SFCityBear said:

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HearstMining said:

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Linda Ronstadt at Berkeley Community Theater, Spring 1975. Roger McGuinn opened for her. I regret to say, though I bought many of her albums, I never saw her again. Such a stunning voice and now, due to Parkinson's, she can't sing. PBS broadcast the Kennedy Center Honors last year where she was recognized and I watched with tears rolling down my cheeks.

Boz Scaggs at The Greek, October '75 before Silk Degrees. He still played tunes from his "Moments" album, my fave. Then saw him in one of his Oakland shows at the Paramount the end of '76 - he'd hit the big time, had an umpteen piece orchestra and the audience was dressed to kill. The next time I saw him was 2006 in Sacramento and I'd just been laid off and needed an emotional lift. It was a hot night, lousy outdoor venue, and he frankly "mailed in" the performance. He was dead to me after that until my wife bought tickets to his show in Folsom last August. It was terrific and restored my faith. Check out Last Tango on 16th Street on YouTube - great song.

Tower of Power - early 2000s at the Gold Country Fair in Auburn. They played in the rodeo arena - great show! Superb, polished musicians.

Junior Walker and the All Stars in Seattle, early 1990s. He showed the ill effects of a musician's life on the road at that point, but he put on a good show and could still blow!

Springsteen - everybody should see him once. He is a force of nature. The way he controls the emotions of the audience is something to behold. You see three generations of fans at his shows, not just Boomers.

On a more mundane level, two Bay Area bands who injected comedy into their shows at local clubs: Butch Whacks and the Glass Packs in the 1970s and The Toons in the 1980s. Lesser-known bands in a small venue can be so much more fun than a big arena show.

---

I remember Butch Whacks. How about Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks doing "Where's the Money?"

A fave of mine was Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen doing "Hot Rod Lincoln" and Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette" at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountainview, except for that cold weather down by the Bay at night.

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I remember Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks playing a bunch of their songs unannounced on the corner (sidewalk) of Telegraph and Durant. I just happened to be walking by.

And seeing the Dave Brubeck Quartet at the long gone Black Hawk Club in the Tenderloin. Great jazz venue in the 1950s and 60s.

Fleetwood Mac at San Diego Sports Arena
Allman Bros Band at Coliseum Arena
Black Sabbath at San Diego Sports Arena
Doobie Bros at Concord Pavilion
Journey (pre Steve Perry) at Concord Pavilion
Foghat at LA Forum

I remember Tom "Big Daddy" Donahue spinning this one often on KMPX as I listened on my transistor radio (he moved to KSAN IN '72).

Just to make the list a little bit more contemporary. The best concerts in the last 20 years were:

1) LCD Soundsystem farewell concert at Madison Square garden. Got to go to the after party. Wow. This song could be rightfully called a generational anthem. What an amazing build to the end:



2) VulfPeck in Brooklyn 2018. Best live band in the world right now (no joke)--each is top musician of their instrument. Joe Dart on bass is insane. For an unbelievable taste of them in concert (be prepared to be floored by falsetto):

Been lucky enough to have seen many of the aforementioned ones but the coolest show I say was Primus open up for Red Hot Chili Peppers at the Omni in 1988. Didn't know much about either one so it was really cool to see them before they hit it big. Same can be said for Green Day at Gilman.

My favorite to see in big venue is Springsteen.

Favorite to see in small venue is Todd Snider who barely nudges out Robert Earl Keen. REK doesn't put on the shows he did 20 years ago

bearister said:

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I saw Tower of Power in Harmon Gym in 1972, Fall Quarter of my freshman year.


Interesting fact about TOP's lead singer:

Tower of Power singer Rick Stevens: Redemption in prison


https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/09/10/rick-stevens-tower-of-power-singers-redemption-in-prison/
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.mercurynews.com/2017/09/10/rick-stevens-tower-of-power-singers-redemption-in-prison/amp/

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Would liked to have been in the courtroom when this came up:

Quote:

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His trial in the courtroom of Superior Court Judge John McInerny was marked by soap-box revelations and thorny questions of law. At one point, the courtroom was stunned by testimony that Steven's attorney, LeRue Grim, had slept with one of the prosecution's key witnesses.

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bearister said:

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I remember Tom "Big Daddy" Donahue spinning this one often on KMPX as I listened on my transistor radio (he moved to KSAN IN '72).

