# What's the best concert you've been to?



## PosterBoy (Jan 22, 2002)

For a change of pace from all the politics, what is the best/your favourite concert you've been to?

For me, I'd have to say that it is a toss up between Nine Inch Nails when they were in Vancouver last and Barenaked Ladies when they were in Vancouver last.

NIN is a big show, three big displays behind them showing different images for the different songs. Lots of energy from the fans, as well as the band.

BNL is one of few bands I know of today that actually genuinely seems to have a good time performing. They are so light-hearted and fun (case in point they're new single "Another Postcard") that they are impossible not to enjoy.

They also like to do improv raps and sing a medly of the songs that are currently up on the top 40 list. It's great fun! I can;t wait until March when I'll be seeing them again.

So what shows have you guys been to and enjoyed?


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## joepataydis (Jan 19, 2004)

The best show I've ever seen was U2 in Montreal a few years ago.
It was by far the biggest concert I've ever attended. It was at the Molson Center and was at capacity. Unfortunatly our seats were behind the main stage so all we could see was the back of Larry Mullen's head. 
It was a good thing they had huge screens 
so we could see Bono and The Edge.........and Adam


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

I've seen pretty much every big act from the sixties and seventies....up to the mid-eighties...

That's the bands that used to fill up 80,000 seats for two or three days running. 

Nothing like the five or ten thousand seat bands that barely even fill those small venues these days.

-The Rolling Stones were pretty good back in 1983 in Seattle. But I noticed that they didn't play any of the "filler" that padded out their five good albums into twenty mediocre ones. They managed to fill up fifty thousand seats three days running. Not bad.

-The WHO were awesome! Brilliant and moving! I was dragged to this concert by my long term girlfriend. It was totally worth it. They filled almost one hundred thousand seats for two days in a row...

-U2 were beyond awesome. You HAVE to see them in person. It will change your life. Their CD's are a pale imitation of the true reality. SEE THEM...while you still can. You will not be disappointed. I sh*t you NOT!!

-SuperTramp were outstanding! This is one band that sounds EXACTLY like they do on the CD/Record. Very professional and VERY memorable!

-Led Zeppelin...my very favorite band of all time, bar none. But their concert was a mixed bag, at first. We simple fans were slightly confused as the band went from easily recogniseable and totally popular tunes, and then proceeded to spin off into some other dimension . Running on pure NITRO! 

The music didn't sound very much like the stuff we had been listening to on the records (no CD's back then)....they stuck some Elvis tunes and even a few Beach Boys songs into the middle of their signature tunes like "Dazed and Confused" and "Whole Lotta Love". 

It was a bit confusing, to say the least.

Plus, Robert Plant was more than a little buggered on Coke. He said as much, and his nose was bleeding all down his shirtfront during the whole concert. His trademark voice was a bit raw as well.

Jimmy Page was also spaced out on some sort of substance...so was the whole audience (this was 1975, after all)...and he actually puked all over himself during the climactic riffs of "When the Levee Breaks". 

John Boham, the drummer, was seen to be beating the living daylights out of a stage roadie, during a song that didn't require any drums, when part of the backdrop fell down...

And we were all sort of amazed and slightly dismayed by the length of each song. They were about three or four minutes on the records, and we all knew EVERY note. In the live Led Zeppelin concert, the songs were twenty or thirty minutes long and contained all sorts of bizarre solos and even songs from other bands.

We were all scrambling to keep up with their flights of fancy. There was a big vacuum between where the fans were at...and where the band was at. But we all knew they were probably on to SOMETHING.

We just didn't have a clue what it was.

But at some indefineable point during that concert...we all began to see what they were getting at. It was a totally new style. Something very radical in the making, that was happening before our very eyes...

I should note that Led Zeppelin came on stage about a half hour EARLY...and there was no backup or warmup band. They took NO breaks in a five hour show that blew everyone out of their seats! Then they left the stage, after this unbelieveable (and sometimes inexplicable) performance, without having played "Stairway to Heaven". 

We just KNEW they'd come back.

A twenty minute standing ovation ensued. Complete with screaming and clapping and spontaneous hand-held fireworks and some destruction of property. I have been told that this is still a record in Vancouver for a standing ovation. 

Led Zeppelin came back on stage...after this twenty minute standing ovation... and I honestly thought that the arena roof was going to collapse from the roar of the crowd.

They went into three more brand new songs from the as-yet-unreleased "Physical Graffitti" album... and then capped it all off with a magnificent version of the most popular Rock Anthem of all time (to this very DAY)...Stairway to Heaven.   

My buddies and I were totally speechless as we walked out of the arena. Everyone was. People were walking around in a daze...completely flabbergasted by what they had witnessed that night. It was beyond description. Otherworldly.

Led Zeppelin was scheduled to play from 8PM that night until about 11:30 PM. They actually played nonstop from 7:45 until about one AM. Then they came back at one twenty and treated us to some truly amazing stuff until almost three AM.

They left the whole cowd of twenty thousand people staggering around in a big puddle of goo. We didn't even know our own names, after they got done with us.

It was THAT good.









I've been to the "US Festival"...staged by Steve Wozniak (yes THAT Steve Wozniak).... in 1983, in Glen Helen park, California (Van Halen, Ozzie, Triumph, The Scorpions, et al...for three solid days) and I have attended the Big Texas Jam (The Police, Molly Hatchet, Marshall Tucker, Jimmy Buffett et al)...

Plus a lot of other major massive concerts that involved a hundred thousand cheering fans or more (I was a bit too young to see Woodstock).

But I have NEVER seen anything like that Led Zeppelin concert. EVER!


Then again...I never got to see Jimi Hendrix in a Live venue.

And I have a feeling that he would have topped EVERYTHING I had seen before. Big Time.

Led Zeppelin was from another world.

Jimi was from another GALAXY.
















[ January 30, 2004, 06:26 AM: Message edited by: macnutt ]


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## godot (Jan 17, 2004)

Haven't been to all that many concerts but a Paul Simon concert in Edmonton 8 or 9 years ago really stands out.

A Bob Dylan concert in Boston in 1966 (I think) when the first half of the performance was acoustic and then he came on with The Band after intermission and several of the audience got up and walked out. It took me awhile to accept the new direction as well.

