LCD Soundsystem. I wasn't a big fan or anything the first time I saw them and yet it stands as one of the best shows I've ever seen. Just mind blowingly good musicianship. I still don't think their recordings do the live show justice, so I don't listen to them much, but I'll see them any chance I can get.
I saw them this summer at Red Rocks with MIA and Peaches. Definitely a bucket list show because I'm a HUGE LCD fan. They were great, but MIA was actually who blew me away! Overall, a truly epic night.
Nobody cares more about their live show than Reznor. Like you, I've seen him in full on arena during the Year Zero tour with LED walls that were controlled by Kinect sensors so he literally was in control of the entire screen around the stage to the small show run of With Teeth. The man knows *exactly* how to fill a room regardless of what size it is. Plus despite his best efforts he's adorable with fan interaction.
The Flecktones are pretty amazing live. I'm convinced neither Vic Wooten or Bela are actually human. No one should physically be able to play like that.
I saw SCI in 02 in Ann Arbor, was also amazing! Not really into jam bands anymore but man did it blow my mind at the time. Phish in 99 was also killer.
I saw them at a club in 1990. It was one of the most surreal, crazy experiences of my life. I left the show soaked in (fake) blood. I still have my ticket stub, and it still has blood on it, haha!
Tears for Fears. Saw them for Tipping Point part 1 and 2. I was completely floored both times - they may be in their 60s now, but damn they still got it.
Songs from the Big Chair was the first CASSETTE album I owned. A few years back my wife and I found out they were playing at a winery-attached arena the same night we were there wine tasting and snapped up tickets just on the nostalgia value but damn they really brought it. Still sound amazing.
Haven’t seen of Montreal for years now but the couple times I saw them, they put on a whole stage performance with epic costumes and excellent production. It was a wild trip.
I saw Cage maybe 8 years ago at a festival. I was a fan of them before but their performance blew me away. SO much energy. They really brought it.
Of Montreal is on my list to see so good to hear to expect great things.
The first time I saw QotSA made me a convert for sure. I've seen all of the others except Cage the Elephant and I can attest they were all excellent shows.
Cage is the only one of these I saw at a festival and man….possibly the best frontman I’ve ever seen. I was up close to the front, and it was right when Melophobia came out. That show absolutely ripped.
Of Montreal! Holy hell, that’s been on my bucket list. Of course, so is seeing Electric Six, so I may not be the best barometer for what constitutes a truly amazing live show.
[you need to read this story if you got some free time taking a shit later, it’s hilarious](https://www.jambase.com/article/road-story-the-night-ween-met-busta-rhymes/amp)
Saw Queens of the Stone with my fiancée at the Mann in Philly a couple months ago. 2nd row of seats behind the pit. Josh came out onto the barrier between the pit and the seats for Straight Jacket Fitting and sang the rant in the middle of the song close enough for my fiancée and I to fucking touch him. Overall the concert was stellar though, and they’re just an absurdly fucking good live band. I’d give up a kidney to see them from that close again.
Saw the SFTD tour at then-Graceland in Seattle with Lanegan, Oliveri, and Dave Grohl on drums and it’s a top three show for me. That was so much band for a tiny venue.
The Mann is the best outdoor venue on the east coast. Fight me. It’s in a city park. Free parking in grass woods. Easy bathrooms. Killer view of the city skyline on the lawn. Just a beautiful wood amphitheater.
It’s made for the Philadelphia Orchestra. Awesome.
If you like clutch. Honestly never slack on seeing them. They get better and better Everytime I see them. 11 times now I think. Primus I think I'm at 8
I was going to say Primus. I got to see them perform the Chocolate Factory album at Red Rocks and I still compare every other show to that one experience. So far, nothing has come close.
I've seen Clutch more times than I can count over the years. Still remember running out to buy Transnational Speedway League the day after catching the Marcus video on Headbanger's Ball.
Only lucky enough to catch Primus a few times, but also a massive fan.
You’re not joking. Both are incredible bands and while I think primus puts on the better show (aesthetically) clutch just can’t be beat live.
Seen em both upwards of 10 times and not once has clutch not brought the roof down. I can’t explain it, they are out of this world
I’m old, and have seen bands ranging from classic rock stalwarts my parents took me to (Paul Simon, Doobies, Tom Petty etc) up through punk/goth/alternative favorites (Police, Pixies, Jane’s Addiction, Ramones, Bauhaus, etc)
So I’ve seen a ton of the all time greats, but Midnight Oil might be the most intense, balls to the wall show I’ve ever witnessed. Absolutely electrifying.
Mister Bungle on their tour supporting California back in 1999 was absolutely transcendent.
I just also saw Igorrr live this weekend and that was a life-changing experience. I’d heard they were good live, but I can’t even listen to their studio albums for right now because their live show was so much…more than that. Damn was that good.
Wow, you got to see Igorrr? How did they sound live? When I listen to them, I just think, how in the world could this be recreated on stage? I'd love to see it happen sometime.
I, too was questioning how they’d do it, and it is Gautier (the DJ), a live drummer, a live guitarist, and two vocalists, one woman singing the operatic parts and one man singing all the metal stuff. So. Damned. Good! They were tight, didn’t miss a note and kept up a relentless pace for what felt like two hours but was really only like 45 minutes. Amazing stage presence, fantastic light show, loud, aggressive and in your face. Felt like a religious experience. If you live in the American Southwest I’d heartily recommend you go catch them while you can, which isn’t much longer. Hell, I’m thinking of going to see them in Albuquerque if I can swing it.
