12 Concerts that Changed Your Life!

[Jaminbenb]

Ok...I posted in the albums, and got this idea for concerts...if there IS a thread for this then feel free to merge it...

 

Ok…I took the album challenge…how about the top concerts! I went with the 12 just to stay within the prior parameters, and I didn’t include any Rush shows because they’re my favorite band, and I’ve been to 13 so far, I could pretty much get those 13 into the top 12 for any given reason! Each one had high marks, and I can’t complain about any of those shows! The main difference was the setlist on any given tour, and honestly, I can’t complain! So we’ll just say that all of my Rush shows fall into the #1category!

 

Besides Rush…these are some of the top shows I’ve attended!

 

None of these are really in any order as far as which was better than the last…just in chronological:

 

The Carpenters 1975 My first concert sometime in 1975! George Goebel the comedian opened up (if you are old enough to remember, he was on Hollywood Squares all the time) Anyway, The Carpenters were a pretty popular group at that point, and had their own TV show. Karen was a pretty good drummer in her own right, but the band drummer was Cubby O’Brien from “Mouseketeer’s “ fame! Kind of neat trivia. It was a good show, with a good band and a great lead singer!

 

Harry and Tom Chapin acoustic. 1981 Growing up, my older brother always had the better stereo system in the house (ok he was 8 years older than me, and had a job) So I got to listen to his music occasionally when he had it cranked… Harry Chapin was his favorite band BITD, so we heard a lot of that! I was able to see Harry’s band a few years prior to this, and when I saw that he was coming back, I bought him a ticket (for a few different reasons, mainly for exposing me to some pretty diverse music) Little did we know that this show wasn’t his band, but him and his brother Tom (who was the guy on the “Make a Wish” TV show on Saturday mornings) playing acoustic guitars on stage, and singing all the hits! What a great concert, which was one of his last since Harry passed away a few days later in a car accident.

 

Emerson, Lake, & Powell 1986, Carl was in Asia, and purportedly wasn’t able to get out of his contract in time to play with Keith and Greg, who were getting impatient. So Cozy Powell comes into the picture, and the boys put an album together! Not a bad album, a lot of radio play, AND a tour! Hershey gets on the schedule, but at the last minute, decided that there wasn’t enough seats sold, so they wanted to cancel the show… ELP said that it was early in the tour, and they needed practice! So the show was on, and what a show! OK, it wasn’t Carl, and the crazy antics that ELP used to do, but it was still Keith’s keys and Greg’s voice! (oh, and all the hits!) Having second row center seats was a plus!

 

 

Pink Floyd 1987 Ok, a LOT of people were criticizing this band as not being Pink Floyd since it wasn’t the whole band, whatever! It was more than a lot of us got to experience, so I was taking it! This concert was AMAZING! IT was in JFK Stadium down in Philly, and had an estimated 119-120,000 people in attendance! There were a LOT of people there! What was very cool, was the beginning of the show when they had four spotlights over the stadium making you feel like you were in a pyramid, while they played Echoes! They covered a lot of ground, old and new, and it was just one of those experiences that you’ll never forget!!

Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, & Howe 1989 Yes was in a state of flux, and since the Trevor Rabin days seemed to take them into a different direction (that got tiring to some of us that were old school fans) When Jon Anderson left the band, and got back with the “classic” guys (minus Chris Squire, but with Tony Levin) a LOT of us jumped at the chance to see them live. What was cool about this show, was that they left the crowd in while they band was on stage for their sound check, and Jon was talking to the audience, and teaching us the chorus to one of the new songs so we could sing it with them. Bruford was testing some of his drum sounds, and Wakeman was just cracking people up with jokes! I had pretty close to the front seats in front of Steve Howe, and learned to really appreciate his playing that night! This whole band was awesome!

 

 

King Crimson (HORDE) 1996 Didn’t know much about the HORDE tour until I heard that King Crimson was opening it for a few dates, and their last one was Hershey! It started VERY early in the day, and you just HAD to get there because they went on FIRST! So I took a day off work, and went over to get a good spot. KC was just off a new album (THRAK) and live album (B’Boom!) I found B’Boom in a CD store at an airport while on a trip, and was HOOKED on the new sound! So this was a great opportunity to see them! They played about half of their usual show, but it was all the highlights, and they played the crap out of those songs! Those stoners didn’t know what hit them!

