecking Hooker with a penis shaking the walls while we queued outside getting preached to by a fundamentalist. Wrong crowd for a "Jesus will save you" pitch, buddy.
But we're exactly the right crowd in their eyes, we need it the most. Saw the same kind of people while heading into an arena for either Metallica or Iron Maiden, I forget which one. Maybe both.
NIN always does a great show, but I think of all of them I liked the Fragility Tour the most (2000). It was so well done.
KMFDM always puts on a hell of a show. I never miss a chance to see them and they always kill it. My favorite show of there's was the Symbols tour with PIG. They had Ogre from Skinny Puppy touring with them as he was a temporary member for that album. Just so good.
Gwar was always great and fun to see live. They probably still are, but I haven't been able to see them live in years.
Metallica, Donington Park Raceway, 2004. They were headlining Download festival, but Lars was rushed to hospital right before the show. Rather than cancel they brought out a rotating cast of drummers from the other bands at the festival, starting with Dave Lombardo from Slayer.
This was the St Anger tour... We were all jazzed to see Metallica, but let's be honest, no one was particularly jazzed about St Anger as an album. Thing is though, their guest drummers didn't know the tracks on St Anger. They knew old school Metallica; Kill Em All, Ride The Lightning, Master of Puppets, the Black Album, And Justice For All. The good shit.
Better yet, the guest drummers were absolutely psyched to be there. For Metallica this could have been just another show. Huge crowd, but they've played bigger. But for their rotating cast of drummers this was the greatest night of their life. That kind of enthusiasm is infectious and it really showed. This was one of the most balls to the wall performances I've ever seen from any band. The energy was off the charts.
Especially when they got to Joey from Slipknot. The idea was that they were going to keep rotating drummers throughout the night, but after Joey played his first song, that went out the window. He was their drummer for the rest of the night. That motherfucker played his god damn heart out. Now, listen, if you're one of those people who still thinks that Slipknot are a bad band, go listen to Vol 3 and then come talk to me. Joey is one hell of a drummer, and he showed up to play. And the whole band felt it.By the end of the show James Hetfield wasn't singing to us... He was singing to Joey. I distinctly remember him standing with one foot up on the bass drum staring that little masked genius dead in the eyes, two guys basically performing for each other (an image made hilarious and adorable by the fact that James Hetfield is a giant of a man, and Joey is a pocket sized human being; it was like Dad brought his kid to work).
It was a once in a lifetime experience, and probably one of the best shows Metallica ever played. Pure lightning in a bottle.
Don’t laugh, but Collective Soul. They did that song “Gel” back in the day. I wasn’t a huge fan of their music and still am not. But it was a great live concert.
Free tickets got passed to me from one of my mothers friends, and it was at an old theater with chandeliers and padded seats.
Was very surprised at how engaging they were with the crowd.
Collective Soul and Fuel did a show a couple years back together. Holy shit does CS put on a show. They were just as good now, as they were back in their hey day. Fuel was surprisingly good still too.
This amuses me because they are (well, were; I haven't seen them in concert for 20 years but saw them several times back then) a good live band but 'Gel' was barely even a radio song for them, much less a hit. 'Shine,' 'December,' and 'Heavy' got the most radio play.
Slipknot puts on a great show.
Weird Al's shows are always fun.
If I'm within a couple of hours of where Babymetal is putting on a show, I will do whatever it takes to see them.
Honey Dijon spins an amazing set.
Whenever you have a chance to see an opera, go. Chances are you'll be blown away by the talent.
I saw The Chemical Brothers play back in the early 2000's and they were set up with racks and racks of keyboards surrounding them. They played their electronic music live on the keyboards and watching them blew my mind. Up until this concert I never thought of electronic producers as musicians, this totally changed my perspective.
Metallica in 1991 has got to be up there with all time historical performances. I've seen them 6 times since 2008, but man what I would give to go to any time from 1991-1992 when they were at their absolute peak.
Did some searching, it turns out it was 1992 in Rotterdam. They played the previous day too, but I remember for sure that they played Breadfan which is only on this setlist.
That would have been such a sick concert. I still watch the Live Shit: Binge and Purge DVDs at least once a year. Seeing that live would have been killer.
Foreigner is amazing to see, you'd never think so as I personally find their rock just a bit bland, you know kind of blends in with all the rock of their time, but holy shit their concert is fun. They just go wild, they really bring the crowd in, and you're right the lead singer is just nuts. I've seen them probably 3 times now simply because they're so fun
Rammstein, Pledge of Allegiance '01. Till did the first song of their set ON FIRE.
NIN, Lights in the Sky '08. Absolutely insane A/V, transparent screens layering the entire stage that would make various band members visible/invisible depending on what was being displayed on each layer and where the spotlights were pointed.
And then there's Ozzy just blasting the pit with a fire hose for most of the set…
Slipknot puts on a crazy show. With so many people in the band, there was always somebody doing something worth watching. I'm not even a Slipknot fan, I was there to see System of a Down.
Paul McCartney and 21 Pilots, both at Bonnaroo 2013.
21 Pilots were getting popular, but this was still a year before Blurryface came out, so they were on one of the smaller stages during the daytime. Even so, their energy was amazing.
Paul McCartney just had this presence about him. It also helps if you have multiple hours of hit songs that are completely cemented in popular culture. His two hour set lasted four hours, he came back out for four encores, and I don't think a single person left early.
And since you didn't say musical performances: comedian Emo Philips! Saw him at a comedy club and it was probably the funniest thing I've ever been to.
This is the second time this week I've seen someone here talking about Emo Phillips, and before that I had never even heard about him. It know it's probably just Baader-Meinhoff but it still feels very weird.
Man Man opening for Modest Mouse in Rochester NY. Got to watch the soundcheck and had spots on the rail. Man Man just had another energy I haven't really seen matched by anyone.
Sigur Ros at Bonnaroo in 2008. Was a few hour gaps between shows at the stage and hung out for a few hours with people to get a good spot. Left that show to find Kanye (who was supposed to start at the same time), still hadn't taken stage. Fell asleep waiting for him, gave up around 4AM and walked back to my tent. Think he went on around 430AM
Viagra Boys in 2022. Fun show, good crowd energy.
Arcade Fire/LCD Soundsystem/Blonde Redhead/ Les Savy Fav on Randall's Island in 2007. Front row of 20,000+ people (that I ran to secure for our group) Met Will Butler. Was LCD Soundsystem's last stop on the tour. Special special show.
Oh, Girl Talk at RIT sometime around 2007 or so. I've seen Girl Talk I think three times, but crowd energy was nuts for this one. Crowdsurfed even.
I have never heard of them, but Six Demon Bag is a reference to Big Trouble in Little China aka the best movie ever made. So I can only conclude that they are cool as hell.
It's an absolutely great album. Zero duds on it. The Man in a Blue Turban with Face is also great. And if those tickle you the right way I'd check out the bands Need New Body and Icy Demons which had some members of the original Man Man lineup.
I've been to several Queens of the Stone Age concerts. But my first, at The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in 2011 was the best concert I'd ever been to.
They were playing the reissue of their first album. So the first part of the concert was that album, from start to finish. Then they played other songs. And afterwards they did 2 or 3 encores. I think it was 3, but it was at least 2.
That venue is the old Grand Ole Opry. The seats are narrow wooden pews and it's got gorgeous stained glass and lots of wood. So it sounds amazing in there.
Ya I've been to a few too. My fav was when there was sound issues and Josh stopped playing, the band went back stage, and he just sat there drinking a bottle of vodka. He'd update us on whatever info he was getting, slowly the bottle disappearing. 20 mins later he said a line I'll never forget, aimed at the sound engineers, "Isn't it funny how the people that say they'll be there for you always hurt you the most?" Then just kept sipping vodka, sitting on a sound monitor.
Finally, with almost an entire bottle gone, the issue was fixed. They started playing again. Josh was stumbling around but didn't miss a single note on the guitar or on vocals. It was like being awesome at his craft was just subconscious to him but the solos went longer, he did more insane shit. All perfect.
The only other band I've seen so tight like they may as well have recorded a one-take album right then and there was The Strokes.
Taking this in another direction, Aziz Ansari did a comedy set at my college nearly 20 years ago; he was hysterical. He did tons of crowd work and had everyone in stitches. Then, about an hour into his performance he says “oh, by the way, I haven’t even started my regular set yet”. He went at least another 45 minutes after that.
As for my favorite concert, it’d have to be seeing Coheed and Cambria play In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth 3 in its totality on an anniversary tour. I was with my college roommates and we all love that album so much so it made the show extra meaningful as we belted out song after song together.
