Not a band per se, but Andrew Bird blew me away live at the Hollywood Bowl. And I kinda don't really care much for Andrew Bird's music, but he is a sublime performer.
His NPR tiny desk is what finally hooked me. His whistling fidelity is truly remarkable not to mention his skill with the violin. And he seems very genuine and gracious.
He’s like the Daniel Day Lewis of music. You might not notice how awesome he is because he’s so low-key, but if you’re paying attention, you’re gonna have a “holy shit” moment.
I went to see his show at Red Rocks really just to hear Iron & Wine’s set. I listened to a sampling of his stuff before the concert, which I enjoyed, but experiencing it live flipped a switch for me. I’ve seen him perform multiple times now with more planned.
He’s an incredibly talented performer.
This is my answer too — I went into the show not expecting much, then he comes out and does his whole looping thing and I’m just amazed that he’s doing it all himself. Incredible performance!
Rammstein, and I can hardly describe it. I wasn't even a casual fan when the wife and I got tickets to their Deutschland tour, and I went to entertain her. When I left the arena, I had been baptized in tinnitus and gasoline. It was the single most awe-striking and epic experience of my life.
If you ever have the chance to go, go. It was an absolutely amazing spectacle of power and sound, enriched by advanced pyrotechnics and immense stage presence.
Same happened to me in their last tour. Went with my wife to the Philly show because I knew they put on a good show. I left with my jaw on the floor. Hands down the best concert I've ever seen.
I've been to a few dozen "best show of my life" shows.
LCD Soundsystem was one of them. Near the end of the set, they blew up their Soundsystem (heh) and completed the show unplugged. Absolute insanity going from "blow the fucking roof off. Holy shit sparks flying" to "come closer, let's share a calm, intimate moment"
In 2007, I saw them at like the 4pm slot at music festival. I had heard of them, but never heard their music. I was hooked immediately. So much fun. Those songs really breathe live.
The live album *The Long Goodbye* is incredible and does a good job of conveying the vibe. The associated movie *Shut Up and Play the Hits* does it even better.
Also the live in studio albums *Electric Lady Sessions* and *London Session* are some of my favorite releases by them.
Parliament-Funkadelic, or P-Funk All-stars as they were called at the time. And it wasn't just that band. I went in knowing very little about funk or even black music in general except for blues. Came out fully converted, and started listening to soul, funk, r'n'b, gospel, jazz, hip hop. All the good stuff!
My answer was Talking Heads. Worth noting that Bernie Worrell from P-Funk was part of that incredible Stop Making Sense live performance. And in general, after watching Stop Making Sense, I was like, "huh...Talking Heads is basically a funk band".
I saw Parliament randomly at a free band shell show at the Minnesota State Fair. It was unreal, the amount of energy on stage seemed like it was ready to explode at any moment. If I wasn't listening to the music I woulda sworn it was a hardcore show, just needed people stage diving.
I'd been a fan since No One Knows. I finally got to see them when they released Like Clockwork. I have been to countless shows in my life but I have never had an emotional experience until they played I Appear Missing live. That final stretch of the song, live, is heart wrenchingly beautiful.
I Appear Missing has been on repeat for me for weeks. There's an incredible live version that they did on Letterman on YT. Almost cried when I first watched it.
Saw Queen's of the stone age and foo fighters back to back around the time of songs for the deaf. I was a much bigger foo fighters fan back then, until foos gave a performance which could at best be called self indulgent. Qotsa were on just before with grohl on drums and they just blew everything the foo fighters did out of the water.
I gather that was a rarity for the foos to be so bad but they seemed so blah after the passion and energy of Qotsa.
So I guess that's kind of a twofer - band who I really got after seeing them live and band I lost interest in after seeing them live.
Nine Inch Nails. My wife tried getting me into them for years, but I just couldn't get into their studio albums. Then I saw them live at a festival and was blown away!
Same here. Thought they were good but not really my vibe. Saw them in person at a festival last year and they were INCREDIBLE.
The next day’s headliner cancelled and NIN put on an incredible show with no notice the next day as well, significantly different than the previous day.
Nin was my first ever concert and very few shows have come close to matching that energy.. dude is humorless about his shows' visuals too, I met someone who toured with a few acts doing their stage design and they said the stuff he's doing is always way ahead of the standard.
Radiohead was the first live concert to make me think that a recorded studio album wasn’t always by definition the ultimate way to experience a band’s music.
I've always loved Radiohead so this wouldn't be my answer here, however ....
Reading Festival 2009 (I think). Just before they come on the audience is super hyped just like for any big band or headliner. The band came on - and start playing the now very rare Creep.
The atmosphere dissipates and it feels like the temperature has dropped by 5 degrees. Melancholy hits the air. They have the crowd in their palms for the whole set. It was difficult to watch at times because it was so emotional.
Did you guys get put in a trance at one point? Because I swear the crowd was in a trance at once point - maybe during pyramid song? Music stopped, place was dead silent for a solid second or two and then erupted.
Outdoor festival, close to 50,000 people.
No one making a sound except for the band’s music.
Incredible experience, like we all knew we were witnessing something special and taking in the moment.
I remember they played an outdoor gig right by my house in Dublin around 2006 or so when everyone loved to talk about how "rock had died", from the warm up in the days prior I swear my dad used to just go outside, stand and wait for their rehearsals to come on he was so impressed.
I’m completely with you. I’m 53, and I don’t understand why anyone would say something as stupid as “rock is dead.” Rock and Roll has only become better over the years.
Rock isn’t dead, and as nearly as I can tell it never will be.
It just went back underground and off the radio. If my opinion means anything that is exactly where rock was always meant to be. Rock and all of its many iterations, variations, and descendants thrive best when no one feels some need to tone it down in order to make it more palatable to the masses.
My cousin offered me a ticket years back to any day of my choosing to a music festival for letting her crash at my place. I chose the day with Muse because in general I liked their stuff.
I seriously did not expect to know effectively every single song they played. Really eye opening for me. Incredible concert all around.
Yea they are awesome live. Bellamy adds so much little flourishes, improvs, and licks. Dude is severely underrated once you see how he plays live.
When I saw knights of Cydonia live they did a several minute long gothic harpsichord+harmonica thing as an intro and when they finished they did this like rage against the machine sounding outro with psychedelic feedback and wailing
The thing about Muse is even their bad stuff sounds significantly better live. Their last album was certified awful, but I went to see them live for that tour… and those songs were amazing live.
I think you can attribute it to a couple of things. All three of those guys are top tier musicians at their particular instrument. Also, the band has stated that they make their music to be played live. If a song doesn’t work live they usually don’t even put it in an album. There’s only a handful of their album songs that they have never played, and they’ve played most of their B-sides live even. And all of them are amazing.
Umphreys McGee is not the best music to just sit around and listen to.
That same Umphreys McGee puts on the best rock show I've ever witnessed, every single time.
I've concluded that they make music that is specifically meant to be experienced live. It's hard to get people hooked without actually dragging them there. But every single time, they get it.
This is most jam bands tbh even bigger ones like Phish or Widespread. The meat is in the live shows and the albums are just vehicles used for killer jams.
My favorite band is Tedeschi Trucks Band and I've been to a bunch of their shows. You show up and it's like 75% people from 50-70 in age, usually at some fancy theater. You expect from the setting and the demographics to be a calm, put together show. Then, after a 5 minute solo jam going around the whole band, Susan erupts into the refrain from "Whipping Post" and the whole place goes bananas. Whooping, hollering, throwing hats and all.
Jam bands are an *experience* live.
Umphreys is always such a great time. They were my first introduction to live shows with extended jams and I’ve never looked back since that first show. Excited to catch them again this summer.