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That was also my favorite Hicks song, but How Can I Miss You When You Won't Go Away? is also a classic.

classics, favorites, & randoms haven't noticed yet, starting w maybe my claim to fame in rock history, about her last public performance before transitioning after contracting leukemia, maybe from 3-Mile Island benefit gig

Kate Wolf, Jesse Colin Young, Country Joe + Wavy '85, tiny harvest fest free gig Pt Reyes Station
Kinks, Joe Ely Greek, 81 Give the People What they Want tour
Jim Carrol Band, Lower Sproul
Joan Baez Alan Ginsberg, Sproul Steps protests
Waylon Jennings + Jessie Coulter, Alameda Co Fair, '88, about $10, all-american epic, prefer to Cash, Willie, Haggard
Alpha Blondy, Boukman's Experience/Haiti, Maritime Hall SF, some compared to hearing Marley in Santa Cruz
Graham Parker, Berkeley Square
Greg Kihn Band, Rubinoos, etc Keystone Berkeley, 'Jerry Garcia Monday Tuesday' lettering never taken down for about a decade, should rename new pedestrian block, seriously
Bob Golthwaite, Bobby Slayton, Mark Pitta, Will Durst etc The Other Cafe, Punchline, Old Waldorf beginning of/early eighties, couple dozen folks often, yucking it up
Dylan, Petty Band Greek mid-eighties front/center (ushering tix)
last Petty show at Greek with dancing singing English
sisters
Dylan "Freebird!!!" 2-minute speed jam one-off Bezerkeley-Only coming off the hill, walked in
Dead @ the Greek, inside and out, multiple thousands of hippies thruout town for a week spilling out of microbuses: Phish later doing Exile on Main Street
U2 stops the traffic free show Ferry Plaza ok
Taj Mahal at the original Freight on San Pablo
Jerry's wake at the Polo Field
Emmylou, Robert Earl Keen 17 years HSB, John Prine twice, Robert Plant IV, Jackson Brown once only
James Brown, LSO-rock, Miles?, others Leysin Alps de Suisse forest camping free for days
Screaming Jay Hawkins tiny punk club Suisse
Charles Brown, Festival at the Lake
Charles Bradley hsb?
Marshall Tucker Band, Lodi Grape Fest , Mont. Co Fair
Country Joe, Vicious Hippies Peoples Park multiple
Stones 'stick J Geils, George Thurougood
Clash Who Coliseum
Mandela welcome Coliseum
Les Dudek, Crystal Bay Tahoe free bar show, Les kickin' it in the lobby smokin', slinging a few CDs, chilling
John Campbell Blues Band, Stockholm Jazz Fest, comped by gatekeeper, right up front moderate-to-light crowd of demuere repres Swedes and one or two Yanks played for us, maybe my best show for true musical grit, bluesman's bluesman & stock-car driver, died a year later too young ~ 50, 30 years later still unsung, forgotten
Eddie Vedder free random VIP gig Stockholm Modern Art Museum sculpture garden, tiny crowd
missed Skynyrd, The Outlaws, Allmans

Charles Bradley!!!! Oh hell yeah!!! I wish!

I have seen a lot of live shows in my day. In general, I hate stadium tours and things like that although I have one on my list which is my #1:

1. Day on the Green 1991: Metallica, Queensryche, Faith No More, Soundgarden. Totally crazy. Metallica played their old stuff and tried some new stuff. Mosh pit for FNM was fun and Soundgarden was great (and so unappreciated we could just walk up to the stage to watch). My ears were ringing the entire next day. I should have worn ear plugs.

2. Pixies, Pioneertown (Pappy and Harriet's) 2014: I had seen the Pixies a few times before, but this show was great! Kim Deal was out of the band and replaced by Paz Lenchantin (who rocks!) but they were at peak form. I could not believe I was watching The Pixies with only like 800 people. I was two rows in. They killed it. This was in between weekends playing Coachella.

3. Green Day, Casa Zimbabwe, 1992: I was a resident and for free I got to see Green Day front row. I saw them a few times in this era but this was my favorite. One of the opening bands was The Berkeley Chill Factor and their funky grooves had the crowd going. They were about to wrap up their set and turned to Billy Joe (who was sitting on the balcony) and he gestured to let them keep going which they did. So much fun!

4. Peter Murphy, Pioneertown (Pappy and Harriet's) 2013: He played the entire Bauhaus catalog although with his own band. However, the guys brought it and it was amazing. I had seen Bauhaus before with the original lineup but this was so much better because I was able to stand about 5 feet away from Peter Murphy as he gave it his all.

Other good shows I have seen:

Cracker and Mudhoney (separate occasions but both also at Pappy and Harriet's)
KMDFM at Drug #6 (Howard Street in SF)
Soundgarden at The Warfield
Nitzer Ebb at San Jose State Student Union Ballroom
Bang Tango at The Stone in SF
Skinny Puppy and Godflesh at The Warfield
Melvins at Berkeley Square

In my opinion, the smaller the venue the better. Lots of bands come through that make it big later and even the ones that don't put on pretty good shows. Arena rock is not my thing. However, Day on the Green with Metallica was pretty great!

dimitrig said:

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I have seen a lot of live shows in my day. In general, I hate stadium tours and things like that although I have one on my list which is my #1:

1. Day on the Green 1991: Metallica, Queensryche, Faith No More, Soundgarden. Totally crazy. Metallica played their old stuff and tried some new stuff. Mosh pit for FNM was fun and Soundgarden was great (and so unappreciated we could just walk up to the stage to watch). My ears were ringing the entire next day. I should have worn ear plugs.

