bearister;842488322 said:

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I was at that concert KAB, why didn't you say hi to me?

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Too many chicks surrounding you.

Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Red Hot Chili Peppers in December 1991.

I was young but Rock Day at the 1983 US Festival was also awesome (U2, Stevie Nicks, Joe Walsh, David Bowie, and others).

petalumabear;842488324 said:

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Pink Floyd at Oakland Coliseum Arena on the Animals Tour May 1977...
Several Springsteen shows including the Oakland Coliseum and the Shoreline....
The Who several times including both the Oakland Coliseum and the Arena....

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Jealous!

KoreAmBear;842488330 said:

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Too many chicks surrounding you.

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Doubtful. I was over the hill by that time.

[video=youtube;hGkdvAMW4gE][/video]

Sarah Vaughan at the Blue Note in 1989. I was in grad school at Columbia and dragged everyone on my floor of my grad student dorm onto the subway to go down to the Village to see her.

We had the table right in front (the room is incredibly small to begin with). "The Divine One" was in rare form and the room was electric. It was an incredibly powerful and emotional performance. Later I found out she had been diagnosed with cancer that day, but came out to sing anyway, canceling her subsequent shows--which explained the depth of emotion and melancholy, singing of lost love and regret (she was already a master)--she knew she was dying and giving the final performance of her life.

bearister;842488343 said:

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Doubtful. I was over the hill by that time.

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I didn't say they were hot.

calumnus;842488365 said:

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Sarah Vaughan at the Blue Note in 1989. I was in grad school at Columbia and dragged everyone on my floor of my grad student dorm onto the subway to go down to the Village to see her.

We had the table right in front (the room is incredibly small to begin with). "The Divine One" was in rare form and the room was electric. It was an incredibly powerful and emotional performance. Later I found out she had been diagnosed with cancer that day, but came out to sing anyway, canceling her subsequent shows--which explained the depth of emotion and melancholy, singing of lost love and regret (she was already a master)--she knew she was dying and giving the final performance of her life.

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That is so amazing. I had a tear in my eye after reading about your experience. I adore Sarah. She had the most perfect voice ever.

NYCGOBEARS;842488118 said:

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That sounds incredible.

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The guy was a master at trying to fill the room and every crevice with a vibraphone echo. Doubt it can ever be duplicated. The sounds seemed like they were coming form all over, all around, here there and directional even at the same time, in harmonized unison. Incredibly filling sound, perfectly toned. Combined with the virtuoso percussion and bass it was spectacular. You know, heavenly, man.

BearlyClad;842488368 said:

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The guy was a master at trying to fill the room and every crevice with a vibraphone echo. Doubt it can ever be duplicated. The sounds seemed like they were coming form all over, all around, here there and directional even at the same time, in harmonized unison. Incredibly filling sound, perfectly toned. Combined with the virtuoso percussion and bass it was spectacular. You know, heavenly, man.

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I can imagine. Cal Tjader to this day sounds fresh and relevant. I think he's under appreciated now.

I saw Roy Ayers years ago and had a similar experience. Roy is one soulful cat

Bobodeluxe;842117341 said:

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Big Brother with Janice, Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. Lotta smoke. Good Gawd, the ladies.

:newnana:

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Wow. Just wow.

Moments in time.

NYCGOBEARS;842488371 said:

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I can imagine. Cal Tjader to this day sounds fresh and relevant. I think he's under appreciated now.

I saw Roy Ayers years ago and had a similar experience. Roy is one soulful cat

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Oh heck yes. Ubiquity lives, baby.

BearlyClad;842488375 said:

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Oh heck yes. Ubiquity lives, baby.

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Is that one of the coolest names for a band ever, or what?

BearlyClad;842488375 said:

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Oh heck yes. Ubiquity lives, baby.

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You've inspired me. I'm listening to RAMP. I can't believe that you can get their album "Come Into Knowledge" on ITunes now. That was the Holy Grail of Rare Groove albums.