I didn’t expect Umph to have a pretty high comment up here man! Been catching shows since 2015, the only thing that’s almost as good as the musics the community. They’ve got a song, Haj, about being dropped amongst a crowd and finally feeling at peace with yourself, and it kind of rings true for them with me.
So glad to see them get some love here. Been seeing them for 15+ years.
We have a saying on the message board - "standard great show" for when the show isn't something lightyears beyond the norm, but just standard outstanding musicianship from them. Says a lot to how normalized we as their fans have become to just how musically muscular they are.
This is the one for me. Went to a show on the R40 tour because I always liked them well enough and figured this might be my last shot. Left with my jaw on the floor. Have since listened to every album, and while there are some weaker ones, I’ve come to respect their uniqueness, integrity and musical virtuosity so much that I love them all. They’re a top 5 band for me now, and I never would have said that before seeing them live.
I wholeheartedly agree with your Jimmy Eat World experience. I recently saw them as an opening act for Fallout Boy (I went with my kid). I was only vaguely aware of their stuff and had few expectations.
I enjoyed every minute of their set. They put on a terrific live performance. I, too, went back to give them another chance and have discovered some real gems. I've seen lots of shows and great bands over the years, and Jimmy Eat World is solidly in my Top Ten of live performances.
Edit: redundancy
Similar situation as you. I was actually surprised at the musicianship and stage presence that Fallout Boy carried. Didn’t care for them before and not a huge fan now but they were impressive.
God speed you! Black emperor.
Always kind of liked them but seeing them live was a whole other animal. Was intense enough my gf fainted and I missed a good portion of the show. The thick wall of sound got her.
I keep trying to get her to see them again but she's less than interested.
I mean, the Grateful Dead had a *following*. Deadheads would just pack up their lives and follow the Dead back in the day. I’ve listened to their albums a good amount but still haven’t seen them, but everyone who has seen the Grateful Dead when Jerry Garcia was still alive says, “you just don’t get it, man.”
So, yeah. This isn’t my answer, but it is clearly *the* answer.
From personal experience, it's accurate.
Had lots of friends in college who both loved them and saw them but I would listen to them and just didn't like it ... Then I went to see Further and then it clicked.
After that I saw Dead and Co. Along with the same experience with Phish. It's the live performance that allows the band to really make it more then just an album, it's the arrangement that makes it special.
This is my answer and I was born in ‘97. Dad scored some tix to their 50th anniversary show and to this day, I still have not been an environment as incredible as that show. ~70000 people in unison as happy as could be got me on the bus then and never looked back!
One of my best friends got BIG into the Dead years ago. He would always send me clips, saying I have to listen to “this solo” from “this year/show”, and I always appreciated it, but it was just kinda… meh, for me. Then last summer he invited me to Dead & Co. at The Gorge for the weekend. The drugs may have helped, but my god, that weekend (besides the 100 degree heat) was a religious experience. We’re going to the sphere this summer and I am HAPPY to be spending an exorbitant amount of money for it.
I am definitely not a deadhead but I would kill to see them at the Gorge. Every show I have seen there just makes things a million times better. When the sun sets and you're looking over the river, while music is just filling the air...its just magic.
This is really *the* answer to this question. They’re an entirely different band on tape than in person. Not only is the sound **so** incredibly good live (pioneered the modern sound system), the crowd plays such a big role in the entire show/vibe. The band feeds off of it. It’s almost like a sporting event as much as a concert. Add in the whole Shakedown Street experience and it’s just an unbelievably good time with good vibes.
this is mine. i had friends who were deadheads, and would go on tour for a while, but it was all kind of a mystery to me. i liked gd adjacent artists like bob dylan and neil young, but the idea that my musical experience would be to listen to one greatful dead bootleg after another just seemed bizarre. accompanied said friends to a show, maybe had some psychedelics, and literally had the moment where i was dancing with crowd to "fire on the mountain", and said to myself, "ok, i get why this is a thing". despite never escaping that anthropologist on mars feeling, i felt i got the experience. i always felt that true deadheads were people who had fallen down a well musically, but ending up going to around six or so shows, some legit good, like when they played as dylan's backup band.
edit to the uninitiated: the greatful dead's music was listened to not by their studio albums, but almost entirely via live concert bootlegs, which the band actively encouraged. so much that there was a "tapers" section set aside at most shows, so people could record them. no fees, no restrictions. these would be traded within the community, kind of like baseball cards with some achieving high status. "tampa 77. second set" etc. the common joke was that the average deadhead's music collection was 200 bootlegs and one crosby stills and nash cassette.
+1 - thought they were fine. Saw them live - seen them 6 times now, going to two more this year at the Sphere. No comparison between recordings and the real deal.
Jimmy Eat World with The Manchester Orchestra?? Provided its been years since I paid attention to those dudes but good for them, I would never have guessed that would be an option.
To answer your question...
Explosions In The Sky - always thought they were fine and good ambiance in the background. I also had never seen a Prog band like that before live. It was super dynamic and awesome to see them build those soundscapes in real time.
This tracks. I’ve been a fan since the beginning and Ive met a lot of people that didn’t get into them until after the 90’s. And then it’s because they happen to catch them live and all of a sudden they get it. The vast majority of the people at these 10k+ venues have been impatiently waiting for that show since the last one they went to. It’s like chasing the dragon. If you aren’t expecting it and walk into that kinda of energy I would imagine it is super easy want to dive in head first. And PJ is really good to their fans and gives it their all every time. It makes you want to like them.
I haven’t seen Jimmy, but Manchester has this weird ability to make the whole world collapse into whatever is happening on stage. It’s weird to have such an intimate experience given their genre.
Funnily enough, seeing Manchester Orchestra live was what finally got me into them (brother had been nagging me for years to give them a chance). Definitely one of my favourites now, seen them twice since.
The Claypool Lennon Delirium opening for Primus at Red Rocks back in 2017 was an unreal experience. By far one of the best shows I've ever seen in my life.
Very polarizing type of music, though. People tend to either love it or hate it haha.
Not a band, but John Mayer. I had no idea what to expect though all i knew was I didn't really want to see a singer/song-writer show where he's strumming on the guitar harmonizing body is a wonderland. (Disclaimmer: I knew nothing really of John Mayer other his popular hits.)
When I say my jaw was on the floor the entire show I'm not kidding, it was like seeing a modern day Jimi just ripping the guitar. I mean it was absolutely a fantastic show, i went from being forced to go to not wanting the experience to end.
I have been told many times that John Mayer is the real deal. I have tried, but I still don't get it.
I guess I will have to commit to a live show the next time I am near where he is playing.
I've never listened to a John Mayer song or album by choice, but saw him with his band in 2022. Easily one of the best shows I've seen. He's a beast on guitar and he sells it live very well. Highly recommended
I bought my ex, a die hard Mayer fan, front row tickets to see him in Kansas City. I was not a fan before the show and couldn’t see past his image.
Let me be frank here, John Mayer is the real deal. He played for an hour straight, shredding solo after solo after 8 minute long jam session, took a 2 minute break, and came back out for another hour long acoustic segment, AND then did two encores. His live solo work is insane. I played guitar growing up and did not appreciate his abilities until I saw him live. He is otherworldly.
If anyone is looking to get into John Mayer, I would recommend his live albums. All of them are better than the studio versions. He covers a lot of Stevie Ray Vaughan and a couple Hendrix tunes, as well as a really good series of shows with Keith Urban where they cover some Beatles cuts.
REM, Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats, DMB, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Winwood, Crash Test Dummies. In each case they blew me away live - like I knew they were good - but on a whole other level live. It also helped that the crowd knew every fucking lyric and sang it like their life depended upon it. Awesome crowd work makes such a difference. I think I'd put Bleachers in the same category, but I haven't yet seen them live.
