Got live if you want it
Phil and I were talking casually about the best concerts we've been to, and it got me started thinking deeply about it. I could still cogitate on this for quite a while, but there's really no point. These were definitely great shows.
In no particular order, these are my top 10 concerts. Hope I'm remembering the years and venues correctly. I may have been indulging on some of these evenings.
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, Mr. T's Bowl, LA, 1992
Had never seen them before, had barely even heard of them. They had seemed so mysterious and weird but turned out to be pretty normal people. They played so fucking good. This is a legendary show among LA indie rockers around in the 1990s.
Sonic Youth, Liberty Lunch, Austin, 1988
The day after Thanksgiving. They opened with Brother James then proceeded to do Daydream Nation with total intensity for about 100 people.
Butthole Surfers, Liberty Lunch, Austin, 1987
I had been hearing about this band of insane people living right there in Austin. Eugene Chadbourne opened and wore a birdcage on his head. Gibby brought several huge teddy bears on stage which he later pounded to bits with stuffing flying all over the place. I was flabbergasted from the first song: Sabbath's "Sweet Leaf" done with chorus line style high kicks from Paul, Gibby, and Jeff. A total sensory overload.
My Bloody Valentine, Roxy, LA, 1991
Think I was at the first set. Another legendary night among a few hundred LA faithful. Yes, it was loud.
Drive Like Jehu, Whisky, LA, 1994
Hadn't heard them but a friend asked me to come along. Those fellas clearly practiced a lot; maybe the tightest I've ever seen a band play. I bought Yank Crime the next day. It's a great record but could never quite live up to this show.
Polvo, Alligator Lounge, LA, 1995
Another tight set. Ash and Dave (the guitarists) were clearly mad at each other and it spurred both of them into some incredible playing. They were pretty disappointing on their final tour a few years after this. Ash had no interest by then. Glad I caught this one.
Thinking Fellers Union, Troubadour, LA, 1994
Another great set. The Troubadour's sound was an improvement on Mr. T's, although it lacks the dank ambience. They played incredibly well again. I think they were making their push to make a living playing music, and their mental telepathy was peaking.
Sonic Youth, Wiltern Theater, LA, 1995
When the Wiltern still had seats. They strolled very casual and non-rock star like on stage and launched into "Cotton Crown". I knew at that moment this would be a great show.
Metallica, Starplex Ampitheater, Dallas, 1989
Downright scary at times. Starplex is one of those sheds with a big lawn at the back. Initially just James and Lars hit the stage launching into "Blackened". The volume was punishing even before Kirk and Jason kicked in. There were huge bonfires on the lawn with kids dancing around like pagans and all 20,000 of them chanting "die, die..." during "Creeping Death". Intense.
Kiss, Tarrant County Convention Center, Fort Worth, 1978 or 79
You never forget your first time. I was such a wee young thing. I still have the tour program.
Tough to leave these off the list:
Fugazi, Hollywood Palladium, LA, 1993
Boredoms, Whisky, LA, 1992
Underworld, Mayan Theater, LA, 1997
Posted at April 29, 2003 07:32 PM
Like I need to be spending time on this... but I'm ill, and it beats TV, so what the heck?
Sonic Youth on the Sister and Daydream Nation tours were astounding. I couldn't figure out why they weren't so much bigger. I pre-ordered Daydream Nation and still remember the day it came out, I went home and listened to it after having been awake for three days straight (college) and when it was over I managed to stay awake to listen to it again. Also saw them play at CBGB's in NYC under a psuedonym a week before Dirty came out. They played a few new tracks, but a lot of material off Confusion is Sex and Bad Moon Rising. The next day they played a free set in Central Park with Sun Ra.
Never saw Drive Like Jehu, which is so sad. I used to write whats-his-name from Rocket in the Crypt once a year begging him to bag that circus show and do more Jehu stuff. You should get their first album, even better than Yank Crime.
I saw My Bloody Valentine in NYC at the Ritz right before Loveless came out. I was warned and brought heavy-duty earplugs. There was about 400-500 people there but only 20 of us left standing during their long "solo", which was LOUD. You could feel it.
My first show ever was Ozzy supporting his first album. A classic still. Saw him later, Bark of the Moon maybe, with Metallica opening supporting Ride the Lightning. I had just discovered Metallica a few months before because I worked in a record store and wrote album reviews for my high school paper. Blew Ozzy off the stage even though most of the people had no idea who they were. Ozzy later kicked them off the tour.
