Now, I love Prince just as much as the next guy, but I'm hoping this thread will not be limited to Prince concerts...

As for me, I have to say the Tool concert I attended at Joe Louis Arena (Detroit) in 2002. I don't know if you guys are familiar with this band, but they are definitely one of the best. The front man, Maynard James Keenan, is a michigan native and he is very enigmatic. Their music is very...exclusive, to say the least. They drew a very diverse crowd and the show was just awesome! It was one of those shows that everyone should experience atleast once.

Smooches;)

i'm stuck between prince @ champaign, IL this year, and pj harvey/tricky in NYC during her "to bring you my love" tour.

Anxiety said:

Dude! That's totally what I was gonna say.

I was just getting into PJ at the time. A friend had been pumping her for a couple years with Rid of Me and 4 Track Demos. I really didn't like it at first, but then something clicked. And then To Bring You My Love came out and it won be over instantly. And then the concert within a few days. I kept hearing about this Tricky guy. Before the show, this short, strangle guy was begging everyone in line for some weed. I later found out it was him. Inside, I was positioned right in front of Martina. Oh my fucking GOD! I was in love from the first song. And that never happens with opening acts. Maxinquaye came out a week or two later and I've been a fan ever since. And PJ's performance...that goes without saying. Magic. I consider it almost a double bill cuz they were both headliners to me.

Also gotta add to the list:

not in any order, including the Peej show.

Bowie in NYC @ Roseland Ballroom. I had never seen him live before or been to NY. I got tickets totally on a whim. Bowienet announced the sale and I just happened to be online when the email was sent out. They sold in no time. So my brother and I went. There were murmurs outside the venue that he had been rehearsing the entirety of LOW. I thought it was too good to be true and would never EVER happen. Well it did. And it felt like it was just for me. It's my favorite album by anyone ever and I can't imagine anything better. Plus, I got to meet Choc.

Celebration Night 5. All The Critics, Automatic, Elephants & Flowers, Something In The Water, Calhoun Square, The Question of U, I could continue...Everything added up to a mind-blowing night. And that whole trip proved to be a fateful one. I met some of the best friends I've ever had there.

The Cure Dreamtour. I've loved them since I can remember. Probably the first I was actually a fan of. But I had never seen them live until 2000. My brother and I were jumping rows when the security wasn't looking and ended up quite close to Bob. Danced my ass off.

Franz Ferdinand, last month. I was skeptical when everyone was telling me to buy this. More hype? Nope. I was skeptical before I saw them live. Would they be any good? YES! I haven't seen that kind of energy and showmanship in ages. It reminded me of everything I love about music. I don't think I've sweat more in my life.

Madonna, The Palace, the night of the HBO and DVD taping. Accidentally ended up with front row tickets. Everyone's heard this story.

Bjork. Every show has topped the one before, just like her albums. She could very well have 3 of my top 5 shows, but I like to spread the wealth. I'd have to say her most recent one was the most amazing. She looked like a lizard with that green make-up, severe hair, fin-like dress. She was wild and fierce, unlike the subdued Vesperine shows. She had the string octet, Zeena, Matmos, the fireworks, the flamethrowers, the unreal videos. Plus it was on an island in Toronto with a friend I had just recently become reunited with. Once again, I can't imagine her topping this.

Smashing Pumpkins, the final show @ The Metro in Chicago.

Terence Trent D'Arby, Vibrator tour 1995

Lovesexy tour 88

Weirdly, the best show I've seen was NOT a Prince show!

The best show was Bjork at the Torhot festival in Belgium during the Homogenic tour. It was so amazing to see her do this music live. The weather was awesome, it was outdoors. I just don't know what to say other than it was religious.

honorable mentions go to:

-Prince LoveSexy 88- this was my first concert and set the bar pretty damn high for arena shows.

-Prince Musicology in MPLS: I can't really pick a fave from these three but they were amazing. Once i have a little more time to think, they may bump LoveSexy a bit lower on my list

-Jane's Addiction- The Ritual De Lo Habitual tour at 1st Ave. I arrived early and was able to sit on a platform on the mainroom floor. So while mosh-madness in the sold-out crowd ensued around me I was able to see right over all of it and bang my head safely while watching the genius that was Jane's Addiction at this time.

-The Charlatans- Wonderland tour in Mpls. I've seen this band a good 10 times but this was a spiritual night for me. I had a great conversation with Tim (the lead singer) before the show, spent the show front and center at the stage while he sang to me and my crew and then hung out with the band for some good conversation and photos for an hour after the show. I was high for weeks.

-Radiohead-Glastonbury 2003. While i've seen them give stronger performances, just the pure magic of Glasto and being in a field with 50,000 people singing "for a minute there I lost myself" was enough to keep me in tears almost the whole performance.

...sorry, I couldn't keep this list at just one...

GangstaFam said:

the stars sure aligned that night, didn't they?

endorphin74 said:

Definitely.

