Best Concert you Have Ever Been To...

[dfreuter415]

Tough call, as someone who works in the industry I have seen well over 800 "arena" concerts and thousands of shows in general.

800 arena concerts?  WOW! That's more than two years of your life going to shows!

Just curious, but do you have a favorite performer, or can you narrow the list to two or three?

[Dave2512]

Thinking back a couple other shows I thought were amazing, Runner and The Thermodynamics and Felice Bros. Not on same bill but both awesome. The Apples were always good too. Favorite odd show was Ed Hall. I was one of maybe 10 people there in a 400 seat theater and a fight breaks out.

[colin007]

Between the Buried and Me - they're a progressive metal/deathcore band. They come around every year or two and always melt my face off. Smaller club that fits about 800. Their shows get pretty crazy.

[trickyputt]

Deathcore? Sigh.

[boogielicious]

Springsteen was a great show, but not the best.  It was rainy and foggy that day.

Billy Joel had a great show.

I saw Boston 4 of the 9 shows they did at the Worcester Centrum.  A good friend was in the lead off band for the shows.

Brian Setzer Orchestra puts on a great show too.

I've seen John Hiatt twice and he is great.

But that Buffett show was still the top.

[colin007]

Deathcore? Sigh.

I will mosh you right in your Barry Manilow listening face if you dare knock deathcore again... ;-) Lol just kidding!...not a fan?

[nevets88]

This could be another thread, but... best encores?

[colin007]

I'm actually not a fan of encores. Just play, tell us you're playing the last song, then play it. Why make us stand around for ten minutes while you go through the perfunctory motions.

[trickyputt]

This could be another thread, but... best encores?

Van Halen 1984 in Birmingham. The very last song. The stage was black, all lights were out. Suddenly a single flame appeared in center rear where Alex had the drums. Then ghere was two flames. Alex had lit both drumsticks. He cranked out a drum set while setting one of those massive drum sets on fire while wearing a full face gas mask. It was fully on fire by the end. Crazy.

[boogielicious]

This could be another thread, but... best encores?

Funniest was seeing Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at a small club in New Hampshire.  They went of stage to a small booth like room, but we could still see them. They were all crowded together acting like we couldn't see them and packed like sardines. Then they came back and the band leader made a few jokes about how lavish the back stage was at the club.

[dfreuter415]

For anyone who appreciates strictly instrumental concerts,  I saw Maynard Ferguson and his band during the 70's, when their version of "Gonna Fly Now" (Theme From Rocky ) was atop the charts.  Awesome!

[RandallT]

Best concert was Stevie Ray Vaughan. I was a volunteer usher for his show at my university and I watched them do bits of a couple songs as a sound check. Then he signed my album cover above. Being an idiot college kid my pen barely worked so you can hardly see it. Duh. Why did I not have Sharpie? Best encore: Arlo Guthrie. I didn't know many of his songs during the actual concert but he was extremely entertaining and a great story teller. He played a bunch of his father's music too. For the encore, what else? Alice's Restaurant.

[nevets88]

This is one concert I'd have given my right arm to have attended:

[Dave2512]

To the encore subtopic best I have seen/heard is Jeff Tweedy. He comes out and stands at the edge of the stage and sings without a mic, just voice and acoustic. Very cool to just stand amongst hundreds of people in not making any noise and just listening.

[Gboroman]

This is one concert I'd have given my right arm to have attended:

Thanks for posting that!

[inthehole]

Saw Ozzy in Vegas while on a golf trip there 2 years ago ... it was great - he put so much into the show, he literally couldn't walk at the end & had to cancel the next nights show.    His new guitarist, Gus G. is ridiculously good .... long live Ozzy & geriatric metal !

[inthehole]

Boston. Wife liked it so much she married me.

My first show when I was a wee boy (somewhere around 1977) ... recall the excitement and the grandeur of a full out rock concert as a pre-teen.     Still remember all that funny smelling blue smoke in the nosebleed seats ...

[phan52]

I have been to hundreds of concerts going back as far as 45 years. And without question the finest, most dynamic concert I have ever attended was the Rolling Stones on July 20, 1972 at the Philadelphia Spectrum. Stevie Wonder was the opening act. I sat (actually stood and danced) in the 10th row and I think the ticket cost me $12.50.