What are your ALL TIME rock concert highlight?


benlorentzen
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benlorentzen
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06/05/2018 8:32 pm

I have three:[br][br]1: Deep Purple Oslo August 1987[br]This was simply electric. Started off with HIghway star, and Blackmore walked on somewhere in the first verse after a long intro by the band with neither Gillan nor Blackmore on stage. One can only guess what was shouted back stage...But it turned out to be a n incredible night. The band themselves referred to it as special. [br][br]2: Chuck Berry, Oslo 1989[br]I knew so many of the tunes I surprised myself. They just jumped out of seemingly nowhere, a deep place hidden within, obscure fleeting pictures of cars, radios, records... stuff my parents would listen to. He was very old looking, but still had the undeniable extra. I will never forget that night. [br][br]3. Soundgarden Oslo 1996[br]I got to meet Chris and Kim back stage before the show because I called up the record lable and told them I was the biggest fan in town. They let me in. [br]I will never forrget them walking on and without a count in and kicked off Spoonman. Magnificent!


# 1
manXcat
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06/05/2018 10:06 pm

Don't know that it qualifies as rock per se, although over their time they played pretty much everything except metal (ugh!).

The Bee Gees 1974, before their later disco sound epoch, when Robin's vibrato and Barry's mid-range through falsetto voices and they were still young with all that amazing energy. In an era when live performance on stage with rudimentary gear by today's standards meant live, and with no metal distortion to hide behind with their vocal centric sound, talent definitely required.


# 2
lhagedorn
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lhagedorn
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06/06/2018 6:48 am

The first concert at the pontiac silver dome in Michigan. The Who :D 80 some thousand people.


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# 3
matonanjin2
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matonanjin2
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06/07/2018 7:26 pm

Every Santana concert that I have ever been to


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NeverEnoughFuzz
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NeverEnoughFuzz
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06/09/2018 8:40 am

So many great concert's but the highlight moment would have to be Pearl Jam at Britxton Academy 1993. A few months before Versus was realised the band played most of that and the debut album Ten. A great concert, but the last song just completely destroyed the crowd.

They played the slow, soft song "Indifference" which no one in the crowd had heard before. What a choice to end a show. It finshed, Eddie Vedder said "Goodnight", the band walked off stage and there was a stunned silence though the entire venue, then the crowd erupted in applause. Never witnessed an end of a show like it.


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seay.james
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seay.james
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06/17/2018 5:59 am

Also don't know if it qualifies as rock.

There is an old Paul Masson winery near where I grew up. It's now called the Mountain Winery and hosts a summer concert series. You got to taste wine between sets.

I saw B.B. King play there. He did something like 5 encores and invited the opening act onstage to play with him. The opening act was some [then] unknown guy named Robert Cray.

Made me pick up the guitar.


# 6
john of MT
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06/17/2018 6:41 pm

Some years ago, B.B. King and a large group of artists touring with him came to Missoula. It was an outdoor, no seats, on-the-lawn show. I figured B.B. would be last of what seemed to be 30 artists so I skipped the show and the long, super late drive home. I found out the next week B.B. was first on stage. ). Both the 'Stones and Paul made it to the thriving 70,000-strong Missoula megalopolis and through the years here or in other places I caught Link Wray, The Kingston Trio, Stan Getz, P,P&M, The Ventures, Denver, Sha Na Na, Presley, James Taylor, Dylan, Neil Young, CSN, the Eagles, CCR, Bo Diddly, Willie, Jeff Beck, ZZ Top, Elton,Tedeschi Trucks Band and a bunch of others including my fav, Kristofferson.

But my "all time [u]rock[/u] concert hightlight?" Loggins and Messina during their "Full Sail" album tour. Their concert highlighted much of their earlier albums and it was a blazing show. I had never before or have ever since experienced the level of excitment I got from that concert. The third row, center seat no doubt had something to do with it but the band blew me away. They burned the house down! (a few years later that San Antonio venue really did burn down)

I think individual concerts can rock out, excite and inspire no matter who is playing . I've seen some pretty flat shows by some pretty big names and I've seen shows by lessor knowns that startled me by the fire they created in the audience. L&M was one of those.


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snojones
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06/17/2018 9:25 pm

I have seen many big name acts but the best show ever was a complete surprise to me and every one who attended.

I saw Eric Johnson at a small local venue on the same night as the Stones were playing near by in Portland. There was also another big name act booked across town that same night. This crowded situation set up a simple quirk of circumstance.

