King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
I already loved their albums when I discovered them in '16, but once I saw them live i was totally hooked. They've only been getting better since, especially after they dumped their second drummer (rip Eric I miss you but you totally held the other drummer back). Every single show I've seen since was such a blast! More and more jammy too, which I really enjoy.
Also, I saw The Colour Haze last Friday and they were much better love than I expected as well.
Woo!
I was the DD for my girlfriend’s birthday party and went to a Florence and the Machine show. It was outdoors and as the show got started black storm clouds started rolling in.
When they started “The Dog Days Are Over” all hell broke loose. Sheets of rain, huge lightning bolts and cracking thunder loud enough to drown out the music and the crowd.
But Florence stood there, exposed to it all, diaphanous robes lashed by the wind, not even noticing it as she belted out her anthem. As if she had called down the storm for backup vocals.
I wasn’t a fan before but I am now.
I have never seen so many people ugly cry (full tears and snot) then at a Florence show. She puts on a hell of a show.
When my eldest daughter was born we were overnight at the hospital and had a huge window in our room. My wife had listened to Florence and the machine a lot while pregnant and we are big music lovers who often have music playing around us. We were up at night feeding our first born worrying about being new parents and fidgeting over what we didn't understand. In the background Florence and the machine was playing quietly. Suddenly a massive rainstorm started seemingly out of nowhere. Crashing lightning. Smashing down torrential rain. Building shaking thunder. We turned up the music and it was like they were just playing for us. It lasted about an hour and I will never forget it.
It was an amazing welcome to the world for our first baby who is now a preteen and your story reminded me of it.
Florence is a storm demigod, confirmed
Tool, always. Propagandhi were also great.
Perfect Circle is also totally worth it.
I saw Tool live at a festival in 2019. I had never heard of them before, I'm more of a punk rock guy. Their show absolutely blew me away. Surreal experience. I've listened to their albums a lot ever since.
I have seen them 7 times between 2002 and 2024, and they were exceptional each time (even if they only played my favourite song for the first time in the '24 gig). I also love that they don't allow phones at their gigs. It's great to not have a sea of screens in front of you. They usually have great warm up acts too.
I will forever kick myself for not trying to see them in Tacoma in (i think) 2023. One of the greatest bands of all time, and pure fucking magic on psychedelics
Barenaked Ladies. Didn’t want to go, went anyway, loved every minute of it
I saw Stephen Page live as part of some group doing a Christmas concert. His vocals absolutely stood out from the others and was just so powerful. I wish he was still with the Barenaked Ladies, but I've still enjoyed a lot of their work without him.
His solo albums are fantastic!
When I was 17 I had a highschool girlfriend who drug me to a bare naked ladies show. I was a heavy metal listener at the time but have always had pretty eclectic tastes throughout kife. I loved that show. I was pretty shocked about it at the time.
That worked out!
Absolutely. I saw them live a million times in the 90s. I got pelted with Kraft Dinner more times than I can count.
Slipknot puts on a pretty damn good show.
They're not a band that's in my usual listening rotation, I don't dislike them, they're just not my usual kind of music. When I saw them it was a situation where someone I knew ended up with extra tickets somehow and I was more interested in the other bands they were touring with
I'd say they stole the show but I think they were actually the headliner, so I don't know who they would've stolen it from.
I'm admittedly a sucker for a spectacle, and let's be real, that's kind of slipknot's whole schtick.
Three words: "Weird Al" Yankovic
He and the same guys in his band have been touring together for 40+ years, and the experience shows.
It's one of the hardest rocking shows out there. Yes, I'm serious.
I was at Hersey Park for a company picnic one year and there were a lot of people walking around dressed up as Weird Al. While waiting the group from my store on a ride, I noticed there was an amphitheater behind me. I turned around and leaned on the rail trying to figure out what was going on when someone dressed as Weird Al came up next to me and started looking down at the stage, he asked if I knew what was going on. I shrugged and then he ran down the steps and onto stage. It was actually Weird Al.
