Must See Concerts Before You (or they) Die

Zapatta

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II did see Rollins band open for the Beastie Boys so close enough.

I saw Beastie Boys Ill Communication tour when they played as a band instead of rapping while a record spun. There weren't especially skilled musicians but they put on a good show.
 
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Harshaw

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My top 3 concert experiences are:

1.) Rush - Unfortunately they retired and will no longer tour. I saw them 14 - 15 times. First time seeing them in 1989 I believe.
2) Garth Brooks - Was forced to go to this concert by an ex in high school. Totally blown away, dude is a total showman.
3.) Peter Gabriel - Also fantastic. Not sure if it was that particular concert but he had the entire audience mesmerized throughout.

I was a big enough concert goer that I can't think of any older bands that I haven't seen. I would like to see Weird Al and also like to see Die Antwoord, but I'm too fucking old for that kinda shit now.
 
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Noodleface

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I've seen Ozzy about 12 times and black Sabbath maybe 6 times. Either show is something everyone should see. Guys been touring for 40? Years. He's slow now but goddamn he has timeless songs.

I need to see muse at least once.

Saw Weezer once and they were incredible live.

Saw the original arch enemy and arch enemy with Angela and both were incredible.

I still want to see Carcass and At the Gates before they finally retire.
 

a_skeleton_06

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Were they good? Some of the live recordings I've heard aren't great.

I'm a huge Rage fan and was able to catch them at a one-off show back in 2011 in LA and fucking Muse opened. Great concert.

Are you talking about the Coliseum gig? Those tickets were hard as fuck to get for non-CEO prices and that place sits 80k.
 

Miguex

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Rush would be my number 1 if they ever did anything live again. Feel very fortunate to have seen them indoor, outdoor, just about every way 23 times including from row 10 on the floor for the last show ever, and they were always the top. Even my punk rock based GF from a few years back on their last tour gave them a "holy shit I had no idea that was possible" rating. Best live shows I've ever seen.
i've seen Weezer listed quite a few times. They deliver big time. I was fortunate to see them in a 600 capacity room on the Pinkerton tour, and i've seen them a few times at the Forum in LA, and they are fantastic each time.
Biggest regret for me would be not seeing Soundgarden, saw about every other grunge band from my 90's heyday but didn't see them.
I'd think at this point, sticking to the possibilities, you're looking at legends that defy genre like Willie Nelson, who I would love to catch.
 

Alex

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Are you talking about the Coliseum gig? Those tickets were hard as fuck to get for non-CEO prices and that place sits 80k.

Yep. That's the show I went to. Lucky enough to get them during the on-sale. Still ended up being a little over $100. But fuck it. Mad worth it.

I am an extremely avid concert goer and I've seen some killer shows over the years. They range from outlandish stage setups to extremely high energy to fucking perfection musically. Too many to list, but some off the top of my head:

Umphrey's McGee (best band ever)
Phish
Adrian Belew
The Aristocrats
Steven Wilson
Turkuaz
Eagles of Death Metal
Muse
Punch Brothers
Snarky Puppy
Tedeschi Trucks Band (really just for Derek Trucks - unreal guitar player)
Nine Inch Nails
My Morning Jacket
Rage Against the Machine
Dream Theater
Paul McCartney

EDIT: Fat stack of some of my ticket stubs I've saved.

20170614_194812_zps4bc2t8k6.jpg
 
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Synj

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Saw MUSE last night here in Kansas City...2nd row...well worth the money.

That being said, I have seen almost all the bands/acts on my bucket list.....but...

JOURNEY with Steve Perry would be one I wish I would have gone to.

My wife's company hired Journey for a private show in Vegas. She said it was great but just not the same without Steve Perry. I have the same issue with any band that's missing their front man. Ironically, I'd be willing to bet it sounds better with the replacement, if only because of aging vocal chords. Still can't get as pumped about it.
 

Zapatta

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I saw Rush 2X, the level of musicianship is almost proof of god. Geddy Lee's skill plus multi-tasking is a 'I wouldn't believe if I didn't see it" level of astonishing.

Blues Traveler is a must see if you haven't. Popper is holy fuck multi-talented. He took over guitar duties on a couple songs and played WAY better than Chan. Only show I ever went to that had an Intermission, they took a 25 min break so Popper could whiff a few grams of coke and eat a porterhouse or something. . They played for 90 min took a 25 min break and played another Hour.
 
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Alex

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My wife's company hired Journey for a private show in Vegas. She said it was great but just not the same without Steve Perry. I have the same issue with any band that's missing their front man. Ironically, I'd be willing to bet it sounds better with the replacement, if only because of aging vocal chords. Still can't get as pumped about it.

The new Alice in Chains lead singer is very solid and a respectable Staley replacement.

I just saw King Crimson last night. Holy shit. I had seen them before but last night was another level. Robert Fripp is so damn good.
 
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kegkilla

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My wife's company hired Journey for a private show in Vegas. She said it was great but just not the same without Steve Perry. I have the same issue with any band that's missing their front man. Ironically, I'd be willing to bet it sounds better with the replacement, if only because of aging vocal chords. Still can't get as pumped about it.
You cannot replace a frontman like Steve Perry. No matter how good the new guy is, the band is losing a big part of its essence.
 
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pharmakos

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I just saw King Crimson last night. Holy shit. I had seen them before but last night was another level. Robert Fripp is so damn good.

the new singer is so good. i love that they're bringing back old songs that they literally haven't played live in 40+ years now that they have him. i'm super jealous that you got to go, hopefully i get to see them someday. bucket list material for sure.
 

iannis

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Wow. I had no idea that King Crimson was still playing.

