[2000cs]

I’ve been to a few that I really liked for the music/entertainment, but the best overall experience is when I took my wife to see Michael Buble. It was a great show and she was/is a big fan, so it was really nice to see her enjoy it so much. I would take her to see Journey if they ever come around again for the same reason (she loves them, I think of them as background music).

[UncleWede]

I drove my dad down to some public recreation center in OC to see Ravi Shankar.

Styx regularly comes to the VC Fair. I was a big fan in the 80s, but never realized until seeing them live that they actually tend to rock out

The Oxnard PAC had Kenny G come a few times. Seating is about 3-400.

[floridaorange]

Originally Posted by erickonphoenix

My favorite shows have been small venues with unknown bands.

Some great bands I've caught at my local under 100 person venue has been

Helms Alee
Joy Formidable
Royal Blood
Red Fang

Over the years some of these small acts will blow up. In 1981 I went to see Blondie with a friend and the opening band was really good. They had high energy, were well rehearsed and played a tight setlist. I didn't remember the bands name at the time but did remember one of their songs was called "Girls on Film"

Originally Posted by erickonphoenix

My favorite shows have been small venues with unknown bands.

Some great bands I've caught at my local under 100 person venue has been

Helms Alee
Joy Formidable
Royal Blood
Red Fang

Over the years some of these small acts will blow up. In 1981 I went to see Blondie with a friend and the opening band was really good. They had high energy, were well rehearsed and played a tight setlist. I didn't remember the bands name at the time but did remember one of their songs was called "Girls on Film"

I'd love to see Foals in a smaller venue.

I saw a jazz musician named Stanley Jordan at a small venue once - unforgettable!

[eliphil]

Originally Posted by BMWCCA1

I've seen many concerts in my nearly seventy years. Some of what I can remember:

My first was The Four Tops, on my first date, in a high-school gym

I was at the original Woodstock.

B.B. King at the Royal Albert Hall just after high-school.

I watched The Who from the wings of the stage for their show in St. Louis opening for Led Zep (who never showed) and instead got some guy no no one had ever heard of—Joe Cocker!

I saw The Grateful Dead so many times and over so many years from freshman orientation college concerts outside in a quad, to high-school gyms with pull-out bleachers and maybe 200 fans.

I saw the Byrds at the Boston Tea Party.

Crosby, Stills, and Nash on Crosby's 64th birthday outside in a marina

Fleetwood Mac (before Stevie and Lindsey) in a college gym.

Bonnie Raitt and Little Feat together in another college gym.

John Prine in a college gym.

The Nighthawks so many times I can't recall, usually with the Skip Castro Band.

Michael Hedges in a solo show at Wolf Trap but you'd swear there were three of him, at least!

Steely Dan at a large outdoor venue with Michael McDonald as the opener, then again a year-or-so later with Elvis Costello as the opener.

Jethro Tull (opening for Iron Butterfly) at an opera house when I was in high-school—stunning!

Jimi Hendrix in a high-school theater.

The Plastic Ono band at a debut party (sad).

The Band with surprise guest Bob Dylan at an SIU festival outside St. Louis back in college

Indigenous (Mato Nanji) at a bar in college.

Robert Palmer several times in the same bar in college.

I crewed for The Dukes of September at an outdoor venue, helping to set up Donald Fagen's Steinway and watching a two-hour rehearsal/run-through of the whole show with Donald coaching and directing Boz Scaggs and Michael McDonald along the way—and then the full concert from FOH.

Bruce Coburn solo in an old theater. Sublime!

The loudest I remember was Gary Clark Jr. at that same old theater and I have tickets to see him again, outside, in two-months.

There are more, I'm sure, but I'm old and probably forgot many.

Dood , woodstock and Hendrix!!!!! you are very lucky

[sygazelle]

My wife and I just saw Train with Jewel and Blues Travelers as opening acts. It was a really fun evening.

Pat Monahan really enjoys being up there and it really makes for a great show.

Jewel was way better than I expected. I thought she would be a quiet folk singer but she really belted a couple of numbers and that woman can sing! Incredible sense of humor as well. She had the audience in the palm of her hand.

Blues Travelers didn't do much for me, other than the bass player did a solo that was pure magic.

Great night overall.

[CarsAndGuitars]

Most of the concerts I've attended. My first ever J. Geils is missing, and a few more recent e-ticketed shows.

Please don't choke on the prices..

[LivingInSalt]

Kendrick last month was a Top 5 concert of all time, and I've been to hundreds. This was my 4th time seeing him.

[LivingInSalt]

Other notables:

My Morning Jacket
The National
Chvrches
St. Vincent
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Bon Iver
Willie Nelson
The Rolling Stones
Childish Gambino
Black Pumas
Thundercat
Mitski
U2
TV on the Radio
Band of Horses
Paul McCartney
Courtney Barnett
LCD Soundsystem
Run the Jewels
The War on Drugs
TDE Championship Tour w/Kendrick, SZA, ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, etc
Frightened Rabbit
Beach House
Leon Bridges
The Black Keys
Buddy Guy in a ~500 capacity club

[eliphil]

Just saw EWF and Santana, what a brilliant show, carlos has never sounded better

[XutvJet]

I've seen lots of concerts over the past 30 years. Lots and lots big and small names. My notable ones:

- 1992 Pearl Jam at the University of Kansas "Day on the Hill". This was way before they were popular. Insane show and it was free!