Aziz Ansari is incredible at improv humor. I remember the first time I noticed it was one of the Comedy Central Roasts (the James Franco one, I believe) where his set was just roasting things other comedians said during their time at the mic. Most people show up with practiced roasts ready to go. He just winged it on the spot, and I think he was better than most everyone else at that roast.
Meshuggah’s live sound is earth shattering. And I don’t mean deafening loud. Most club music is probably louder. But theirlive mix is just absolutely heavy. Then you have the synchronized lights and you only see their silhouettes for most of the show.
Ive seen alot of DJs who did really good sets. Saw one DJ do their set blindfolded.
A couple live bands. Which would have been between Weird Al and Video Games Done Live for the best.
But without a doubt. Insane Clown Posse put on the best show.
I saw them in an underground nightclub. That had plastic everywhere to try and protect the electronics.
There was a lake of Faygo in the center of the dance floor, feathers everywhere, and the clear smell of a burnt electronics.
I have opinions on this. DJs rarely have concerts. They might have a good stage performance going on around them and they provide the music, or they are using a turntable as an instrument (cut chemist for example)
Another exception is a DJ that picks up instruments throughout their songs. I’ve seen sax, guitars, trumpet, and various drums get used that turn an otherwise club dj into a concert
Last is the producer using various pieces of equipment to create music and not using any real mixing or turntable. These are just mid-labeled as DJs and fall outside of the scope of the above comments. Daft Punk might be the most well known mislabeled “DJ”
Patti Smith and Philip Glass. I've been a fan of hers for so long, couldn't believe I was in the same room as her, so to speak. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01f9vrd
Probably the most intense performance I've ever seen was the Japanese dance troupe Sankai Juku, in Wellington, NZ in 1988. Amazingly moving, unforgettable.
I saw her in Grand Island Nebraska, and she only sold about half of the tickets for the house. I'm pretty sure that a large portion of Nebraska probably never heard of her.
I've been following her since her early days, so I went because I was able to get Vet Tix for a handling fee. Man what a show!
Gawd I sound too nostalgic. I have been to some amazing shows more recently too - Janelle Monae in a 2,000 person venue, Cimafunk is great live. Charley Crockett and Leon Bridges, Tyler Childers (I did not love the venue but he is amazing). J Roddy Walston and the Business oh my God what a live act they were, and we got to see them in bars.
But FELA, that really was a special thing to experience.
Wife surprised me with front row seats to see Chris Titus live quite a few years ago. Got to see a lot of material that wouldn’t make it into a special until years later. Laughed my ass off harder than I had in a long time. Was really special.
Two way tie:
First is Dethklok on their first tour at the Worcester Palladium. To this day it was the best produced live performance I have ever experienced. Everything sounded immaculate, Brendon arguing with and having whole conversations with himself in charecter was great. Just absolutely phenomenal. Saw them on their latest tour and it was like 90%, so still amazing.
Second was Castle Rat at Sonia in Boston (iirc 2024?)when they opened for Green Lung. Sonia is small af, and they had the PA cranked. It was the only time I have ever regretted not having ear plugs, and actually bought some specifically because of this show. I can't even describe what the show was like, it was as close to a religious experience as I have ever had (definitely aided by the heat). Green Lung live is a whole other experience (in a good way), but I walked out of that show saying next time I saw Castle Rat they were going to be in a MUCH larger venue. I was wrong, it took two more shows. I saw them at Sonia again almost exactly one year later but they were headlining. The year after they were opening for Amon Amarth and Dethklok.
I found myself in Sydney for work and looking for some way to spend the evening.
I had only ever seen live theater once before in my life (an opera in Vienna), and I enjoyed it well enough so I figured the world famous Sydney Opera House, but it was sold out.
Then I saw Comedian Dylan Moran was in town, but again sold out.
Then I had a choice to make, both Matilda the Musical and Les Miserables were in town. I was familiar with the story of Matilda, but had no idea what Les Miserables was.
I decided on Les Miserables, since it would be new to me, and was completely amazed. It kicked off what is now a lifelong love of theater and I've seen dozens of shows (including Matilda many years later in London's West End).
tull played in grant park. The flutist society had something to do about it and it felt like they played their most flute heavy songs from the group. Its funny because it was free but the one other time I saw them in concert I payed for but it was catfish rising and I think anderson got sick as it was a big disapointment.
Not the best show I've ever seen, but I saw Creed at a State Fair and they put on a helluva show. I don't like Creed, but it was a great vibe. Compare to Pearl Jam, whom I used to adore, who came to my town and phoned in a lousy performance. I'm just saying that good music isn't enough to make a good show.
I caught Pink Floyd on their "Pulse" tour. They performed the "Dark Side of the Moon" album in it's entirety, and if your a fan, then you know how special that was.
Kabát (Czech band) in Bratislava 2017. I was amazed that a local rock band can perform on such high quality level, better than anyone I've ever seen live.
For fun - the worst was Imagine Dragons in 2015, holy crap that was so dull. The guy was in white shirt the entire time, repeating the same phrases between songs over and over again
The Lion King was really special for me. Incredible performance and insane sets and costumes.
I also recently saw Moulin Rouge and that was an absolute blast - unfortunately accoustics were a bit rough.
For concerts
Kim Petras was a total blast and the visuals were wild.
The Dead South put on an incredible show.
Shawn James is the only one I've had a truly psychedelic experience with.
And Black Tiger Sex Machine. It wasn't only them, I think there were 5 or 6 DJs that also played. But holy shit, it was non-stop from 6pm to midnight. I was so sore the next day, haha
A group of friends in high school had a band and their final show before splitting up and going all to different colleges was the best live concert ever.
First of all, they were extremely good. I think they could have made it big if they ever took it seriously and sent demos to recording companies.
But second was how they set up the venue. They held it at another friend's skatepark built into a barn on their property, and the band wanted everyone in the audience to crowd around them as close as possible. I was right up in the singer's face and it was like the concert was just for me. Just so fucking awesome.
The shitty kicker is... I can not remember what they called themselves at the time. I only remember their original name before they changed it: Kill the Messenger.
Mono (Japanese post-rock/shoegaze band) just before COVID. Incredibly intense live - felt like I was being actually picked up and carried by the music. I do regret not taking any ear protection though. I went spontaneously and it’s why I now have some earbuds in a container on my keyring.
I saw Linkin Park in 2004. I don’t know how to better explain how life changing the show was than to explain the wild fucking situation I was in.
I was 14 years old and a friend of my parents invited me to see Linkin Park with them. I honestly didn’t put to much thought into it, it was fucking Linkin Park. So a week later my teenage heart was all a flutter preparing to sit in the same sold out arena as THE CHESTER BENNINGTON!
And I don’t know how many of you were teenagers in the early aughts but I was head to toe Hot Topic’d out, heavy HEAVY eyeliner, really caked on foundation that didn’t match my skin tone, red plaid Chuck Taylor High-tops, the whole thing.
And just as I was getting ready to leave my mother came in, pretty fucking fuming, telling me that I was lucky she was such a good mother or I wouldn’t go anywhere near THAT whore sleeping with her husband.
Soooo yeah, it was really fucking awkward the whole drive there. My autistic brain was panicking. I genuinely don’t remember parking, walking to our seats, or the opening bands. I’m 72% sure one the bands was Story of the Year.
But the minute Linkin Park hit the stage my whole body, heart, and soul felt that show. I literally started sobbing when they started playing Numb.
I don’t know how to explain it all other than saying my little 14 year old brain somehow knew I needed to set aside all do the bullshit and take everything in because I was experiencing something that was a one in a lifetime.
Let me preface this by saying that I don't like live concerts. They're too loud, the crowd is too noisy and disruptive, and unless you pay top dollar, you're not even going to see the band all that well. I don't get the celebrity worship thing that most people have; celebrities are normal human beings just like the rest of us. The only difference is that a lot of people know who they are because of a thing they did/do.
So I don't get excited over meeting celebrities in person. I'd much rather listen to their albums at home, where I can hear a high-quality studio recording and really enjoy every bit of sound, every instrument, every enunciation of lyrics. Plus, it's way cheaper. I can't believe people shell out hundreds of bucks for what I'd consider an inferior experience.
Regardless, my wife has dozens of bands on her "want to see live" list and she inevitably drags me along with her. And despite not having a good time for most of them, there are a few that stuck out to me as being pretty interesting.
I can't remember the dates very well, but we saw Papa Roach as one of the openers for Shinedown (the other opener being Asking Alexandria). I think it was around 2016 or 2017 in Nebraska. The other two bands were meh. The music was fine, but they had no stage presence. They just stood there and performed their songs. I might as well have put in my headphones and listened to their albums on my phone.
But Papa Roach was spectacular! They had real stage presence, addressing the audience constantly, and dancing all over the place while jamming. Their visual performance was very entertaining to watch.
