Concert experiences!

[bradybaker]

Hey everybody, Here's an idea. Everyone loves music right? How about sharing some concert stories eh? Or just talk about the concerts you've been to and such? GO! I've seen (in order of best to least-best): The White Stripes (Chicago) with Blanche, The Flaming Lips The Black Keys (Detroit) with Early Man, Burning Brides The White Stripes (Toronto) with Whirlwind Heat Queens of the Stone Age (Toronto) with Throw Rag The Red Hot Chili Peppers (Toronto) with Mars Volta, Queens of the Stone Age The Rolling Stones (@ "Sars-stock" in Toronto with 450,000 people) with many, many bands (AC/DC, Rush, Guess Who, Flaming Lips...etc) The Von Bondies (Toronto) with Death From Above Oasis (Toronto) with Jet The Stripes show in Chicago, New Year's Eve 2003, remains the happiest day of my life. Oh, and I saw Kings of Leon last night in Toronto with Shout Out Louds, great concert. I want to see: Yeah Yeah Yeahs System of a Down Bloc Party Billy Talent ....and I'm forgetting many more.

[Mystical_Journey]

Thats a good list bradybaker, i would love to see The Stripes, Stones and Flaming Lips Ive only just 'got into' and discovered the experience of live music, ive not been to many gigs in my life except for the last 2 years. People ive seen in concert (in no order):- Mungo Jerry - You know "In the summertime du du du du du du" Sting - Very good live but we were very far away, for all we know it could have been a cardboard cut-out with pre-recorded music Nightwish - Excellent, one of the most brilliant things ever...... Richie Havens - A genius of a man who was at the original Woodstock, the man is out of this world. The Devil and Me - More of a local band in Cornwall really but they were ace. Elvis Fontenot and the Sugar Bees - ahhhh now ive never heard live music have so much 'vibe' before, these guys rocked. Music in the bones..... I booked a ticket to watch Mercury Rev but couldnt have the night off work, oh well...... People i would love to see Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds REM System of a Down Radiohead Lemon Jelly

[InTheMoment]

In order (loosely) from the earliest to current...as best as I can remember. Also, I'm only going to comment on some of the more memorable ones. 80's Aerosmith (Permanent Vacation) - awesome show Bryan Adams - sad I know, but went with my best friend's sister whom I'd had a crush on. Bon Jovi (Slippery When Wet) - was very high and had a great time 90's Shabba Ranks w/Ghetto Boys, Tribe Called Quest and others Korn - good show, they came out on tricked out low rider bicycles. ICP - pretty good, they shot Root Beer out of super soakers at the audience Tool - great show, they set fire to the stage...not sure if it was accidental or not. Violent Femmes House of Pain 311 - seen them on 3 different occasions The Bloodhound Gang - very good show...was tripping balls during it Bush w/No Doubt + GooGoo Dolls - decent...but the GooGoo Dolls sucked...my brother and his friend got backstage and met most of No Doubt. The Offspring - people were actually moshing to them ...so me and my buddy threw shot glasses at the moshers from the sidelines. Tori Amos - superb show, one of my top favorites of all time. I was rolling face and making out with this hot asian girl I had met there. Lallapalooza - 3 times 00's Limp Bizkit w/ System of the Down, Redman & others DJ Dan - twice Darude Carl Cox - twice DJ Micro - 5 times (he's very popular in DC) Aphrodite DJ Tiesto [b]Rabbit in the Moon - twice Sasha & Digweed - twice Dieselboy I know I'm forgetting a ton of others...but those were all that came to mind at the moment. All the shows in Green I was usually rolling, tripping or both (candy flipping). A great time was had by all on each of those accounts.

[OpheliaBlue]

I haven't been to that many concerts, so I'll just tell a story about one of them. 2001 - Dallas Ramms+ein - (wasn't really a tour because there were like 4 other bands that night, but it was right after their Mutter album came out) I went backstage where they were signing CDs, and I learned how to say this in German "I am an opera singer, and besides opera, I only listen to Ramms+ein". Which at the time WAS true. So I went up to Til Lindemann (lead singer) and said "I prepared something in german for you-" and he cut me off and said, "But you forgot." Then I was like "No I DIDN'T! Ich bin eine Opernsängerin, und außer OpernMusik, höre ich nur Ramms+ein!!" And he just looked at me with this look of total disbelief. Like why would an opera singer go to a Ramms+ein concert (oddly enough, Rene Pape, a famous bass from the Metropolitan Opera in NYC, recently recorded and album with a set of songs that took the lyrics from some Ramms+ein songs. Go figure. ) Anyway, then Til said "Ja really? Zen maybe you could give us a sample?" So I busted out about 10 seconds of italian opera and the whole band applauded. Then Til said, "Zat was very good, I am shit." And I said, "No you're nooooooooooot...." And I gave him a dorky 1/2 hug and giggled like an idiot (he's quite hot...and nicely built I might add.) I was floating for weeks. The End.

