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Kepler62

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Posted: September 25 2017 at 05:45

Too many to list. What made concerts good was what happened at them. I guess my most memorable ones were Nina Hagen at Metropolis in Montreal. Got backstage and never saw so many illegal drugs in one place at one time. Jethro Tull in the Montreal Forum when both the legal tickets and the scalper tickets were sold out. Fans used a bench as a battering ram to smash the glass. Musically speaking Saga, Jean Luc Ponty with Larry Coryell, Larry jammed with them on the encore. I think it was Egocentric Molecukles. Marillion at the Spectrum in Montreal. Part of it made it on to Real To Reel. Always good to be at a show that was made into a record. King Crimson shows were always great. Too many. I even saw Grobschnitt in a small town in Germany back in '77 or "78. Around the time of Rockpommel's Land because they had a big bird prop flying around.

Jeffro

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Posted: September 25 2017 at 06:08

Rush - Opening show of the Vapor Trails tour June 28, 2002 at the Meadows Music Center, Hartford, CT

Dio and Kings X - December 15, 2002 at the Webster Theater Hartford, CT

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Posted: September 25 2017 at 18:38

Top of my head

Once Upon A Time In Belgium - Univers Zero + Present + Aranis, playing as a 17 piece at RIO '11

Rainbow - Leeds Queens Hall 81, my first concert

Art Zoyd 44.5 celebration RIO Festival '15 2.5 hours of heaven

Knifeworld - London '17, tiny pub in Islington with Admirals Hard

Nik Bartsch Mobile - NYC 16, wonderful minimalist joy.

Magma - RIO festival '12, my first Magma gig, stunning

Leonard Cohen - Birmingham 84

Univers Zero & Miriodor - French Embassy Washington DC '10, first time seeing either band

King Crimson - NYC '03 first KC gig

the cellar & point - Cambridge MA, '15, tiny gig with wonderful sound.

Ian

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Rednight

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Posted: September 26 2017 at 15:41

Not the concert goer as some others here were but here goes:

1. Jethro Tull - A Passon Play Tour, 1973 (my first show)
2. Steve Hackett - '81 and '92 (a three-piece Brand X opened)
3. The Who - 1980 (met Townshend and Entwistle backstage [somewhat involved story])
4. ELP - 1977 (great show, and opener Status Quo gave them a run for their money)
5. Yes - 1977 (flawless performance; very atmospheric)
6. Genesis - 1980 (still would have liked to have seen them with Gabriel back in the day)
7. Ultravox - 198(?) (great sound, small venue, and I was the hippie in the crowd smoking weed)
8. Peter Gabriel - 1978 (in a triumphant return to the Roxy in L.A.; my date was a wet blanket though)
9. Gentle Giant - 1976 (as part of a multi-band show that included Yes and Seals and Croft, for Crissakes)
10. King Crimson - 1981 (shockingly enough met Fripp in the lobby before the show and shook hands)

…and not necessarily in that order.

Edited by Rednight - September 26 2017 at 16:02

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verslibre

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Posted: September 26 2017 at 17:54

The best of the best (not a numbered list):

Tangerine Dream – California Theater, San Diego (1988) — my first time seeing them, and a nearly perfect concert by one of my favorite groups.

Rush – Great Western Forum, Los Angeles (1990) — ditto! EDIT: This was a 2hr concert, with encores. Just a few years later, they'd start doing 3hr shows as "An Evening with Rush" on the T4E tour. (The Counterparts show at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim was longer, too. But we didn't have good seats, and the experience was somewhat marred by my then-gf, who decided she wanted to come along at the very last minute.)

ELP – Wiltern Theater, Los Angeles (1992) — the comeback performance of the century: It was a-m-a-z-i-n-g!

Daemonia — Seeley-Mudd Theater, Claremont (2002) — sadly (pathetically, even), I've missed all the Goblin reunion shows, but I did catch Claudio Simonetti's band Daemonia in action, and they played all the good stuff.

