[MUSIC] Best Live Performances You've Ever (personally) Seen?

James Brown
Allman Brothers

 

PIL with Flesh For Lulu - Numbers December 1987
(My 2 favorite albums that year and they were touring together - awesome show)

REM with Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians - The Summit March 1989
(The height of their career IMHO...okay so the prior album was actually a little better, but it was still a great show before Stipe's ego got a little too big)

Billygoat w/ r****ded Elf show - The Vatican 92-94
(any of the shows from those guys during that time - great great great live shows. Very very fun crowds egged on by very theatrical groups)

The Ramones w/ Social Distortion - The Unicorn Oct. 92
(Doesn't really need justification does it?)

Willy Nelson - Billy Bobs - January 2012
(last three songs of the night in this order..."I'll Fly Away" "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" "Roll me up & smoke me when I'm gone"...the irony of the last song was hilarious)

OMD - Granada Theater March 2011
(I was extremely surprised at how good they were live..considering they are a synthpop band)

 

Rolling Stones 12/01/2005. The Stones are not a great live band, they are not bad, but their live is not as good as their studio work. Anyway, a lot of factors go into making a show great and in this case it was my seats. IMHO, they were the best in the house. (Odd since they were not even the most expensive). My wife and I were front row dead center of the smaller stage that was in the middle of the floor. So about halfway through the show, the stones roll out to this area in the middle of the floor (anybody who has been to a Stones show in the last 15 years know what I'm talking about) and there is nothing between us and the band (security is off the sides). So for about 20 minutes I felt like I was getting a personal Stones concert. And when the band played, "Get off of my cloud" (my personal favorite Stones song and one of my top 5 songs of all time), that was the single greatest experience I've had at a concert.

Honorable Mention: Foo Fighters and Weezer Woodlands September 2005.
Memorable moment: During the Weezer set Rivers goes out into the audience and plays Island in the Sun. During the Foo Fighter set, Dave does the same (not sure if this is something he does frequently). Insanity ensues, Dave's big black bodyguard (think Huell, from Breaking Bad) is getting overwhelmed. And Dave seems to think "Screw This, I'm outta here" runs for his life a few feet in front of us, bodyguard can't keep up. The image is of Dave running with his guitar is the single funniest thing, I've ever seen at a concert.

 

Johnny Lee - 2012 Concert Pub on 1960. Seen him several times but this night sticks out. Maybe 100 people in the place. He sang all his hits, some that should have been, other peoples songs from from Urban Cowboy, told clean and dirty jokes. He would let people come up to the stage and take pictures with him during the show. By far one of the most entertaining live shows I've seen.

honorable mentions

ACDC - Austin - Black Ice Tour
Aaron Watson - Fire House Saloon - Shut Up and Dance
Sammy Hagar - Houston - Super Bowl
Steve Wariner - Brenham - Silver Wings

 

Was at ACL a couple weeks ago and I thought the Saturday lineup of HAIM, Portugal the Man, and Passion Pit were very good!

 

Muse.

 

I watched Foxy Shazam perform at Mr. Smalls Theater in Pittsburgh on New Year's Eve Night this past year. I highly doubt I will ever see a better show. Unless it's another one of their shows.


Sadly, maybe only two other people on this board know who this band is. They are simply amazing live.

 

Empire of the Sun @ Warehouse live

 

Tame Impala with The Growl
Feb. 2013 - Fitzgeralds

I am not sure that can be beat for me.

 

Everyone- go see Cut Copy at Warehouse Live on Nov. 9

It is rare for them to play such a small venue, much less in Houston.

I would be so there if I was in town.

New album is fantastic.

Also did anyone see James Blake at HOB the other day? How was it?

 

Styx, Equinox tour.

posted the video in the Styx forum.

 

In no particular order:

Van Halen at the Sam Houston Coliseum (4th row center stage right after their second album... 1978?)

The Who at the Cotton Bowl 1980

Joe Ely Band at Gruene Hall around 1981

The Police at the Drum in Austin around 1982

SRV at Steamboat 1865 on 6th Street just before he made it big.

And of course, Styx at The Summit.

 

King's X at Rockafellers on the Gretchen tour (Dec 90?)
This is the only show I've ever been to by myself. Midweek, late, no one I knew had even heard of them. Opening act was the Galactic Cowboys.