Your biggest concert memories?

[RABid]

I've been going to concerts since the late 70's but only have a few strong memories. Here are mine.

 

ELP - After a solo on the BIG moog modular, Emerson patched a repeating pattern. Fog machines started blowing smoke out of the modular as it went faster and faster. It slowly turned, then sank into the floor. Then a grand piano rose out of the floor a few feet away.

 

Blue Oyster Cult - In the middle of the song Godzilla the drummer does a solo. He is actually a really good drummer. The lights keep fading until it goes dark. A spotlight hits the drummer and he is wearing a huge Godzilla head. I don't know how he managed to play half of the solo with that thing on but the crowd went wild. Unfortunately, every video I find of it has the drum solo cut out.

 

Rod Stewart - Half way through the concert he pulls out a soccer ball and starts bouncing it around. Hacky sack style using the knee, side kicks, behind the back kicks. The dude was talented with the ball. Suddenly, BAM. He kicks the ball out into the audience and it travels more than the length of a basketball court. He kicks a dozen balls out into the audience and he was getting distance. Someone I was with said he was drafted to the minor leagues. I could see why. That was something I had never seen before and would never see again.

[bfields]

My biggest memory might be of this concert in 1990:

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1990/05/15/wesley-boyd-gospel-choir/dd288069-549e-4be1-bc92-023961b3f373/

 

"The 25 voices of the Wesley Boyd Gospel Choir belted out the traditional hymn "I Came to Praise His Name" at the National Museum of American History Sunday afternoon. Dressed all in black, the choir members swayed back and forth and clapped their hands as they repeated the title phrase over and over. At that point jazz saxophonist David Murray walked onstage and drew on the choir's powerful rhythms to fuel a long, wild Coltranesque solo that brought the crowd, stomping and clapping, to its feet."

 

First, because the music was transcendent. Second, because it was a total accident: I was 19, wandering on my own through the museum on a Sunday afternoon, I saw a sign, and I went in.

[LX88]

The Larsen Feiten band ( Neil Larsen / Buzz Feiten) aka FULL MOON at Euphoria Tavern 1983 Portland Oregon.

 

IMO one of the greatest Rhythm sections in American Music history. Also included. Lonnie Castro...Ricky Minor and the late Art Rodriguez drums.

 

Neil Larsen and Buzz Feiten were both outrageous and passionate soloists. The rhythm section was energetic and solid. If you are familiar with Neil and Buzz's repertoire all of the material was top notch.

 

I do have a cassette recording of the evening. Buzz played a solo on Neil's tune MIDNIGHT PASS that was likely one of the greatest musical moments on this planet! Highly melodic.....I still have the cassette and need to digitize it and share it with the world.

 

Sadly these guys are largely under rated.

[16251]

Seeing Areosmith before they were famous at Suffolk Downs in Revere, MA. One of my friends ate pot brownies and thought he was going to die and at some point crowd got out of hand and were flinging full cans of beer in the air. I remember loving Dream On with the Mellotron.

 

Seeing Rick Wakeman's Journey to the Center of the Earth, with full orchestra

 

Seeing original Tower of Power at Paul's Mall in Boston. Was in line waiting for standing room tickets and ended up buying tickets from ppl in front of us who had two extras. I had front row seats and Paul's Mall was small, so were like 20 feet from stage.

 

Seeing Billy Cobham/George Duke band at Symphony Hall.

 

Seeing Bill Evans at Jazz Workshop in Boston. I can't remember concert but I do remember waiting in line to get in and Eddie Gomez pulled up in a 240 Volvo station wagon and watched him unload his bass.

[Doerfler]

I can't remember concert

 

I have a few of this type of concert memory myself.

[mauriziodececco]

Many concerts worth remebering; back when i was in Italy:

 

1) The U2 concert in Bologna football stadium in 88

2) Miles Davis Amandla tourné concert in Brescia

 

In Paris, smaller venues

 

At the New Morning Jazz club: the John Lurie's Lounge Lizard; Joe Zawinul with Trilok Gurtu. John mclaughlin with Zakir Hussain in the Remember Shakti tour.

At the Hot Brass: Cassandra Wilson

At the Theatre de la ville: Didier Squiban and Jan Fanch Kemener

 

And many more (actually, one of the reasons i and my wife moved to Paris was to be able to enjoy great concerts without spending a night in a train station)

 

Maurizio

[mate stubb]

ELP - first American tour in a 1200 seat opera house

Allman Brothers - original band, saw them 1 week before they recorded the Fillmore East album

 

And I saw Weather Report 4 times - one Miroslav, two Jacos, and one Victor.