And then the lead singer just ran off into the crowd! In the middle of a song, while still singing, he just ran up and down the aisles, shaking hands and high-fiving people. He covered 90% of that stadium over the course of 2 or 3 songs, and it was a pretty big professional basketball court. Dude had some serious energy to burn.
At the end of the night, my wife, who went specifically to see Shinedown and Asking Alexandria, agreed that Papa Roach was the best band that night.
A close second would be The Hu. We saw them at a tiny venue in Maplewood, MN a few years ago (2023 I think?). My wife paid for VIP passes and we actually sat in a room with them for over an hour, listening to them talk about their history, music, and Mongolian culture. More specifically, listening to a translator talking, as they didn't speak much English. We even got to ask a bunch of questions, which their translator relayed back and forth for us.
At the end of the VIP meet & greet, they did video recordings with everyone. It was a normal photo op, but instead of a photo, they did a quick video with your phone where they did a vocalized grunt along with you. It was pretty unique.
Their concert was fun. Being in a small venue, it was more like a dance club than a giant stadium performance, so it felt more personal. My wife and I claimed a couple seats on a couch and had a blast listening to Mongolian Folk Metal all night.
My wife likes to buy VIP tickets everywhere she can, and no other band has had such a personal meet & greet as The Hu. We've gone backstage before and done photo op's with some bands. But almost none of them spent a whole hour just hanging out and chatting with us. Skillet did an hour-long pre-concert for VIP pass holders when my wife and I saw them around 2020 (right before COVID shut everything down), but it was mostly just them talking a bit on stage, then performing some new songs before doing a photo op.
Taking this in another direction, my wife and I enjoy the stand-up comedian Bert Kreischer. My wife, who escaped from a redneck family and white trailer trash upbringing, especially relates to his brand of comedy. So of course we needed to go to his live shows.
If you thought his Netflix comedy specials were raunchy, his live performances are extremely graphic. He doesn't have Netflix breathing standards down his neck, so he can really let loose and tell some of the most unhinged and perverse stories to the crowd. And he's drinking beers the whole time he's doing his routine, so his stories get crazier the longer he stays up on stage. He even shared some very personal (and embarassing) stories about other celebrities he knows that I haven't seen told anywhere else. It felt like bonus content that you can't access unless you attend the live shows.
We've seen him live twice, and the second time, he dragged his wife out to the stage to help him re-tell a story because he couldn't remember the details. Which you could tell was not planned because it took a couple minutes to track her down. He even called her on his phone when she wasn't responding from backstage.
She was really awkward being on stage, too. She wasn't used to being a part of his set. But once she got a little more comfortable, she practically took the mic from him because he was messing up all the details of the story. The crowd was rolling every time he started to tell the story and she'd be like, "That's completely wrong, it went like this..." Then they would argue over telling the "funny story" versus the "real story." Because his version of events was funnier, but the actual story was kind of boring. Married life, am I right?
He also asked the audience's opinion on his set, because he prepared a bunch of new material for this tour, but people kept asking for some of his classic stories. He decided that after this event, he was going to try and mix old and new stories into the rest of his tour. So he's not just working on a strict script; he's pretty loose and willing to shake things up live.
He also didn't seem to be tied to a strict timeline for his set. I think we saw him perform on stage for over 3 hours on that second show. He had kind of wrapped his planned material when he asked if we had any favorite stories we wanted to hear, then he went on for another hour or so, retelling classics.
Despite the lengthy show, the place stayed packed until the end. We were all having fun with him; it wasn't just him talking to an audience, it felt like we were all just having a good time hanging out with a hilarious friend. And this was a massive stadium too, not a small venue! I'll definitely buy tickets to any Bert Kreischer performances that pass through my area.
NoMeansNo at the Cotati Cabaret (might have been the The Inn of the Beginning) in Cotati, CA in the early 90's. "Stage" was a 1-foot-high platform. Maybe 300 people, tops, in attendance (which was capacity). No barricade. Close enough to get sweat drops flicked on me from the frantic yet top-notch drumming of John Wright while his brother Rob sang and played bass. Awesome, close-up show...for maybe $10 at the door.
The one that immediately springs to mind was 65daysofstatic on the Wild Light tour. They played the whole record, plus some older favourites. I was standing next to one of the big speakers. It's the closest I've ever gotten to a genuine religious experience.
However, FU Manchu in a tiny sweatbox club to about 200 people ranks pretty fucking up there too.
Oh, and the Foo Fighters doing a live session for Radio 1 back in around 2004. There were twenty of us who were lucky enough to win tickets.
Frustration in Berlin a couple of years ago. Great post punk vibe, as hit and sweaty as it gets. Maybe a bit of recency bias, also I'm seeing them again tomorrow....
Nitzer Ebb some time at the end of the 90s in London. So much energy, so much MDMA...
Laibach, again London not sure when but Mina Spilar was still with them, and she is amazing
Depeche Mode, 2005, Berlin Olympiastadion. Crazy to see a band in the 1933 Olympics stadium, but they were still on good form, albeit without Alan. The sunset was amazing...
But the all round best gig Ive been to: Fad Gadget, London 2002. He died the following day. Oh, and I only realised the following day that a young lady was trying to chat me up. One hell of a night, so much energy for someone about to die.
I'm not a concert person. I dislike loud, crowded places by nature. Bruce Springsteen is the only one I've ever seen. It was great. Dude can barely walk but still can sell out a stadium. Awesome time.
Grouplove, aka the people behind the "take me to your bestfriend's house" song from that one 2010ish iPod commercial, surprisingly put on some fucking amazing shows- especially if you can see them at a more intimate venue
Its of the moment, but Macklemore at Perth Festival years ago. fairly small concert, 200-300 people there, at absolute most 500. Thrift Shop had just popped off, he had all The Heists supporting vocalists there. And they came back out for an encore doing Thrift Shop a second time. It was a pretty great time.
Only concert thats been as fun a time was probably The Streets tour earlier this year. That shit kicked off!
The Gotye - Making Mirrors album launch was probably the most auspicious. Only concert I've been to at the Sydney Opera House. Place was electric when Kimbra came out.
Leonard Cohen played for over three hours, introduced everyone in the band multiple times, and was going down on his knees to sing. He still gave it his all, and within a year he was dead.
Also saw The Stooges, who easily stole the whole festival despite playing mid afternoon and most of them being on crutches and colostomy bags. I think only Iggy is left alive from that show now.
Not that you have to die to do a great performance!
Saw Iggy in concert once, he berated the audience for being boring, and sang "chairman of the bored" with his back to us. We probably deserved it. London, some time in the 90s.
Poo Leonard though - he had to keep gigging because his accountant stole all his money. I regret never having seen him live, I play his music a lot.
Iron Maiden in 1986. Or The Sisters of Mercy at a tiny little pub in Leeds in, maybe, 1997 or '98. Or Alabama 3, many gigs in pubs the late 90s, before The Sopranos and they became famous.
I was going to say Iron Maiden as well, but it was their Legacy of the Beast tour in 2019 for me. They still had more energy than most of the young bands I've seen. It was also my first time being on the floor in an arena, and it was like the crowd was a huge living thing that pulsed and swelled, it was awesome.
Side story: the band The Raven Age was founded by Steve Harris' son George, and was an their opener that night. I overheard some guy in the bathroom say they sucked and sounded like "boy band metal." My opinion of them wasn't quite so negative, but thought the "boy band metal" label was hilarious.
Mago de Oz at the LA Sports Arena in 2008. The production was great and the finale was an arena-wide mosh pit that was so packed you couldn't even fall down in the crowd if you wanted to. It was like a more peaceful version of the melee in GoT's Battle of the Bastards.
I was in the record business for a long time, including management for a major distributor, so I've seen hundreds of concerts, of all types. The most memorable have been:
Prince TWICE, once for a private audience of 1200. No words.
Debbie Harry with Tom Tom Club (Talking Heads without David Byrne) opening and backing. They were great, she was great, peak new wave.
Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, at Carnegie Hall with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt, featuring singers Dawn Upshaw and Thomas Hampson. Harnoncourt had been a personal inspiration for decades, and I met him and the singers after.
kd lang, at an astonishing private performance for about 900. A couple of weeks later, she did an interview on 60 Minutes, and said that now and then she does a perfect performance, and I knew she was talking about that show I saw. I was sure of it when I saw her on that tour a while later, and it was great, but nothing like what I saw.
Yes, the classic late 70s line-up, 3 times. Always great, but the best show was the one where they showed two classic Bugs Bunny cartoons as the opening act, and there is nothing like laughing with 25,000 happy stoners.
