Top 3 Concert Moments

[Gugny]

Not to be confused with your top 3 concerts, I'd like to see your top 3 concert moments:

 

1. Watching Jimmy Page walk up the side of the stage at the start of his first set. (RPI Field House, Troy, NY - 1987)

2. Hearing "You wanted the best, and you got the best ... the hottest band in the world ... KISS!!" (Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY - 1996)

3. "Then She Did" performed by a newly reunited Jane's Addiction (with Flea on bass, however). (Brandeis University, Mass. - 1997)

[Buftex]

1- McCartney opening up with "Can't Buy Me Love"....would have been the greatest live music moment for me, ever, if he stopped after that one song. (1989, Madison Square Garden)

2-Joe Strummer inivites the surging audience up on stage for a rip-roaring rowdy version of "Brand New Cadillac"...it sort of turned into a rumble...i was in the midst...snatched a few Clash souveneers during the melee (CNE stadium- Toronto, 1982)

 

3- My buddy Bruce, a songwriter, playing a song he had just written that day, playing it in front of about 40 people, and everyone in the place kind of stunned afterwards, cuz they knew he had written a classic...it took about 10 years, but Tim McGraw and Faith Hill recorded his song, "Angry All the Time", and it made Bruce some filthy amounts of money... (1992 Austin, TX- Cactus Cafe)

Edited April 26, 2013 by Buftex

[IDBillzFan]

1. Sitting at a bar at the House of Blues, listening to Tony Bennett sing "When Joanna Loved Me" without a mic.

 

2. Sitting front row while John Hiatt tells an audience how he loved his career, but often wished he was better looking like Tom Jones so women would throw their underwear at him, only to have my wife stand up, slip off her bra and throw it to him on the stage.

 

3. Watching Harry Chapin perform "A Better Place To Be" live in Rochester a few weeks before he died.

[Chef Jim]

1. Bob Seger at Superfest at Rich Stadium. During Alto Reed's sax solo we couldn't see him on stage. Someone pointed up and he was standing on top of the speakers. Crazy ****.

 

2. Yes also at Superfest. A frisbee hit Chris Squire's bass and man did that make a sound and also pissed him off.

 

3. Lynyrd Skynyrd at the Aud. Ronnie van Zant was standing at the edge of the stage leaning over, one hand on the mic the other halfway down the mic stand. Some guy jumped up and tried to get his hat off his head. Ronnie, without skipping a beat hit the guy in the jaw with the bottom of the mic stand. Fantastic!!

[JÂy RÛßeÒ]

Saw Live at The Icon in Buffalo just days after Throwing Copper came out (meaning before they started playing big arenas) - at the end of what was an AMAZING show the drummer threw his sticks into the crowd, one of which hit me square on the bridge of my nose. Pretty nasty cut, and someone else grabbed the stick.

 

2nd concert ever (at 14 years old) - KISS opened their Love Gun tour in 1977 at the Forum in Halifax Nova Scotia. Cheap Trick opened. Took almost an hour between bands, but when the lights finally did go down it was just a complete sensory overload with the crowd going crazy, the flames, stage show, and of course they were really loud.

 

Rush Vapor Trails tour at the War Memorial here in Rochester, the day after my 40th birthday, 2nd row seats in front of Geddy Lee. Felt the music more than heard it.

 

Van Halen Women & Children First tour in Dallas TX - I remember someone threw a joint up on stage. David Lee Roth stopped the show, held it up and when every spotlight in the place was on it he asked "What the !@#$ is this?!?!?!" He lit it up there on stage. Forgot lyrics for the rest of the night

 

Sorry, that was 4 concert moments.

Edited April 26, 2013 by JÂy RÛßeÒ

[shrader]

I really can't come up with three, but the one sticking out to me right now was a few years ago where I was in the first row for an Alice in Chains concert. Yeah, Layne Staley was long since dead, but I haven't been even remotely close to the stage for any other show in my life.

 

I'm not sure if that fits your concert moment criteria, but the whole thing really does boil down to that one simple fact.

Edited April 26, 2013 by shrader

[DC Tom]

1) Eric Johnson covering "And The Wind Cries Mary" at the Tralf.

2) Michael Camilo bringing the crowd to their feet, playing "Tropical Jam" with the NSO at the Kennedy Center.

3) Yes, seriously...high school Chorale, during a concert the lights go out right at the start of a 16-bar piano interlude. Pitch black, no one can see a thing. Piano player doesn't miss a beat, I'm thinking "No big deal, I know my mark...I hope everyone else does." Sixteen bars later, still pitch black, about 70 high school kids simultaneously hit their notes perfectly. Lights come back on, everyone's completely in sync. That, as a sixteen year old kid, was my introduction to the difference between "amateur" and "professional".

[ChevyVanMiller]

1.) Hearing Roger Waters say, "This one was written when I was the young, fuc*ed up, Roger of Pink Floyd," during The Wall tour a few years back.