Back in the late 50s I would go anywhere that The Weavers (Pete Seeger, Ronnie Gilbert, Lee Hays & Fred Hellerman) were performing. I suspect that's not the kind of concert you were thinking about, PosterBoy, when you started this thread.









Special moments were seeing Bob Dylan at the Gaslight in Greenwich Village in 1962. There were about a dozen of us in the audience paying a buck for coffee. Another night there had Peter, Paul & Mary, Bill Cosby (then playing football at Temple University), Jack Elliot, and Cynthia Gooding all on the same bill. Performers outnumbered the audience.

Seeing Lennie Bruce at the Gate of Horn in Chicago in the late 50s will always stay with me. Also during my Chicago years a Mahalia Jackson concert (I remember sitting in the front row) brought goosebumps.

MacNutt: Your description of the Led Zeppelin concert was FANTASTIC. Thanks for taking the time to write about it. I felt like I was there.

I guess after this post I'll have to give up the idea that you folks will think I'm in my 30s.









Cheers,


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## Max (Sep 26, 2002)

Hhmmmm, let's see...

Bruce Cockburn at The Bottom Line, NYC, 1981

Barenaked Ladies, The Albion Hotel, Guelph, late 80s

The Rheostatics, The Albion again, same time period

Michelle Shocked, The Commercial Tavern, Maryhill, 89 or 90, if memory serves

Supertramp, Ottawa, Crime of the Century tour... and again in Toronto, when they were supporting "Breakfast In America" ...windowpane acid... whew. What a great band for that period. Their first album is a real classic.

Rush, pretty much any of their concerts, although I recall a really great one at Maple Leaf Gardens when they were touring for "2112" - first time I saw them was at the Ex in Ottawa and their very first album had come out... I remember being awed by Alex Lifeson doing the extended madness in "Working Man." Funny how meat and potatoes their sound was until they came into their own... they had a sort of bluesy, hard, Zeppelin feel to them originally. Fast-forward a few years to MLG and the first time seeing "The Trees" performed live; what a gripping sense of dynamism. They played like they meant every note.

Devo, El Mocambo, first time in Toronto, supporting "Are We Not Men?" 1978 or so, I guess. Absolutely insane. Four, or was it five? - guys in yellow plastic jumpsuits, playing like robot punks... "Come back Johnny"... incredible. Dancing on tables, beer bottles smashing to the floor. Joyous mayhem. No one knew what the hell they were about but they appreciated their intensity of delivery.

The Government, Spadina Hotel, same era... what craziness Queen street used to be back then. Bands like Kinetic Ideals, Johnny and The G-rays, Beggars' Opera, Diatribe, The Battered Wives, the Viletones, Michelle Jordana and the Poles... and many more.

Manfred Mann and his Earth Band, "Solar Fire Tour"... Ottawa Civic Centre, maybe 1973 or 74... nothing like "The Mighty Quinn," that's for sure. What an absorbing experience.

Spirit of the West, the mighty Albion again... late 80s... nothing beats seeing a great live band in a small, intimate setting.

Genesis, the Ottawa Civic Centre, supporting "A Trick of the Tail," their first album after Gabriel split. We didn't care; their live sound was far tougher, more vital, than the studio slickness, and they really created stunning, immersive soundscapes. Other bands of that time frame I saw in the same barn of an arena: BTO, Gentle Giant, Rush, Mahogany Rush and Crowbar.

Frank Zappa touring "Joe's Garage," MLG again... Steve Vai and a cast of players who could blow your head off, never mind the Maestro himself.

The Stranglers supporting "Feline" at the Masonic Temple, where Bullard later did his show. Elegant guitar playing and that signature fat bass sound that I'd kill for to replicate. Their early stuff, which they also did a lot of, was crude but inspired. Hearing them do "Peaches" was a gas but some of the new Feline stuff was astonishing... you could tell they were moving off into new territory. I stopped listening to them after "Aural Sculpture" but I was pleased to have caught them at their peak.

I saw the Clash twice, the first time somewhere on the Danforth when they were touring for their first album. Second time was at the O'Keefe centre, when the second album was out. Both times I was smashed on white wine. I have no idea how that came to be - I'm not even particularly fond of white wine. It's too bad I was too young and stupid not to have kept back a few more grey cells in order to more fully appreciate a truly legendary band. Seeing them do one of my all-time favourites, their stunning cover of "Police and thieves," was like an epiphany.

Seeing the Specials at the first Police Picnic made my day. I enjoyed Iggy Pop and Killing Joke, I didn't get Oingo Boingo then but I can sure appreciate what Danny Elfman is all about now - but the Specials simply did me in. Seeing them do their song about a rape, "The Boiler," was haunting. People were taken aback by the force of this lovely woman Rhoda screaming on stage on top of this terribly hypnotic, mesmerizing beat... it was wild. Evil and sublime all at once. That did it for me and my pals. We didn't even stay for the Police... we heard them coming on stage as we got back in our cars. (;->))

________________________________________________________

Hey, that was fun. I hardly ever see live stuff anymore, unless it's in a little bar. A shame, but other things take precedence nowadays. Still, I ought to get out a little more.

Shoot - almost forgot! Simon and Garfunkle, their first reunion gig, Central Park, 1981. Too many people to even get close to the stage without getting really claustro, but what a lovely evening anyway. I wasn't so much a fan as I was simply enjoying seeing half a million people congregate in one place, everyone being cool.


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## gordguide (Jan 13, 2001)

Really, too many to list. I've seen most of the acts already mentioned (not Zep); one not mentioned yet is Bob Marley in Edmonton; he toured Canada in 1979.

Another memorable one was Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee at the old UpperMUB on Campus in Saskatoon.

Also, John Lee Hooker at the Broadway theatre in Saskatoon (where I also saw the Dead Kennedys play).

I've been to many of the well-known local clubs like the El Mocambo in TO and the Commodore in Vancouver.

I don't go to many big concerts any more; I can't stand the rules, restrictions, security searches and stuff that take all the fun out of it.