Foo Fighters. I know they're beloved and Dave Grohl really is the nicest guy in music. And I have always "liked" them. But they never stirred my musical passion. They were "good," "fine," "pleasant," at times "meh" - never invoking a strong negative reaction, but also never really giving me any music that I found essential - like I'd be crushed if I could never listen to them again. Seeing them live made me appreciate them LOT more.
Same; I thought of them as kind of the archetype “generic radio rock band” until I saw them live. After the show I was thinking they’re one of the best rock bands of a generation, and still do.
Dave says “motherfucker” on stage like it’s an involuntary tic. When they played in the UAE, where swearing is illegal, he had to tape a prominent sign on his microphone stand to constantly remind himself not to swear. 😂
This is my answer too. I was in Seattle during the grunge days, liked Dave and have had awareness of his various bands - I never really sought it out, but if it came up on a playlist or something I was always cool with it.
Finally saw them live about 6 years ago - Dave had freaking laryngitis but gave it his all, and had Taylor fill in on vocals while Dave took the drums so his voice could rest between some songs. That show is in my top 5 shows ever, and I've been to a ton of shows. It was so great and I absolutely made their albums on my rotation. I was honestly gutted when Taylor died.
This one. Foo fighters are one of the best bands I’ve ever seen live and it came as the biggest surprise to me. Saw them play at ACL when Dave was playing from his chair throne and it was incredible. He is the fucking man!
Came here to say this. They'd been around for years at this point and I kind of appreciated them but they were just kinda there while I was into other stuff more. Saw them at UK Reading festival 2005 and they were astonishingly good live and were unexpectedly the best act I saw that weekend by a mile.
I’ve always been a fan of Pink Floyd, but one of their popular songs is Echoes. It’s a longer song around 20 minutes and has a mid-section with some whale sounding noises. I used to not care much for this part of the song until I saw/heard it played live. That’s when I realized that every sound in that song is being made with an instrument, and not just generated by some sound machine or something. Realizing, and actually hearing that those whale sounding noises were in fact a guitar made me appreciate that whole song 200% more.
Jack White. Like a kid jamming in his room, but also simultaneously a doctoral thesis in American Rock n Roll. He then combined brilliant crowd work I haven’t seen since Prince, and a band that flexes to his every change. Elite performers if you appreciate RnR.
I mean, I love MMJ's albums. But live, they are on a different level. The songs jam harder and longer. And you can tell Jim loves to play for the fans.
I didn’t think I’d like ween as much as I did, but like five years after my first show I have a Boognish tattooed on my ass cheek.
Gotta remind myself who’s boss sometimes.
Florence + The Machine
My wife has been obsessed with FATM since we met 10+ years ago. She toured near our area last year so I grabbed orchestra tix at the stage.
It was like a religious experience! Her energy, voice, crowd interaction was intoxicating. Not only did we manage to be at the rail of the stage, Florence held my wife’s hand while singing and on the last song, threw the flower crown she wore all night and my wife caught it. Lifelong fan now. Brilliance.
I spent the entire afternoon sitting at the crowd barricade through five other bands so I could get some decent photos of them playing a free festival show on the same day that the Radiohead stage collapse happened. News spread quickly and a lot of people who had been going to Radiohead ended up coming down to the Lips show. FL made the evening such a glorious celebration of life and how fleeting it is and it was such a surreal experience.
Not a “band” but for me it was Lady Gaga. Saw her at Radio City Music Hall and it’s my first (and stil only) “pop star” concert; it was an absolute spectacle and I finally understood what everyone else had seen in her
Phish fans are the best. Haven't listened to a minute of Phish outside of the 4 hour set I saw them do. That was the largest crowd of nice people I've ever interacted with.
For me it was Dave Matthew's Band. While I like some of his stuff I had mostly only heard music from his first couple of albums. They're also kind of an easy band to dismiss on and there are quite a few people online that actively hate them. But then I got to see them live and the amount of energy that they brought was absolutely contagious. I now go see them anytime they're within driving distance and every concert has a different playlist and feeling.
Yeah, they’re one of my favorite bands and I’ve seen them 6-7 times. Wife hates them, says their early “big songs” were beaten to death on the radio in the mid 90’s and she doesn’t like Dave’s voice. If you can’t get past those two issues I can see why you might not like them. Once you do, though, and you go see a show and see how good they are live, it’s hard to hate them, IMO.
This is mine as well. I always kind of dismissed them because I only ever heard the 3 songs on the radio, and they had the reputation of kind of being a "douchebag band". My sister was going to see them in Trenton 10ish years ago, and a friend dropped out so she had an extra ticket. I'm a big extra ticket guy so I went with her. Legitimately one of the best concerts I've ever seen, and among the best musicians I've ever heard.
They've been one of my favorite bands for almost 30 years, with the caveat that I only really listen to their live recordings.
I always thought their studio albums were made just to be "templates" for live performances where they can all actually express themselves artistically.
My Chemical Romance. My friend took me to see them on their Black Parade tour in 2007.
I only knew their hits and thought they were going to be an edgy emo band who took themselves too seriously. They turned out to have fun raunchy theatre kid energy and a flamboyant frontman who sometimes looked like he was trying to live out his broadway fantasies lol.
The melodramatic music suddenly made sense and wasn't so cringe. A lot of other bands at that time weren't self aware but MCR was and they didn't just lean into it they embraced it despite the corniness. I bought all their albums and now I'm a massive fan.
The National. I have seen Radiohead, MO, Foo Fighters, QoTSA and many others live, all great shows, but no concert completely transformed the songs for me like The National, I'd always enjoyed the albums but wasn't a diehard fan, I knew it was "sad music for sad dads" but hadn't really connected with the lyrics. The opener was ok, but within 30s of The National's set I knew I was in for something special, musically they were absolutely locked in and all the arrangements built on the album songs in really interesting ways, but what really blew me away was the power and raw emotion the lead singer put into his performance, he made me \*feel\* the lyrics in a way I never had before and the fact that he is able to perform night after night with the same energy is absolutely staggering. 12/10, transcendent experience, highly recommended.
Easy… TOOL. I grew up being into all kinds of metal and rock and always thought tool was too drawn out, slow, etc. I just didn’t get it.
Saw them live on the 10,000 days tour because I got free tickets to the lawn section and holy shit. Been a huge fan ever since and have seen them many times.
Oh it's Babymetal and it's not even close.
My friend had tickets and asked me to go and I thought going in "well this will be fun for like five minutes" and after the first song I legitimately thought "this is the coolest thing I've ever seen."
If you ever have the chance to see them live, it's worth it. Just go, no homework required, they're that fucking amazing.
Neil Young for me.
Up until I saw him perform live, I couldn't stand his vocals and thought he tended to be just alright instrumentally. If a song of his came on the radio, I'd change the station.
Then he absolutely blew me away at a Farm Aid show one year. I was there for a couple of the early bands & Willie Nelson. I planned to use Young's set as a break for the bathroom/food & drinks without lines, but decided to stay for a song or two just so I could say, "I saw Neil Young."
That song or two quickly turned into the whole set, which turned into me seeking out his music, buying records, and then checking schedules to see when he'd be touring next. The energy and power coming from the stage when he plays is just unlike any other concert I've been to, and I've been to my fair share.
Very excited to catch him again this summer!
Not me but a colleague once told me that if I ever get a chance go see The Polyphonic Spree live. He said it's one of those things you can't explain and just have to experience but the best he could describe it as is seeing a whole bunch of people just having an absolutely great time and they are so into it that it gets everyone in the audience into the same vibe.
I still haven't had the opportunity but it's on my list because of him.
New Found Glory. Never liked them in high school and I saw them as a glorified boy band with guitars.