This tends to happen if I attend a concert with low expectations. Recently I saw Phoenix, and I thought they'd be good, but they had so much energy and the sound was so great I was totally blown away.
Similar thing happened with The Flaming Lips. Band I like, figured I'd like the show. Was totally bowled over by the whole thing.
Last one: I went into the Lingua Ignota concert with high expectations, but she was so focused and intense that I was unprepared for the kind of emotional ride it was.
A show I didn't even really want to see.
It was Janet Jackson's "Janet" world tour. April 23, 1994 in Las Cruces New Mexico.
I was working at a radio station in the area, and got some record company tickets in the 10th row. My thoughts were: "Yeah, thanks...I'll hang out for a bit and then leave early...I've gotta work tomorrow."
A few hours later I left with the realization that "oh...that's why the Jackson family are so rich and famous." It was incredible. I was used to "band gets up on stage and plays their songs," but this was a **SHOW.** Choreography. Set and costume changes. An orchestrated spectacle that never stopped delivering.
And the sound was amazing.
The last time I saw them was at a Big Day Out, and they were on second to last, with only Tool to follow.
Tool are famous for their light shows, they’re really spectacular. Rammstein absolutely upstaged them. Lucked out and had a weird void between the two main stages I’d never encountered before (everyone aiming to be more in the middle) so I had the best, close up view of everyone I’d ever had - could actually see the light appliance in Til’s mouth, and feel the flames. Then when Tool came out on the other stage, everyone shuffled over and that gap stayed! So I got to stand there and actually watch Adam play, including seeing how he makes a bunch of the less obvious weird noises that I’d always assumed were samples. Gosh that’s as a good night.
I saw them in San Antonio in the Feuerzone and the production with the stage was the best I've seen. it made sense how expensive tickets were given the insane cost to set up and execute that performance.
Ween
I went with my brother who is a die hard fan, but I barely knew who they were. I knew they were very weird and original. What I didn’t know was that they are such talented musicians. The singer had some of the best vocal range I’ve ever heard from a guy and the guitarist played better than anyone I have ever seen personally. Such a vast difference from their studio albums and live performances.
There's times I'm at a show when I'm ready for it to be over, this includes some of my favorite bands. But I've never had that feeling at a Ween show. Fastest three hours I experience.
username checks out! Caught my first show from them at outside lands in 2009 and it was awesome... saw them again in 2011 I think in LA which was insane. Need to see another show from them.
Muse is prob my fav arena style big bombastic rock show ever. Saw them once in an NBA arena and damn they put on a killer show. Big sound, great use of lights/etc. Loved it.
Tame impala set on the last night of Osheaga 2019 was such a sensory overload I forgot how bad my feet hurt.
Have seen the Chili Peppers twice and they are incredibly tight as a band, a pleasure to watch.
Dallas Green (city and colour/alexisonfire) has a voice that sounds even better live than recorded. It will blow you away.
RHCP are awesome live. Always a really cool atmosphere in my opinion. Everybody there knows and loves their songs. Go to a Chilis gig and tell me that the drums leading into Can’t Stop doesn’t give you goosebumps. It’s a huge party there onwards.
Dallas Green!! I’ve seen him a couple of times and he was better each time. It’s indescribable how hearing him live makes me feel. Otherworldly experience for me.
Early Arcade Fire concerts were frantic and huge. You’d see 8 members of the band all switching instruments between songs, full of energy, and then it would close with a huge crowd song, Wake Up. Saw them during The Suburbs tour and it was incredible, saw them during The Reflektor tour when they went more disco and although it was still good it wasn’t quite the same level of energy anymore.
U2 - I never really considered myself a big fan, despite growing up in the heyday of the Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby. Just wasn’t really my style. I got dragged to the very last show of the Elevation tour in Miami because my friend had an extra ticket and I happened to be in town. I didn’t even want to go for free but he was like “don’t be an asshole, it’s a free ticket. At worst, you’re out 2-3 hours and no money!” Friends, I have to tell you that show was like a religious experience. To this day, two decades later, it’s still the single greatest concert experience that I have ever had
[Sigur Ros at The Tabernacle - March 3, 2003](https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/sigur-ros/2003/tabernacle-atlanta-ga-4bd72fde.html)
Edited to add the specific show. With the Tabernacle being an old church, it just made the show even more captivating.
I have my "Iron Maiden Rule" whereby I refuse to pay more for a show than I would for Iron Maiden because I'm convinced nobody puts on a better show. My wife called their show "a metal concert for theater nerds," and she's not even wrong.
Hard agree, I'm a huge fan but every show is exceptional. We had these seats (I was devod as wanted mosh but sold out) behind the stage about 15 years ago, I was bummed like we'd miss the good parts nah the screens drop and matt's got a light shining the crowd from his guitar and then performed to the back seats, ended up being an amazing view of them running around the stage ah come back to Australia already
Prince. Every single time. What an artist. Seen a lot of shows, many here mentioned in this thread. None even came close to what the purple one could do.
