Best Concert you've ever seen. . .

Changed my life - Broken Social Scene at Deer Lake Park in Vancouver.

Kenny G., 1998...key of 'g' baby--key of 'g' and Yanni Live at Yanni's Wind Palace NYE 1999

Best concert ever? That would have to be the first Phish show I ever went to. An unforgettable experience, let's hope Phish tours one day again.

Three way tie, if I can stretch the boundaries of "concert" a little. Buddy Guy, in Vancouver last year, phenomenal show. Los Lonely Boys at an outdoor festival, full of energy, music, and love of life. And Albert Collins, in Chicago in the '80s, as a walk on in a small blues club when the band called him up out of the audience to jam. He did two sets with them, in front of maybe 100 people and it was one of the most exciting blues events I've been part of.

I couldn't give you one, but here is a sampling.  Bryan Ferry put on a great show in about 1987, but I saw it in a hockey arena the sound was pretty poor.  Crowded House played a grand old turn of the century theatre called the Walker in 1987 or 88 and turned it into a kitchen party.  The most fun I've ever had dancing was watching Chubby Carriere and his Zydeco Band at the Pyramid Cabaret.  I had a moment of total bliss listening to Nick Lowe solo acoustic at a folk festival a couple of years back.  And last fall an artist named CR Avery put on the greatest single night of bar band rock and soul I've ever experienced at a local joint called Times Changed.  There are a thousnad other nights I've enjoyed watching singer-songwriters, world music, folk music, R&B;, jazz, blues, blue grass and rock and roll from the stage of a handful of small local venues.  My favourite night out is listening to live music..

A late evening of audio assault by the earliest version of the Foo Fighters (with original guitarist Pat Smear and drummer Bill Goldsmith); Grohl was in top form (nervous, though), his mind unconcerned with "hits", just pummelling the audience with the wailing, electric howl that doesn't seem to show up much anymore. Nate Mendel (still) had that chest-high bass positioning going (I'd swear that'd make his shoulders hurt like the dickens), but he made it work for him. They did "For All The Cows", "This Is A Call", "I'll Stick Around", and a bunch of other stuff off their first album. The crowd was certainly into it: the up-and-down surge started early with every song, and the squnch was so tight, you'd end up smacking your jaw on someone's shoulder if you weren't bouncing along in unison! Everything ached afterwards, and I was a sweat-stained mess, but that was easily the King Kamehameha, "mack daddy" of all live shows.

Tough question. The worst show I ever saw was the Stones in '89. It was freezing out even though it was early October, the seats sucked, and all they played was the predictable stuff except for a good performance of "2000 Light Years From Home." Saw U2 twice , they were better in'85 than in' 92. David Bowie in '90, but he was like the Stones in that all he did was play smash hits, though it was better musically. Arthur Lee and Love twice, the second time was better. McCartney in '02 did a fine job. CSN and Chicago c. 1996, CSN were good, Chicago sucked, though it would have been great to see them, oh, around the time I was born, before they sucked... Actually, the best show I've seen was probably a free concert by the magnificient Buddy Guy earlier this year, the guy is 68 or something, but still one of the greatest guitarists ever.

Best concert I ever saw has to be Phish NYE 99 into the new millennium. About 6 straight hours of pure greatness.

The ONLY concert I have ever been to and that was the ozzfest of 2000. I wish I could say I have been to another one but I was once on my way to a Kinks concert back in 82 when someone in the van started ODing. Needless to say we spent a long night in the hospital instead. Grr!

1977 and i was at a kiss concert. it was one of the greatest nights of my life

To me an awesome concert is one of the best things in my life. The Kenny Chesney fun in the sun concert was great.

I saw a band called Ra in a small venue. They totally kicked ass and I will grab their new CD this fall as soon as I see it.

a hard one. I saw Oasis in 1996, a great show. Springsteen in December of 2002, another fantastic show. i dont know. i love music but i'm usually unimpressed w/the live spectacle of it, unless it's a small show. that said, i saw Sarah Harmer at the Rosebud, Pittsburgh, 2002. a nice intimate evening of music.UPDATE: I forgot to add I saw thr NYC Philharmonic play Beethoven's 9th on New Year's Eve 2004. i just closed my eyes and it was magic, man.

Led Zeppelin 1971

Paul McCartney, Back in the USA 2002! Nothing has ever, will ever, or could ever top that one!

It's hard to compete with the Vienna Boys Choir (performing in the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris).

George Strait in Louisville,Kentucky.George is the man, even if you are not country, he is the best.

I think all the gigs I have been to have been fantastic - but seeing The Doors 21st Century did have me in tears.

Van Halen

One of the best has to be No Doubt. Gwen Stefani has enough energy for ten people and absolutely dominated the stage for almost two solid hours. Never a boring moment. Well worth the admission price.

Ive seen some great live stuff, Aerosmith in '75 & 76 but they were at the heighth of there drug addictions and even at 16 I could tell they were not at there best. Ive seen Blue Oyster Cult, Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush (who I played with at Rockefellers in '98) Foreighner, J. Geils Band, Heart, The Doobies, Skynyrd, Ted Nugent many times but the best ever I think was Bruce Springsteen on his Back in the USA tour. The guy is just a phenomenal performer and his love for playing shines from him.

Hm I'd say Billy Joel/Elton John would top the list, although Kiss put on a great show.

That'd be a tough one to choose,but Shriekback put on an awesome show in NYC in the 80s and Jah Wobble rocked the Fastlane in Asbury Park one night with special guest Shennaid (sp?)O'Connor.Actually,some of the best shows I've seen we're local bands playing original music.

Rage Against the Machine - great show. . .but seeing a concert now just isn't a priority for me. . .plus, music really sucks nowadays.