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Rolling Stone asking for Greatest Live Act

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by Piotr Rasputin, Mar 5, 2011.

  1. I Should Coco

    I Should Coco Well-Known Member

    Great topic, but I'll have to limit it to acts I've seen ... so artists like Bruce Springsteen and Pink Floyd, who I know put on great shows (in different ways) are out.

    My top 5:

    1. Prince. I'm not a huge fan ... Mrs. Coco is, so I've gone with her a couple of times. He's just a great, great performer. Both times, Prince had the crowd of all ages and backgrounds totally into the show. And when he straps on the guitar, the dude from Minneapolis can really play.

    2. Rush. Obvsiouly this is a love-them or loathe-them band, but to me, they're great musicians who clearly enjoy playing together live -- and have for 35-plus years. First concert I ever went to, and I've been back many times because the shows are awesome.

    3. Wilco. The band Jeff Tweedy has assembled since "A Ghost is Born" kicks ass live. I've seen Tweedy and Stirratt playing live since I caught Uncle Tupelo in college, and they've just gotten better with time. Wilco's Indianapolis show on the Sky Blue Sky tour is one of the best concerts I've ever attended.

    4. Neil Young. Have seen him do a solo acoustic show, and with Crazy Horse. Both shows were great.

    5. Pearl Jam. Another band that's improved as a live act since I first saw them in the mid-1990s. They change their set lists all the time, Ament, Gossard and McCready are great players, and when Eddie V. is having an "on" night, they kill live.
     
  2. thesnowman

    thesnowman Member

    I will always regret never having seen Queen in concert.

    Not feeling all the love for Pearl Jam here. Not trying to troll either -- I honestly thought I was a huge Pearl Jam fan ... until I saw them in concert. Eddie was several bottles of wine deep by the end of the show, and it seemed like every song ended with a generic 10-minute jam while Eddie tried to figure out what planet he was on. Could be I just saw a bad performance ... for those who ranked Pearl Jam high, what was your concert experience like?



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  3. SeanKennedy

    SeanKennedy Member

    Best I ever saw in person was Rage Against the Machine.

    Recently, I saw Phoenix live. They were awesome.

    Don't think either of those will win, but hey, thought I'd share.
     
  4. Piotr Rasputin

    Piotr Rasputin New Member

    I wish I could dispute this, because it's such cheesy bullshit, just like his preacher schtick in concert.

    But I experienced this firsthand. He is breathtaking live.

    The best three I've seen are:

    - Springsteen - switches the setlist nightly, show has very little structure (only two or three are absolute guarantees, no matter the tour), anything is a possibility as far as Wild Card songs.
    - Metallica - Great energy every night. My first concert (OK, first three concerts), and the standard by which I measure all others. They utilize their wireless guitars, moving around the stage constantly. And they (beginning, strangely, at the time they started selling shows online) switch up the set every night. Points off for the continued need to play Seek and Destroy, Sad But True and One every single night, while also remaining in love with Wherever I May Roam and For Whom the Bell Tolls. Switch it up more, boys.
    - Rush - Many old-man groups (Iron Maiden, I'm looking at you) play 80 minutes and say "Good night!" Rush says, "see you in 20 minutes!" then comes back for about 90 minutes. Points off for a static setlist. Bonus points added for the fact that only Tom Sawyer, The Spirit of Radio, and Limelight are guarantees on every single tour, and they really open the songbook for the other 14 or so they play.

    Others:
    - The Police and Van Halen were both better a couple years ago than I expected
    - Saw Pantera six or seven times. Now I wonder why. Dumbest stage banter next to the Black Eyed Peas, cheesy songs, moron singer.
     
  5. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    1. Pearl Jam
    2. Metallica
    3. Springsteen
    4. U2
    5. Guns N Roses

    Pink Floyd, Rush, Van Halen, Nirvana, Rage against the Machine, Beastie Boys, A Tribe Called Quest, AC/DC, 311.

    I've seen The Stones and The Who a couple times and while they were great, I'm guessing their best days were long before my time.
     
  6. MacDaddy

    MacDaddy Active Member

    I've seen Van Halen with all three lead singers. Best concert of the three was, surprisingly, with Gary Cherone. That was a terrible album, but he was great live with VH.
     
  7. cyclingwriter

    cyclingwriter Active Member

    Rolling Stones? I saw them in late 1990s, but had to wonder they had to have been like in their prime. Same thing with the Beach Boys...
     
  8. shockey

    shockey Active Member

    wild thing is, as bruce's older fans know, his shows in recent years are practically identical night-to-night compared with his shows pre-the bruce explosion. don't get me wrong, he still throws more changeups than anyone else i can think of, but back in the day there really was a sense he was calling things on the fly (for the most pat he wasn't, of course, but there was certainly more a real sense of spontaneity).

    and those shows were so freakin' intimate and fun. yes, his shows today actually are filled with more songs end-to-end, and no encores, but his between-songs story-telling and connection with his audience were a huge part of the deal.

    simply a great showman. you always felt like he'd play all night if he had his druthers. just wonderful.
     
  9. Frylock

    Frylock Member

    Rush is the best I've seen live.
    I've seen The Who but it was long after Keith Moon was gone...I've seen film of them with Moon and they were incredible.
    U2 was good but didn't blow me away.
     
  10. 1. Springsteen. Seen his act several times, never disappointed. Including a great acoustic night in Texas.
    2. Paul Simon. The guy owns his audience.
    3. CSNY and Fleetwood Mac. Because they play everything you want to hear, but give it a new twist that keeps it fresh.
     
  11. albert77

    albert77 Well-Known Member

    Top five here:

    1. Grateful Dead's two-night run at Saenger Theatre in New Orleans in 1980. Played 3 sets (1 acoustic). Absolutely majestic.

    2. The Who in late 1975. You had to see Keith Moon perform to really appreciate how good he was.

    3. Little Feat in mid-1978. Powerful show with Lowell George in command.

    4. Bruce Springsteen in 2000 at New Orleans Arena with the E Street Band, and in 2006 at Jazzfest with the Seeger Sessions band. The hockey analogy is very apt, and the Jazzfest show is one of the few that has moved me to tears.

    5. Yes in Spring 1973. I'd just turned 18, and this show completely changed the way I thought about rock music.
     
  12. 2underpar

    2underpar Active Member

    Springsteen brings a ton of energy every night. He tops my list.
    U2 is still pretty damn good.
    I saw Jonny Lang in vegas and it was an incredible live performance.
     
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