2. Pixies, Pioneertown (Pappy and Harriet's) 2014: I had seen the Pixies a few times before, but this show was great! Kim Deal was out of the band and replaced by Paz Lenchantin (who rocks!) but they were at peak form. I could not believe I was watching The Pixies with only like 800 people. I was two rows in. They killed it. This was in between weekends playing Coachella.

3. Green Day, Casa Zimbabwe, 1992: I was a resident and for free I got to see Green Day front row. I saw them a few times in this era but this was my favorite. One of the opening bands was The Berkeley Chill Factor and their funky grooves had the crowd going. They were about to wrap up their set and turned to Billy Joe (who was sitting on the balcony) and he gestured to let them keep going which they did. So much fun!

4. Peter Murphy, Pioneertown (Pappy and Harriet's) 2013: He played the entire Bauhaus catalog although with his own band. However, the guys brought it and it was amazing. I had seen Bauhaus before with the original lineup but this was so much better because I was able to stand about 5 feet away from Peter Murphy as he gave it his all.

Other good shows I have seen:

Cracker and Mudhoney (separate occasions but both also at Pappy and Harriet's)
KMDFM at Drug #6 (Howard Street in SF)
Soundgarden at The Warfield
Nitzer Ebb at San Jose State Student Union Ballroom
Bang Tango at The Stone in SF
Skinny Puppy and Godflesh at The Warfield
Melvins at Berkeley Square

In my opinion, the smaller the venue the better. Lots of bands come through that make it big later and even the ones that don't put on pretty good shows. Arena rock is not my thing. However, Day on the Green with Metallica was pretty great!

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Respect

I too lived at CZ and saw Rancid in 2004. Would love to see a show at Pappy and Harriet's as I've heard it's great. Also, the Melvins.

NVBear78 said:

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The Talking Heads performed free in Sproul Plaza in 1978. Anybody else hear them? Still remember them playing their first hit "Take me to the River"....

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I remember two bands from the Lower Sproul lunch time concert series in 1977 or 78. The first was a band I was sure was going to be be the next big thing because their show was so great: The Greg Kihn Band. The second was a weird art house band that I was just as certain would never make it: The Talking Heads. Let's just say my musical tastes have evolved over the years.

Was at my fraternity house on Warring St watching the crowd when a scalper offered us $5 tickets right before the show began. Was a great concert and a trip it was a couple of hundred yards from our house. I would still love one of the BGP "Paul Plays Berkeley" shirts.

First time I attended Handel's Hallelujah Chorus at the SF Opera house ..

Civil Bear said:

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Day on the Green #7 at the Oakland Coliseum 1997.

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YOU LUCKY *******! (Python intonation)*

I was DYING with anticipation to see Zeppelin in 1980. My best friend worked at KSJO, and he had his pulse on the rock music scene, meeting stars like Ronnie Montrose. Anyway, Zep was scheduled to play in the Bay Area. We were ready.

John Bonham, unfortunately, was not . So my friend and I never got to see Zeppelin.

Oh what could have been.

My best concert was probably John Mayer at Red Rocks in 2004. That was a fine show in a fine venue. I haven't been to that many concerts. Second best was probably Fiona Apple's second tour after releasing "When the Pawn." She was amazing; what a fall from grace...

*Ironically, back in the day, I never knew it was Zeppelin and Pink Floyd who funded "The Holy Grail" and saved its production. I don't even know if my Dad knew this either. And he was the reason for our family's Python insanity. Then when I started listening to Pink Floyd, my Dad, a long-time classical and jazz aficionado, asked, "Who's that?" He really liked it and that launched his interest in popular music, culminating with his love for Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler. Anyway, so funny there was a direct connection between Python and two of my favorite groups and never knew about it until way after the fact.

prospeCt said:

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classics, favorites, & randoms haven't noticed yet, starting w maybe my claim to fame in rock history, about her last public performance before transitioning after contracting leukemia, maybe from 3-Mile Island benefit gig

