# Live Music: What Are Your 5 Most Unforgettable Concerts?



## Snarf Zagyg (Sep 8, 2021)

The other day, on the recommendation of FitzTheRuke, I watched the excellent Netflix miniseries _Brand New Cherry Flavor_. While the first piece of music in it is diegetic - the always evocative Phil Collins* and _Another Day in Paradise_, it was the second piece of music that really got to me. The title track for the first episode....

*Yeah, he killed a guy. Or watched a guy die. Something like that ..... MIAMI VICE 4EVA!

..._Natural One_, by Folk Implosion. There are few songs that open like that, and few songs that immediately capture a time and a place. Part of it is that instant '95-'96 vibe when the song was on the radio (at least, in certain places). But part of it is that the song was already indelibly associated with another movie- the very controversial _Kids_. And when I was hearing that, I immediately thought, "Hey, how could they use that song that is already so strongly associated with another movie and scene ... with this?" But then I remembered ... _Kids_ was in 1995. That's (mathing now) 26 years ago. Which means that the song is probably relatively undiscovered for a large part of the _Brand New Cherry Flavor _audience. I was going to write something about the recycling of iconic soundtrack music (_Where is my mind? _by the Pixies, for example), but instead I thought I'd throw out a general, more fun question that this made me think about:

*What are your five most unforgettable concerts?*

Rules: THERE ARE NONE! HA! Didn't see that coming, did you? Seriously, pick whatever you want. Particular date. Or band. And it could be unforgettable for good reasons or bad reasons. 

The world is your oyster.

To get it started-

*1. 1995 or 1996 Folk Implosion*
Quick story- Folk Implosion (the band) was a side project of Lou Barlow (Sebadoah). I don't think that they were planning on making it big. Anyway, I saw them at a festival and was incredibly excited to see them perform live! Except ... they clearly hadn't performed much (if at all) together. It was ... terrible. Calling it a shambolic mess does a disservice to other terrible bands. I don't think most non-musicians will realize how bad a band that hasn't played their music together will be ... until they see it happen. It was terrible, but for all the wrong reasons.

*2. Green Day (Boston Esplanade)*
They had a concert series in Boston, wherein they would invite these little-known bands to come perform during the summer and you could see them for free. If you were lucky, the headliner for the whole summer might be a band like They Might Be Giants. Anyway, back in 1994 the City had booked this unknown band out of California .... Green Day ... to play the Hatch Shell in September. My understanding is that between when they were booked, and the concert, their album (Dookie) became the biggest thing in the world. So that night in September, you had tens and tens of thousands of people crushing into a place that couldn't handle them. Inexplicably, Green Day was allowed to start playing, _and then the concert ended_.

...and that's when the rioting started. Good times! 

*3. Reverend Horton Heat*
I have seen the Good Reverend (and Jimbo) perform live every time I can and they are within a day's travel. I have yet to be disappointed. 

*4. Ministry*
I have seen Ministry (Al Jourgensen) perform multiple times. Once, I was nearly crushed to death in a mosh pit. Once, the crowd lit an entire wall on fire. Never a dull moment. 

*5. Tom Petty*
I was almost going to put in Neil Young here, but Tom Petty was, quite simply, the single best performance. I still get shudders thinking about it.


So I guess I need either a riot or arson for a memorable concert at this point? 

What about you- what are your five most unforgettable concerts?


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## Ath-kethin (Sep 8, 2021)

I'll bite!

*1995: Live*. This was on the Throwing Copper tour, and they were booked to play the college campus near my high school. It was my first "real" concert, and it was amazing; even songs I didn't care for on the album were absolutely transcendent live. Maybe that's where the band's name came from.

*2003: KMFDM.* I actually saw them in both 2002 and 2003, but the 2003 show in Boston was better because I had a chance to chat with Pig after the show. He was funny and friendly, and even though the rest of the band wasn't there for the chat (Pig said they were feeling ill), the conversation reflected very well on the band IMO.

*2004: The Cure.* This was their "Curiosa Festival," so in addition to the Cure's own show (in which they played a song not available on the US version of their then-current album, which pushed them past curfew), I was introduced to awesome acts like Muse and Mogwai and Melissa Auf Der Maur's band. It was great!

*2009: BB King. *With Buddy Guy, and it was a show like no other.

*1990-ish: Jon Gailmor. * When I was a kid, I'd spend summers with my great-grandmother in Woodstock, VT, and on several of those summers the folk singer Jon Gailmor performed on the village green. He's an amazing talent, and those summer evening shows etched their way into my young mind like no others could.


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## Snarf Zagyg (Sep 8, 2021)

Ath-kethin said:


> I'll bite!
> 
> *1995: Live*. This was on the Throwing Copper tour, and they were booked to play the college campus near my high school. It was my first "real" concert, and it was amazing; *even songs I didn't care for on the album were absolutely transcendent live. *




One thing I think is always true is that for almost any great performer, seeing them live will be such a better experience than just hearing their songs.

I was fortunate to see Bruno Mars fairly recently, and ... wow. Whether you love his music, or aren't familiar with it ... he is absolutely electric in-person in a way that no recording can do justice to.

It's fairly rare that I've seen artists that just sucked live-
Folk Implosion
Elliot Smith (there ... may have been other things going on)
De La Soul (they did not want to be there, and made it evident)

Instead, I usually have the opposite reaction- just amazed at how good they are.


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## prabe (Sep 8, 2021)

Snarf Zagyg said:


> _Natural One_, by Folk Implosion. There are few songs that open like that, and few songs that immediately capture a time and a place.



Well. It's going to be a while before I get _that_ bass line out of my head.

*Pink Floyd, 1994-ish*
I had been obsessing on Floyd for almost a decade at that point, to the point that my grandfather's funeral was a week before the concert, and I would have missed the funeral had the timing been a little different. I spent the first half blissed out (not high--I was also straight-edge) with tears running down my face.

*We Were Promised Jetpacks*
I saw these guys a couple-three times, and every time they did "Sore Thumb" I got shivers.

*Nine Inch Nails, 1994-ish*
Touring behind _The Downward Spiral_. The arena was struck by lightning during their soundcheck, and everything was delayed and probably at least a little fritzed, and Trent Reznor was *pissed* and you could tell, and he channeled it into some awesome screaming and the destruction of several thousand dollars' worth of musical equipment.

*Also*
I saw the tour Nine Inch Nails co-headlined with David Bowie. That was awesome.

*Fugazi*
Only saw them three times, which barely makes sense. I'm pretty sure they didn't have setlists, because I'm also pretty sure they responded to what people were yelling. At least, Ian yelled back when people requested Minor Threat songs ...


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## Malmuria (Sep 8, 2021)

Gosh it's been so long since I've been to a show!

Michael Jackson (1988): my mom took me and we snuck down to a lower level.  I was 7
David Bowie and Nine Inch Nails (1996 or 1997)
Radiohead and Low (2004): open air concert overlooking florence
Lightning Bolt (multiple times, various warehouses and tiny clubs, early 2000s)
Vashti Bunyan (2006)

edit: biggest regret -- never saw Prince live


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## Ulfgeir (Sep 8, 2021)

1: *Scott Bradley's Postmodern Jukebox*
The first time I saw them, was at a small venue in Gothenburg, called Nefertiti (used to be a jazz-club, but has now gone into bancruptcy afaik). Was fully packed. I stood 10 meters from the scene...  Best concert I ever been to. One of the singers was Morgan James, and damn that girl can sing. They did Hosier's song "Take me to Church". Was only her and Scott Bradly on scene at that time, him playing the piano, and when she went all in in the chorus, it sends chills down my spine due to how good she was. The rest of the band was awesome as well. Ariana Savalas played up the role of the seductive nightclub singer to the max.

2: *Hawai'ian Style Band*
Saw them at a small concert at a place called Moose Mcgillicuddy  (or something like that) when I studied at the university of Hawai'i at Manoa back in 1994. Can't remember if I knew in advance that there would be a concert or not. Bought the CD Vanishing Treasures from the band afterwards, and it is still one of my favourite albums.

3: *Niagara*
The French duo that used to have these videos filled with absolutely vibrant colours, back when MTV actually played music videos.  Saw them in the early 90s in Gothenburg.  Can't remember if this was after their 3rd or 4rth (and last) album. Was very nice to see though. The ticket was hard to get, and then trying to find the place where they played..

4: *Welle: Erdball*
Saw (and heard) them for the first time at the Swedish Electronic Music Awards in Gothenburg. Was the mid 90's. They play hard blippy things on analogue synths. Even uses a Commodore 64 as an instrument. They were so fun to see. Have seen them afterwards as well. Always fun to watch.

