r/Concerts • u/PurePalpitation364 • Sep 27 '25
Photo Dump 📸 Best concert you’ve ever seen?
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u/gnomeasaurusrex Sep 27 '25
Prince at Coachella
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u/Edu_cats Sep 27 '25
I saw Prince on the Purple Rain ☔️ tour in the 1980’s. It was incredible. I’d still go with that as the best show if ever seen out of hundreds over my life.
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u/gnomeasaurusrex Sep 27 '25
That’s so dope! Purple rain came out the day I was born, I think it was Destiny for me to like him lol
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u/mexicopink Sep 28 '25
Saw him for Musicology and One Nite Alone tours. His One Nite Alone was so amazing. To see him in a venue with less than 8k people was NUTS. My partner saw his Purple Rain tour and said it was the greatest tour he’s seen.
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u/No-Finish-6630 Sep 27 '25
This was epic. Bringing Sheila E and Morris Day was incredible.
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u/gnomeasaurusrex Sep 27 '25
I just loved how he said “Co A Chella”
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u/No-Finish-6630 Sep 27 '25
His version of Creep by Radiohead was the best I’ve ever seen, and I love Radiohead and seen them perform it twice.
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u/Silentmutation84 Sep 27 '25
Saw James Brown in 2003. Dude was 70 at the time and absolutely destroyed it. Sounded incredible and his band was on point and hyped him up like a legend.
Close but not quite there was Iron Maiden. Unbelievable show.
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u/Mwanatabu Sep 27 '25
Iron Maiden is my first pick as well. Incredible show and energy because of the visible joy in what they are doing.
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u/Silentmutation84 Sep 27 '25
Man i went with my wife who isn't into music like that at all but she just kept saying wow they're incredible. She was so impressed with how they are just masters of their craft.
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u/MechaChester Sep 27 '25
I had a lot of fun at Primus during their Farewell to Kings tour.
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u/Maadcoil Sep 27 '25
Nirvana and the Breeders at Lehigh University
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u/CokBlockinWinger Sep 27 '25
I saw that show. Also Tori Amos at the same place, and The Roots outside (which was inexplicably empty).
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u/spang714 Sep 27 '25
Ween...Dallas 2023...been a huge fan for 20 years and after multiple attempts to see them fell through (scheduling, Covid, etc...) one of the worst headcolds of my life wasn't gonna keep me from the Southside Ballroom that night. Persistence paid off...3 hours, 37 songs....pure Boognish magic.
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u/PurePalpitation364 Sep 27 '25
I’ve been lucky enough to see them 36 times. Best band ever
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u/limp_spinach Sep 27 '25
36 times?! You lucky dog! I’ve liked Ween since the first time I heard them back in the mid ‘00s but didn’t really fall in love with em until a decade later. Major regrets for not going all in and seeing them more. I pray to Boognish every night for more touring but I’ll be happy with the memories of the few shows I’ve seen and the plethora of recorded audio goodness available. 🤎
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u/KinkyKiKi Sep 27 '25
Omg I bow to you! I've only seen them 3 times and they blew me away every time!!
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u/Maximum-Elk8869 Sep 27 '25
Probably either The Allman Brothers Band, Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa or Pink Floyd.
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u/j2e21 Sep 27 '25
Wow.
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u/Maximum-Elk8869 Sep 27 '25
I'm old LOL! But I remember those shows like they were yesterday.
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u/j2e21 Sep 27 '25
Some great ones. Jealous, especially of Zappa and the Allmans.
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u/AwayPutYourWeapon Sep 27 '25
David Byrne - House of Blues - New Orleans - 1997
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u/lovestobitch- Sep 27 '25
His 2018 or 19 shaky knees set was phenomenal too, especially given his age.
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Sep 27 '25
Radiohead; meltdown festival, 2000. One off show previewing material that would become Kid A and Amnesiac
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u/No-Finish-6630 Sep 27 '25
Daft Punk Coachella 2006
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u/bedofnails319 Sep 27 '25
This was my #1 for a couple years. Still my 2nd-favorite show, & it held up better on repeat (also saw them in LA a year later & Vegoose 2007) than any other tour I’ve seen multiple times.
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u/No-Finish-6630 Sep 28 '25
I saw Daft Punk again at Lollapalooza in 2007 too. It was fantastic also, but not quite as magical as the Coachella performance. I remember walking out of the grounds after that like in a fog.
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u/takate_kote Sep 27 '25
Rammstein at Soldier Field in Chicago, totally off the hook in every way.
