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Best rock concert you’ve attended

It's not too late to get out and hear live music, especially at the smaller venues. JUST DO IT !! You'll be hooked !! 😎
Don't know where you live but the Brady Center in Cincinnati is the coolest one I have been to. The floor is just standing and then 2 balconies but even in the last row you aren't far back. Pricy though because of that. I paid $170 each for Pixies a few months ago for seats. Was thinking about Kings of Leon but the cheapest seats are $250 each.
 
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2006 got to see breaking Benjamin and seether in a small bar in Louisville. Was originally supposed to be at bogarts but had a change of venue last minute.
 
Saw The Clash at Kent State University in 1980. Very small campus venue.

Saw The Pogues in 2010 in Detroit at a very small theater.

Saw The Clash open for The Who in a sold out Pontiac Silverdome in 1980.

Saw The Who’s return to Cincinnati at TQL stadium in 2022. Very emotional to say the least.
 
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It's not too late to get out and hear live music, especially at the smaller venues. JUST DO IT !! You'll be hooked !! 😎
Great Acts & x-tremely small venues:

If you know Lexington, there's a building between High and Vine. It used to be a dive bar. I think they tore it down years ago and for a long time there was a Kinkos there. Anyway, it was a dive in 70 and Blue Oyster Cult played there before they got known. I'm not sure if their first album had even been released. Audience of 50. Tops. Here's an example of how old timers can remember stuff from 50 years ago and can't remember what they had for breakfast: I remember they played a cover of the Stones' It's Not Easy and the Yardbirds' I Ain't Got You.

A few years ago, there was a restaurant just off Southland that wanted to host music. The Blasters played there. I don't know how many of the patrons had paid to see them. 75 people in the place. That includes staff. Great show. You have to be of a certain age to have heard of them. Around 1980 they were one of the first Americana bands.

Nellie McKay played a set at Natasha's near the Kentucky Theater. She was a 9 day wonder back in 2004. Even won a Grammy. We saw her around (guess) 7 or 8 years later. Maybe more.
 
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Great Acts & x-tremely small venues:

If you know Lexington, there's a building between High and Vine. It used to be a dive bar. I think they tore it down years ago and for a long time there was a Kinkos there. Anyway, it was a dive in 70 and Blue Oyster Cult played there before they got known. I'm not sure if their first album had even been released. Audience of 50. Tops. Here's an example of how old timers can remember stuff from 50 years ago and can't remember what they had for breakfast: I remember they played a cover of the Stones' It's Not Easy and the Yardbirds' I Ain't Got You.

A few years ago, there was a restaurant just off Southland that wanted to host music. The Blasters played there. I don't know how many of the patrons had paid to see them. 75 people in the place. That includes staff. Great show. You have to be of a certain age to have heard of them. Around 1980 they were one of the first Americana bands.

Nellie McKay played a set at Natasha's near the Kentucky Theater. She was a 9 day wonder back in 2004. Even won a Grammy. We saw her around (guess) 7 or 8 years later. Maybe more.
YES !! Small venues with independent artists on the way up provide many opportunities to enjoy very memorable shows. Shows I've seen with less than 100 folks are too numerous to mention, but include:
Silvertide, Monte Montgomery, Sturgill Simpson, Maktub, Jompson Brothers, Nektar, Caravan, Glenn Tilbrook, Los Lonely Boys, Charlie Hunter, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Marbin, Dex Romweber, Umphrey's Magee, Snarky Puppy, J D Simo ... just to name a few off the top of my head.
 
Another great one I saw was Alice Cooper in Freedom Hall, March 1979. Like a first class magic show, set to rock music.
 
I once went to a concert on base at Fort Knox about 10-12 years ago. It was an outdoor show. If I'm not mistaken the lineup was Styx, REO Speedwagon and Ted Nugent. Because Ted was on the outs with the military for his outspoken views they would not allow him to play. So. instead we got Blue Oyster Cult to open. They were great.

Also, back in the late 70's I went to a concert at the old Louisville Gardens. It was the J. Geils Band, Brownsville Station and, if my mind isn't going in my old age, the opening act was a little-known band from across the pond called U2. Who knew they would shortly after blow up into the huge band they are now.
 
Also, back in the late 70's I went to a concert at the old Louisville Gardens. It was the J. Geils Band, Brownsville Station and, if my mind isn't going in my old age, the opening act was a little-known band from across the pond called U2. Who knew they would shortly after blow up into the huge band they are now.
This intrigued me so I searched it on Setlist.fm. Looks like this may have been two different concerts. J. Geils Band/
Brownsville Station in 1978 and J. Geils Band/U2 in 1982. Both at Louisville Gardens.
 
Stone Temple Pilots at the Louisville Gardens in 1997 was right up there.

I didn't start going to concerts until 1996 (after I graduated high school) ... so a year later I saw arguably my top rock show. Just so much energy. The two friends I went with still talk about it.
 
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I've seen The Black Crowes about a dozen times, and about half of those would rank among the best I've ever seen, including one time they showed up on short notice at a hole-in-the-wall joint called Headliners in Louisville. Stood about 5 feet off stage in front of one of the best rock guitarists in the world, Marc Ford. Mind blown.

Others in the discussion: U2 (twice, 1987 at Rupp and 2017 at PJCS to play Joshua Tree in its entirety); Bob Seger (87ish at Rupp); Bruce Springsteen (early 2000s at Rupp); Eagles at Yum (mid-2000s); The Police 2008 reunion at Churchill Downs.