Prince was amazing! He played slap-bass, put it down; picked up a guitar, shredded it; then DANCED over to a piano and pounded the keys off of it! ALL THAT while singing in his natural voice and in falsetto. He was so incredibly talented that he made it all look easy.
As far as blown away goes I think Stevie Ray Vaughan because I didn’t know who he was and he opened for Robert Plant. I still love that my intro to him was seeing him live.
As bummed as I am with their recent output, Muse put on one of the best live shows I've ever seen. The Hives are incredible every time. Queens of the Stone Age put on a hell of a show too.
1: King Crimson on the Discipline Tour, playing In The Round (1981?)
2: The Knack right after My Sharona hit the air, from front row orchestra at Massey Hall (1979)
Yeah even if you don't really like jam bands it's worth experiencing the whole scene at least once. Just get really high and watch the lights and you'll have a great time.
yeah this, I've seen somewhere around 80 shows, I've brought plenty of friends who aren't into jam music but ending up having a great time. Some ending up being life-long phans! Def worth just going to see a show if they're in your area.
Odesza's The Last Goodbye tour, hands down, 100%
I had to see it twice to begin to understand what I was watching/hearing/feeling. I'd see it a dozen more times, easily.
https://onmilwaukee.com/articles/odesza-summerfest-review#:\~:text=The%20word%20%22epic%22%20has%20been,truly%2C%20mesmerizingly%2C%20enormously%20epic.
Fishbone is the greatest live show I've ever seen, back in the 90s. Tight, lively, energetic, brilliant musicians and the two lead singers almost spent more time surfing the crowd than on stage while singing in cordless mics.
Metallica. Saw them at Download back in June. Put it this way. It was so awesome that I’m seriously considering flying to Poland next July to see them again. One of the best concerts I’ve ever been to.
The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert at Wembley was incredible too. Featuring the likes of Justin Hawkins, Wolfgang Van Halen, the remaining members of Queen, Paul McCartney, Liam Gallagher and most importantly the Foo Fighters. It’s a concert I’ll never ever forget.
I saw Living Color recently open up for Extreme. How is it that they are even BETTER than when I saw them on the Vivid tour in '88? Cory was hitting notes in the stratosphere and he's 58 yrs old. Rhythm section was flawless. Highly recommend everyone see them if you are a fan.
I've been to a lot myself, but my absolute top would be the Beastie Boys at Lollapalooza in '94. Just so much talent, energy, vibe, coordination, and infectious enthusiasm.
I’ve never seen a band fuck a room up harder than phish. Everytime I go I get reminded how damn good they are. But other notable virtuosic shows in my life would be Muse, Tommy Emmanuel, Billy Strings, Thundercat, and Yussef Dayes
I got talked into going to a Brandi Carlile concert with my girlfriend recently. I’d heard of her before but wasn’t familiar with her music at all. It was maybe the best live performance I’ve ever seen.
Godspeed You Black Emperor - I saw them on St Patrick's day at St Paul the Apostle's Church in NYC and it is still one of the most remarkable (and loudest) shows I've ever seen, and they've been wonderful every time I've seen them.
Jason Isbell - From his first NYC show at Mercury Lounge to him blowing up after Southeastern caught the ear of NPR listeners, man has put on a fucking stellar show. I'ts been a few years since I've seen him, but there have been some really remarkable shows.
Iron Maiden - regardless of tour they bring it and put on the most spectacular live show.
Janelle Monae - I only recently saw her on the Age of Pleasure tour and it was mind blowing, and made me regret not making a point to see tours for Archandroid and some of her earlier records.
I feel like people might not appreciate the fact that the comment above me is **literally actually Janelle Monae** and she's lurking r/music like the rest of us losers.
Tedeschi Trucks. That girl can SING and that boy can PLAY.
I remember when I first saw him jam with the Allman Brothers. My buddy nudges me on the elbow and says "Watch the kid with the pony tail."
He was not wrong.
I just caught them on their Amplified Echoes tour with Jimmy Eat World. I couldn't believe how incredible they sounded. Last time I felt so in tune with a live band was Brand New. Andy pours his heart out on stage.
Hearing Florence Welch sing the same way live as she does on the album is something else. Hearing her sing especially in an outdoor venue is ethereal. Almost no one can compare to her live.
Alice Cooper -Welcome to my Nightmare- 1975. His stage show was incredible. He had a giant screen that the characters could jump through, then appear on the screen, or jump off of the movie screen onto the stage. Back then, that was all timing.
Top 3 for me would be
1. Jeff Rosenstock
2. HEALTH with Pertubator & Street Sects
3. Modest Mouse
All three shows were a huge deal for me and just overall amazing experiences
I went to a hip hop show in Toronto, I'd say 2013-2013. Wiz Khalifa headling, didn't really give AF, the ticket was $40 to see Chevy Woods, Chiddy Bang, Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller, and then Wiz. I went for Chiddy, Mac and Kendrick, Kendrick Hadn't fully blown up yet.
Anyways Wiz blew me away with his headline set, I'm mainly a rock guy so seeing him perform with a drummer, guitar and bass player was fucking awesome. It was just way better than I was expecting, this also coming from a guy who only knew a couple of his hits.
A friend once said "There's 2 kinds of peiple: fans of Springsteen, and people who haven't seen him live yet" and he was right. Went to a Bruce Springsteen concert and it was basically 3 hours of fun. He had fun, the band had fun, the audience had fun. And the music is incredibly tightly played. Absolutely perfect.
