Had To Be There: Favorite Concerts
You people seem to like sharing your opinions, so I'm hoping this post will send you scurrying to the comments section.
It's a simple list of the best concerts I've seen, with only the first one "ranked" and the rest all honorable mentions. Inspired by a discussion tonight with a lovely woman over a plate of about 3,000 French fries. (I love fries and can put them away, but the volume of them served at many restaurants and pubs is a subject worthy of study. It's shocking.)
OK, back to the concerts. First place, hands down:
Prince (Reunion Arena, Dallas, December 1998)
Despite the fact that I had always loved Prince in a radio-exposure kind of way, this show did benefit from moderate expectations. I figured it would be fun, but it wasn't like the indie-rock shows in cramped clubs that I spent months at a time anticipating. This was a Star -- one I assumed would be arrogant and a bit difficult -- playing a basketball arena. Our seats were in the upper deck.
What ensued was insanely entertaining. Prince stands at about three feet, five inches. He's tiny. To command an arena of that size the way he did must mean that he has more charisma per square inch than anyone in history (maybe even Napoleon; I believe Prince, if he had lived during that time, would have convinced people to help him conquer Russia in winter. But they would've won.) Most shockingly to me, at the time, his performance could only be called generous. He ripped up the guitar; he belted piano ballads; he playfully censored himself during "Darling Nikki"; he brought the house lights up near the end, then invited a large and random group of fans on stage to dance during an extended jam (during which time he shouted at one elderly woman who was getting down, "Dance, Grandma!") -- a grand finale if I've ever seen one; but no, then the lights vanished again and he launched into an extended medley of greatest hits. I remember the whole thing as being ridiculous in the best possible way.
Honorable mentions (dates might be blurry; I've tried)...
Lyle Lovett (Majestic Theater, San Antonio, 1994?)
Joan Osborne (Caravan of Dreams, Fort Worth, Spring 1995)
Radiohead (The Woodlands, Houston, September 1995, opening for R.E.M. in support of The Bends)
Centro-matic (I forget the name of the place. It was small. Dread Pirate, it was when they shared the bill with Mary Lou Lord. Oh, I think it was called The Galaxy Club, yes?, Dallas, 1998? 1999?)
Whiskeytown (Trees, Dallas, January 1998. Like viewing the aftermath of a car wreck with a few good songs occasionally floating over the scene.)
The Jayhawks (Gypsy Tea Room, Dallas, May 2000)
Built to Spill (Irving Plaza, New York, September 2001)
The Innocence Mission (Southpaw, Brooklyn, April 2004)
Ray Lamontagne (Bowery Ballroom, New York, January 2005)
It's a simple list of the best concerts I've seen, with only the first one "ranked" and the rest all honorable mentions. Inspired by a discussion tonight with a lovely woman over a plate of about 3,000 French fries. (I love fries and can put them away, but the volume of them served at many restaurants and pubs is a subject worthy of study. It's shocking.)
OK, back to the concerts. First place, hands down:
Prince (Reunion Arena, Dallas, December 1998)
Despite the fact that I had always loved Prince in a radio-exposure kind of way, this show did benefit from moderate expectations. I figured it would be fun, but it wasn't like the indie-rock shows in cramped clubs that I spent months at a time anticipating. This was a Star -- one I assumed would be arrogant and a bit difficult -- playing a basketball arena. Our seats were in the upper deck.
What ensued was insanely entertaining. Prince stands at about three feet, five inches. He's tiny. To command an arena of that size the way he did must mean that he has more charisma per square inch than anyone in history (maybe even Napoleon; I believe Prince, if he had lived during that time, would have convinced people to help him conquer Russia in winter. But they would've won.) Most shockingly to me, at the time, his performance could only be called generous. He ripped up the guitar; he belted piano ballads; he playfully censored himself during "Darling Nikki"; he brought the house lights up near the end, then invited a large and random group of fans on stage to dance during an extended jam (during which time he shouted at one elderly woman who was getting down, "Dance, Grandma!") -- a grand finale if I've ever seen one; but no, then the lights vanished again and he launched into an extended medley of greatest hits. I remember the whole thing as being ridiculous in the best possible way.