I remember seeing Led Zeppilin at Winterland in January, 1969. The back up group was Jethro Tull.

One of the more unique concerts I ever saw was Mark Knopfler (post Dire Straits) play with a band in a summer evening of 1996 in the bullfighting arena in Cascais, Portugal.

hotlanta;842488385 said:

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I remember seeing Led Zeppilin at Winterland in January, 1969. The back up group was Jethro Tull.

One of the more unique concerts I ever saw was Mark Knopfler (post Dire Straits) play with a band in a summer evening of 1996 in the bullfighting arena in Cascais, Portugal.

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Are you named after the Allman Brothers song on Fillmore East?

Weirdly Jesus Jones and Happy Mondays....stars aligned...

Many including Paul McCarthy at Memorial and Sinatra's golden years at the old Concord Pavillion

Bears2thDoc;842117896 said:

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When he wasn't playing frats, he played at Jerry's Stop Sign on University... man those were good days.

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Eddie is playing Lesher Center in June. Me go.

Peter Gabriel, Greek, 1982. Freshman year. He was awesome.

Great thread, which has brought back many fun memories. I didn't see Talking Heads '83 @ Greek, but many I know who were there give it top rating.

Best show: Bridge School Benefit #1, October 1986 at Shoreline. All-acoustic concert with Neil Young + friends [CSN]; Robin Williams; Don Henley + friends [other Eagles (not Joe Walsh)]; Tom Petty; Nils Lofgren; Bruce Springsteen [w/ Nils + Dan Federici]. Bruce played a Delta Blues version of "Born in the USA" that was transcendent, and Robin was pants-wetting hilarious; the surprise of seeing CSN join Neil as (his previously-unannounced) friends was overwhelming.

on the next tier:
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers during their January 1997 run at the Fillmore in SF;
Grateful Dead at the Greek in July '84 (with a rare summer rainstorm during the second-set Help-Slip-Frankin's opener);
Springsteen's "Rising" tour show in San Jose in August 2002;
Grateful Dead at Frost Amphitheatre in Oct. 1982, a remarkable autumn in my life;
and one of Neil Young's commando shows (with most of Crazy Horse, plus Nils) at the Keystone Palo Alto in August 1982 - the loudest show of my life. [This was about the time of his "Trans" album.]

In more recent years, I attended a mid-week block party here on Main Street in Half Moon Bay, raising money for a local enterprise, where Fee Waybill performed a full Tubes set. It wasn't of the scale or greatness of the previously-listed shows, but it was representative of why the Bay Area is such a great place for live music.

I'm so old.

Great post Gary and a great list of performers/shows. Join the club re: the old comment!! 😞

The Smiths, circa 1985, at the Greek Theater. My first concert.

three legends... one of which passed away recently. This one was a good one, but it was in a large venue. Also saw Al Di Meola at the Strand in Palos Verdes when I was in high school... was able to sit very close to the stage and shake Al's hand at the end of the show. Just tripped to LA last weekend to see Al Di Meola in Beverly Hills. Great show. I wish I had also gone to the show in Agoura, as Steve Vai made a guest appearance.

Saw No Doubt play at the Bear's Lair when I was a freshmen... the opening act, Hoodlum Empire, was better. Davey Havok, lead singer of AFI, lived at Clark Kerr when we were freshman... we used to skate to class together on a freshly paved Haste St... AFI had some great shows at Gilman opening up for Rancid and Screw 32.

I said for years that the best show I'd ever seen was Ray Charles with the SF Symphony. You can imagine the beauty. Then I saw Paul McCartney last year. As transcendent as a concert could be.
Very honorable mention to Nine Inch Nails on their most recent tour. Totally skilled, aggressive, and cathartic.

Nice one Bearister, thanks for linking!

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the Greek in 2005.