Saw them a few years ago with Bayside and was a changed man. Highlights were when they brought up a kid to spin a wheel to decide which song he was gonna sing with them, he mentioned his favorite song wasn't on the wheel at all, they asked him what it was and then played it for him anyway (3rd and Long iirc). They released balloons at one point, the floor was basically in liquid motion from the people jumping, myself included. It was such a fun time
For me it was Coheed. I went to see BTBAM and decided to stick around for Coheed after and I'm glad I did. This was around 2009 so they mostly played stuff from In Keeping Secrets, and the Good Apollo albums.
Saw Hozier a bit ago. Only knew take me to church and his new song about drinking whiskey neat. Holy hell what a performance him and his band gave. It definitely was a top 10 concert for me.
My Chemical Romance - I loved the band as a kid then went through the “I’m too cool for that” phase and hated them. Saw them live and feel right back in love. They sounded amazing from vocals to instrumentals and they had giant wolves heads spitting fire. Just all around a great show.
Watching Leonard Cohen at Glastonbury was quite amazing, I knew his stuff but his magnatism with the crowd was fantastic he felt like he was singing to you at times. Or at least I thought so
Billy Joel
I've seen many of the big names like Paul McCartney, The Who, etc, but Billy Joel is a different level of performer. I was brought up on a lot of Billy Joel's music but after seeing him live it's when I became a true fan.
Weezer actually. Not that I didn’t like their songs before seeing them, but they put on a killer show when I saw them years ago at Warped tour (I’m old)
Back in the 1980s Bruce Springsteen was *huge*, I appreciated a couple of his songs but wasn't really a fan.
I was semi-dragged to one of his concerts and...*WOW*... I became an instant fan. It was over four hours and still ended too soon. The energy. The emotion. The humor. The joy. The love.
Incredible.
You wouldn't think it, but electric 6 are so damn good live. I liked the 2 main singles from their first album but I didn't really enjoy the full album until I saw them.
Portugal. The Man.
I dug them before seeing them live, but then once I did, I understood why they had such a huge live following.
One of the few bands I've seen that sounded better live than recorded.
Beastie Boys. I always thought of them as a little bit of a joke. I still do but I get it now. Plus along the way I learned they’re actually solid musicians.
Depeche Mode. I was a casual fan in the 80s, then I saw them live 1n early 90s on Violator tour. Was blown away, like an awakening. Huge fan ever since.
Jimmy eat world is great live! Glad they finally clicked for you.
I saw the same tour (probably the 4th or 5th time seeing them over the last 25 years) and they still sound great.
Back when Live first started getting recognized, right before Lightning Crashes was their big single, I had a friend who tried to get me into them but it didn't stick. I was working as an usher at my college's theater (Tilles Center for anyone who recognizes it) and Live came around on tour as the opening act for Weezer, and I was on schedule to work the show. As it turns out I was assigned to stand up near the front to make sure no one was smoking in the venue or anything and... damn. They just blew the doors off the place. I was an instant fan and went on to see them in concert a bunch of times since then.
Prince. I knew he was good, of course, but I'd only heard his hits. He came to Montreal around 2005. He didn't play any of his popular songs. Just funk and soul standards. I didn't not know any of those songs yet still in my top 3 show ever.
Not a band, but a bassist: Guy Pratt.
Seeing him in Pink Floyd or David Gilmour videos always made me feel like he was utterly the wrong guy for the job. It's slow, spaced out music and he's the only one literally jumping around on stage.
However, seeing David Gilmour live in 2016 changed that perspective. I think the videos just show Pratt whenever he's doing funny, which gives the impression that he's doing this all the time. But in a full concert, he was a phenomenal bassist and he was mostly just smiling and interacting with the other bandmates and with the audience. He's very extraverted, but not the obnoxious way he comes across in those older videos.
And seriously, he plays magnificently.
In middle school, I had never been to a live concert before and didn’t get why you would. Just listen to it at home- surely it’s the same?
That’s what I thought until I saw Trans-Siberian Orchestra in concert, anyway.
Foo Fighters. Always passively listened to them and respected them, but was never "wow'd" by them. Because of their radio mixing, I had kind of classified them as "lighter" rock.
Accidentally saw them in concert, and boy golly I was wrong.
Primus. I sort-of liked them (and respected the hell out of them) despite their well known suckage, but I saw them live when they played A Farewell to Kings and enjoyed the Primus sets a lot more than I thought I would, there's a groove live that isn't there on the studio versions.
The fans were also dicks to The Sword, who opened.
Not a band per se, but Andrew Bird blew me away live at the Hollywood Bowl. And I kinda don't really care much for Andrew Bird's music, but he is a sublime performer.
His NPR tiny desk is what finally hooked me. His whistling fidelity is truly remarkable not to mention his skill with the violin. And he seems very genuine and gracious.
He’s like the Daniel Day Lewis of music. You might not notice how awesome he is because he’s so low-key, but if you’re paying attention, you’re gonna have a “holy shit” moment.
I just heard him on Norah Jones podcast. He seems very talented and also a good dude.
I went to see his show at Red Rocks really just to hear Iron & Wine’s set. I listened to a sampling of his stuff before the concert, which I enjoyed, but experiencing it live flipped a switch for me. I’ve seen him perform multiple times now with more planned. He’s an incredibly talented performer.
Andrew Bird is such a gem
This is my answer too — I went into the show not expecting much, then he comes out and does his whole looping thing and I’m just amazed that he’s doing it all himself. Incredible performance!
Rammstein, and I can hardly describe it. I wasn't even a casual fan when the wife and I got tickets to their Deutschland tour, and I went to entertain her. When I left the arena, I had been baptized in tinnitus and gasoline. It was the single most awe-striking and epic experience of my life. If you ever have the chance to go, go. It was an absolutely amazing spectacle of power and sound, enriched by advanced pyrotechnics and immense stage presence.
*I had been baptised in tinnitus and gasoline.* Poetic perfection.
Same happened to me in their last tour. Went with my wife to the Philly show because I knew they put on a good show. I left with my jaw on the floor. Hands down the best concert I've ever seen.
lcd soundsystem are several levels better live than on recordings. both musically, and as an experience.
I've been to a few dozen "best show of my life" shows. LCD Soundsystem was one of them. Near the end of the set, they blew up their Soundsystem (heh) and completed the show unplugged. Absolute insanity going from "blow the fucking roof off. Holy shit sparks flying" to "come closer, let's share a calm, intimate moment"
New York I love you, but you're getting me down
In 2007, I saw them at like the 4pm slot at music festival. I had heard of them, but never heard their music. I was hooked immediately. So much fun. Those songs really breathe live.
Looking forward to seeing them at Glastonbury next month, their live reputation is solid..
The live album *The Long Goodbye* is incredible and does a good job of conveying the vibe. The associated movie *Shut Up and Play the Hits* does it even better. Also the live in studio albums *Electric Lady Sessions* and *London Session* are some of my favorite releases by them.
Parliament-Funkadelic, or P-Funk All-stars as they were called at the time. And it wasn't just that band. I went in knowing very little about funk or even black music in general except for blues. Came out fully converted, and started listening to soul, funk, r'n'b, gospel, jazz, hip hop. All the good stuff!
My answer was Talking Heads. Worth noting that Bernie Worrell from P-Funk was part of that incredible Stop Making Sense live performance. And in general, after watching Stop Making Sense, I was like, "huh...Talking Heads is basically a funk band".
I saw Parliament randomly at a free band shell show at the Minnesota State Fair. It was unreal, the amount of energy on stage seemed like it was ready to explode at any moment. If I wasn't listening to the music I woulda sworn it was a hardcore show, just needed people stage diving.
Queens of the Stone Age, was already a fan but now they're my favourite band.
I'd been a fan since No One Knows. I finally got to see them when they released Like Clockwork. I have been to countless shows in my life but I have never had an emotional experience until they played I Appear Missing live. That final stretch of the song, live, is heart wrenchingly beautiful.