 

 

Dave Matthews Band 2000 Seen Dave about 15 times, he comes to Hershey every year, and I happened to be at my mother in laws when he visited Scranton (and a friend had tickets) Great show, and like Rush, the only real difference in any show is the setlist. This show in particular had a GREAT setlist from my perspective, so it gets the nod! Carter Beauford is another amazing drummer to see! Daves bands just take things to another level, and really haven’t been AT this sort of level in years!

 

 

Rick Wakeman 2003 You’ve seen him with Yes, but to see him by himself is something to behold! Besides being one of the greatest rock keyboard players in history (and not a slouch on orchestral piano) he’s a funny guy! It’s almost like going to see a comedian who knows how to play keyboards! He sets up most of is songs with stories, and they are all funny! I saw him again a few years later, but he mostly only did piano based songs, this tour he did both piano and key’s! (the fact that he did a decent amount of Journey to the Center of the Earth by himself was a testament to that!)

 

Kansas 2004 Another band that seems to go through line up changes, this one had Robbie Steinhardt in it, and wow, what a great show! Talk about one member that really brings the OLD sound of this band back! You don’t realize he’s missing until you get his vocals, and it sounds just like the album! Another good Kansas show was when they were on a triple bill with ELO Part II, and Foghat, kind of a cool show, really! But this one was almost like hearing Two for the Show live with the setlist they played!

 

Roger Waters THE WALL! 2010 Ok…this was just AMAZING! One of those “ok, he’s touring with the wall, I HAVE to go see it!” So I did, and it was every bit as amazing as I expected it to be, and I will go out on a limb and saw this was the most AWESOME CONCERT I EVER ATTENDED! This was just off the charts a great show! I saw Roger a few years earlier on his solo tour, which was another great show, but this one took the prize!

 

Paul Simon and Sting. 2014 Just saw this one recently and I have to say that it was another “Dream come true” kind of show. I grew up with Simon and Garfunkel on the stereo’s in my house, and never had a chance to see Paul’s tours because of either being out of town, or just not able to attend. This one was so close that I had no choice! Sting is another one I’ve had trouble getting to see… I was a Police fan for years, and after they cancelled a Police show in Harrisburg back in 1983, and a Sting solo show in Hershey in 1992, I thought that I’d never get to see him (or them) A few years later Sting ran another tour through Hershey that went off as it should have…however, I was stuck because of an accident in Key West Florida, and couldn’t get to Miami to catch my plan in time to get home…I got home about an hour after the concert was over…but I DID get to see the Police a few years back when they did the reunion tour…NOW I got to see TWO guys that I had trouble getting to see in one night! What a great show it was!

 

 

 

I’ve seen about 120 concerts over the years, and while most of them were amazing, these really stood out! I’ve seen Chicago several times, Genesis, Styx (The year Dennis DeYoung decided to get back into the band) Ozzy on his first solo tour (with Randy Rhoades…Motörhead opened!) Rossington Collins band, Rainbow, Scorpions, The Who, Robert Plant, etc…

[Narps]

Sounds corny but Karen Carpenter must have been awesome to see and hear live. The best female voice all time in my view....

[Jaminbenb]

Sounds corny but Karen Carpenter must have been awesome to see and hear live. The best female voice all time in my view....

 

Trust me! She had an awesome voice, and was a competant drummer! It was the 70's, and they weren't the kitchsy disco bands that you usually got stuck hearing!

[bathory]

I haven't even been to twice that many shows so I will not be making a list

[Narps]

I have been to many memorable shows. Many of them in 1979. 79' was a very good year....

[Jaminbenb]

I have been to many memorable shows. Many of them in 1979. 79' was a very good year....

 

Wow...70's? Foghat and Sweet, Beach Boys (all of them except Brian) Foreigner then they were still good, Gamma (Ronnie Montrose opened), Chicago on the first tour after Terry Kath killed himself. Good times!

[Cygnus 2112]

I'll give it a shot.

#1 Metallica August 25th 2012 This was the second of three nights that they recorded for the Through The Never 3D Movie. This wasn't just a concert, this was a full blown production. They had so many props used throughout the night, and the whole crowd was jumping and singing along to every thing. Just an epic night. Nothing else I;ve seen has ever come close.