Kate Wolf, Jesse Colin Young, Country Joe + Wavy '85, tiny harvest fest free gig Pt Reyes Station
Kinks, Joe Ely Greek, 81 Give the People What they Want tour
Jim Carrol Band, Lower Sproul
Joan Baez Alan Ginsberg, Sproul Steps protests
Waylon Jennings + Jessie Coulter, Alameda Co Fair, '88, about $10, all-american epic, prefer to Cash, Willie, Haggard
Alpha Blondy, Boukman's Experience/Haiti, Maritime Hall SF, some compared to hearing Marley in Santa Cruz
Graham Parker, Berkeley Square
Greg Kihn Band, Rubinoos, etc Keystone Berkeley, 'Jerry Garcia Monday Tuesday' lettering never taken down for about a decade, should rename new pedestrian block, seriously
Bob Golthwaite, Bobby Slayton, Mark Pitta, Will Durst etc The Other Cafe, Punchline, Old Waldorf beginning of/early eighties, couple dozen folks often, yucking it up
Dylan, Petty Band Greek mid-eighties front/center (ushering tix)
last Petty show at Greek with dancing singing English
sisters
Dylan "Freebird!!!" 2-minute speed jam one-off Bezerkeley-Only coming off the hill, walked in
Dead @ the Greek, inside and out, multiple thousands of hippies thruout town for a week spilling out of microbuses: Phish later doing Exile on Main Street
U2 stops the traffic free show Ferry Plaza ok
Taj Mahal at the original Freight on San Pablo
Jerry's wake at the Polo Field
Emmylou, Robert Earl Keen 17 years HSB, John Prine twice, Robert Plant IV, Jackson Brown once only
James Brown, LSO-rock, Miles?, others Leysin Alps de Suisse forest camping free for days
Screaming Jay Hawkins tiny punk club Suisse
Charles Brown, Festival at the Lake
Charles Bradley hsb?
Marshall Tucker Band, Lodi Grape Fest , Mont. Co Fair
Country Joe, Vicious Hippies Peoples Park multiple
Stones 'stick J Geils, George Thurougood
Clash Who Coliseum
Mandela welcome Coliseum
Les Dudek, Crystal Bay Tahoe free bar show, Les kickin' it in the lobby smokin', slinging a few CDs, chilling
John Campbell Blues Band, Stockholm Jazz Fest, comped by gatekeeper, right up front moderate-to-light crowd of demuere repres Swedes and one or two Yanks played for us, maybe my best show for true musical grit, bluesman's bluesman & stock-car driver, died a year later too young ~ 50, 30 years later still unsung, forgotten
Eddie Vedder free random VIP gig Stockholm Modern Art Museum sculpture garden, tiny crowd
missed Skynyrd, The Outlaws, Allmans

---

It pays to keep a diary.

I saw Mick Taylor play with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers at Zellerbach in '82. It was great but Zellerbach couldn't handle the volume. My ears were ringing for a day. As far as I was concerned, The Rolling Stones died the day Mick Taylor quit the band.




From the same tour:

UrsusTexicanus said:

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I have to mention a couple of classical music concerts. Both by Houston Symphony:

2010 - Holst's "The Planets": The music was played to amazing film clips put together by NASA of each planets. Well, except for Pluto but that's only because it hadn't been discovered when the symphony was written.

2017 "Soundtrack to Fantasia": I thought they'd show the movie while playing the music, which they did but not as expected. I didn't know before the show Disney made two Fantasias, the second came out in 2000. Same concept and just as good as the original. The conductor introduced segments from each film and talked a bit about them before they were shown.

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New Year's Eve 1985, Beethoven's 9th at the Wiener Konzerthaus

BearsWiin said:

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UrsusTexicanus said:

---

I have to mention a couple of classical music concerts. Both by Houston Symphony:

2010 - Holst's "The Planets": The music was played to amazing film clips put together by NASA of each planets. Well, except for Pluto but that's only because it hadn't been discovered when the symphony was written.

2017 "Soundtrack to Fantasia": I thought they'd show the movie while playing the music, which they did but not as expected. I didn't know before the show Disney made two Fantasias, the second came out in 2000. Same concept and just as good as the original. The conductor introduced segments from each film and talked a bit about them before they were shown.

---

New Year's Eve 1985, Beethoven's 9th at the Wiener Konzerthaus

---

Not classical, but how about jazz? :

Playboy Jazz Festival 25th Anniversary Fest Day Two at the Hollywood Bowl in 2003 featuring:

The Brubeck Institute Quintet, New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars, Cos of Good Music VIII, Bobby Rodriguez Salsa Orchestra, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Roy Haynes Quartet, Los Hombres Calientes, Ozomatli, Al Jarreau, Guitars and Saxes (Richard Elliot, Peter White, Steve Cole, Jeff Golub) and emceed by Bill Cosby when people still respected him.

"The peak of the set and the historic high point of the festival came when Al Jarreau joined the Brubeck quartet in an electrifying performance of its signature tune "Take Five" (also a longtime Jarreau specialty), with the irrepressibly scatting singer lighting brushfires under the audience and Brubeck alike."

IssyBear said:

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SFCityBear said:

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HearstMining said:

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Linda Ronstadt at Berkeley Community Theater, Spring 1975. Roger McGuinn opened for her. I regret to say, though I bought many of her albums, I never saw her again. Such a stunning voice and now, due to Parkinson's, she can't sing. PBS broadcast the Kennedy Center Honors last year where she was recognized and I watched with tears rolling down my cheeks.

Boz Scaggs at The Greek, October '75 before Silk Degrees. He still played tunes from his "Moments" album, my fave. Then saw him in one of his Oakland shows at the Paramount the end of '76 - he'd hit the big time, had an umpteen piece orchestra and the audience was dressed to kill. The next time I saw him was 2006 in Sacramento and I'd just been laid off and needed an emotional lift. It was a hot night, lousy outdoor venue, and he frankly "mailed in" the performance. He was dead to me after that until my wife bought tickets to his show in Folsom last August. It was terrific and restored my faith. Check out Last Tango on 16th Street on YouTube - great song.

Tower of Power - early 2000s at the Gold Country Fair in Auburn. They played in the rodeo arena - great show! Superb, polished musicians.

