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Smokey
06-19-2013, 02:27 PM
This question came from my boss who is also into music and thought I share it here :)

He asked:"If you could attend a concert from past or present artist or group, who would be your first choice?"

Without hesitation I said Led Zeppelin. Never seen them in concert and can only imagine what would be like to see and hear them live.

Second choice would be Neil Young with Crazy Horse in their prime in concert. Again, never seen them in concert and love to see back up band Crazy Horse trying to keep up with fast guitar playing Young.

Jack in Wilmington
06-19-2013, 03:31 PM
Well I'm going to take this as a concert that you didn't attend, so that leaves out Woodstock. Without a doubt it has to be The Beatles. Never saw them live and that would be the ultimate for me. We go every summer to the local state park here and watch the concerts on Thursday and Sunday night and the highlight of the summer is a group called "The Fab Four" which are a Beatles cover band. They probably draw 7,000 to 8,000.

Smokey
06-19-2013, 05:53 PM
Well I'm going to take this as a concert that you didn't attend, so that leaves out Woodstock.

I thought about Woodstock probably would be the ultimate concert, but after thinking about it I had second thoughts.

First I probably would not enjoy the sound system of such outing as it is spread too wide, and there would be too much ambient sound from the audience. Second, I don't think I enjoy a concert sitting under the hot sun and dealing with weather elements.


Without a doubt it has to be The Beatles.

Beatles concert would also be on top of my list. And maybe Elvis Presely too :)

ForeverAutumn
06-19-2013, 06:11 PM
I thought about Woodstock probably would be the ultimate concert, but after thinking about it I had second thoughts.

First I probably would not enjoy the sound system of such outing as it is spread too wide, and there would be too much ambient sound from the audience. Second, I don't think I enjoy a concert sitting under the hot sun and dealing with weather elements.


You'd be waaaaaay too stoned to care about any of that ****.

I would have to go with Bowie during his Ziggy Stardust years. That would be the ultimate for me.

TheHills44060
06-19-2013, 07:46 PM
...And maybe Elvis Presely too :)
I would have loved to see The King live in the 1950's

Smokey
06-19-2013, 08:09 PM
You'd be waaaaaay too stoned to care about any of that ****.

I bet most of people that were there never imagined that Woodstock would turn out to be as one of most memorable historical musical events. Truely innocent times.

And kodus on David Bowie :)

Hyfi
06-20-2013, 02:59 AM
Without thinking too hard about this one, so it might not be the ONE.....

I was all set to get tickets for Miles Davis at one of our awesome local venues, the Keswick Theater, and at the last minute something came up. We decided, oh well, we will see him next time around.

Miles died a week or two later and that was the last show he ever performed. Still kicking myself over that one.

dean_martin
06-20-2013, 04:20 AM
Without thinking too hard about this one, so it might not be the ONE.....

I was all set to get tickets for Miles Davis at one of our awesome local venues, the Keswick Theater, and at the last minute something came up. We decided, oh well, we will see him next time around.

Miles died a week or two later and that was the last show he ever performed. Still kicking myself over that one.
I had a similar experience. My best friend in law school scored tickets to see Nirvana and invited me. It was a week night. I had class the next day. I was a single parent at the time and didn't really have the money for a sitter. I had all kinds of reasons to pass so I did thinking I'd catch them later.

At that time, I would've considered seeing Nirvana as the concert of a lifetime, but not so much today as far as the music goes. I had goose bumps all through a Wilco show and was mesmerized by Jeff Mangum. I'm pretty satisfied at the moment.

OTOH, I have been listening to some live recordings of Otis Redding and Gram Parsons with Emmylou Harris lately. I think those acts would be high on my list.

Jack in Wilmington
06-20-2013, 05:09 AM
Oh there was plenty of weather to worry about at Woodstock, but like FA said, you didn't worry about that stuff. As far as ambient crowd noise, that is one of the reasons I don't do live concerts anymore. There are just too many people that come to concerts to see how much they can drink and the music is secondary.