 

#2 Rush July 26th 2013. This was my second Rush show ever, both on the CA tour. The first time I was in the 2nd tier and had a beer thrown at me when I tried to stand for Tom Sawyer. This time I was on the floor, row 14 and I was actually able to see the entire stage. Being able to actually see Alex and Geddys fingers move was a thing of beauty. Great night.

 

#3 John Fogerty September 25th 2012He came out and played 26 songs over 2.5 hours. He then walked off the stage came around and back on the other side to carry on with the encore which was another three songs. He also used 25 different guitars that night.

 

#4 Kiss June 29th 2011 It was loud, there was fire and it was amazing. The same as every other concert they've ever done but damn was it worth the 380 for two row 12 floor seats.

 

#5 Godsmack September 4th 2011 This was my first Metal show and it kicked ass. Sully Erna played to the crowd all night, and then halfway through had a drum battle with their drummer. They played parts of Black Sabbath, Stairway To Heaven, YYZ and Aqualung. Just a fantastic show.

 

#6 The Who October 8th 2006 My first concert and I loved every minute of it.

 

That's all I've got.

[greyfriar]

Rush, Pink Floyd, The Who, Page/Plant, Marillion, U2, Peter Hammill, Ringo Starr, Nektar, UFO, Paul McCartney, Frank Zappa...

[Jaminbenb]

Rush, Pink Floyd, The Who, Page/Plant, Marillion, U2, Peter Hammill, Ringo Starr, Nektar, UFO, Paul McCartney, Frank Zappa...

 

Zappa was one I never got to see, that I really wanted.... I didn't hear in time for his 88 show in Philly, and wasn't as ambitious as I am now to just GO and see if anyone had a ticket for sale... I'm sure that would have been on my list if I hit one of his shows! Also, I had friends that had a ticket for Zeppelin when Bonham died that they were going to sell me...if I would have been able to convince my parents that it would be "safe"!

[Union 5-3992]

Have I even seen 12 concerts?

[Union 5-3992]

After tomorrow night, I will have.

[Narps]

I have been to many memorable shows. Many of them in 1979. 79' was a very good year....

 

Wow...70's? Foghat and Sweet, Beach Boys (all of them except Brian) Foreigner then they were still good, Gamma (Ronnie Montrose opened), Chicago on the first tour after Terry Kath killed himself. Good times!

I saw Judas Priest twice that year in very small venues. The first was February 28th 1979 in northern VA at Louie's Rock City. This was a club with a stage. Super awesome sitting at one of those tall tables with a tall chair and watching Priest kick ass. The motorcycle and leather too (the whole nine yards) in that little place. Later that year I saw them in DC at the Ontario Theater October 30 1979. This was more or less a movie theater and I was 2nd row middle. These shows were before British Steel and Living After Midnight. Not my favorite work of theirs. The Sad Wings Priest is and was more my style..... :) Edited March 31, 2014 by Narpski

[bathory]

did pentagram open either of those priest shows?

[bathory]

and I agree, 70s priest is best. the heaviest. none of that 80s lets drive fast and have a good time bullshit.

[Narps]

Apparently the one in northern VA they did for sure. I honestly do not remember but when I looked it up it says they played 4 songs to open. I was way into Priest and only cared about seeing them anyway. I think I still have Glenn Tipton's guitar pick somewhere from the DC show......

[Narps]

and I agree, 70s priest is best. the heaviest. none of that 80s lets drive fast and have a good time bullshit.

Yep. I realize I am a close minded old f**k but every bands 70's music sounds better to me than any of their other stuff. I just tuned out in the mid 80's anyway.....

[bathory]

holy shit man, you missed out on a little underground metal history there. pentagram were one of the first "doom" bands. they never really "made it" though, their singer bobbly liebling is a lifelong drug addict and all-around f**k up (not to mention having prima donna rockstar ego issues) and didn't clean up his act until his mid-50s.

[bathory]

and I agree, 70s priest is best. the heaviest. none of that 80s lets drive fast and have a good time bullshit.

Yep. I realize I am a close minded old f**k but every bands 70's music sounds better to me than any of their other stuff. I just tuned out in the mid 80's anyway.....

 

I guess I'm an open-minded young f**k but I pretty much agree. I can't think of many artists who started in the 70s who also didnt put out their best work in the 70s

[Narps]

and I agree, 70s priest is best. the heaviest. none of that 80s lets drive fast and have a good time bullshit.