I won front row tickets to his show and it was lovely! My mother got the signed tshirt and ticket stub framed for me, its in my dining room wall!
Iron maiden puts on one hell of a performance. Bruce Dickinson running back-and-forth across the stage climbing shit, singing with an incredible vocal range at the top of his lungs without missing a beat, costume changes every song or two that match the album covers being projected behind their giant zombie that's shooting fire...
I had the privilege to see them live about 8 years ago and it was an incredible show. Dickinson has incredible stage presence; really puts a lot of energy into the show to keep the crowd engaged.
The giant animatronic zombie freaked me out a bit. It was enormous and moved realistically enough to be unsettling since I wasn't that far away from it. Most metal shit I've ever seen in person.
I saw them two years ago, and I was amazed by how radically the stage shifted between songs. The band members were struggling bouncing around though 😅
Roger Waters: The Wall. Kinda redefined what i would expect from a concert/musical performance
Giant inflatable puppets, building a giant wall out of blocks on stage throughout the concert and projecting imagery onto the new sections as its built, then knocking it down. Fireworks. I think they crashed a prop plane into it to knock it down at the start of the show?
Also kind of a weird show for my dad to have brought 14 year old me to see xD
Muse. They are almost too perfect live. It feels uncanny.
They are my number #1 live too.
Buddy Guy. the concert was pretty posh (think bankers in suits), with everyone having arranged seating, audience sitting still and quiet like at a classical music concert.
he was like 'fuck this, this isn't a proper concert, my guitar is wireless, let's stand up, go to the entry hall and jam'. so he's just standing in the middle of the crowd and going nuts, at like 83 years of age. That was amazing.
I saw buddy at a music fest once and he yelled at the crowd for not singing along in time. Dude is a hilarious legend
Muse
Mushroomhead at a small venue were amazing, I've been to the venue so many times and never seen anyone do anything interesting but they were there were impressive lighting and water on the drums that was flying everywhere catching the light. Was great.
Sub Focus and Chase & Status in a tiny little venue (Chinese Laundry in Sydney) that was like a little grotto. Ceiling so low I couldn't even stretch my arms up straight with sweet raining on everyone. Amazing.
Die Antwoord with a load of acid in my system was pretty intense.
Finally the entire Shambhala festival in Canada. The DJ playing obviously increases enjoyment but the stages are so fucking mind blowing that it is without a doubt the best live music experience I have had!
I still like Die Antwoord even though they've become Wildly Problematic. Those videos are an absolute mind bending experience.
Pantera and White zombie in 1997. Metallica in 1993. Ozzy and Sepultura in 1998. Those bands were unbelievable to see live at the time and blew me away. Still vividly remember those concerts.
Phish number one for me.
Unexpected awesome live shows: Blondie, Violent Femmes, The Proclaimers
Primitive Man, on tour for their 2017 album Caustic. They're one of the heaviest bands I've ever heard. I saw them at Lee's Palace in Toronto and they made debris fall from the ceiling.
Spectral Voice opened for them and were also incredible - maybe as good or better than Blood Incantation who they share members with.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. 3+ hours of pure enjoyment
Thievery Corporation
Amazing
Glass Animals, hands down best concert I’ve been to! My GF wasn’t thrilled about going but by the end she was dancing like crazy. They’re much more impactful and energetic live than their recorded stuff would make you think!
I saw Against Me in 2004.
‘nuff said.
So many that my answer is just listing most of the concerts I can remember going to
The Midnight
Roosevelt
Tycho
DJ Shadow
deadmau5
Perturbator
Rush (RIP Neil)
Celldweller
The Crystal Method
Psychostick
Above & Beyond
Kodo (Japanese taiko drummers)
Lateralis (chiptune musician and indie game dev)
If I had to pick the three most memorable, it'd be Kodo, DJ Shadow, and The Midnight
+1 for The Midnight. About halfway through the show all but one person went backstage. For about 20 minutes this guy had the most killer synth solo. I was mind blown how well they incorporated the synth into a live concert.
Hell yeah!