Hyfi
06-20-2013, 05:42 AM
Oh there was plenty of weather to worry about at Woodstock, but like FA said, you didn't worry about that stuff. As far as ambient crowd noise, that is one of the reasons I don't do live concerts anymore. There are just too many people that come to concerts to see how much they can drink and the music is secondary.

Or they spend the whole time checking and talking on their phone. I wonder just why some people even go to concerts and sporting events when they pay absolutely no attention to anything but their friggin phone.

MasterCylinder
06-20-2013, 06:46 AM
+ 1 on the Beatles...........also never saw Pink Floyd.
I saw the Cream farewell show in Dallas (1968) and the very next month saw Jeff Beck with a singer we had never heard of named Rod Stewart.
Seen Led Zepp 3 times.............saw Hendrix two months before his death.
Seen a lot of good ones in the day..............

Jack in Wilmington
06-20-2013, 07:09 AM
Cream must have been fantastic. I still like to pull out my Cream "Goodbye" CD. That might be a close second to The Beatles for me.

MasterCylinder
06-20-2013, 07:21 AM
Cream must have been fantastic. I still like to pull out my Cream "Goodbye" CD. That might be a close second to The Beatles for me.

I was a 15-year old at my very first concert. I owned most of their albums and knew the music but I did not realize I was seeing their farewell tour.

Jack in Wilmington
06-21-2013, 04:21 AM
To expand on Smokey's thread. What are your "Concert of a Lifetime" that you did attend. If you could go back in time to a concert that you did attend, maybe the people or person you went with made it special or ruined it for you.

Worf101
06-21-2013, 05:46 AM
I had tickets to see Marley but the show was cancelled due to his illness then he died. I'd love to have seen him in his prime... perhaps the "Babylon by Bus Tour". I've seen Sly, James, EW&F, War, Prince. Close second would have to be... Otis Redding, mebbe Sam Cooke.

Worf

Hyfi
06-21-2013, 05:54 AM
To expand on Smokey's thread. What are your "Concert of a Lifetime" that you did attend. If you could go back in time to a concert that you did attend, maybe the people or person you went with made it special or ruined it for you.

I saw Zappa at the Spectrum in Philly the night after he was on SNL doing the Cone-head skit. The whole band came out and performed with Cone Heads on. Cannot remember the year....or most of that night....

Maybe the most memorable for me would be the first real concert I went to. I think it was 1975 and I was 15. My oldest brother took me to the Spectrum to see The Outlaws, Steve Marriott and the All Stars, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. This was the first time I ever saw people smoking pot in public. We were also up nice and high The Outlaws blew Skynyrd off the stage as an opening act and the 3 guitarists came back near the end to jam with LS and again blew them away. Hughie Thomson was the man!

Also saw an Evening of Guitars and Sax at the Keswick 15 years ago or so. We were in about the 10th row and the 3 or 4 seats in front of us were empty, but the place appeared to be sold out. Craig Chaquico came down into the audience first and stood on two of the empty seats in front of us and played the whole song, Find Your Way Back, from Starship years. I could watch the seconds ticking on his Rolex.
Next up was Rick Braun, who started his set wireless and appeared from the lobby and worked his way down and again stopped and sat on the edge of the first empty seat in front of us and all but serenaded my wife with his opening tune.

Finch Platte
06-21-2013, 07:58 AM
You'd be waaaaaay too stoned to care about any of that ****.

I would have to go with Bowie during his Ziggy Stardust years. That would be the ultimate for me.

So, you never said if you liked the live Bowie stuff I sent. Didja, huh, didja?

JohnMichael
06-21-2013, 08:52 AM
I would have loved to see Lady Day in a NYC jazz club. Nina Simone is another artist I missed. I saw Maria Muldaur when I was a pup and I would love to see her again. Of course I would love to attend more classical concerts.