Yep. I realize I am a close minded old f**k but every bands 70's music sounds better to me than any of their other stuff. I just tuned out in the mid 80's anyway.....

 

I guess I'm an open-minded young f**k but I pretty much agree. I can't think of many artists who started in the 70s who also didnt put out their best work in the 70s

I figured I had it right but just for the wrong reasons. Family was priority over everything from Power Windows on. I am just glad music starting sucking when it did. The timing couldn't have been better for me. I am still proud as hell of my LP collection.... :)

[gudbuytjane]

I don't have 12, and I don't think any of them changed my life, but here are a few memorable ones:

 

The Who, CNE Stadium Toronto, 1982: My first real show! I was 12 and went with a friend and their older. I was so excited to see them on their *ahem* final tour. ;) I don't remember much about the show other than we were really far away, and it was the first time they played "Athena" live (Roger said so). I found a bootleg of the show a couple of years ago, but it's mostly unlistenably muffled and boomy.

 

David Bowie, CNE Stadium Toronto, 1983: I was such a massive Bowie fan in 1983, though not of his contemporary stuff (Let's Dance) but of the Spiders from Mars glam era. A sister's boyfriend had bought me the album a year or two earlier and I fell in love with Ziggy. So, imagine my surprise when out of the blue Mick Ronson comes onstage and plays with Bowie during the encore. It was the only time they played together after Ziggy. Ronson had randomly been in Toronto producing a Lisa Dalbello album, he and Bowie ran into each other the day before, and they decided on a whim to have him play a song at Bowie's show ("Jean Genie," BTW). That might be the most magical moment I can think of in my concert-going life, come to think of it.

 

Marillion, Diamond Club Toronto, 1989: I never got to see them with Fish, but this first tour of Hogarth's was pretty great. And the Diamond was pretty small, so it was like seeing a massive rock production in your rec room.

 

New Pornographers, Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, 2004: Amazing hometown show, the energy was perfect, the venue is beautiful, and when it was over we walked out into a beautiful summer night. That one still brings a smile to my face.

 

Neko Case, Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, 2004: I love this woman. What a haunting voice. She was touring with other alt./retro country stars The Sadies as her backing band, and they had such great chemistry that night (if you're curious, they were supporting The Tigers Have Spoken, a live album she recorded with the band earlier in the year. I don't like a lot of country, but either old school stuff or new artists doing retro 40's/50's style gets me).

 

Mastodon, Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, 2009: Amazing show. I am so glad I got to see all of Crack The Skye live.

Edited March 31, 2014 by gudbuytjane

[bathory]

I mean, I defend new music plenty, but for the most part I think bands that started in the 70s put out their best shit in the 70s

[custom55]

In no particular order

1. Santana – MY FIRST CONCERT IN 1970
    
   
2. Pink Floyd DSOTM – STADIUM SHOW WITH QUAD SOUND 1973
    
   
3. Spiders From Mars – BOWIE AT HIS PEAK 1972
    
   
4. The Who – QUADROPHENIA TOUR SLEPT OUT ALL NIGHT FOR TIX 1973
    
   
5. YES - TALES TOUR 1974
    
   
6. ELP – BRAIN SALAD SURGERY TOUR WITH QUAD SOUND 1973
    
   
7. Jethro Tull – MANY MANY TULL SHOWS STARTING WITH THICK AS A BRICK TOUR 1972
    
   
8. Van Halen – FRONT ROW 1986
    
   
9. Led Zeppelin – 1973 MSG SHOWS THAT WERE FILMED FOR THEIR MOVIE
    
   
10. The Rolling Stones 2007 – SLANE CASTLE, IRELAND FRONT ROW
     
    
11. Black Sabbath – 1972 TOUR – AT THEIR PEAK
     
    
12. Genesis – LAMB LIES DOWN TOUR WHILE TAKING PSYCHEDELICS 1974
    

Edited March 31, 2014 by custom55

[Jaminbenb]

