Who, in your opinion is/are the best live music performers?

Any band that can take their recorded music and rework it live into something new always has my vote. I’m disappointed with concerts where all I hear is their album played louder.

My votes:
Talking Heads
Daft Punk
The Cure
Rogue Wave
The Office

I saw the Matches about four years ago.. I’m not so much into their music anymore but it was just a great show, awesome energy and actually a fun pit. it was good stuff.
and the Receiving End of Sirens were amazing. I’ve been dying to see them again but every time they come here something comes up.

Frank Sinatra is the best. Don’t think you will be able to get tickets unless…

@gooch – “lol”

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists have a good live show. I saw them in San Francisco last October.

Dave Matthews Band.

I just went to the warped tour yesterday so I have a few on my mind. Say anything put on an amazing show. Very impressive. The academy is… was awesome as well. I became a HUGE fan of forever the sickest kids. They put on one of the best shows I’ve seen in a long time. Lucero is lees know band that puts on a great show as well and if they are ever in your area, they are well worth checking out.

The Kinks. Waaaayyy Ohhhh!

There’s a reason (aside from being a bit of a die hard fan) I’ve been to see Bon Jovi 5 times!
They play for 3 solid hours, improvise, interact and even allow fans on stage (but I’m too cheap to buy those tickets).
Other than that, the band that impressed me the most with how they perform and engage the crowd (heart surgery and all considered) was Status Quo.
A band I would not recommend is Razorlight. The music is great, but in a one hour set, the only interaction with the crowd was “hello”

Oh, one other really good band: Red Hot Chili Peppers! They covered Donna Summer’s “I feel love”!!

The Bloodhound Gang. When I saw them they got a guy onstage and they were going to pay him to drink a whole 12-pack of Dr. Pepper. If he did it without spilling any or puking he would get a t-shirt and 50 bucks. They guy sat onstage and drank Dr. Pepper for 3 songs. After the third song Jimmy Pop (singer) told him to chug the ninth one. He tried and puked everywhere. They kicked him off the stage and didn’t give him nothing.

Then Jimmy Pop asked the crowd if someone would come onstage and piss there pants for a t-shirt and 50 bucks. A lot of people raised there hands and one got picked. The guy stood onstage on a milkcrate, dropped his pants, threw up the devil, and started peeing. It was running down his leg. After he peed Jimmy Pop told him that he was joking and he wouldn’t be receiving money or a t-shirt. The poor guy was standing there with his wet jeans around his ankles looking like he was going to cry. They let the guy sweat for a minute then gave him the money and shirt.

It was the tour for the “Hooray for Boobies” album. They picked about 20 or 30 girls to come onstage and show everyone their boobies. Seeing boobs always rules. Im pretty sure some of them were underage too. All and all it was a really fun show.

I have seen Tool a couple of times and they have a really awesome stage show.

@wildflower “A band I would not recommend is Razorlight. The music is great, but in a one hour set, the only interaction with the crowd was “hello”
I saw them at Leeds festival. It was the same year that at Reading the night before, someone had (rightly so) changed the RAZORLIGHT poster next to the main stage to RAZORSHITE.
they are so terrible live, and Jonny Borrel thinks he’s god.

Yup! The term posers came to mind. They made Kid Rock look like a great performer by comparison…...
(btw both were opening for Bon Jovi in Dublin a month ago)

Freddy Mercury and Queen circa 1985.

Justice is awesome. Probably the best show ive ever been to. Awesome lights, most of their songs are remixed live, so its not just like listening to the cd, and the crowd was amazing. Theres just so much energy at their shows.

Rob Zombie puts on a pretty amazing live show as well. I mean hes got strippers, giant robots, aliens, and a bunch of tvs that play all kinds of weird stuff like operation videos, cartoons, the munsters, old horror movies, godzilla, and porn. Whats not to like?

Built to Spill…Watching Dough Martsch play guitar is mind-blowingly-fun.

These guys obviously love to play live, and it shows in each and every one of their shows (one has been mentioned already):
Dave Matthews Band
Ryan Adams
Wilco
Bruce Springsteen

Radiohead

Prince (except when he’s covering Radiohead)

@wtf: awesome list there mate.

oh man, i definitely forgot the best one.. the band 3 is absolutely amazing live. they’re all incredibly good musicians and it’s just astounding to watch..

Violent Femmes
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds

Dave & Tim! Yes!

Haven’t been to a big venue in quite some time. I always enjoyed seeing Pearl Jam, Ben Harper and Dave Matthews Band.
Recent great smaller shows I have seen: The Avett Brothers (they rock it hard), recently saw Rising Appalachia (amazing live show) and Squirrel Nut Zippers is touring again (would love to see them).

MIA was amazing when I saw her at McCarren Park Pool in Williamsburg.

thebeadholder: Aww man, I like the Avett Brothers. I wanna go..

@Allie: I saw that somewhere. Your profile or a thread. Have you seen them? So cute and singing EMO bluegrass punkrock…amazing!

The Barenaked Ladies put on an awesome live show. (I saw them 4 times last year, on the same tour. All the shows were different and incredible.)

The Decemberists were pretty amazing too.

I saw Muse a few years back in a club, a very powerful performance. (Razorlight opened for them and the lead singer had a hissy fit and walked off the stage.)

Pearl Jam & Radiohead

Tom Jones is amazing, he isn’t auto-tuned and he has a fantastic voice altogether!