I remember the audience just absolutely losing it the first time the sax came out, and also every time after that. Such an excellent band, and I was so thrilled to see how much they blew up
Jack White. Amazing shows live.
Beck. He did a solo acoustic portion in the middle of the set, which is pretty normal. But while he was playing solo they brought out a massive dinner table ala the last supper behind him. They went all out, bringing platters of food and drinks and everything. His band came back out and sat at the table. And then they played the table...
The food was fake. It was shakers and noise makers and percussion instruments. The glasses were tuned crystal. The dinner was his backing band. It was amazing.
Anyone else see this tour? It was right after Guero.
Edit: typo
Whipping Boy, an Irish alt rock band, late 90s Birmingham: I’d never even heard of them before a friend dragged me along. Jaw-flappingly stunning vocals, great songs, lyrics, instrumentation. Thought they were going places, especially on finding a couple of singles/EPs and the album Heartworm, but they broke up not long after. I bought everything they put out and still love when their stuff randomly plays on shuffle.
A little old school here, but Tom Petty and the HB were always fantastic live, I got to catch them several times.
I also once was socially-dragged to a Sheryl Crow concert at the Ryman, and even though she's not usually my thing, that show was fantastic. She had a bunch of folks from the Nashville Symphony Orchestra playing with her band that night, and I've never seen a group of classical musicians have so much fun. They really made it an unbelievable show. If you're ever there and can catch ANYTHING at the Ryman, do it... the acoustics are absolutely insane.
My favorite concert story was that we went to a "Best of the 80s" concert in Indiana in the late 90s when I was a teen (bands that performed included Wang Chung, A Flock of Seagulls, and a few one-hit wonders I'm struggling to remember right now). At the end, the promoters took the mic and apologized to everyone that the show was ending a little early, the closing band, Missing Persons, couldn't make it. My friends and family I was there with laughed our asses off the entire way out of the arena, but it didn't seem like a single other person there got it.
Devin Townsend was without a doubt one of the best artists I've seen live last year. I limed his music for the longest time, and got tickets the day before the concert, and it was so damn good. It wasn't anything fancy, just awesome interaction with the crowd and amazing music.
Band of Horses. Saw them live before Lola, buying their albums seem like a waste after hearing how much emotion they can pump into thier live act.
City and Colour. Dallas is an incredible musician, and his band complimented him so well.
I saw Jazz guitarist Julian Lage last year and I was not expecting to have my socks completely blown two blocks away. I really enjoy his work and recognize that he is a master of his instrument but holy hell; he and his rhythm section were a hive mind operating in a higher plane of existence. He emitted an energy that I’ve never felt at a concert before. Please check out his trio’s performances on YouTube just to feel a tiny fraction of what happens in person.
Slift, they are an amazing experience live! Three guys from France with a live sound that's just massive. You'd never think it's just the three of them. Amazing show, lots of energy and the visuals make it a perfect experience. Mind blowing!
Ghost. I was not a fan of theirs at all. I loved their look, but could not get into their music. Then I went to an Iron Maiden concert and Ghost was opening for them. By the second song I was hooked. I have been a huge Ghost fan since. My wife and I are going to Vegas to see them for our anniversary this year.
death grips, quite literally as I started up front and got way overwhelmed and slowly started moving back as the show went on. it got to the point where I got outside and proceeded to puke in the trashcan. great show though!
The Tallest Man on Earth. Sounded like he left his heart on the stage for the songs he performed.
Covering "Come In From The Cold" shortly after lockdowns blew me away and introduced me to Joni Mitchell, somewhat embarrassing to admit for a forty year old music snob. https://www.youtube.com/live/37uYSek4r-0
That's awesome! Didn't know those videos existed, thanks for sharing.
jethro tull played in grant park for the flutist society and due to that played like the most flute intensive songs. hearing that fock flute in person was amazing.
Van Halen 1984 tour (the final with David Lee Roth) in the Hollywood Sportatorium, Hollywood Florida.