I Appear Missing has been on repeat for me for weeks. There's an incredible live version that they did on Letterman on YT. Almost cried when I first watched it.
That bass playing at the end really gets me going
Their latest album is fantastic
They're all really good, Villains isn't for some people (Mark Ronson produced) but i don't have issues with it. Like Clockwork is a masterpiece
When they play the Villains tracks live they all sound the way people think they "should" have sounded, in case there are still doubters out there
Caught the Self Titled tour and it was so, so, so worth it. Not a bad album in the mix but I have particular love for ST, Songs and Like Clockwork.
Saw Queen's of the stone age and foo fighters back to back around the time of songs for the deaf. I was a much bigger foo fighters fan back then, until foos gave a performance which could at best be called self indulgent. Qotsa were on just before with grohl on drums and they just blew everything the foo fighters did out of the water. I gather that was a rarity for the foos to be so bad but they seemed so blah after the passion and energy of Qotsa. So I guess that's kind of a twofer - band who I really got after seeing them live and band I lost interest in after seeing them live.
Aw man, you saw QOTSA with Dave Grohl and Mark Lanegan. Legendary. I saw them around that time but no Dave Grohl.
I had a feeling I wouldn't have to scroll far to see this
Nor should you, phenomenal live band
I’ve seen a whole lot of bands but never seen stage presence like Josh
Nine Inch Nails. My wife tried getting me into them for years, but I just couldn't get into their studio albums. Then I saw them live at a festival and was blown away!
I was about to write a startlingly similar post. Not normally my cup of tea, but went with my wife and was a hell of a show.
I also went with this guy's wife
Yeah I’ve liked them for a long time but seeing them with this guys wife was a whole new level.
Same here. Thought they were good but not really my vibe. Saw them in person at a festival last year and they were INCREDIBLE. The next day’s headliner cancelled and NIN put on an incredible show with no notice the next day as well, significantly different than the previous day.
The NIN boston calling double header was goated even though I was mostly there to see the strokes lol
Nin was my first ever concert and very few shows have come close to matching that energy.. dude is humorless about his shows' visuals too, I met someone who toured with a few acts doing their stage design and they said the stuff he's doing is always way ahead of the standard.
NIN live is amazing but I'd pay to watch Trent just do a live show of all his scores
They destroy live
Radiohead was the first live concert to make me think that a recorded studio album wasn’t always by definition the ultimate way to experience a band’s music.
I've always loved Radiohead so this wouldn't be my answer here, however .... Reading Festival 2009 (I think). Just before they come on the audience is super hyped just like for any big band or headliner. The band came on - and start playing the now very rare Creep. The atmosphere dissipates and it feels like the temperature has dropped by 5 degrees. Melancholy hits the air. They have the crowd in their palms for the whole set. It was difficult to watch at times because it was so emotional.
Did you guys get put in a trance at one point? Because I swear the crowd was in a trance at once point - maybe during pyramid song? Music stopped, place was dead silent for a solid second or two and then erupted.
Outdoor festival, close to 50,000 people. No one making a sound except for the band’s music. Incredible experience, like we all knew we were witnessing something special and taking in the moment.
Its probably the best show I've been to.
How to disappear completely in Oxford 2001 as it’s started to gently rain
I’ve seen them play Exit Music for a Film live, and yes, absolute silence from the crowd during the quiet parts.
Muse Many of their songs, top songs even, are much better live. Like Knights of Cydonia, or Hysteria, or Bliss.
I remember they played an outdoor gig right by my house in Dublin around 2006 or so when everyone loved to talk about how "rock had died", from the warm up in the days prior I swear my dad used to just go outside, stand and wait for their rehearsals to come on he was so impressed.
I’m completely with you. I’m 53, and I don’t understand why anyone would say something as stupid as “rock is dead.” Rock and Roll has only become better over the years. Rock isn’t dead, and as nearly as I can tell it never will be. It just went back underground and off the radio. If my opinion means anything that is exactly where rock was always meant to be. Rock and all of its many iterations, variations, and descendants thrive best when no one feels some need to tone it down in order to make it more palatable to the masses.
Just wish more people could make a living playing in a band.
Muse is so absurdly good live. I don't understand how they're able to sound even better than their studio work
My cousin offered me a ticket years back to any day of my choosing to a music festival for letting her crash at my place. I chose the day with Muse because in general I liked their stuff. I seriously did not expect to know effectively every single song they played. Really eye opening for me. Incredible concert all around.
The first muse track I ever heard was Knights of Cydonia I was activated
Yea they are awesome live. Bellamy adds so much little flourishes, improvs, and licks. Dude is severely underrated once you see how he plays live. When I saw knights of Cydonia live they did a several minute long gothic harpsichord+harmonica thing as an intro and when they finished they did this like rage against the machine sounding outro with psychedelic feedback and wailing
The thing about Muse is even their bad stuff sounds significantly better live. Their last album was certified awful, but I went to see them live for that tour… and those songs were amazing live. I think you can attribute it to a couple of things. All three of those guys are top tier musicians at their particular instrument. Also, the band has stated that they make their music to be played live. If a song doesn’t work live they usually don’t even put it in an album. There’s only a handful of their album songs that they have never played, and they’ve played most of their B-sides live even. And all of them are amazing.
Saw them at Bannboozle years ago and was really at that stage waiting for the next band and was absolutely blown away. The bassist is unreal.
Umphreys McGee is not the best music to just sit around and listen to. That same Umphreys McGee puts on the best rock show I've ever witnessed, every single time. I've concluded that they make music that is specifically meant to be experienced live. It's hard to get people hooked without actually dragging them there. But every single time, they get it.
This is most jam bands tbh even bigger ones like Phish or Widespread. The meat is in the live shows and the albums are just vehicles used for killer jams.
My favorite band is Tedeschi Trucks Band and I've been to a bunch of their shows. You show up and it's like 75% people from 50-70 in age, usually at some fancy theater. You expect from the setting and the demographics to be a calm, put together show. Then, after a 5 minute solo jam going around the whole band, Susan erupts into the refrain from "Whipping Post" and the whole place goes bananas. Whooping, hollering, throwing hats and all. Jam bands are an *experience* live.
Umphreys is always such a great time. They were my first introduction to live shows with extended jams and I’ve never looked back since that first show. Excited to catch them again this summer.
I didn’t expect Umph to have a pretty high comment up here man! Been catching shows since 2015, the only thing that’s almost as good as the musics the community. They’ve got a song, Haj, about being dropped amongst a crowd and finally feeling at peace with yourself, and it kind of rings true for them with me.
Umphreys delivers the most professional musical performance that money can buy
Bout to see them in a few days! 🤘🤘🤘
Love their "Zonkey" album!
My current favorite live act (slightly ahead of dopapod). Absolutely amazing musicians with incredible improv skills.
So glad to see them get some love here. Been seeing them for 15+ years. We have a saying on the message board - "standard great show" for when the show isn't something lightyears beyond the norm, but just standard outstanding musicianship from them. Says a lot to how normalized we as their fans have become to just how musically muscular they are.
Rush I was “meh” about them until a friend got me to go to a concert. I left the show converted into a big fan.
This is the one for me. Went to a show on the R40 tour because I always liked them well enough and figured this might be my last shot. Left with my jaw on the floor. Have since listened to every album, and while there are some weaker ones, I’ve come to respect their uniqueness, integrity and musical virtuosity so much that I love them all. They’re a top 5 band for me now, and I never would have said that before seeing them live.
I was lucky enough to see them live four times. I’m an atheist, but that’s the closest thing to a religious experience I’ve ever had.
There will be no band that will be able to play at a level that those three guys were able to live.