5: *Borås Symfoniska Orkester + Divine*
The local symphonic orchestra together with 3 lovely sopranos. They were absolutely wonderful to see. The girls embodied "Look at how fun we have on stage", as they flirted with the audience, and the musicians. I bought their CD, because they were so fun. Have seen the Orchestra play a number of times and in all shows except one they have been absolutely wonderful, so I know how good they are. The one where they were bad were when the singer Malena Ernman was on stage. She is supposed to be this really skilled opera singer, but damn, she was so boring to watch. It was all "Look at how technically skilled I am", so she made the orchestra look bad. And this was after she had been in the Eurovision with "La voix" back in 2009.


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## Snarf Zagyg (Sep 8, 2021)

prabe said:


> Well. It's going to be a while before I get _that_ bass line out of my head.
> 
> *Pink Floyd, 1994-ish*
> I had been obsessing on Floyd for almost a decade at that point, to the point that my grandfather's funeral was a week before the concert, and I would have missed the funeral had the timing been a little different. I spent the first half blissed out (not high--I was also straight-edge) with tears running down my face.




...I saw that tour. That was awesome. Do you remember the giant disco ball in the middle? 

Um, I was also blissed out. I plead the fifth on the rest.



prabe said:


> *Nine Inch Nails, 1994-ish*
> Touring behind _The Downward Spiral_. The arena was struck by lightning during their soundcheck, and everything was delayed and probably at least a little fritzed, and Trent Reznor was *pissed* and you could tell, and he channeled it into some awesome screaming and the destruction of several thousand dollars' worth of musical equipment.




I've seen NIN a few times, but I still remember his tour with Bowie (kinja'd by @Malmuria and by you below!). 

True story- when Bowie did _The Man Who Sold the World _the person next to me said, "Wow, a Nirvana cover!" 



prabe said:


> *Also*
> I saw the tour Nine Inch Nails co-headlined with David Bowie. That was awesome.
> 
> *Fugazi*
> Only saw them three times, which barely makes sense. I'm pretty sure they didn't have setlists, because I'm also pretty sure they responded to what people were yelling. At least, Ian yelled back when people requested Minor Threat songs ...




Fugazi is awesome, but you know you're getting old when you're like, "Boy, do you know what's awesome? The book tour that Glenn Friedman and Guy Picciotto did. That was some hardcore and intense Q&A!"


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## Maxperson (Sep 8, 2021)

For me it's these 5 in no particular order.

1) Metallica and Guns N Roses.  It was the year that James Hetfield was burned by fireworks at a concert.  He had been unable to play and still wasn't supposed to at the concert, but he said screw it(other language actually used) and asked for his guitar.  It was awesome. 

2) Bon Jovi around 1988 or 89.  They played a full concert and then came back and did about 8 more encore songs.  Almost another concert.  Then after that the first two rows of the venue were filled with musicians from other bands.  He pulled them all up on stage along with Sam Kinison and they all sang Wild Thing. THEN, I kid you not, they had a grand piano wheeled out onto the stage and Lionel Richie came out and played a song.  It was fantastic.

3) Iron Maiden, 7th Son tour.  Not only was the music phenomenal, but the sets they used were visually stunning. 

4) Michael Jackson, Smooth Criminal tour(before most of the stuff with kids).  We had 13th row seats and he also knew how to put out stunning sets and give an amazing performance.  

5) Rolling Stones and Guns N Roses, because.............Rolling Stones.


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## prabe (Sep 8, 2021)

Snarf Zagyg said:


> ...I saw that tour. That was awesome. Do you remember the giant disco ball in the middle?



Who could forget it (barring ... recreational pharmaceuticals)? During the most famous guitar solo in their catalog, a huge mirror ball rises in the middle of the audience (IIRC somewhere in the vicinity of the front-of-house board) with lights dancing across its surface. Then, it opens up and light dances across the crowd.


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## Snarf Zagyg (Sep 8, 2021)

prabe said:


> Who could forget it (barring ... recreational pharmaceuticals)? During the most famous guitar solo in their catalog, a huge mirror ball rises in the middle of the audience (IIRC somewhere in the vicinity of the front-of-house board) with lights dancing across its surface. Then, it opens up and light dances across the crowd.




Well ... just checking. I mean ... you know the old saying, right?

_If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is ... a giant disco ball._


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## payn (Sep 8, 2021)

I'm going with top 5 _Experiences _now and will likely do a top 5 performances later.

*1. INXS opening for Depeche Mode at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.*
Probably not my first concert, but for sure my first venue/stadium show. Was a young lad whose mate had a cool uncle that worked as an EMT during concerts. He took us and we got free reign while he manned his station. Probably not the best concert I've been too, but it was my first and opened a whole new world to me. A great time even though the HHH metrodome was a notoriously crappy place to see a concert. A crappy place to see anything really.

*2. Meat Puppets at First Avenue  *
This was a 21+ show I got into with a fake ID. First Ave is a legandary experience it self. (_purple rain...purple rain..._) Closest I ever got to ever seeing Nirvana. These guys are a legend themselves and really helped form the eclectic taste in music I have today. I don't know what lese to say? It was like a religious experience...

*3. The Replacements in some field near Atlanta Station Georgia.*
My buddy hit me up with an email about a festival called Shaky Knees down in Georgia. It was like 100 bands for 150 bucks. The list was incredible with _The National _and _Alabama Shakes_ were headliners. There was a spot marked "TBD" on the list long after we already purchased our tickets. Turned out to be _The Replacements, _or well two of the members Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson (special guest Billy Joe from Greenday on rhythm guitar). Not only are The Replacements a local legend, but they had the true embodiment of Punk. Its not a particular sound or look, its an attitude, a way of life really. I so wished I could have seen one of their punk shows where the crowd was in spiked collars and mohawks eagerly waiting for a wailing set. Then, the '_mats _break into a cover of Hey Good lookin by Hank Williams. The 'mats were on their best behavior (a few weeks before at Coachella, Paul Westerberg said he was "too tired to sing" and had Billy Joe sing instead. Critics did not find this classic _'mats_ move entertaining lol) and hit all the best tunes by the numbers and during a rain storm none the less. Kids didnt know who the hell these guys were but by the second song it didnt matter. The _'mats_ are not generational. The only thing better would have been to see Chris Mars on the drum kit dressed as "pappy the clown".

If you want to learn more about the 80s post punk scene and one of its most iconic acts, check out _Trouble Boys _by Bob Mehr. Soon to be a major motion picture! (Isn't it strange to call a movie a motion picture after 1940? Just a pretentious way to sell books I suppose. I mean, you dont see stickers on cars at the auto lot that say, "now a major horseless carriage!")

*4. Arcade Fire at the Target Center*
This was the Reflektor tour back in 2014 ish. The band requested folks wear formal attire for the concert. I'd say about 2/3 of folks (including myself) showed up dressed to the nines. The crowd went nuts when they covered Prince's _Controversy. _Great band, total professionals rocked the joint and classed it up making this a top 5 experience.

*5. Dave Matthews Band opening for Big Head Todd and the Monsters at The Roy Wilkins Auditorium.*
This was another concert my mate's uncle got us into. Big Head Todd was dad rock before I even knew that was a thing. My old man liked the band so I decided it was a good option. Some unknown guy named Dave Matthews opened. God, they rocked it so hard! I mean this band was fricken hungry. The fiddle guy wrecked at least three bows that night. Everybody was spent by the time Todd got on stage. I kinda felt bad for them.

*5.a  I saw Dave Matthews about 4 years later at the Target Center.*
A few of my mates had never seen him. At this point it was all teenage girls and college dude-bros attending the show. The band gets started and they pulled out fricken barstools... Most boring set i've ever seen in my life. I swore id not seen DMB again if I could help it. So disappointing to see the fire out of this band.

*5.b Dave Matthews Solo acoustic at Target Center*
So fast forward about 20 years and Im a corpo drone working for Target. Every September we have a big fall rally. They book up the Target center and bring in Target exclusive acts. Its pretty fun sometimes you get to see some great folks like Beck. Other times you see kids like Shawn Mendez who cant play guitar. A couple years ago we got Dave Matthews solo and it was amazing. The place just sat quietly mesmerized as he played his set. Decades of experience just oozing out into our ears. It was fantastic and I had to review my take on old DMB.


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## Snarf Zagyg (Sep 8, 2021)

payn said:


> I mean, you dont see stickers on cars at the auto lot that say, "now a major horseless carriage!")




You don't ... but maybe you should! I really need that bumper sticker -

_My Other Horseless Carriage is a Bugatti Veyron _


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## payn (Sep 8, 2021)

Malmuria said:


> Radiohead and Low (2004): open air concert overlooking florence



_Low_ is a semi-local band and I love those folks! About 5-10 years ago they did a local out door venue here in Minneapolis. All they did was play a low bearing droning for like 45 min. Like they where making an ambient sound record. I was curious if they were doing a sound check or what? At the end, Alan Sparhawk walks to the mic and says, "drone...not drones" and left. The crowd took it differently depending on who you asked.