ABWH — Greek Theater, Los Angeles (1990) — my first time experience the mastery of Yes (minus one uber-talented bass player) in concert...with Wakeman being my primary reason for being there.

Yes — Sports Arena, San Diego (1992) — an awesome show all the way (in the) 'round! Squire & White got to tear it up on a section from "Whitefish." Wakeman blew everyone away with a truly incendiary synth solo.

Kenso — La Mirada Theatre, Los Angeles (2000) — one of the single best performances I've ever seen...no mere chops-fest, the lyrical expressiveness of the music was conveyed with staggering ease by this beloved prog-fusion staple; rest assured, everyone was blown away...

Djam Karet — Claremont Colleges, Claremont (2001) — one of my favorite [instrumental] bands, doing their thing...'nuff said!

Jethro Tull — Universal Amphitheater, Universal City (Hollywood) (1990) — Rock Island wasn't a great album, and Ian's voice was mighty gravelly, but seeing Tull for the first time was a gas!

Arena, Le Orme — Prog Fest Day 1. Variety Arts Center, Los Angeles (1997) — I guess a lot of people at Prog Fest didn't like Arena ("Too loud!" "Too much jumping around onstage!"), but they were the jolt the venue needed after Sinkadus' tepid performance. I loved Arena's first two albums, and that's what they were playing back then! Then we got the headliner, Le Orme. That was my first time experiencing RPI live! Killer set.

John Wetton Band — Prog Fest Day 2, Variety Arts Center, Los Angeles (1997) — on the 2nd day of Prog Fest, a great, if short, set by one of prog's greatest frontmen (with IQ's Martin Orford on keys!).

Erik Norlander — Claremont Colleges, Claremont (2001) — the only time I've seen a one-man, all-electronic performance, and Erik maneuvered between his synths in real time like a badass.

Blue Oyster Cult — Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio (2002) — a great, intimate concert, topped off by a few of the guys (but mostly Buck, who enjoys a good Scotch & soda) hanging out after the show...and they DID play one of my favorite songs, "Black Blade"!

Edited by verslibre - September 26 2017 at 18:04

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Posted: September 30 2017 at 13:43

I've not been to many concerts in my life--don't particularly like crowds, parking, being on the road at night, or three days of ringing in my ears after the show--but the shows I have had have been extraordinary.

Here are the ones I can remember in some semblance of order of my favorites:

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Pat Metheny Group - Meadowbrook Arts Pavillion, Rochester, MI - August 1989 - Letter from Home tour (Paul Wertico and Steve Rodby: the best rhythm section I’ve ever seen live)

Bruce Cockburn - Ann Arbor, MI 1988 - Big Circumstance tour (Duo: just Bruce and Chapman Stick virtuoso Fergus Marsh!!! AMAZING!)

Diana Krall/Tony Bennet - Interlochen, MI - July 2002 (DK: the most Zen-present artist I’ve ever been in the company of; and Tony, the most polished and professional.)

Kodo drummers - Wharton Center, East Lansing, MI 1987 (Mind-blowing!)

Rikkie Lee Jones - Royal Oak Music Theater, Royal Oak, MI - 1982 - Pirates tour (One of the best performer, songwriters, storytellers I’ve ever been with. Right behind Diana Krall in intensity.)

Supertramp - Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI - Breakfast in America tour - fall of 1979 (an aural, visual extravaganza)

Genesis - Wings Stadium, Kalamazoo, MI 1977 - Wind and Wuthering tour (what a show! Laser lights, old and new songs, theatricity, Chester and STEVE!)

John McLaughlin Trio (Trilock Gurtu, Pino Palladino) - Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, MI - 1991 (What a phenom is Trilock Gurtu.

Kate Bush/Peter Gabriel - November 1978 - Nancy, France - “Scratches” tour (Peter was sitting right behind me during Kate’s set! Sid McGinnis was awesome! Robert “Dusty Roads” Fripp played, anonomously from behind the stacks.)

