What Are Your Top Five Concerts Of All Time?

[digitalzomby]

TBH, I think I missed the best years of the Elmo (later 70's... even The Stones played there), because I was too young to get in.
By the time I was old enough, it seemed like fewer bands I wanted to witness were happening there. (Foghat lost me after Boogie Motel in 79)


Other bars where I saw a few concerts:

Larry's Hideaway (on Gerrard St, maybe)

sorry for the double posts, I know thats not cool, but whatever!

I agree with you that Foghat's Boogie Motel left me feeling deflated too BUT to me they came back strong with In the Mood for Something Rude '82, I love that album and that is why I wanted to see them live.

I seen bands at Larry's but I forget who at the moment.

I saw a band in 74 who became big. I was a couple years too young to drink but was suckin them back at the Piccadilly Tube on Yonge St. RUSH was playing there before their first album was released. I remember because of the bass players voice was so different than other bands like Fludd and Teenage Head... Saw Fludd play at the first and best Mississauga day with a bunch of other local bands.

[Trane]

Wow! Wish I had a time machine to go back to have seen that. I did see Spirit once with Cass and John Locke and the Staehely Brothers, but I almost don't count that.

I couldn't believe it it was happening, but the house was packed (max 150 persons)

There are still discussions about the blonde bassist, though: whether it was Mark or Matt Andes.

Lucky guy, I missed that one. Drinking SRV Beer, awesome. I still to the day don't know how I missed that one but I knew he was there.

City TV's New Music (JD Roberts & Jeannie NBecker) didn't miss it: the team members were filming it

I seen bands at Larry's but I forget who at the moment.

I saw a band in 74 who became big. I was a couple years too young to drink but was suckin them back at the Piccadilly Tube on Yonge St. RUSH was playing there before their first album was released. I remember because of the bass players voice was so different than other bands like Fludd and Teenage Head... Saw Fludd play at the first and best Mississauga day with a bunch of other local bands.

Mmmmhhh!!!... The Hideaway was more for amateur bands if memory serves, but it was bigger than the Elmo and Nag's (not counting Nag's strip joint) loved the fact that it was a basement place and they served a mean/loaded Planter's Punch.

Never saw Fludd, but saw Goddo +/- 10 times. Greg Godovitz was the bassist in both, but I don't see the link with Teenage Heads (which I also saw 5 or 6 times) I lived in Mississauga (Clarkson, more precisely) from 74 until 78, then moved to Etobicoke (I was a western dude ... never cared for Scarberia) then Swansea (just west of High Park).
I also passed by the Picca Tube next to Sam and Vinyl Museum (The Gasworks was also around that corner), but have little memory of whm I'd have seen there.

I also saw The Police at The Edge in 78 when promoting Outlandos (13 people in attendance, but met three times that many that swore they were there). Normally, I couldn't get in (I was 15), but I had won Q-107 radio tickets and they (radio dudes) made a deal that I wouldn't go near the bar.

Oh yeah,saw a few bands in that "Punk dive/dump" called Turning Point (1st floor of Bloor St W joint)

Do any of these places still exist today??

[digitalzomby]

City TV's New Music (JD Roberts & Jeannie NBecker) didn't miss it: the team members were filming it

Mmmmhhh!!!... The Hideaway was more for amateur bands if memory serves, but it was bigger than the Elmo and Nag's (not counting Nag's strip joint) loved the fact that it was a basement place and they served a mean/loaded Planter's Punch.

Never saw Fludd, but saw Goddo +/- 10 times. Greg Godovitz was the bassist in both, but I don't see the link with Teenage Heads (which I also saw 5 or 6 times) I lived in Mississauga (Clarkson, more precisely) from 74 until 78, then moved to Etobicoke (I was a western dude ... never cared for Scarberia) then Swansea (just west of High Park).
I also passed by the Picca Tube next to Sam and Vinyl Museum (The Gasworks was also around that corner), but have little memory of whm I'd have seen there.

Do any of these places still exist today??