I still see live music every week and go to most of the smaller venues. I've seen quite a few acts in bars in Saskatoon that might suprise some people (Bonnie Raitt, BB King and James Cotton used to play repeatedly a bar called Foxy's; I would guess I've seen Bonnie at least a dozen times there).

Some of you might know of Johnny Lang, who we used to call "Kid Johnny Lang" when he played at Bunker's in Minneapolis pretty much every week in the early 90's (he was about 13 then). He comes fishing with us now. Same thing with Colin James, I've seen him play probably a hundred times starting when he was about 14.

Really, too many to list, but thinking about it sure brings back some great experiences. I listen to a pretty wide variety of music; I've seen acts from punk/alternative like The Forgotten Rebels, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, Butthole Surfers, Sex Pistols to mainstream acts like Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, Eric Clapton, or Dave Grusin; literally thousands of Blues acts and a bunch of people who were great but aren't well known, like Asleep At The Wheel, Ravi Shankar (Norah Jones' dad) or Jan Hammer.

[ January 30, 2004, 09:30 AM: Message edited by: gordguide ]


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## MaxPower (Jan 30, 2003)

I've been to a few memorable concerts in my day. Most notably:

• Stompin' Tom Connors at Massey Hall. You could tell he loves to perform. If I recall I decided to go on a whim, and boght tickets from a scalper.

• Harry Connick Jr. at Exhibition Stadium. Again, you could tell he enjoyed being there. I remember some people were late for the concert (front row) and he stopped the show and waited for them to sit down, saying he didn't want them to miss any more of the show. Later he said to the audience that he was feeling really under the weather, but he was going to give it his all so the audience would get a great show. And he did just that.

• KISS - any concert. These guys are entertainers. Plain and simple. The pioneers of the modern theatrical concert. Love them or hate them, you will walk out of a KISS show awestruck.


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## gordguide (Jan 13, 2001)

I saw KISS on their first tour (they didn't even have a record out yet, nobody knew who they were) with Manfred Mann's Earth Band and Savoy Brown at the "Old Barn" (Saskatoon Arena). Around 1973; I know i was still in High School, grade 10 probably.

They were probably the loudest band I've ever heard. Way over the top stuff, the crowd loved it.


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## ErnstNL (Apr 12, 2003)

Rather than describing a best concert, I would say the concert that surprised me the most was Anne Murray's. I was never a fan and went to her concert with a friend. It was not spectacular but I was enthralled with her showmanship (showomanship?) and talent. It was a real eyeopner.


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## gordguide (Jan 13, 2001)

Anne Murray and the Carpenters, both musical styles I'm not too fond of have one thing in common; absolutely outstanding technical and professional excellence.

If anyone is interested in home recording or recording production you should give both a listen.

Anne gets daily airplay on just about every country station anywhere in the southern US.


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## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

Ooh gosh. It's years since my last concert but here goes.

*The Beach Boys* a few times when I was in my teens. I wasn't the biggest BB fan in the world but my cousins were. We went to a few BB concerts together and had a great time at each one. Big, happy, very loud. Bright, bright lights too.

*Elton John* a few times over the years. Reliably, you get your money's worth and then some out of R. K. Dwight's concerts. He's changed so much, but hasn't changed at all. Fit & trim at some concerts, pudgy or even bloated at others... but it didn't matter 'cos a good time was always had by all.

*Gary Numan* at the Montreal Forum in 1980 or so. It was his _Telekon_ tour. Spacey, atmospheric, and my favourite music at the time. I wasn't sure if Gary was always on key. Still, most enjoyable.

*Iggy Pop*. I was a pasty young adult in my second year of CEGEP (college). A classmate of mine came into tickets for an Iggy Pop concert. Sure, why not. It was general admission, and we were crowding towards the entrance when I realized my ticket was no longer in my hand. I had to keep moving with the crowd towards then entrance though, and when I finally got to the ticket-taker, I said I'd lost my ticket. The guy smirked - then pulled one out of his shirt pocket, ripped it, and gave me the stub. As for the concert, if you Google Iggy Pop on the internet and read alarming things about him... it's all _true_. In a strange but most fitting epilogue to the gala evening, when I got home at 2:30 in the morning I found the ticket I'd thought I'd lost, inside my shirt. 

My ears rang for days afterwards.

*Peter Gabriel* on his _So_ tour. Our seats were up near the rafters. The sound was great, the fact that I had no binoculars on hand... less so. Lots of wonderful music, it was just a superb show.

*Eurythmics* at some multi-band mega-concert at Jarry Park (former home of the MTL Expos). Seemed as big as Woodstock but rather lifeless until Annie and Dave finally hit the stage. We had some fun but I was disappointed a bit. It was rather hard to see them from so far away, and the acoustics were just horrible. It wasn't the fault of the band, though.

This isn't a music concert per se, but it was still fantastic: I went to a performance by the *Pilobolus* dance company. Otherworldly, beautiful, and excitingly strange. If you've ever seen them, you probably know exactly what I'm talking about...


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Woodstock.
Peter, Paul and Mary at Carnegie Hall in NYC.


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## MannyP Design (Jun 8, 2000)

I've only seen a handfull of concerts so far:

Alice Cooper ('89)
Metallica ('92 -- amazing show ... ran almost 4 hours!)
Bon Jovi ('93)
Colin James ('93)
Voivod ('99 & '03)
Iron Maiden ('99)
Finger 11 ('99)
I Mother Earth('99)
Burton Cummings ('99)
The Tea Party ('94, '97 & '02)
KISS (Farewell tour 2001)
Ozzy Ozbourne ('02 & '03)

I had a dry spell when I moved to Ottawa.. since we didn't have a car, or much money, I missed out on a lot of concerts in Toronto and Montreal (Korn, Metallica, Pantera, more Tea Party, Limp Bizkit, LInkin Park, Nickelback, etc.) Now that we have a new house, I doubt I'll be seeing any this year.  But, these are small sacrifices.

My favorite of them all would be a tie between The Tea Party in '97 and Ozzy in '03: it was a good 2-hour concert (and then some) which featured just about every song between the early Sabbath days to today. However the Tea Party has a close spot to my heart since it was the first concert I went to with my future wife (first date actually) in '94.

The Metallica and KISS shows were a close 2nd — AMAZING! The original four members donning the makeup... great show!