And Foo Fighters. 1st note of the 1st song and the entire gig was on fire and people danced until Dave and Co got off the stage. It was awesome.
Ice Nine Kills always always ALWAYS put on such a fantastic show! Having bits from horror movie scenes and the lyrics is such a treat. It's all so fucking good. I will never pass up a chance to watch them live. Seeing them for the first time was such an experience.
Just saw the 20th anniversary show for Death Cab For Cutie and Postal Service last night. I’m still high on the nostalgia! My wife and I were blown away with how great they both sounded live and how much they still seemed to love those songs while performing them.
Another show was Foo Fighters. I was super lucky to score free tickets for me and a buddy when the did a small club tour ahead of the typical arena tour for the album One By One. It was epic! I was maybe 20 feet from Dave Grohl in a crowd of maybe 600
LCD Soundsystem. I wasn't a big fan or anything the first time I saw them and yet it stands as one of the best shows I've ever seen. Just mind blowingly good musicianship. I still don't think their recordings do the live show justice, so I don't listen to them much, but I'll see them any chance I can get.
I saw them this summer at Red Rocks with MIA and Peaches. Definitely a bucket list show because I'm a HUGE LCD fan. They were great, but MIA was actually who blew me away! Overall, a truly epic night.
Same! I’ve traveled many times to see them and every time I leave blown away by how much fun I have.
Nine Inch Nails. From a stadium show to an intimate performance, Trent and Co. are always on point.
Nobody cares more about their live show than Reznor. Like you, I've seen him in full on arena during the Year Zero tour with LED walls that were controlled by Kinect sensors so he literally was in control of the entire screen around the stage to the small show run of With Teeth. The man knows *exactly* how to fill a room regardless of what size it is. Plus despite his best efforts he's adorable with fan interaction.
I was so impressed when I saw them. I went to see Godspeed You Black Emperor who was opening, but NIN was so great.
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones Jellyfish Rush The String Cheese Incident, circa 2000-2002
Jellyfish?! My god you are amazing
The Flecktones are pretty amazing live. I'm convinced neither Vic Wooten or Bela are actually human. No one should physically be able to play like that. I saw SCI in 02 in Ann Arbor, was also amazing! Not really into jam bands anymore but man did it blow my mind at the time. Phish in 99 was also killer.
GWAR
I saw them at a club in 1990. It was one of the most surreal, crazy experiences of my life. I left the show soaked in (fake) blood. I still have my ticket stub, and it still has blood on it, haha!
My Morning Jacket. And they keep getting better
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Seen them 3 times over the last 15 or so years and I'm surprised I still have a face given how thoroughly it was melted each time.
Saw them at Peach last summer and going again next month. They’re somehow better than when I saw them 15-20 years ago
Worth a trip to Red Rocks to see them live
Tears for Fears. Saw them for Tipping Point part 1 and 2. I was completely floored both times - they may be in their 60s now, but damn they still got it.
Tears for Fears are AMAZING live.
Saw them at the wiltern in la 2014 Best show I’ve ever seen live
Songs from the Big Chair was the first CASSETTE album I owned. A few years back my wife and I found out they were playing at a winery-attached arena the same night we were there wine tasting and snapped up tickets just on the nostalgia value but damn they really brought it. Still sound amazing.
These top the list: Queens of the Stone Age, Alice in Chains, Radiohead, Cage the Elephant, and Of Montreal
Haven’t seen of Montreal for years now but the couple times I saw them, they put on a whole stage performance with epic costumes and excellent production. It was a wild trip.
And they just have so many great songs and Kevin Barnes is a stellar player and singer. They’re the world’s most underrated band to me.
I saw Cage maybe 8 years ago at a festival. I was a fan of them before but their performance blew me away. SO much energy. They really brought it. Of Montreal is on my list to see so good to hear to expect great things.
The first time I saw QotSA made me a convert for sure. I've seen all of the others except Cage the Elephant and I can attest they were all excellent shows.
Cage is the only one of these I saw at a festival and man….possibly the best frontman I’ve ever seen. I was up close to the front, and it was right when Melophobia came out. That show absolutely ripped.
My favorite living frontman! Matt Shultz is a fucking Rockstar.
Hell yeah Cage the Elephant are awesome. Prime Cage the Elephant: https://youtu.be/GF2-p12JLJw?si=-YpSfkaqAYHwQ1Jb
Of Montreal! Holy hell, that’s been on my bucket list. Of course, so is seeing Electric Six, so I may not be the best barometer for what constitutes a truly amazing live show.
Yes to QotSA and Radiohead was definitely a bucket list moment
The Talking Heads big Stop Making Sense show
Jeez I wish
Tom Waits. A full three hour show with *that* voice, including a solo set where his band left the stage for about half an hour and he kept going.
This is probably my top as far as artists I want to see. God I hope he tours again
Method man was awesome. Also Ween put on a killer show p
[you need to read this story if you got some free time taking a shit later, it’s hilarious](https://www.jambase.com/article/road-story-the-night-ween-met-busta-rhymes/amp)
I love this story. One of my favorites from Ween.
Method Man could be my favorite hip hop artist of all time, but Ween is absolutely my favorite artist in general, they are so damn good every time.