Messiaen: Turangalila Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Pierre Boulez conducting. It's not the sort of classical music I gravitate to, but I've seen the Cleveland Orchestra dozens of times, and that performance was easily the best performance I ever saw from them. It was just really, really great.
Joshua Redman Quartet, some tiny little jazz club in Cleveland, with a crowd of about 120. It was their first concert, on the first tour, of his first album. Very few people had heard of him yet, but he went to win multiple Grammys, including for that album. Not only that, but the other three guys in his band, pianist Brad Mehldau, drummer Brian Blades, and bassist Christian McBride, all went on to do solo albums that won Grammys. That night I watched four excited young future jazz stars open their first tour, and BURN DOWN THE HOUSE. All night long, I just marvelled at what incredible musicians each one was. With every solo, I'd decide he was the best on the stage, and then the next guy would take a solo, and change my mind. A truly special performance.
Lindsey Buckingham, in a solo performance in a conference room with about 25 people. He sang 3 songs, with an acoustic guitar, with that trademark intensity, red face, tendons in his neck, truly incredible performance.
Lyle Lovett, in a hotel hallway at a music retail trade show. His first album was coming out in a couple of weeks, and his manager interrupted a really fun party (that had spilled into the hallway because it was so hot in hotel suite), and introduced Lyle, who went on to sing three incredible songs, including She's No Lady and If I Had A Boat. I was irritated that the party had been interrupted, but I became an instant lifelong fan.
Dear Evan Hansen, on Broadway, in the earliest weeks of the run before it had become a big thing. Ben Platt was absolutely incredible. This show has become a bit of a lighting rod, but there was no doubt of why it was such a big hit.
The Great Comet, on Broadway, with Josh Groban, the same week. I've never seen another Broadway show like it, it was totally immersive, with audience and the stage all intertwined. There was a runway in the row in front of us, and we often had dancer musicians playing and strutting around in front of us. The show ended in ignominious and unfair fashion that has become Broadway legend, but it was the most innovative show I've ever seen, and had incredible music.
David Byrne, American Utopia, on Broadway. It was probably just a normal performance for them, but it was really great. Spike Lee's film of it won Emmys.
Little Shop of Horrors, a high school performance with my son as Seymour. He killed it, honestly. He has a great voice, and was perfect in the role.
Both were in stadiums and kicked ass. I still think about them.
I would also give a nod to Dog Fashion Disco for a club show I saw them in. Great show. They played a video of someone with no arms and legs getting reading for the day. Like brushing their teeth just using their mouth and nubs. Very odd but entrancing. They also jumped on a trampoline.
I've seen Muse 3 times, awesome every time. Pearl Jam in '22 was a really great time. X-Ambassadors kills every time I've seen them (incredibly underrated band). Nothing More is crazy good live, and seeing Electric Callboy was very worth it.
Evanescence at the House of Blues. Based on what I saw on videos, prior to attending, I was expecting Amy Lee’s voice to sound different but she was very talented live. The venue was small enough and got there early enough that a friend and I were able to get pretty close.
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Thievery Corporation is absolutely fantastic live, as is Wax Tailor. Grandson had the best recent moshpit, I caught him after he jumped down from the rafters lmao
I haven't seen him in almost 15 years, but Weird Al Yankovic puts on a hell of a good show. Always has the best backup musicians with him.
Saw him 4 months ago. I was not prepared for so many costume changes.
I saw him close to 20 years ago and the thing that always stood out to me the most was that he sounded exactly the same as he does on his albums. I was very impressed.
He was just in Tiny Desk Concerts, which turned out one of the best of that series:
https://youtu.be/o4I-Y8XiBIs
I won front row tickets to his concert once, loved it! Amazing!!
I was at the Foo Fighters gig where Dave Grohl fell off the stage and broke his leg, after which the rest of the band spent an hour playing various covers until Dave came back on stage high on pain meds mixed with alcohol and resumed the show. A doctor had to sit on stage and keep his leg fixed for the rest of the show until they could take him to the hospital to give him a cast, and the entire crowd dedicated "My hero" to the doctor. That show was fucking awesome.
I saw the Foo Fighters in 2008. Nothing crazy like that happened but it was an absolutely amazing show. The highlight was Dave heading to the B-stage with his acoustic guitar for Everlong, then leading into the bridge and all the lights went down. It was silent for a good 5-10 seconds until he just starts running back to the A-stage, all the lights went up, and the whole band started going hard as fuck and he screams "YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH" and they did the last verse as hard as I've ever heard it. The energy was insane.
Can confirm, saw foo fighters around 2018 and it was an absolute banger show.
Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl gets a surprise reunion with the doctor who saved his leg | Skavlan
Yeah, I've watched that episode, it was really cool. When they came back to Gothenburg for the next tour, the doctor was ther and got serenaded again.
Stone Temple Pilots - (MTV Unplugged) - Sony Studios, NYC, ’93
Massive Attack - Roseland NYC, ‘96
Green Day - Barbarella, Orlando, ‘95
Modest Mouse - (Baron von Bullshit Rides Again) - Sapphire Supper Club, Orlando, ‘04
Paul Oakenfold - (Global Underground 006), The Tunnel, NYC, ‘94
These are just a few. I’m sure there’s a bunch I’m forgetting. I doubt that I could single any one of them out.
Maybe STP or Massive Attack
Edit: updated to include live album titles, and cities
Edit 2: confirmed: that MTV unplugged, performance of plush is available on Apple Music:
On disc four of this album
https://music.apple.com/us/album/core-super-deluxe-edition/1263219551
Otherwise, on the Stone Temple Pilots album, core, the super Deluxe Edition.
Saw STP with Scott and with Chester. Both amazing shows but different vibes.
That STP performance was the best performance of plush I’ve ever heard in my life. I think it’s on the deluxe plush album.
Top two concerts of all time:
Daft Punk at Lollapalooza 2007
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard at Northerly Island, Chicago, 9/1/24
I was also at the Gizz Show and I concur
Also: Woo!
I don't know if it was the venue, the band, the sound booth, my location, the weather, or some combination but it was the best sounding show I've ever heard, indoors or out. Also I can't wait for their collab with Billy 😍
I was also at that Daft Punk show! Definitely in my top 3 ever!!
It was unreal. I just relistened to Alive 2007 and it brought back memories.
Recently I discovered recordings of the Alive 2007 tour. Some are on YT. It was great fun to relive it!
Daft punk
Words cannot express my jealousy.
Rammstein
Theatrics, setlist, audio quality, crowd... Just wow. Hope to see them one more time.
Easily this. They have some of the best theatrics ever. The fire and smoke are amazing to watch. They even used the smoke on stage to cover a costume change during the performance
High as a kite at a friends house just hanging out after work. My friend just randomly picks up his acoustic guitar and starts noodling. His roommate comes home, disappears for a bit and comes out with a standup bass. For the next 2 hrs they just smoked and jammed for the love of music.
Me:
Gogol Bordello
Absolute manic fun.
Behind Rammstein, Gogol Bordello and Flogging Molly were my two favorite concerts for your reason!
Rammstein blew my 16 yo mind.
Saw him at a free show in an outdoor venue. It started raining halfway through and turned into a massive, muddy mosh pit.
10/10.
Primus. Mesa Amphitheater.
My first I introduction to Primus was live, I was very confused by the audience chants. The bassist was an absolute artist.
Primus sucks!
Exactly! I was so confused at the time.
A heckler once shouted "Primus sucks!" at one of their shows, and their reply was "Hey, we're Primus and we suck!" and they started playing. It's been a meme at their shows since then.
Nothing beats a spot on the rail getting your frizzle frazzled by primus
Tool. Hands down.
Saw them in Brixton on the Ænima tour, they were warming up and soundchecking Hooker with a penis shaking the walls while we queued outside getting preached to by a fundamentalist. Wrong crowd for a "Jesus will save you" pitch, buddy.
But we're exactly the right crowd in their eyes, we need it the most. Saw the same kind of people while heading into an arena for either Metallica or Iron Maiden, I forget which one. Maybe both.
Lol absolutely.
I think the best live show I ever saw was Good Kid. Their energy and jams couldn’t be matched.
NIN always does a great show, but I think of all of them I liked the Fragility Tour the most (2000). It was so well done.
KMFDM always puts on a hell of a show. I never miss a chance to see them and they always kill it. My favorite show of there's was the Symbols tour with PIG. They had Ogre from Skinny Puppy touring with them as he was a temporary member for that album. Just so good.
Gwar was always great and fun to see live. They probably still are, but I haven't been able to see them live in years.
Waters might be a dickhead, but he puts on great shows.
Metallica, Donington Park Raceway, 2004. They were headlining Download festival, but Lars was rushed to hospital right before the show. Rather than cancel they brought out a rotating cast of drummers from the other bands at the festival, starting with Dave Lombardo from Slayer.