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

The Big Valley Jamboree in Camrose Alberta every August 1st weekend.

Five days of entertainment on the main stage from noon to midnight.

If they do country, they have played Camrose.

This years headliners: Reba McEntire and Brad Paisley.

Acts I have seen:

Willy Nelson
Ricky Scaggs
Loretta Lynn
Mel Tillis
Patty Loveless
Winnona
Pam Tillis
Dwight Yokum
Sawyer Brown
Oakridge Boys
Paul Brandt
George Jones
Roseanne Cash
Carlene Carter
George Strait
Dolly Parton
Lonestar
Marty Stuart
Kenny Chesney
Alan Jackson
Keith Urban
Tim McGraw
Brooks & Dunn
Randy Travis
Martina McBride
Billy Ray Cyrus
Tracy Bird
Vince Gill
Clint Black
Patty Loveless

That is all I can recall at the moment. If you are a country fan, or even just a camping fan, take it in if you ever get the chance.

Cheers


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## farfisa (Nov 5, 2003)

Top 3
1. Bob Dylan, Maple Leaf Gardens, 1998 
--after Joni Mitchell opened, my friend and I went to the front to check out the guitars, then realized that we could actually stay there. We were about 10 feet from Dylan.
2. Peter Gabriel, the Spectrum, Montreal, 1992
--before the US tour, he had a rehearsal at this small(ish) Montreal venue where there were 1000 tickets available. He played keyboards, and had the words on top
3. Radiohead, the Spectrum, Montreal, 1995 (?)
--same venue as #2, totally blew me away. Thom Yorke wasn't very impressed with the moshers...


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## PosterBoy (Jan 22, 2002)

Cool guys! A few responses

*godot:
I suspect that's not the kind of concert you were thinking about, PosterBoy, when you started this thread.*

I wasn't thinking of any concert type at all godot, besides ones that you've had a good time at! There are a number of acts from the 50s that would have been quite cool to see live in their prime.

*gordguide:
Some of you might know of Johnny Lang, who we used to call "Kid Johnny Lang" when he played at Bunker's in Minneapolis pretty much every week in the early 90's (he was about 13 then). He comes fishing with us now.*

Indeed, Johnny Lang is awesome, I've never had the chance to see him play live though (not yet anyway). He handles a guitar about as well as Stevie Ray Vaughan did, and that is saying something (no there's a act I'd like to have seen live).

*MannyP:
Finger 11 ('99)*

How did you find Finger 11? I've seen them three times now (Edgefest 99, opening for Our Lady Peace last year and headlining last year at a club in town) and the only time I was really, really impressed by them was when they were opening for OLP. Kind of hit and miss.

Then again, I think I have been more impressed with Our Lady Peaces' opening acts than I have with them pretty much every time (might have something to do with the fact that despite his lyrics, Raine Maida can't really sing...). Everclear rocked the house, Stereophonics were really entertaining and Everclear made GM Place shake.

has anyone else been to a concert where the opening act far out-shined the headliner?

*farfisa:
3. Radiohead, the Spectrum, Montreal, 1995 (?)*

Radiohead sure put on a nice show don't they? They fill Thunderbird Stadium (that's where the UBC Thunderbirds play, oddly enough) every time they are in town. That's oh, about 30,000 people or so? Last time we saw them, Thom Yorke introduced a new song (at the time) called "I Might Be Wrong" by saying "Here's a song about being lost in the mountains. _Obviously_."

It was quite amusing.

Keep the stories coming!


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## MannyP Design (Jun 8, 2000)

PosterBoy:

I saw Finger 11 when they opened for I Mother Earth. They were pretty good, the sound was alright, but that's not something that's totally in their control at the time of the concert -- had a hard time hearing their vocals.

Performance-wise, they were NUTS! A lot of energy, and entheusiasm.


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## kloan (Feb 22, 2002)

I've been to a lot of concerts, but I have to say the best one was the Beastie Boys, Hello Nasty Tour in Molson Park..


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

Yes, PB...I have been to at least one concert where the first act was quite a bit better than the headliner.

It was at the Orpheum in Vancouver in 1988. A very classy old theatre and everyone was dressed up to watch Jean Luc Ponty wow us with his electric violin. (I've always loved his stuff. )

The opening act was someone called Stanley Jordan...I'd never heard of him.

Curtain opens and the crowd settles down, and this tall well-dressed black guy in his thirties walks out carrying an electric guitar. He sits down on a stool, all alone on the stage and I notice he has no guitar pick...he sort of cradles the guitar across his lap and begins to play it with both hands by sort of tapping on the strings.

I started to get up and head out to the lobby (I wanted to find a quiet spot to torch up the big gagger I had in my jacket pocket) I was hoping that Ponty would be up before very long and I was afraid I'd fall asleep while this Jordan guy was tapping away.

Good thing I didn't. This guy was FANTASTIC!

I've never heard a guitar sound like that before! It was almost like there were two seperate guitars playing at the same time! He played Stairway to Heaven as a finisher and the crowd was on its feet cheering! You'd swear that a whole band was up there playing complex riffs and bold swoops and charming the hell out of everyone. It was wayyy too cool!    

The Jean Luc Ponty came onstage and went through most of his best stuff. He was really really good...but we all wanted more of Stanley! He knew it..and he called him back up to finish the show. 

It was magic. I'll never forget it.


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## mbaldwin (Jan 20, 2003)

I usually prefer small venues to the big stadium or outdoor venues (though I've enjoyed bands like The Tea Party and The Tragically Hip at the big events).

But a small place is always better in my books. My ATF was seeing Furnaceface at Louis' (University of Saskatchewan) on Halloween, 1994. The most fun I've ever had at a concert.

Other good ones were Stabbing Westward / Econoline Crush at Barrymores in Ottawa, Southern Culture on the Skids (a truly bizarre band) at Zaphods in Ottawa, and I Mother Earth at some tiny bar in Saskatoon (before anyone knew who they were).

Loudest concert ever: The Ramones at some club in Toronto in the early 90s. I know I suffered permanent damage that night. Ugh.

- Martin.


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## godot (Jan 17, 2004)

I can rightly be accused of playing with stereotypes (hey, could that be a pun?) but I think I better understand Dr. G's posts knowing he was at Woodstock.