[Stokely]

I remember being just overwhelmed by my first concert, which was the 1984 Van Halen tour. I remember saying to my friend (we were both 17 I think): "where do all these people live during the day?" This was back in the open seating days and the place was filled with funny smoke and there was just some crazy-looking characters. Van Halen audiences are rough--they threw bottles at Autograph and they had to stop the show due to it. A few years later I saw Van Hagar and they booed BTO (not exactly an amateur band).

 

Peter Gabriel's Secret World tour concert I saw was just amazing. More of a theatrical show than just a concert.

 

Both King's X and Medeski Martin and Wood are memorable in smaller venues for just absolutely bringing it (in their own ways). Incredible energy at those shows.

[drawback]

You always remember your "first time." :wink:

 

Mine was The Who in 1968. They were on the road after the Monterrey Festival, wore the same outfits (the famous fringed buckskin vest on Daltry). Townsend doing his jumpsuit gyrations and Entwistle being his stoic self on Boris The Spider. Moon with a barf bag, shards of broken sticks flying everywhere. Commissionaires (security co. made up of retired WWII vets) demanding they turn the hell down. Roadies literally throwing fans off the stage while the band escapes after destroying their gear in My Generation, hiding in the wings when I caught their eyes, gave a thumbs up, how cool was that for a 16-year-old. Later, Keith Moon made national headlines by trashing the hotel room and was banned from CN Hotel chain for life.

 

Those were the days.

[timwat]

My first real concert was Return to Forever. I was a kid, and asked my parents. They took me and it greatly affected a lot of my thinking and feelings about music. Chick's passing has hit me hard as a result.

 

Other strong memories:

 

ELP - Works tour (but by the time they reached California the orchestra was jettisoned). The highest expression of what it is possible for a rock keyboard player to accomplish - IMHO.

Jeff Berlin's Vox Humana - Steve Houghton, Pat Coil and Scott Henderson in small Berkeley club. We opened for them and Eric Johnson (!) Steve Smith of Journey mixed sound for that gig (he's a long time pal of Berlin's). Scott Henderson was still a child at this time, and floored me. I chatted with the relatively unknown Eric Johnson at the pay phone and he was so kind, humble and gracious. Unforgettable evening for several different reasons.

Keith Jarrett - solo at San Francisco Opera House. I think that might be the only concert that brought me to tears from the sheer beauty for major parts of the evening. No matter how bad a curmudgeon Jarrett is from time to time, I can never forget the affect his fully improvised playing had on me. That's indelible.

Benny Green - live masterclass. What he shared and how he encouraged me after the class is one of the main reasons I'm still playing.

[Dave Bryce]

First three that come to mind:

 

Wakeman doing Journey with the orchestra 1975

Pink Floyd doing The Wall in Long Island 1980

Snarky Puppy doing Sylva with the National Orchestra at the Kennedy Center

 

dB

[allan_evett]

Marc Cohn, with band; Park West, Chicago. The show was in early 1998, IIRC. Three guys on stage: Marc, on digital piano/grand piano and acoustic guitar; a skilled and versatile electric guitarist with a modest rig; a pianist/percussionist/guitarist (grand piano, acoustic guitar, tympani, various hand drums/toys). That final player, Kenny White, quickly became evident as a monster musician - with sensitivity and soul for miles. At one point in the concert Marc Cohn introduced him, and Kenny took an extended solo - including a sung original. He's a NYC-based composer/keyboardist; lots of writing credits for commercials, sideman work and several solo albums. Definitely worth checking out. His music has been on my listening rotation since that Park West show.

 

Marc covered most of the material from his first few albums, including a very powerful and moving segueway into Walking in Memphis. While I own a number of his records, the first album was riveting - one of those collections of which each song spoke to me; it was a similar experience to hearing Tori Amos' Little Eathquakes for the first time.

 

The concert segueway was similar in tone to this video, though it included additional audience interraction. I remember Marc saying something about taking us 'to church' - truly transcending himself and emphasizing how the music was for all of us.

 

[video:youtube]

[Docbop]

Weather Report

Traffic

Frank Zappa and the Mothers

Jimi Hendrix

Fred Hammond New Years Eve and Stevie Wonder sat in

Jeff Beck

Chick Corea Herbie Hancock duo

Sly and Family Stone

Electric Flag

Elton John

[EscapeRocks]

Sitting in the rain at Red Rocks watching U2 in 1983 is probably my favorite concert experience......ever.

That place in Colorado is still my very favorite concert venue just for the surroundings and the way the sound just permeates that huge bowl.

 

Next up would be Sammy Hagar's Three Lock Box tour in Tucson in 1983 with Night Ranger.

 

Finally, Iron Maiden in Dallas 2019.

 

 

 

As far as openers being booed off stage, the only time I witnessed that on a major concert venue tour was in 1986 in Tucson. Journey's Raised on Radio tour. Of the 3 or 4 bands that were opening for Journey at various venues, we got Glass Tiger instead of The Outfield.