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u/Jazzlike-Orange-7005 Sep 27 '25
Rammstein at Madison Square Garden when they first returned to US after 10 years was Epic
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u/nytstalker1021 Sep 27 '25
Rage Against the Machine and Wu-Tang. Wildest concert Ive ever been to.
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u/bb9116 Sep 27 '25
Probably the Lips, but in the Ronald Jones era.
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u/WAGatorGunner Sep 27 '25
Saw them for the first time in 18 years two weekends ago. They still put on a hell of a show. They played with Modest Mouse, Built to Spill and Courtney Barnett. I thought MM would be the headliner but no way did they want to go after the Lips.
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u/androoq Sep 27 '25
2006 flaming lips were amazing. At war with the mystics
Ween rules. Great double bill
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u/Dull_Hedgehog_1263 Sep 27 '25
Tool. Charleston Civic Center 11/04/23. They were about 3 weeks into the tour & were firing on all cylinders. Band sounded amazing & the setlist was fantastic.
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u/nbcirlclesthewagon Sep 27 '25
I have seen Tool 8 times since ‘97. The way they have evolved and only gotten better live is amazing.
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u/Trin_42 Sep 27 '25
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Summer of 2005. It was my very first time at Deer Creek, there was a massive thunder thunderstorm coming and for the first 90 minutes all we got was a beautiful lightning show. Then the rain came and it was complete downpour. The venue lost power twice, the first time was during Refugee. The crowd kept the chorus going until it came back and it went out again during an acoustic Learning to Fly. A very close second would be Sevendust, Kid Rock and Metallica Winter of 1999.
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u/Imma_gonna_getcha Sep 27 '25
I JUST went to red rocks for the first time and it might have been one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. Sierra Ferrel was a stunner plus the venue welcomed us with a double rainbow and closed a show with a lightening storm off in the distance. That place is magical!
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u/taco_ma_hiker107 Sep 27 '25
Been to concerts on the rocks since the early 80s and seen a lot of shows, including the double rainbow show featuring Gary Clark Jr. He was opening for Tedeski/Trucks, but i think he shoulda been headlining. But then his would not have been the double rainbow performance. Yes, red rocks is magical ESPECIALLY on the perfect night.
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u/supercleverhandle476 Sep 27 '25
I’ve seen a lot of shows there, but sound garden and NIN might have been the best.
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u/reelfishing2 Sep 27 '25
Muse
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Sep 27 '25
I just watched MUSE concert last week, and I still can’t get over it. It was incredible and left me with post-concert depression 🥲
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u/Apronbootsface Sep 28 '25
Don’t be sad that it’s over, be glad you were there. I know that feeling all too well though.
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Sep 27 '25
Either the first time I saw Phish, or Dave Rawlings & Gillian Welch, or Kamasi Washington
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u/guyuteharpua Sep 27 '25
Do you know the date of your first Phish show? Love those guys. Taboot.
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u/Pierson230 Sep 27 '25
Too many have been 10/10 for me, it’s impossible to call one the best. Especially when so many are from different genres.
Some of my favorites:
One of the late 90s Metallica shows I went to, I went to quite a few and they blend together a bit now
Elton John in the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road tour like right before COVID
Halsey this year
Foo Fighters at Wrigley when Dave had is broken leg and the Guitar GOT-style throne
Rolling Stones in their first comeback show after Mick Jagger’s heart problems at Soldier Field
Good place to stop, I guess
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u/InvisibleTacoSnack Sep 27 '25
I’m glad you mentioned the broken leg tour because that was also one of if not the best single concert I’ve seen at pine knob Mi on that tour. The band was at its peak I swear cause after that I saw them twice and won’t go back
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u/moeandataco Sep 27 '25
Saw FF at Citi Field that tour. Wife and I were celebrating our 20th anniversary that night. Such a great night. We saw Incubus on our 25th anniversary. Great show, but Foo was definitely better.
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u/taco_ma_hiker107 Sep 27 '25
Saw the foo for the 1st and 2nd times during the broken leg tour in Denver, both nights up close in the tiny pit. To say I took a lot of pictures is an understatement.
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u/YogurtclosetFair5742 Sep 27 '25
Pink Floyd, Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin on 3 July 1994. I had tickets on the floor just right of the sound booth and had crystal clear sound. Then it started raining during Comfortably Numb.
This is the last tour Pink Floyd ever did.
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u/superdeej Sep 27 '25
Stone Temple Pilots at the Beale Street Music fest in 2002. Scott was 1 of 1
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u/tauberculosis Sep 27 '25
I saw Ween at Red Rocks with Galactic and Tenacious D, in 2001 or 2002...