Cheers,


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

It does make one think a bit, doesn't it? Our very own Mark Twain-in-residence...our kindly Dr. G, who is so happy in his warm little house with his doxies, presents a fatherly figure to most of us.

It's a bit hard to picture him cavorting in the mud with a bunch of naked hippie-chicks while blasted on brown acid....Jimi Hendrix playing live in the background.

WoodStock!

WHEW!


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## MaxPower (Jan 30, 2003)

> has anyone else been to a concert where the opening act far out-shined the headliner?


Back in '91 at Maple Leaf Gardens I saw The Cult with Lenny Kravitz opening up for them.

Lenny blew them away! Half the audience left after Lenny. the best thing though is that Lenny didn't rely on any of the smoke and mirrors the Cult had. Just lighting.


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## (( p g )) (Aug 17, 2002)

I can't pick just one favourite...
- the Rheostatics at Barrymores circa 1992;
- Peter Gabriel at the Air Canada Centre 2002 and at Camp Fortune circa 1983;
- Laurie Anderson at the National Arts Centre 1989;
- U2 at the Ottawa Civic Centre 1984;
- The Police circa 1981 in Paris.

My worst concert (and I really hate to have to say this)...

- Tragically Hip at the Corel Centre circa 1997 (great band in smaller venues, but totally devoid of stage presence in a large arena).


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## BigDL (Apr 16, 2003)

Many years ago I saw B.B. King in Halifax at a high school small auditorium(QEH) and sat very near the stage. Small crowd very intimate.

His band did the warm up. The guitar player with his band was phenomenal. I was thinking how much better could B.B. play.   

I was rewarded by finding out how much better Mr. King’s performance could be. That’s why he’s the headliner BigDL, duh!


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## ehMax (Feb 17, 2000)

Well, many of you have probably heard this story once, or twice, or thrice...BUT... was one of the best experiences of my life. U2 at Air Canada centre on March 24, 2001. I waited in line like 18 hours and got a front row seat to see them..(NO, NO NOT THE PICTURES AGAIN!!) But I must!  



















Such an awesome concert. The front section was going nuts the whole concert. For elevation we must have all been bopping 5 feet in the air. Bono say a Bob Dylan song right in front of me (like 2 feet away). Song was Forever Young . Funny thing is, I had just used this song in an iMovie for a video for my brother's 40th birthday so I knew all the words. Was singing out loud with Bono and he gave me the look and the nodd of approval that I knew the Bob Dylan song. O.k., I'm starting to sound like an awe struck teenage fan of the backstreet boys.









If you can't make it to a concert, buy or rent U2 Go Home. 

My first real concert seeing Rush was awesome. 

Nicest surprise is when I wen to a Moby concert 2 summers ago to work for Apple to promote the iPod. David Bowie played, and I was totally taken away by him. He's got a real stage presence and made the venue seem so small. During I'm Afraid of American he just had the whole crowd going nuts while most of the other acts had everyone in their seat the whole time.


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## Ohenri (Nov 7, 2002)

Hmmmm Got in on this a little late. One of the best shows happened late last year - but I will have to add a few more. Here they are:

*1. Black Eyed Peas* - a show that was announced on 2 days notice (the week of SARS Aid). And they rocked it - and the best part was the fact that J Timberlake snuck in @ the end of the 2.5 hr - and did his own show for like 30 mins - leaving all agape and cheering for more. The show was @ Revival on College st in GTA. (2003)

*2. The High Times tour feat Boot Camp Clik, Non Phixion, Afu Ra and Obscure Disorder*. This was such a sick show. The Opera house was pretty much packed by the time the 1st act was on (OD). This show was so amazing - from the crowd surfing from Afu Ra, to the energy from NP and the closeout with BCC. whoa... (2002)

*3. Freeman & K'Rhyme Le Roi*. Anyone who is familiar with the French rap scene will know who these cats are. 2 members from the famed supergroup IAM. Anyhow, The Metropolis in MTL was @ capacity+, and the 2 cats had been keeping the crowd in a tight frenzy, performing cuts off their solo project. The best came when out of no where, the other 2 members of IAM came to perform and new b side. Whoa... that was insane (1999).  

H!


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## andreww (Nov 20, 2002)

Kiss Destroyer tour 1976 -Varsity Stadium - Don't get me wrong, the Kiss shows of today are great but anyone who witnessed the raw energy of kiss' mid 70s shows will truly appreciate how great these guys were.

Stevie Ray Vaughn/Dire Straits - Varsity Arena -Hot sticky sweaty rock & roll

Yes in the round (original linup) -MLG - Probably the best technichal players on each instrument in one band. (Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman, Alan White and Jon Anderson)

Who farewell concert MLG (broadcast around the world)

Rush 1977 CNE stadium (Premiere of A Farewell to Kings)
I think every body there including the band realized that Rush had become a supergroup.

The Alarm - The Concert hall. Awesome live band.

Queen - CNE - So much talent.

Police Picnic - The Grove (Oakville) Pure magic!


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Macnutt, as Dylan wrote...."Forever Young". Actually, I liked "Joe Hill" by Joan Baez the most of the entire concert. I guess it is the union blood that I inherited from my grandparents (ILGWU -- International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. The ILGWU was founded in New York City in 1900 by Jewish, Italian, and some Scots-Irish and Irish immigrants. The Union sought to unite the various crafts in its rapidly growing industry to increase their mutual strength.) Yes, I guess I was a hippie peacenik at heart. Paix. Keep on truckin'


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

So how _WAS_ that brown acid, Dr.G?









There was an announcement part way through the concert, as I recall, by "Wavy Gravy" that went something like...

"Don't eat the brown acid, mannn....it's like reallly baaad, man..." (this was back when "bad" meant "not good")

Did you drop before the word came out that the stuff was screwy? Or was it too late?


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Macnutt, sorry to disillusion you, but I have not tried anything but pot. LSD, cocaine, etc, was just "not my thing". Peace and Love necessitated a clear head. Sorry, but you shall have to live the vicarious "acid head trip" with someone else.


