Are you an avid concert goer?

I haven’t been to that many.
Best: The Smokin Armadillos or The Rockin Zebras. Both are little known, but were immensely enjoyable.

Worst: KISS.. there was a lot of pomp (under the circumstances).. but it became nothing but a drunken pot-fest. Maybe that sounds great for those who enjoy paranoia and diminished agility..but for me it just got annoying. It had nothing to do with the music at the time..just the audience.

I go to a lot of concerts, from an occasional stadium show to house concerts.

The best, by far: 1975 Rolling Stones at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. It was un-friggin-believable.

Among the worst: Train, 2006, Greek Theater Berkeley CA.

This thing and place called “Woodstock”

Not in the least.
The instrument to vocals ratio is messed up, they sing out of key, and all the humans around you make squeaking and screeching and screaming noises.
I will take a clean, properly mixed studio recording over a live performance any day of the week.

@ragingloli I’ve been to countless number of concerts that have none of those problems. Specifically Tom Waits, Florence + the Machine, Bon Iver, Tori Amos, Zac Brown Band, and Fleet Foxes

I have been to a lot of concerts. It’s a little more raw then the studio albums, but that’s the nice part. I don’t know if I could pick out one that was my fav.

I go to concerts often. Best I’ve been to? Impossible to answer. I loved Deep Purple about a year ago. I really enjoyed Yes too. I saw Sting and Paul Simon earlier this year and that was great. R.E.M were brilliant… Paulo Nuttini was excellent. The Rolling Stones were so iconic and energetic. It was great to sing along with Elton and Billy Joel (separately). U2 and the Fooeys were brilliant. How does anyone say ‘this was better than that’? Unless a band’s performance was poor, I’ve loved all of the concerts I’ve been to.

@Tropical_Willie Did you go to the Woodstock in Utica? That went bad in a hurry.

Woodstock in 1969 in Bethel, New York. I left with eight people hanging on or in my 1962 VW Bug with a sun-roof. Back bumpers and hanging on running boards, through the roof of the sun-roof. One person I knew from college had a badly sprained and swollen ankle; she was inside, leg elevated on the cooler where passenger front seat would normally have been.

Used to be. Not so much anymore. Best? Edgar Winter or maybe Led Zeppelin (I saw them several times) or maybe McCartney and Wings.

Worst was when my boss at the time dragged me kicking and screaming to see Wayne Newton in Las Vegas. It was dreadful.

@Earthbound_Misfit I saw Deep Purple in Auckland, NZ in 1975. I had no idea they were still performing. And although I didn’t see Yes, I did see Rick Wakeman in 1974.

Uriah Heap, Rick Wakeman, Deep Purple, Doobie Brothers, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Osabisa, Steeleye Span, Christy Moore, Joan Armatrading, Bruce Cockburn. Can’t remember any more and certainly can’t choose the best concert, they were all good, at the time.

@marinelife McCartney and Wings, you lucky thing!

@Adagio, it was actually 2013. It feels much more recent. They were touring with Journey. I was actually more interested in seeing Journey but Deep Purple were a million times better than Journey. They were fabulous. We took our daughter (who’s in her 20s) and she loved the concert too. I saw the Doobie Brothers a few years ago too and David Bowie before he had his heart attack. Yes were good. The audience was interesting and I did feel like I should have dropped some acid before we went. It was just the vibe of the concert.

Not particularly, although the most notable one I attended is probably Live Aid Wembley 85.

I’ve seen a lot, not as much as some really avid concert goers but a decent amount. I’ve seen the Stones (around 1989 or 1990), Steel Wheels tour at Shea Stadium, The Who at Meadowlands, Pink Floyd (I forgot if I saw them once or twice – for some reason I’m thinking twice), Eric Clapton at the Garden twice (he had Billy Preston on piano), Crosby Stills and Nash at the Garden, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young at Mohegan Sun, Styx at Nassau Coliseum (around 1980), Black Crowes (they had a great opening act – Robert Randolph and the Family Band), Tom Petty Dam the Torpedoes tour (around 1981). Ramones a bunch of times. Journey and Def Leppard, together Aerosmith and Kiss, together at Jones Beach. Last concert I saw was Motley Crue at Mohegan Sun. I’m seeing Heart in July.

I would have loved to see Van Halen in the Dave Lee Roth days.

I’d be an avid anything if I had the money. I went to my first music festival last year and it changed my life.

@jca My first concert: Van Halen opening for Ted Nugent. The curtain opens and David Lee comes flying off the top of the speakers as Eddie hits the first note of Running With the Devil. And Ted was awesome too.

I do go to a lot of concerts. I’m going to see Bette Midler in two weeks!!

I can’t possible choose an all time best but among my favourites were Barbra Streisand (I’ve seen her four times), Cher (three times), Barry Manilow (I have lost count of how many times!!), Rod Stewart (five times), Dolly Parton (three times), Kenny Rogers, Billy Joel, Anastacia, Pink, The Seekers, War of the World’s (if that counts as a concert rather than a show?!) I could easily go on…

I haven’t seen many concerts that I really didn’t enjoy but I have seen Rick Wakeman with my dad a few times as he’s a big fan and while I enjoy Wakeman’s chat between songs, his music really doesn’t grab me. I also didn’t really enjoy The Moody Blues. Some of their music is great but their show and Justin Hayward’s lack of stage presence made me wish each song was the last!

I’m not a fan of concerts for a variety of reasons, so it’s rare that one is attended. There are several that were worth it.

Based upon a performer’s reputation alone, some are: David Bowie during his Spider Tour (Peter Frampton was there to join in at one point), The Eagle’s ‘When Hell Freezes Over’ tour, Paul McCartney and Wings, and Billy Joel.

My three favorites were held in Memphis at an outdoor amphitheatre that has ~2500 seats. They were Sting, Seal, and Harry Connick, Jr. The setting was so intimate with a smaller crowd, cool night air and a star-filled sky, that it was easier to connect with the performer. They may have felt the same way about we fans in the seats.

I’ve only attended one classical concert. It was at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Knowing virtually nothing about this genre, the pieces performed went over my head. All I can say is that listening to a live orchestra play gave me goosebumps like no other music has.

I really wanted to see Motley Crue this time around but I really have a hard time being willing to pay $150 for a ticket and it’s hard to find others that are willing to pay that. Not that the money is an issue, it’s more the principle. For a 2 hours (maximum) concert, that’s a lot of money, in my opinion. I think I’ll ask a question about it now.

Someone in my family (someone rich) was going to hire Clapton about 10 years ago for a private birthday concert. At the time, if I’m not mistaken, it was $20k. That would have been cool.

@Adirondackwannabe: VH is coming around again in concert. I’d love to see them but last time they had a tour, they ended up fighting mid-tour and cancelling the rest of the dates. I would have loved to see them during their prime. Cute Eddie, cute Dave, incredible music, legendary.

They were all young and at their peak. I’m dating myself though. Concert prices are nuts these days. I kept my ticket from the Rainbow and Blue Oyster Cult show. $7.50.

I just asked a new question about it: http://www.fluther.com/181931/why-are-concerts-so-expensive-now-and-are-you-willing-to/