Junior Walker and the All Stars in Seattle, early 1990s. He showed the ill effects of a musician's life on the road at that point, but he put on a good show and could still blow!

Springsteen - everybody should see him once. He is a force of nature. The way he controls the emotions of the audience is something to behold. You see three generations of fans at his shows, not just Boomers.

On a more mundane level, two Bay Area bands who injected comedy into their shows at local clubs: Butch Whacks and the Glass Packs in the 1970s and The Toons in the 1980s. Lesser-known bands in a small venue can be so much more fun than a big arena show.

---

I remember Butch Whacks. How about Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks doing "Where's the Money?"

A fave of mine was Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen doing "Hot Rod Lincoln" and Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette" at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountainview, except for that cold weather down by the Bay at night.

---

I remember Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks playing a bunch of their songs unannounced on the corner (sidewalk) of Telegraph and Durant. I just happened to be walking by.

And seeing the Dave Brubeck Quartet at the long gone Black Hawk Club in the Tenderloin. Great jazz venue in the 1950s and 60s.

---

The Blackhawk was a place to hear the jazz greats. The first few times I went there, I was under age, so I had to sit in the kiddie section behind a chicken wire screen to separate us youngsters from the adults drinking hard stuff, while we all watched Miles Davis, among others. We were allowed to purchase soft drinks at hard liquor prices. The screen was just like the one they had to protect the band from flying projectiles thrown by the audience in the movie "Blues Brothers". At the Blackhawk, we threw no projectiles.

Do you remember Mose Allison? I heard him at a small night club in Palo Alto. Songs like "Parchman Farm" and The Seventh Son"

John Lee Hooker in the Boom Boom Room.

Also, wonderfull jazz vocalist, Mary Stallings, who graduated from Lowell High a bit before my time, used to appear locally from time to time, still going strong at age 78: https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/03/27/stellar-vocalist-mary-stallings-is-staying-in-top-form/

I also remember seeing Joan Baez and Mimi Farina perform together at the Zellerbach.

bigtuba1 said:

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The Who, Clash LA Coliseum 1982.
Coldplay Levis Stadium 2017
Miles Davis LA 1985
Oingo Boingo Warfield 1993
The Who Oakland 1989
Faith No More LA 1987
Paul McCartney, California Memorial Stadium 1990
EPMD, Public Enemy, Run DMC, Beastie Boys 6/27/88 Greek Theater LA

---

I was so bummed when Oingo Boingo cancelled their SF farewell tour date. I didn't get to see them for that final year... Saw them every year from 89-93 at Irvine Meadows (RIP). Little beats the Oingo Boingo shows in my mind. Incredible crowds and fun people and costumes and teenage me getting sips and hits from friendly neighbors.

Biggest lineup was the first show I ever went to The Cure Disintegration tour with Love and Rockets and The Pixies. Not sure that it was the best show, it was damn good.

One of my favorites was seeing Link Wray when he was 69 years old at Bimbo's. Just love of rock, pouring heart into the guitar and two young punk kids in the rythm section trying desperately trying to keep up with a legend.

SFCityBear said:

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IssyBear said:

---

SFCityBear said:

---

HearstMining said:

---

Linda Ronstadt at Berkeley Community Theater, Spring 1975. Roger McGuinn opened for her. I regret to say, though I bought many of her albums, I never saw her again. Such a stunning voice and now, due to Parkinson's, she can't sing. PBS broadcast the Kennedy Center Honors last year where she was recognized and I watched with tears rolling down my cheeks.

Boz Scaggs at The Greek, October '75 before Silk Degrees. He still played tunes from his "Moments" album, my fave. Then saw him in one of his Oakland shows at the Paramount the end of '76 - he'd hit the big time, had an umpteen piece orchestra and the audience was dressed to kill. The next time I saw him was 2006 in Sacramento and I'd just been laid off and needed an emotional lift. It was a hot night, lousy outdoor venue, and he frankly "mailed in" the performance. He was dead to me after that until my wife bought tickets to his show in Folsom last August. It was terrific and restored my faith. Check out Last Tango on 16th Street on YouTube - great song.

Tower of Power - early 2000s at the Gold Country Fair in Auburn. They played in the rodeo arena - great show! Superb, polished musicians.

Junior Walker and the All Stars in Seattle, early 1990s. He showed the ill effects of a musician's life on the road at that point, but he put on a good show and could still blow!

Springsteen - everybody should see him once. He is a force of nature. The way he controls the emotions of the audience is something to behold. You see three generations of fans at his shows, not just Boomers.

On a more mundane level, two Bay Area bands who injected comedy into their shows at local clubs: Butch Whacks and the Glass Packs in the 1970s and The Toons in the 1980s. Lesser-known bands in a small venue can be so much more fun than a big arena show.

---

I remember Butch Whacks. How about Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks doing "Where's the Money?"

A fave of mine was Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen doing "Hot Rod Lincoln" and Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette" at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountainview, except for that cold weather down by the Bay at night.

