Here's a good topic...

[ToonaRockGuy]

Tell Rockpage about a concert or two that left you absolutely speechless. What's the best show you've ever seen?

I'll start, I have two that immediately come to mind...

Summer 1990, House Of Blues, Myrtle Beach, SC - The Jeff Healey Band

-A former bandmate of mine was running the venue, and a dear friend and himself an unreal guitarist, Eddie Bush, was opening for Jeff. Through some...circumstances (ever get pulled over by a cop on a bike?), my friends and I were late for the show, and arrived late, missing Eddie's opening set. Jeff Healey had just taken the stage and I walked in the door. And that is where I stayed. It was like a tractor beam had nailed me and I stood there in absolute awe, drooling like an idiot as Jeff and his band absolutely fucking destroyed the place. To this day, I have never ever seen a live guitarist utterly tower and dominate a room like that.

Fall 1994, The G-Man, Altoona, PA - Big Dave & The Ultrasonics

-I knew when I walked in and saw a real Hammond B3 that this was gonna be a seriously good show. I happened to be stopping at the G-Man for a bite to eat and visit with some buddies, and I saw a band loading in from a van and trailer with Michigan plates. Being from MI, I asked one of the guys who was playing. Big Dave & The Ultrasonics, from Ann Arbor, my hometown. Very cool! I ended up staying, and was absolutely blown away by the musicianship in the band. Big Dave was amazing with the guitar, a Gibson ES335 Hollow Body that he played as tastefully as BB King. David Morris blew the harp like a madman, going from a gentle blues supporting role to dominating the stage at the drop of a hat. However, the highlight was Ben Wilson on keyboards. Back then he was just 25, but played the Hammond like he was possessed like Jimmy Smith. Holy shit. Ben later went on to be recruited for, try out for, and win the gig with Blues Traveler. Got to speak with them after the show, and what a great bunch of guys. Got to reminisce about things from back home, like hanging out on The Diag on the U of M campus, shows at The Blind Pig and The Nectarine Ballroom, and eating some of the best sandwiches in history at The Maize & Blue Deli.

I still have their live CD, "No Sweat! Live" autographed by the band. Here's a bit of what they do, from 1999 in Washington at a blues festival.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o26HmN6ovw

So there are my main two shows. How about yours?

[sstuckey]

This one for me was easy. My first concert ever. Guns n Roses/Metallica at three rivers stadium. For starters it was a stadium show, which is about a gazillion times louder than any ampitheater.

Faith No More opened that night and they sucked but that was the only bad part. Metallica was the second band, and they kicked serious ass! When I first heard Lars' bass drum I thought it was gonna make me vomit it had so much power....i LOVED it!! Right in the middle of Seek n Destroy, it started to pour. The lightning streaking across the sky just made the ambiance of the show that much more exciting...helluva backdrop!!

GnR was last and as is the norm Axl made them over an hour late. Which normally yeah that would suck ass......but a few cameramen went through the audience and got some of the chicks to show their boobs on the jumbo-tron. When GnR finally took they stage they too delivered some serious energy. By the end of the show I was left in awe, and again treated to more boobies in the parking lot!

That's alot to take in for a 16 year old's first concert...and left an impression on me that will last a lifetime.

[Banned]

Hard to nail it down to one concert. Some of the great ones were Pink Floyd in 1973, Jethro Tull and Led Zep in the early 70's, CSNY in the mid 70's, Yes, Mountain, Edgar Winter, Ten Years After, The Byrds, Santana, ELP, Grand Funk Railroad, Argent, Rory Galagher, Robin Trower, Humble Pie, Uriah Heep, BOC, Greatful Dead, New Riders, Commander Cody, The Outlaws....

But in 1975 a concert at the Philly Spectrum that had The Charlie Daniels Band open (they were great in those days), The Marshall Tucker Band was second and Charlie joined onstage with a fiddle for a good part of that. That right there was a good as it ever got for me.

Then, I though how could ZZ Top come on after this so far? Well, those 3 Texas just blew away that Pennsylvania crowd. That was the year Fandango came out and they probably played all of that and most of Tres Hombres too.

Best musical experience ever.

[Don Hughes]

Dream Theater in Greensburg was a really good one.

