I went for a run tonight after a very long day, and was listening to The Clash, who have a new album out, The Clash Live from Shea Stadium. Hard to believe that the Shea Stadium show was more than 25 years ago -- especially as I was there. Which got me to thinking of my all-time favorite shows. Without a whole lot of thought, I'd list them as follows:
4. My first Grateful Dead show at RFK in 1985 or so. It wasn't that it was that spectacular of a Dead show; I went on to see another 20 plus shows, many of which had much better sets, but this one was, shall we say, enlightening. Love 'em or hate 'em, there was nothing like the experience of a Dead show. Nothing. Hard to believe that I live in the same town/county as most of the Dead. I've even seen Bobby Weir at our local pool.
3. U2 Live at Pier 84, circa 1980. This was right after the debut album, Boy, and there could not have been more than 2,000 people in attendance. It wasn't remotely sold out. In fact, at the time I was just as excited to see the opening band, The Alarm ("The Stand"). If I am not mistaken it was one of their first US shows and they were absolutely transcendent. There was no question they were going to be a major, major, arena-style band and even at a relatively young age, Bono was tremendously charismatic. This was a show for the ages.
2. The above Clash show, live from Shea. This was my first big arena show and the Clash were and remain today my favorite band of all-time. This was one of the best line-ups ever: David Johansen, followed by Black Uhuru, followed by the Clash and then The Who. In the pouring, driving rain. And while The Clash were beyond fantastic, The Who put on quite the show as well. I still get chills thinking of their rendition of "Love Reign O'er Me" in the rain. Epic.
1. The Smashing Pumpkin's Last Show in Chicago, circa 2004 (I think). Not sure if it was the fact that it was a much heralded show and yet I managed to somehow get a ticket though my good buddy. In the VIP section. Where I proceeded to befriend and hang out all night with actor Bill Zane. Who invited me to the after party. Where I hung with Bill Corgan until 3 in the morning (see why it's my favorite show of all-time?). But all that being said, the music carried the day. The Pumpkin's played all their classic, they played 'em loud and they were having a lot of fun. It wasn
't at all funeral, but rather a celebration of their work.
Anyway, there's more -- a lot more -- but those are four that really stand out. But enough about me -- what about y'all?
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6 comments:
Top five best shows of all time:
5. Ben Folds/Rufus Wainwright, Ravinia (2004)
One of my last concerts in Chicago. The boys and I rode a crowded Metra, had to stand off to the side, but it was incredible. Each performed with just a piano. Brilliant.
4. Beulah, The Abbey Pub, Chicago (2005)
Insanely awesome because I got to join the band on stage, sing one of my favorite songs and play tambourine. Re-DONK!
3. Tenacious D, CMJ Music Festival (2000)
Before Jables and Kage hit it big time, we were there. What made the whole thing awesomer is standing in the back of the club, before the show was KG, we were the only people in the bar to know who he was, so we got to chat with him, get his pic and a high five. Best.
2. Foo Fighters, Clutch Cargos (1997)
One of the first stops on the Colour and the Shape Tour, two high school buddies and I drove to Pontiac to see our favorite band of all time. Our girlfriends had all broken up with us at the start of the summer and we had nothing to lose.
1. Radiohead in Grant Park (2001)
This is the concert that made Lollapalooza in Grant Park possible. Almost two hours of bobbing our heads in the heart of the greatest city in the world.
good topic. i'm working on my list. how about biggest regret of missing a concert? i had opportutnity to get ticket to see Jane's Addiction in 1988. Major mistake missing that one. Who did you go to that Clash show with? Can't believe you left me home for that one!
Would love to have taken you Neil, but you weren't much more older than the Z Man at the time! You were a cool kid back then though and definitely had pretty refined musical taste for someone your age!
You left off Yellowman, NYC, Summer 1990. Sold Out.
3) The Jerry Garcia Band Plays Broadway - 1988. Just a crazy dichotomy seeing the bluegrass JGB jam at the Lunt Fontane Theater.
2) The Chemical Brothers, Hammerstein Ballroom 1997'ish. Probably 80% of my hearing loss -- and you know I'm friggin deaf -- is attributable to this show. T
1) Lollapalooza #1, 1994 -- A lineup like no other: Souxie and the Banshees, The henry Rollines Band, Ice-t and Body Count, Nine Inch Nails, Janes Addiction, and probably 3-4 more bands i'm missing.
this might be the most fun post in cancerman history. i feel like i have to cancel my meetings for the rest of the day and turn my phone off to concentrate. not in the cards, though, so briefly:
5 - Phish play The Who's Quadrophenia on Halloween at the Rosemont Horizon (1995): My main boy Nick and I were given tickets by his mom, my aunt, about two hours before the show -- just enough time to secure some integral supplies and have one of the greatest times ever. Man, I miss my hippie days.
4 - Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade at the Riviera (2005): I don't know a single person who didn't fall in love with Funeral when it came out, and not only was this show unbelievable, but it introduced Chicago to Wolf Parade.
3 - Pearl Jam at Lollapalooza (1992): I don't think I've ever been as enamored with a band as I was with Pearl Jam circa 1992 after Ten came out. The show was awesome and we got to hang out with Eddie Vedder afterward, who was one out of it dude back then -- almost as out of it as we were. This show was almost singularly responsible for making me pick up a guitar.
2 - Radiohead at the Auditorium Theater (2006): They only played two shows in Chicago that year, both at the intimate Auditorium Theater, where the sound is tough to beat. These shows were the hottest tickets in town that summer, and this was perhaps the most anticipated Radiohead tour ever (in support of Kid A and Amnesiac).
1 - Sugar at the Aragon Ball Room (1992): My first live rock show at a small venue in Chicago, and I haven't been the same since. I'll never forget it. We crowd surfed the entire time -- this was back when crowd surfing was not frowned upon and was awesome -- and Bob Mould couldn't have rocked harder. Copper Blue remains one of my favorite records of all time, and this show was a major contributing factor to that designation.
Honorable mentions:
Radiohead and Belly at the Vic in support of their respective debut albums: Thom and Tanya sang "Untogether" as an encore, and it made everyone on the planet cry tears of awesomeness.
Postal Service at the Abbey Pub: Another tour in support of an undisputedly important record. They played the entire album start to finish, in order, plus some hot Phil Collins covers. Awesome.
AIR at the Riviera: These guys don't play the states very often, so this was a must see. Two solid hours of some radical tripped out shit in support of Talkie Walkie.
Doves at the Riviera: Best light show ever. Surprising, I know, but it was. These guys put on an awesome show, even if they had to stop and start over "Black and White Town" about four times cause the drummer kept messing up.
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