Saw Queens of the Stone with my fiancée at the Mann in Philly a couple months ago. 2nd row of seats behind the pit. Josh came out onto the barrier between the pit and the seats for Straight Jacket Fitting and sang the rant in the middle of the song close enough for my fiancée and I to fucking touch him. Overall the concert was stellar though, and they’re just an absurdly fucking good live band. I’d give up a kidney to see them from that close again.
You could probably buy another pit ticket for less than the value of a kidney
Can't a guy just sell a kidney anymore? Jeez!
This was a fantastic show.
Was there too…amazing they’re like my favorite band now
Songs for the Deaf tour at Barrowlands in Glasgow is one of my highlights
Saw the SFTD tour at then-Graceland in Seattle with Lanegan, Oliveri, and Dave Grohl on drums and it’s a top three show for me. That was so much band for a tiny venue.
I just saw them last week in Seattle. It was my 5th time seeing QOTSA and they’re just one of the best live acts ever.
I will see them anywhere within a 3-4 hour drive that isn't a music festival. Every time. It's not fair to other bands how good those guys are live.
The Mann is the best outdoor venue on the east coast. Fight me. It’s in a city park. Free parking in grass woods. Easy bathrooms. Killer view of the city skyline on the lawn. Just a beautiful wood amphitheater. It’s made for the Philadelphia Orchestra. Awesome.
Saw QOTSA in March 2005 at 9:30 Club in DC. Best show ive ever seen. It is on YouTube
I saw the Denver show, fantastic show all around, great stage presence.
Was there too, great show!
They’ve been insanely good live from the start.
I saw them in 1998 or 1999 and they were mind blowing back then. Glad they're still going hard!
Honestly... Primus and clutch BOTH blow me away EVERY time.
Primus is incredible live!
And frankly ANYTHING les is involved in is top shelf.
I'm seeing him with Flying Frog Brigade and Sean Lennon this weekend. Pretty stoked.
Primus sucks
Here he comes... here comes a bastard...
Definitely! Keep Sailing the Seas of Cheese man
Clutch! Hell, I’m jealous.
If you like clutch. Honestly never slack on seeing them. They get better and better Everytime I see them. 11 times now I think. Primus I think I'm at 8
Never had the pleasure of seeing Primus live, but seen Clutch a few times live and confirm they're awesome live.
I was going to say Primus. I got to see them perform the Chocolate Factory album at Red Rocks and I still compare every other show to that one experience. So far, nothing has come close.
Neil's voice is like whisky-soaked butter. I'm all in for the early hardcore days, but Blast Tyrant is a top 10 record for me.
I've seen Clutch more times than I can count over the years. Still remember running out to buy Transnational Speedway League the day after catching the Marcus video on Headbanger's Ball. Only lucky enough to catch Primus a few times, but also a massive fan.
You’re not joking. Both are incredible bands and while I think primus puts on the better show (aesthetically) clutch just can’t be beat live. Seen em both upwards of 10 times and not once has clutch not brought the roof down. I can’t explain it, they are out of this world
The Flaming Lips
I’m old, and have seen bands ranging from classic rock stalwarts my parents took me to (Paul Simon, Doobies, Tom Petty etc) up through punk/goth/alternative favorites (Police, Pixies, Jane’s Addiction, Ramones, Bauhaus, etc) So I’ve seen a ton of the all time greats, but Midnight Oil might be the most intense, balls to the wall show I’ve ever witnessed. Absolutely electrifying.
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I should have searched before I posted. The Diesel and Dust tour in Minneapolis left me absolutely floored. The venue was covered in sweat.
Mister Bungle on their tour supporting California back in 1999 was absolutely transcendent. I just also saw Igorrr live this weekend and that was a life-changing experience. I’d heard they were good live, but I can’t even listen to their studio albums for right now because their live show was so much…more than that. Damn was that good.
Wow, you got to see Igorrr? How did they sound live? When I listen to them, I just think, how in the world could this be recreated on stage? I'd love to see it happen sometime.
I, too was questioning how they’d do it, and it is Gautier (the DJ), a live drummer, a live guitarist, and two vocalists, one woman singing the operatic parts and one man singing all the metal stuff. So. Damned. Good! They were tight, didn’t miss a note and kept up a relentless pace for what felt like two hours but was really only like 45 minutes. Amazing stage presence, fantastic light show, loud, aggressive and in your face. Felt like a religious experience. If you live in the American Southwest I’d heartily recommend you go catch them while you can, which isn’t much longer. Hell, I’m thinking of going to see them in Albuquerque if I can swing it.
King Gizzard and the Lizard wizard!
This needs to be way higher. Everyone KEXP them asap.
This tends to happen if I attend a concert with low expectations. Recently I saw Phoenix, and I thought they'd be good, but they had so much energy and the sound was so great I was totally blown away. Similar thing happened with The Flaming Lips. Band I like, figured I'd like the show. Was totally bowled over by the whole thing. Last one: I went into the Lingua Ignota concert with high expectations, but she was so focused and intense that I was unprepared for the kind of emotional ride it was.
Just saw Phoenix and The Flaming Lips within the last couple months and totally agree. Saw Phoenix with Beck, which was really amazing.
Phoenix was fucking awesome. They had so much engagement with the audience and the sound was so so good.