Speaking of Sparhawk, he has a side project called _Black Eyed Snakes _that is a must see. I think they only play the mid-west every few years but thats some great blues rock right there. Very different than what you usually get from _Low._


> edit: biggest regret -- never saw Prince live



Yeah, Prince makes my best performance list. Prince was something else.


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## payn (Sep 8, 2021)

If you want to know if folks in Minnesotah really sound like the movie Fargo, they often do.


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## Ath-kethin (Sep 8, 2021)

Snarf Zagyg said:


> One thing I think is always true is that for almost any great performer, seeing them live will be such a better experience than just hearing their songs.
> 
> I was fortunate to see Bruno Mars fairly recently, and ... wow. Whether you love his music, or aren't familiar with it ... he is absolutely electric in-person in a way that no recording can do justice to.
> 
> ...



That's been my experience as well. I saw George Michael and he was amazing, Robbie Williams was great, Nine Inch Nails, Pixies, Bella Morte, Lourdes - all off them were even better live. Oh, and of course also James Brown.

I'd love to see Green Day; they normally play a college near me and I was looking forward to taking my kid. But then instead of that they decided to do the package tour with Weezer and whoever that other band is, so I guess we will have to wait until next time.


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## Ralif Redhammer (Sep 8, 2021)

In no particular order:

Bauhaus - They had been past tense for so long, when they got back together to tour with NIN, it was the concert I never thought I'd see, and one of the greatest performances I've ever seen. Even in daylight at an arena.
Skinny Puppy - I'd spent many years watching and rewatching Ain't it Dead Yet, wearing out the VHS tape. Dwayne Goettel had been dead for about a decade, so I thought that was it for them. But somehow a new album and a tour came to be and actually hit my city.
Rhapsody of Fire - This band's music is so stirring and epic, and was even moreso in person.
Das Ich - An obscure German band, and a major influence on my own music, my old band was supposed to open for them in the 90s, only for them to get lost and miss the show. A decade or so later, I finally got to see them perform in the flesh; I can say that I rarely wig out at concerts, but I was definitely wigging out.
Grind - No one else is likely to heard of this Industrial trio from Pennsylvania. But they were probably the first band I ever saw live, and definitely the first Industrial band I ever saw. Crumbling, distorted, nihilistic, and despairing. Somewhere I still have their cassette. It wasn't all that long after seeing them that my first band came together. 
Missing the NIN-David Bowie tour is one of my great regrets, absolutely.


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## Morrus (Sep 8, 2021)

Man, do I wish I'd seen Bowie.


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## Ulfgeir (Sep 8, 2021)

Ralif Redhammer said:


> In no particular order:
> 
> Bauhaus - They had been past tense for so long, when they got back together to tour with NIN, it was the concert I never thought I'd see, and one of the greatest performances I've ever seen. Even in daylight at an arena.
> Skinny Puppy - I'd spent many years watching and rewatching Ain't it Dead Yet, wearing out the VHS tape. Dwayne Goettel had been dead for about a decade, so I thought that was it for them. But somehow a new album and a tour came to be and actually hit my city.
> ...



I have heard some Das Ich. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I seem to remember hearing that they kind of won the female singer from Swedish EBM-band Cat Rapes Dog in a poker-game.

Edit: nope, I misremembered, that was And One.


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## Ryujin (Sep 8, 2021)

In no particular order:

- @ Rich Stadium, in Buffalo, 1982 - David Johansen, who opened for The Clash, who in turn opened for The Who. I probably don't really need to expand upon this much.

- @ The Canadian National Exhibition grounds bandshell, 1984 - Nash the Slash, opening for Orchestral Maneouvres in the Dark. Nash the Slash doing "Swing Shift" on the electric plexiglass violin, backed up by a reel to reel tape machine. OMD doing "joan of Arc", backed up by a 20 piece orchestra that suddenly appeared from behind the closed stage curtains. Made all the better by the gorgeous little Goth girl who accompanied me.

- @ The Kingswood Music Theatre, 1984 - Simple Minds, "New Gold Dream" tour. Hearing the title song swell up and fill an open air venue was incredible.

- @ The Ontario Place Forum, 1985 - Strange Advance. They started out as two guys, in Vancouver, with some songs and a bunch of studio musicians to back them. Sudden popularity meant they had to somehow get an actual touring band together in a few weeks, to tour right across Canada. Unlike most acts they had it even more together, live, than they did in studio. Amazing. Went back for the second show, the next night. As an aside, while arguably not their best/most popular song (that's probably "Worlds Away"), my favourite song of theirs is "Nor Crystal Tears" which is based on the novel of the same name, written by Alan Dean Foster.

- @ The El Mocambo, 1987 - The Forgotten Rebels. Small venue. Two sets. The second set was far better than the first, after they had taken a brief intermission for "recreation."


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## payn (Sep 8, 2021)

Morrus said:


> Man, do I wish I'd seen Bowie.



Me too...


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## aco175 (Sep 8, 2021)

*Garth Brooks*- Still puts on an awesome show.  Saw him a couple years ago in Boston and planning to see him again next month when he comes back.  He knows that people come to hear the old songs and not just new stuff off an album they are promoting.


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## payn (Sep 8, 2021)

aco175 said:


> *Garth Brooks*- Still puts on an awesome show.  Saw him a couple years ago in Boston and planning to see him again next month when he comes back.  He knows that people come to hear the old songs and not just new stuff off an album they are promoting.



Also saw GB at one of Target's mid-day corpo parties. The Target Center was under remodel, so we saw him across the river in St Paul at the Excel Center. He was alone with an acoustic and just beaming with charisma. They had these confetti cannons that went off pre-maturely and scared the hell out of him. Was a good time.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Sep 9, 2021)

I have seen so many great shows, it’s really hard to narrow down to 5.



*1)  1990s Dallas.  First Lollapalooza tour*: Epic lineup- Jane’s Addiction, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Rollins Band, Living Colour, Ice T, B-Hole Surfers were among the highlights.  NiN was supposed to be there, but skipped that date.  I was disappointed, but not for long- Fishbone filled in their slot, and put on a hell of a show.  Between the blue haze from the pot smoking going on and a touch of dehydration, the night had an almost surreal quality to it.



*2) 1990s Austin.  Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Monster Magnet, Swervedriver*:  _It was $10!_ PJ & Soundgarden were co-headlining, swapping nights as the closing act.  Eddie Vedder was briefly thrown out of the venue for stage diving and crowd surfing.  More drugs were smoked at that show than any other I’ve been to before or since, including hashish (which, BTW, smelled like someone lit an evergreen car freshener on fire). The venue, long since destroyed, was a converted airplane hanger from the 1950s, so it was all concrete and metal.  There was no place for the earthshaking sound to go except through human bodies, so we felt every throbbing pulse.



*3)  1980s San Antonio.  My first ever metal/rock concert- Dio, Megadeth, Savatage*: unforgettable because it was first, because of the bands, and because it was essentially a Spïnal Tap cosplay all night long.  Savatage’s bass player’s instrument cut out every few bars throughout their 40 minute set.  When their set ended, he threw his bass 2-handed overhead tomahawk style at the ineffectual road crew in frustration.  Megadeth went on, and announced the show was being filmed for MTV.  In the middle of the chorus for “Devil’s Island” the stadium suddenly went dark and quiet.  Everyone thought it was part of the show and cheered.  10 minutes later, when the house lights came up, Dave Mustaine announced “We blew a f’in fuse!”  Dio came on last, with his million-dollar stage show featuring fire breathing and laser shooting robotic dragons and such.  When the dragon was fighting the spider, it’s breath set the speaker tower on stage left alight.  Everyone cheered, thinking THIS was part of the show. The fire crews with the C02 extinguishers proved this otherwise.  It was so comedic, I wondered if I would ever go to another show.  (I did.)



*4) 1990s Austin.  Blue Öyster Cult, Galactic Cowboys, Black Pearl*:  Black Pearl, a local Austin band, snagged the opening slot on this NIGHTCLUB show.  They were great!  (The band broke up years ago, but the lead singer, Lisa Tingle, still rules the Austin scene, last I checked.) Houston natives Galactic Cowboys had JUST signed a major label deal, so they were stoked.  Unfortunately, their keyboard player was drunk off his ass- he spent Black Pearl’s set leaning on me while hitting on my friend- and when they took the stage, he did NOTHING right.  He was fired shortly thereafter.  And BÖC?  It was essentially a “best of” show by rock royalty, played on a stage only 3’ high in a bar.  I could have touched Buck Dharma.  It was the kind of venue they probably hadn’t played in more than a decade, so it was kind of bittersweet.



*5)  1990s Dallas.  California Guitar Trio*: The band is made up of three graduates of Robert Fripp’s League of Crafty Guitarists.  They were touring the USA supporting their Pathways album, doing shows at Borders bookstores.  They were seated in a semicircle cleared near the store’s coffee shop, with the audience positioned JUST a hair more than arm’s reach away.They did some Q&A after, too. I didn’t realize until YEARS later the Somogyi acoustic guitars they were playing (pictured in the album cover art) cost upwards of $20k each. I knew they were quality, but... One song, they each took turns playing lead while the others played complex, interwoven rhythm…and the quality of the guitars and the skill of their playing was such that you couldn’t tell who was doing what without watching and listening carefully.