[Mystical_Journey]

Thats such a cool story, i really enjoyed reading it What a cool concert experience..... I would love to have seen his face when you told him you were an Opera singer (lol). Its always funny when you challenge peoples 'views' and they get that sense of realisation that "hey people are not all the same". Not everyone can fit into a box like the 'majoritiy' of people. It must have been enlightening to the band as they must be used to people going crazy over them for no reason except to get a signed CD to show their friends.

[voidofform]

i haven't seen many live gigs, but my boss used to have a place on a hill which overlooked a stadium (read: FREE CONCERT!) creed was ok, but not really my thing bruce springsteen et al (the rising tour) was ok but not great robbie williams did a really good show but chris isaak was stunning. i can't recommend a chris isaak concert highly enough. the whole fun rock and roll thing, with his trademark bitter jilted twist. and he's just SOOO cool doing it. *rave* *rave*, etc, etc.

[bradybaker]

3 more to add. I saw Pearl Jam two weekends ago in Kitchener with Sleater-Kinney. Great concert, PJ played for like 2 and a half hours! Also, this past weeken was the Extreme White Stripes Weekend. I saw them in Toronto on Sept 16th....the show was amazing and we got free beer. Then again the next night (Sept 17th) in Montreal...another amazing show. Montreal is one heck of a crazy town too... Upcoming concerts: Bedouin Soundclash next Tuesday, The Black Keys in Toronto in November.

[CoralRives]

I'd have to say that even though I've seen Jimmy Buffett over 25 times, I liked the Grateful Dead shows a lot! I've seen about a dozen of them- some sober, some NOT sober. Each show had it's own personality. Pink Floyd's Momentary Lapse of REason Tour at the Dean Dome in Chappel Hill was very cool too. I'm glad I got to see Ray Charles in college, (1990) and James Taylor.

[Gezus]

Deep Purple with Thin Lizzy Rush all by themselves System of a Down with Mars Volta and Bad Acid Trip Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation with The Trews I`m going to a Queen concert with my dad and my stepmom and I`m hoping to go to a Wolf Parade concert as well.

[Gwendolyn]

I have seen KISS twice. They're my favorite band, and I loved them. My fiance and I are going to see The Moody Blues on Saturday!! I can't wait!

[Gwendolyn]

Well, on Saturday, my fiance and I went to a Moody Blues concert. It was scrumtralecent, and tripalicious. They opened with Lovely to See You, and the rest was practically heaven! They give a great concert.

[TygrHawk]

I've seen: Rush (5 times) Billy Joel (3 times) Starship (twice) Journey (twice) Heart (twice) REO Speedwagon (backstage pass!) Chicago Asia Genesis Phil Collins Aldo Nova Men At Work Cheap Trick 38 Special Bryan Adams Eddie Money Alice Cooper The Fixx Max Webster Golden Earring The Police Madness Thompson Twins Grateful Dead Al Stewart And in a jazzier vein: Maynard Ferguson (3 times -- at least) Jean-Luc Ponty Weather Report Billy Taylor Trio There's probably more, but that's all I can remember at the moment.

[evolo]

I haven't seen too many big bands... I've seen the Beach Boys though when I was like 9. I felt pretty damn special that night. I grew up listening to punk, so I've seen Bad Religion, Offspring, Anti-Flag, Rancid, Misfits, Nofx, Against Me!, Nomeansno, and others of the sort... The best band and performance I have seen though is Radiohead. When I was 11, my dad was fascinated with OK Computer when it came out, and he took me to see Radiohead that year. I was literally blown away. My little brain was amazed, and ever since then I've had an unbearable desire for Radiohead. For my 18th birthday, my dad flew me to Vancouver to see them again. I almost melted. Absolute brilliance. For about 2 hours I was taken away to another place. They are a band everyone should see. Now, I am planning on following them around on their next tour. That, I'm afraid, would be the ultimate musical experience, regardless of the band.

