Best Ever Concert

[Pickles]

Okay, here's a tricky one for you. What is the all-time BEST concert you've EVER attended. Hmmmm. I guess that's a little too hard; how 'bout the top 3 best concerts.

I'm going to say (after scratching head and reflecting for two hours):

Greatful Dead, Alpine Valley, 1989
Springsteen, Ames, Iowa, The River concert, early 80s and
(drum roll)
Talking Heads, Des Moines Civic Center, 1982

The Squirrel Nut Zippers in San Francisco last year was pretty tasty, as were the early REM concerts.

[tim]

Best ever is a hard thing to say, but I still think that there was something special about a symphonic concert I attended mid-90s at Grant Park. The program was Gorecki's Symphony of Sorrowful Songs and Mozart's Exultate Jubilate in the first half. The time was such that one could still relate readily to the longstanding struggle of Poland under communist oppression during the time that Gorecki wrote his work. It starts out so subtle in the lowest strings of the bass with a long, growing ostinado. An airplane flying overhead kept you from even hearing this inteligibly at first. The lightness which followed this serious and significant work's Chicago premiere in Mozart was a welcome celebration, perhaps in some sense of the found freedom which both Poland and all of Europe now had.

At intermission, the skies opened. Many ran for cover. Others stayed pitched under umbrellas, awaiting the end of this slow and steady rain delay. After perhaps an hour, the orchestra was again able to take the stage. At which point Eiji Oue led an absolutely electric rendition of Pictures At An Exhibition for the stalwarts.

Everything about that evening just came together with an absolute spark. It turns out that Hugh Wolf, festival orchestra director, was in the audience that night and commented in the newspaper, subsequently, about just this concert and how special it was, embodying the value of its worth and meaning.

[tim]

There was also a Chicago Chamber Musicans concert a couple years back which featured Paquito D' Rivera which was especially notable. Larry Combs and Paquito trading licks on clarinet. Yum. And who had ever heard anyone swinging out the adagio from Mozart's clarinet concerto? But Paquito did it! The man is just amazing.

A concert which I wasn't at, but which I have a live recording from was an appearance of Sarah Vaughan at an early 80s Chicago Jazz Festival. She killed. Just murdered. You should have to go to jail and die then suffer in hell for being that good.

[Lolly Plop]

Best concert was seeing Areosmith in 1973. They were an unknown, opening act band for Mott the Hoople at a small accoustically perfect theatre. 2nd best would be Paul McCartney. 3rd would be Bruce Springsteen at a concert held in a Princton University classroom before he became known outside of NJ.

[Finito]

Greyfox 2007!!!

[Paboberto]

The best concert I ever went to was a house concert a friend put together featuring a indie anti-folk band called the "Secret Life of Sparrows."

Actually all the house concerts I have been too were great. Free, beutiful, and intimate like music should be...

[tim]

I also saw/heard an amazing display of talent from Tommy Emmanuel just last year. And Jamie Cullom puts on a pretty amazing show, also.

[Jamz]

1-Pete Seeger
2-Crosby Stills Nash +Young
3-A little old man playing on the streets of DC we were on our way to see the Who at the wasington Mounument but ended up staying to listen to him

[Scruffy]

I don't go to concerts to hear music. I go to play the music.......

True statement by me, but I would say my favorite was Marty Stuart, At the Kellogg Arena 2005

[Chance Marmalade]

Woodstock back in 1969: What a show! Joan Baez and Ravi Shankar. Jimi Hendrix actually came off the stage and I showed him a few new songs and some new chords. He wanted my autograph, I of course declined. I would have to give them to everyone then! Ok that didn't neccesarily happen.

Poison 1989: Loved the band but best of all I got the ticket for free and went with seven girls. It was my best friend's ticket and he had just dumped his girlfriend. I took his place. I even dated his ex after. He was cool with it though. He dumped her after all! I realize that the Woodstock thing has hurt my credibility but this is true.

Spin Doctors 1993: Ahh the flannel. First time I ever crowd surfed.

Fool Moon 1998, Red Clay Ramblers: Can't leave their performance out. They were fantastic.

In the early 2000s I went to a lot of techno shows. I saw some really good DJs, DJ Diesel Boy was the best.