Primitive Man, on tour for their 2017 album Caustic. They're one of the heaviest bands I've ever heard. I saw them at Lee's Palace in Toronto and they made debris fall from the ceiling.

Spectral Voice opened for them and were also incredible - maybe as good or better than Blood Incantation who they share members with.

Porter Robinson and underscores, a few days ago.

None. It's like they've never really lived up to the hype and attending live music events has somehow always made me uncomfortable. Same with movie theatres.

The most immersive and impactful musical experiences I've had have been me sitting alone listening.

death grips, quite literally as I started up front and got way overwhelmed and slowly started moving back as the show went on. it got to the point where I got outside and proceeded to puke in the trashcan. great show though!

I saw Against Me in 2004.

‘nuff said.

Joanna Newsom & Blind Guardian

jethro tull played in grant park for the flutist society and due to that played like the most flute intensive songs. hearing that fock flute in person was amazing.

A little old school here, but Tom Petty and the HB were always fantastic live, I got to catch them several times.

I also once was socially-dragged to a Sheryl Crow concert at the Ryman, and even though she's not usually my thing, that show was fantastic. She had a bunch of folks from the Nashville Symphony Orchestra playing with her band that night, and I've never seen a group of classical musicians have so much fun. They really made it an unbelievable show. If you're ever there and can catch ANYTHING at the Ryman, do it... the acoustics are absolutely insane.

My favorite concert story was that we went to a "Best of the 80s" concert in Indiana in the late 90s when I was a teen (bands that performed included Wang Chung, A Flock of Seagulls, and a few one-hit wonders I'm struggling to remember right now). At the end, the promoters took the mic and apologized to everyone that the show was ending a little early, the closing band, Missing Persons, couldn't make it. My friends and family I was there with laughed our asses off the entire way out of the arena, but it didn't seem like a single other person there got it.

Whipping Boy, an Irish alt rock band, late 90s Birmingham: I’d never even heard of them before a friend dragged me along. Jaw-flappingly stunning vocals, great songs, lyrics, instrumentation. Thought they were going places, especially on finding a couple of singles/EPs and the album Heartworm, but they broke up not long after. I bought everything they put out and still love when their stuff randomly plays on shuffle.

Slift, they are an amazing experience live! Three guys from France with a live sound that's just massive. You'd never think it's just the three of them. Amazing show, lots of energy and the visuals make it a perfect experience. Mind blowing!

In This Moment

Austin Lucas

Dj shadow vs cut chemist at the Hollywood bowl. It was experimental but quite the experience

Mando diao

City and Colour. Dallas is an incredible musician, and his band complimented him so well.

• REM
• Radiohead
• Flaming Lips
• Marilyn Manson
• Pixies
• RJD2
• Janelle Monae

Got to see Chicago/ Beach Boys double headline back in 1989 (I think). Both bands were great. Saw the Beach Boys at the old Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OH about 5 years later and it was a great show.

Bad Company Holy Water tour. Brian Howe was front lining the band and he was great, but really would have preferred to have seen Paul Rodgers.

Black Crowes opening for ZZ Top on the Recycler tour. ZZ Top had a great show, but musically, Black Crowes was much better.

Duran Duran ... I was a closet fan of theirs back in my teens. I'm not in the closet any longer. Soup Dragons opened for them and they suuuucked.

Linkin Park opening for Metallica at the Atlanta Braves stadium in 2003. They were great, Metallica was meh, but I've never been a huge fan of theirs.

Live... Not a big fan of theirs, but they did have a good live show. (see what I did there! Yes, I'm a Dad.) They opened for the Counting Crows who were great too.

Santana is a lot better live than anywhere else. I saw him on the Supernatural tour, or at least that was the album he had just released. Funny side story about this concert. This was in 1999 and was there with a friend. 25 years later, my wife and I were talking about concerts we have attended over the years. She mentioned she went to see Santana when she first moved to Cincinnati, which is where I lived at the time... Turns out we were at the same concert 5 years before we met and didn't realize it until last year.

Yes, I'm old.

Pop Will Eat Itself in the early 90's.

Amazing fun shows with tons of energy from the band and the audience.

Avatar

Neil Young + Crazy Horse Bob Dylan + Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

Garth Brookes. Saw him at the Tacoma dome like 10 years ago. We were on the floor towards the back and some lady with a headset came up and told us to come up front. At the time I was pretty stoked. Show was awesome. Garth and trisha yearwood were amazing. The stage had some cool mwchanics and the drummer was in a 3d rotating circle thing going upside down and around. Blew my mind. Pretty funny realization afterwards though. The reason we got moved to the front was because we were mexican. We were in a section with nothing but people of color. Pretty funny. Amazing show.

Swans in the To Be Kind era.

Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie both had amazing stage shows in the last decade. I can't compare them to shows back in the day but if you get a chance they're still worth it.

between the buried and me has never disappointed!

Josh Scogin in any band he's in (the chariot, norma jean, '68)

broken social scene

Tauk - they blew me away from their albums too, but after having seen them live for the 2nd time last week, figured I had to post. Their drummer is incredibly hard-hitting and energetic, and keeps it going for 3+ hours

Not a band, but a DJ, Jake Beautyman, April 2024 in São Paulo. He started his set with the Severance OST and was a banger song after song. Still think about that party today

I've seen a lot of great shows, but:

• The Octopus Project: I've seen them live at least four times and they never disappoint. just great fun, really talented folks. watching them trade instruments mid-song is always a delight.
• Battles, during the Gloss Drop tour: wow, the ability of those musicians. never seen anything like it.
• Open Mike Eagle: I don't know if it was his most "on" day ever or if he's always like that, but I was absolutely transfixed. captivating performance.

Massilia Sound System. Crowd is basically in a state of plasma from beginning to loooooong after the show ends. When it's set on the port, you can be sure some of us will launch ourselves in the oily water for the hell of it, come back and slippery dance some more. At the start of every show they distribute a platter of pastis shots in the pit. It's not a band, it's a culture. A generation