Your Favorite/Worst Concerts or Live Shows List
Posted: Apr 28th 2003, 1:17 pm
I thought this might be an interesting thread to get started. Basically what are your top 5 or 10 best and worst concerts you have been to.
Just to clarify, I use "concerts" for arena sized shows and "live shows" for smaller club venues, just because I am retarded like that
Here we go:
The Best (in no particular order):
Poster Children - various shows, various years at Maxwells, Hoboken, NJ
I have seen this band atleast 4 or 5 times, they have been one of my favorite bands since about 1990. One of the most memorable was the last one about 2 years ago where they played with the Fastbacks. It was the Fastbacks last show of their tour and they just went insane, great show.
REM - 1989 or 1990 at Brendan Byrne Arena (now Continental Arena) East Rutherford, NJ
This was in support of their Green album, probably the first real concert I went to that I really wanted to see (prior to that was stuff my mother had dragged me too - ie John Denver and Peter Paul and Mary). It was a great show and this was probably the first tour Michael Stipe actually moved around on stage, Throwing Muses opened for them which was also very cool (this is Kristen Hersch's former band). Also a great show because this was probably the last great album they have released IMO.
Rocket from the Crypt - 1997 at Maxwells, Hoboken, NJ
This was in support of their Scream Dracula Scream album. One of the best shows I have ever been to, most energetic live show ever. Also had another of my favorite bands the Peechees open up for them. Amazing show, if you have never seen them and are a fan of theirs you must go see them if they play again.
Archers of Loaf - around 97-98 at Maxwells Hoboken, NJ
What can I say, it is the Archers of Loaf. Great indie rock band. Awesome show, great stage presence great music. Can't remember off hand who opened for them.
The Figgs - late 95, or early 96 at Maxwells Hoboken, NJ
Great show, but also a sad show. Great because they rock, sad because me and my girlfriend were one of about 10-15 people there and probably the only 2 people they didn't know personally. And this was a band on a major label with a video on MTV's 120 Minutes (Favorite Shirt from their first album LoFi at Society High). Even though there was nobody there they still put on a fantastic show and blew the roof off the place. Very memorable. They also let me and my girl buy their album from them before release day since we asked them about when it was coming out. They had a great band open for them called Girltoucher, they were also very good and gave us many memories the bass player who looked like Sean Astin with the huge unit (dubbed unitman by us)....hmm maybe that wasn't the show that girltoucher played...now Im confused...lol
The Shins - 2002 at Maxwells Hoboken, NJ
The last show I went to. They really impressed me live, I have had their album since it was released and listen to it all the time. The songs live were done a littel bit faster and harder (as per usual) and just worked really well. A band I never heard of before, Treasure State, opened for them and they were amazing ended up buying their CD and a shirt.
Scarce - 1996 at Maxwells Hoboken, NJ
Another of my favorite bands, probably one of the last shows they played before they broke up. This was actually the second time I had seen them, they once opened up for another band, Shudder to Think, and I fell in love with them then (probably 94 or 93). This was in support of their Deadsexy album, which is amazing.
Dead Milkmen - around 90- 91 at Montclair State University, NJ
One of my favorite bands of all time... fan of theirs since i was in the 5th grade, yes i was a little gutter punk . Free show given on the campus of MSU, in support of one of their worst albums IMO, Soul Rotation, but they still rocked. I got to meet them and they all signed my t-shirt. Very very cool people. Interesting side story a band called Sweet Lizard Illtet opened up for them whom I later met about 8 years later when I was working at a rehearsal studio in Hoboken, some of the members were brothers and owned a recording studio in Hoboken (they did some stuff for Evan Dando and others), they are also related to Val Kilmer, not that that is anything to be proud of .
Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Violent Femmes - around '94 at Montclair State University, NJ
Another great show, the Bosstones always put on a lively show. Probably the last good album they put out too, the show was great till some frat boys started throwing rocks and keys at the lead singer of the Violent Femmes and he basically stopped playing. Otherwise great show, met a few of the Bosstones and they were pretty damn cool people.
Weezer - 1993 or 1994 at Maxwells Hoboken, NJ
Shortly after the release of the first self titled album right before they went huge on MTV. Great show, totally tore the place down. I actually left my sisters wedding reception early to go to the show . Met them very briefly outside the venue, didn't even know who they were at first. Seemed very cool, they said "hi" to me first which was very cool. Rivers still had his bowl-cut at the time. It is a shame they suck now, don't remember who opened for them.
David Bowie, Prick, and NIN - 1995 at Brendan Byrne Arena (now Continental Arena) East Rutherford, NJ
In support of his Outside album, primarily went to see him and Prick, a great band that is no longer around. NIN was ok, but if you have seen them once... I had already seen them twice a few times earlier and by this point was sick of them. Prick blew away everyone else that night. I wish that band released more than one album. Bowie was brilliant as per usual. I have been a Bowie fan all my life, but never cared for anything he did post 1980 or so, until this album. This album blew me away and showed me that he still had it in him.
