Concerts thread: Best/Worst/Next/Last one you attended?

Tab Benoit came to the small bar I hung out at during college. Seemed like I was the only person in town who had heard of him (thanks to my older brother's love of the blues), and I couldn't wait. Got to the bar at noon. Show started at 10 or so. I vaguely remember talking to him at some point (before, after, during the show; not sure), but I can't remember a single song he played.

As for Thackery, I caught him at an even smaller venue in the same town around the same time. Hell of a show. On a related note, one of the better shows I've seen was at a seafood restaurant during college. It's been so long, I'm not sure I remember the guy's name. Maybe Thunderbird John. Anyway, he and his band tore it up for 90 minutes on a stage the size of a large closet with maybe 10 people paying attention. Everyone else was there to eat. Great blues set.

 

Best: Monsters of Rock, 1988, Liberty Bowl in Memphis. Lineup was Kingdom Come, Metallica, Dokken, Scorpions, Van Hagar (last two are definite; unsure of order of the three early acts).

In retrospect, probably best only because it was my first. I've been to Glastonbury, Rock am Ring, Coachella and a few others. Also saw the Police live as a wee 15-year-old.

Second best: I went to one rock festival in Germany (in 1991, somewhere north of Frankfurt) that I'm ashamed I can't remember the name of that had the Pixies as the Friday night closing act.

 

Best: My Morning Jacket, Charlottesville Pavilion, last year. Had never seen them live and had no idea what they could do. HIGHLY recommended. Honorable mention: Kings of Leon/Black Rebel Motorcycle Club two years earlier at the same venue; Wilco at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia in 2002; Method Man/Redman at University Hall at UVa in 1999, mostly because my buddies and I ran into Cappadonna in the parking lot after the show and got our picture taken with him.
Last: The National at the club of the same name in Richmond. That goes in honorable mention as well.
Worst: moe. (yes, I was a jam-band kid, sue me) at the Norva in Norfolk in 2001. Not that the show itself was that shitty (although I was usually underwhelmed by them), but the circumstances. I was in the midst of a long, drawn-out breakup with my college girlfriend, so I was in a bad state of mind. Then some hippie asshole proposed to his girlfriend on stage. Jerk. Also, my buddy and I did not have nearly the "supplies" we needed to enjoy the show effectively.
Next: Man, I've got a 4-month-old. I got no fucking clue.

Also, Jimmy Thackery actually played my high school auditorium when I was a junior. Haven't thought about that guy in years.

 

Just a thought about the high number of cancellations this year. Anyone think LiveNation, now that they have control of the ticketing and the show production, simply cancels shows where the profit won't be high enough? Kind of like half full plane flights getting cancelled?
I don't know who used to make the call on when to cancel a gig due to slow ticket sales, figured it is usually the concert promoter - but since they get the typically get the "last cut" of the gate, they are now in a better position to scrub a concert, and avoid paying the performer their guarantee because they overpriced the tickets.

 

I think the first time Springsteen charged $50+ for the best seats was during the Ghost of Tom Joad tour which started in 1995. For the record, face value (before you add in TM surcharges) for a Springsteen ticket still hasn't hit the $100 mark, I think the highest on the last tour was in the mid-$90s.

The Eagles were the ones that ruined it. Once they started charging $100, everyone else figured they could too.

 

The Eagles charged $35 for lawn seats on their initial Reunion Tour. Prices only went up from there. I especially love how Henley rails against corporate America's evils in song on his solo records, but charges and arm and a leg for concert seats with the Eagles, and puts out their newest album as a Wal-Mart exclusive.

Last: Rush, last week, excellent show as always. They nailed The Ultimate Rush Rarity, The Camera Eye. And they pulled out a few of my personal favorites (Marathon, Time Stand Still, La Villa Strangiato, Witch Hunt, etc.) so I was happy.

Next: Paul McCartney, Kansas City, in two weeks. A friend talked me into it, but the man is 68. Gotta see him now.

 

Great thread. Can't believe I've never seen it. Let's see:

Best: Hard to choose between the many Springsteen shows but I'd have to say either Buffalo '09, Milwaukee '09 or South Bend '78 for best choice. Also loved Vote for Change with REM.

Worst: Aerosmith in '80s I think.

Last: James Taylor/Carole King, Live at the Troubadour at the Palace. Awesome show. Done in the round and they played all the hits and seemed to really love doing it. Almost full house, too.

Next: I think the free Dave Mason show down at the river next week.

Oh, and there is no way Bruce ruined concerts for the price. He still charges way below what most acts his level do. It was definitely the Eagles that ruined it. And what about U2 and all these other groups charging in the $250 range?

 

The JT and King show was the first concert I would have loved to have seen in a while. There are some roots there and the fact that they got Kortchmar, Kunkel and Sklar together only made the tour more appealling.
I don't know how many platinum records those five have been a part of, either writing, playing on, singing or producing, but I wouldn't be surprised if it is over 500.

 

Was that Aerosmith pre Permanent Vacation. Some friends saw them on that tour and said they kicked ass.
Met the guy who used to put together the Midtown Music Festival. Said he was amazed the band was still alive. He was sure back in the 70s they'd end up dead before the decade was out.

 

You're too young to have seen Bruce in '78
But if you did see him back then I'm surprised you're saying the current shows rival those legendary Darkness tour shows (I've got the South Bend '78 show on CD - or maybe just cassette still, can't remember) and it was a great show (especially the back-to-back Double Shot of My Baby's Love and Louie Louie)

 

YGBFKM says he puts on a good show.

I plan on seeing him if he makes it my way.

 

I don't actually remember what year it was. But they sucked. Someone threw a bottle on the stage and they walked off after just a few songs. I, too, am surprised they didn't find early mortality.