---

I remember Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks playing a bunch of their songs unannounced on the corner (sidewalk) of Telegraph and Durant. I just happened to be walking by.

And seeing the Dave Brubeck Quartet at the long gone Black Hawk Club in the Tenderloin. Great jazz venue in the 1950s and 60s.

---

The Blackhawk was a place to hear the jazz greats. The first few times I went there, I was under age, so I had to sit in the kiddie section behind a chicken wire screen to separate us youngsters from the adults drinking hard stuff, while we all watched Miles Davis, among others. We were allowed to purchase soft drinks at hard liquor prices. The screen was just like the one they had to protect the band from flying projectiles thrown by the audience in the movie "Blues Brothers". At the Blackhawk, we threw no projectiles.

Do you remember Mose Allison? I heard him at a small night club in Palo Alto. Songs like "Parchman Farm" and The Seventh Son"

John Lee Hooker in the Boom Boom Room.

Also, wonderfull jazz vocalist, Mary Stallings, who graduated from Lowell High a bit before my time, used to appear locally from time to time, still going strong at age 78: https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/03/27/stellar-vocalist-mary-stallings-is-staying-in-top-form/

I also remember seeing Joan Baez and Mimi Farina perform together at the Zellerbach.

---

I was under age at the Back Hawk as well, so I was also behind the chicken wire. I remember there was 4 drink minimum even for kids, so they would bring 4 cokes out and set them in front of you all at the same time. Stan Getz was the other act I remember seeing there. Loved Mose Allison, but I was shocked when I saw him. I had thought that he was black. I still have The Seventh Son on one of my playlists.

BearsWiin said:

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The best concert I didn't attend was Paul McCartney at California Memorial in Feb. 1990. We lived a half block from the stadium, so we sat out on the roof and listened to a free concert and sang Hey Jude with 60,000 paying suckers

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The best concert I missed was Rush at the Oakland Coliseum. But I didn't miss it because I didn't go; I missed it because I slept through their performance! So damn embarrassing! My friend brought some pretty good ganja and I was a really hard-working HS student working my butt off trying to get into Cal. That plus lots of soccer playing and a girlfriend I may have visited overnight (ahem) meant I was really sleep-deprived. I little Indigo was all I needed to end up in la la land when Rush finally took the stage.

It is one of my worst moments! I can't believe I'm even posting this here. Go ahead, open up on me!

TandemBear said:

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The best concert I missed was Rush at the Oakland Coliseum. But I didn't miss it because I didn't go; I missed it because I slept through their performance! So damn embarrassing! My friend brought some pretty good ganja and I was a really hard-working HS student working my butt off trying to get into Cal. That plus lots of soccer playing and a girlfriend I may have visited overnight (ahem) meant I was really sleep-deprived. I little Indigo was all I needed to end up in la la land when Rush finally took the stage.

It is one of my worst moments! I can't believe I'm even posting this here. Go ahead, open up on me!

---

I witnessed something similar also at the Oakland Coliseum when my brother and I saw Yes years ago. Obnoxious, drunk and stoned loudmouth next to us fortunately zonked out the moment the concert started. He didn't wake up until the encore. My brother kept poking him in the ribs because he kept trying to use my brother's shoulder for a pillow.

* Best musical performance - New Years eve, 1977, Tower of Power at Sacramento Memorial Auditorium, opened with Soul Vaccination and The Funky Doctor was on fire. What's amazing is the T.O.P. horn section is still going strong and saw them last summer at Libbey Bowl in Ojai.
*Most psychadellic concert was Grateful Dead at Berkeley Greek on a Friday the 13th, 1984 when they pulled out Dark Star as the encore. And yes, Bill Walton was there.
*Most star studded concert - Day on the Green, 1977, with Lynyrd Skynyrd, Santana, Peter Frampton, and The Outlaws.
*Sax or Sex - Playboy Jazz festival, 1993 at the Hollywood Bowl. While jazz great Charles Lloyd was blowing his sax, to his left and way up on a hill outside the Bowl, a couple had hiked in, stripped naked, and were doing the nasty for all to see in multiple positions. Everyone had their binoculars aimed up on the hill, and the band was even watching and laughing. The blonde haired (everywhere) woman was beautiful and the guy took a bow when they finished.
*Best Venue - Great American Music Hall in SF - Saw Maynard Ferguson and Jerry Jeff Walker multiple times there, up close and personal.

IssyBear said:

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SFCityBear said:

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IssyBear said:

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SFCityBear said:

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HearstMining said:

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Linda Ronstadt at Berkeley Community Theater, Spring 1975. Roger McGuinn opened for her. I regret to say, though I bought many of her albums, I never saw her again. Such a stunning voice and now, due to Parkinson's, she can't sing. PBS broadcast the Kennedy Center Honors last year where she was recognized and I watched with tears rolling down my cheeks.