Yeah I never meant for Teenage Head to link lol I just remember them jamming.

Goddo was Greg bass player, that was the link...

That Mississauga day I was hoping would happen forever but it was only the first year. Born in Etobicoke 57 than about a year later they moved me to Port Credit, than they moved me to Lakeview during the psychedelic times (actually way before the psychedelic shit) (Cawthra and Lakeshore where I did most of my trip) I tripped around that area than I went elsewhere.

I use to be that crazy guy at the back of the Gasworks... shit

I'm not sure since I live way up north now and lots of my friends are either dead or fucked.

[digitalzomby]

City TV's New Music (JD Roberts & Jeannie NBecker) didn't miss it: the team members were filming it

Oh yeah,saw a few bands in that "Punk dive/dump" called Turning Point (1st floor of Bloor St W joint)

I totally remember JD Roberts & Jeannie Becker, those 2 were the Toronto Rock scene, shit I never heard of Turning Point.

One of my memories of semi-punk concert that I remember was XTC somewheres in TO Making Plans for Nigel

[Trane]

That Mississauga day I was hoping would happen forever but it was only the first year. Born in Etobicoke 57 than about a year later they moved me to Port Credit, than they moved me to Lakeview during the psychedelic times (actually way before the psychedelic shit) (Cawthra and Lakeshore where I did most of my trip) I tripped around that area than I went elsewhere.

you're six years older, so we probably never crossed path, but we obviously hovered around the same area. We never lived north of the Gardiner in 'Sauga and never above (North) of Bloor or Dundas in TO. In 'Sauga, my record stores were the Records On Wheels on Dundas (the guy running the place was amazingly good at giving advice and he looked like Roger Earle of Foghat & Savoy Brown) or the shop inside Sheridan Mall.

[nosebone]

Dixie Dregs 1979
King Crimson 1981
Meeting of the Spirits 2017
Shakti 2023
NEARfest performances
- Kenso
-Univers Zero
-Magma
- Banco
- PFM
- Camel
- SGM
- Present
-Anglagord

[10T Records]

Top 5? Wow... Here's an attempt.

Pink Floyd (1977 - Animals Tour)
Genesis (1980 - Duke Tour)
Icehouse (1987 - Man of Colours Tour)
Peter Gabriel (1993 - Secret World Tour)
King Crimson (2003 - The Power to Believe Tour)
Steve Hackett (2023 - Genesis Revisited - Foxtrot at Fifty + Hackett Highlights)

[rapidfirerob]

Very difficult.
Mahavishnu Orchestra- Central Park
James Gang-Carnegie Hall (for their live album)
Blue Oyster Cult-1972 somewhere in New Jersey
The Who, Jefferson Airplane, BB King- Tanglewood
Joni Mitchell, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Time Hardin- Tanglewood
The Who, Jethro Tull, It's A Beautiful Day- Tanglewood
Focus- Philharmonic Hall
Blues For Tony (Allan Holdsworth)- Yoshi's

[alucard]

Grobschnitt 75 Neuss
Gentle Giant 76 Düsseldorf
Peter Gabriel 77 Düsseldorf
Elvin Jones Jazz Machine 90s Paris
Roy Haynes Trio 90s Paris
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum 2013 Carmaux

[nycsteve]

Pink Floyd July 1977 MSG NY Animals Tour , Animals entirety , the bulk of both WYWH and DSOTM , a Spectacle ,Flying Pigs and all
Pink Floyd The Wall 1980? Nassau Coliseum 4th row center, the impossible , more of a spectacle than Animals
Yes , Classic Lineup Tour , 2003?? MSG NYC An emotional experience
Chick Corea , John McLaughlin 2008? NYC venue on Columbus Circle , WOW! Christian McBride and Brian Blade round out the quartet
Have to think on the last one....
On edit
Maybe The Stones in Philly JFK Stadium , among the openers , an unknown to me at least Foreigner, Bob Marley and The Wailers. A 3 day ( got there 2 days in advance) hazy debauchery fest.