This was the St Anger tour... We were all jazzed to see Metallica, but let's be honest, no one was particularly jazzed about St Anger as an album. Thing is though, their guest drummers didn't know the tracks on St Anger. They knew old school Metallica; Kill Em All, Ride The Lightning, Master of Puppets, the Black Album, And Justice For All. The good shit.
Better yet, the guest drummers were absolutely psyched to be there. For Metallica this could have been just another show. Huge crowd, but they've played bigger. But for their rotating cast of drummers this was the greatest night of their life. That kind of enthusiasm is infectious and it really showed. This was one of the most balls to the wall performances I've ever seen from any band. The energy was off the charts.
Especially when they got to Joey from Slipknot. The idea was that they were going to keep rotating drummers throughout the night, but after Joey played his first song, that went out the window. He was their drummer for the rest of the night. That motherfucker played his god damn heart out. Now, listen, if you're one of those people who still thinks that Slipknot are a bad band, go listen to Vol 3 and then come talk to me. Joey is one hell of a drummer, and he showed up to play. And the whole band felt it.By the end of the show James Hetfield wasn't singing to us... He was singing to Joey. I distinctly remember him standing with one foot up on the bass drum staring that little masked genius dead in the eyes, two guys basically performing for each other (an image made hilarious and adorable by the fact that James Hetfield is a giant of a man, and Joey is a pocket sized human being; it was like Dad brought his kid to work).
It was a once in a lifetime experience, and probably one of the best shows Metallica ever played. Pure lightning in a bottle.
I was there, man, such a fucking great show.
Don’t laugh, but Collective Soul. They did that song “Gel” back in the day. I wasn’t a huge fan of their music and still am not. But it was a great live concert.
Free tickets got passed to me from one of my mothers friends, and it was at an old theater with chandeliers and padded seats.
Was very surprised at how engaging they were with the crowd.
Powerman 5000 was that way for me. Wasn't there to see them and didn't really care for their music but they really put on a great show.
Collective Soul and Fuel did a show a couple years back together. Holy shit does CS put on a show. They were just as good now, as they were back in their hey day. Fuel was surprisingly good still too.
This amuses me because they are (well, were; I haven't seen them in concert for 20 years but saw them several times back then) a good live band but 'Gel' was barely even a radio song for them, much less a hit. 'Shine,' 'December,' and 'Heavy' got the most radio play.
Slipknot puts on a great show. Weird Al's shows are always fun. If I'm within a couple of hours of where Babymetal is putting on a show, I will do whatever it takes to see them. Honey Dijon spins an amazing set. Whenever you have a chance to see an opera, go. Chances are you'll be blown away by the talent.
I saw The Chemical Brothers play back in the early 2000's and they were set up with racks and racks of keyboards surrounding them. They played their electronic music live on the keyboards and watching them blew my mind. Up until this concert I never thought of electronic producers as musicians, this totally changed my perspective.
In random order: Rammstein in 2024, Iron Maiden in 2008, Gorilla Biscuits this summer, Metallica in 1991 and probably one or two I forgot.
Wait. Guerilla biscuits played this summer!!!???
They had a short European tour this summer, and I guess they played some dates in the US as well.
Metallica in 1991 has got to be up there with all time historical performances. I've seen them 6 times since 2008, but man what I would give to go to any time from 1991-1992 when they were at their absolute peak.
Did some searching, it turns out it was 1992 in Rotterdam. They played the previous day too, but I remember for sure that they played Breadfan which is only on this setlist.
That would have been such a sick concert. I still watch the Live Shit: Binge and Purge DVDs at least once a year. Seeing that live would have been killer.
Foreigner. Lead singer was climbing up the fifteen foot scaffolding, singing from way up there. No safety equipment either. Like a jungle gym.
Foreigner is amazing to see, you'd never think so as I personally find their rock just a bit bland, you know kind of blends in with all the rock of their time, but holy shit their concert is fun. They just go wild, they really bring the crowd in, and you're right the lead singer is just nuts. I've seen them probably 3 times now simply because they're so fun
Haha he did the same thing when I saw them at the SC state fair back in.... 2013.
He smelled some pizza being cooked nearby and got hungry and stopped the show while someone brought him some food :) great show though
Hmm, hard to pick, but these come to mind in no particular order:
Chemical Brothers - Glastonbury Other Stage 2019
Chemical Brothers - V Festival (South) 2nd stage 2008
Faithless - V Festival (South) Main Stage 2006
Bloc Party - Alexandra Palace 2007
Nine Inch Nails - Eden Project 2022
Nine Inch Nails - O2 London 2025
Underworld - Aviva Studios Manchester 2024
Oneohtrix Point Never - New Century Manchester 2024
Massive Attack - Bestival Main Stage 2009
Massive Attack - Glastonbury Other Stage 2014
Aphex Twin - Glastonbury Temple Stage 2014
Sub Focus b2b Wilkinson - Glastonbury Sonic Stage 2019
Deadmau5 - Nation Liverpool 2009
Sigur Ros - Manchester Apollo 2022
I'm definitely forgetting a lot off the top of my head though
Rammstein, Pledge of Allegiance '01. Till did the first song of their set ON FIRE.
NIN, Lights in the Sky '08. Absolutely insane A/V, transparent screens layering the entire stage that would make various band members visible/invisible depending on what was being displayed on each layer and where the spotlights were pointed.
And then there's Ozzy just blasting the pit with a fire hose for most of the set…
Slipknot puts on a crazy show. With so many people in the band, there was always somebody doing something worth watching. I'm not even a Slipknot fan, I was there to see System of a Down.
Neutral Milk Hotel
Holy smokes
Not in the 90s or anything. A bit more recently but still incredible
Paul McCartney and 21 Pilots, both at Bonnaroo 2013.
21 Pilots were getting popular, but this was still a year before Blurryface came out, so they were on one of the smaller stages during the daytime. Even so, their energy was amazing.
Paul McCartney just had this presence about him. It also helps if you have multiple hours of hit songs that are completely cemented in popular culture. His two hour set lasted four hours, he came back out for four encores, and I don't think a single person left early.
And since you didn't say musical performances: comedian Emo Philips! Saw him at a comedy club and it was probably the funniest thing I've ever been to.
This is the second time this week I've seen someone here talking about Emo Phillips, and before that I had never even heard about him. It know it's probably just Baader-Meinhoff but it still feels very weird.
Man Man opening for Modest Mouse in Rochester NY. Got to watch the soundcheck and had spots on the rail. Man Man just had another energy I haven't really seen matched by anyone.
Sigur Ros at Bonnaroo in 2008. Was a few hour gaps between shows at the stage and hung out for a few hours with people to get a good spot. Left that show to find Kanye (who was supposed to start at the same time), still hadn't taken stage. Fell asleep waiting for him, gave up around 4AM and walked back to my tent. Think he went on around 430AM
Viagra Boys in 2022. Fun show, good crowd energy.
Arcade Fire/LCD Soundsystem/Blonde Redhead/ Les Savy Fav on Randall's Island in 2007. Front row of 20,000+ people (that I ran to secure for our group) Met Will Butler. Was LCD Soundsystem's last stop on the tour. Special special show.
Oh, Girl Talk at RIT sometime around 2007 or so. I've seen Girl Talk I think three times, but crowd energy was nuts for this one. Crowdsurfed even.
There's a band you never hear about. Six Demon Bag is a wild ride, amazing album. What a unique sound.
Also, great Linux command.
I have never heard of them, but Six Demon Bag is a reference to Big Trouble in Little China aka the best movie ever made. So I can only conclude that they are cool as hell.
Highly recommend listening to Six Demon Bag front to back.
I cannot speak to the anything they made before or since, but that album is amazing. It's like pirate folk klezmer punk
It's an absolutely great album. Zero duds on it. The Man in a Blue Turban with Face is also great. And if those tickle you the right way I'd check out the bands Need New Body and Icy Demons which had some members of the original Man Man lineup.
Pow Pow, their drummer, is an incredible talent.
QOTSA
Chemical Brothers is a close second because we dropped acid 30 mins before and were dealing with this shit...
I've been to several Queens of the Stone Age concerts. But my first, at The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in 2011 was the best concert I'd ever been to.
They were playing the reissue of their first album. So the first part of the concert was that album, from start to finish. Then they played other songs. And afterwards they did 2 or 3 encores. I think it was 3, but it was at least 2.
That venue is the old Grand Ole Opry. The seats are narrow wooden pews and it's got gorgeous stained glass and lots of wood. So it sounds amazing in there.