2.) Watching Neil Young kick in the bass drum after he introduced "Down By The River" as, "A song I wrote one night when I let the dark side take control" during the "Old Ways" tour (which was all country songs, except for that one moment)

3.) Watching Rickie Lee Jones' band jump off stage and rock the crowd up and down the aisles at Shea's after the singer stumbled off-stage drunk, Jack daniel's bottle in hand, and didn't return for 45 full-minutes.

[Best Player Available]

Loads of them. But the ones that formed my musical direction at a very early age all took place at Kleinhans.

 

Zep - 11/69 sat in 6th row orchestra pit. This show had the plug pulled on the band as they had played past the curfew.

Shouts of "Take it to UB" had Plant screaming on stage WTF is UB? They repeated "you shook me" on their final encore because they played all they had rehearsed already that night. Epic early performance.

 

70's - Andre Segovia. Learned what discipline and talent is needed to even approach that genius level he played at. Bonus it was either his 84th or 86th? Birthday. Someone waked on stage with a birthday cake for him. Very cool moment. His demands were extreme at the time. No microphone on his guitar, and if you left during a song you would not be readmitted. No drinking for that show.

 

The Who - Kleinhans and not too long after their Woodstock appearance. Tommy performed in it's entirety. Sat in 2nd row orchestra pit in front of Townshend.

 

Kleinhans honorable mentions - The Kinks. That show was the last one the management comped drinks for the artists as the band sucked down the outrageous sum (at the time) of $600.00

 

Derek and the Dominoes - almost left as the entire band was whacked on heroin and it showed.

Edited April 26, 2013 by Best Player Available

[Just Jack]

In reverse order...

 

3) Paula Cole, in a small venue (Lemoyne Manor for those that know Syracuse) general admission, about 10-12 feet from the stage

 

2) James Taylor, can't remember what year, at the Syracuse War Memorial, after about 3-4 encores, comes out and simply stands there, finally pulls his pockets as a sign that he doesn't have anything else to play, then proceeds to shake everyones hand in the first couple rows

 

1) Getting to see Peter Gabriel in Toronto, the day after the Bills beat Miami in the snow, 2002 I believe.

[birdog1960]

1. all star americana/bluegrass/country tribute to jimmie rodgers and the carter family with players including several of the carters, john oates, cruz contrares, robinella, darrell scott and many others to close out rhythm and roots fest 2 years ago. inspired, intense and emotional...

 

2 james taylor at the ryman in nashville. great music, great acoustics, great city, crummy seats with semi obstructed view (one of the few bad seats in the ryman).

 

3. chuck mangione in ohio mid 80's - one of the first dates with my wife. music was pretty good too.

 

1. Bob Seger at Superfest at Rich Stadium. During Alto Reed's sax solo we couldn't see him on stage. Someone pointed up and he was standing on top of the speakers. Crazy ****.

 

2. Yes also at Superfest. A frisbee hit Chris Squire's bass and man did that make a sound and also pissed him off.

 

3. Lynyrd Skynyrd at the Aud. Ronnie van Zant was standing at the edge of the stage leaning over, one hand on the mic the other halfway down the mic stand. Some guy jumped up and tried to get his hat off his head. Ronnie, without skipping a beat hit the guy in the jaw with the bottom of the mic stand. Fantastic!!

was at the first 2 as well. don't remember the frisbee. remember the sax player on the speaker tower very clearly. did yes and seger play at the same show or was there more than 1 superfest? my recollection is hazy...late 70's right?

[PromoTheRobot]

Most amazing live show I've seen: Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense" Tour, Miami (OH) Gym, Oxford, OH

 

Most bizarre live show I've seen: Kraftwerk and Sparks at the old Century Theatre, Buffalo, 1975.

 

Most historically significant show I've seen live: Arthur Lee and Love (first tour after jail) @ Middle East, Cambridge, MA

 

Best show played before nobody: Smithereens in a club in Philly...9 people there. Sat on the stage.

 

Biggest band seen live when they were nobody: The Police @ the Firehouse, Syracuse, NY. 1979.

 

PTR

Edited April 28, 2013 by PromoTheRobot

[plenzmd1]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Biggest band seen live when they were nobody: The Police @ the Firehouse, Syracuse, NY. 1979.

 

PTR

 

Saw them that same tour but at Stage One

I will give three that are not neccassarly music related

 

 

1) the crush at the doors at Stage One when the first openedthedoors for the Al Demelio, Paco delucia, and John Mcglaulin show. Literally moving forward without my feet hitting the floor. Was truly scared i was going to get crushed if i fell.

 

2) Feeling thebalcony swaying at Sheas as U2 was cranking out Sunday Bloody Sunday. Thought it was cool at the time, thank God it didnt collapse

 

3) seeing in person and up close Dizzys cheeks at the Tralf..lordy those were some freak of nature stuff

[Jim in Anchorage]

Loads of them. But the ones that formed my musical direction at a very early age all took place at Kleinhans.