Honorable mentions (dates might be blurry; I've tried)...
Lyle Lovett (Majestic Theater, San Antonio, 1994?)
Joan Osborne (Caravan of Dreams, Fort Worth, Spring 1995)
Radiohead (The Woodlands, Houston, September 1995, opening for R.E.M. in support of The Bends)
Centro-matic (I forget the name of the place. It was small. Dread Pirate, it was when they shared the bill with Mary Lou Lord. Oh, I think it was called The Galaxy Club, yes?, Dallas, 1998? 1999?)
Whiskeytown (Trees, Dallas, January 1998. Like viewing the aftermath of a car wreck with a few good songs occasionally floating over the scene.)
The Jayhawks (Gypsy Tea Room, Dallas, May 2000)
Built to Spill (Irving Plaza, New York, September 2001)
The Innocence Mission (Southpaw, Brooklyn, April 2004)
Ray Lamontagne (Bowery Ballroom, New York, January 2005)
Labels: Music
posted by JMW at 11:54 PM
4 Comments:
New York DEMANDS "You Were Right"!!!!!
This is hard for some reason, mainly because I have this nagging feeling like I'm forgetting something critical, but here's the ones that immediately come to mind:
1. Radiohead - OK Computer Tour, 1997, The State Theater, Detroit, Michigan
I was (and still am) so in love with that album, and this show was ridiculously awesome - hands down the best show I've ever seen. Thom Yorke's self-depricating version of "Creep" was the comedic highlight (who knew they even had a sense of humor?), and feeling "Climbing up the Walls" pulse in my gut was incredible.
2. Paul Simon and Bob Dylan, 1999, Pine Knob Music Theater, Clarkston, Michigan
It was amazing to see these two giants at the same concert, especially Paul Simon who I have had a school girl's crush on since I discovered "Bookends" at age 12.
3. Tori Amos, The Dew Drop Inn Tour, 1996, Fox Theater, Detroit, Michigan
The Fox Theater is quite possibly the most gorgeous place to see a show, so the ambiance alone was worth the ticket price. I was a bit of a "Tori-head" in 1996, so seeing her perform live was enough to make me swoon.
4. REM, UP Tour, 1999, Pine Knob Music Theater, Clarkston, MI
I'm sure that, had I seen them in concert earlier, this would not have been my favorite of their shows, but I love REM so much and this is the one and only time I've ever seen them in concert so it must make the list.
5. Over the Rhine, 1998(?), The Ark, Ann Arbor, Michigan
I haven't followed this band much in the past five years or so, but I was deeply in love with them in college so this concert came at the perfect time. They are a lovely band and played a lovely show in a very intimate venue. I don't know that seeing them live would have the same effect on me today, but this is the perfect example of the right concert at exactly the right time.
I also saw that Built to Spill show. It was terrific. I think my hearing never recovered, but it was worth it.
wow, y'all make me feel old.
but:
the damned, a couple of years ago, irving plaza. converted my husband from "i hate the damned" to (with great respect) "damn, they're the loudest band ever."
oingo boingo, dec 1985. they were amazing. huge horn section, danny elfman hadn't gotten fat from making movies yet, & they were just perfectly angelino *weird.*
the woodentops, the ritz, have no idea when (mid- to late 80s). a band no-one's heard of anymore, who were like punk folk. i miss rolo mcginty, the most frenetic lead ever.
elvis costello - well, i've never seen a bad show, but the one that stands out is at the beacon with just steve nieve a couple of years ago.
& since i'll stop at five, rufus wainwright in philly, want tour. it was a perfect night; him & his sister did a few cabaret songs in french, & it was the first time i'd heard some new songs. perfectly beautiful night, his voice in exceptional form.
others: soft cell (for which i waited approximately 15 years); adam ant, who was the perfect ham but a remarkable showman; the stranglers, just before they broke up; radiohead in liberty state park, a couple of months before 9/11, & so the last time i travelled through the wtc, & the last time i got to enjoy the towers as part of the skyline.
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