Ya I've been to a few too. My fav was when there was sound issues and Josh stopped playing, the band went back stage, and he just sat there drinking a bottle of vodka. He'd update us on whatever info he was getting, slowly the bottle disappearing. 20 mins later he said a line I'll never forget, aimed at the sound engineers, "Isn't it funny how the people that say they'll be there for you always hurt you the most?" Then just kept sipping vodka, sitting on a sound monitor.
Finally, with almost an entire bottle gone, the issue was fixed. They started playing again. Josh was stumbling around but didn't miss a single note on the guitar or on vocals. It was like being awesome at his craft was just subconscious to him but the solos went longer, he did more insane shit. All perfect.
The only other band I've seen so tight like they may as well have recorded a one-take album right then and there was The Strokes.
Taking this in another direction, Aziz Ansari did a comedy set at my college nearly 20 years ago; he was hysterical. He did tons of crowd work and had everyone in stitches. Then, about an hour into his performance he says “oh, by the way, I haven’t even started my regular set yet”. He went at least another 45 minutes after that.
As for my favorite concert, it’d have to be seeing Coheed and Cambria play In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth 3 in its totality on an anniversary tour. I was with my college roommates and we all love that album so much so it made the show extra meaningful as we belted out song after song together.
Aziz Ansari is incredible at improv humor. I remember the first time I noticed it was one of the Comedy Central Roasts (the James Franco one, I believe) where his set was just roasting things other comedians said during their time at the mic. Most people show up with practiced roasts ready to go. He just winged it on the spot, and I think he was better than most everyone else at that roast.
Meshuggah’s live sound is earth shattering. And I don’t mean deafening loud. Most club music is probably louder. But theirlive mix is just absolutely heavy. Then you have the synchronized lights and you only see their silhouettes for most of the show.
Ive seen alot of DJs who did really good sets. Saw one DJ do their set blindfolded. A couple live bands. Which would have been between Weird Al and Video Games Done Live for the best.
But without a doubt. Insane Clown Posse put on the best show. I saw them in an underground nightclub. That had plastic everywhere to try and protect the electronics. There was a lake of Faygo in the center of the dance floor, feathers everywhere, and the clear smell of a burnt electronics.
I have opinions on this. DJs rarely have concerts. They might have a good stage performance going on around them and they provide the music, or they are using a turntable as an instrument (cut chemist for example)
Another exception is a DJ that picks up instruments throughout their songs. I’ve seen sax, guitars, trumpet, and various drums get used that turn an otherwise club dj into a concert
Last is the producer using various pieces of equipment to create music and not using any real mixing or turntable. These are just mid-labeled as DJs and fall outside of the scope of the above comments. Daft Punk might be the most well known mislabeled “DJ”
For me if they are ACTUALLY mixing then and there, thats good enough to be called a live show for them.
If they recorded in advance then just hit play. Not so much.
Actual mixing isn’t hard nor is it very fun to watch. Live show? Ok but I wouldn’t call it a live “concert”
Die Antword at 2014 Bonaroo
They'd rotate out for costume changes, so one vocalist was constantly on stage and the music and energy never dipped the entire set.
Can't remember if that was before/after they blew up, but for whatever reason I was able to get super close to the stage.
I was in the crowd with you on that one. Such a conflict, you also had Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Darkside a tent over.
Yeah, it was always a weird mix.
The year before I saw Billy Idol in a tiny tent like 6 feet max from the stage, which was bucket list level.
But for most of his set it was just bored teenagers waiting for Passion Pit to come on
Blew up as in cancelled?
Patti Smith and Philip Glass. I've been a fan of hers for so long, couldn't believe I was in the same room as her, so to speak. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01f9vrd
God Speed You! Black Emperor https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/godspeed-you-black-emperor/2016/edinburgh-playhouse-edinburgh-scotland-6bfcf2c6.html
(Added in edit) This song made me cry, it's so beautiful and joyful and sad. A wonderful concert altogether.
Probably the most intense performance I've ever seen was the Japanese dance troupe Sankai Juku, in Wellington, NZ in 1988. Amazingly moving, unforgettable.
Bush's performance of Glycerine, on MTV Spring Break Rocks 1996. It was raining and they were warned against performing, but Gavin Rossdale insisted, and it was amazing.
EDIT: I haven't had my coffee, and for some reason your question translated to "live TV performance" in my brain.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor at Paradiso, NL on 2023-04-09
Hands down best sounding live performance I've been to.
It's a bit sad because I know what the venue acoustics are capable of, and I've been to a ton of concerts there, but nothing ever came close.
I saw them in the late 90s or early 00s in a fairly small venue. It was an amazing wall-of-melodic-sound!
I just about had an out of body experience seeing them live.
Lindsey Stirling puts on a pretty great show, lots of acrobatics and fun choreography. Her Christmas show is a TON of fun.
I saw her in Grand Island Nebraska, and she only sold about half of the tickets for the house. I'm pretty sure that a large portion of Nebraska probably never heard of her.
I've been following her since her early days, so I went because I was able to get Vet Tix for a handling fee. Man what a show!
ZZ Top 1979. I think. It WAS the 70s.
Fela Kuti. Absolutely transcendent.
Runners up - Henry Rollins, Bad Brains.
Gawd I sound too nostalgic. I have been to some amazing shows more recently too - Janelle Monae in a 2,000 person venue, Cimafunk is great live. Charley Crockett and Leon Bridges, Tyler Childers (I did not love the venue but he is amazing). J Roddy Walston and the Business oh my God what a live act they were, and we got to see them in bars.
But FELA, that really was a special thing to experience.
Wife surprised me with front row seats to see Chris Titus live quite a few years ago. Got to see a lot of material that wouldn’t make it into a special until years later. Laughed my ass off harder than I had in a long time. Was really special.
Two way tie: First is Dethklok on their first tour at the Worcester Palladium. To this day it was the best produced live performance I have ever experienced. Everything sounded immaculate, Brendon arguing with and having whole conversations with himself in charecter was great. Just absolutely phenomenal. Saw them on their latest tour and it was like 90%, so still amazing.
Second was Castle Rat at Sonia in Boston (iirc 2024?)when they opened for Green Lung. Sonia is small af, and they had the PA cranked. It was the only time I have ever regretted not having ear plugs, and actually bought some specifically because of this show. I can't even describe what the show was like, it was as close to a religious experience as I have ever had (definitely aided by the heat). Green Lung live is a whole other experience (in a good way), but I walked out of that show saying next time I saw Castle Rat they were going to be in a MUCH larger venue. I was wrong, it took two more shows. I saw them at Sonia again almost exactly one year later but they were headlining. The year after they were opening for Amon Amarth and Dethklok.
Nine Inch Nails in Seattle on their most recent tour. Absolutely incredible stuff.
Les Miserables. (Sydney, Australia in 2015.)
I found myself in Sydney for work and looking for some way to spend the evening.
I had only ever seen live theater once before in my life (an opera in Vienna), and I enjoyed it well enough so I figured the world famous Sydney Opera House, but it was sold out.
Then I saw Comedian Dylan Moran was in town, but again sold out.
Then I had a choice to make, both Matilda the Musical and Les Miserables were in town. I was familiar with the story of Matilda, but had no idea what Les Miserables was.
I decided on Les Miserables, since it would be new to me, and was completely amazed. It kicked off what is now a lifelong love of theater and I've seen dozens of shows (including Matilda many years later in London's West End).
Muse was pretty awesome
Probably the best was Sam Roberts at a small venue, with a bunch of his family members there
It wasn’t flashy, it was just an insanely talented guy having a fun time and telling stories between songs. Had an amazing time!
Streetlight Manifesto in 2008 at the Chameleon Club. Opening acts were Echo Movement and Outernational.
A one man play of macbeth done with balloons.
I saw Freelance Whales in a basement with like 20 other people in Ames, that shit slapped
That sounds so great ngl
Billy Talent, Sydney 2007
I don't know man, was my first time going to an actual concert of a band I liked, and it was just something special
tull played in grant park. The flutist society had something to do about it and it felt like they played their most flute heavy songs from the group. Its funny because it was free but the one other time I saw them in concert I payed for but it was catfish rising and I think anderson got sick as it was a big disapointment.
Not the best show I've ever seen, but I saw Creed at a State Fair and they put on a helluva show. I don't like Creed, but it was a great vibe. Compare to Pearl Jam, whom I used to adore, who came to my town and phoned in a lousy performance. I'm just saying that good music isn't enough to make a good show.
I caught Pink Floyd on their "Pulse" tour. They performed the "Dark Side of the Moon" album in it's entirety, and if your a fan, then you know how special that was.
Ye in the Netherlands The earth dome does a lot more than people think when you see it all in person
Kabát (Czech band) in Bratislava 2017. I was amazed that a local rock band can perform on such high quality level, better than anyone I've ever seen live.