I thought Fripp retired into teaching and like art installations and shit.
 
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pharmakos

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Wow. I had no idea that King Crimson was still playing.

I thought Fripp retired into teaching and like art installations and shit.

Current King Crimson lineup is arguably the best lineup ever. Not even exaggerating. The only lineup I might rather see is impossible now (classic Lark's lineup)

Do yourself a favor and get their newest live album, Radical Action (To Unseat The Hold Of Monkey Mind).
 

Elidroth

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But what should be on everyone's list is fucking Rammstein. Un-goddamned-believeable. What an amazing show, every time, every single night. There's nothing like them out there.

OMG yes. I've been to roughly 400 concerts in my life, and Rammstein is #1 without question. They are a must see.

The others on my Top 5 list for me are:
Cheap Trick (1983 with Joan Jett, and Chuck Berry).
Iron Maiden (saw them 2 of the 4 nights in Long Beach when they recorded Live After Death, and probably 10 times since then)
Muse (Saw them at Brick by Brick in San Diego with a crowd of about 100 people before Absolution broke big)
Slipknot (Iowa tour.. enough said)

I've been fortunate to see every band I've ever wanted to see including Black Sabbath with both Ozzy and Dio.. Saw Randy Rhoads with Quiet Riot AND Ozzy.. Saw Rush several times.. Judas Priest more times than I can count (close friend is their monitor engineer), Pantera (NOBODY owned a stage like Dimebag..) and so many others I've lost count.

But without a doubt, the best concert I've ever seen was Rammstein at the LA Forum about 6 years ago.
 
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Cutlery

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OMG yes. I've been to roughly 400 concerts in my life, and Rammstein is #1 without question. They are a must see.

The others on my Top 5 list for me are:
Cheap Trick (1983 with Joan Jett, and Chuck Berry).
Iron Maiden (saw them 2 of the 4 nights in Long Beach when they recorded Live After Death, and probably 10 times since then)
Muse (Saw them at Brick by Brick in San Diego with a crowd of about 100 people before Absolution broke big)
Slipknot (Iowa tour.. enough said)

I've been fortunate to see every band I've ever wanted to see including Black Sabbath with both Ozzy and Dio.. Saw Randy Rhoads with Quiet Riot AND Ozzy.. Saw Rush several times.. Judas Priest more times than I can count (close friend is their monitor engineer), Pantera (NOBODY owned a stage like Dimebag..) and so many others I've lost count.

But without a doubt, the best concert I've ever seen was Rammstein at the LA Forum about 6 years ago.

2009 rolled around and Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da came out, and no US tour was announced. It was heavily rumored that Till wanted to call it quits after this album because he was getting close 50 and he didn't want to be doing this his whole life. They hadn't been to the US since the Mutter tour in 2001.

I thought this might be the last chance I would get to see them, so I grabbed tickets for Stuttgart, hopped on a plane and spent a week in Germany. Best decision I've ever made.

I've seen Rammstein in Chicago and Minneapolis twice since, but they absolutely do not compare to the experience of seeing them at an absolutely packed arena in Germany. The halls before the show were full of drunk German guys singing Rammstein lyrics a cappella like they were 14th century drinking songs. The age range was unbelievable, there were literally people that could have been my grandparents in the stands, enjoying the show. The crowd knew exactly how to react and what to sing and when (something that really faltered in America due to the language barrier), and the hilarious thing was outside where the displays said "Rammstein doors 1-5" and then "Holiday on Ice door 6." That place was jam packed with metalheads, and then some amount of straightedged folk there to watch some ice skating, lol.
DSC01111.JPG


My wife took this picture from the floor, and it remains one of my favorite pictures ever in almost 40 years on this planet. The pyros were so intense that you could smell the hydrocarbons in the crowd before they lit up every time.

If you are even remotely in metal at all, you are absolutely doing yourself a disservice by skipping a Rammstein show. It is an experience that is unmatched in today's performance music. No one does what these guys do, as well as these guys do.
DSC01240.JPG
 
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kegkilla

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2009 rolled around and Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da came out, and no US tour was announced. It was heavily rumored that Till wanted to call it quits after this album because he was getting close 50 and he didn't want to be doing this his whole life. They hadn't been to the US since the Mutter tour in 2001.

I thought this might be the last chance I would get to see them, so I grabbed tickets for Stuttgart, hopped on a plane and spent a week in Germany. Best decision I've ever made.

I've seen Rammstein in Chicago and Minneapolis twice since, but they absolutely do not compare to the experience of seeing them at an absolutely packed arena in Germany. The halls before the show were full of drunk German guys singing Rammstein lyrics a cappella like they were 14th century drinking songs. The age range was unbelievable, there were literally people that could have been my grandparents in the stands, enjoying the show. The crowd knew exactly how to react and what to sing and when (something that really faltered in America due to the language barrier), and the hilarious thing was outside where the displays said "Rammstein doors 1-5" and then "Holiday on Ice door 6." That place was jam packed with metalheads, and then some amount of straightedged folk there to watch some ice skating, lol.View attachment 147729

My wife took this picture from the floor, and it remains one of my favorite pictures ever in almost 40 years on this planet. The pyros were so intense that you could smell the hydrocarbons in the crowd before they lit up every time.

If you are even remotely in metal at all, you are absolutely doing yourself a disservice by skipping a Rammstein show. It is an experience that is unmatched in today's performance music. No one does what these guys do, as well as these guys do.View attachment 147730
man that looks fucking awesome. I saw them back in 2001 or 2002 on the Pledge of Allegiance tour and they were great, walked around with flamerthrowers and shit. please post more if you have them.