[Gwendolyn]

I would love to have seen The Misfits, and Rancid. I've always loved those bands.

[Kula]

Level 42 (Back in 1995, just before they split up. I was only 11 at the time) Toto (Tambu tour, 1996 I think) Steve Vai Joe Satriani ('Engines of Creation' tour 2001) Toto ('Mindfields' tour 2001) Sting ('Sacred Love' tour 2005) Moby ('Hotel' tour 2005) Spock's Beard (Oct 16th this year. I was about 10 feet away from the stage!) I plan to watch Toto again in February and i'll definately watch Linkin Park, the next time they come around. Other bands i'd like to watch... Drowning Pool Jamiroquai Bomfunk MC's Lost Prophets Maroon 5

[OpheliaBlue]

Originally posted by Kula Other bands i'd like to watch... Drowning Pool Jamiroquai Bomfunk MC's Lost Prophets Maroon 5 Oh HELL yeah, me too I love those retro-funk groups

[YourTheManNowDog]

when i was living in DC i used to go to shows alot there at the 930 club, i dont remember dates Unearthed - this one was crazy i left with a bloody nose and bruises from the pit Darkest Hour Still Remains Earth Crisis Evergreen Terrace Children of bodom -this one was in orlando.

[Distant Clone]

I saw Snocore Tour in February, and noticed the follow up tour Equinox, was coming soon. Snocore (Halestorm, Flyleaf, Seether, Shinedown) : Seether: Disappointed with them, they just sat there drumming, strumming, and singing. I could anticipate what all the hits would sound like and during the hits, I was waiting for them to get to the next song. I liked "Diseased" the best, it's track 12 from Karma and Effect. Flyleaf: The lady that sings is like four foot nothing. Actually, probably five. Had an enchanting voice, but could not tell what the heck she was saying unless she screamed "shut up" or "f*ck you". I thought Halestorm and Shinedown did a hell of a job, and that's the good news. They are both on the Equinox Tour (Trapt and Shinedown co-headline with Mercy Fall, Evans Blue, and Halestorm). Halestorm: The lady came out to open the show singing a cappella and I was really impressed. She has a strong commanding voice and I liked everything I heard. Shinedown: They came on and right from the get go when Brent said "Everybody stand up" I was happy. He was filled with energy and was such a good contrast since Seether had just sat there for an hour. Walking back and forth across the stage, and actually talked to the audience in between songs, in addition to having some sing alongs. Want to See: tool is coming to town real soon and I am hoping I can win tickets from my radio station. The 2500 tickets sold out in 7 minutes I heard...They weren't available online, and that's where I looked since I was at my brother's house.

[wombing]

some promising shows mentioned... The Rolling Stones (@ "Sars-stock" in Toronto with 450,000 people) with many, many bands (AC/DC, Rush, Guess Who, Flaming Lips...etc) * [/b] lucky bastard a co-worker flew out for it...said it was certainly worth it... the only really memorable concert i've been to was the edmonton folkfest this past summer...ended up going on a whim and getting a scalped day ticket for the last day... it was incredible...great vibes (the fact i was INCREDIBLY stoned helped )...the highlight was dancing with these two far out "hippie" chicks in their mid thirties what can i say, i have a thing for long hair and sundresses.. other than that i've only been to smaller local shows, mostly punk...the most memorable was a huge house party my friends' band played...it was right around picking season, so about 70% of those attending were bemushroomed...their band was very psychedelic (somewhere between john zorn and fantomas). at the end some guy walked up to the guitarist and said...."dude, it's like you reached out and touched my soul..

[planecrash]

Originally posted by bradybaker I've seen (in order of best to least-best): The White Stripes (Chicago) with Blanche, The Flaming Lips The Black Keys (Detroit) with Early Man, Burning Brides The White Stripes (Toronto) with Whirlwind Heat Queens of the Stone Age (Toronto) with Throw Rag The Red Hot Chili Peppers (Toronto) with Mars Volta, Queens of the Stone Age The Rolling Stones (@ "Sars-stock" in Toronto with 450,000 people) with many, many bands (AC/DC, Rush, Guess Who, Flaming Lips...etc) The Von Bondies (Toronto) with Death From Above Oasis (Toronto) with Jet ....and I'm forgetting many more. how does oasis rate so low? I'm sure they made a great emotional show. Just hope you had someone to hold on to during it. edit: and you've seen the Flaming Lips a lot.