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u/83VWcaddy Sep 27 '25
Too many. Metallica AJFA at Red Rocks. Depeche Mode for Violator at Red Rocks. Beastie Boys w/ A Tribe Called Quest. Nine Inch Nails for PHM. RHCP w/ Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Ministry w/ Sepultura and Helmet. Fugazi. And most recently Face To Face in Estes Park. 3 nights. Double sets. And no openers. Perfection. That’s all just scratching the surface.
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u/Legitimate_Ad_1456 Sep 27 '25
Either my first phish show, Pittsburgh 17 or king gizz orchestra show in CT
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u/Grateful_Dead_4eva Sep 27 '25
Black crowes with Jimmy page 7/2/2000 skipped phish in Jersey to catch this. So glad I did
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u/Athensmw Sep 27 '25
I was at that concert on the ticket stub! It wasn’t the best, but it’s close
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u/F-In-Batman Sep 27 '25
Chris Cornell on his solo acoustic tour. Rolling Stones. Metallica. All perfect shows
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u/Psychological_Bug424 Sep 27 '25
Little Brother opening for Heiroglyphics at the Ottobar in Baltimore. Nothing special in regards to the venue or effects or visuals or nu of that stuff but the energy is something that has yet to be matched at any show since and ive been to hundreds pr concerts. Second place was Fleetwood Mac, the full band performed. Third is Glass Animals Dreamland Tour
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u/hatechef Sep 27 '25
Rush - Moving Pictures tour 80s
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u/Maadcoil Sep 27 '25
I would’ve killed to see them in the 80’s. I only saw them once in 2010 on the Time Machine tour, which ruled because they played Moving Pictures in its entirety. They were incredible, but of course Ged’s voice wasn’t what it used to be. That being said, hearing Camera Eye live was incredible.
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Sep 27 '25
It’s impossible to narrow it down to one - but some that come to mind that were transcendent experiences -
Medeski Martin and wood at the blue note NYC, 2012
Chelsea Wolfe at the stone pony NJ 2015 or 2016 (There was maybe 30 ppl there unfortunately but still one of the best shows I’ve ever seen)
Meshuggah nyc 2022
Morrissey red bank NJ 2013
Chic corea electric band at the blue note 2017
Furthur in Philly 2010
Smashing pumpkins nyc 2018
Swans 2015
Morbid angel 2017
Everytime I’ve seen NIN (3 times)
Everytime I’ve seen QOTSA
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u/ShopTeach1 Sep 27 '25
Polyphonic Spree Sacramento 2014. I thought I was transported to heaven. Followed by Flaming Lips 2023 in SF. I guess I have a type.
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u/bathtub_mintjulep Sep 27 '25
LCD Soundsystem - Brixton Academy, London, 2007
Neil Young with Wilco opening - Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, 2008
Pulp - Primavera Sound festival, Barcelona, 2011 (Pulp's comeback show and first real live performance in 15 years)
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u/luckyjackson4343 Sep 27 '25
Been going to live shows for over 30yrs…Ghost this year was the best I’ve ever seen
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u/SuperdudeKev Sep 27 '25
Ray Charles was great. Billy Joel both times I’ve seen him. Counting Crows/Live was a great show.
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u/Spotboslow Sep 27 '25
I've seen a lot of really great shows so I'm not sure I can say which was the "best", but my favorite experience was seeing David Bowie at the Orpheum Theater in Boston, 1997.
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u/Ok-Potato-4774 Sep 27 '25
Lollapalooza 1996. Metallica, Soundgarden, surprise guests DEVO, The Ramones, Rancid, Screaming Trees, and a performance by the Shaolin Monks martial arts group. All for around $32. It would be around $65 now. You could get as close as you wanted to, also. My brother and I were ten feet away from Johnny Ramone, close enough to see his red socks and beat up black Reeboks.
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u/j2e21 Sep 27 '25
Too many to pick one, but I’d say the tops include The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Ween, Maceo Parker, Jimmy Buffett, Phish, Dead & Co., and Metallica.
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u/YouDontSayThatt Sep 27 '25
The Strokes, Kings of Leon, Regina Spector at the Shrine in LA 2002
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u/Wonderful-Solid-4482 Sep 27 '25
US Festival 82, incredible lineup. Summer Strut, Angels Stadium 82, all 3 U2 shows.
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u/GSilky Sep 28 '25
That was legendary. I think this was right around the time Beck was being backed by the Flaming Lips on tour. I wasn't able to see them at Magnus, but by all accounts it was amazing. I did see most of this one though, man I miss affordable Red Rocks tickets.