Unfortunatly for Eric, less than 100 people showed up for his gig. The up side was that I got to watch his entire show from about 5 feet away. If I couldn't see some aspect of his technique all I had to do was move a couple of feet, in one direction or the other, and the view was perfect!! I not only enjoyed the sound, but I got to closely watch a real master, up close and personal! It was as personal, as if the gig happened in my living room.

I doubt the band made much money that night. But the crowd was very enthusiastic and (despite what must have been a disappointing gate) the band played several encores. Real professional musicians for sure! That was the best $25 I ever spent!!


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snojones
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06/17/2018 9:47 pm

I also saw THE BEST ending to a rock show ever at a Journey Concert. By the end of the show the audience was completly WILD! They did several encores because the audience would not let them off the stage. So the lunched into another crowd pleaser but with a twist this time. As the band played a huge fireworks show erupted in the sky over the stadium. I do believe it was the best fireworks desplay I have ever seen. It was close over head and finally it got louder than the band on stage. While the entire stadium was entranced with the over head pyrotecnics, the song ended and the band exited the stage. It was another few minutes before the explosions ended. Then, before the crowd could realize what just happened, the stadium sound system began to play a loud recording of Toni Bennet singing "I left my heart in San Francisco"........

The entire stadium of what had moments before been a rabid screaming mob of thousands, emptied that same stadium in a matter of minutes. Honestly they all just immediately walked out, in an orderly fashion, without making another sound. Talk about Masterstroke Showmanship!!


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chris_m_bell
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08/05/2018 8:51 pm

Not really a “rock concert”. Saw a small unknown band playing in a bar in Cupertino Ca.

It was a bar best suited for about 150 people, there must have been 200 packed in there. The waitresses were delivering drinks, bunch of people were playing darts in the back. The place was very loud, people laughing, glasses being banged together. Probably the least loud thing in the bar was the band.

The band went quiet for a few seconds and the guitarist started tapping out the Snoopy theme. To this day I don’t know how he did it but the guitar sounded exactly like a piano.

After a minute or so the bar was silent. I remember looking around and everyone in the bar had just stopped what they were doing and were watching him play the snoopy theme. The waitresses were stopped in the middle of the room, the bartender was just staring. It was an amazing moment. The only time I’ve seen a guitarist silence a bar with a Henry Mancini tune. The guitarist was John Wedemyer.


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jvan9650
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09/18/2018 11:01 pm

Cool topic! I have seen quite a few shows over the years and these three stand above the rest.

1. The Allman Brothers Band - 1992. I saw them at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles on their Shades of Two Worlds tour. This was the best concert that I have ever seen. Dickey Betts and Warren Haynes were simply awesome to see and hear and the band was arguably at their post-reunion peak. The highlight of the show was the song Blue Sky.

2. Yes - 1992. I saw this show at the Pacific Amphitheater in Costa Mesa. This was the Union tour so all the best were there including Steve Howe, Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman. Their verson of Heart of the Sunrise was without a doubt the single best song I've heard in concert. When the song was over even the band was jazzed as they knew they had nailed it.

3. King Crimson - 1995 (I think). I saw King Crimson at the House of Blues in Hollywood on their THRAK tour. It was a great concert and there certainly were some interesting guitar moments from Robert Fripp.

Honorable mention goes to the two Pink Floyd shows that I saw. Their comeback in 1988 had the most impact on me because I never thought I'd ever see them live. The Division Bell tour was a better show, though.


# 11
fingolfen
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fingolfen
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09/11/2020 7:34 pm
Originally Posted by: jvan9650

3. King Crimson - 1995 (I think). I saw King Crimson at the House of Blues in Hollywood on their THRAK tour. It was a great concert and there certainly were some interesting guitar moments from Robert Fripp.

[p]

I saw that same tour when they were in Cleveland at Nautica... really great show!

There were a lot of really amazing shows I remember, but a few stick out...

July 21, 2015 - Rush R40 show in Portland. My wife and I are huge Rush fans (her even moreso than me). We'd missed Clockwork Angels because I had a work obligation, and I was really happy to get another chance to see them. I made sure we got great seats because a voice in the back of my head said it would be our last chance to see them live...

1993-ish? Violent Femmes in Columbus, OH. First time seeing them live, I figured they'd be fun, I didn't know they'd be amazing. I saw them again several years later, but the energy was just completely gone.