For fun - the worst was Imagine Dragons in 2015, holy crap that was so dull. The guy was in white shirt the entire time, repeating the same phrases between songs over and over again
The Trans-Siberian Orchestra does excellent live shows.
Also if you happen to be in Las Vegas, every one of the Cirque du Soleil performances I've seen was worth the ticket price.
The Lion King was really special for me. Incredible performance and insane sets and costumes.
I also recently saw Moulin Rouge and that was an absolute blast - unfortunately accoustics were a bit rough.
For concerts
Mark Knopfler for the music. RAMMSTEIN because fire is cool.
A group of friends in high school had a band and their final show before splitting up and going all to different colleges was the best live concert ever.
First of all, they were extremely good. I think they could have made it big if they ever took it seriously and sent demos to recording companies.
But second was how they set up the venue. They held it at another friend's skatepark built into a barn on their property, and the band wanted everyone in the audience to crowd around them as close as possible. I was right up in the singer's face and it was like the concert was just for me. Just so fucking awesome.
The shitty kicker is... I can not remember what they called themselves at the time. I only remember their original name before they changed it: Kill the Messenger.
Since it was their last show before breaking up and killing the band, perhaps their name was The Messenger.
Mono (Japanese post-rock/shoegaze band) just before COVID. Incredibly intense live - felt like I was being actually picked up and carried by the music. I do regret not taking any ear protection though. I went spontaneously and it’s why I now have some earbuds in a container on my keyring.
I saw Linkin Park in 2004. I don’t know how to better explain how life changing the show was than to explain the wild fucking situation I was in.
I was 14 years old and a friend of my parents invited me to see Linkin Park with them. I honestly didn’t put to much thought into it, it was fucking Linkin Park. So a week later my teenage heart was all a flutter preparing to sit in the same sold out arena as THE CHESTER BENNINGTON!
And I don’t know how many of you were teenagers in the early aughts but I was head to toe Hot Topic’d out, heavy HEAVY eyeliner, really caked on foundation that didn’t match my skin tone, red plaid Chuck Taylor High-tops, the whole thing.
And just as I was getting ready to leave my mother came in, pretty fucking fuming, telling me that I was lucky she was such a good mother or I wouldn’t go anywhere near THAT whore sleeping with her husband.
Soooo yeah, it was really fucking awkward the whole drive there. My autistic brain was panicking. I genuinely don’t remember parking, walking to our seats, or the opening bands. I’m 72% sure one the bands was Story of the Year.
But the minute Linkin Park hit the stage my whole body, heart, and soul felt that show. I literally started sobbing when they started playing Numb.
I don’t know how to explain it all other than saying my little 14 year old brain somehow knew I needed to set aside all do the bullshit and take everything in because I was experiencing something that was a one in a lifetime.
Let me preface this by saying that I don't like live concerts. They're too loud, the crowd is too noisy and disruptive, and unless you pay top dollar, you're not even going to see the band all that well. I don't get the celebrity worship thing that most people have; celebrities are normal human beings just like the rest of us. The only difference is that a lot of people know who they are because of a thing they did/do.
So I don't get excited over meeting celebrities in person. I'd much rather listen to their albums at home, where I can hear a high-quality studio recording and really enjoy every bit of sound, every instrument, every enunciation of lyrics. Plus, it's way cheaper. I can't believe people shell out hundreds of bucks for what I'd consider an inferior experience.
Regardless, my wife has dozens of bands on her "want to see live" list and she inevitably drags me along with her. And despite not having a good time for most of them, there are a few that stuck out to me as being pretty interesting.
I can't remember the dates very well, but we saw Papa Roach as one of the openers for Shinedown (the other opener being Asking Alexandria). I think it was around 2016 or 2017 in Nebraska. The other two bands were meh. The music was fine, but they had no stage presence. They just stood there and performed their songs. I might as well have put in my headphones and listened to their albums on my phone.
But Papa Roach was spectacular! They had real stage presence, addressing the audience constantly, and dancing all over the place while jamming. Their visual performance was very entertaining to watch.
And then the lead singer just ran off into the crowd! In the middle of a song, while still singing, he just ran up and down the aisles, shaking hands and high-fiving people. He covered 90% of that stadium over the course of 2 or 3 songs, and it was a pretty big professional basketball court. Dude had some serious energy to burn.
At the end of the night, my wife, who went specifically to see Shinedown and Asking Alexandria, agreed that Papa Roach was the best band that night.
A close second would be The Hu. We saw them at a tiny venue in Maplewood, MN a few years ago (2023 I think?). My wife paid for VIP passes and we actually sat in a room with them for over an hour, listening to them talk about their history, music, and Mongolian culture. More specifically, listening to a translator talking, as they didn't speak much English. We even got to ask a bunch of questions, which their translator relayed back and forth for us.
At the end of the VIP meet & greet, they did video recordings with everyone. It was a normal photo op, but instead of a photo, they did a quick video with your phone where they did a vocalized grunt along with you. It was pretty unique.
Their concert was fun. Being in a small venue, it was more like a dance club than a giant stadium performance, so it felt more personal. My wife and I claimed a couple seats on a couch and had a blast listening to Mongolian Folk Metal all night.
My wife likes to buy VIP tickets everywhere she can, and no other band has had such a personal meet & greet as The Hu. We've gone backstage before and done photo op's with some bands. But almost none of them spent a whole hour just hanging out and chatting with us. Skillet did an hour-long pre-concert for VIP pass holders when my wife and I saw them around 2020 (right before COVID shut everything down), but it was mostly just them talking a bit on stage, then performing some new songs before doing a photo op.
Taking this in another direction, my wife and I enjoy the stand-up comedian Bert Kreischer. My wife, who escaped from a redneck family and white trailer trash upbringing, especially relates to his brand of comedy. So of course we needed to go to his live shows.
If you thought his Netflix comedy specials were raunchy, his live performances are extremely graphic. He doesn't have Netflix breathing standards down his neck, so he can really let loose and tell some of the most unhinged and perverse stories to the crowd. And he's drinking beers the whole time he's doing his routine, so his stories get crazier the longer he stays up on stage. He even shared some very personal (and embarassing) stories about other celebrities he knows that I haven't seen told anywhere else. It felt like bonus content that you can't access unless you attend the live shows.
We've seen him live twice, and the second time, he dragged his wife out to the stage to help him re-tell a story because he couldn't remember the details. Which you could tell was not planned because it took a couple minutes to track her down. He even called her on his phone when she wasn't responding from backstage.
She was really awkward being on stage, too. She wasn't used to being a part of his set. But once she got a little more comfortable, she practically took the mic from him because he was messing up all the details of the story. The crowd was rolling every time he started to tell the story and she'd be like, "That's completely wrong, it went like this..." Then they would argue over telling the "funny story" versus the "real story." Because his version of events was funnier, but the actual story was kind of boring. Married life, am I right?
He also asked the audience's opinion on his set, because he prepared a bunch of new material for this tour, but people kept asking for some of his classic stories. He decided that after this event, he was going to try and mix old and new stories into the rest of his tour. So he's not just working on a strict script; he's pretty loose and willing to shake things up live.
He also didn't seem to be tied to a strict timeline for his set. I think we saw him perform on stage for over 3 hours on that second show. He had kind of wrapped his planned material when he asked if we had any favorite stories we wanted to hear, then he went on for another hour or so, retelling classics.
Despite the lengthy show, the place stayed packed until the end. We were all having fun with him; it wasn't just him talking to an audience, it felt like we were all just having a good time hanging out with a hilarious friend. And this was a massive stadium too, not a small venue! I'll definitely buy tickets to any Bert Kreischer performances that pass through my area.
NoMeansNo at the Cotati Cabaret (might have been the The Inn of the Beginning) in Cotati, CA in the early 90's. "Stage" was a 1-foot-high platform. Maybe 300 people, tops, in attendance (which was capacity). No barricade. Close enough to get sweat drops flicked on me from the frantic yet top-notch drumming of John Wright while his brother Rob sang and played bass. Awesome, close-up show...for maybe $10 at the door.
They aren't my favorite band, but probably the best live performance I ever saw was Godsmack. I've never seen anyone work a crowd like Sully did.
All of Lolapalooza 2. Run DMC and the Beastie Boys live at Red Rock amphitheater.
The one that immediately springs to mind was 65daysofstatic on the Wild Light tour. They played the whole record, plus some older favourites. I was standing next to one of the big speakers. It's the closest I've ever gotten to a genuine religious experience.
However, FU Manchu in a tiny sweatbox club to about 200 people ranks pretty fucking up there too.
Oh, and the Foo Fighters doing a live session for Radio 1 back in around 2004. There were twenty of us who were lucky enough to win tickets.