 

Zep - 11/69 sat in 6th row orchestra pit. This show had the plug pulled on the band as they had played past the curfew.

Shouts of "Take it to UB" had Plant screaming on stage WTF is UB? They repeated "you shook me" on their final encore because they played all they had rehearsed already that night. Epic early performance.

 

70's - Andre Segovia. Learned what discipline and talent is needed to even approach that genius level he played at. Bonus it was either his 84th or 86th? Birthday. Someone waked on stage with a birthday cake for him. Very cool moment. His demands were extreme at the time. No microphone on his guitar, and if you left during a song you would not be readmitted. No drinking for that show.

 

The Who - Kleinhans and not too long after their Woodstock appearance. Tommy performed in it's entirety. Sat in 2nd row orchestra pit in front of Townshend.

 

Kleinhans honorable mentions - The Kinks. That show was the last one the management comped drinks for the artists as the band sucked down the outrageous sum (at the time) of $600.00

 

Derek and the Dominoes - almost left as the entire band was whacked on heroin and it showed.

Damn you're one of the few WNY'ers to see Zep. Twice I bought tickets, both times they cancelled. Did get to see the firm in Rochester though. General admission,I was standing on the floor with my elbows resting on the stage. Literally could have grabbed Page by the ankle.

[Chef Jim]

1. all star americana/bluegrass/country tribute to jimmie rodgers and the carter family with players including several of the carters, john oates, cruz contrares, robinella, darrell scott and many others to close out rhythm and roots fest 2 years ago. inspired, intense and emotional...

 

2 james taylor at the ryman in nashville. great music, great acoustics, great city, crummy seats with semi obstructed view (one of the few bad seats in the ryman).

 

3. chuck mangione in ohio mid 80's - one of the first dates with my wife. music was pretty good too.

 

was at the first 2 as well. don't remember the frisbee. remember the sax player on the speaker tower very clearly. did yes and seger play at the same show or was there more than 1 superfest? my recollection is hazy...late 70's right?

 

Yes, same show. Donavan, J. Geils Band, Bob Seger and Yes. Got one of those terrible whit tuxedo jackets with the concert info on the back. Here you go. The internet is a wonderful thing!!

 

http://forgotten-yesterdays.com/dates.asp?qtourid=8&qdateid=1277

[Kevin]

Metallica 98 at Shoreline Amphitheater major contact high and subsequent migraine. I had to get up early the next morning for a PT Test in the police academy. Almost failed.

 

Skid Row with Pantera as the opening act in 91. As a sophomore in high school I had a blast.

 

Van Halens Balance tour in 95 @ ARCO Arena. Last tour with Sammy Hagar. Good show.

Edited April 27, 2013 by Kevin

[BillsPride12]

Seeing Jimi Hendrix play the national anthem at Woodstock.......okay so I wasn't really there but that has always been the number one concert moment I wish I could've seen in person

[BuffaloBill]

Watching a hot chick at a U2 concert strip and start dancing...

 

This counts for all three..

[The Poojer]

Great topic....

• The Who - Rich Stadium 1982(?), they start in with 'Love Reign O'er Me' and it starts sprinkling...
  
• Jimmy Buffett - Nissan Pavillion 1999(?) - sitting in the front row of the lawn section all of a sudden a platform raises up from somewhere and there's Jimmy playing the first 4 songs to the lawn...finishes up and he walks down the center aisle to the main stage.
  
• Genesis Hartford Civic Center 1988 maybe? Sitting on stage left while the band performed...my buddy had/has pretty strong connections to the band and was always getting us backstage, i'd been backstage and hung with the band before, but to be on the stage during the performance was super cool.
  

[Mr Info]

Not to be confused with your top 3 concerts, I'd like to see your top 3 concert moments:

 

I have some but as the OP said these are concerts moments:

 

1.) Pink Floyd 25 June 77 Cleveland Municipal Stadium

Saw a guy after the show puking and pissing at the same time. Have not witnessed that feat since.

2.) Kokomo (Mydland, Kreutzmann, Margen, Russell), 9 Aug 85 Chatterbox, Seaside Heights, NJ

A buddy was working for John Scher promoting the event and both of us went to their hotel suite after the show. It was not a surprise when 5 years later Brent Myland became another deceased Dead keyboardist.

3.) The Dead, North Florida 1978

Not sure of the city but it was spring break. I just remember Jerry going over and kicking Keith a few times when Keith was blotto and noodling at the keyboards.

4.) The Dead, 12/31/84 SF Civic Center

I rented a Santa Claus costume and was able to pick up a bunch of roses cheap from street flower vendors in the area as they were shutting down. Put those in my gift bag, passed them out to hot girls at the show and the crowd opened up to allow Santa to get to the front of the stage when I was on the floor.

5.) Big Joe Turner, early 80s, Manhattan

I am a little fuzzy on the date & location but it was a small club in Manhattan. I remember meeting Big Joe after the show. It was somewhat bittersweet. Although he put on a great show his health problems were evident when I met him.