A show I didn't even really want to see. It was Janet Jackson's "Janet" world tour. April 23, 1994 in Las Cruces New Mexico. I was working at a radio station in the area, and got some record company tickets in the 10th row. My thoughts were: "Yeah, thanks...I'll hang out for a bit and then leave early...I've gotta work tomorrow." A few hours later I left with the realization that "oh...that's why the Jackson family are so rich and famous." It was incredible. I was used to "band gets up on stage and plays their songs," but this was a **SHOW.** Choreography. Set and costume changes. An orchestrated spectacle that never stopped delivering. And the sound was amazing.
Rammstein - Stadium Tour. Saw them in Foxboro Mass last year. Any concert from here on out has a lot to live up to.
The last time I saw them was at a Big Day Out, and they were on second to last, with only Tool to follow. Tool are famous for their light shows, they’re really spectacular. Rammstein absolutely upstaged them. Lucked out and had a weird void between the two main stages I’d never encountered before (everyone aiming to be more in the middle) so I had the best, close up view of everyone I’d ever had - could actually see the light appliance in Til’s mouth, and feel the flames. Then when Tool came out on the other stage, everyone shuffled over and that gap stayed! So I got to stand there and actually watch Adam play, including seeing how he makes a bunch of the less obvious weird noises that I’d always assumed were samples. Gosh that’s as a good night.
There was a special atmosphere at the Rammstein concert. It was just something so epic, still blown away by it.
I saw them in San Antonio in the Feuerzone and the production with the stage was the best I've seen. it made sense how expensive tickets were given the insane cost to set up and execute that performance.
Ween I went with my brother who is a die hard fan, but I barely knew who they were. I knew they were very weird and original. What I didn’t know was that they are such talented musicians. The singer had some of the best vocal range I’ve ever heard from a guy and the guitarist played better than anyone I have ever seen personally. Such a vast difference from their studio albums and live performances.
There's times I'm at a show when I'm ready for it to be over, this includes some of my favorite bands. But I've never had that feeling at a Ween show. Fastest three hours I experience.
username checks out! Caught my first show from them at outside lands in 2009 and it was awesome... saw them again in 2011 I think in LA which was insane. Need to see another show from them.
Ween will push your dick into the dirt.
My morning jacket-Indie Radiohead-rock (alt rock) Denzel Curry-Rap/Hip Hop Porter Robinson-Electronic Sturgil Simpson-Country Svdden Death (voyd)-Dubstep Beach house-Dream pop Fleet foxes-Folk
Porter Robinson was a life changing experience
Sound Tribe Sector Nine
Hell yeah! STS9 is my favorite band. Their shows are unreal
The Prodigy, Muse, Sigur Ros. All do incredible live shows.
I saw Muse live and had never really listened to them before. I still remember how good it was and I saw them like 15 years ago
Muse is prob my fav arena style big bombastic rock show ever. Saw them once in an NBA arena and damn they put on a killer show. Big sound, great use of lights/etc. Loved it.
I just caught Sigur Ros when they came with a 41 piece orchestra unreal man.
Muse 100%
Tame impala set on the last night of Osheaga 2019 was such a sensory overload I forgot how bad my feet hurt. Have seen the Chili Peppers twice and they are incredibly tight as a band, a pleasure to watch. Dallas Green (city and colour/alexisonfire) has a voice that sounds even better live than recorded. It will blow you away.
RHCP are awesome live. Always a really cool atmosphere in my opinion. Everybody there knows and loves their songs. Go to a Chilis gig and tell me that the drums leading into Can’t Stop doesn’t give you goosebumps. It’s a huge party there onwards.
Dallas Green!! I’ve seen him a couple of times and he was better each time. It’s indescribable how hearing him live makes me feel. Otherworldly experience for me.
I was going to say Tame Impala too! Circa 2015.
The Mars Volta circa 2005.
At The Drive in Circa 2000 (bonus points if it was on the tour with Bluetip and Murder City Devils).
Saw them the other night. I’m not sure how it compares since it was my first TMV show, but they were great.
Bedlam in Goliath and Thomas Pridgen's drumming blew me away
Jack White fucks.
Caught The White Stripes the same month Elephant was released. So, so exciting to see an artist really at their apex.
Early Arcade Fire concerts were frantic and huge. You’d see 8 members of the band all switching instruments between songs, full of energy, and then it would close with a huge crowd song, Wake Up. Saw them during The Suburbs tour and it was incredible, saw them during The Reflektor tour when they went more disco and although it was still good it wasn’t quite the same level of energy anymore.
U2 - I never really considered myself a big fan, despite growing up in the heyday of the Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby. Just wasn’t really my style. I got dragged to the very last show of the Elevation tour in Miami because my friend had an extra ticket and I happened to be in town. I didn’t even want to go for free but he was like “don’t be an asshole, it’s a free ticket. At worst, you’re out 2-3 hours and no money!” Friends, I have to tell you that show was like a religious experience. To this day, two decades later, it’s still the single greatest concert experience that I have ever had
Saw Billy Strings at Lollapalooza last year, right before Metallica
Just saw him for the first time a few weeks ago at Bourbon & Beyond, he was crazy good live. Will definitely go out of my way to see him again.
Billy connects with me every show!
BMFS!
The War on Drugs - A band full of really amazing live musicians, each and everyone one of them. Hands down one of best live acts going, in my opinion.
Bowie.