- U2 Elevation tour. Intimate show. Great acoustics.

- Gary Clarlk Jr. at Grinders KC in 2019. Small venue. Amazing.

- 2021/2022 Tool tour. Played lots of old stuff. Just kept rifling off incredible songs. Nothing drawn out. Insane background imagery.

[bobowar135]

Motley Crue on the Dr. Feelgood tour....blew my fresh out of school mind,
Slayer on the Seasons In The Abyss tour,
Faith No More on the Real Thing tour,
Anthrax featuring both John and Joey,
Judas Priest featuring Ripper on the Jugulator tour,
Metallica on the Black Album tour,
Suicidal Tendencies about a half dozen times,
Iron Maiden on the Somewhere Back In Time tour,
Nuno Bettencourt playing a solo show @ Her Magesty's Bar in Brisbane, still one of the greatest shows that I have ever witnessed.

[floridaorange]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

I've seen lots of concerts over the past 30 years. Lots and lots big and small names. My notable ones:

- 1992 Pearl Jam at the University of Kansas "Day on the Hill". This was way before they were popular. Insane show and it was free!

- U2 Elevation tour. Intimate show. Great acoustics.

- Gary Clarlk Jr. at Grinders KC in 2019. Small venue. Amazing.

- 2021/2022 Tool tour. Played lots of old stuff. Just kept rifling off incredible songs. Nothing drawn out. Insane background imagery.

Originally Posted by XutvJet

- 2021/2022 Tool tour. Played lots of old stuff. Just kept rifling off incredible songs. Nothing drawn out. Insane background imagery.

Saw them at Coachella - definitely not a typical show, but for all the interesting visuals they had, it just wasn't my cup of tea personally. I could appreciate the musicianship regardless. A friend of mine is a big fan and was explaining to me how Maynard writes and the hidden meanings and complexities and all that, very cool for the fans, I guess I just enjoy simpler music.

Pearl Jam must have rocked!!

[its55]

This may give you young'uns a good laugh

Yes - YesSongs Tour
Elton John - Goodbye Yellowbrick Road Tour
Weather Report
King Crimson

All the above were in the 1973 - 1977 time frame

[JimmyJazz]

I’ve been to a few concerts in halls or arenas. But I saw the Stray Cats and George Thorogood in bars. Not the same show. We weren’t more than 15 feet from the ‘Cats.

[eliphil]

I once saw Springsteen at a summer bar called Trade Winds from about 20 feet, he came on a as a guest and played for an hour. It was awesome

[billnchristy]

Pearl Jam
Bela Fleck & the Flecktones (x2)
Ween (x5)
The Dead with Joan Osborne
moe (x3)
Phish
They Might be Giants
KMFDM
Dresden Dolls
Peaches (x2)
Lords of Acid
My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult
Combichrist (x4)
Orgy
K-Flay
Youth Code
Space Jesus
Bassnectar
Sylvan Esso
Liz Phair
Open Mike Eagle
Courtney Barnett
Blink 182
Sleigh Bells
Cake
Flux Pavillion
The Coathangers
Dessa

[bucketfoot]

I grew up in the Bay Area in the 70's and got spoiled by the Bill Graham Day on the Green concerts. I went to almost every one from 1977-1981.

But my concerts actually started in the 60's while I was still in the single digits age wise with the Big Sur Folk Festivals put on by Joan Baez and also included Monterey Pop (thanks to a very cool mom and a dad who did his best to enjoy it).

In the 80's my brother worked at the top rock radio station in Phoenix at the time, so I got to go to tons of concerts for free.

So too many really good ones to come up with a favorites list, but I will note the one that surprised me the most and the one that disappointed me the most.

The most surprising was Fleetwood Mac. This was the Tusk tour and all I knew from them was their more pop oriented hits. I was absolutely blown away by how much they rocked out in concert. This was where I first began to appreciate the talent of Lindsey Buckingham.

The most disappointing was the Eagles during the Long Run tour. They were statues on the stage and I may as well have been listening to the albums. Walsh really started to get into one song and Frey gave him an absolutely nasty look, so he just stood there the rest of the night.

[JasonDot]

Is anyone else going? I'm there all 3 days...

[floridaorange]

^what genres are those bands mostly - I can't put my finger on it?


That's great to hear about Fleetwood and bizarre to hear about The Eagles bucketfoot

My Mother in law who is a little older was in San Fran and has similar stories - she says literally everyone back then. Epic!

[Kowalski2011]

Bread and Roses concert at the Greek Theater UC Berkeley in 1990.

Acoustic gig, mostly.

MC'd by Robin Williams.

[eliphil]

I have seen concerts in some great spots but believe it or not Jones Beach is an incredible venue. Saw the Allmans there about 25 years ago its right on the water. Saratoga was a great spot for Jerry and the boys...............

[floridaorange]

Foals tonite if you live in Nashville -