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## bl:oke (Sep 15, 2003)

I've got to say my absolute favorites are: 

*Björk* at Bercy Palais Omnisports in Paris, France last summer, with Peaches as the opening act. Though, i've seen her live four times (Warehouse-1998, Hummingbird Centre-2001, Bercy Paris-2003, Toronto Island-2003) they were all fantastic in their own ways.

I also have to mention, *Sigur Rós* at Palais Royal and Massey Hall (twice ...second one was days after 9/11) ...pure gorgeousness!


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## Aaross (Nov 17, 2003)

Radiohead twice this year, in Akron Ohio (summer) and in Toronto (fall) Both shows were great but I'd give the edge to the Akron show. It was outside in a beautiful setting on a warm August night.

Other bands seen recently: Belle & Sebastian, Dismemberment Plan, Grandaddy, White Stripes, Sigor Ros, Wilco, and the Geoff Keezer trio at the Senator. Having 17 year old twin sons helps to keep me somewhat current.

Bands seen over the years: U2, REM, Sarah McLaughlin, Sting, Police, Talking Heads, Lucinda Williams, Supertramp (my first), The Cars, Wire,


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## Goobernatorial (Sep 24, 2003)

Last year I saw Massive Attack at Brixton Academy in London. Pretty amazing stuff.

And Janes Addiction at the Concert Hall in Toronto for the Nothings Shocking Tour was pretty awesome too.


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## lindmar (Nov 13, 2003)

Best ever,

Tool at the State Theater in Detroit,
4 Days after September 11
2 and 1/2 hours to cross the border (in the tunnel)
8 Hours in Line
Met the band
Saw the pre show to their grammy winning album "Lateralus"

Followed up
by Matthew Good
Coboto Club in Windsor
Beautiful Midnight Tour

Followed by
A Perfect Circle
At St. Andrewss Hall in Detroit with a few hundred people..
Played songs weeks before the new album came out..
Amazing...


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## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

*Leon Redbone* in Buffalo.
Old southern charm and storytelling that made you feel like you were the only one there.


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## buck (Jan 10, 2003)

Top concerts huh? here goes...
Tool at copps and the ACC
Motorhead at the docks
turbonegro at Lee's palace
tripping daisy at the Horseshoe
Duran Duran at the ampitheatre
D.R.I at the Polish Hall in London On.
Big Sugar at The Koolhaus about a month and a half ago
I'm sure there are more But they slip my mind right now.

BTW... I bumped into finger 11 when they were still the rainbow butt monkeys and working on their first album at mainway studios in burlington in '96 or '97


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## ehMax (Feb 17, 2000)

Would love to see Björk in concert! 

Would also love to see Duran Duran. I always got harassed in high school for liking them. 

Another band I would love to see is BareNaked Ladies. 

The new RUSH DVD that is out that is live from RIO is a MUST see if you like RUSH at all. Crowd in RIO is by far the most nuts in the world. 80,000+ singing along to YYZ.


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## 32bitJesus (Jun 3, 2003)

The most AMAZING concert I have ever been to, and may ever be to was an intimate gathering with the Barenaked Ladies that I won from ChumFM...

Picture this:

- The Old Courtouse in Toronto
- 30 or 40 other people
- Breakfast consisting of: Belgian waffles, fruit, muffins, croissants, coffee and tea
- sitting on a velvet chair
- the BARENAKED LADIES and a set of live songs.


A picture of me and Jim Creegan


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## Greenman (Feb 22, 2003)

Great thread! This brought back so many memories of the great concerts I was priviledged to attend.

I missed the Peace Train/Rock and Roll Revival tour w/ Lennon, Joplin etc. and I would have loved to see Hendrix... ah well.... I've seen some of the best in music.


Macnutt I've seen a lot of bands in the 70's & early 80's as well.... gone are the days where you'd see 6 bands on the ticket.... and the ticket was less than $10 or so!
I would have loved to see the Stones or Zep... things just never worked out.

Gorguide, the Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee show... was Roseveldt Sykes there too? He opened for ST & BG in Calgary... and he had to be in his 80's at the time!
Also I think it was Foxy's in Saskatoon where I saw Pinetop Perkins.... happened to be in town for work, glanced through the paper and saw he was playing that night...whew! Had to go! (For those of you who may not know, Pinetop was Muddy Waters piano player)


Early days:

McKenna Mendelson Mainline, Teagarden & Van Winkle, Jimmy ? ('large' white blues guy, big beard dressed in denim from head to toe) anyone know who this guy was? - St Lawrence Market '70 or '71

Lighthouse - Oakville Trafalgar High School caffeteria! - LOUD!!! '70

Perth County Conspiracy (Cedric Smith) - Stratford coffee house - '70

Johnny Winter (w/ Edgar, John Turner & Tommy Shannon) at Massey Hall '70

Dr. John, April Wine, Mashmakhan, Whisky Howl, Crowbar CNE Bandshell '70

Gentle Giant, Wishbone Ash & Genesis (MLG)

Al Green, Buddy Miles, J. Giles band (MLG) - '71 or '72

Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick tour (MLG)

Johnny Winter (MLG) '73

Humble Pie - MLG

Slade - MLG

James Gang w/ Joe Walsh - MLG

Rory Gallagher at The Colonial Tavern - '73?

Rory Gallagher at the Orpheum (Kitchener) - '74

Mashmakan, Sly & Family Stone (only a half hour late!), The Band, Edgar Winter,& ?others at CNE stadium - '72?

Frank Zappa, (Tom Waites opened!!!) at Massey Hall '72? - that was a story in itself.... crowd boo's Tom... we want Frank, we want Frank... Tom ignores the fools and hecklers and plays a great set.

Leon Russell at Varsity Stadium Aug. '73 - I still have the t-shirt!

George Harrison - Dark Horse tour (MLG)

Frank Zappa at Massey Hall - w/ Jean Luc Ponty

Domenic Troiano - Jubilee Theatre Calgary

Rush - Calgary

Trimuph, Moxy - Calgary

Men at Work - Calgary

Jeff Beck w/ Jan Hammer - Calgary

Jerry Jeff Walker - Jubilee Theatre Calgary

Chris de Burg - Calgary U of C

Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Teenage Head - Jubilee Theatre Calgary

Jesse Winchester at (Church & Wellesley pub) Town Pump?