Art in America/King Crimson - Ann Arbor - State Theater - Beat Tour (Shoshone’s harp, Tony’s Stick, Fripp’s stool, Adrian’s smile, Bill’s hand-held tongue drum…)

The Offical Prince Tribute Concert - Xcel Energy Center, Minneapolis, MN - October 14, 2016 (an INCREDIBLY emotional 4.5 hours of extraordinary performances)

Donovon/Yes - Wings Stadium, Kalamazoo, MI - October 1977 - Going for the One tour (my second stadium concert marked by the return of WAKEMAN and “CTTE,” “Awaken” “S Trooper” and all the “hit” epics! Amazing show! Howe was on fire! It was like every song was a solo for him!)

Andreas Vollendender - Power Center, Ann Arbor, MI - 1984 White Winds tour (such rich ambience and the AMAZING talents of multi-instrumentalist Pedro Haldemann)

U2 - Dooley’s, East Lansing, MI - September 1981 - October tour (I’d been a groupie since the single release of “I Will Follow” in the UK, I thought this group was going to be the “next Pink Floyd,” so I was completely stoked for this one. Highlights: seeing how the Edge played live; little Bono walking around among the crowd while singing the encore, “Gloria”)

Todd Rundgren’s Utopia - Traverse City, MI - January 1978 - Whoops! Wrong Planet tour (with the pyramid!)

Andres Segovia - 1979 - Assembly Rooms, Norwich, UK (What a cute old man! What an amazing guitarist!)

Pierre Bensusan - Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey, MI - February 2009 (what an amazing guitarist!)

The Bulgarian State Radio and Television Female Vocal Choir - Ann Arbor, MI c. 1989/90 (To see the physical presentation of the beloved Le Mystère album was such a thrill!)

Thin LIzzy/Queen - Wings Stadium - November 1977 - Day at the Races tour (Freddie was AMAZING, the rest of the band was SO disappointing! Phil and TL were AMAZING!!!!)

Frank Morgan - The Blue Note - NYC - 1991 (One of the most present and soul-fusing jazz musicians I’ve ever seen. Similar in intensity and emotional impact to Diana Krall.)

Peter Gabriel - May 1984 - Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, MI - “Security” tour (the tour they made the Plays Live album out of. Mercury Rev opening, joining them on stage with the Ekome dancers for the encores was awesome! And, of course, TONY LEVIN!)

Bruce Cockburn - Ann Arbor, MI 1986 - World of Wonders tour (Full band playing

Orleans/Chicago - Castle Farms, Charlevoix, MI - June 1977 (All hits for two hours. Amazing! I really missed Terry Kath.)

John McLaughlin/Paco DeLucia/Al Di Meola - Friday Night in San Francisco tour - 1981 (John McLaughlin made it look so easy and fun! Al worked SO hard and Paco was…a fine flamenco player.)

Amy Grant/Al Green - Michigan Music Festival - July 1994 (Spiritually uplifting and such voices and music!)

Genesis - Cincinnati 1983 - ABACAB tour (Good stuff.)

Yes “in the Round” - Wings Stadium, Kalamazoo, MI - 1979 (Hokey, cheesy, and disjointed. Didn’t like looking at musicians’ back.)

Jean-Luc Ponty - Meadowbrook Arts Pavillion, Rochester, MI - July, 1989 (Perfect renderings of all the songs I knew. Nothing new.)

B.B. King - Miller Auditorium, Kalamazoo, MI - 1980 (What a showman! First concert I’d been to that had the women swooning and cheering.)

Jan Hammer/Al Di Meola - Royal Oak Music Theater, Royal Oak, MI - 1982 - Electric Rendezvous tour. The ceiling was crumbling on top of Jan, but Steve Gadd was amazing! Definitely one of the best drummers I’ve ever seen. So smooth and effortless. He made the whole show worth it—I couldn’t take my eyes off him! Next to Wertico, the best.)