So many great concerts:

New Year's Eve 1982 - Jefferson Starship, Santana and the Grateful Dead (George Moscone Center in SF)

U2 - Cow Palace 1984 - one of their very first shows and yes, as one poster noted, 30,0000 people walked out in stunned silence

The Who and The Clash (opened) - Day on the Green 1982

Santana - Paolo Soleri Amphitheater - Santa Fe, NM (1990s)

Grateful Dead at the Greek (several times)

Winter Park, CO (two-day) Rock Festival 2001: Leftover Salmon, Ozomatli, Semisonic, Sheryl Crow, The Radiators, Joan Osborne, Jackson Browne, Leo Nocatelli, Robert Bradley's Blackwater, Sonia Dada

1997 - walked into Buddy Guy's Bar in Chicago with a friend, some woman was playing her heart out. Then Buddy Guy walked in, unannounced. Security went over, stopped her show, and Buddy Guy stepped on stage and played for a couple of hours.

1992- U2, Rage Against the Machine, and MC Hammer at Zoo TV tour at Oakland Coliseum.

Around 1980, very random but me and a buddy went to this place on California street in the City, might have been called Old Boarding House. Unusual bay area heat wave and we saw rocker Carl Perkins (Mr.Blue Suede Shoes) and his band go for 90 minutes of straight no BS rock and roll and rockabilly. It was incredible. And most beer I've ever seen consumed, with the heat and Carl's band I felt like I was in Memphis.

I didn't go to a lot of live shows - sound quality was lousy in big venues back then (I know, that wasn't supposed to be the point), and I didn't have a lot of money to spend. But here are a few that stood out:

April 1975 - Linda Ronstadt at Berkeley Community Theater. Still wearing a peasant blouse and tight jeans with the proverbial voice like an angel. Who was to know all the musical styles she would explore in her future?

October 1975 - Boz Scaggs @ The Greek - I think it was the Sunday before Cal classes started for my senior year. I'd been a fan since my freshman roommate had one of his albums. This was before his Silk Degrees album so the show was mostly older stuff that was eventually crowded out by subsequent albums. Only show I've ever seen at The Greek and a perfect way to end the summer.

December 1976 - Boz @ The Paramount - For several years, he did a series of shows at the Oakland Paramount around New Years. Complete opposite of a Day on the Green - audiences would dress to kill. This was his commercial peak, and he started the show with just his band, then a background curtain rose to reveal a ~15 piece orchestra! Stunning show.

Summer 2006 - Boz @ The Radisson in Sacramento. I was job-hunting with two kids slotted for college, so not a happy time. I had not seen him since Oakland, so was really looking forward to it. It was a hot night outdoors, and frankly, he mailed it in. It really pissed me off and and I ignored him for years after that.

Summer 2019 - Boz @ Harris Center in Folsom. My wife surprised me with tickets, so I had to go. A great show that brought all the good feelings back.

1985 - Springsteen Born in the USA tour at the TacomaDome. My wife is by far the bigger fan and we've seen him four times, since then. On stage, the guy is just a force of nature. You just feel this incredible connection between him and the fans. My favorite parts of his shows are the little 3-4 song set of R&B/Motown covers he includes and also his short monologue where he almost gets into the cadence of a gospel preacher - really revs up the crowd. And it is, indeed, The Mighty E Street Band.

Lastly, does anybody else remember Butch Whacks and the Glass Packs? They were really a music/comedy review and had at least one guy from Cal, Bob Sarlatte, and played lots of Bay Area clubs and probably every college campus on the West Coast at some point in the mid 1970s. They were great cheap entertainment. A somewhat similar band in the 1980s was The Toons. I saw them at the end of the 1981 Bay to Breakers and later at Chucks Cellar in Los Altos. Not great, but a lot of fun and frequently, that's all you need.

1). Boz Scaggs at the Paramount, Spring 1974.
Something I'll never forget.

1a). Annie Lennox at the Orpheum, about 2002.