My concert experience is related to the type of seats I have, but...

P-Funk--1996, I believe Universal Amphitheater. One of the most exciting, upbeat shows ever, and by a bunch of old guys. The crowd all on their feet, and, of course, an appearance by the Mothership.

Buddy Guy, Al Green, Santana--New Year's Eve 1993 or 4? Oakland Sport's Arena. None of them are my favorites, but all of them greats.

Prince 2004-San Jose June 2. A masterful, seamless party. Prince has perfected his live show. Too bad the sound sucked.

Musicology - March 29, L.A. Staples Center.
Nothing has been more inspiring.

i don't know about best concert performance but best concert experience goes to madonna's current trek, the re-invention tour.

OdysseyMiles said:

that was really amazing. one of the most iconic performances i've ever seen in my life. i only refrain from including it because i wasn't physically there...though it sure felt like i was.

Prince - October 2003 at Sydney Entertainment Centre
Kiss - April 2001 at Sydney Superdome

two night's I'll never ever forget

Britney

Sade - Lover's Live. Great music, light design the enhanced the music, a little dancing here and there, and lots of class. Check out the dvd and you'll see.

Duran Duran - Strange Behaviour 1987. Great horn section, a very funky show. The 1989 show was great as well, took me to another world.

Tori Amos... always a great show... hard to pick one.

Paula Cole. That woman tore it up, even nailed Whole Lotta Love. She is bad ass. I truly could not speak for a few hours afterwards. I was stunned.

Sheila E and the E Train. Front row... Sheila to my right and Eric Leeds to my left.

I've seen Sting quite a few times, though not this time around... Nothing Like the Sun tour is probably my favorite.

Patti Griffin was really good. I wasn't a fan, I just went with my boyfriend... Powerful show.

I've never seen Bjork live. Next time. NOTHING is gonna hold me back.

oh shit, I forgot one. Tori and Alanis- 5-1/2 Weeks Tour ... I swear I was trembling after Tori's set and Alanis blew me away. She closed with a version of Your House that had MUSIC!!!

Of course my favorites have been the Prince concerts.

I've seen The Time several times. The best time I ever had in my life was when I was in the second row at one of the concerts. Everyone was dancing all night but I was really cutting up. I had drinking for awhile too. When Jerome pulled some women on the stage, he pulled my ass up there too.

Another group I have seen several times is The Barkays. The first time I saw them was in 1985 right after I graduated high school. When they did "Freakshow On The Dance Floor", Larry Dodson came out with a big ass boa constrictor.

When I saw them again in 1999, I met them on the sidewalk outside of the venue. One of the guys was carrying a big cloth sack over his shoulder and asked how to get backstage. I thought it was one of the stage crew. When the show started, the guy I had given directions to was Larry Dotson. He had cut the perm out of his hair and dyed it blonde. When they did "Freak Show On The Dance Floor" later on, Larry came out with not only a regular boa constrictor, but a big ass yellow one also. When he finished with the snakes, he handed them to one of the stage crew who put them in that same cloth sack I saw thrown over Larry's shoulder when I was talking to him earlier. I would have shit if I had known what was in that sack!

I don't think there ever was a perfect concert that I attended. Bow Wow Wow last week at B. B. King's would probably come close.

But if I ever do see Prince live (I won't know when at this point. ), that would probably be the best.

U2 - 1986 - Constitution Hall - D.C.

rolling stones!!!!!

Prince and the Revolution- Hit and Run 1986

Prince- Lovesexy front row center

Wendy and Lisa- The Roxy 1998 and McCabe's that same year

INXS- Elegantly Wasted tour, 4 months to the day before Michael died

U2- Elevation tour April and November 2001, front row outside the heart (I held Bono up while he stood up on the barricade) and front row in front of the Edge

Fleetwood Mac- 2003 and 2004 Was front row center and Lindsey let a few of us strum his guitar

The Family Jamm- Still doesn't even seem real that I was in the front row for the concert of my lifetime.

Melissa Etheridge- Live and Alone tour 3 nights at Paramount in Denver

Prince- Celebration 2002 Nights 1-5 and night 7

Styx- hard to pick one show out of the 11 I've seen but it all started on the Return to Paradise tour in 1996

Bramhall- 1999 Alburqurque and Las Vegas. Wendy and Lisa were in the band and the band as a whole was amazing.

Wynonna- Pretty much all of the shows of her's but last year's show was AMAZING

Shaman tour (santana)
Bad (MJ)

VinaBlue said:

Sade.....wish i could've been there

U2 Zoo TV Tour

gary moore - scars tour

Corey Glover

Instant Karma, Houston, Texas
1999

One of the best fucking concerts ever!

I saw The Who for the first time in August 2002 at PNC Bank Arts Center. It was a little over a month into the tour, after John Entwistle died. It was sad not having him there, but they were still awesome.