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## Marc_C (Sep 9, 2021)

*Genesis* 1982, concert in Montreal. First rock concert ever. Phil Collins still had long hair and a beard. They played Supper's Ready integral. They had huge mirrors on rotating motors and shot lasers into them. Crazy visuals! Beautiful summer night in the Jarry Park baseball stadium. Lots of bleu smoke in the air.

You can listen to it here:


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## Ralif Redhammer (Sep 9, 2021)

Their sound has changed over the years, and while I love their more recent work, Die Propheten is one of my favorite albums of all time.



Ulfgeir said:


> I have heard some Das Ich. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I seem to remember hearing that they kind of won the female singer from Swedish EBM-band Cat Rapes Dog in a poker-game.
> 
> Edit: nope, I misremembered, that was And One.




Genesis is currently scheduled to come to town at the end of the year and depending on where things stand with the pandemic and if the tour actually happens, I have to say I'm tempted. 



Marc_C said:


> *Genesis* 1982, concert in Montreal. First rock concert ever. Phil Collins still had long hair and a beard. They played Supper's Ready integral. They had huge mirrors on rotating motors and shot lasers into them. Crazy visuals! Beautiful summer night in the Jarry Park baseball stadium. Lots of bleu smoke in the air.
> 
> You can listen to it here:


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Sep 9, 2021)

Just to clarify: I brought up the drug use at those concerts, but I wasn’t an active participant.  My only chemical vice is alcohol.


----------



## Snarf Zagyg (Sep 10, 2021)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Just to clarify: I brought up the drug use at those concerts, but I wasn’t an active participant.  My only chemical vice is alcohol.




Sure sure, Danny.

The trunk of the Danny's car looked like a mobile police narcotics lab. We had two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid, a salt shaker half full of cocaine, and a whole galaxy of multi-colored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers . . . and also a quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of Budweiser, a pint of raw ether and two dozen amyls . . . Not that we needed all that for Lollapalooza, but once you get locked into a serious drug collection, the tendency is to push it as far as you can. The only thing that really worried me was the ether. There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible and depraved than a man in the depths of an ether binge. 

And I knew Danny would get into that rotten stuff pretty soon, as soon as Jane's hit the stage and Mountain Song started....


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Sep 10, 2021)

Hilarious!

…but actually, I’m a real L7 when it comes to all that stuff.  Pink lungs, no tracks, etc.  Hell, I have a huge booze stash and barely drink anymore! 

Some of my friends, OTOH…


----------



## Lord Mhoram (Oct 4, 2021)

*Rush: *Snakes and Arrows Tour. 
This was awesome - Rush is an awesome live band, as is well know, and they didn't disappoint.

*Return to Forever: *the anniversary tour - DiMeola, Corea, Clarke and White. It was amazing. Seeing Al's fingers blur when he did some Spanish guitar was unbelievable.  Fusion Jazz isn't for everyone, but this was the best line up of one of the best bands, and each member a Legend on thier instrument.

*Styx: *Kilroy was Here. My first concert, and they opened and closed with movies - very cinematic. It was a concept concert based on a concept album. I really enjoyed it. 

*Jake Shimabukuro:* Nice small venue - a couple thousand at most; outside. Very Intimate - and he was amazing.

*Judas Priest*:  Defenders of the Faith tour. Indoor, couldn't see the other side of the arena for the smoke. Had someone ask me for some hash. (I was 17). The ultimate metal concert, and the band did not disappoint.


----------



## R_J_K75 (Oct 4, 2021)

Morrus said:


> Man, do I wish I'd seen Bowie.



Saw him at Sheas Buffalo in 2004. Small 4000 seat venue.  Might've been his last tour, excellent show.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Oct 5, 2021)

Lord Mhoram said:


> *Rush: *Snakes and Arrows Tour.
> This was awesome - Rush is an awesome live band, as is well know, and they didn't disappoint.
> 
> *Return to Forever: *the anniversary tour - DiMeola, Corea, Clarke and White. It was amazing. Seeing Al's fingers blur when he did some Spanish guitar was unbelievable.  Fusion Jazz isn't for everyone, but this was the best line up of one of the best bands, and each member a Legend on thier instrument.
> ...



I saw JP a couple of times after Halford rejoined. The last time was when they toured performing all of _British Steel.    _Halford didn’t move much for the songs from that album, hanging over his mic like a gargoyle.

But once they moved on?  He started using the whole stage.

That said, at no point was there any doubt as to the power of his lungs.


----------



## R_J_K75 (Oct 5, 2021)

Ive  seen so many shows, most were great so its hard to pick 5.  These are just a few and honestly not sure if theyre even the best.  I will say concerts in the last 20 years or so have lost that raw sound/feel as venue sound has gotten better.  So I think my concert days are over unless its really someone I want to see, which I dont think theres any left. For the life of me I dont know why we didnt to go in to see AIC in 91  when they opened for VH but thats one I regret.  Think we were drinking in the parking lot.  

6/26/91-Clash of the Titans, Alice In Chains, Slayer, Anthrax, Megadeth: Insane show, saw some girl dragged out of the pit for Slayer, pretty sure she was if not dead, severely injured 
10/19/95-Page & Plant: Got into the VIP suite...free drinks.
7/20/03-Lollapalooza: Audioslave: Unknowingly we bought front row pit tickets
5/14/08-The Mars Volta: Probably one of the better shows Ive seen.
11/5/13-Chris Cornell.  This show was in a small High School Aud, probably held 1000 people.  We thought we were in the wrong place when we pulled up.  



Dannyalcatraz said:


> I saw JP a couple of times after Halford rejoined. The last time was when they toured performing all of _British Steel. _Halford didn’t move much for the songs from that album, hanging over his mic like a gargoyle.



Saw them in 2005 and and they were mediocre at best.  Everyone has an off night. Ive seen the Black Crowes about 5 or 6 times, and they were awesome a few of those and sucked for others.  One time right after Chris Robinson broke up with Kate Hudson he looked homeless and strung out.  Thats one I didnt stick around for the whole show.  I could only take so much of the 45 minutes cosmic space jam.


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## R_J_K75 (Oct 5, 2021)

Lord Mhoram said:


> *Judas Priest*: Defenders of the Faith tour. Indoor, couldn't see the other side of the arena for the smoke. Had someone ask me for some hash. (I was 17). The ultimate metal concert, and the band did not disappoint.



Saw GNR at the CNE in Toronto in 1990.  Guy next to us was  smoking the worst pot Ive ever smelled.  It smelled like a tire fire.  I felt so bad for him, as in you actually paid for that garbage?


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## Ryujin (Oct 5, 2021)

R_J_K75 said:


> Saw GNR at the CNE in Toronto in 1990.  Guy next to us was  smoking the worst pot Ive ever smelled.  It smelled like a tire fire.  I felt so bad for him, as in you actually paid for that garbage?



Was it at the Bandshell, or the stadium?


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## R_J_K75 (Oct 5, 2021)

Ryujin said:


> Was it at the Bandshell, or the stadium?



Stadium iirc.


----------



## Mad_Jack (Oct 8, 2021)

Worst show was Bob Dylan, actually - literally no interaction with the audience, they walked out, sat around in a circle under a single light, and essentially did an hour-and-a-half jam session of new versions of songs so far from the originals I didn't recognize a single one. Screw the refund, I want that _time_ back.

 Best shows?  No particular order...

*Trans Siberian Orchestra *- seen 'em seven times and they always blow my mind.
*Dropkick Murphys *- most energetic show I've been to: the crowd in the mezzanine seats were stomping their feet so hard you could feel the place shake.
*Vintage Trouble/ The Who *- the arena is literally a mile from my house, so I obviously went to be able to cross The Who off of my musical bucket list, but Vintage Trouble put on such a good show that I would have dropped the $70 just to see them.
*Herman's Hermits *- seen these guys like three times at a free music venue inside the same local casino as the arena, and they still sound great and jump around like they did when they were famous. They always get the crowd (and everyone outside the venue at the slot machines and tables) singing along to "Henry the 8th" so loud you can't hear the slot machines.
*Heart *- my first real concert in an actual concert venue... It was their self-titled album tour in the '80's, and I was about thirteen or so and totally in love with Ann and Nancy. Saw them again when I was in my late thirties and they were still just as good.
*Kool & The Gang *- my first live music experience... A few years before the first Heart show, I saw these guys do a small outdoor gig at a thing called SubFest on the local Naval Base. It was awesome since I'd never seen a famous band live and up close before. You could tell they were having even more fun than the audience.