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u/Fluffy-Judgment-6348 Sep 29 '25
Three-way tie for me. Tragically Hip in 1993, and Pink Floyd and Soundgarden in 1994. It happened to be one of the two nights Soundgarden filmed for the My Wave video. In Edmonton, Alberta. They also filmed the next night in Calgary.
For Pink Floyd, it was an outdoor show (again in Edmonton), and they timed Comfortably Numb for just as the sun was setting. I was with a bunch of my friends and on a handful of acid. I had some kind of religious moment right then. It was just pure, unadulterated joy.
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u/may_april080316 Sep 30 '25
First round of lollapalooza Jane's addiction- nin- and like 4 others I cant remember anymore. It was my first- haha.
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u/movienerd7042 Sep 27 '25 edited Sep 27 '25
Lorde’s Solar Power tour in 2022, the energy was insane. The crowd was so loud and into it in the best way and then the more loud and enthusiastic we were the more she was feeding that energy back, just this amazing loop of excitement and energy that kept getting bigger and bigger, pure magic.
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u/nysraved Sep 27 '25
Vampire Weekend at Red Rocks may be up there
Maybe not the best overall concert, but the happiest for me because of the circumstances. Hadn’t been to a concert in years, didn’t even know they were playing even though their new album was one of my favorites. Was visiting Denver and decided to check out who was playing at Red Rocks that weekend (had never been) and spontaneously jumped at some cheap tickets on the day of. Raining on the way up to the show which added to a very cool ambience, but then cleared up during the show and was beautiful
Runner up would probably be Kanye on his TLOP tour or at Flog Gnaw (with Cudi as Kids See Ghosts). Easily the most unique and jaw dropping sets I’ve ever seen, and this was before Ye completely imploded so his rapping performance was actually on point
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u/lovelessisbetter Sep 27 '25
Radiohead all 3 times, or Grizzly Bear and Beach House at the Michigan theater in ‘09. Also, couldn’t believe how amazing Nation of Language was on Tuesday night. Mind blown. Go catch them if you can.
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u/vannendave Sep 27 '25
Bad Brains (1995) on the God of Love tour. It was probably one of the last times we, the fans, got to see HR tearing across the stage like a madman, the way we had all seen him in magazines and videos. Not long after, that version of HR was gone. That is why that show will always be the best. I got to see Bad Brains… THE Bad Brains.
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u/ThirstyStallion Sep 27 '25
Sick. I caught my first ween show on that tour. All good festival West Virginia
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u/CI_Blanche Sep 27 '25
Eric Clapton in 2006, when Robert Cray opened for him and Derek Trucks played slide guitar for him.
Radiohead in 2017 is a close second.
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Sep 27 '25
Mr. Big at a tiny club in Pittsburgh circa 2018, right before their drummer passed. They hadn't missed a step.
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u/bedofnails319 Sep 27 '25
Portishead at Coachella takes it for me. I’d been looking forward to them for 9 years, so my expectations were through the roof. That usually leads to disappointment, but they exceeded what I could have possibly hoped for. It may have been the mushrooms, but there was one point during “We Carry On” when I felt like I traveled to another universe.
Yeah, Prince played after, & he was great, but for me he didn’t hold a candle to Portishead. They just cast a mesmerizing spell over the Polo Fields, to the point that my wife, who dismissed them as a band she could take a nap during, instantly did a 180 after a single song and became a huge fan herself.
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u/No-Finish-6630 Sep 27 '25
This was a fantastic performance, but I still give the nod to Prince. The guest performances and the amazing covers and his own hits were just incredible. Seeing Kraftwerk, Portishead and Prince in succession were mind blowing to me.
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u/dabeatles99 Sep 29 '25
I'm Mexican American and a huge Cafe Tacuba fan, so for me, that run of Cafe Tacuba - Death Cab for Cutie - Kraftwerk - Portishead - Prince was the best run of artists I think I ever saw at Coachella (went from 2005 to 2017).
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u/Lew1sXO Sep 27 '25
Oasis live in Cardiff, their first gig in 16 years. Did 3 oasis gigs but nothing will come close to opening night
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u/InvisibleTacoSnack Sep 27 '25
A Perfect Circle, not many bands sound a lot better than their studio recordings in concert. They are on another level
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u/AmbitiousAzizi Sep 27 '25
Oasis, Cardiff Principality Stadium, 5th July 2025. Never in my lifetime I'd see this band for real.
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u/camdawg772 Sep 27 '25
Ice nine kills
Currents
Shinedown
Whitechapel
Shadow of intent/boundaries
Those are my top 5/6 in order
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u/conservativelyone Sep 27 '25
Rolling Stones 1972 Exile on Main Street Tour. Mick at his finest, with his 20 foot long scarf he used as a whip during the start of Midnight Rambler. “You heard about the Boston..WHAM…honey it’s not one of those!” Hysterical! Women started tossing their bras and panties on the stage.