Jack in Wilmington
06-21-2013, 09:53 AM
I saw Zappa at the Spectrum in Philly the night after he was on SNL doing the Cone-head skit. The whole band came out and performed with Cone Heads on. Cannot remember the year....or most of that night....

Maybe the most memorable for me would be the first real concert I went to. I think it was 1975 and I was 15. My oldest brother took me to the Spectrum to see The Outlaws, Steve Marriott and the All Stars, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. This was the first time I ever saw people smoking pot in public. We were also up nice and high The Outlaws blew Skynyrd off the stage as an opening act and the 3 guitarists came back near the end to jam with LS and again blew them away. Hughie Thomson was the man!

I have a ticket stub from the Spectrum dated the 16th of April 1976. Saw The Outlaws open for Skynyrd and you're right, they blew them off the stage. I was done seeing Skynyrd then, but I did see The Outlaws at least three times after that night. Could it be that we were at the same concert? Good chance, I'd say.


Also saw an Evening of Guitars and Sax at the Keswick 15 years ago or so. We were in about the 10th row and the 3 or 4 seats in front of us were empty, but the place appeared to be sold out. Craig Chaquico came down into the audience first and stood on two of the empty seats in front of us and played the whole song, Find Your Way Back, from Starship years. I could watch the seconds ticking on his Rolex.
Next up was Rick Braun, who started his set wireless and appeared from the lobby and worked his way down and again stopped and sat on the edge of the first empty seat in front of us and all but serenaded my wife with his opening tune.

You've seen a lot of great shows at The Keswick.

JohnMichael
06-21-2013, 10:11 AM
I forgot that I want to see Lucinda Williams.

Hyfi
06-21-2013, 10:25 AM
You've seen a lot of great shows at The Keswick.

Many good ones for sure. Over the last few years I saw King Crimson, Clarke, Wooten, Miller or SMV as well as Wooten with his own band twice.

Smokey
06-21-2013, 07:00 PM
To expand on Smokey's thread. What are your "Concert of a Lifetime" that you did attend.I have not attended too many concerts, but the most memorable one for me was Jethro Tull in Memphis around 1980. Don't remember the opening act, but when Ian Anderson hit the stage with his flute the whole place exploded.

Jack in Wilmington
06-22-2013, 05:16 AM
My Tull concerts have always been some of my favorites and usually the opening acts at these mega act concerts are forgettable. I've had Captain Beefhart open for Tull and Carmen. There's two opening acts that I don't remember.

We have a big three day outdoor concert going on here this weekend and the headline acts are Red Hot Chili Peppers and Tom Petty and 30 some other acts that I've never heard of and these kids think it is so great. This is soooo not Woodstock.

Swish
06-22-2013, 05:01 PM
Without thinking too hard about this one, so it might not be the ONE.....

I was all set to get tickets for Miles Davis at one of our awesome local venues, the Keswick Theater, and at the last minute something came up. We decided, oh well, we will see him next time around.

Miles died a week or two later and that was the last show he ever performed. Still kicking myself over that one.

I saw him in Wilkes-Barre at the Kirby Center weeks before he died, so this was the same tour. While I'm thrilled I got to see him live, he was a shadow of his former self. The show was mediocre at best, although still really cool to see Miles.

Swish
06-22-2013, 05:02 PM
I forgot that I want to see Lucinda Williams.

Saw her do a short set at the NOLA Jazz Fest back in 2001 (wasn't very good actually), then saw her in Harrisburg for an awesome show that lasted about 2 hours.

Swish
06-22-2013, 05:06 PM
Seeing Pavement live on their reunion tour was incredible, but I'm hoping to see the Replacements on their reunion tour might top that.

I've seen over 100 shows that I can recall (actually have a spreadsheet), and I keep adding to it every chance I get. It's really hard to say what would have been the best. My current bucket list is pretty short, but Neutral Milk Hotel and Leonard Cohen are on it.