Boz Scaggs at The Greek, October '75 before Silk Degrees. He still played tunes from his "Moments" album, my fave. Then saw him in one of his Oakland shows at the Paramount the end of '76 - he'd hit the big time, had an umpteen piece orchestra and the audience was dressed to kill. The next time I saw him was 2006 in Sacramento and I'd just been laid off and needed an emotional lift. It was a hot night, lousy outdoor venue, and he frankly "mailed in" the performance. He was dead to me after that until my wife bought tickets to his show in Folsom last August. It was terrific and restored my faith. Check out Last Tango on 16th Street on YouTube - great song.

Tower of Power - early 2000s at the Gold Country Fair in Auburn. They played in the rodeo arena - great show! Superb, polished musicians.

Junior Walker and the All Stars in Seattle, early 1990s. He showed the ill effects of a musician's life on the road at that point, but he put on a good show and could still blow!

Springsteen - everybody should see him once. He is a force of nature. The way he controls the emotions of the audience is something to behold. You see three generations of fans at his shows, not just Boomers.

On a more mundane level, two Bay Area bands who injected comedy into their shows at local clubs: Butch Whacks and the Glass Packs in the 1970s and The Toons in the 1980s. Lesser-known bands in a small venue can be so much more fun than a big arena show.

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I remember Butch Whacks. How about Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks doing "Where's the Money?"

A fave of mine was Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen doing "Hot Rod Lincoln" and Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette" at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountainview, except for that cold weather down by the Bay at night.

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I remember Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks playing a bunch of their songs unannounced on the corner (sidewalk) of Telegraph and Durant. I just happened to be walking by.

And seeing the Dave Brubeck Quartet at the long gone Black Hawk Club in the Tenderloin. Great jazz venue in the 1950s and 60s.

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The Blackhawk was a place to hear the jazz greats. The first few times I went there, I was under age, so I had to sit in the kiddie section behind a chicken wire screen to separate us youngsters from the adults drinking hard stuff, while we all watched Miles Davis, among others. We were allowed to purchase soft drinks at hard liquor prices. The screen was just like the one they had to protect the band from flying projectiles thrown by the audience in the movie "Blues Brothers". At the Blackhawk, we threw no projectiles.

Do you remember Mose Allison? I heard him at a small night club in Palo Alto. Songs like "Parchman Farm" and The Seventh Son"

John Lee Hooker in the Boom Boom Room.

Also, wonderfull jazz vocalist, Mary Stallings, who graduated from Lowell High a bit before my time, used to appear locally from time to time, still going strong at age 78: https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/03/27/stellar-vocalist-mary-stallings-is-staying-in-top-form/

I also remember seeing Joan Baez and Mimi Farina perform together at the Zellerbach.

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I was under age at the Back Hawk as well, so I was also behind the chicken wire. I remember there was 4 drink minimum even for kids, so they would bring 4 cokes out and set them in front of you all at the same time. Stan Getz was the other act I remember seeing there. Loved Mose Allison, but I was shocked when I saw him. I had thought that he was black. I still have The Seventh Son on one of my playlists.

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You more current than I am. My Seventh Son is on a Mose Allison LP somewhere in my stack of LPs. I think he was born and raised on a farm in Mississippi. I do remember Stan Getz, but never saw him. I remember there was a minimum for soft drinks at the Blackhawk. Crazy times.

John Coltrane on Stan Getz: "We'd all sound that way if we could."

If I remember correctly, 1965 Rolling Stones concert at the old San Jose Civic Auditorium. I thought the building would collapse. Garage rock 'n roll at its purest!

I almost didn't survive it. Mick came out dressed like a freshman frat pledge in a sports coat and tie. But, after a couple of songs, he said something like "Enough of this s#!%" and then he proceeded to take off both his tie and coat and throw them out into the audience near me. The rest of the band, except for Charlie Watts, followed suit.

I was trampled. It was like getting hit by a tidal wave!

rkt88edmo said:

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bigtuba1 said:

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The Who, Clash LA Coliseum 1982.
Coldplay Levis Stadium 2017
Miles Davis LA 1985
Oingo Boingo Warfield 1993
The Who Oakland 1989
Faith No More LA 1987
Paul McCartney, California Memorial Stadium 1990
EPMD, Public Enemy, Run DMC, Beastie Boys 6/27/88 Greek Theater LA

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I was so bummed when Oingo Boingo cancelled their SF farewell tour date. I didn't get to see them for that final year... Saw them every year from 89-93 at Irvine Meadows (RIP). Little beats the Oingo Boingo shows in my mind. Incredible crowds and fun people and costumes and teenage me getting sips and hits from friendly neighbors.

Biggest lineup was the first show I ever went to The Cure Disintegration tour with Love and Rockets and The Pixies. Not sure that it was the best show, it was damn good.

One of my favorites was seeing Link Wray when he was 69 years old at Bimbo's. Just love of rock, pouring heart into the guitar and two young punk kids in the rythm section trying desperately trying to keep up with a legend.