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Tinpan
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09/11/2020 8:41 pm

Stevie Ray at Auckland town hall supported by fabulous thunderbird. Amazing and Jimmy and Stevie did a beautiful duet sharing a double neck. Texas flood live was hard to beat.

Radio Birdman kings arms. Doubt many have heard of them but Denis tek at his best.

And......iggy and the stooges. Anywhere, anytime.


# 13
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09/11/2020 8:45 pm

And gotta agree with Manx. I was lucky enough to see them at western springs and they have harmonies like no other. Robin had an incredibly unique voice. Rip boys.


# 14
faith83
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09/11/2020 9:27 pm

Billy Joel, 1991, Portland Oregon. Backstage after the show, I was talking with Billy and a fan mistook me for Christie Brinkley and asked me for an autograph. I turned to Billy and he winked and said, go for it.

Someone out there has a Christie Brinkley autograph that's not really a Christie Brinkley autograph....

Not a "concert highlight," but it always makes me smile to think that for 30 seconds, I was married to Billy Joel.


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# 15
moosehockey18
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09/11/2020 11:58 pm

So many shows............ Hard to pick favorites but these are 4 that stick out in my mind.

1) Bruce Springsteen 1984. Saw him at the old Civic Arena in Pittsburgh where I grew up. He and his band played for 4 hours. Came out for several encores; the last one was Santa Clause is Coming to Town. The concert was in September !

2) John Denver early 1970`s. My first concert ! I came to identify with his music probably more than any other artist and He`s at least partially responsible for the fact that I live in the mountains today. My wife and I saw him 3 more times in the 80`s and 90`s.

3) America, 2013 at the Community Music Center in Wolfeboro NH. My wife and I saw them a few times during their heyday in the 70`s, but this concert cost 30 bucks a ticket and the facility held maybe 2000 people, so the show was a wonderfully intimate experience. They sounded great and played all their hits. It was like being in the 70`s again, except this time our grown daughters were with us !

4) Trans Siberian Orchestra ( multiple years ) It`s a Holiday concert but their production and stage show are second to none. Spellbinding !


# 16
faith83
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09/12/2020 12:01 am

Nice to meet another JD fan, moosehockey! He and Billy are my #1s. Saw Billy many times and never John -- I regret to say I was an idiot and wasn't paying attention -- a huge regret and my biggest musical mistake.


"I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk."

# 17
moosehockey18
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moosehockey18
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09/12/2020 12:09 am

Hi Faith ! Yes, I have a few regrets too. Had a chance to see Pink Floyd in 1994 and passed it up. ( Ugh!!) Guess I can always see their tribute band ( Brit Floyd). Had tickets to see Led Zepplin in 1980 but John Bonham died and the tour was called off. Have seen Billy Joel 3 times; always a top notch show. BJ played at my college the year before I started there; would`ve loved to see that !


# 18
DavesGuitarJourney
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DavesGuitarJourney
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09/12/2020 4:49 am
Originally Posted by: jarnac.chambers

Stevie Ray at Auckland town hall supported by fabulous thunderbird. Amazing and Jimmy and Stevie did a beautiful duet sharing a double neck. Texas flood live was hard to beat.

Radio Birdman kings arms. Doubt many have heard of them but Denis tek at his best.

And......iggy and the stooges. Anywhere, anytime.

Pretty sure I saw SRV on the same tour with the TBirds. Jimmie and Stevie did the double neck thing and it was really cool, they obviously enjoyed it. TBirds and SRV were both riding a growing wave of popularity then. As time went by and I became more familiar with Jimmie Vaughan I really gained a lot of respect for him. The cat can play, he is a real blues man.


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# 19
DavesGuitarJourney
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DavesGuitarJourney
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09/12/2020 4:53 am
Originally Posted by: faith83

Billy Joel, 1991, Portland Oregon. Backstage after the show, I was talking with Billy and a fan mistook me for Christie Brinkley and asked me for an autograph. I turned to Billy and he winked and said, go for it.

Someone out there has a Christie Brinkley autograph that's not really a Christie Brinkley autograph....

Not a "concert highlight," but it always makes me smile to think that for 30 seconds, I was married to Billy Joel.

Great story, Faith! Being mistaken for Christie Brinkley at that time is a pretty high compliment!


It takes as long as it takes unless you quit - then it takes forever and you will never get there.

# 20

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