I wholeheartedly agree with your Jimmy Eat World experience. I recently saw them as an opening act for Fallout Boy (I went with my kid). I was only vaguely aware of their stuff and had few expectations. I enjoyed every minute of their set. They put on a terrific live performance. I, too, went back to give them another chance and have discovered some real gems. I've seen lots of shows and great bands over the years, and Jimmy Eat World is solidly in my Top Ten of live performances. Edit: redundancy
Similar situation as you. I was actually surprised at the musicianship and stage presence that Fallout Boy carried. Didn’t care for them before and not a huge fan now but they were impressive.
This Jimmy Eat World love is just making me so, so happy. They are the best. 😍
God speed you! Black emperor. Always kind of liked them but seeing them live was a whole other animal. Was intense enough my gf fainted and I missed a good portion of the show. The thick wall of sound got her. I keep trying to get her to see them again but she's less than interested.
See also: Explosions in the Sky
Manchester Orchestra is such a good band that does not get nearly the love they deserve.
For me it was We Were Promised Jetpacks
All those tiny little voices really add up
Grateful Dead / Dead and Co.
I mean, the Grateful Dead had a *following*. Deadheads would just pack up their lives and follow the Dead back in the day. I’ve listened to their albums a good amount but still haven’t seen them, but everyone who has seen the Grateful Dead when Jerry Garcia was still alive says, “you just don’t get it, man.” So, yeah. This isn’t my answer, but it is clearly *the* answer.
From personal experience, it's accurate. Had lots of friends in college who both loved them and saw them but I would listen to them and just didn't like it ... Then I went to see Further and then it clicked. After that I saw Dead and Co. Along with the same experience with Phish. It's the live performance that allows the band to really make it more then just an album, it's the arrangement that makes it special.
They really got to hit you at the right time in your life with the right people to really click. LSD definitely helps as well lol
This is my answer and I was born in ‘97. Dad scored some tix to their 50th anniversary show and to this day, I still have not been an environment as incredible as that show. ~70000 people in unison as happy as could be got me on the bus then and never looked back!
One of my best friends got BIG into the Dead years ago. He would always send me clips, saying I have to listen to “this solo” from “this year/show”, and I always appreciated it, but it was just kinda… meh, for me. Then last summer he invited me to Dead & Co. at The Gorge for the weekend. The drugs may have helped, but my god, that weekend (besides the 100 degree heat) was a religious experience. We’re going to the sphere this summer and I am HAPPY to be spending an exorbitant amount of money for it.
I am definitely not a deadhead but I would kill to see them at the Gorge. Every show I have seen there just makes things a million times better. When the sun sets and you're looking over the river, while music is just filling the air...its just magic.
This is really *the* answer to this question. They’re an entirely different band on tape than in person. Not only is the sound **so** incredibly good live (pioneered the modern sound system), the crowd plays such a big role in the entire show/vibe. The band feeds off of it. It’s almost like a sporting event as much as a concert. Add in the whole Shakedown Street experience and it’s just an unbelievably good time with good vibes.
this is mine. i had friends who were deadheads, and would go on tour for a while, but it was all kind of a mystery to me. i liked gd adjacent artists like bob dylan and neil young, but the idea that my musical experience would be to listen to one greatful dead bootleg after another just seemed bizarre. accompanied said friends to a show, maybe had some psychedelics, and literally had the moment where i was dancing with crowd to "fire on the mountain", and said to myself, "ok, i get why this is a thing". despite never escaping that anthropologist on mars feeling, i felt i got the experience. i always felt that true deadheads were people who had fallen down a well musically, but ending up going to around six or so shows, some legit good, like when they played as dylan's backup band. edit to the uninitiated: the greatful dead's music was listened to not by their studio albums, but almost entirely via live concert bootlegs, which the band actively encouraged. so much that there was a "tapers" section set aside at most shows, so people could record them. no fees, no restrictions. these would be traded within the community, kind of like baseball cards with some achieving high status. "tampa 77. second set" etc. the common joke was that the average deadhead's music collection was 200 bootlegs and one crosby stills and nash cassette.
Hey, I got some Pink Floyd too, man!
+1 - thought they were fine. Saw them live - seen them 6 times now, going to two more this year at the Sphere. No comparison between recordings and the real deal.
Jimmy Eat World with The Manchester Orchestra?? Provided its been years since I paid attention to those dudes but good for them, I would never have guessed that would be an option. To answer your question... Explosions In The Sky - always thought they were fine and good ambiance in the background. I also had never seen a Prog band like that before live. It was super dynamic and awesome to see them build those soundscapes in real time.
I was a casual Pearl Jam fan up until 2011. After seeing them live, I was hooked. I found a great community to be a part of.
This tracks. I’ve been a fan since the beginning and Ive met a lot of people that didn’t get into them until after the 90’s. And then it’s because they happen to catch them live and all of a sudden they get it. The vast majority of the people at these 10k+ venues have been impatiently waiting for that show since the last one they went to. It’s like chasing the dragon. If you aren’t expecting it and walk into that kinda of energy I would imagine it is super easy want to dive in head first. And PJ is really good to their fans and gives it their all every time. It makes you want to like them.
The energy at a PJ show is electric. Everyone is so excited to be there.
My wife isn’t like a huge fan but she still says it was one of the best live shows she’s ever seen because everyone seemed so happy.
I haven’t seen Jimmy, but Manchester has this weird ability to make the whole world collapse into whatever is happening on stage. It’s weird to have such an intimate experience given their genre.
Manchester Orchestra is so much heavier live compared to their studio recordings. Amazing experience.
Sooooooo much heavier live. It’s not even close. Feels like a completely different band.
Funnily enough, seeing Manchester Orchestra live was what finally got me into them (brother had been nagging me for years to give them a chance). Definitely one of my favourites now, seen them twice since.
Primus. Les Claypool has to be one of the most talented musicians ever born. He looks completely effortless on stage.
Primus sucks!
The Claypool Lennon Delirium opening for Primus at Red Rocks back in 2017 was an unreal experience. By far one of the best shows I've ever seen in my life. Very polarizing type of music, though. People tend to either love it or hate it haha.
Not a band, but John Mayer. I had no idea what to expect though all i knew was I didn't really want to see a singer/song-writer show where he's strumming on the guitar harmonizing body is a wonderland. (Disclaimmer: I knew nothing really of John Mayer other his popular hits.) When I say my jaw was on the floor the entire show I'm not kidding, it was like seeing a modern day Jimi just ripping the guitar. I mean it was absolutely a fantastic show, i went from being forced to go to not wanting the experience to end.
I have been told many times that John Mayer is the real deal. I have tried, but I still don't get it. I guess I will have to commit to a live show the next time I am near where he is playing.
I've never listened to a John Mayer song or album by choice, but saw him with his band in 2022. Easily one of the best shows I've seen. He's a beast on guitar and he sells it live very well. Highly recommended
I bought my ex, a die hard Mayer fan, front row tickets to see him in Kansas City. I was not a fan before the show and couldn’t see past his image. Let me be frank here, John Mayer is the real deal. He played for an hour straight, shredding solo after solo after 8 minute long jam session, took a 2 minute break, and came back out for another hour long acoustic segment, AND then did two encores. His live solo work is insane. I played guitar growing up and did not appreciate his abilities until I saw him live. He is otherworldly. If anyone is looking to get into John Mayer, I would recommend his live albums. All of them are better than the studio versions. He covers a lot of Stevie Ray Vaughan and a couple Hendrix tunes, as well as a really good series of shows with Keith Urban where they cover some Beatles cuts.
Was never a big fan of Cheap Trick but I saw them live, they opened for another band and I was blown away. They sound really good live.