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I went to that Cure concert in LA. The Cure was great. I love Love n Rockets even more. My big regret is that I wasn't familiar with The Pixies enough at the time to pay them enough attention. Had a 2nd chance a few years back in New Jersey but it got snowed out.

dajo9 said:

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rkt88edmo said:

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bigtuba1 said:

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The Who, Clash LA Coliseum 1982.
Coldplay Levis Stadium 2017
Miles Davis LA 1985
Oingo Boingo Warfield 1993
The Who Oakland 1989
Faith No More LA 1987
Paul McCartney, California Memorial Stadium 1990
EPMD, Public Enemy, Run DMC, Beastie Boys 6/27/88 Greek Theater LA

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I was so bummed when Oingo Boingo cancelled their SF farewell tour date. I didn't get to see them for that final year... Saw them every year from 89-93 at Irvine Meadows (RIP). Little beats the Oingo Boingo shows in my mind. Incredible crowds and fun people and costumes and teenage me getting sips and hits from friendly neighbors.

Biggest lineup was the first show I ever went to The Cure Disintegration tour with Love and Rockets and The Pixies. Not sure that it was the best show, it was damn good.

One of my favorites was seeing Link Wray when he was 69 years old at Bimbo's. Just love of rock, pouring heart into the guitar and two young punk kids in the rythm section trying desperately trying to keep up with a legend.

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I went to that Cure concert in LA. The Cure was great. I love Love n Rockets even more. My big regret is that I wasn't familiar with The Pixies enough at the time to pay them enough attention. Had a 2nd chance a few years back in New Jersey but it got snowed out.

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Yup, I was at Dodger Stadium too. I think the only other show I saw there was Depeche Mode for Violator with Nitzer Ebb and Electronic.

rkt88edmo said:

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dajo9 said:

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rkt88edmo said:

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bigtuba1 said:

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The Who, Clash LA Coliseum 1982.
Coldplay Levis Stadium 2017
Miles Davis LA 1985
Oingo Boingo Warfield 1993
The Who Oakland 1989
Faith No More LA 1987
Paul McCartney, California Memorial Stadium 1990
EPMD, Public Enemy, Run DMC, Beastie Boys 6/27/88 Greek Theater LA

---

I was so bummed when Oingo Boingo cancelled their SF farewell tour date. I didn't get to see them for that final year... Saw them every year from 89-93 at Irvine Meadows (RIP). Little beats the Oingo Boingo shows in my mind. Incredible crowds and fun people and costumes and teenage me getting sips and hits from friendly neighbors.

Biggest lineup was the first show I ever went to The Cure Disintegration tour with Love and Rockets and The Pixies. Not sure that it was the best show, it was damn good.

One of my favorites was seeing Link Wray when he was 69 years old at Bimbo's. Just love of rock, pouring heart into the guitar and two young punk kids in the rythm section trying desperately trying to keep up with a legend.

---

I went to that Cure concert in LA. The Cure was great. I love Love n Rockets even more. My big regret is that I wasn't familiar with The Pixies enough at the time to pay them enough attention. Had a 2nd chance a few years back in New Jersey but it got snowed out.

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Yup, I was at Dodger Stadium too. I think the only other show I saw there was Depeche Mode for Violator with Nitzer Ebb and Electronic.

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I bought tickets for that show but ended up selling the tickets. I had crossed over to rap music.

Blueblood said:

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If I remember correctly, 1965 Rolling Stones concert at the old San Jose Civil Auditorium. I thought the building would collapse. Garage rock 'n roll at its purest!

I almost didn't survive it. Mick came out dressed like a freshman frat pledge in a sports coat and tie. But, after a couple of songs, he said something like "Enough of this s#!%" and then he proceeded to take off both his tie and coat and throw them out into the audience near me. The rest of the band, except for Charlie Watts, followed suit.

I was trampled. It was like getting hit by a tidal wave!

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Was that pun intended? If so, good pun!

PS: Glad you survived.

I was surprised how good that zoom Stones performance was last night at that COVID 19 benefit on MSNBC. God Bless all the performers, but at the risk of sounding ungrateful, with regard to a couple of the performers, sometimes it is best to retire while you still have at least something left in the tank.

Beatles 1966 at Candlestick. Couldn't hear a thing through the screaming, but later learned that we had had the honor of attending their last live appearance. To see/hear the mass hysteria that they elicited was pretty amazing.

Ducky beat me to the age insult but man, I have not been to one of the concerts mentioned so far. Got really close with U2 Joshua Tree. And a lot of them sound pretty great and legendary. I can't just pick one:

Offspring @ The Edge, Palo Alto, 1994 - Just as they broke, about 100 people crammed in to a tiny room. Had to be there to feel the energy.

U2 with Lone Justice, Cow Palace, Nov 1986 - They came back around with bigger venues, but this one was EPIC. U2 with Pretenders was bigger (Day on the Green), but just not as fun.

Oingo Boingo with X, Greek, 1987 - Dead Man's Party Tour. X played 10 songs, Oingo played 21 and were shut down by the city for curfew.

Simon & Garfunkel, Oakland Arena, 2003 - Never thought they would play together, and it was great.

The Black Keys, Fox Theater, Oakland, 2009 - Venue just re-opened two months before... loved it... and two guys from Akron just rocked the house. No backup vocalists, no keyboards, no bass... they have added that stuff since.