As an aside, when I was fourteen I was at Misquamicut Beach in Rhode Island, walking down the side of the road past the side door of a bar, when I heard a band doing a short afternoon set. They played like five or six songs. They were freakin' _awesome_.
It wasn't until years later, when I saw the movie _Eddie and the Cruisers _on VHS, that I realized it was the first of the six or seven times I've seen John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, lol.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Oct 8, 2021)

Due to some oddball acoustics one night, I got to hear most of a set by The Cult playing at an arena near my college campus…while on an elevated walkway on my college campus.

I sat down and listened for most of their set.  I _had_ to sit because of the  bats feeding above & below the walkway.


----------



## The Green Hermit (Oct 8, 2021)

My top two, for different reasons: Queen (with Adam Lambert) and Carrie Underwood. 

Honorable Mention: Jimmy Buffet. We were warned that his concerts were different, but we weren't expecting a stadium-wide costume party! 

Honorable Mention: Bob Dylan/Doobie Brothers/John Mellencamp. Apparently the venue my cousin got married at was also hosting a weekend-long music festival. We weren't at the concert itself, but heard every bit of it -- even with the hotel windows closed. Everybody kept making excuses to step outside for a bit. Lol!


----------



## Mannahnin (Feb 9, 2022)

#1 has to go to *Massive Attack* in 2019, for the 20th anniversary of Mezzanine, at the Boch Center (former Wang Theater) in Boston.  Absolutely incredible on every level, and having Liz Fraser back on this side of the pond to sing with them was the cherry on top.  I got out of it seriously tempted to spring for tickets to the New York show immediately thereafter, despite the cost involved.  Still kind of regret not doing so.

#2 would be *Nine Inch Nails* touring for The Fragile, with opener *A Perfect Circle* supporting their debut album, at the Worcester Centrum in 2000.   Amazing energy for a stadium show.  Two incredible bands at the top of their game, supporting amazing albums.

After those two it's definitely a drop off.  I've seen a good number of great shows, but those two were the top. Three more great ones in no particular order to round out the list.

*Green Day,* 1994, the infamous free show at the Hatch shell on the Boston Esplanade that turned into a riot.  An incredibly massive crowd and a fantastic time. 

*Bauhaus* in 2005, Near the Atmosphere Tour, Orpheum, Boston.  Amazing to finally get to see them.  Got introduced to the band by my first girlfriend, when I was a teenage wannabe-goth.  Seeing them 12 or 13 years later was everything I hoped.  I got to see Peter Murphy in a smaller venue, at the Middle East downstairs, I think four years ago, and he was great then too.

*Heilung*, January 2020, L'Olympia Montreal.  A gorgeous, moving ritual of a performance.


----------



## Snarf Zagyg (Feb 9, 2022)

Mannahnin said:


> *Green Day,* 1994, the infamous free show at the Hatch shell on the Boston Esplanade that turned into a riot.  An incredibly massive crowd and a fantastic time.




Dude! You were there too? 

That was definitely in my "Top 20 Riots I have been in and/or instigated."

Let's see, I'm going to add some more to my original five, now .... in no particular order.

*Bruno Mars*. Caught him in Vegas when he came back for his first show post-COVID. He is a true consummate performer. Pretty low on the riot scale.

*Nirvana/Pearl Jam/RHCP. *Call it a time capsule, but this was a brief moment of a week or so when RHCP was a headliner, Pearl Jam was a revelation (at the time, I knew Even Flow and that was it I think), and Nirvana blew everything away in the middle.  Sadly, I never saw Nirvana again. RHCP I saw a lot more - they're really good live, but I haven't seen them in ages. 

*Dropkick Murphys/Mighty Mighty Bosstones. *I have a vague recollection of a late 90s St. Paddy's day show that had both the Bosstones and the Dropkick Murphys at one of the Lansdowne Street venues. Good shows.

*Elliot Smith. *Memorable, but not in a good way. I love Elliot Smith. I'm glad I saw him before ... you know. But he just wasn't, well, feeling it that day in concert. I'm being nice. He sucked. 

*Beck. *I've seen him a fair amount, but the best concert I saw was probably when he was promoting Midnite Vultures. He was absolutely amazing as a performer.


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## Mannahnin (Feb 9, 2022)

Snarf Zagyg said:


> Dude! You were there too?
> 
> That was definitely in my "Top 20 Riots I have been in and/or instigated."



Yar.  Though my GF and I left once it started to get crazy.  



Snarf Zagyg said:


> *Dropkick Murphys/Mighty Mighty Bosstones. *I have a vague recollection of a late 90s St. Paddy's day show that had both the Bosstones and the Dropkick Murphys at one of the Lansdowne Street venues. Good shows.



Sounds amazing.  The Bosstones were one of several shows I won tickets to on the air on WFNX, but sadly one I skipped.    I did go see Godsmack on Lansdowne (blech), and Duran Duran at the Wang, though.


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## Snarf Zagyg (Feb 9, 2022)

Mannahnin said:


> Yar.  Though my GF and I left once it started to get crazy.




I couldn't. I was right up there at the front. So I had the twin fun of nearly getting crushed to death by the crowd, and then navigating the riot after the Boston Police shut it down. Protip- don't mess with the staties. 

It's like everything else- if you live, it becomes a fun story!  



Mannahnin said:


> Sounds amazing.  The Bosstones were one of several shows I won tickets to on the air on WFNX, but sadly one I skipped.    I did go see Godsmack on Lansdowne (blech), and Duran Duran at the Wang, though.




It was! That said, I am envious of you for seeing Duran Duran; that was a band that I wanted to see that I never got to. 

Saddest experience for me was that I had the chance to see Springsteen in concert, and I couldn't get any of my friends at that time to go with me because he wasn't "cool enough." So I didn't go. If I had to do it over again, I would have just gone by myself. I still haven't seen him.


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## payn (Feb 9, 2022)

Snarf Zagyg said:


> *Dropkick Murphys/Mighty Mighty Bosstones. *I have a vague recollection of a late 90s St. Paddy's day show that had both the Bosstones and the Dropkick Murphys at one of the Lansdowne Street venues. Good shows.


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## Ralif Redhammer (Feb 9, 2022)

I think I saw them around the same time and yeah, getting to see them after years of being a fan was a miraculous experience. They came out and that first growl of Double Dare's guitars filled the arena.



Mannahnin said:


> *Bauhaus* in 2005, Near the Atmosphere Tour, Orpheum, Boston.  Amazing to finally get to see them.  Got introduced to the band by my first girlfriend, when I was a teenage wannabe-goth.  Seeing them 12 or 13 years later was everything I hoped.  I got to see Peter Murphy in a smaller venue, at the Middle East downstairs, I think four years ago, and he was great then too.




They're supposed to come through here later this year and I so hope it actually happens. 



Mannahnin said:


> *Heilung*, January 2020, L'Olympia Montreal.  A gorgeous, moving ritual of a performance.


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## Bedrockgames (Feb 9, 2022)

I don't really like concerts even though I love music. So I have only been to a handful. But these are ones I remember liking: Metallica on the black album tour, Tori Amos (back around 2002 I want to say), Emmylou Harris at the Delmar Fair in the 80s, and Lollapalooza (If I remember it was the one with Snoop Dogg and Tool) 

Missed Solitude Aeturnus and King Diamond when they came by here, and have long wanted to catch an Iron Maiden concert.


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## RobJN (Feb 9, 2022)

Stabbing Westward, at the White Rabbit. Hole-in-the-wall club, and they sounded better than on the album


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## Mannahnin (Feb 9, 2022)

Bedrockgames said:


> , and have long wanted to catch an Iron Maiden concert.



You should try to get to the next Maiden tour.  I've never been a big fan, but I have several friends who are, and have heard rave reviews of their recent tours. 



RobJN said:


> Stabbing Westward, at the White Rabbit. Hole-in-the-wall club, and they sounded better than on the album



Seems to be the way pretty regularly.  When I was first going down to Boston when I was 18 or so, I randomly went to a great show at TT the Bear's, not knowing any of the bands.  When the headliner started playing Time Baby, I recognized it almost immediately from the (then-new) soundtrack album for The Crow, and it took me a minute to realize it was the same band (Medicine).  The version they played live was much more raucous and guitar-heavy, though.  A really excellent performance.

Oh!  Or Turbonegro!  My ex wife brought me to see them at The Paradise in Boston, probably 2007, and I wasn't familiar with them at all.  OUTSTANDING club show.  Unbelievable energy.  Crowdsurfing and chanting and happy metalheads singing the refrain to "I Got Erection" loudly down the street as they drifted into the night after the show.  But I've never found any of their studio recordings to capture that magic.


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## ART! (Feb 9, 2022)

I kid you not: the only live, large-scale music concert I've ever attended was on August 25th, 1990 at the Alpine Valley Music Theater outside Chicago. The line-up:

Eric Clapton and his band
The Robert Cray Band featuring The Memphis Horns
Buddy Guy
Jeff Healey
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble.*

The concert was capped off by a ~20 minute encore jam of "Sweet Home Chicago" by Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmie Vaughan, Buddy Guy & Robert Cray.