John Prine twice at Mariposa

Robin Williamson- from Pentangle
Bert Jansch 

Jazz/Blues:

Rosevelt Sykes - Mount Royal College Calgary
Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee - Mount Royal College Calgary
Pinetop Perkins - Saskatoon - Foxy?
Howlin Wolf - El Mocombo
Willie Dixon - Le Coq d'or Tavern Toronto
Taj Mahall
John Hammond - Calgary
Dave Wilcox
Colin James
Ed Bichert
Count Basie & his band - Hamilton '70
Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Pass - Calgary
Downchild BB - numerous times
Charles Mingus at (Church & Wellesley pub) Town Pump?

BTW... Johnny Winter is playing at the Phoenix Concert Theatre Toronto Feb. 12th ...he'll be 60 on the 23rd of Feb. 

He can still play that National Steel!!

Rob


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## gordguide (Jan 13, 2001)

mbaldwin worte:

" ... I Mother Earth at some tiny bar in Saskatoon (before anyone knew who they were). ..."

If that was at a corner club on 8th Street (across from McDonalds) I was there. I can't remember the name of the place anymore; it's a pasta resturant now.

You probably won't be surprised to know I have 4 SCOTS (Southern Culture On The Skids) CDs either. Did he play his Danelectro guitar?

MacNutt: I'd forgotten about Jean-Luc Ponti; amazing playing.

" ... Pinetop Perkins - Saskatoon - Foxy's ..."

Either there before about 1983 or Buds on Broadway after that.

[ February 01, 2004, 02:52 AM: Message edited by: gordguide ]


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## PosterBoy (Jan 22, 2002)

*Another band I would love to see is BareNaked Ladies. *
They're coming to Toronto on Feb 26th. I strongly recommend that you take the opportunity to go see them, you will be entertained.

What I like about BNL live is simply this: While many other bands love what they do and have a good time doing it, BNL really seem to freaking love being on stage and entertaining
their fans. They talk to the crowd, they sing medleys of current top 40 songs (which are hilarious) and a lot of improv too.

And then there are the occasional oddities they perform. Last show I saw, everyone except Kevin Hearn (keyboards) left the stage and the lights went out, then slowly came back up as he started to play the Imperial Theme from Star Wars. Once the lights were all the way up, he sang us a tune:

"Oops! I did it again!
I blew up the sun, I blew up the moon!
Oh baby, baby,
Oops! You think I'm a liar
But I've got an evil em-pire!
I'm not that innocent."

Seriously, they put on some really, really good live shows.

[ February 01, 2004, 06:33 AM: Message edited by: PosterBoy ]


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## PosterBoy (Jan 22, 2002)

I managed to find a Barenaked Rap from a few years ago. The songs aren't new anymore, but you get the idea.


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## Jason H (Feb 1, 2004)

My favorite concert so far would have to be Matt Good at the Civic Centre in Ottawa(at the Ex this summer) and coming a close second would have to be Tom Cochrane at the Civic Centre(also this summer at the ex) I can remember that the monitor tech had a Mac laptop - I could see the apple glowing from my seat. About half way back.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Macspectrum, one needs to acquire a liking for listening to Leon Redbone. It's like eating real yogurt. I love both LR and real yogurt. A wise selection, my friend.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Dr. G., and Macspectrum, I looked up Leon Redbone on the web and had a listen to him. 

While I am a big fan of R & B, and John Lee Hooker in particular, I think in this case I will stick to real yogurt.

Each to his own.

Cheers


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## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

Leon Redbone is a story teller, extrordinaire.
The concert experience was wonderful, especially bieng in a relatively small venue in Buffalo. I felt like I was home on his porch sharing a bottle of Jack Daniels and just listening to his stories.

I, for one, don't eat yougurt, real or otherwise.  
That's why Baskin-Robbins has so many flavours.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Sinc, I agree -- to each their own. Still, catch me in the right mood, and I could listen to Leon Redbone all day.


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

I've had a listen to Leon Redbone in the past and I'd have to agree with Sinc that he is an acquired taste. Once in a while perhaps.

BTW....the Led Zeppelin concert that I attended in Vancouver back in the mid seventies, and have described on the first page of this thread had an insanely cheap ticket price. I still have my ticket stub...it reads "Led Zeppelin, live and in concert...$7.50" 







 

Anyone here ever get to see Pink Floyd? I would have loved to have seen those guys onstage playing their best stuff. They were on a whole different level from pretty much everyone else. Very cerebral.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Macnutt, I still have my stub to the the Beatles concert in Shea Stadium. I don't count this as one of my best concerts, because with 50,000+ screaming girls, one never heard their voices.


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

I watched an interview with the Beatles and they talked about that concert. They said they weren't even all playing the same song at one point, because of all the screaming. They'd gotten mixed up and couldn't hear a thing themselves. But it didn't seem to matter to the girls in the crowd.


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## mmp (Oct 20, 2001)

My fav's have mostly been listed...I truly like most all types of music. 

KISS reunion tour with make up (Mock up of '77 tour) was true showmaship.

Metallica Black album tour, again almost 4 hrs of music, great showmanship and a band that understood what the crowd wanted.

Vince Gill - this guy doesn't get enough credit for his guitar playing, live he is as good a guitar player as I have seen and I have seen some of the biggest.

The one concert I never got to see that I regret...The only one of the many I wished I would have seen but didn't is Queen. What a musical force.

Band that suprised me the most when I didn't expect much but got lots is Johnny Cash...always liked him but didn't realize what a great live performer he was. The first or second year that the Craven muscial festival was held (the original Big Valley Jamboree) he headlined Friday night. They started by jamming "I Walked The Line" and it seemed to be going on for quite a while. Then as Johnny began to sing "I hear the train a coming..." the CN train passed behind the stage and blew it's whistle...the crowd went nuts. Too bad his wife sang three or four in a row, most of the people got up and left for the beer gardens, those that stayed were in for a treat...ahh, the last year that they allowed open containers in the main stage area. A good time.