While I'm not into this kind of music, strictly musically and talently speaking, Celtic Woman was definitely one I enjoyed... just won't be jamming to that in my car anytime soon.

[songsmith]

Rush, Civic Arena, 1994. To this day, the most technically brilliant rock show I've ever been to. Every song was flawless, musically and production-wise.

Priest/Maiden, City Island, Harrisburg, 1982. Maiden was on the Number Of The Beast Tour, and people's chins were practically muddy from dragging them on the ground. Then Priest came on (Screaming For Vengeance Tour), and hit those first notes of Hellion/Electric Eye. Changed my life. I smile every time that Toyota minivan commercial comes on now.

The Weedhawks, Mayhem On The Mountain, WV, 2008. A duo that out-entertains most full bands. Made me realize just how much racket one or two people can make.

Garth Brooks, Jordan Center 1996? I wasn't a Garth fan before this, and still dislike a majority of his songs... but, I could not dispute the hold he had on the crowd. It was almost freakish, I literally felt like he could have encouraged the crowd to disrobe, and they would have done it.

Felix and the Hurricanes, The Candle-light Show, Peter C's, 2000-ish. If you weren't there, you missed one of the best shows they ever did, and that's saying a mouthful. They were transcendant. Every note was perfection, and I was at the same time jealous and astonished. Some local musicians wonder why folks fuss about that band... the Candle-light show was direct proof of their abilities.

Coinmonster, 30-Something, a few years ago. Three guys walked onstage, and I had planned on leaving until RobTheDrummer talked me into staying for them. It was like standing under a lawnmower. They executed song after song of deep lyrics, crazy time-sigs, and instrumental prowess. If you saw that show and remained in your chair, you need to go back to watching your American Idol.

Way cool thread, Kev. We need some levity here.

[Banned]

Coinmonster. i bought all their Cd's that night.

[moxham123]

I could list quite a few excellent concerts as I have seen hundreds of bands and some were outstanding.

Just to list one quickly, I would have to say Kansas early in 1976 at the St. Vincent College, Latrobe, PA Fieldhouse during their Masque album tour. A friend of mine was a student there and got us tickets for $3.00 each. Kansas opened their show with Song For America and the rest as they say is history. I was completely blown away by how tight they were and what excellent players and singers they were. I have been a huge Kansas fan ever since and I have seen them in concert many times and they never disappoint no matter who is in the lineup.

[Banned]

Rush, Civic Arena, 1994. To this day, the most technically brilliant rock show I've ever been to. Every song was flawless, musically and production-wise.

Priest/Maiden, City Island, Harrisburg, 1982. Maiden was on the Number Of The Beast Tour, and people's chins were practically muddy from dragging them on the ground. Then Priest came on (Screaming For Vengeance Tour), and hit those first notes of Hellion/Electric Eye. Changed my life. I smile every time that Toyota minivan commercial comes on now.

The Weedhawks, Mayhem On The Mountain, WV, 2008. A duo that out-entertains most full bands. Made me realize just how much racket one or two people can make.

Garth Brooks, Jordan Center 1996? I wasn't a Garth fan before this, and still dislike a majority of his songs... but, I could not dispute the hold he had on the crowd. It was almost freakish, I literally felt like he could have encouraged the crowd to disrobe, and they would have done it.

Felix and the Hurricanes, The Candle-light Show, Peter C's, 2000-ish. If you weren't there, you missed one of the best shows they ever did, and that's saying a mouthful. They were transcendant. Every note was perfection, and I was at the same time jealous and astonished. Some local musicians wonder why folks fuss about that band... the Candle-light show was direct proof of their abilities.

Coinmonster, 30-Something, a few years ago. Three guys walked onstage, and I had planned on leaving until RobTheDrummer talked me into staying for them. It was like standing under a lawnmower. They executed song after song of deep lyrics, crazy time-sigs, and instrumental prowess. If you saw that show and remained in your chair, you need to go back to watching your American Idol.

Way cool thread, Kev. We need some levity here.

The Canes Candle lit show was one of the best shows in this area, period. That was the time when the Canes played on Thursday nights, and especially when the stage was by the back door. Those Thursday nights were magical. I worked many weary Fridays because I just had to see the Canes at Peter C's.

BTW, they are at Pelley's tonight I think.