* SRV died the next night.


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## Mannahnin (Feb 9, 2022)

Well, I suppose if you were only to attend one concert in your entire life, that would be a hard choice to top.


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## ART! (Feb 9, 2022)

Mannahnin said:


> Well, I suppose if you were only to attend one concert in your entire life, that would be a hard choice to top.



IKR? The ticket just kind of fell in my lap, too - a friend had bought 3 tickets and one person bailed on him.

A lot of live music is over-amplified to the point of being uncomfortable to me. The local university has a big music program, so I attend a lot fo recitals and concerts there and they mic and amp things very sensibly. 

This makes me sound like a very old man.

(Alpine Valley is an outdoor venue, so although crazy loud the decibels didn't bother me.)


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## Snarf Zagyg (Feb 9, 2022)

I was thinking of maybe forking a thread about concerts we wished we had seen ... I have so many.

One of the concerts I am so glad I saw was the Pixies in 2004 when they reunited (I caught them in ... NEW JERSEY). They were absolutely amazing. But more because I was absolutely positive that they would never, ever get back together again, and I hadn't been able to see them when they were together. 

After all, they were on the list of "legendary bad band breakups." And this was pre-_Abba will perform as holograms_.


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## Mezuka (Feb 9, 2022)

*Genesis *1981 Abacab tour. I was 16. Phil still hair long air, a beard and used a tambourine while singing. I still dream about it on occasion. Lots of blue smoke in the air of the baseball park.

*Peter Gabriel* So tour. Superbe mobile light effects. Minimalist set design production. He was touring with an African band as first act.

*Anonymous* a medieval music ensemble I saw in a church turn into a concert hall.

*The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway* as interpreted by the Musical Box. They had all the costumes and scenery. They also had access to the actual slides for the backdrop projections. The slipperman (std) costume was awesome and grotesque!

Seeing *Steve Hacket* in 2020, just before Covid, doing Genesis songs.

-------
*Denis DeYoung* (Styx) in 2018. My wife wanted to go. Not a big fan but he was on fire, still gives a good show for his age. Voice hadn't changed.


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## Ath-kethin (Feb 10, 2022)

Mannahnin said:


> *Bauhaus* in 2005, Near the Atmosphere Tour, Orpheum, Boston.  Amazing to finally get to see them.  Got introduced to the band by my first girlfriend, when I was a teenage wannabe-goth.  Seeing them 12 or 13 years later was everything I hoped.  I got to see Peter Murphy in a smaller venue, at the Middle East downstairs, I think four years ago, and he was great then too.



That show was my first experience with the Orpheum, and it was incredible. Though i wasn't a fan of David J doing his slowly-raising-his-arms-until-the-encore bit. It seemed unnecessarily pretentious, even for Bauhaus.

We were in the 7th row - that fact will be important in a moment.

The reunited Stooges played the Orpheum a while later, and I bought balcony tickets on grounds that there really aren't any BAD seats on that theater. Of course, I deeply regretted those seats when Iggy Pop, the nightmare of venue security since forever, grabbed the first 10 rows or so from the audience and pulled them up on stage with him. And all I could think was, "if I had just shelled out for the same seats I had at the Bauhaus show, I would be on stage with Iggy Pop right now."

It was an amazing show, but I'm still kicking myself like a decade or so later.



Snarf Zagyg said:


> One of the concerts I am so glad I saw was the Pixies in 2004 when they reunited (I caught them in ... NEW JERSEY). They were absolutely amazing. But more because I was absolutely positive that they would never, ever get back together again, and I hadn't been able to see them when they were together.



I caught them on that tour in Amherst, MA. The show was awesome, and I'm glad I caught them when Kim was still their bass player. I also used to see the frontperson from one of the opening acts kicking around the area from time to time.


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## R_J_K75 (Feb 10, 2022)

Bedrockgames said:


> have long wanted to catch an Iron Maiden concert



Ive seen them 4 or 5 times and they definitely put on a killer show.  Only problem is that their sets tend to be predictable, (at least for me having seen them alot), they usually play their more well-known songs rather than deep cuts.  They came through town in 2018 or 2019 and I skipped that one.  But if you have never seen them I highly recommend you do, They are touring this year.  They do occasionally play shows out of the norm as I think they did a tour or a series of dates where they played "A Matter of Life and Death" in its entirety. 

Iron Maiden 2022 Tour


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## R_J_K75 (Feb 10, 2022)

Mezuka said:


> *Peter Gabriel* So tour. Superbe mobile light effects. Minimalist set design production. He was touring with an African band as first act.



I saw him for the Up tour in 2003 in Fla.  Great concert. Definitely eccentric.  AFAIK Up was his last all original recordings.  Been hoping for another record but doubt it will happen.  Think he did some covers, compilations or reimagining's of some songs but nothing new. Thought it was funny that his first 4 records were titled Peter Gabriel, then So Us Up. 


Mezuka said:


> *The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway* as interpreted by the Musical Box. They had all the costumes and scenery. They also had access to the actual slides for the backdrop projections. The slipperman (std) costume was awesome and grotesque!



I remember in the 90s there was a band called Over the Garden wall.  Not sure if they were local, national or international but either they disbanded or became the waiting Room, who in turn may have become the Musical Box.  I'm just speculating but the latter 2 seem to be the same band.  I saw the Waiting Room in the early 2000s.  Once they did The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway and the second time was just a regular set of Gabriel era Genesis. I saw the Musical Box in 2006 for Foxtrot at the Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda, New York.  The drive home would've only been about 20 minutes if it wasn't for the unseasonably early mid-October ice and snowstorm.  Took me about 2 hours to drive 20 miles in a 2005 Hyundai Tiburon. When I finally made it home, I sat in my driveway watching tree branches crack and fall. That storm did a lot of damage most from falling trees.  It was odd driving around the city for a while as some streets that had always been lined with very large & old trees weren't any longer.   A lot of the downed trees were turned into carved statues and put around the city over the next few years. I remember that storm more than the concert.  There's a link below if anyone's interested.  

October Surprise Storm


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## Sepulchrave II (Feb 10, 2022)

Snarf Zagyg said:


> I was thinking of maybe forking a thread about concerts we wished we had seen ... I have so many.



I passed up tickets to see Queen in 1986 at Wembley.

You know, _this_ concert:






Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 10, 2022)

ART! said:


> SRV died the next night.



I had seen him at a multi-day festival in San Antonio earlier that year*.  

I was moving into my apartment in Austin the day he died.  I hadn’t heard the news- all I knew was that I found this great radio station that was playing SRV non-stop while I was unpacking.  I stopped for a dinner break and walked to the Pizza Hut at the end of the street.  I came back, and had just turned the radio back on while I tidied up before going to bed.  That’s when the music stopped and the DJ said, “In case you haven’t heard…”






* Eric Johnson played the same slot the next day.


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## Ath-kethin (Feb 10, 2022)

Oops. Delete.


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## Mannahnin (Feb 10, 2022)

Mezuka said:


> *Peter Gabriel* So tour. Superbe mobile light effects. Minimalist set design production. He was touring with an African band as first act.



Super jealous. What an incredible album.  Of course, I was too young and didn't discover _So _until a couple of years later.




Snarf Zagyg said:


> One of the concerts I am so glad I saw was the Pixies in 2004 when they reunited (I caught them in ... NEW JERSEY). They were absolutely amazing. But more because I was absolutely positive that they would never, ever get back together again, and I hadn't been able to see them when they were together.






Ath-kethin said:


> I caught them on that tour in Amherst, MA. The show was awesome, and I'm glad I caught them when Kim was still their bass player. I also used to see the frontperson from one of the opening acts kicking around the area from time to time.



I didn't get to see the Pixies until 2018, touring with Weezer, at the Xfinity center in Mansfield, MA.  I got to see Kim with the Breeders at House of Blues on Lansdowne St. that Spring, and stand there taking pictures afterward as my buddy who got me to go made a spectacle of himself fawning over Kelly on the sidewalk outside.  



Ath-kethin said:


> That show was my first experience with the Orpheum, and it was incredible. Though i wasn't a fan of David J doing his slowly-raising-his-arms-until-the-encore bit. It seemed unnecessarily pretentious, even for Bauhaus.
> 
> We were in the 7th row - that fact will be important in a moment.
> 
> The reunited Stooges played the Orpheum a while later, and I bought balcony tickets on grounds that there really aren't any BAD seats on that theater. Of course, I deeply regretted those seats when Iggy Pop, the nightmare of venue security since forever, grabbed the first 10 rows or so from the audience and pulled them up on stage with him. And all I could think was, "if I had just shelled out for the same seats I had at the Bauhaus show, I would be on stage with Iggy Pop right now."