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## Kardnal (Feb 5, 2003)

I certinaly don't have the concert going experience of some other ehMac'ers, but off the top of my head, I'm going to say:

1. *AC/DC* At SARSStock 03- I had my little sister sitting on my shoulders, standing about 50 feet from the stage. She's more of a Britney Spears 50-Cent type, but after the concert, she went and asked me for all of my AC/DC CD's... Seeing them play live was simpley **awesome** It beat both seeing the Stones play, and seeing The Tragically Hip in a small club (200 people) in the Netherlands 5 months earlier.

2. *The Tragically Hip*- Molson Amplitheatre, '03. This was the very first time I saw them in concert, and wound up seeing them 6 more times in the following 13 months.

3. *The Offspring*- Saw them at MLG (ACC?) in '02. One of the most enegetic crowds I've ever been a part of. They put on a great live show.

I think if I can see U2 play live, and see a BNL show, I could die satisfied with my concert credentials. Neil Young would be an awesome show too...


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

I continue to be amazed by the diversity of taste in music ehMac members enjoy. It is a cross section of Canadiana.

Cheers


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## Timothy J (Jun 4, 2003)

It's very difficult for me to choose the best concert I have ever been to. I have been to many concerts when afterwards I felt that I've just been in the presence of unworldly angels and they have come down from heaven to remind me of what is it to be human.

One artist that stands out or should I say is burned into my memory is: *Tori Amos*. I've been to see her twice, both tomes at Masey Hall, and both times I was left absolutely speechless. My wife and I held hands as Tori poured out her heart and soul and the audience though very small (Masey Hall only holds a few thousand people and it was sold out) cheered as loud as a concert at the old CNE Stadium when I saw Pink Floyd. If any of you enjoy Tori's music and have ever wanted to go see her, go! I think that because Masey Hall is such an intimate setting, Tori's music is best translated in such a venue.

*Sinead O'Connor*, had the same effect on me when I got the chance to see her at Masey Hall. Then about 6 months later after she was a huge international success she returned to Toronto and did a 40,000 seat CNE Stadium concert. I was in the 5th row centre so I was in heaven and don't know what it was like for the people hundreds of yards away. Just seeing the physical exersion that Sinead had to go through and the way she sings, still puts chills down my spine just thinking about that night. Very moving experience. I also was lucky enough to go see *Peter Gabriel* and Sinead was his backup singer for all the female vocals. There are no words to desribe that evening. I did not know that Sinead would be with him on this tour so I felt like I had just won the lottery.

*Sarah McLachlan* has had a big impact on me, although she has been hit and miss over the past 15 years. I first saw her at the Diamond Club back in 1989 and she was wonderful. A couple of concerts at the Winter Garden and at Ontario Place have and also when she used to be an opening act for more popular Canadaian bands back in the early 90s. Sarah does not have the same intensity as Tori or Sinead. But Sarah's live performances are never flat or without memorable moments. I hope she hasn't mellowed too much with age, I'm interested in seeing her again for her older body of work. The new album doesn't really do it for me. Maybe it will grow on me over time. 

Guess I'm a sucker for a beauful woman singing about pain and what it's like to be female in this world. Really though, I just love hearing about love from the other side of the fence. From a woman's point of view.


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## Timothy J (Jun 4, 2003)

I too have all my tickets stubs for all the concerts I have been to see over the past 25 years and I'm amazed at how inexpensive they used to be. Today I simply cannot afford the 75 to 100 dollars per ticket that most concerts seem to cost. I also don't have the spare time like I did when I was a teen. 

Talk about memory recall when I go through all my tickets. I remember standing in blazing summer heat to the point of nausea. And I remember many times standing in the pouring rain and practically having pnemonia the next day. 
I've been to many concerts where the audience no longer are strangers and we all talk and act as though we've known each other for years. The common bond of going to see an artist that we all have a connection with breaks down a lot of boundaries that we have living in a large city like Toronto. Music sure does stir my soul. From reading the posts here at ehmac, it looks like I'm not the only music nut in the world.


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## coyote (Jul 7, 2002)

Hey Macnutt I saw Pink Floyd once, when David Gilmour fronted the band in Toronto for "The Division Bell" tour. I also saw Roger Waters in Toronto for the "In The Flesh" tour too. During the Roger Waters show he had a tv on stage showing Stanley Kubrick's 2001. Great show even so Roger forgot the words to a couple songs. Somewhere I still have the ticket stub. I was only a few rows from the stage.

Through the years I've been a few concerts; Radiohead, John Mellencamp, Matthew Good, Big Sugar, 54-40, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tom Petty, and Neil Young to name a few. I remember seeing The Tragically Hip when they were unknowns at Canada's Wonderland. Maybe 20 people stuck around to see the show. I've seen them since, but it never could compare.


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## Timothy J (Jun 4, 2003)

Saw the Tragically Hip at the Horseshoe on Queen Street about 15 years ago and the band was so drunk they could barely perform. I think there were maybe 10 people in the whole pkace.
Saw Pink Floyd twice in 1987 and then again in the early 90s. What a great show. Lots of phsycadellics floating all over the place, woah! What a night!


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

The two acts that I totally regret never seeing were Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd. Possibly Jethro Tull at their peak (around the time of "Aqualung").

Man I would have killed to see Hendrix play live. The kicker is that he came from the Seattle area and he played up here quite often. I was just a bit too young to go to concerts before he died and left us.


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## mbaldwin (Jan 20, 2003)

> gordguide worte:
> 
> If that was at a corner club on 8th Street (across from McDonalds) I was there. I can't remember the name of the place anymore; it's a pasta resturant now.
> 
> You probably won't be surprised to know I have 4 SCOTS (Southern Culture On The Skids) CDs either. Did he play his Danelectro guitar?


That was the place for the IME concert. I wasn't exactly overwhelmed at the time, but it was something that I grew to appreciate more after the fact.

SCOTS - I was too entranced by the woman's hairdo to actually notice much else about the band.







"Liquored Up and Lacquered Down" indeed.  

Adding something new - my biggest regrets - concerts I missed out on for various reasons:
- Portishead
- Ween
- Jean Leloup

I absolutely have to see Ween the next time they come to Vancouver, based on the concert mp3s I've grabbed from their website. They regularly play 2-3 hours straight and have to be one of the strangest and most diverse acts ever.

- Martin.


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