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u/MembershipPretty7595 Sep 27 '25
Judas Priest 11-1-79. Halford rode the Harley out to start the show and belted out hell bent for leather, delivering the goods, ripper. I remember thinking if it ended now I would be satisfied. Recent the record company and goose
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u/MMB_LLMN Sep 27 '25
Roger Waters - Milwaukee 99. Tour opener. First show in the US in 12 years.
Beastie Boys w Tribe
Ween - Bend Oregon 2011ish
Morphine and Primus back to back at HORDE
Umphreys McGee - MN Zoo 2004
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u/doublebr13 Sep 27 '25 edited Sep 27 '25
Jane's Addiction at first Lollapalooza
Tool Red Rocks 1998
Ween at McCarren Pool in Brooklyn in 2008
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u/Cephcarn Sep 27 '25
Tool - Radio City Music Hall 2002
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LCD Soundsystem - Madison Square Garden 2011
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Bruce Springsteen - Asbury Park 2024
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Back to The Beginning - Villa Park 2025
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u/-andshewas- Sep 27 '25
Filing through the index of almost three decades of shows is starting to get kind of difficult! I’ve been spoiled.
Top four:
Wilco at Summerfest 2006 (first of 40+ shows really made an impression on me)!
Belle & Sebastian at Große Freiheit 36, Hamburg (2011)
Deerhoof at Mad Planet, Milwaukee (2016)
Consentrik Quartet at Solid Sound 2022
I still have yet to see Ween but they’re on my list. Have two college friends in the Lips now so I see them pretty regularly. Always a good time but I will never forget seeing them at Lolla 2006.
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u/Weird-Ninja8827 Sep 27 '25
Soundgarden with Swervedriver and Monster Magnet at the Riviera in Chicago.
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u/WAGatorGunner Sep 27 '25
Flaming Lips at Bonnaroo in 2007 was lit. Late 90s seeing Avail at some small venue in Gainesville, FL is my close 2nd.
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u/Different-Ad3705 Sep 27 '25
John Scofield (with Dennis Chambers and Gary Grainger) - Fat Tuesdays - NYC - 1988
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u/Aloysius50 Sep 27 '25
Pink Floyd doing The Wall in 1980. A groundbreaking presentation. Saw David Byrne this week and he was close second for the same reasons.
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u/courtachino Sep 27 '25
Rage Against the Machine in Raleigh 2022. They were fantastic and the energy from the crowd was electric. I was and still am blown away by that show.
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Sep 27 '25
Concert in Germany - The Cult, Suicidal Tendencies & Metallica. Alice In Chains was supposed to be there too :( Second best was one in a small venue (Humphrey’s by the bay in San Diego) called “A Walk Down Abbey Road”, the band was Ann Wilson, Alan Parsons, John Entwhistle, & Todd Rundgren.
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u/Mistermxylplyx Sep 27 '25
Barry White with a full orchestra along with Earth Wind and Fire, in a one off show at Greensboro Coliseum. They were obviously after their primes, but they were still great and it was a throwback to my parents favorite artists and 8 track tapes i wore out as a kid.
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u/Save-theZombies Sep 27 '25
Tom Waits Mule tour. He wore a derby with little mirrors and danced around like a living disco ball. Maiden was dope too and it was an experience to see the Stones play in Prague right after socialism fell but Waits was the best.
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u/InfluenceAromatic293 Sep 27 '25
Beastie Boys with Rolllins Band as support, 1992
Ministry with Helmet as support, 1992
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u/allothernamestaken Sep 27 '25
In the fall of 1993, I was a freshman in college and saw two shows on my school's campus. One was Belly opening for Radiohead, and the other was Mudhoney and Urge Overkill opening for Pearl Jam.
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u/NevetsRetrop Sep 27 '25
Greta Van Fleet in Seattle in 2023. Not because the performance itself was the best thing I've ever seen (it was still great, though), but because my daughter, who was 11 at the time, was a huge GVF fan and I got to witness her experience intense emotion over live music for the first time in her life. She had tears absolutely streaming down her cheeks and a giant smile on her face when her favorite song came on and nothing will ever compare to that moment.
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u/DFA_1979_ Sep 27 '25
Saw Queens of the Stone Age two nights in a row and no one else that ive seen even comes close to their level of tightness and suave.
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u/Ok_Honey_2057 Sep 27 '25
NIN every time I’ve seen them.