[Ardent Lost]

Given that i live in Australia and that my taste for music is a bit on the obscure side, i haven't seen very many live acts at all. The ones i have seen have only been metal bands (metal is where my roots lie). Apart from the real unknowns: Alarum Psycroptic Nile Opeth (twice) I saw Opeth for the second time the other night in fact. Fantastic show, diverse set. Good times. I'd like to start hitting some jazz clubs though, start getting into the local jazz scene.

[bradybaker]

Originally posted by planecrash how does oasis rate so low? I'm sure they made a great emotional show. Just hope you had someone to hold on to during it. edit: and you've seen the Flaming Lips a lot. It was cool to see them play 'Wonderwall' and 'Don't Look Back' live, along with a bunch of others...but they're sooo full of themselves, it's unbearable. If there is one musician who I would punch in the face given the chance, it would definitely be Liam...or maybe Bono...or maybe Chris Martin... Many new concerts to add since last update: The White Stripes (Montreal) w/The Greenhornes The White Stripes (Toronto) w/The Greenhornes The Flaming Lips (Toronto) w/Wolfmother The Black Keys (Toronto) w/Nathaniel something... Gogol Bordello (London, ON) w/Panic and the Rebel Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (Toronto) w/THe Brunettes Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Toronto) w/Blood On The Wall Kings of Leon (Toronto) w/Shout Out Louds Wolfmother (Toronto) w/The Illuminati Pearl Jam (Kitchener) w/Sleater-Kinney So far I've been to 5 shows this year. Good times.

[Burns]

About 6 years ago, I went to a 3 Doors Down and Cold concert with 2 of my guy friends at one of the small venues in Detroit. It was cool because there were no seats so you could get as close as you wanted. It was packed with people, so was hard to get around. During one of the songs, one of my friends just picked me up and threw me into the crowd! I'd never crowd-surfed before but it was fun! I was scared at first that I was going to get dropped, but I didn't. I surfed all the way up to the stage where the bodyguards got me down. Then I found my friends again, and they did it again! I think someone grabbed my boob the second time...

[pj]

A couple weeks ago, I had the incredible experience of setting up the PA and running sound for Steve Poltz at a livingroom concert. Steve is an amazing musician - founder, lead singer and guitarist for the Rugburns - but sadly is better known as "the guy" in Jewel's hit video, "You Were Meant For Me." Steve co-wrote the song with her... and I think he's being gracious by calling it co-written. He has also toured with her as lead guitar for her band. Here's my journaling of the evening: Everything was just as I had left it after Saturday's setup. I wired up a couple extra outdoor speakers while waiting for Steve to arrive, while our hosts prepared food and greeted guests. Steve swept in with his small entourage around five. We did a quick sound check, set up a CD to accompany one of his songs, and then my job was pretty much over. The gear so graciously loaned by my friends performed flawlessly and was well suited to the room. My job couldn't have been easier. And then there was Steve Poltz. Where do I start? The man is a raving ball of energy while performing. His material ranges from finger-style guitar work that would do Leo Kottke proud to gentle, soulful ballads, deranged anthems, odes and stories and on and on. He played a two hour set that held the house enrapt. Off of the "stage," Steve exudes a peaceful relaxation that is downright contageous. He slid right into the collection of vagabonds and misfits assembled there and made himself quite at home. At one point, Steve was on the couch between J. and I. Somehow, his gorgeous Taylor had found its way into my hands. We serenaded him with several of our songs, at his encouragement. He was intrigued by the Joni Mitchell tuning I use for one of them, (B F# B F# B D#) and started ripping off odd tunings he uses... all which were unfortunately almost immediately forgotten. The guitar was returned to him, and he continued the concert right there on the couch as those who remained gathered around. Included in this set was Jewel's hit, "You Were Meant For Me". He was still playing long after most of the guests left. We finally had to take down the PA system while he continued playing acoustic, though I hated to leave. In parting, I thanked him for a truly magical evening. That's what good entertainment is - magic. It is so much more than being able to play an instrument or sing a song. Steve is an excellent musician and brilliant songwriter... but he is a genius of an entertainer too. And entertain us he did. It was magical, indeed. Thank you, Steve Poltz. http://poltz.com

[Starlite]

Well I havent been to a concert in a long while, but I am going to see Nine Inch Nails front row on 6-6-06....my brother had an extra ticket b/c his super religious gf is afraid the devil's comin' to town that day....her loss my gain!! I just found out lastnight and im so giddy!! *thinking of Trent *