[mozo-pg]

Pink Floyd July 1977 MSG NY Animals Tour , Animals entirety , the bulk of both WYWH and DSOTM , a Spectacle ,Flying Pigs and all
Pink Floyd The Wall 1980? Nassau Coliseum 4th row center, the impossible , more of a spectacle than Animals
Yes , Classic Lineup Tour , 2003?? MSG NYC An emotional experience
Chick Corea , John McLaughlin 2008? NYC venue on Columbus Circle , WOW! Christian McBride and Brian Blade round out the quartet
Have to think on the last one....
On edit
Maybe The Stones in Philly JFK Stadium , among the openers , an unknown to me at least Foreigner, Bob Marley and The Wailers. A 3 day ( got there 2 days in advance) hazy debauchery fest.

That's a very solid/impressive list.

[digitalzomby]

you're six years older, so we probably never crossed path, but we obviously hovered around the same area. We never lived north of the Gardiner in 'Sauga and never above (North) of Bloor or Dundas in TO. In 'Sauga, my record stores were the Records On Wheels on Dundas (the guy running the place was amazingly good at giving advice and he looked like Roger Earle of Foghat & Savoy Brown) or the shop inside Sheridan Mall.

I remember going to Records On Wheels. Peter Dunn's Vinyl Museum was a great place for used vinyl and usually great quality too.

Sounds like we were in the same area, years apart, right on. In Lakeview I spent most of my times between Highway 10, Dixie Rd, Dundas St. and Lakeshore Rd. But actually lived south of Lakeshore.

There was this awesome record dealer in Oakville I use to go to almost every weekend and usually came out of there with a huge find. He turned me on to Scorpions in 1975 with "In Trance" album which I bought from him and saw them live in '82 at the CNE Coliseum with Rainbow opening. That was a great concert.

[nycsteve]

That's a very solid/impressive list.

My younger daughter, now 31 was so jealous of the first Floyd show. I pointed out , to have that experience then requires being old now. Two positive take aways , I Did have those times , and my daughter(s) have a very broad range as far as musical tastes. And they never flipped over the likes of Backstreet Boys or Spice Girls. What a depressing turn of events that would have been!

[Trane]

Grobschnitt 75 Neuss

I suppose they didn't have the elaborate stage show with pyrotechnics back in those days??

I remember going to Records On Wheels. Peter Dunn's Vinyl Museum was a great place for used vinyl and usually great quality too.

Sounds like we were in the same area, years apart, right on. In Lakeview I spent most of my times between Highway 10, Dixie Rd, Dundas St. and Lakeshore Rd. But actually lived south of Lakeshore.

I lived twice in places where you could see the lake from our house or appt (including Mimico, just before crossing back the pond in 1990)
I rarely went to Square One area, though: it seems like the Go Train and Gardiner Expressway tracks was some kind of Northern limits for me in those days.

There was this awesome record dealer in Oakville I use to go to almost every weekend and usually came out of there with a huge find. He turned me on to Scorpions in 1975 with "In Trance" album which I bought from him and saw them live in '82 at the CNE Coliseum with Rainbow opening. That was a great concert.

MMMhhh!!!!...
What year did this guy open his shop in Oakville?
Coz I don't remember much there is terms of interesting shops.
Living in Clarkson (left 'Sauga in 1981), the public transport to Oakville wasn't good, but it was biking distance from my place if downtown.

As for the Rainbow/Scorpions doubleheader (Blackout/Straight Between tour), I was there too, but it's the Scorpions that opened. About a third of the audience left after the Scorpions' show, so Rainbow played to a half-empty place, which allowed me to move up to second/third row center. Rainbow had a much more elaborate stage show (including pyrotechnics) and despite Blackmood breaking a cheap Strat (probably a Squire), the crowd wasn't all that enthusiastic >> clearly most had come for Scorps. TBH, I was only coming for Rainbow but the JLTurner line-up wasn't good and the set list was poor. Clearly, without Powell & Dio, the band was only the shadow of its former self.