I've seen TFUL242 a bunch of times, all of them wonderful. Polvo had their moments with their first two albums. Their live show seemed to go first, then it was downhill from there. In a similar vein, Unwound was always amazing live, very dynamic, very tight, but at the edge of chaos at all times. Saw them maybe a dozen times during the first four albums. One show Justin the guitarist was making "jokes" asking if anyone knew how to tune a guitar. He kept asking until people stopped laughing. Finally someone hopped on stage and tuned it for him. I still don't know if it was a joke or not. They played their last show in Portland and only did material off their first three albums. It was the perfect send-off.
Godflesh, despite coming on about 3 hours late, played Portland back in '98 or so. It was a work night and I was pissed and tired but they started right when I was finishing my last beer and planning on heading home. It was worth the wait. Best "metal" show I've seen in a long, long time. Really heavy, with the drum machine *and* a live drummer, who was almost like a machine himself. I knew everyone would wear black so I wore a bright red jacket. Some guy threatened to beat me up, but he may have been kidding.
I've managed to catch the Flaming Lips a few times and they're always amazing and a treat. Have tickets to see them on 23 May.
On a totally different angle, Simon Posford (Hallucinogen) played a gig in the woods east of Seattle called "Twisted in the Forest" that was mind-bending and eye-opening. Most interesting music I'd heard in years. Got to see him "play" (DJ) at Burning Man a few weeks later.
Saw Nirvana at the Ritz in NYC about six months before "Nevermind" came out. They had set up the tour expecting to support the release on Sub Pop before they re-recorded the whole thing. The Melvins opened. A lot of people knew Nirvana already, surprisingly enough. The Melvins played the slowest sludgecore ever, and the more the crowd booed or threw things, the slower and heavier they played. The guy from Thrones was on bass then, and the drummer Dale was wearing only diapers.
Oh, and I saw Ornette Coleman play in NYC in 1990, which was a dream come true. During the second set he even pulled out the white plastic sax.
Oh, and I managed to catch Shellac playing after the first album came out. Their first two 7" singles are still astoundingly good. Both Albini and Weston had amps that were solid, matte black, with a giant dial (the size of say, a softball) in the middle, with nothing else, no labels, no numbers, nothing. They set up and just kept turning the dial until it was right. They played in some rich kid's parents house in NJ near Princeton. The parents actually took tickets at the door and greeted us all, then served snacks and soda later. I helped them clean up a bit.
It was surreal.
This is what happens when I sleep for 12 hours during the day... Cheers, Wink
My Top Ten:
Barenaked Ladies, Troubadour, LA (1993, my first great concert)
Rufus Wainwright/Ben Lee/Martha Wainwright, Fillmore, SF (1999)
Elvis Costello/Steve Nieve, Warfield, SF (1999)
Gomez/Joseph Arthur, Fillmore, SF (2000)
M. Doughty, McCabe's, LA (2000)
Mates of State/The Minders, Troubadour, LA (2001)
Bright Eyes, Knitting Factory, LA (2001)
Ben Folds, El Rey, LA (2002)
Loudon Wainwright III, The Getty, LA (2002)
Bill Frisell, Largo, LA (2002, two nights)
Honorable mention:
Bill Frisell, Julia Morgan Theater, Berkeley (1998)
Dressy Bessy/Beulah/Apples in Stereo, American Music Hall, SF (1999)
of Montreal, The Gig, LA (2001, 1am show)
Yes indeed Wink, those first two Shellac singles just kill. I saw them about two years ago when they finally hit LA. They still have the matching amps. They're mirror images too. Albini's had the knob in the middle and the on switch/on light on the left. Weston's was the opposite. I love too that they set up the drums right at the front of the stage so all three are lined up like a fist. The audience caught a lot more of Todd's sweat that way too (maybe that's the real reason).
I was right up front when I saw Shellac the first time (have seen them thrice) and Traynor not only got sweat all over, but I'm totally serious, a pretty decent amount of drool too.
Can't emphasize enough how much Simon Posford's work (Hallucinogen, Younger Brother, Beast, Shpongle, and 18 other band names) have made such a lasting impression. Everyone should own both Hallucinogen albums and the first Shpongle.
Cheers, Wink
All these lists make me feel really young. Well, maybe not Andy's. Hopefully in 6 or 7 years, I can have a list to rival yours, Greg.
Here's my list
If this is your life sweetie, I am so sorry! There is alot more out there than just heavy metal music. That stuff screws with your mind!! God has a much better plan for your life than just wasting it by moving around the country listening to that devil music. Some day you will come to realize that God wants you to serve him and i hope for your sake it is not too late.
Good luck!