Best/Worst Concerts You've Ever Seen

[The Real Buffalo Joe]

What are the best and worst concerts you've ever seen?

 

Best: Weird Al Yankovic. Odd choice, I know. But the dude puts on one hell of a show. Plays for two hours. Costume changes. Crowd interaction. Great backing band. Different videos he shows while changing, so it's never a dull moment. If he doesn't count, AC/DC on the Black Ice tour.

 

Worst: Charlie Daniels Band. Played for maybe an hour. Played two gospel songs. A drum solo. And like three songs where he left the stage for songs written/sang by other members of the band. Didn't play Uneasy Rider. Chuck Berry comes a close second. He played for 50 minutes, and didn't play School Days or No Particular Place To Go. The dude was 83 years old though. I'll be happy if I can hold a guitar let alone play it at that age.

[John from Riverside]

i was a roadie and worked a concert for the Scorpions and Def Leapord in Fresno California.

[HereComesTheReignAgain]

Black Crowes always put on a great show.

 

The first concert I ever saw might just be the best. Aerosmith, Metallica, Black Crowes, and Warrant. It was at the old Silver Stadium in Rochester. It rained for a while and Warrant didn't get to play. Everyone cheered when that was announced.

 

I'm slightly embarrassed to admit this, but Bare Naked Ladies are incredible live.

[Cugalabanza]

Best: Pavement and Royal Trux. Both bands I like a lot and they were just really on that night and it was a good crowd and it just sounded really amazing.

 

Worst: Jimmy Buffet. Why the hell did I allow myself to get dragged to that?

[The Poojer]

wow...too many best ones, couldn't do the list justice....worst was just this summer, wasn't the entire show, rather a single set for a festival. Father John Misty, who I have seen before and thought he was outstanding, went on what seemed to be a 30 minute rant about something, barely played 2 songs then walked off stage. the clip below is a small part of his rant, but you get the idea(the video is NSFW in parts because of language.

 

among the best would be Sir Paul, SRV, Warren Zevon, Queen, Boston, the list would just go on and on and I could have a valid reason for picking each as the best

 

http://thekey.xpn.org/2016/07/22/xpnfest-recap-father-john-misty-gets-lot-off-chest/

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7clyQ7CFv0

I could have listed Weird Al as a favorite...he puts on an amazing show

 

What are the best and worst concerts you've ever seen?

 

Best: Weird Al Yankovic. Odd choice, I know. But the dude puts on one hell of a show. Plays for two hours. Costume changes. Crowd interaction. Great backing band. Different videos he shows while changing, so it's never a dull moment. If he doesn't count, AC/DC on the Black Ice tour.

 

Worst: Charlie Daniels Band. Played for maybe an hour. Played two gospel songs. A drum solo. And like three songs where he left the stage for songs written/sang by other members of the band. Didn't play Uneasy Rider. Chuck Berry comes a close second. He played for 50 minutes, and didn't play School Days or No Particular Place To Go. The dude was 83 years old though. I'll be happy if I can hold a guitar let alone play it at that age.

[Azalin]

Worst: The Babies at the Century Theater back in the late 70's. I got in free and was still angry after that show.

 

Best: A tie between Frank Zappa at the Century in '80 and Deep Purple at Merriweather Post, Maryland, in 1985. The level of musicianship displayed by both bands was way beyond anything I've seen outside of a symphony.

[TakeYouToTasker]

Two best:

 

1) Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, July 15, 1999 at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutheford, NJ. It was the first show they played in America on their Reunion Tour, and was of course played in Jersey. Bruce always puts on an absolutely incredible show, and plays all night long, but this one was extra special.

 

2) Rolling Rock Festival, Latrobe, PA August 4, 2001. Headlining acts were Stone Temple Pilots, Live, Staind, Incubus, etc. All I can say is that there is a reason Live calls themselves "Live"; and I'll also note that the show was the day after Scott Weiland got out of rehab. We managed to work our way through the crowd of thousands and thousands to the second row, right center of the stage for the main acts. Unbelievable.

 

Worst:

 

Any Steve Miller Band show

[GottaRun]

Best 1982 Police Picnic, CNE Toronto, The Police, Talking Heads, English Beat, Joan Jett, among others. I was 16 and had crap seats. Went with my brothers friends and they said 'stick close to us and do what we do'. We got up to the rail, jumped on the field and ran like hell for the crowd. Security didn't look much for us and we spent the show about 50ft from the stage. Great memories.