In no particular order

1. Santana – MY FIRST CONCERT IN 1970
    
   
2. Pink Floyd DSOTM – STADIUM SHOW WITH QUAD SOUND 1973
    
   
3. Spiders From Mars – BOWIE AT HIS PEAK 1972
    
   
4. The Who – QUADROPHENIA TOUR SLEPT OUT ALL NIGHT FOR TIX 1973
    
   
5. YES - TALES TOUR 1974
    
   
6. ELP – BRAIN SALAD SURGERY TOUR WITH QUAD SOUND 1973
    
   
7. Jethro Tull – MANY MANY TULL SHOWS STARTING WITH THICK AS A BRICK TOUR 1972
    
   
8. Van Halen – FRONT ROW 1986
    
   
9. Led Zeppelin – 1973 MSG SHOWS THAT WERE FILMED FOR THEIR MOVIE
    
   
10. The Rolling Stones 2007 – SLANE CASTLE, IRELAND FRONT ROW
     
    
11. Black Sabbath – 1972 TOUR – AT THEIR PEAK
     
    
12. Genesis – LAMB LIES DOWN TOUR WHILE TAKING PSYCHEDELICS 1974
    

 

 

Nice listing!!!

[greyfriar]

Rush, Pink Floyd, The Who, Page/Plant, Marillion, U2, Peter Hammill, Ringo Starr, Nektar, UFO, Paul McCartney, Frank Zappa...

 

Zappa was one I never got to see, that I really wanted.... I didn't hear in time for his 88 show in Philly, and wasn't as ambitious as I am now to just GO and see if anyone had a ticket for sale... I'm sure that would have been on my list if I hit one of his shows

I saw him in 1982 on a festival here in Germany. As the band hit the stage a rainstorm set in and they played for about 25 mins, then the sound system collapsed. It was a total chaos on stage but worth every minute. :D

[Rutlefan]

Having grown up in Nowhere, Midwest, and being too young to travel to see the great 70s rock bands I grew up with, my list of really memorable concerts is tilted toward one side of my tastes. It's also small; though I've seen a fair share and enjoyed most, these stand out:

 

Big Country at Mary Washington College following The Crossing, ca 1983. They were awesome. Years later they opened for the Stones and Mick Jagger remarked that they were the best opening band the Stones had ever had (he might have said that about all the bands, but Big Country really were a great live act).

 

My Bloody Valentine in Kawasaki, Japan, following Loveless, ca 1992. Wall of sound indeed. "Shoegaze" is the perfect type of music for Japanese audiences. We "gaizin" were the only people in a packed room that weren't reverentially quiet and still during the whole affair. Anyway, Bilinda Butcher and Debbie Googe put the dream in dream pop, for sure.

 

The Jazz Butcher Conspiracy in some (cool) dive in Cleveland, Ohio, Rotten Soul tour, ca 2000. Favorite concert ever. A lot of their stuff is "quiet" and subtle, but when they get loud they are awesome. I recorded the concert on a minidisc player but the result was too saturated to be of any use. Unfortunate as their live releases I've heard don't capture the power and energy of that night.

 

The Wedding Present supporting Take Fountain, 2005, Black Cat club in Washington D.C. Black Cat is now what the 9:30 club was in the '80s (i.e., the Indie/punk/alternative hole). The show opened with the anthemic "Interstate 5". Awesome.

 

Wire supporting Change Becomes Us this last year, also at the Black Cat. Like The Wedding Present, old dudes who seem to say to all the younger bands, "just look at us and see how it's done."

 

An example of what the Jazz Butcher sounded like that night (5:15 is a good place to start..."I've had a thing about Shirley McClaine since I was so high...now I just get high."):

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXPk0jrw29s

 

Edit: Best show I missed...Tones on Tail (included D. Ash and K. Haskins of Bauhaus) at the 9:30 Club. Tones on Tail was my favorite band then, by a long shot, like Rush was '77 through '81, but for some reason I couldn't go. The Washington Post wrote a glowing review of the show afterwards. Salt in the wound. Missing that has always smarted. I did though see Robyn Hitchcock (& the Egyptians) and The Fall at the 9:30 Club back in the day; those were pretty sweet. A pretty tipsy post-concert Brix Smith even gave me a drink of her wine after the show. Don't know how open or closed her and Mark's marriage might have been, but my college-age self sure enjoyed that gulp of wine. Good stuff. Besides seeing the Foo Fighters in an LA diner just before they released their first album, that was my one brush with pop fame.

Edited April 1, 2014 by Rutlefan