Side Note…
On a side note: I asked some people on set today what was the best live music show they ever saw. Actually, I asked Donofrio and then we started shooting and I didn’t get to ask anyone else. I hope he doesn’t mind me writing this (I don’t have his permission, I just thought it was really cool to share). He told me the best live show he ever saw was when he was a teenager, his older sisters took him to see the New York Dolls. I was instantly jealous. After a moment of thought, he then put an addendum on it and said, “No, I saw the Clash at Bonds when they were touring for Sandinista”
Holy smokes. I was quickly reminded of my constant complaint that music is completely dead. Who are the new bands? Who are the new bands that actually play instruments?
IN these times of lip synching and earplugs, it’s hard to imagine that there was a time you could see the Stones, Led Zeppelin, Lou Reed, James Brown, The New York Dolls and The Clash in the same calendar year. These days it seems we just sit around in our living rooms waiting for U2 to blow through town again.
The best live show I ever saw was Jane’s Addiction at The Ritz in 1991. They were about to break up and there was an incredible sense of malevolence in the room. If the Russian army broke down the doors of the Ritz that night we would have kicked their ass.
What was the best live show you ever saw?
No Dave Matthews’ band and no Phish.
jj
Always love going to the Doheny Blues Festival. B.B King, Etta James, Keb Mo, Kenny Wayne Shepard, lot of great bands on the beach. Great atmosphere. My first concert was Alice Cooper with my dad. Saw Janes around 91′ as well but the best were probably…Tool, Aerosmith or No Doubt with the wifey.
Screw all the dipshits on Twitter! We see you in Irvine every time your there and love the way you just tell stories about your life! Loved it when you brought Skylar up on stage and you guys did impressions! Great Night! Have fun filming Suicide Kings 2!!!
The best live show I ever saw was when I lived in Tallahassee. A friend who worked at the record store in town took me with him to a graduation ceremony for one of the Allman Brothers’ bands wives (Butch Trucks? Dickie Betts? Not sure.) We attended the art show for her graduation and met both of the band members. Well, afterwards, my friend found out that Butch and Dickie were giving a performance at a small local club. Awesome! Those guys rocked, and it was a small but very enthusiastic crowd of maybe 100. It was the BEST show I have ever seen!
Dire Straits in 1979 at the now long gone, 629 seat, Roxy Theater in Pacific Beach, CA. “Sultans of Swing” was my favorite song on the radio, and I bought and listened to that first album over and over. The Knopfler brothers were amazing together on stage and the atmosphere was thick in the audience. I saw Lou Reed and Iggy Pop there that same year, but missed the Police and Blondie, doh! We rode our bikes to the show and locked them in the bike racks just like we did when were younger and paying $.66 to see a triple feature. They tore the Roxy down a few years later and built a post office. PB had a great local music scene at the time and even had an Improv. Now PB sucks unless you like tattoos and sports bars.
The best concert I ever saw was at the House of Blues in Chicago. It was the Joe Perry Project when Joe Perry of Aerosmith was touring with his own band after Steven Tyler fell off the stage and was doped up. He played some of his own songs which were awesome if you can get past his vocals, but other songs he used a kid from Germany, Hagan and the kid could sing! But the best part of the show was all the energy behind the music…especially being in a smaller venue. The Project not only played original songs, but also those hard hitting Aerosmith songs that never see the light of day. It was everything Aerosmith could be if “I Don’t Want to Miss A Thing” didn’t have to be in the set list every night. Can’t wait for Joe to tour again!
Picking one show is near impossible…
1. 2nd night of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary shows at MSG was amazing and a once in a lifetime experience. Aretha Franklin, Jeff Beck, Metallica, U2.
2. My first Flogging Molly show when I was convinced I was going to die at least 3 times.
3. Brian Wilson performing “Pet Sounds” in San Diego
4. Pearl Jam, U2 and Green Day in Hawaii
5. Roger Waters doing Dark Side at the Hollywood Bowl
6. Roger Waters doing The Wall at MSG
U2, with special guest BB King, Paris 1989 – Beyond Awesome!
Just wanted to thank you for sharing your experiences on the LOCI set. I’m a HUGE D’Onofrio fan and have very much enjoyed reading your blog.
It’s a tie between Bette Midler and Kodo. Saw Bette about 10 years ago in Austin and the first half of her show was more than worth the price of the brokered tickets. She did another hour after the intermission. Kodo, the Japanese drummers, get inside your soul. They’re in better shape than pro athletes.