 

Worst - Cabaret Voltaire, Concert Hall, Toronto 1985ish. Basically had tape machines on stage playing their music and the crowd stood around trying to look cool. wtf was the point of that was what I asked myself on the way out.

[IDBillzFan]

Two best for me as well:

 

Tony Bennett at the House of Blues in Hollywood on the Sunset Strip. It's general admission, but if you eat dinner before the show you get to go in early and first. We sat at the bar. He was feet away with a small band, and it was one of the best nights ever.

 

John Hiatt and Lyle Lovett were together with nothing but their guitars. I've seen them in concert on their own at least a dozen times each, Together, performing each others songs, telling stories that tied their songs together. Just an unbelievable show in a small venue here called The Grove.

 

Worst concert: Rolling Stones at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego about 20 years ago. Went with a girl who had tickets, we sat in the nosebleeds, I took a single hit off a joint someone was passing around and spent the rest of the night with everyone sounding like Charlie Brown's teacher. Wrecked the entire event, although any concert in the nosebleeds sucks to begin with.

[plenzmd1]

Worst is easy as hell. Ritchie Blackmore and Rainbow with Ronnie James Dio at the Aud about 79 or 80. Just god awful! Now, i must say not that much of a fan of that style of music, but even my buddies who relly liked him hated that show.

 

Way to many for best.. Simon and Garfunkel in Toronto 81 or 82 maybe????

Gentle Giant in Kleinhans?

U2 at Sheas bout 83 was freaking awesome.

Police at Stage One in 80 was great.

Gabriel at Kleinhans both times i saw him there.

Dizzy at the Tralf was unbelievable...

[Chef Jim]

Best: Recently. Umphrey's McGee (of course) this year Red Rock front row. I love being up front but Red Rocks is so much different because it's an amphitheater you're on the same level as the band whereas most other places the stage is 4-5 feet high. RR makes it feel as if you're on the stage with the band. From the past? Lynyrd Skynyrd Buffalo Aud maybe 1976. Kick ass show. The best was when someone up front jumped up and tried to grab Ronnie's hat and he bashed the dude in the face with the base of the mic stand. Loved it!!

 

Worst: Well not the whole concert but one particular performance. A concert in Miami at some baseball stadium in 1982. Bryan Adams (very good) Journey (not bad) Sammy Hagar (kicked ass) Aerosmith (!@#$ing pathetic) That was the height of the Toxic Twins ere. Steven and Joe were so !@#$ed up. Steven forgot the words to Walk This Way. Bad, bad, bad.

[Just Jack]

Best, Peter Gabriel, Toronto, I think it was Dec 2002. Same weekend as the Buffalo/Miami Snow Bowl game.

 

Worst, Sheryl Crow. No imagination to her concert.

[snafu]

Best: Allman Bros. at Chautauqua amphitheater in 1989. Hands down the best. We were right up front for the whole show. Just walked up to the front and stayed there. What a night.

 

Honorable mention: Sun Ra and his Arkestra at the Tralf. Went there not knowing what to expect on the word of a buddy. Dude was right. That show was good.

 

Worst: Dinosaur Jr. -- I don't even remember where it was. I think it was also in 1989. In fact, I almost forgot that I saw them. Now I'm sad I remembered.

Edited September 30, 2016 by snafu

[Chilly]

Best: Major Lazer

 

Worst: Billy Idol

[apuszczalowski]

I can't even list all the ones i have been to that I have enjoyed but the worst one I can think of might have been Dave Matthews at Darrien lake maybe 5-10 years ago. Had nothing to do with the band, they were really good, just couldn't stand all the stoned hippies in the crowd back in the general admission area who had to have a 15' radius around them for their hippy spinning arm waving dance or to pee in front of everyone in public.....

[The Poojer]

Saw J Mascis last year, musically awesome, but it was as if he had no idea there was an audience. We are fans, treat us like we matter, or at least fake it for a couple hours

 

Best: Allman Bros. at Chautauqua amphitheater in 1989. Hands down the best. We were right up front for the whole show. Just walked up to the front and stayed there. What a night.

 

Honorable mention: Sun Ra and his Arkestra at the Tralf. Went there not knowing what to expect on the word of a buddy. Dude was right. That show was good.

 

Worst: Dinosaur Jr. -- I don't even remember where it was. I think it was also in 1989. In fact, I almost forgot that I saw them. Now I'm sad I remembered.