 

I like Glass Tiger, but they absolutely sucked that night, and were literally booed off. I mean they were bad. Wasn't a sound system issue. The guitarist looked well out of it, and that affected Alan Frew's mood......

[Bill H.]

Biggest concert memory was probably when a girl threw a shoe towards John, and when he picked it up there were so many shoes thrown towards the stage that they actually had to stop playing for a bit.

 

I have no idea how all those girls made it out of the Portland Coliseum with no shoes on.

[Delaware Dave]

1) Springsteen concert (1981?). Philadelphia Spectrum; he came on at 8:10 and played until close to 10; took a 45 minute break and played with encore until 12:30

2) Return to Forever (1977?). Philadelphia Spectrum; Played 5 or 6 songs + the encore; concert lasted close to 2.5 to 3 hours

3) CS&N 1983 Niagara Falls Auditorium (my favorite band at the time)

4) Dave Mason 1984 Buffalo NY; played in a fairly small place, I was 7 rows out; all electric. Amazing

5) Crystal Ship (Doors cover band) Buffalo NY; got to go back stage. The singer actually thought that he was Jim; weirdest situation that I've ever been in; he looked like him; acted like him; spoke like him; it was almost an out of body experience; and after a few beers I started thinking that maybe it was him.....

[U.Honey]

For me the #1 concert was probably Pat Metheny Group in Helsinki, Finland. The year was 1988. Everything about that show was magic, the sound, the visual aspects of the show and of course Lyle Mays on keys.

[El Lobo]

Off the top of my head, the memorable ones are:

Van Morrison â'It"s Too Late To Stop Now' tour (live double album)

Bob Dylan and the Band

Edgar Winter

J. Geils Band

Pink Floyd â The Wall

Grateful Dead

Jefferson Starship - free concert in Golden Gate Park

U2 â free show at Vaillancourt Fountain, San Francisco

Neville Brothers

Jackson Browne with David Lindley

David Lindley â solo acoustic

[cp-the-nerd]

I'm in my 30s, so I don't have a rich history of concerts to draw from, but I've seen some cool shows.

 

I saw Andrew W.K. tour with the Ramones as lead singer. It was freaking awesome, the energy of that entire set was incredible. AWK is a really cool underrated musician and front man, he did an excellent Joey Ramone impression and had the crowd from beginning to end. I've also seen him tour with his own band twice.

 

I saw Rise Against touring for their album Appeal to Reason, and the opening act was Bad Religion. I'm pretty sure the tickets were only like $20. It was a hell of a fun night, both bands were on their game, but those middle aged guys from Bad Religion utterly stole the show that night playing a bunch of their hits.

[KuruPrionz]

This one is my top favorite concert memory, although I have many.

 

The show was Deep Purple with Fleetwood Mac and Rory Gallagher.

 

Rory had a beat up old tweed Fender Twin set on a metal folding chair, his 59 Strat with a couple spots that still had finish on them and mostly just greasy gray wood plugged straight in.

He was on fire, he totally killed it. Deep Purple was awesome but Rory ate their lunch. Shit, he ate all their lunches.

 

It was the Bob Welch version of Fleetwood Mac touring on Sentimental Lady - probably my least favorite version of that band, to me they were just filler.

 

I went to see Deep Purple but I left gobsmacked by a greater force.

[Konnector]

ELP - Brain Salad Surgery Tour.

 

Saw a lot of good concerts back in those days as a teenager but ELP floored me and was a huge influence on me for ever after.

[Sam Mullins]

A few random highlights:

 

- UK opening for Jethro Tull in the late 70's: was a huge prog rock guy in high school and UK was at the top of my list at the time.

 

- Los Lobos at the Channel in Boston in 1985: I was in grad school at MIT and heard cuts from Will the Wolf Survive on the student radio station, bought the LP and then got tickets the next day and my skeptical wife said "we are going to see a Mexican polka band?" One of the all time exciting shows I've ever seen; the energy and joy was just over the top. (It was also one of the loudest I've ever been to...but that is coincidental)

 

- Fred Hersch Trio a couple years ago in the "side room" of Hancher Auditorium (U of Iowa performance space)....sublime.

 

- A teenage Sarah Jarosz opening for Darrell Scott at Iowa City Arts Festival....her genius was already obvious.

 

- Steely Dan at New Orleans Jazz Fest a couple years before Walter passed

 

- Joni Mitchell at Swope Park in Kansas City in 1983 for Wild Things Run Fast Tour - My one chance to see a hero...and the band was stellar.