Tool came to Houston a few weeks after 9/11 on Oct 28 of 01….It was their Lateralus tour……their Zepplin IV….its perfect……if you dont know it…thank me later and listen……Houston is way more often than you think warm in october…..it was a Denver October night…..the music and vocals were FLAWLESS….the visual performance was a blinder removing and educational experience……Not alone, in awe……..No doubt I have seen some great shows, I will never have that complete feeling again
A cliche perhaps, but the truth nevertheless: a Rush show is always unforgettable: one of the last links to the great arena rock shows of the seventies.
But a lesser known band out of Knoxville, TN called Superdrag gave the best show I ever saw. I was in DC at the time, and my brother called me and commanded me to see them at the American University student union. I was over 30 and had to wear my dopey suit straight from my dopey job; the girls were looking at me like a was a level 3 sex offender. Low ceiling, lights out, tube amps giving off that electrical burning copper smell: wow.
Im another one that cant decide on one.
First was Warren Zevon in Cleveland early 1980′s. Outstanding show…just him having fun. I’m still a huge and and miss his live shows.
Second was not really just a show, it was 2 shows back to back on the same day. Foo Fighters played an afternoon show at the House of Blues in Vegas and they just blew the roof off with pure power. After that show ended it was less than 30 minutes before Pearl Jam was to take the stage at the MGM Grand. The crowd rushed out onto Las Vegas Blvd and ran down the street to the MGM. Cops could not do anything about the crowd….there were just too many of us. Anyway…..we made it in time, and PJ put on a great 10th anniversary show.
These stories are great…keep em coming!
BEST show i ever saw ..??.. hmm WELL JAY that would have to be the INDIGO GIRLS at the denver pavillions. ya, i never heard of them either at the time , and “a friend” from work game me a couple free tixs and said i should go to this concert because there will lots of pussy there, YEA he wasent bull shitten { sum f_ _ _ _ ing friend} worse thing was i took my hot little nag with me, and the bull dkyes were all over here
see you sat night in denver slamman
Definitely X with The Circle Jerks & The Descendants @ Miami. Great show. Combat boot to the head and blood all over my t-shirt…best night ever!
ahh the good old days…
New York Dolls??? Hell yeah I’m jealous too! And the Clash on the Sandinista tour?? That thing dropped when I was in high school and blew my mind.
The Tubes was one of the greatest shows I ever saw, complete orchestrated mayhem. And Jay, you rocked the Bad Brains t-shirt at the Salt Lake City show. That pwnd!
Sorry to double post…but I dig that your favorite was Jane’s. I saw them in ’91 too, last show of the Lolapalooza tour in Seattle. I also saw them in Portland in 88. Perry wore cut off football pants, cowboy boots, a cowboy hat and a fuscia halter shirt with pink dreads. It was hilarious! Couple years before he went black leather and got all that dough.
I also saw Jane’s, and this was the best one, in 1990 at the University of Portland. I drove 3 hours from Seattle, saw the show, then drove home (no drugs even) and went to work the next day. The lineup was epic. The Pixies played first, the Primus, then Jane’s Addiction. Great show! Great post too!
Since I worked at a rock station for 5 years, I saw many concerts. Hard to pick just one, but a few, with brief descriptions and why they stand out:
– Jethro Tull. They had the stage set up like a restaurant, and the waiter ended up being Ian Anderson, who pulled out his flute. Guy sitting at first table the guitarist, who turned around and started playing. An amazing show.
– RUSH was goofy, with these huge rabbits jumping around stage…but Primus opened up. They blew me away. Singer/bassist was hysterical, even once playing while running thru the crowd, and backstage, before saying “Holy shit, I just met Neil Peart backstage!”
– Hootenany festival, a few months before Clash singer passed away. He put on a great show, as did X. Funny watching him yell at people by the tour bus “I’ll sign all your f***ing autographs, but I have a fever. Just sit down, and chill out!!” He then sat down and was nice as could be.
– Warren Zevon in SD. Love his songs, but even more bizarre was backstage, and seeing the two most gorgeous groupies — and him laying into them for being dingy and idiots that will just sleep with anybody. He started quizzing them on Greek mythology, asking questions that perhaps only Dennis Miller could answer. One of them cried. The other ran away. I asked him to sign my Excitable Boy CD. He did, but rolled his eyes, and said “Jesus man, buy some of my new material.”
– Iggy Pop, for all the reasons you’d expect. When he did Lust for Life, he swung from the curtains. When he did another song, woman jumped on stage, and humped his leg the entire song.
– The Proclaimers. They sing that “I would walk 500 miles/I would walk 500 more.” It was the only tune I knew, but these Scottish geeks tour this tiny club up. Some amazing rockabilly tunes they did (often times, the best concert is where you don’t expect much).
– Liz Phair. Was a huge fan, and waited years to see her live.
