Best Concert You Ever Attended

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bearister
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Mine:



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71Bear
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bearister said:

Mine:




Chambers Brothers, Richie Havens and Albert King at Winterland. Those were the days - smoking dope and listening to great music......
UrsusTexicanus
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Tie between Elton John, 2018, The Woodlands, Texas. 2019, Santana with Doobie Brothers opening, same venue. Both outside concerts, (risky in Texas during the summer). Wife and I had lawn seats, just like the good old days, though we conceded to renting lawn chairs. After a certain age you have to admit getting back up after sitting on the ground for three hours is a tad more difficult.
Big Dog
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The Dead at the Fillmore, and second Tower of Power at the rebuilt Oakland Theater.
Civil Bear
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Day on the Green #7 at the Oakland Coliseum 1997.

Boot
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The Who at the Berkeley community Theatre June 1970. Keith Moon hadn't slipped into full blown alcoholism and Pete, Roger and John Entwistle were magical. It was the live at Leeds tour with most of Tommy.
dajo9
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Pearl Jam
Nirvana
Red Hot Chili Peppers
in Del Mar, CA

It was December 1991. I didn't even know who Pearl Jam was. Eddie Vedder climbed the rafters of the ceiling while the band played an extended Evenflow. Nirvana released 3 tracks from this show on their compilation album, From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah because they were particularly aggressive that night, as Krist Novoselic said.

Pearl Jam and Nirvana rocked the house so hard the crowd was exhausted and muted for the headliners, RHCP. I've never been in the whirlwind of energy like that before or since.
"They're eating the pets"
3 time Republican nominee for President
pasadenaorbust
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I didn't really start going to live concerts until a bit older...but two of the best were...Sunday, September 25, 1983...Rick Springfield at the Concord Pavilion and The Stray Cats, Saturday, November 19, 1983, at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium. The Stray Cats really rocked the house that night. I still remember their awesome version of The Munsters theme. And yes...I still have the tickets.

But...I sure wish my brother had taken me to that Jimi Hendrix concert he went to with his friends at the Oakland Coliseum Arena back 1969. He said the opening act was a group called Chicago.
75bear
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Beastie Boys
Run DMC

at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles 1987. It was my Elementary School graduation present, so I went with my Dad. It was also the first time I smelled pot - that's something you never forget.

Epic concert - I don't have too many vivid memories from my childhood, but this is definitely one.
OneTopOneChickenApple
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Springsteen 1984 at LA Coliseum. Last show of the Born in the USA Tour. 3 1/2 hours of music, his third show there in four nights. No musician can beat his stamina.
NortonBear
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I saw Bruce on the same tour, but earlier date when he played the Sports Arena for several dates before returning later to the Coliseum. Amazing, I had 20th center seats my girlfriend bought for my birthday.
graguna
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Stevie Ray Vaughn at a small venue in Santa Cruz on Jimi Hendrix's birthday. 50% of his set was Hendrix songs.
bearister
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pasadenaorbust said:

I didn't really start going to live concerts until a bit older...but two of the best were...Sunday, September 25, 1983...Rick Springfield at the Concord Pavilion and The Stray Cats, Saturday, November 19, 1983, at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium. The Stray Cats really rocked the house that night. I still remember their awesome version of The Munsters theme. And yes...I still have the tickets.

But...I sure wish my brother had taken me to that Jimi Hendrix concert he went to with his friends at the Oakland Coliseum Arena back 1969. He said the opening act was a group called Chicago.


Jimi Hendrix opened for the Monkees.



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oldblue83
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1) Company Party 2006: Foo Fighters; Bob Dylan; Black Eyed Peas; Eagles
2) Bruce 1984 Oakland Coliseum Row 17
3) Pink Floyd 1994 Pulse/Division Bell (No Roger Waters)
blungld
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Clash and English Beat!!!

Senior in high school got a press pass and stood with arms on the stage touching Dave Wakeling and Joe Strummer's boots. Little did I know that only 5 months later I would witness The Play.


OneTopOneChickenApple
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NortonBear said:

I saw Bruce on the same tour, but earlier date when he played the Sports Arena for several dates before returning later to the Coliseum. Amazing, I had 20th center seats my girlfriend bought for my birthday.
And the Coliseum tix were $35 each face value!
wcbears
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In Chicago 1970/71 The Who doing one of the few complete Tommy's in their career. Also Muddy Waters in a little blues club on the North Side, Kingston Mines, where he was opened by this cat from Milwaukee who played this funky, pure white triangle guitar. Finally a second Who program, with openers of Spooky Tooth & Joe Cocker. Those were the days!!
UrsusTexicanus
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Best one I didn't attend, my wife did, before we met. April 5, 1994, Pink Floyd at Rice Stadium, Houston. The Division Bell Tour. During the second half of the show, a Texas size thunderstorm added some spectacular pyrotechnics and bucketing rain. "Run Like Hell" became "Rain Like Hell." The band had to cut the show short to keep themselves and the audience from being struck by lightning.
MSaviolives
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1975 Berkeley Jazz Festival at the Greek Theater. I can't find a poster for it, but:
Stanley Turrentine - Grover Washington, Jr. - Donald Byrd and the Blackbyrds - Taj Mahal (musician) - Joe Bataan - Freddie Hubbard - Gil Scott-Heron - Les McCann - Eddie Harris Cannonball Adderley and Nat Adderley

I remember Cannonball Adderley playing with a cigarette in his fingers--something, as a sax player myself, I had never seen. Sadly, he died a few months later, proving that obesity and smoking are a bad mix.

