What are the five best bands you've seen play live?
I must admit, the title is a NaBloPoMo prompt.
but it's a good one, isn't it?
I'm not going to limit myself to "bands" per se....
Paul McCartney at Citi Field has got to have been the best show I ever saw. July 2009. Loved, loved, loved it. He's so comfortable in his own skin, and he's so good at communicating with his audience. You felt like you were one of 50,000 friends Sir Paul invited into his living room.
Next would be Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band at the Garden in November 2009. I won the tickets -- floor seats. I was just getting into Jimmy's music at the time and didn't know what to expect. It was one huge beach party. Loved it so much that I bought tickets to see him again next month.
I saw the Rolling Stones at Shea in the mid 80's. My first stadium concert. I was completely and totally floored.
Believe it or not, I'd have to include a Britney Spears concert at MSG that I took my kids to see back in the late 90's. It was before Britney "lost it" if you know what I mean. She was still trying to keep the shows presentable for a younger audience. She was an amazing dancer and the show was an amazing piece of theater. this concert was even better than the N'Sync show at Nassau Coliseum (though my kids swear to this day that Joey Fatone winked at them...and only at them.) I wouldn't go see her now, but back then...
And my final vote goes to the original Happy Together Tour, 25 years ago, at Jones Beach. it was my first oldies concert, everyone was in fine form and fine voice, and it was an amazing evening on the waterfront.
so? anyone else?
but it's a good one, isn't it?
I'm not going to limit myself to "bands" per se....
Paul McCartney at Citi Field has got to have been the best show I ever saw. July 2009. Loved, loved, loved it. He's so comfortable in his own skin, and he's so good at communicating with his audience. You felt like you were one of 50,000 friends Sir Paul invited into his living room.
Next would be Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band at the Garden in November 2009. I won the tickets -- floor seats. I was just getting into Jimmy's music at the time and didn't know what to expect. It was one huge beach party. Loved it so much that I bought tickets to see him again next month.
I saw the Rolling Stones at Shea in the mid 80's. My first stadium concert. I was completely and totally floored.
Believe it or not, I'd have to include a Britney Spears concert at MSG that I took my kids to see back in the late 90's. It was before Britney "lost it" if you know what I mean. She was still trying to keep the shows presentable for a younger audience. She was an amazing dancer and the show was an amazing piece of theater. this concert was even better than the N'Sync show at Nassau Coliseum (though my kids swear to this day that Joey Fatone winked at them...and only at them.) I wouldn't go see her now, but back then...
And my final vote goes to the original Happy Together Tour, 25 years ago, at Jones Beach. it was my first oldies concert, everyone was in fine form and fine voice, and it was an amazing evening on the waterfront.
so? anyone else?
I did something like this a few months ago attempting to list every act I've seen live. That was HARD. Rank them eh?
ReplyDelete1) Adam Lambert (shocking eh?) even though I've only seen him twice, but I will see him three more times at the tend of this month!
2) Journey - with Steve Perry ONLY please! 1983. Still get chills thinking about that one. Vocals only matched/surpassed over the years by Adam.
3) Aerosmith - so many great front men in our time, but man is Steven Tyler one of the best ever as a true rock n roll entertainer.
4) Rolling Stones - you are so right. I saw them on Steal Wheels tour at the LA Coloseum with Guns N Roses as an opener and it was AMAZING how Mick Jagger captivated me in my way too far away nose bleed seats. Saw them again recently at Petco Park & they still got it!
5) Jimmy Buffet - another one we have in common because Jimmy's concerts are always one big fun loving freaking party. Parrotheads have an instant bond in the crowd and are suddenly all family. I still remember the concert in the rain with all these cars getting stuck in the mud in the parking lot but no one freaks out, we all just get out and push each other out one by one - awesome! Adam's fans are eerily similar in that regard. We all love each other as mush as we love him!
I'm like you, I won't just say bands.
ReplyDeleteRush. I've seen them four times, and each show was two hours of fantastic rock. I'd go see them again in a second, even if the seats are horrible. Best time of those was in December '91 and the now defunct Cap Centre. Second runner up is probably when I saw them at Jones Beach in 1994. Bad memories tied to that period of time, but the show was a bright spot.
Marillion. First time I saw them was opening for Rush at Nassau Mausoleum, last time was in a club that held 500 in Georgetown. I loved being 30 feet from a very charismatic singer (Steve Hogarth) and watching their lead guitarist's fretwork.
Renaissance, Club Bené, Sayreville NJ 1987. Won the tickets, it was Ed's favorite band, so I invited him to go. When the band got onstage, they said it was their last performance as a group ever. It was a magical night and Annie was in fine voice.
Squeeze, The Pier, NY, 1985. I actually saw them there three nights of the shows and the summer heat and the breeze off the Hudson made it all even better.
Mary Chapin Carpenter, Rocky Gap Music Festival, 1995. It was weekend full of country music, but hers definitely was the best performance of the 20 acts we saw.