[flytomars]

1) Magma, Herzberg festival, Germany 2000
2) Peter Hammill, Noga theatre, Jaffa 2001
3) Art Bears Songbook, Carmaux RIO
4) Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Carmaux RIO 2010
5) Van Der Graaf Generator - its very hard to pick one, saw them in RFH 2005 and then on some tours later, Bath was the last I saw and was fantastic.

Honorary mentions:
Piniol Freakshow Germany
Present Freakshow Germany
Faust - Levontin7, Tel Aviv
Electric Masada, Live Tel Aviv
Acid Mother Gong unconvention

[digitalzomby]

I suppose they didn't have the elaborate stage show with pyrotechnics back in those days??



I lived twice in places where you could see the lake from our house or appt (including Mimico, just before crossing back the pond in 1990)
I rarely went to Square One area, though: it seems like the Go Train and Gardiner Expressway tracks was some kind of Northern limits for me in those days.



MMMhhh!!!!...
What year did this guy open his shop in Oakville?
Coz I don't remember much there is terms of interesting shops.
Living in Clarkson (left 'Sauga in 1981), the public transport to Oakville wasn't good, but it was biking distance from my place if downtown.

As for the Rainbow/Scorpions doubleheader (Blackout/Straight Between tour), I was there too, but it's the Scorpions that opened. About a third of the audience left after the Scorpions' show, so Rainbow played to a half-empty place, which allowed me to move up to second/third row center. Rainbow had a much more elaborate stage show (including pyrotechnics) and despite Blackmood breaking a cheap Strat (probably a Squire), the crowd wasn't all that enthusiastic >> clearly most had come for Scorps. TBH, I was only coming for Rainbow but the JLTurner line-up wasn't good and the set list was poor. Clearly, without Powell & Dio, the band was only the shadow of its former self.

I can't remember the year that guy opened the store but he was one of my go to's.

Holly shit you were at the Blackout / Straight Between The Eyes tour awesome, wow Scorps open lol wow I was so stoned at that concert. I was smoking hash cocaine hybrid joints I rolled and my buddy said turn around and I did that and a cop was standing right behind me looking down at me. He didn't do a damn thing.

Yeah Dio was Rainbow... Blackmore joined Dio's band and took over. He ended up firing the other band members of Elf.

[Crawford Glissadevil]

Queen/Thin Lizzy-1977
Pink Floyd- 1988
Haken- 2024
Yes- 1997
Texas Jam-1978 Van Halen, Eddie Money, Head East, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Journey, Heart, Ted Nugent, Aerosmith, Mahogany Rush.

[Zeuhlmate]

Of All Time - but only 5...

Not possible, and I will change my mind in a second, or suddenly recall a concert.

The Who 1970
Supersilent
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Magma
Eberhard Weber
Rypdal
Kraan

Oops that was 7...

[markwoll]

Of All Time - but only 5...

Not possible, and I will change my mind in a second, or suddenly recall a concert.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

We had the pleasure to see him. The music was fantastic. The cultural scene was a trip.

[llanwydd]

I thought we were only doing five.

Back on the subject:

Yes - Madison Square Garden 1978 (I was in the mezzanine)
Yes - Madison Square Garden 1979 (front row! if you can believe it. I have pictures.)
Rush - Allentown Fairgrounds, PA 1979 (they played all of Permanent Waves before the album was even released)
Yes - Madison Square Garden 1980 (14th row. sold out concert but only about half the ticket buyers showed up. can only guess why. great show, though.)
Yes - in the middle of a downtown street in Orlando, FL 2011 (as far as I know, the only free concert they have ever done. sponsored by a local radio station.)

These are the only rock concerts I have ever attended.

[Dan Maske]

In no particular order:

Rush - Milwaukee, WI, 1987

Dream Theater - Milwaukee, WI, 1992

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - Milwaukee, WI, 2004

Spock’s Beard - Milwaukee, WI, 2001

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones - Milwaukee, WI, 1996