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Your Most Surprisingly Good Concert?

#81
ffutterman said:
Randy Newman, of all people.

A friend of a friend was a marketing director or something at a local theater. She had two tickets that she had offered to someone, but they turned her down so she just gave them to my friend and me on the day of the show. I went in thinking "Meh, this'll be an interesting way to kill some time." Turns out it was an awesome show.
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Oh, that reminds me…

Back in the early 80's King Crimson came to town. I bought two tickets but I couldn't find anyone else who wanted to go. Everyone said it was going to be a 60's nostalgia show, and that was fine with me - the Crimson King album is one of my all time faves. Anyway, I ended up giving the extra ticket away in the parking lot before the show.

Boy, was I surprised! Fripp, Belew, Levin, and Bruford blew the doors off the hall! It wasn't what I was expecting at all, but man, what a show!
 
#82
tangentmusic said:
Wear that button with pride my friend.... This is some list!
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Thanks. Here's one I forgot: The Doors

It was one of the worst shows I have ever seen (the reverse of the subject of this thread), but it was historically significant. I had the honor of watching the Doors break up in real time on stage at their last performance in New Orleans. Morrisson was staggering drunk, and when Densmore stood up, yelled something I couldn't understand, threw his drumsticks out onto the stage and stalked off, that was the last time he and Morrisson were in the same room together. There was no encore.

Two other historically significant shows I saw:

Fake Fleetwood Mac (google it).

The Blue Oyster Cult laser show that was shut down by some gov't agency after two or three performances because of laser light into the crowd.
 
#86
Styx - Kansas - John Waite a few years back. Can't remember the year, but Styx's new album had a carrot on the cover. I won tickets from a radio station. Didn't expect too much, but it was a great concert! All 3 bands were incredible.
 
#88
Bassist4Eris said:
Mellencamp. I took my GF to see him a couple years ago. At one point, he dismissed the band and starting playing solo acoustic songs he had been writing on the road. That's enough of a slap to the corporate arena rock model to get my respect by itself. Even better, one of the songs was an anti-racism song about some recent lynchings-in-effigy that had happened in the South.

The whole time I'm thinking "what are you doing? You're not supposed to be cool." :D
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My wife at the time drug me to a JCM show some years back. I had very little interest, but was amazed at how good a showman he was, how he interacted with the crowd, and the overall musicianship of the band and sound quality. An even bigger surprise was the opening act, Wallflowers. I was thinking "oh great Bob Dylan's son cashing in"...I was wrong. Great songs, great musician and seemingly really cool guy.
 
#89
Back in my University days Big Sugar came to play at the student center. Wasn't really familiar with much of their stuff but I figured it would probably be an alright show. They cam on and it was ROCK AND ROLL for an hour and a half. Definitely one of the best shows I've ever seen. And without a doubt the loudest show I've ever experienced. Gordie Johnson would hit a big chord and it was like you could feel the cells in your brain separating. My ears rang for two days afterwards but it was worth it. Note: earplugs always these days.
 
#91
David grey. I was working at the venue and asked who we were covering tonight to another employee and she said David Grey, I said who? She told me about him a little and he was really good..whatever.

I got to watch that show since it was a tame crowd and he was awesome live. I became a fan that night.
 
#92
July 25, 1975 I went to a multi-bill free "concert in the park" sponsored by a local AM radio station. The lineup was Orleans, John Sebastion (solo) and America.

Orleans did a good job, this was soon after their first hit was released if I recall correctly. John Sebastion did solo acoustic versions of Lovin' Spoonful hits, it was okay.

The big surprise for me was America. At that point I was a rocker, mostly into acts like Jeff Beck, the Stones, Joe Cocker, etc. I took my girlfriend to this show with a few other couples, I wasn't expecting much. America was great! The vocal harmonies and balance were perfect. It was the first time that I had heard a band that could totally pull off sounding like the record. Although I was still a hard core rocker, America really earned my respect.

By the way, I'm sure of the date as I passed my driver's test that morning. ;)
 
#93
biggest surprise I'd have to give to either Story of the Year, or Dredg.