Oh, and a performance of The Planets at the Albert Hall last year. We were in the seats behind the stage, right next to the organ pipes.
Fucking hell. Those pipes make you FEEL things.
Dredg in Islington Academy in London around 2006/7
YOASOBI live in London. Every song was great but "Butai ni Tatte" was fucking spectacular!
But the all round best gig Ive been to: Fad Gadget, London 2002. He died the following day. Oh, and I only realised the following day that a young lady was trying to chat me up. One hell of a night, so much energy for someone about to die.
Tied between Electric Callboy, JVB, or Motionless in White for me
I'm not a concert person. I dislike loud, crowded places by nature. Bruce Springsteen is the only one I've ever seen. It was great. Dude can barely walk but still can sell out a stadium. Awesome time.
Sigur Rós with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Walt Disney Concert Hall - 2017
I've seen Sigur Rós a few times over the years. They are always fantastic but this one in particular was skin tingling magic.
Saw No Men at a tiny show once. Great energy. Friendly people. Chatted with them for a while.
Saw screaming females a few times. The singer crowd surfs while doing guitar solos.
This year saw Caroline rose at a tiny packed venue. That was great. Love good crowd banter.
Faderhead and Nitzer Ebb rocked my ass off this planet
I’m not really a KISS fan, but my brother-in-law was and he had two extra tickets. That concert was the best showmanship I’ve ever seen.
Ado in Berlin in 2025.
Grouplove, aka the people behind the "take me to your bestfriend's house" song from that one 2010ish iPod commercial, surprisingly put on some fucking amazing shows- especially if you can see them at a more intimate venue
Its of the moment, but Macklemore at Perth Festival years ago. fairly small concert, 200-300 people there, at absolute most 500. Thrift Shop had just popped off, he had all The Heists supporting vocalists there. And they came back out for an encore doing Thrift Shop a second time. It was a pretty great time.
Only concert thats been as fun a time was probably The Streets tour earlier this year. That shit kicked off!
The Gotye - Making Mirrors album launch was probably the most auspicious. Only concert I've been to at the Sydney Opera House. Place was electric when Kimbra came out.
Leonard Cohen played for over three hours, introduced everyone in the band multiple times, and was going down on his knees to sing. He still gave it his all, and within a year he was dead.
Also saw The Stooges, who easily stole the whole festival despite playing mid afternoon and most of them being on crutches and colostomy bags. I think only Iggy is left alive from that show now.
Not that you have to die to do a great performance!
Saw Iggy in concert once, he berated the audience for being boring, and sang "chairman of the bored" with his back to us. We probably deserved it. London, some time in the 90s.
Poo Leonard though - he had to keep gigging because his accountant stole all his money. I regret never having seen him live, I play his music a lot.
Tor at Shambhala, no comparison
Phish
Iron Maiden in 1986. Or The Sisters of Mercy at a tiny little pub in Leeds in, maybe, 1997 or '98. Or Alabama 3, many gigs in pubs the late 90s, before The Sopranos and they became famous.
I was going to say Iron Maiden as well, but it was their Legacy of the Beast tour in 2019 for me. They still had more energy than most of the young bands I've seen. It was also my first time being on the floor in an arena, and it was like the crowd was a huge living thing that pulsed and swelled, it was awesome.
Side story: the band The Raven Age was founded by Steve Harris' son George, and was an their opener that night. I overheard some guy in the bathroom say they sucked and sounded like "boy band metal." My opinion of them wasn't quite so negative, but thought the "boy band metal" label was hilarious.
Some highlights for me:
Any Anathallo show I went to
Mineral (both 2019 reunion and 2025 farewell show)
The Decemberists (Hazards of Love tour)
Local Honeymoon (new Philly band)
Future Islands 20th anniversary show in Baltimore
Mago de Oz at the LA Sports Arena in 2008. The production was great and the finale was an arena-wide mosh pit that was so packed you couldn't even fall down in the crowd if you wanted to. It was like a more peaceful version of the melee in GoT's Battle of the Bastards.
I was in the record business for a long time, including management for a major distributor, so I've seen hundreds of concerts, of all types. The most memorable have been:
Prince TWICE, once for a private audience of 1200. No words.
Debbie Harry with Tom Tom Club (Talking Heads without David Byrne) opening and backing. They were great, she was great, peak new wave.
Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, at Carnegie Hall with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt, featuring singers Dawn Upshaw and Thomas Hampson. Harnoncourt had been a personal inspiration for decades, and I met him and the singers after.
kd lang, at an astonishing private performance for about 900. A couple of weeks later, she did an interview on 60 Minutes, and said that now and then she does a perfect performance, and I knew she was talking about that show I saw. I was sure of it when I saw her on that tour a while later, and it was great, but nothing like what I saw.
Yes, the classic late 70s line-up, 3 times. Always great, but the best show was the one where they showed two classic Bugs Bunny cartoons as the opening act, and there is nothing like laughing with 25,000 happy stoners.
Messiaen: Turangalila Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Pierre Boulez conducting. It's not the sort of classical music I gravitate to, but I've seen the Cleveland Orchestra dozens of times, and that performance was easily the best performance I ever saw from them. It was just really, really great.
Joshua Redman Quartet, some tiny little jazz club in Cleveland, with a crowd of about 120. It was their first concert, on the first tour, of his first album. Very few people had heard of him yet, but he went to win multiple Grammys, including for that album. Not only that, but the other three guys in his band, pianist Brad Mehldau, drummer Brian Blades, and bassist Christian McBride, all went on to do solo albums that won Grammys. That night I watched four excited young future jazz stars open their first tour, and BURN DOWN THE HOUSE. All night long, I just marvelled at what incredible musicians each one was. With every solo, I'd decide he was the best on the stage, and then the next guy would take a solo, and change my mind. A truly special performance.
Lindsey Buckingham, in a solo performance in a conference room with about 25 people. He sang 3 songs, with an acoustic guitar, with that trademark intensity, red face, tendons in his neck, truly incredible performance.
Lyle Lovett, in a hotel hallway at a music retail trade show. His first album was coming out in a couple of weeks, and his manager interrupted a really fun party (that had spilled into the hallway because it was so hot in hotel suite), and introduced Lyle, who went on to sing three incredible songs, including She's No Lady and If I Had A Boat. I was irritated that the party had been interrupted, but I became an instant lifelong fan.
Dear Evan Hansen, on Broadway, in the earliest weeks of the run before it had become a big thing. Ben Platt was absolutely incredible. This show has become a bit of a lighting rod, but there was no doubt of why it was such a big hit.
The Great Comet, on Broadway, with Josh Groban, the same week. I've never seen another Broadway show like it, it was totally immersive, with audience and the stage all intertwined. There was a runway in the row in front of us, and we often had dancer musicians playing and strutting around in front of us. The show ended in ignominious and unfair fashion that has become Broadway legend, but it was the most innovative show I've ever seen, and had incredible music.
David Byrne, American Utopia, on Broadway. It was probably just a normal performance for them, but it was really great. Spike Lee's film of it won Emmys.
Little Shop of Horrors, a high school performance with my son as Seymour. He killed it, honestly. He has a great voice, and was perfect in the role.
kid rock at the US fair /said no one ever.
Just like Idiocracy, Silicon Valley was far ahead of its time
Probably either Radiohead or NIN. They were both a long time ago, so very blurry memories of each.
Well, the only one I can name here with international and lot only Europe/German recognition I could name is: pink.
Yeah, thst show was nice. But that didn't age well, now.
S.P.O.C.K on their first tour
Never trust a Klingon.
Saw Porter Robinson's Smile tour two years ago, absolutely fantastic show.
Clutch at the Trocadero in Philadelphia ~2011
Brian Bedford and Dai Bradley in Equus, LA 1977.
U2 in 1992.
Both times I saw the Ramones.
Tool for their Lateralus tour
NiN for their Year Zero tour
Both were in stadiums and kicked ass. I still think about them.
I would also give a nod to Dog Fashion Disco for a club show I saw them in. Great show. They played a video of someone with no arms and legs getting reading for the day. Like brushing their teeth just using their mouth and nubs. Very odd but entrancing. They also jumped on a trampoline.
I've seen Muse 3 times, awesome every time. Pearl Jam in '22 was a really great time. X-Ambassadors kills every time I've seen them (incredibly underrated band). Nothing More is crazy good live, and seeing Electric Callboy was very worth it.
Evanescence at the House of Blues. Based on what I saw on videos, prior to attending, I was expecting Amy Lee’s voice to sound different but she was very talented live. The venue was small enough and got there early enough that a friend and I were able to get pretty close.
When I was in the army the local bar had hired a stripper. She came dressed as a slutty police with a baton. That baton went places.