Outstanding.


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## payn (Feb 10, 2022)

Mezuka said:


> *Peter Gabriel* So tour. Superbe mobile light effects. Minimalist set design production. He was touring with an African band as first act.



Was your _heart going boom boom boom_?


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## Snarf Zagyg (Feb 10, 2022)

Mannahnin said:


> I didn't get to see the Pixies until 2018, touring with Weezer, at the Xfinity center in Mansfield, MA.  I got to see Kim with the Breeders at House of Blues on Lansdowne St. that Spring, and stand there taking pictures afterward as my buddy who got me to go made a spectacle of himself fawning over Kelly on the sidewalk outside.




Frank Black (Black Francis) and Kim Deal are amazing together, which is why it's such a shame they can't get along.

Oh, given the forum, I should mention seeing Weird Al in concert three times! Each time was more than a decade apart, too. The last time was the 2019 Strings Attached Tour. And the first time he was still wearing glasses and had the 'stache.

I will be so grateful when live music gets back to normal.


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## payn (Feb 10, 2022)

Snarf Zagyg said:


> Frank Black (Black Francis) and Kim Deal are amazing together, which is why it's such a shame they can't get along.
> 
> Oh, given the forum, I should mention seeing Weird Al in concert three times! Each time was more than a decade apart, too. The last time was the 2019 Strings Attached Tour. And the first time he was still wearing glasses and had the 'stache.



Never seen Black Franny, but I have seen Deal a good number of times. She is fantastic in anything.


> I will be so grateful when live music gets back to normal.



I got tix for 3/16 to see Car Seat Headrest. I cant wait. Its been too long.


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## Scottius (Feb 10, 2022)

These are in no particular order. 

NIN - For a variety of reasons I didn't get to attend many concerts back in the 90s but it had been a lifelong goal to see Trent and company live and I finally got to do so during the NINJA tour with Jane's Addiction. They were every bit as raw and powerful as I'd expected them to be. 

The Pixies - Glad I got to see them while Kim was still playing with the band. They played every song I would have asked for had I been composing the set list. 

Bauhaus - haunting and atmospheric and everything my inner teenage goth wanted it to be. 

The Cure - Speaking of goth... I've seen Robert and co twice now and they were amazing both shows but the first time really stands out. He was sick enough his doctor had asked him not to go on and yet they performed anyway and did a packed set covering all eras of the band with multiple encores. A transcendent evening. 

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - One of my favorite groups of all time and they absolutely blew me away. Warren Ellis was an absolute madman on his violin. He was shredding strings on that thing like crazy. And Nick was as good a performer as I've ever seen. 

And I'm cheating with a 6th entry! You can't stop me! 

Dresden Dolls - They were amazing live. Great choices of covers mixed in with the best of their own songs. Powerful performances from both Amanda and Brian. This was from their last tour during their original run before Amanda started doing her solo material.


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## Mannahnin (Feb 10, 2022)

Snarf Zagyg said:


> I will be so grateful when live music gets back to normal.



Finally attended my first show since the pandemic on Sunday the 30th; Caravan Palace at House of Blues.  They were amazing again (I saw them the last time they were in Boston as well).  Vax required, and crowd mask adherence was really solid.  Covid numbers have finally been dropping in MA and NH for the last 2-3 weeks, which I'm very glad of, with tickets to several shows coming up.


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## Ath-kethin (Feb 10, 2022)

Scottius said:


> These are in no particular order.
> 
> NIN - For a variety of reasons I didn't get to attend many concerts back in the 90s but it had been a lifelong goal to see Trent and company live and I finally got to do so during the NINJA tour with Jane's Addiction. They were every bit as raw and powerful as I'd expected them to be.
> 
> ...




I, too, have seen NIN, Pixies, Bauhaus, and two shows by the Cure.

It's interesting to see such common musical interests among those of us posting in this thread.

I'll be seeing Dream Theater for the 2nd time next weekend. Anybody else a fan?


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## Mannahnin (Feb 10, 2022)

Having not seen The Cure yet is something I periodically kick myself over.  Not as bad as with Soundgarden, of course, because I can still hopefully see The Cure.


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## Maxperson (Feb 10, 2022)

Snarf Zagyg said:


> Dude! You were there too?
> 
> That was definitely in my "Top 20 Riots I have been in and/or instigated."



I've never been to a riot(thankfully), but Green Day was my first(and last) ever mosh pit experience.  It was at an outdoor venue.  Maybe Irvine Meadows(can't remember)  Lots of fun!


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## Snarf Zagyg (Feb 10, 2022)

Maxperson said:


> I've never been to a riot(thankfully)




I've been involved in my fair share.

Unfortunately, they rarely send out invitations.


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## R_J_K75 (Feb 10, 2022)

Mannahnin said:


> Not as bad as with Soundgarden



Im a big Soundgarden fan. Saw them twice. First time was July of 1994 for the Superunknown tour.  Second time was in July of 2010.  They were both good shows and they sounded good, but on both occasions, there was little stage presence or crowd interaction.  They just went through their set and I dont recall exactly but I dont think they did an encore. Second time I saw them we were in the pit in front of the seating and they were so loud it was hard to even hear what they were playing at times and enjoy the show. They also played some songs at that point that Cornell had a lot of trouble singing by then, especially Beyond the Wheel. Think I'd have preferred to have seen them for the King Animal tour instead of the 2010 one. Dont get me wrong they were both good shows but I suspect that anything after the Badmotorfinger tour paled in comparison to the raw energy of their concerts from then or before.


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## Maxperson (Feb 10, 2022)

Snarf Zagyg said:


> I've been involved in my fair share.
> 
> Unfortunately, they rarely send out invitations.



I can only think of one that did, and I didn't go attend that one, either.


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## R_J_K75 (Feb 10, 2022)

Here's a cool site that has setlists for a lot of concerts.  Funny because my recollection of the songs that were played at shows Ive seen sometimes varies greatly from reality or I just dont remember the particulars except bits and pieces.





__





						setlist.fm - the setlist wiki
					

Over 6,510,000 concert setlists of more than 296,100 artists including tour and song statistics, personal statistics, videos and much more.




					www.setlist.fm


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## payn (Feb 10, 2022)

R_J_K75 said:


> Im a big Soundgarden fan. Saw them twice. First time was July of 1994 for the Superunknown tour.  Second time was in July of 2010.  They were both good shows and they sounded good, but on both occasions, there was little stage presence or crowd interaction.  They just went through their set and I dont recall exactly but I dont think they did an encore. Second time I saw them we were in the pit in front of the seating and they were so loud it was hard to even hear what they were playing at times and enjoy the show. They also played some songs at that point that Cornell had a lot of trouble singing by then, especially Beyond the Wheel. Think I'd have preferred to have seen them for the King Animal tour instead of the 2010 one. Dont get me wrong they were both good shows but I suspect that anything after the Badmotorfinger tour paled in comparison to the raw energy of their concerts from then or before.



I saw Dave Matthew's band_ open _for Big Head Todd and the Monsters back in like '95. They just blew me away. So much energy and the fiddle player wrecked like 5 bows that night. So hungry and so good. When they came back around as mega stars and sell out stadiums act, it was all stools and laid back and super boring, I felt like my seat should should have come with a morphine drip. A few years ago I saw Matthews for the first time in a few decades solo with acoustic guitar. I could have listened to him for hours. So good. 

About ten years ago I went to a music festival in Atlanta. I caught wind that Spoon was playing some dive bar not part of the festival one night. I went and it was a great little (packed buttz 2 nuttz) show. The next night at the actual festival, stools and laid back no stage presence and boring. Probably gave too much the night before and hung over too.

Sometimes its the tour, and sometimes its just the night.


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## R_J_K75 (Feb 10, 2022)

payn said:


> Sometimes its the tour, and sometimes its just the night.



Thats true. Sometimes its just an off night, bad sound, or the crowd sucks.  Ive to more than a few of those.  Its usually the concerts youre looking forward to the most that end up being the bad ones and the ones you could really care less to be at and just kind of end up there are the best ones.


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## embee (Feb 10, 2022)

*5. 3 Floors of Ska (Knitting Factory)*: The headliner was The Specials. Also playing were the Boss-Tones, Mustard Plug, Hub City Stompers, and Westbound Train. I drank about a dozen Red Stripes, danced for about 4 hours, and couldn't move for two days.

*4. Les Paul (The Iridium):* Worth every penny (and the 2 drink minimum) to see a legend. I had him sign a pick-guard for my dad's Les Paul Custom. His rendition of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" was simply amazing.

*3. BB King (The Blue Note):* The Blue Note is a legendary jazz club. BB is a blues legend. Seeing him play there, mere feet away from him, was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

*2. Kenny Burrell (The Blue Note):* My favorite guitarist of all time, arguably one of the 5 best living jazz guitarists. I highly recommend giving _Midnight Blue _a listen. 