Story of the year because I guess I never thought a band that played that style of music could have so much energy onstage.

I caught Dredg opening for the deftones a few years back. its pretty amazing how they had so much going on live between 4 members. I still tell folks thier drummer is the most underated drummer out there. The guy played drums half the show with one hand while he was playing keyboard with the other hand.
 
#94
bachlover said:
Eric Burdon in '81 in a small club here (Frankie and Johnnies). A small, intimate venue where he had everyone up and dancing. Must've felt for him that he'd come full circle at that time.
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I was lucky enough to get to play (guitar) with Eric Burdon with The Party Boys - a group of Aussie musos who used to organize tours with big name artists every year. I was the youngest member of the band (by a long way), so he called me "kid" for the whole tour. A lovely guy, a fabulous singer, and a great sense of humour as well. One of my musical highlights.
 
#95
I"m a little reluctant to admit this, but this is just among friends, right?

Sugarland.

Trust me, I am no fan of either country music or pop music, much less a hybrid of the two, but my wife is a fan and I agreed to go to a show with her. I didn't see God or anything, but I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the whole show. Jennifer Nettles is a force of nature!
 
#96
Back in the early 80s, the lead guitarist in my band said I should go with him to see a Christian rock band called Petra. They were playing a concert at a high school about 5 minutes from my house. He said they were like Journey, Kansas, Styx, Foreigner, etc. I agreed to go without ever hearing their songs.

We got to the school and there was a line from the building out to the parking lot. The show was a sell out.

Anyway, what a spectacular show Petra put on and they were fantastic musicians. Needless to say, I became an instant fan and have bought many of their records and seen the band numerous times in concert throughout their many lineups.

Here is the band from the early 80s.

 
#97
First concert I ever saw was Three Dog Night. My mom took me. They had this opening band who I had never heard of. The lead singer was dancing around all over the place, throwing the microphone stand around. I can still picture him. Some dude named Rod Stewart fronting a band called The Faces. They never went anywhere.

I caught Eric Johnson in a bar in the 80's, and the show blew me away. I had never heard of him and walked in on a whim. I saw him all three nights there. Me and about 2 dozen people. He was playing a 3 night set, like bands used to do in bars.

The Riverboat Gamblers were very good! I had heard a few songs, and so went to a show in Atlanta. They were suppose to have a good live show, but man, they were nuts. If you include the member of the opening band, there were maybe 3 dozen people there. They played like the place was packed! At one point the lead singer was standing on top of a stack of PA speakers, headed hitting the ceiling, singing away. This was the same guy trying to do his hair before the show at the sink next to the urinal I was pissing in. And the same guy who spun his microphone into the former bassists mouth, removing most of said bassists teeth, during a show the year before.
 
#99
This is an older thread, but great topic. A friend took me to King Crimson at the Fillmore (SF) on their Construktion of Light tour. I'd never been into them, had never been aware of the Adrian Belew era Crimson or even John Wetton-era (I have no excuse.) Anyway, I was floored. Trey Gunn and Pat Mastelotto created this intricate, powerful rhythm with unusual time signatures. Robert Fripp was bugged by flash bulbs and pot smoke. But the highlight was Adrian Belew's solo coming at the end of Larks' Tongue and Aspic-Part IV. He was getting feedback from a big combo amp (Johnson) and using a whammy bar that was unlike anything I'd ever heard before. Though I never saw Hendrix, it was on a par with something like the feedback and shredding on "Machine Gun," but very idiosyncratic, a style all his own. I gave a spontaneous, "Whoo!" at the end, which was a little uncool, I gathered from the looks I received from those around me--not cerebral enough; no fist pumps at KC shows, O.K., I get it. Thank God for musicians who follow their Muse whether it leads to money or not...
 
#100
At of all the concerts I saw, 2 stand out two me. The sound quality of the Scorpions Love At First Sting show I saw was unbelievable. Perfection!. Most surprising was seeing Tears For Fears at Live Aid in 85. Did not expect much from them. Steve Stevens was on guitar and they did a Beatles mash up. What was crazy is out of the whole line up that day, they stood out the most. Fun times!
 

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