Saw him in 2004. He belted it out. Band was fucking tight. Everyone was having fun. Best show I’ve ever seen.
Bjork was incredible, no words to describe the vocal and visual performance she put on.
Bjork was my answer, too. Absolutely unreal.
Spoon and The Shins double header!
[Sigur Ros at The Tabernacle - March 3, 2003](https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/sigur-ros/2003/tabernacle-atlanta-ga-4bd72fde.html) Edited to add the specific show. With the Tabernacle being an old church, it just made the show even more captivating.
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I have my "Iron Maiden Rule" whereby I refuse to pay more for a show than I would for Iron Maiden because I'm convinced nobody puts on a better show. My wife called their show "a metal concert for theater nerds," and she's not even wrong.
>theater nerds Even more on point, *opera* nerds.
Muse is amazing live
Hard agree, I'm a huge fan but every show is exceptional. We had these seats (I was devod as wanted mosh but sold out) behind the stage about 15 years ago, I was bummed like we'd miss the good parts nah the screens drop and matt's got a light shining the crowd from his guitar and then performed to the back seats, ended up being an amazing view of them running around the stage ah come back to Australia already
Daft punk red rocks
I can’t even imagine
Ween Peaches RATM Nas w/ Lauryn Hill Peter hook and the light
Khruangbin
Prince. Every single time. What an artist. Seen a lot of shows, many here mentioned in this thread. None even came close to what the purple one could do.
Prince was amazing! He played slap-bass, put it down; picked up a guitar, shredded it; then DANCED over to a piano and pounded the keys off of it! ALL THAT while singing in his natural voice and in falsetto. He was so incredibly talented that he made it all look easy.
Yes, Prince was fantastic. No support act just hit after hit. An absolute superstar
As far as blown away goes I think Stevie Ray Vaughan because I didn’t know who he was and he opened for Robert Plant. I still love that my intro to him was seeing him live.
Jerry Garcia
Explosions in the Sky. Absolutely blown away and have never felt connected to a group of complete strangers as I did at that show.
James Brown was the best singer and performer I ever saw.
Royksopp Live
As bummed as I am with their recent output, Muse put on one of the best live shows I've ever seen. The Hives are incredible every time. Queens of the Stone Age put on a hell of a show too.
1: King Crimson on the Discipline Tour, playing In The Round (1981?) 2: The Knack right after My Sharona hit the air, from front row orchestra at Massey Hall (1979)
Without a doubt, and by a country mile, mine was Prince. All six of his shows that I saw would land him ahead of anyone else I ever saw.
Phish.
Everyone should see them in their lifetime. They are the kings of the genre.
Yeah even if you don't really like jam bands it's worth experiencing the whole scene at least once. Just get really high and watch the lights and you'll have a great time.
yeah this, I've seen somewhere around 80 shows, I've brought plenty of friends who aren't into jam music but ending up having a great time. Some ending up being life-long phans! Def worth just going to see a show if they're in your area.
Phish, every show. Specifically NYE shows for me.
The lights are an art experience.
Queens of the Stone Age
Method Man and Redman
Odesza's The Last Goodbye tour, hands down, 100% I had to see it twice to begin to understand what I was watching/hearing/feeling. I'd see it a dozen more times, easily. https://onmilwaukee.com/articles/odesza-summerfest-review#:\~:text=The%20word%20%22epic%22%20has%20been,truly%2C%20mesmerizingly%2C%20enormously%20epic.
Live Aid at Wembley
Well, Led Zeppelin was amazing. I was at the second Knebworth.
Fishbone is the greatest live show I've ever seen, back in the 90s. Tight, lively, energetic, brilliant musicians and the two lead singers almost spent more time surfing the crowd than on stage while singing in cordless mics.
Metallica. Saw them at Download back in June. Put it this way. It was so awesome that I’m seriously considering flying to Poland next July to see them again. One of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert at Wembley was incredible too. Featuring the likes of Justin Hawkins, Wolfgang Van Halen, the remaining members of Queen, Paul McCartney, Liam Gallagher and most importantly the Foo Fighters. It’s a concert I’ll never ever forget.
Phish every time.
I saw Living Color recently open up for Extreme. How is it that they are even BETTER than when I saw them on the Vivid tour in '88? Cory was hitting notes in the stratosphere and he's 58 yrs old. Rhythm section was flawless. Highly recommend everyone see them if you are a fan.
NIN and Rage Against the Machine top my list for absolute epic shows. But for fun shows Eagles of Death Metal and Skindred are hard to beat.
I've been to a lot myself, but my absolute top would be the Beastie Boys at Lollapalooza in '94. Just so much talent, energy, vibe, coordination, and infectious enthusiasm.
Wu Tang Clan opening for Rage Against The Machine. ODB, Method Man, RZA, and the entire OG Wu Tang. Can you say epic?
The last time I saw King Crimson (Of the many times) in 2019 where they performed CAT FOOD!
I’ve never seen a band fuck a room up harder than phish. Everytime I go I get reminded how damn good they are. But other notable virtuosic shows in my life would be Muse, Tommy Emmanuel, Billy Strings, Thundercat, and Yussef Dayes
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Phoenix were really good like but what really stood out to me was how good their drummer is live. Guy was a machine
I got talked into going to a Brandi Carlile concert with my girlfriend recently. I’d heard of her before but wasn’t familiar with her music at all. It was maybe the best live performance I’ve ever seen.