Drew Fisher
https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/

essexboyinwales View Drop Down

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Posted: October 09 2017 at 14:47

INPO:

Bryan Adams, Wembley Arena, 1987 (30 years ago in 2 weeks' time) - first ever gig, and he's still the act I've seen most by a mile, although these days I'm not much of a fan...

IQ, Robin2, Bilston, 2012ish - just a supreme setlist and performance from my favourite band

Nightwish, Wembley Arena, 2015 - I was too far away from the stage, but they were awesome and the Blu-Ray of that gig is outstanding (Richard Dawkins and all...)

King's X, The Astoria, London, 1989(ish) - saw them there a few times, but with The Galactic Cowboys in support, this was just one of those unforgettable sweaty nights

Devin Townsend, Colston Hall, Bristol, 2016 - heavy as f*ck, cool as f*ck...

Steve Hackett, St. David's Hall, Cardiff, 2014 - Genesis Revisited tour, I feel like I've seen Genesis now, this was just awesome and The Musical Box was probably the best song I have ever seen play live...

Roger Waters, Wembley Stadium, 2014 -The Wall in all its glory, incredible...

Georgia Satellites, Town and Country Club, London, 1989 (ish) - amazing band live, their concerts were always brilliant fun

ZZ Top, Milton Keynes Bowl, 1991 - fantastic day in the sun, with support from Bryan Adams (a few days before THAT song got to number 1), Thunder and Little Angels

Marillion, Royal Albert Hall, this Friday coming - that's what I'm hoping anyway! Seen them a couple of times, but not for 5 years now, really hoping this is going to be a special show...

essexboyinwales View Drop Down

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Posted: October 17 2017 at 07:45

essexboyinwales wrote:

Marillion, Royal Albert Hall, this Friday coming - that's what I'm hoping anyway! Seen them a couple of times, but not for 5 years now, really hoping this is going to be a special show...

OMG I was not disappointed!!! What a completely amazing gig, the best I've ever been to by anyone! The venue, the setlist, the performance, the wine...emotionally draining for me, but SO worth it Clap

Barbu

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Posted: October 17 2017 at 09:02

Man Erg

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Posted: October 17 2017 at 12:42

Just 10? OK...Here Goes...

Genesis - Lamb Tour - Wembley Empire Pool- 1975
Genesis - Trick of the Tail Tour - Hammersmith Odeon 1976

Van der Graaf Generator - Godbluff Tour - Woolwich Thames Polytechnic - 1975
Van der Graaf Generator - Still LIfe Tour - Marquee - 1976
Van der Graaf Generator - World Record Tour - Theatre Royal,Drury Lane - 1976
Van der Graaf - Quiet Zone...- The Chalk Farm Roundhouse - 1977
Van der Graaf - '' '' - The Marquee - 1978

Peter Gabriel - Battersea Park - 1978
Peter Gabriel - PG2 Tour - Hammersmith Odeon = 1978

Joy Division - Lyceum Ballroom - 1980

Edited by Man Erg - October 17 2017 at 12:46

Do 'The Stanley' otherwise I'll thrash you with some rhubarb.

Rednight

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Posted: October 17 2017 at 13:19

^You're huge.

"It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno

The.Crimson.King View Drop Down

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Posted: October 17 2017 at 13:48

presdoug wrote:

I stopped going to rock concerts in 1989 due to permanent tinnitus...

So sorry to hear that Doug Unhappy

I didn't have tinnitus, but was losing high freq response in one ear when my doc strongly recommended I stop concerts in 1993. He said it would take a few years to recover, so I stopped and luckily it did return.

1) Yes/Gentle Giant 1976
2) Jethro Tull/Uriah Heep 1978
3) Queen/The Blasters 1980
4) Marillion 1992
5) Dead Kennedy's/The Dicks/Crucifux/Whipping Boy/Tower of Swine 1984
6) Peter Gabriel/Random Hold 1980
7) Peter Hammill 1990
8) Genesis 1977
9) ELP 1977
10) Husker Du/The Minutemen/Meat Puppets/Saccharine Trust/SWA 1984

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