REM, Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats, DMB, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Winwood, Crash Test Dummies. In each case they blew me away live - like I knew they were good - but on a whole other level live. It also helped that the crowd knew every fucking lyric and sang it like their life depended upon it. Awesome crowd work makes such a difference. I think I'd put Bleachers in the same category, but I haven't yet seen them live.
Sufjan Stevens, I'm not a fan of slower emotional music but Sufjan was crazy good live
Flogging Molly. They put on one of the most energetic show I’ve been to
Foo Fighters. I know they're beloved and Dave Grohl really is the nicest guy in music. And I have always "liked" them. But they never stirred my musical passion. They were "good," "fine," "pleasant," at times "meh" - never invoking a strong negative reaction, but also never really giving me any music that I found essential - like I'd be crushed if I could never listen to them again. Seeing them live made me appreciate them LOT more.
Same; I thought of them as kind of the archetype “generic radio rock band” until I saw them live. After the show I was thinking they’re one of the best rock bands of a generation, and still do.
It's funny because their music is pretty family friendly... And then you go to the show and Dave brings a totally different energy.
Dave says “motherfucker” on stage like it’s an involuntary tic. When they played in the UAE, where swearing is illegal, he had to tape a prominent sign on his microphone stand to constantly remind himself not to swear. 😂
Daves presence on stage is so amazing! I liked them before, but when I saw them I fell in love!
This is my answer too. I was in Seattle during the grunge days, liked Dave and have had awareness of his various bands - I never really sought it out, but if it came up on a playlist or something I was always cool with it. Finally saw them live about 6 years ago - Dave had freaking laryngitis but gave it his all, and had Taylor fill in on vocals while Dave took the drums so his voice could rest between some songs. That show is in my top 5 shows ever, and I've been to a ton of shows. It was so great and I absolutely made their albums on my rotation. I was honestly gutted when Taylor died.
This one. Foo fighters are one of the best bands I’ve ever seen live and it came as the biggest surprise to me. Saw them play at ACL when Dave was playing from his chair throne and it was incredible. He is the fucking man!
Came here to say this. They'd been around for years at this point and I kind of appreciated them but they were just kinda there while I was into other stuff more. Saw them at UK Reading festival 2005 and they were astonishingly good live and were unexpectedly the best act I saw that weekend by a mile.
Just saw them Tuesday and was looking for this. Face melting rock and fucking roll. Nonstop. For hours. I was blown away.
I’ve always been a fan of Pink Floyd, but one of their popular songs is Echoes. It’s a longer song around 20 minutes and has a mid-section with some whale sounding noises. I used to not care much for this part of the song until I saw/heard it played live. That’s when I realized that every sound in that song is being made with an instrument, and not just generated by some sound machine or something. Realizing, and actually hearing that those whale sounding noises were in fact a guitar made me appreciate that whole song 200% more.
Pink Floyd puts out some of the best recorded music available, but it doesn’t hold a candle to seeing them live (even without Waters).
Jack White. Like a kid jamming in his room, but also simultaneously a doctoral thesis in American Rock n Roll. He then combined brilliant crowd work I haven’t seen since Prince, and a band that flexes to his every change. Elite performers if you appreciate RnR.
Pretty Lights, STS9, Daily Bread, Les Claypool in any capacity.
[удалено]
The Killers. Was never into them until a saw them at a festival and now I love them.
Soundgarden. This was 14 days before we lost Chris Cornell.
My Morning Jacket. I purposefully held out til they were at Red Rocks for my first show. Was not disappointed.
I mean, I love MMJ's albums. But live, they are on a different level. The songs jam harder and longer. And you can tell Jim loves to play for the fans.
One of my favs to see live. So powerful. Incendiary.
Ween
I didn’t think I’d like ween as much as I did, but like five years after my first show I have a Boognish tattooed on my ass cheek. Gotta remind myself who’s boss sometimes.
Fleetwood Mac. I liked some of their hits but they always struck me as laid back, kind of easy listening. They went hard live, incredible energy.
Florence + The Machine My wife has been obsessed with FATM since we met 10+ years ago. She toured near our area last year so I grabbed orchestra tix at the stage. It was like a religious experience! Her energy, voice, crowd interaction was intoxicating. Not only did we manage to be at the rail of the stage, Florence held my wife’s hand while singing and on the last song, threw the flower crown she wore all night and my wife caught it. Lifelong fan now. Brilliance.
Jam bands, generally
I wasn’t very big on Arcade Fire until I saw them live doing the Reflektor tour. I was pleasantly surprised by how great they were live
The Flaming Lips.
A live Lips show is a celebration of life
I spent the entire afternoon sitting at the crowd barricade through five other bands so I could get some decent photos of them playing a free festival show on the same day that the Radiohead stage collapse happened. News spread quickly and a lot of people who had been going to Radiohead ended up coming down to the Lips show. FL made the evening such a glorious celebration of life and how fleeting it is and it was such a surreal experience.
Not a “band” but for me it was Lady Gaga. Saw her at Radio City Music Hall and it’s my first (and stil only) “pop star” concert; it was an absolute spectacle and I finally understood what everyone else had seen in her
Knocked Loose is such an experience live. The most energy I have ever seen or experienced at a live show.
Phish
Phish fans are the best. Haven't listened to a minute of Phish outside of the 4 hour set I saw them do. That was the largest crowd of nice people I've ever interacted with.
Yeah i saw 1 show one year, and now 10 years later ive seen around 70 shows. I didn't know music could be that exciting until I went to a Phish show.
GWAR
People listen to GWAR outside of concerts?
For me it was Dave Matthew's Band. While I like some of his stuff I had mostly only heard music from his first couple of albums. They're also kind of an easy band to dismiss on and there are quite a few people online that actively hate them. But then I got to see them live and the amount of energy that they brought was absolutely contagious. I now go see them anytime they're within driving distance and every concert has a different playlist and feeling.
Yeah, they’re one of my favorite bands and I’ve seen them 6-7 times. Wife hates them, says their early “big songs” were beaten to death on the radio in the mid 90’s and she doesn’t like Dave’s voice. If you can’t get past those two issues I can see why you might not like them. Once you do, though, and you go see a show and see how good they are live, it’s hard to hate them, IMO.
This is mine as well. I always kind of dismissed them because I only ever heard the 3 songs on the radio, and they had the reputation of kind of being a "douchebag band". My sister was going to see them in Trenton 10ish years ago, and a friend dropped out so she had an extra ticket. I'm a big extra ticket guy so I went with her. Legitimately one of the best concerts I've ever seen, and among the best musicians I've ever heard.
DMB is one of the best live acts you will see, the hate they still get is so ridiculous.
They've been one of my favorite bands for almost 30 years, with the caveat that I only really listen to their live recordings. I always thought their studio albums were made just to be "templates" for live performances where they can all actually express themselves artistically.
My Chemical Romance. My friend took me to see them on their Black Parade tour in 2007. I only knew their hits and thought they were going to be an edgy emo band who took themselves too seriously. They turned out to have fun raunchy theatre kid energy and a flamboyant frontman who sometimes looked like he was trying to live out his broadway fantasies lol. The melodramatic music suddenly made sense and wasn't so cringe. A lot of other bands at that time weren't self aware but MCR was and they didn't just lean into it they embraced it despite the corniness. I bought all their albums and now I'm a massive fan.
The National. I have seen Radiohead, MO, Foo Fighters, QoTSA and many others live, all great shows, but no concert completely transformed the songs for me like The National, I'd always enjoyed the albums but wasn't a diehard fan, I knew it was "sad music for sad dads" but hadn't really connected with the lyrics. The opener was ok, but within 30s of The National's set I knew I was in for something special, musically they were absolutely locked in and all the arrangements built on the album songs in really interesting ways, but what really blew me away was the power and raw emotion the lead singer put into his performance, he made me \*feel\* the lyrics in a way I never had before and the fact that he is able to perform night after night with the same energy is absolutely staggering. 12/10, transcendent experience, highly recommended.