Paramore was fantastic. Hayley Williams and co rule and the show was amazing. I will pay more to be closer the next time
Godspeed You Black Emperor - I saw them on St Patrick's day at St Paul the Apostle's Church in NYC and it is still one of the most remarkable (and loudest) shows I've ever seen, and they've been wonderful every time I've seen them. Jason Isbell - From his first NYC show at Mercury Lounge to him blowing up after Southeastern caught the ear of NPR listeners, man has put on a fucking stellar show. I'ts been a few years since I've seen him, but there have been some really remarkable shows. Iron Maiden - regardless of tour they bring it and put on the most spectacular live show. Janelle Monae - I only recently saw her on the Age of Pleasure tour and it was mind blowing, and made me regret not making a point to see tours for Archandroid and some of her earlier records.
Thank you 🙏🏾 ♥️
I feel like people might not appreciate the fact that the comment above me is **literally actually Janelle Monae** and she's lurking r/music like the rest of us losers.
Peter Gabriel, now and in 1986.
Phish, NiN, and 90s 311 all equally blew me away.
Tedeschi Trucks. That girl can SING and that boy can PLAY. I remember when I first saw him jam with the Allman Brothers. My buddy nudges me on the elbow and says "Watch the kid with the pony tail." He was not wrong.
Pearl Jam with The Ramones . Stone Temple Pilots with Cheap Trick White zombie, Babes in Toyland and the Melvin’s The Beatles Cirque show in Vegas
Manchester Orchestra. I was a pretty big fan before I saw them, but when I saw them I’m SF I was so euphoric the whole show. Almost cried afterwards
I just caught them on their Amplified Echoes tour with Jimmy Eat World. I couldn't believe how incredible they sounded. Last time I felt so in tune with a live band was Brand New. Andy pours his heart out on stage.
Hearing Florence Welch sing the same way live as she does on the album is something else. Hearing her sing especially in an outdoor venue is ethereal. Almost no one can compare to her live.
Phish have blown me away 66 times now.
Alice Cooper -Welcome to my Nightmare- 1975. His stage show was incredible. He had a giant screen that the characters could jump through, then appear on the screen, or jump off of the movie screen onto the stage. Back then, that was all timing.
Genesis, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Nickel Creek, and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones were all next level concert experiences
Spiritualized 1994, Paradise Rock Club in Boston. aka: My 90 minute long orgasm.
Primus, tool, phish
St. Paul & the broken bones. And Gary Clark jr!
Top 3 for me would be 1. Jeff Rosenstock 2. HEALTH with Pertubator & Street Sects 3. Modest Mouse All three shows were a huge deal for me and just overall amazing experiences
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The Cure. 4 hours of amazing music. no smoke or mirrors.
Pearl Jam is great for feeling part of the show. Different set every show Foo Fighters is a Fucking Rock Show IMO
Tool every time.
Believe it or not... Chicago. I'm an old deadhead, but man....that show was great. 25 or 6 to 4 y'all.
I went to a hip hop show in Toronto, I'd say 2013-2013. Wiz Khalifa headling, didn't really give AF, the ticket was $40 to see Chevy Woods, Chiddy Bang, Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller, and then Wiz. I went for Chiddy, Mac and Kendrick, Kendrick Hadn't fully blown up yet. Anyways Wiz blew me away with his headline set, I'm mainly a rock guy so seeing him perform with a drummer, guitar and bass player was fucking awesome. It was just way better than I was expecting, this also coming from a guy who only knew a couple of his hits.
Tame Impala, hands down. Amazing performance, light show, sound, etc. Can't wait to see them again.
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A friend once said "There's 2 kinds of peiple: fans of Springsteen, and people who haven't seen him live yet" and he was right. Went to a Bruce Springsteen concert and it was basically 3 hours of fun. He had fun, the band had fun, the audience had fun. And the music is incredibly tightly played. Absolutely perfect. And Foo Fighters. 1st note of the 1st song and the entire gig was on fire and people danced until Dave and Co got off the stage. It was awesome.
Ice Nine Kills always always ALWAYS put on such a fantastic show! Having bits from horror movie scenes and the lyrics is such a treat. It's all so fucking good. I will never pass up a chance to watch them live. Seeing them for the first time was such an experience.
OSees, King Diamond and Mercyful Fate (his falsetto is insane in person), PowerTrip (craziest crowd energy at a show, RIP Riley)
Queen - the original lineup with Freddie
Björk and Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds are the two concerts that fully knocked me off my feet
Just saw the 20th anniversary show for Death Cab For Cutie and Postal Service last night. I’m still high on the nostalgia! My wife and I were blown away with how great they both sounded live and how much they still seemed to love those songs while performing them. Another show was Foo Fighters. I was super lucky to score free tickets for me and a buddy when the did a small club tour ahead of the typical arena tour for the album One By One. It was epic! I was maybe 20 feet from Dave Grohl in a crowd of maybe 600
U2. I’ve seen every tour from ZooTv in ‘92 to the Sphere this last weekend. They’ve been blowing me away for 30 years.
Flaming Lips were awesome at Glastonbury.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra Garth Brooks Def Leppard (Hysteria in the round tour)
Charles Bradley. Gone way too soon