Best all-around show I ever saw: Prince at Rupp in late 90s. It was R&B. It was pop. It was rock. It was gospel. It was hip-hop. It was basically everything that's ever been and everything that ever will be. Genius.
 
Stone Temple Pilots at the Louisville Gardens in 1997 was right up there.

I didn't start going to concerts until 1996 (after I graduated high school) ... so a year later I saw arguably my top rock show. Just so much energy. The two friends I went with still talk about it.

Wish I had gone to see them before it was too late. Incredible band.
 
Paul McCartney put on an incredible show, completely blew my mind.

Honorable mentions:
Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews, Allman Brothers Band, Rolling Stones, Billy Joel with Elton John
I was at that 1976 show also. The 3 record album they made from the whole touring that year on side one, the first 5 songs are from the Cincy show
 
I've seen The Black Crowes about a dozen times, and about half of those would rank among the best I've ever seen,
We're you at the show at Louisville Gardens when they walked off stage after 1 song?
 
- Metallica at the Orange County Fairgrounds (in NY) in 1996. Just insane.
- Saw Cypress Hill at the Apollo Theater around that time and they were amazing. Or perhaps it was the smoke.
- Went to James Taylor several years ago when he was at the Yum. Not much for entertainment value, but he is ridiculously good in person.

- On the flip, saw Motley Crue on their farewell tour in the Yum as well. Was disappointed as the acoustics were bad, they were sooo loud, and Vince just can't hit the notes anymore. But the Tommy Lee drum solo over the crowd was cool.
 
Do the Temptations count as rock? Saw the originals at Xavier U Fieldhouse in 1968. I went because I added a lot to the crowd diversity.
 
Will add 2 mainly because I guess because of the hype that went with them at the time. Saw Michael Jackson's "Thriller Tour* in '83 at Neyland Staduim. Then while I was in Dental School at UL in '79 my wife won 2 tickets to see the Bee Gees in Cincinnati for their "Spirits Have Flown Tour".
 
This intrigued me so I searched it on Setlist.fm. Looks like this may have been two different concerts. J. Geils Band/
Brownsville Station in 1978 and J. Geils Band/U2 in 1982. Both at Louisville Gardens.
I was going to look it up because I was in college when U2 opened for J Geils so I knew it couldn't have been late 70s ( their first album, Boy, wasn't released until fall 1980). I had a friend at UK who asked me to go and I was 'too busy'. What a dumbass I was. J Geils was at their height and, by all accounts, a helluva lot of fun live. With unknown U2 opening? Fuhgataboutit. What a moron I was/am.
 
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We're you at the show at Louisville Gardens when they walked off stage after 1 song?
Ha. No, thankfully not. But that show at Headliners I mentioned was their first in the city since that infamous night. They were not big fans of the Louisville PD.
 
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This intrigued me so I searched it on Setlist.fm. Looks like this may have been two different concerts. J. Geils Band/
Brownsville Station in 1978 and J. Geils Band/U2 in 1982. Both at Louisville Gardens.
I don't remember seeing J. Geils more than once and I could've sworn that both Brownsville Station and U2 supported them. That's been a lifetime ago and maybe the mind is slipping a little after 64 years.
 
I've seen The Black Crowes about a dozen times, and about half of those would rank among the best I've ever seen, including one time they showed up on short notice at a hole-in-the-wall joint called Headliners in Louisville. Stood about 5 feet off stage in front of one of the best rock guitarists in the world, Marc Ford. Mind blown.

Saw The Black Crowes at Riverbend Cincinnati in 2006. Phenomenal show. Also on stage that night were Drive-By Truckers, and Robert Randolph and the Family Band.

Quite memorable for me because I took my oldest daughter (14 years old at the time) to her first concert.

But, yeah, all three bands were great.
 
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- Went to James Taylor several years ago when he was at the Yum. Not much for entertainment value, but he is ridiculously good in person.
We were there. I think. 90 minutes before show time, we hadn't even known there was a concert. My wife was given tickets as she was leaving work. She called me from the car so I was waiting by the drive when she got home. We got to Louisville in record time. And then ... the seats proved to be indifferent. But Taylor is great in concert and had an unbelievable touring band. He made a joke about one of his newer songs, "I wrote some more words for the tune I use." So, a fairly self-deprecatory, funny guy.

He's written 4 or 5 amazing songs and several others that are good, and he has an immediately identifiable sound on his acoustic. Tens of millions of guitarists and you know it's him. That's not a trivial accomplishment.
 
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We were there. I think. 90 minutes before show time, we hadn't even known there was a concert. My wife was given tickets as she was leaving work. She called me from the car so I was waiting by the drive when she got home. We got to Louisville in record time. And then ... the seats proved to be indifferent. But Taylor is great in concert and had an unbelievable touring band. He made a joke about one of his newer songs, "I wrote some more words for the tune I use." So, a fairly self-deprecatory, funny guy.

He's written 4 or 5 amazing songs and several others that are good, and he has an immediately identifiable sound on his acoustic. Tens of millions of guitarists and you know it's him. That's not a trivial accomplishment.
I've seen him in concert, too. He is very good, just sitting on a stool with an acoustic, and can entertain large crowds.
One thing I've always noticed is his annunciation ... his vocals are so very clear. You an easily understand his every word.
I deeply wish the same could be said for Sturgill Simpson ... ☹️
 
Widespread Panic. October 20 1998 Colorado Springs auditorium.

Not sure they fit for rock concert but I hear ya.

My older brother negotiated in advance with my mom (didn't know about it), tells me to get my things together because we're going to Athens for the night and ended up in the middle of this.

 
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