 

- In the regional/touring category: Any Stuart Davis or Willy Porter show

 

- Alt-country hero Robbie Fulks opening with a guitar cover of Karn Evil 9 at a local club in the 90's

[Steve Nathan]

My list might break the internet When I was 12, my Dad left the fiberglass business he had with his brother and became a Concert Promoter!

 

I saw The Beatles in Toronto 1964!

And that was not my first concert.

 

I'd already seen:

Duke Ellington

Ella Fitzgerald

Count Basie

Gene Krupa

Jimmy Smith

Dinah Washington

Louis Armstrong

Dave Brubeck

Art Blakey

Dizzy

Oscar

Cannonball

 

Then I saw:

Dylan

The Stones

The Who

Sly & the Family Stone

Elvis

Beach Boys

Hendrix

Elton

Joe Cocker/Mad Dogs & Englishmen

Zepelin

Mahavishnu

Weather Report

 

 

I could go on for days.

[KuruPrionz]

Copying and pasting a couple from above...

 

ELP - Brain Salad Surgery Tour.

Saw that, a high point beyond any doubt.

 

UK opening for Jethro Tull in the late 70's:

I saw UK open for Jethro Tull too, they were fantastic. The band at that point was Eddie Jobson on violin and keyboards, John Wetton on bass and vocals and Terry Bozio on drums - fantastic.

 

Artur Rubenstein was amazing, so was Carlos Montoya.

The Who on the Tommy tour.

 

Taj Mahal opening for Loggins and Messina, solo act playing a banjo - he had 6,000 of us up on our feet clapping in time and shouting "Shake it on Down!!!" at the top of our lungs.

The Divinyls opening for Aerosmith. Christina Amphlett was a force of nature and an extremely underrated singer.

 

David Lindley was great both times.

 

Ray Charles was untouchable, nobody put on a show like Ray. 25 pieces in the band - flawless and powerful.

[KuruPrionz]

My list might break the internet When I was 12, my Dad left the fiberglass business he had with his brother and became a Concert Promoter!

 

I saw The Beatles in Toronto 1964!

And that was not my first concert.

 

I'd already seen:

Duke Ellington

Ella Fitzgerald

Count Basie

Gene Krupa

Jimmy Smith

Dinah Washington

Louis Armstrong

Dave Brubeck

Art Blakey

Dizzy

Oscar

Cannonball

 

Then I saw:

Dylan

The Stones

The Who

Sly & the Family Stone

Elvis

Beach Boys

Hendrix

Elton

Joe Cocker/Mad Dogs & Englishmen

Zepelin

Mahavishnu

Weather Report

 

 

I could go on for days.

 

You WIN the Interwebzzz!!!!!!

[16251]

I think the OP was looking for memories while at concerts. These lists are impressive, but the ppl who told stories about some of them is what really brings me along.

[RABid]

My list might break the internet When I was 12, my Dad left the fiberglass business he had with his brother and became a Concert Promoter!

 

...

 

I could go on for days.

 

But when someone says "favorite concert moment" what pops into your head?

[wd8dky]

Todd Rundgren opened for The Tubes back in the early '80's. He was wearing cowboy boots on a wood floor stage. At one point he slipped and fell flat on his back. He didn't miss a note and finished the song on his back. When the song was over, he pulled his boots off and finished his set barefoot.

[jazzpiano88]

A few of the best memories:

 

Rush (Moving Pictures) - Pretty much a fieldhouse auditorium -- Davenport Masonic Temple

Stevie Wonder (In Square circle) -- Loved seeing Don Grolnick live

Gateway Trio (Abercrombie, Holland, DeJohnette) -- Jack played one solo number on piano -- unbelievably tasty

Tower of Power w/ Ellis Hall -- 200 Seat club

Gary Burton and Makoto Ozone

Elektric Band trio lineup -- Very early. Chick Dave John

Metheny (Offramp) -- Musicians entered auditorium playing acoustic instruments down the aisle for Forward March

Yellowjackets (@Yoshi's) Met Russ in the Lobby before the show

Rolling Stones (Steel Wheels) - Stadium show at ISU

Ellis Marsalis & Marcus Roberts

[GovernorSilver]

Steely Dan at North Sea Jazz Festival in the late 2000s.

 

Joe Zawinul Syndicate at the same festival, couple hours later.

 

Whiehouse at DC9 in DC

 

Dan Deacon and Animal Collective at 930 Club in DC

 

Sunn O))) at Black Cat in DC - felt chest vibrations from that show the next day

 

Kevin Eubanks Trio at University of California San Diego

 

Kevin Eubanks Quartet at USF in Tampa FL

 

Negativland in Clearwater FL

 

Parliament Funkadelic (or was it George Clinton and Friends? forgot...) at Belly Up Tavern in San Diego CA

 

There were also some wild cabaret shows but I guess cabaret doesn't count.