Also notable: the Dubs beat the Bullets that night to complete their huge upset sweep for the championship, and I remember that being announced to the cheers of the crowd.

Good times.
pasadenaorbust
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bearister said:

pasadenaorbust said:

I didn't really start going to live concerts until a bit older...but two of the best were...Sunday, September 25, 1983...Rick Springfield at the Concord Pavilion and The Stray Cats, Saturday, November 19, 1983, at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium. The Stray Cats really rocked the house that night. I still remember their awesome version of The Munsters theme. And yes...I still have the tickets.

But...I sure wish my brother had taken me to that Jimi Hendrix concert he went to with his friends at the Oakland Coliseum Arena back 1969. He said the opening act was a group called Chicago.


Jimi Hendrix opened for the Monkees.




I had a crush on a girl back in the day named Mary Higgins...and every time I hear "Mary, Mary" by The Monkees I still think of her. I still have that album.
aweissburg
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Peter Gabriel, Greek, 1982. Plays here comes the flood and is passed around the audience on his back.
PiLam 86, #not4years
OBear073akaSMFan
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Boz scaggs at Greek theater 1977
pasadenaorbust
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bearister said:

pasadenaorbust said:

I didn't really start going to live concerts until a bit older...but two of the best were...Sunday, September 25, 1983...Rick Springfield at the Concord Pavilion and The Stray Cats, Saturday, November 19, 1983, at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium. The Stray Cats really rocked the house that night. I still remember their awesome version of The Munsters theme. And yes...I still have the tickets.

But...I sure wish my brother had taken me to that Jimi Hendrix concert he went to with his friends at the Oakland Coliseum Arena back 1969. He said the opening act was a group called Chicago.


Jimi Hendrix opened for the Monkees.




The Stray Cats version was similar to this...and if you don't think The Munsters theme could be rockin'...well...

bearister
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pasadenaorbust said:



I had a crush on a girl back in the day named Mary Higgins...and every time I hear "Mary, Mary" by The Monkees I still think of her. I still have that album.


....and your next girlfriend was....

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NortonBear
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NortonBear
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I was at that concert doing security. Even got to back stage before the show with Boz.
petalumabear
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Pink Floyd - 1977 - Oakland Coliseum Arena - Animals Tour- on the floor watched the inflatable pig fly over our heads....
Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA Tour - September 1985 - Oakland Coliseum Stadium on the grass 10 rows from the stage...
Bruce Springsteen - 1988- Shoreline Ampitheatre - 2nd row
Tom Petty & The HeartBreakers.... August 2017 - Greek Theatre Berkeley - about 5-6 weeks before he passed. The wife "liked" him prior to the show ..... was amazed at the show and the song after song that she knew....
IssyBear
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Elvis Costello at the (Berkeley) Greek. This was the year after he played the Berkeley Community Theater and quit after 30 minutes. When he returned a year later and played the Greek, apologized for the previous year and proceeded to play for 3 hours.

Jethro Tull at Fillmore West. Chuck Berry was the opening act.

CSN&Y at Winterland. First performance ever with Young in the group. Crosby was yelling at Young all night to sing along on their original CSN songs, but he wouldn't do it.

The Dead, the Airplane and the Sons of Chaplin at Winterland on the night clocks were set back from daylight savings time. The Airplane spent several minutes between every song to re-tune their instruments. The Dead never stopped for anything between songs.

Worst: Altamont

Thanks for the question. Brings back (mostly) good memories.
Muncie42
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I was at that show. Phenomenal.
sonofabear51
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I went both nights. Gabriel was awesome!
Start Slowly and taper off
sonofabear51
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1st concert was at the Concord Pavilion circa '75. Firefall, The Sons of Champlin, and then the headliner, Leon Russell.
Best show ever include many Pink Floyd /Roger Waters/David Gilmour shows, notably The Wall at the LA Sports Arena, many Jethro Tull shows, CS&N, CSNY, U2 at the SF Civic (tickets were $13.00). The Tubes, Todd Rundgren (with & without Utopia).
Some of the last couple years favorites were Gogol Bordello, Larkin Poe, and Paul Thorn.
1st wife worked for Guns N' Roses when they first got started, so saw them and others a lot (I cannot stand GNR).
Another highlight was at the Warfield Theatre in SF, maybe '86, saw The Stranglers.
Another great show at the Warfield was Chubby Checker opening for the Boomtown Rats.

I got a shoebox jammed with ticket stubs. Also got all of my race numbers from distance racing from 1980 to present including all of my marathons.
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bearister
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That was a Hell of a song Firefall had a hit with. I tended toward harder Rock...but I knew a good hook when I heard one.

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sonofabear51
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We saw them again a couple years ago. And there are better tracks then that one.
Oh, another great band still going is the Doobie Brothers!

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bearister
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sonofabear51 said:

We saw them again a couple years ago. And there are better tracks then that one.
Oh, another great band still going is the Doobie Brothers!




Which version did you prefer, Tom Johnston or Michael McDonald? It reminds me of when Fleetwood Mac sold out its Blues roots to chase the money with the Stevie Nicks/Lindsey Buckingham takeover. Tom Johnston was harder Rock and Michael McDonald more R &B. and soul (he was a back up singer for Steely Dan). I have to admit, I thought the songs were better written and sung under McDonald's reign.
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calumnus
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graguna said:

Stevie Ray Vaughn at a small venue in Santa Cruz on Jimi Hendrix's birthday. 50% of his set was Hendrix songs.

I'll go with front row, Sarah Vaughan at the Blue Note in Greenwich Village, 1989, her last performance on Earth as earlier that day she had just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Very emotional.
 
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