Maybe they knew it was over, but they didn't leave anything undone. It was a smaller venue, and they just fucking killed it. Here's the setlist:
- On Fire
- Hot for Teacher
- Drum Solo - Alex playing upside down on gimbal
- Unchained
- Runnin' With the Devil
- Little Guitars
- Cathedral
- House of Pain
- Bass Solo
- Jamie's Cryin'
- I'll Wait
- Everybody Wants Some!!
- Girl Gone Bad
- 1984
- Jump
- Guitar Solo
- Oh, Pretty Woman
- Panama
- You Really Got Me
- Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love
- Happy Trails
- REM
- Radiohead
- Flaming Lips
- Marilyn Manson
- Pixies
- RJD2
- Janelle Monae
In This Moment
Austin Lucas
Seeing ok go with my future wife is one of my all time favourite memories.
Garth Brookes. Saw him at the Tacoma dome like 10 years ago. We were on the floor towards the back and some lady with a headset came up and told us to come up front. At the time I was pretty stoked. Show was awesome. Garth and trisha yearwood were amazing. The stage had some cool mwchanics and the drummer was in a 3d rotating circle thing going upside down and around. Blew my mind. Pretty funny realization afterwards though. The reason we got moved to the front was because we were mexican. We were in a section with nothing but people of color. Pretty funny. Amazing show.
Power Trip, with Riley on vocals when they played Bloodstock early Sunday morning, way before lunch. Was a fan of their Nightmare Logic album so I was going whatever was happening, but as they played their set the crowd just kept growing, and would rival a lot of early evening bands. For the last day of the festival, in the morning.
They gave everything for the performance and when I met them afterwards they were just completely wasted having flown over and more or less gone straight on stage.
You can watch the show here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPRBpKybx_U&pp
Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie both had amazing stage shows in the last decade. I can't compare them to shows back in the day but if you get a chance they're still worth it.
Tauk - they blew me away from their albums too, but after having seen them live for the 2nd time last week, figured I had to post. Their drummer is incredibly hard-hitting and energetic, and keeps it going for 3+ hours
Neil Young + Crazy Horse Bob Dylan + Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Porter Robinson and underscores, a few days ago.
Sigor Ros. Saw them live and, despite their melancholy music, put on a helluva show. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed them live!
That and The Flaming Lips. Their live shows are always spectacular, seen them twice
I've seen a lot of great shows, but:
- The Octopus Project: I've seen them live at least four times and they never disappoint. just great fun, really talented folks. watching them trade instruments mid-song is always a delight.
- Battles, during the Gloss Drop tour: wow, the ability of those musicians. never seen anything like it.
- Open Mike Eagle: I don't know if it was his most "on" day ever or if he's always like that, but I was absolutely transfixed. captivating performance.
Dj shadow vs cut chemist at the Hollywood bowl. It was experimental but quite the experience
Cut Chemist is the guy from J5 right ? rings a bell
Mando diao
Swans in the To Be Kind era.
Top 3 concert for me
In some sense, Powerwolf. The only concert I ever went to, I was really surprised to learn that apparently I hate concerts and will never go to one again.
between the buried and me has never disappointed!
Josh Scogin in any band he's in (the chariot, norma jean, '68)
broken social scene
There are lots of great live bands but maybe these were most memorable for various reasons: Magma (just hypnotic), Lazuli (very entertaining live band every single time), The Pineapple Thief (great prog rock with incredible drummer), The Musical Box (playing and re-acting old Genesis. Too young to see the originals but just in time to see the remakes), Le Silo (super high energy duo or trio, don't even remember, but man that was wild), Aranis (they don't exist anymore unfortunately)
Dada Life. Wouldn’t call them a band just a DJ pair. Only one of them played, but the show he put on was incredible. He had all of the things to keep your hands on the air. He was throwing out beach balls, big blowup bananas (which I managed to keep one and he signed it after the show), big balloons and had a big flag that he had the crowd hold up over their heads, he also handed out pillows for a pillow fight we did.
Dogs in a pile - awesome jam band
KC Roberts and the Live Revolution tend to release highly produced tracks, but awesome live too.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, every single time. He has walked across the audience and the seats to hold hands with me and sing together, he has chased me through the audience onto the stage, and every time he comes on the stage it's like someone has released an exotic panther from a crate or something. It's like going to church with the devil himself preaching.