Well this got a little long, and I am sure I might add to this list, so I will leave it for now. I will put up my worst shows soon, I have only a few real disappointments.
Just to clarify, I use "concerts" for arena sized shows and "live shows" for smaller club venues, just because I am retarded like that
Here we go:
The Best (in no particular order):
Poster Children - various shows, various years at Maxwells, Hoboken, NJ
I have seen this band atleast 4 or 5 times, they have been one of my favorite bands since about 1990. One of the most memorable was the last one about 2 years ago where they played with the Fastbacks. It was the Fastbacks last show of their tour and they just went insane, great show.
REM - 1989 or 1990 at Brendan Byrne Arena (now Continental Arena) East Rutherford, NJ
This was in support of their Green album, probably the first real concert I went to that I really wanted to see (prior to that was stuff my mother had dragged me too - ie John Denver and Peter Paul and Mary). It was a great show and this was probably the first tour Michael Stipe actually moved around on stage, Throwing Muses opened for them which was also very cool (this is Kristen Hersch's former band). Also a great show because this was probably the last great album they have released IMO.
Rocket from the Crypt - 1997 at Maxwells, Hoboken, NJ
This was in support of their Scream Dracula Scream album. One of the best shows I have ever been to, most energetic live show ever. Also had another of my favorite bands the Peechees open up for them. Amazing show, if you have never seen them and are a fan of theirs you must go see them if they play again.
Archers of Loaf - around 97-98 at Maxwells Hoboken, NJ
What can I say, it is the Archers of Loaf. Great indie rock band. Awesome show, great stage presence great music. Can't remember off hand who opened for them.
The Figgs - late 95, or early 96 at Maxwells Hoboken, NJ
Great show, but also a sad show. Great because they rock, sad because me and my girlfriend were one of about 10-15 people there and probably the only 2 people they didn't know personally. And this was a band on a major label with a video on MTV's 120 Minutes (Favorite Shirt from their first album LoFi at Society High). Even though there was nobody there they still put on a fantastic show and blew the roof off the place. Very memorable. They also let me and my girl buy their album from them before release day since we asked them about when it was coming out. They had a great band open for them called Girltoucher, they were also very good and gave us many memories the bass player who looked like Sean Astin with the huge unit (dubbed unitman by us)....hmm maybe that wasn't the show that girltoucher played...now Im confused...lol
The Shins - 2002 at Maxwells Hoboken, NJ
The last show I went to. They really impressed me live, I have had their album since it was released and listen to it all the time. The songs live were done a littel bit faster and harder (as per usual) and just worked really well. A band I never heard of before, Treasure State, opened for them and they were amazing ended up buying their CD and a shirt.
Scarce - 1996 at Maxwells Hoboken, NJ
Another of my favorite bands, probably one of the last shows they played before they broke up. This was actually the second time I had seen them, they once opened up for another band, Shudder to Think, and I fell in love with them then (probably 94 or 93). This was in support of their Deadsexy album, which is amazing.
Dead Milkmen - around 90- 91 at Montclair State University, NJ
One of my favorite bands of all time... fan of theirs since i was in the 5th grade, yes i was a little gutter punk . Free show given on the campus of MSU, in support of one of their worst albums IMO, Soul Rotation, but they still rocked. I got to meet them and they all signed my t-shirt. Very very cool people. Interesting side story a band called Sweet Lizard Illtet opened up for them whom I later met about 8 years later when I was working at a rehearsal studio in Hoboken, some of the members were brothers and owned a recording studio in Hoboken (they did some stuff for Evan Dando and others), they are also related to Val Kilmer, not that that is anything to be proud of .
Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Violent Femmes - around '94 at Montclair State University, NJ
Another great show, the Bosstones always put on a lively show. Probably the last good album they put out too, the show was great till some frat boys started throwing rocks and keys at the lead singer of the Violent Femmes and he basically stopped playing. Otherwise great show, met a few of the Bosstones and they were pretty damn cool people.
Weezer - 1993 or 1994 at Maxwells Hoboken, NJ
Shortly after the release of the first self titled album right before they went huge on MTV. Great show, totally tore the place down. I actually left my sisters wedding reception early to go to the show . Met them very briefly outside the venue, didn't even know who they were at first. Seemed very cool, they said "hi" to me first which was very cool. Rivers still had his bowl-cut at the time. It is a shame they suck now, don't remember who opened for them.
David Bowie, Prick, and NIN - 1995 at Brendan Byrne Arena (now Continental Arena) East Rutherford, NJ
In support of his Outside album, primarily went to see him and Prick, a great band that is no longer around. NIN was ok, but if you have seen them once... I had already seen them twice a few times earlier and by this point was sick of them. Prick blew away everyone else that night. I wish that band released more than one album. Bowie was brilliant as per usual. I have been a Bowie fan all my life, but never cared for anything he did post 1980 or so, until this album. This album blew me away and showed me that he still had it in him.
Well this got a little long, and I am sure I might add to this list, so I will leave it for now. I will put up my worst shows soon, I have only a few real disappointments.