*1. WHFS-tival (RFK Stadium):* PJ Harvey, L7, Primus, Bush, Soul Asylum, Hole, Juliana Hatfield, Shudder to Think, and topping it all off, Tony Bennett, followed by... The Ramones.

Honorable mentions: Matisyahu, Roseland in NYC on Christmas Eve. Rancid, Great American Music Hall in SF, where I got my shoulder messed up.


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## Ath-kethin (Feb 11, 2022)

embee said:


> *1. WHFS-tival (RFK Stadium):* PJ Harvey, L7, Primus, Bush, Soul Asylum, Hole, Juliana Hatfield, Shudder to Think, and topping it all off, Tony Bennett, followed by... The Ramones.



WTAF. That's a show that sounds just amazing. What a semi-random collection of acts, but it just sounds like it would work.


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## Mannahnin (Feb 11, 2022)

R_J_K75 said:


> Im a big Soundgarden fan. Saw them twice. First time was July of 1994 for the Superunknown tour.  Second time was in July of 2010.  They were both good shows and they sounded good, but on both occasions, there was little stage presence or crowd interaction.  They just went through their set and I dont recall exactly but I dont think they did an encore. Second time I saw them we were in the pit in front of the seating and they were so loud it was hard to even hear what they were playing at times and enjoy the show. They also played some songs at that point that Cornell had a lot of trouble singing by then, especially Beyond the Wheel. Think I'd have preferred to have seen them for the King Animal tour instead of the 2010 one. Dont get me wrong they were both good shows but I suspect that anything after the Badmotorfinger tour paled in comparison to the raw energy of their concerts from then or before.



One of my dreams is to have been at either of the 1992 shows at the Paramount which were used for Motorvision.  Preferably the one with the version of Slaves & Bulldozers they used.









						Motorvision - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org


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## R_J_K75 (Feb 11, 2022)

Mannahnin said:


> One of my dreams is to have been at either of the 1992 shows at the Paramount which were used for Motorvision.  Preferably the one with the version of Slaves & Bulldozers they used.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Never saw that video but think I may have saw a few clips on YouTube from that era, they were definitely on at that time. My brother saw them in Toronto for Lollapalooza 1992 or 1993, why I didnt go I have no idea, they mustve just decided to go and didnt ask me.  Oh well.  I know Sam Dunn from Banger films was planning a Soundgarden documentary around 2014 or 2015.  They put out an open call for old videos, pictures, interviews, memorabilia, etc around that time but there really wasnt much out there.  It then changed trajectory to be a documentary on mostly Chris Cornell but alas the project was shelved after he died. I was looking forward to that as his movie Super Duper Alice Cooper was great. Guess I'll have to settle for reading my copy of 'Total F*cking God Head: the Biography of Chris Cornell".

Total F*cking Godhead: The Biography of Chris Cornell


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## embee (Feb 11, 2022)

Ath-kethin said:


> WTAF. That's a show that sounds just amazing. What a semi-random collection of acts, but it just sounds like it would work.



WHFS was a great alternative radio station here in DC back in the 90s. They ran this festival every year for a bit over a decade. 

Bennett was unbilled. During the day, there was a rumor that he was going to open for The Ramones. LOLOLOL. Yeah right. Tony Bennett is going to open for The Ramones. Like, why would that even happen? 

Then, the lights began going up on the main stage, revealing a stand-up bass and a 5 piece drum set. 

Before Bennett took the stage, the screens lit up as U2 premiered "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" from _Batman Forever._ 

I miss the randomness of the Nineties.


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## Ath-kethin (Feb 11, 2022)

embee said:


> WHFS was a great alternative radio station here in DC back in the 90s. They ran this festival every year for a bit over a decade.
> 
> Bennett was unbilled. During the day, there was a rumor that he was going to open for The Ramones. LOLOLOL. Yeah right. Tony Bennett is going to open for The Ramones. Like, why would that even happen?
> 
> ...



What an awesome concert. And I bet Tony Bennet had a blast with it, too.

I was talking just yesterday about the amazing randomness of the 90s music scene. I miss it too.


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## Thunderfoot (Mar 2, 2022)

_1) RUSH - 50 Tour (farewell) - Scottrade Center St Louis Mo_
This was a tour d' force and the 'backward' progression from new to old with a stage cluttered with props from every tour back to two school chairs with a Fender Bassman and Twin 'Verb and two stage hands holding big white lights on the band while a disco ba and banner that stated 'Rod Serling High School prom 1971' was epic.

_2) Billy Joel - The Bridge Tour' Purina Checkerdome, St Louis Mo (1984 ish??)_
3 hours, just Billy and his 'old' band.  This was the first time I ever saw a performer not have an opening act.  He came out swinging and just kept going....  Key moments was when he started pulling the crew onstage to 'help' with his musical numbers.  But when he brought out the 'Vietnam Vets' for 'Good Night Siagon' was ...moving.

_3)Judas Priest/Queensryche - Herdon, VA 1997, 8???)_
Before Queenryche imploded and after Judas Priest (classic line-up) reformed.  Show was even better because it was free. (won the tickets by knowing the Spinal Tap's second album was named 'Break Like the Wind.')

_4) Van Halen - 5150 (before it was without a net) 1987, SIU Arena Carbondale IL_
Sammy Hagar, songs that had meaning and musicianship.  Dave was gone and doing his own thing and the remaining members plus Sammy were in their prime before the offal hit the rotating ocillating cooling device.

_5) Bon Jovi/.38 Special - SIU Arena Carbondale IL_ 
This was before Bon Jovi was known.  'Runaway' was two weeks from being released as a single an these guys were 'nobodys'.  It was obvious, that was about to change.  .38 Special would have been good but their lead guitar player got drunk and fell over one of the two drumsets taking out about 90% of it.  Funny, but sad.


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## Thunderfoot (Mar 2, 2022)

embee said:


> WHFS was a great alternative radio station here in DC back in the 90s. <SNIP>



Yes, yes it was.  It was a shame when it became a talk radio station.  But hey they got 'Kirk and Mark' in the morning.


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## R_J_K75 (Mar 2, 2022)

Thunderfoot said:


> But hey they got 'Kirk and Mark' in the morning.



Here the only ones we have left is Shredd and Ragan because they got moved from 103.3 the Edge to 97 Rock because the latters cast and crew all got fired for "tasteless" joke. Irony being that one of the people mentioned in said "Tasteless" joke went on the record saying she laughed her ass off when she heard the joke.


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## payn (Mar 2, 2022)

Man, I am so glad to be free of commercial radio. I think there is some contractual agreement in the industry that says morning shows must be terrible.


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## Ryujin (Mar 2, 2022)

R_J_K75 said:


> Here the only ones we have left is Shredd and Ragan because they got moved from 103.3 the Edge to 97 Rock because the latters cast and crew all got fired for "tasteless" joke. Irony being that one of the people mentioned in said "Tasteless" joke went on the record saying she laughed her ass off when she heard the joke.



Many years ago there was a morning team in Toronto, on 102.1 "The Edge", named Humble and Fred. They got dumped and moved elsewhere. Got dumped there and started a podcast, that got picked up for weekend midnights by a local news/talk station NewsTalk1010. Got dumped from there and I have no idea what they're doing now. 

Full Disclosure: They are one of the primary reasons why I stopped listening to 102.1. That and the fact that they pretty much went Top 40, after having been the home of indie and very obscure/varied music for decades.


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## Thunderfoot (Mar 2, 2022)

Ryujin said:


> Many years ago there was a morning team in Toronto, on 102.1 "The Edge", named Humble and Fred. They got dumped and moved elsewhere. Got dumped there and started a podcast, that got picked up for weekend midnights by a local news/talk station NewsTalk1010. Got dumped from there and I have no idea what they're doing now.
> 
> Full Disclosure: They are one of the primary reasons why I stopped listening to 102.1. That and the fact that they pretty much went Top 40, after having been the home of indie and very obscure/varied music for decades.



A lot of the 'morning shows' are syndicated and are broadcast from either New York or LA.  Local shows are quickly going the way of the dodo...


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## Ryujin (Mar 2, 2022)

Thunderfoot said:


> A lot of the 'morning shows' are syndicated and are broadcast from either New York or LA.  Local shows are quickly going the way of the dodo...



Here, it's even getting to the talk stations. The pone that I mentioned, NewsTalk 1010, previously marketed by just its call letters CFRB, was a national award winning news source. That's when it was independently owned, along with CFRA in Ottawa and a couple of other stations, by a philanthropic family. It is now owned by Bell Media Canada, who also own a large number of other radios stations, TV stations, and cable outlets. Where the news was once award winning, it's now frequently just an alternate feed for their cable news channel CP24. The mid-day show is syndicated across Canada and is hosted by a political commentator that I rather don't like. Many of the long standing hosts were fired, or moved to crappy shifts. Yup, local radio is pretty much dead here too.


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