ASP
"A". New-wave metal punk. They supported The Offspring back in 2000 when they were touring and blew them completely out of the water (and The Offspring are GREAT live too) and they have been my favourite band ever since.
I HIGHLY recommend their album "Monkey Kong" with some decent headphones.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fkfA9Z2vL9M&pp=ygUQYSB2cyBtb25rZXkga29uZw%3D%3D
Quite a few:
- Underworld
- Chemical Brothers
- Beastie Boys
- Black Grape
- Puressence
- Songhoy Blues
- Pulp
- Alabama 3
- Jim White
- Portishead
- Beth Gibbons (of Portishead, but solo)
- Kog and the Zongo Brigade
Probably a few others :-)
ADRV
Cajun and Creole art nerds throw the best parties.
None. It's like they've never really lived up to the hype and attending live music events has somehow always made me uncomfortable. Same with movie theatres.
The most immersive and impactful musical experiences I've had have been me sitting alone listening.
Joanna Newsom & Blind Guardian
Got to see Chicago/ Beach Boys double headline back in 1989 (I think). Both bands were great. Saw the Beach Boys at the old Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OH about 5 years later and it was a great show.
Bad Company Holy Water tour. Brian Howe was front lining the band and he was great, but really would have preferred to have seen Paul Rodgers.
Black Crowes opening for ZZ Top on the Recycler tour. ZZ Top had a great show, but musically, Black Crowes was much better.
Duran Duran ... I was a closet fan of theirs back in my teens. I'm not in the closet any longer. Soup Dragons opened for them and they suuuucked.
Linkin Park opening for Metallica at the Atlanta Braves stadium in 2003. They were great, Metallica was meh, but I've never been a huge fan of theirs.
Live... Not a big fan of theirs, but they did have a good live show. (see what I did there! Yes, I'm a Dad.) They opened for the Counting Crows who were great too.
Santana is a lot better live than anywhere else. I saw him on the Supernatural tour, or at least that was the album he had just released. Funny side story about this concert. This was in 1999 and was there with a friend. 25 years later, my wife and I were talking about concerts we have attended over the years. She mentioned she went to see Santana when she first moved to Cincinnati, which is where I lived at the time... Turns out we were at the same concert 5 years before we met and didn't realize it until last year.
Yes, I'm old.
Everclear in the late 90’s was pretty good.
in the late ’90s*
Pop Will Eat Itself in the early 90's.
Amazing fun shows with tons of energy from the band and the audience.
the early ’90s*
Half the bands mentioned in this post are from the 90s - or had their haydays in the 90s.
Avatar
Not a band, but a DJ, Jake Beautyman, April 2024 in São Paulo. He started his set with the Severance OST and was a banger song after song. Still think about that party today
...i've seen some pretty epic shows by some pretty epic bands, but the last time i saw muse play, i did not expect to see a F*CKING HUNDRED-FOOT MECHA lunge out from the stage...
I saw that live. I remember thinking "man that was a good show they should be wrapping up soon" but it was like halfway through. They played a 3 hour set. Insane.
whoa...
...the craziest part was that it wasn't there throughout the entire show: during that particular set, it loomed up from nowhere behind the stage and then lurched out over the crowd, or at least those of us who had pushed up front on the floor...
Massilia Sound System. Crowd is basically in a state of plasma from beginning to loooooong after the show ends. When it's set on the port, you can be sure some of us will launch ourselves in the oily water for the hell of it, come back and slippery dance some more. At the start of every show they distribute a platter of pastis shots in the pit. It's not a band, it's a culture. A generation
True Body. Went to a show to see Pharmakon and True Body opened for them. The stage presence was intense and I can't wait to see them again if the opportunity arises
Polysics. Great energy.
I saw "No Men" play a tiny show and it's still one of my favorites. They put on a great show and also they were super friendly with everyone in the crowd. I saw them another time after at a bigger venue and they even remembered me and my friend.
