Dave Matthews Band at the Garden in December of '02. I was in the pit for the second night of a two-night stay, and the highlight of the evening was a suprise visit by James Brown and his band. (The ensuing version of Sex Machine to initially close the show had to have been seen to be believed, even it it ultimately turned into little more than a dance contest between Dave & James.)
smark/net attack Advisory System Status is: Elevated (Holds; July 5, 2005) It's good to see that the WWE isn't backing away from Batista or Cena. There's still some questions lingering over a few of the draft moves they either made or didn't make (Jericho being a prime example), but the stage is set for a solid run to Summerslam that may send the indicator down. The longer Triple H stays away is also a plus...
Mystery Machine - The Spectrum, Winnipeg, MB (April 1993) Pearl Jam - Gimli, MB (August 1993) Soundgarden - Winnipeg Arena (August 1994) The Tea Party - Gimli, MB (August 1995) The Smashing Pumpkins - Winnipeg Arena (September 1996) Matthew Good Band - The Pyramid, Winnipeg, MB (March 1998) Wilco - Le Rendez-Vous, Winnipeg, MB (2002) Pearl Jam - Fargo Dome (June 2003) The Distillers - Burton Cummings Theatre, Winnipeg, MB (May 2004) Matthew Good - Burton Cummings Theatre, Winnipeg, MB (October 2004)
U2, Elevation Tour in Hamilton, October of 2001. Just a phenomenal show top-to-bottom, and coming so soon after 9/11, a lot of emotion still in the air.
Runners-up: U2, Elevation Tour in Toronto, May 24, 2001. Bruce Springsteen, December 2002 in Toronto.
I'm seeing Pearl Jam, U2 and the White Stripes all in a five-day span in two weeks, so that might top things yet again.
"Rap-metal nearly put the white race in jeopardy [as a creative force]. It's a travesty. Those [rap-metal] people should just take suicide pills and go away." -- Bono
Jethro Tull on the "Rock Island" tour at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St Paul, MN. 1989, I think. Ian Anderson really knows how to put on a show.
Runner-up was probably U2's Joshua Tree tour at the St Paul Civic Center in '87. I have never seen a crowd so into a band. It was insane and beautiful at the same time.
Originally posted by Big BadU2, Elevation Tour in Hamilton, October of 2001. Just a phenomenal show top-to-bottom, and coming so soon after 9/11, a lot of emotion still in the air.
Runners-up: U2, Elevation Tour in Toronto, May 24, 2001. Bruce Springsteen, December 2002 in Toronto.
Great minds think alike-I was also at all three of these concerts.
I saw the NYLONS in concert, live. For those who aren't familiar, they're an acapella group, and they are AWESOME! I think they played one of the last concerts ever before the Ontario Place Forum was closed down.
Second goes to an inhouse bar band at a trashy bar in downtown Calgary (they play at the Cecil Hotel there). Those guys do only covers, but they have so much fun when they play.
I saw AC/DC like, 10 years ago and that one has to be the best I've been to. I had to miss both the Stones and Garth Brooks concerts which I think would have also ruled, but AC/DC just put out so much of a show that I blew everyone away. Especially since most bands that come to Winnipeg really phone it in.
A close second would have to be U2's Popmart concert they did in the stadium around the same time. It might have been better than AC/DC but I was three rows from the back there whereas I was front row at AC/DC and I'm sure that affects the experience just a LITTLE.
The Rolling Stones....10/11/89, Shea Stadium (Steel Wheels tour). So loud, you couldn't even hear the planes landing at LaGuardia right above you. And Mick Jagger made ME tired just watching him run up and down the entire set all night.
"Cunnilingus and psychiatry brought this on" - Tony Soprano
Unfortunatly the best Concert I've ever seen, I wasn't actually there. I've got the Metallica S&M concert on DVD and man did that look like one fun show. I'd happily pay an obscene ticket price to see S&M2... which will never happen because the Michael Kamen is dead.
ok, Real live concerts, I'd say it's split between:
1. Cold/Evanescence at Nation in DC circa 2003
Cold put on a great show for not being the headlining band, and Evanesence put on one of their last shows before Ben Moody went batshit insane and went to go work with avril. Nothing like seeing a band in a small club with about twice as much speaker power as is needed. My friend had to tell me to shut up halfway through the set because he'd come to hear amy sing, not me. Heh, great time.
2. Stabbing Westward at the 9:30 Club in DC in 99.
Christopher Hall had a cold that day, so all his vocals had a weird gritty tone to them that worked really well with the music. Plus it was fun to hear him hack up phlegm on the mic between songs. For being obviously near fall-down sick, he did an amazing job of belting out those tunes. About even 50/50 off of WBBP and Darkest days. If they sneaked any ungod tracks on there, I missed em. This was obviously before their most recent train-wreck of a "we're going to reinvent ourselves" album which I believe led to their breakup.
Oh, I should throw in an Honorable mention for Green Day at the Hfstvial about 4 or 5 years ago. I went to that show ambivilant towards the band and left completely impressed. Tons of energy, fan favorite lineup of tunes, audience interaction, nudity, bonfires, and an acoustic finish. THAT is how you put on a live show.
(edited by Skarecrow on 21.10.05 2320) Evil Inside =X=
Metallica opening for Ozzy in 1986 (just before Cliff Burton's accident) was not only awesome, but Johnny Cash sat 5 rows behind us.
Ozzfest 1999 would seal the deal for me as an "event", but the one best "act" would have to be Motley Crue (Dr. Feelgood tour slightly better than Girls, Girls, Girls tour).
University of Kentucky basketball isn't a matter of life and death, it's much more important than that.
It might be that time hasn't given me proper perspective yet, but I might go out on a limb and daresay that this past Friday night's Depeche Mode "Playing the Angel" show was AWESOME. I still have no voice from it (screaming the "I Feel You" chorus with the crowd at the top of one's lungs will do that).
I had never seen a show at Glendale (AZ) Arena, and its reputation as a great place for concerts is definitely well-deserved. Sound system was perfect, and the stage lighting by DM was very inventive and cool without overwhelming the music.
You can find a great review of a show from earlier in the tour here (blogcritics.org).
I have never understood why Hockey players just shoot the puck down into the corner after they cross the blue line. Maybe a pass or stick handling might be in order.