– HONORABLE MENTION: for two fun moments. Spinal Tap, and taking a contest winner backstage to meet the band, and “help” them find the stage (complete with miner helmet with lights on it). And Jimmy Buffet. I didn’t stay, because, well…it was Jimmy Buffet, but he let out listeners/contest winners watch the show (20 of them) from 4 different hot tubs set up on stage. How friggin’ cool is that?
oh, side note: a few Janes Addiction mentions here. Saw them, they were great. Funniest thing was before the show, watching street magician David Blaine trying to talk his way in. I mean, what the hell. You’re rich. Why are you hounding a security guard to let you in?
Jay,
I know this is a bit late, however I just joined today.
In may I saw Cocksparrer at Punk Rock Bowling. After 20 plus years of shows, this one blew me away. The band was formed in 1972 so needless to say these guys are getting up there in years. I was lucky enough to see them in a small club atmosphere one of the nights and then at the big festival the next night. On the way out of the club show we heard a guy say, “That was the best show I have ever been to. It was the right band, the right venue, and the right people.” I could not agree more. I felt like I was eighteen when I left there. I am a bigger fan than I ever was and am happy to report that I saw the best show of my life at thirty seven.
In the 90′s, I saw Porno for Pyros on top of a parking ramp in downtown Detroit. Lately, I would have to say The Twilight Singers. I recently saw them at St. Andrew’s Hall in Detroit, MI (best venue EVER). Lately, I think it would be worth your time to check out Daniel Lanois’ Black Dub (Trixie Whitley, who is the late Chris Whitley’s daughter (Chris Whitley opened up for Tom Petty in the 90′s) is one of the most amazing singers EVER. Also, The Sea and Cake are also pretty amazing as well.
Sorry to double post, but the Afghan Whigs were also incredible…
Oingo Boingo – year after year. There is no contest.
I know this post is a little old, but I still wanted to weigh in. Best live show ever; Late 90′s (probably ’99) Odeon in Cleveland – G Love and the Special Sauce with All Fellas Band. To say G Love tore the roof off would be a massive understatement. The show was nearly 3 hours and G had the whole place in the palm of his hand. If at the end of the show he told everyone to take a leak on the floor, 90% of us would have done it. He was all over the place, playing some of the tightest jams I’ve ever heard. I have seen him since, but that show tops all others by far. Simply awesome!
Jay- try & catch The Foo Fighters on the current tour. They play for almost 3 hours, all the hits & Grohl is an energy machine and a great frontman. Im not like a freaky Foos fan, but this was/is a great rock-n-roll show. My faves were U2 right after 9/11, very powerful. And Green Days American Idiot tour, tons of energy! Worst was Van Hagar OU812 tour. 45 minutes? Really! Love Halen but that was just a rip-off. You are correct, U2 shows are always epic!
Saw Pearl Jam (baaaaa) in Austin right after they did the album with Neil Young. The Ramones opened for them. Awesome impression of him you did on the podcast! Also, Jamaal Wilkes wants you to lay off the #41 trash-talk…
^^^ so far, best post I have read. Inside jokes, great list and Jamal Wilkes/Nowitski smack. F_R_E_S_H_!
My first concert was Creedence Clearwater Revival at the LA Forum. Probably 1969 or 70 and I was 5 or 6. Saw The Who at Angels stadium on the Tommy tour, Ike and Tina Turner at the Circle Star Theater, Frank Zappa at the Roxy, Some New Year’s Dead Shows, US Festival, many Day on the Green concerts, on and on.
Best show?
Bad Brains at the Aztec Theater in Denver, late 80s.
Pearl Jam at Cal Expo in Sacramento on the “10″ tour
The Clash at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium in 1982 and then again the next night at the Oakland Colosseum when they opened for The Who. Saw them a third time a week later in LA when The Clash opened for The Who.
It’s hard to pick one show, so I picked the top 3, I think, although Dead shows on New Year’s were great, same with Red Rocks….Metallica, Reggae on the Rocks with Burning Spear and Steel Pulse….Agent Orange was great too. U2 was great, Stones put on an excellent show, and so do the Dead Kennedys. Rush was ok when I was in high school and saw them on LSD. Alice Cooper, Danger Kitty, Social Distortion were all great shows. Too many to list……
Jay Mohr hosting the ESPN Extreme Sports Awards at the Universal Amphitheater in 2002 was pretty awesome too. That guy was funny. It was almost 10 years ago now.
IGGY POP performing at an outdoor venue in St Petersburg FL with Social Distortion. He ripped everybody a new one! Also caught JANE’S ADDICTION at the same venue and again at The Masquerade in Ybor City, FL…..they were amazing, Dave Navarro was still in the band then. And can’t forget The RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, I got knocked down by some skinheads during their performance and Anthony K. stopped the show until they simmered down. I was wearing a skirt and cut up my knee pretty bad….but it was worth it to be that close to the stage.