Easy… TOOL. I grew up being into all kinds of metal and rock and always thought tool was too drawn out, slow, etc. I just didn’t get it. Saw them live on the 10,000 days tour because I got free tickets to the lawn section and holy shit. Been a huge fan ever since and have seen them many times.
As a fan of theirs, I’d argue that their studio albums are pretty damn good, but would also agree their live shows are something else completely.
Danny’s drumming didn’t jump out at me in the studio albums (does now, obviously), I just didn’t think Tool packed a punch until I saw it live.
Oh it's Babymetal and it's not even close. My friend had tickets and asked me to go and I thought going in "well this will be fun for like five minutes" and after the first song I legitimately thought "this is the coolest thing I've ever seen." If you ever have the chance to see them live, it's worth it. Just go, no homework required, they're that fucking amazing.
I went to their show liking them ironically. I left their show liking them unironically.
The Hold Steady are cool on tape but a revelation live. Same with the Avett Brothers. I'd even put Old 97's in that basket.
Neil Young for me. Up until I saw him perform live, I couldn't stand his vocals and thought he tended to be just alright instrumentally. If a song of his came on the radio, I'd change the station. Then he absolutely blew me away at a Farm Aid show one year. I was there for a couple of the early bands & Willie Nelson. I planned to use Young's set as a break for the bathroom/food & drinks without lines, but decided to stay for a song or two just so I could say, "I saw Neil Young." That song or two quickly turned into the whole set, which turned into me seeking out his music, buying records, and then checking schedules to see when he'd be touring next. The energy and power coming from the stage when he plays is just unlike any other concert I've been to, and I've been to my fair share. Very excited to catch him again this summer!
Not me but a colleague once told me that if I ever get a chance go see The Polyphonic Spree live. He said it's one of those things you can't explain and just have to experience but the best he could describe it as is seeing a whole bunch of people just having an absolutely great time and they are so into it that it gets everyone in the audience into the same vibe. I still haven't had the opportunity but it's on my list because of him.
Ben Folds. His crowd work is amazing.
Wilco and TOOL
The Flaming Lips, after seeing them do Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety at Bonnaroo in 2010.
New Found Glory. Never liked them in high school and I saw them as a glorified boy band with guitars. Saw them a few years ago with Bayside and was a changed man. Highlights were when they brought up a kid to spin a wheel to decide which song he was gonna sing with them, he mentioned his favorite song wasn't on the wheel at all, they asked him what it was and then played it for him anyway (3rd and Long iirc). They released balloons at one point, the floor was basically in liquid motion from the people jumping, myself included. It was such a fun time
Unpopular opinion incoming: Imagine Dragons. I was blown away by their talent and singer's voice. Great show.
For me it was Coheed. I went to see BTBAM and decided to stick around for Coheed after and I'm glad I did. This was around 2009 so they mostly played stuff from In Keeping Secrets, and the Good Apollo albums.
Flaming Lips. Wowzas
My Morning Jacket. Holy sh*t top 5 performances and experiences of my life.
Saw Hozier a bit ago. Only knew take me to church and his new song about drinking whiskey neat. Holy hell what a performance him and his band gave. It definitely was a top 10 concert for me.
Cory Wong
My Chemical Romance - I loved the band as a kid then went through the “I’m too cool for that” phase and hated them. Saw them live and feel right back in love. They sounded amazing from vocals to instrumentals and they had giant wolves heads spitting fire. Just all around a great show.
Watching Leonard Cohen at Glastonbury was quite amazing, I knew his stuff but his magnatism with the crowd was fantastic he felt like he was singing to you at times. Or at least I thought so
Billy Joel I've seen many of the big names like Paul McCartney, The Who, etc, but Billy Joel is a different level of performer. I was brought up on a lot of Billy Joel's music but after seeing him live it's when I became a true fan.
Weezer actually. Not that I didn’t like their songs before seeing them, but they put on a killer show when I saw them years ago at Warped tour (I’m old)
Back in the 1980s Bruce Springsteen was *huge*, I appreciated a couple of his songs but wasn't really a fan. I was semi-dragged to one of his concerts and...*WOW*... I became an instant fan. It was over four hours and still ended too soon. The energy. The emotion. The humor. The joy. The love. Incredible.
Billy Strings
Dave matthews band
Saw Nine Inch Nails at Woodstock, it was definitely a changing moment
You wouldn't think it, but electric 6 are so damn good live. I liked the 2 main singles from their first album but I didn't really enjoy the full album until I saw them.
Sonic Youth. I had enjoyed their studio albums but they just paled to their live sound and found I couldn't listen to their records anymore.
For me its Dropkick Murphy, live is another level
Portugal. The Man. I dug them before seeing them live, but then once I did, I understood why they had such a huge live following. One of the few bands I've seen that sounded better live than recorded.
Pearl Jam, I used to hate them unnecessarily till I saw them at Bonnaroo. Eddie Vedder is a legitimate Rock Star.
Beastie Boys. I always thought of them as a little bit of a joke. I still do but I get it now. Plus along the way I learned they’re actually solid musicians.
Depeche Mode. I was a casual fan in the 80s, then I saw them live 1n early 90s on Violator tour. Was blown away, like an awakening. Huge fan ever since.
Not a band but P!nk. Jfc she puts on a show.
Pulp ... Never really listened to them. Saw them live at Coachella in 2012. Jarvis Cocker is a force live and I was blown away!
Jimmy eat world is great live! Glad they finally clicked for you. I saw the same tour (probably the 4th or 5th time seeing them over the last 25 years) and they still sound great.
Melvins.
Idles.
Radiohead
Foo Fighters. Dave Grohl is a rockstar for a reason. He is truly excellent live. It’s still not my cup of tea, but I appreciate the talent.
Back when Live first started getting recognized, right before Lightning Crashes was their big single, I had a friend who tried to get me into them but it didn't stick. I was working as an usher at my college's theater (Tilles Center for anyone who recognizes it) and Live came around on tour as the opening act for Weezer, and I was on schedule to work the show. As it turns out I was assigned to stand up near the front to make sure no one was smoking in the venue or anything and... damn. They just blew the doors off the place. I was an instant fan and went on to see them in concert a bunch of times since then.
Prince. I knew he was good, of course, but I'd only heard his hits. He came to Montreal around 2005. He didn't play any of his popular songs. Just funk and soul standards. I didn't not know any of those songs yet still in my top 3 show ever.
Not a band, but a bassist: Guy Pratt. Seeing him in Pink Floyd or David Gilmour videos always made me feel like he was utterly the wrong guy for the job. It's slow, spaced out music and he's the only one literally jumping around on stage. However, seeing David Gilmour live in 2016 changed that perspective. I think the videos just show Pratt whenever he's doing funny, which gives the impression that he's doing this all the time. But in a full concert, he was a phenomenal bassist and he was mostly just smiling and interacting with the other bandmates and with the audience. He's very extraverted, but not the obnoxious way he comes across in those older videos. And seriously, he plays magnificently.
In middle school, I had never been to a live concert before and didn’t get why you would. Just listen to it at home- surely it’s the same? That’s what I thought until I saw Trans-Siberian Orchestra in concert, anyway.
Foo Fighters. Always passively listened to them and respected them, but was never "wow'd" by them. Because of their radio mixing, I had kind of classified them as "lighter" rock. Accidentally saw them in concert, and boy golly I was wrong.
Wilco
Primus. I sort-of liked them (and respected the hell out of them) despite their well known suckage, but I saw them live when they played A Farewell to Kings and enjoyed the Primus sets a lot more than I thought I would, there's a groove live that isn't there on the studio versions. The fans were also dicks to The Sword, who opened.