[Nighttime in Nigeria]

Best: The Stones at the Ralph last summer. A close 2nd would be Sir Paul at the Arena. Both absolutely phenomenal.

 

Worst: Stevie Wonder at the Arena, about a month after Paul's show.

[bbb]

Two best for me as well:

 

Tony Bennett at the House of Blues in Hollywood on the Sunset Strip. It's general admission, but if you eat dinner before the show you get to go in early and first. We sat at the bar. He was feet away with a small band, and it was one of the best nights ever.

 

John Hiatt and Lyle Lovett were together with nothing but their guitars. I've seen them in concert on their own at least a dozen times each, Together, performing each others songs, telling stories that tied their songs together. Just an unbelievable show in a small venue here called The Grove.

 

Worst concert: Rolling Stones at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego about 20 years ago. Went with a girl who had tickets, we sat in the nosebleeds, I took a single hit off a joint someone was passing around and spent the rest of the night with everyone sounding like Charlie Brown's teacher. Wrecked the entire event, although any concert in the nosebleeds sucks to begin with.

 

But, I bet you never had another health problem after that.

 

Best: Recently. Umphrey's McGee (of course) this year Red Rock front row. I love being up front but Red Rocks is so much different because it's an amphitheater you're on the same level as the band whereas most other places the stage is 4-5 feet high. RR makes it feel as if you're on the stage with the band. From the past? Lynyrd Skynyrd Buffalo Aud maybe 1976. Kick ass show. The best was when someone up front jumped up and tried to grab Ronnie's hat and he bashed the dude in the face with the base of the mic stand. Loved it!!

 

Worst: Well not the whole concert but one particular performance. A concert in Miami at some baseball stadium in 1982. Bryan Adams (very good) Journey (not bad) Sammy Hagar (kicked ass) Aerosmith (!@#$ing pathetic) That was the height of the Toxic Twins ere. Steven and Joe were so !@#$ed up. Steven forgot the words to Walk This Way. Bad, bad, bad.

 

That had to be Miami Stadium, where the Orioles had spring training In a terrible part of town where there were big time riots I think in 1988.

 

In 1980, on Easter Sunday, saw The Rockets, then Molly Hatchett - who were super super late, and then Bob Seger, who was my favorite at the time. Pouring rain, but it was the best I saw up to that point.

 

 

Best: The Stones at the Ralph last summer. A close 2nd would be Sir Paul at the Arena. Both absolutely phenomenal.

 

Worst: Stevie Wonder at the Arena, about a month after Paul's show.

 

I saw Stevie Wonder in 1986, and I see that he hasn't improved. Got those tickets for free. The concerts that I went for free - Stevie, Van Halen in 1979 or 1980 and again in 2004, and AC/DC - were all my least favorite concerts and I wanted my money back!

 

Two best:

 

1) Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, July 15, 1999 at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutheford, NJ. It was the first show they played in America on their Reunion Tour, and was of course played in Jersey. Bruce always puts on an absolutely incredible show, and plays all night long, but this one was extra special.

 

2) Rolling Rock Festival, Latrobe, PA August 4, 2001. Headlining acts were Stone Temple Pilots, Live, Staind, Incubus, etc. All I can say is that there is a reason Live calls themselves "Live"; and I'll also note that the show was the day after Scott Weiland got out of rehab. We managed to work our way through the crowd of thousands and thousands to the second row, right center of the stage for the main acts. Unbelievable.

 

Worst:

 

Any Steve Miller Band show

 

The best 30 I've seen:

 

1. U2 - December 2005 at FNC

2-28 The 27 times I've seen Bruce Springsteen

29-30 - The other two times I've seen U2

[Nighttime in Nigeria]

 

The best 30 I've seen:

 

1. U2 - December 2005 at FNC

2-28 The 27 times I've seen Bruce Springsteen

29-30 - The other two times I've seen U2

U2 is at the top of my list of musical acts I still haven't seen. Along with Frankie Valli. Odd combo, I know! I saw Bruce this past winter at the Arena - he definitely puts on a great show.

[bbb]

U2 is at the top of my list of musical acts I still haven't seen. Along with Frankie Valli. Odd combo, I know! I saw Bruce this past winter at the Arena - he definitely puts on a great show.

 

Haha - that is an odd combo. I hope you saw Jersey Boys, at least!............Good job seeing Bruce!