Be as specific or as simple as you want! I'll try and keep mine somewhat short, have seen most of these bands many, many many times in clubs, houses and festivals. These are the greatest live bands I've ever seen - all were outstanding and are phenomenal in any setting!!!!
Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band - Indescribable marathon sets every time! Neil Young- with Crazy Horse, Electric and Acoustic My Morning Jacket Drive-By Truckers Ryan Adams and The Cardinals Phish Black Mountain Besnard Lakes Broken Social Scene Caribou Canyon Rose Outfit Erykah Badu Feist Hawksley Workman Massive Attack Caribou/Manitoba Jack White - Raconteurs and The White Stripes David Byrn Wilco Dinosaur Jr. Fela Kuti Goldie Chemical Brothers
On the wish list Radiohead, Tom Waits, Allman Brothers, Deerhunter, Daft Punk, Bowie, Ween, Fleetwood Mac, The Dead, More Neil and more Bruce!!!!!
Definitely would add Roger Waters to my wish list and I can't believe I forgot about Arcade Fire! I used to live up the street from them back in 2004 and 2005, saw them in small clubs and halls many times. Even joined a jam sessions with them at a friends apartment! Since moving away from Montreal I have yet to see them, so crazy they are Headline worthy now and I've only seen 'em at Plateau halls and Mile End apartments!
The Boss! Bruce's voice seems to have gotten, believe it or not, better this past decade, you won't witness a more powerful and talented human being and at 60 none of it seems like a novelty act, dude is still putting on 3hr+ shows. Radiohead - Seen them from every tour since The Bends, incredible how a band that has changed their sound and stage so much still seems like they have always been that way and have always been the best at doing it that way. In Rainbows tour was sublime. David Byrne - So talented and fun Jack White Caribou - caught totally off guard when I saw them from the Andorra tour, way beyond my expectations, saw them 3 more time of that tour! Drive-By Truckers - Great Rock n' Roll show everytime! Neil Young - Love Neil so much, but it is his electric shows that are in my absolute favorites - would travel and pay whatever to see him electric again Roger Waters - Went to Coachella just to see Dark Side Of The Moon, love that album, what a show! Phish - Even if you think you would rather sit through a season of the Joey Lawrance Show than see a jam band, go and see Phish - Unbelievable no matter what state you're in. Black Mountain Wilco CHK CHK CHK (!!!) Holy shit, when are they gonna tour again - see them if you can! Ryan Adams - No matter what you think of him, he is unstoppable live. Arcade Fire - Specifically from the tour with Wolf Parade Pantera - Hey I was young once, Dimebag was God. My Morning Jacket - Went to a Foo Dr. Garbanzohters concert just to see them back in 2002
The White Stripes and The Dead Weather Arcade Fire LCD Soundsystem Explosions in the Sky Pixies Caribou HEALTH Grizzly Bear Black Mountain The Besnard Lakes Fleet Foxes Erykah Badu Beck The Flaming Lips Sufjan Stevens Joanna Newsom Josh Ritter Bjork Wilco The Avett Brothers Radiohead
Wait wait, is this just a "list every huge fucking band you've seen" thread? I'm confused.
Supposed to be just the best of the best that you've seen. I guess those who have seen tons of shows might have longer lists (also those who have not had the chance to catch lots of shows are probably still working on a good barometer or benchmark) Mine are just a small fraction of the gigs I've been to, those are just the bands that I think are the best and in their own class when it come to a live show.
Wow alot of great bands up already! I will attempt to limit to my top 10 I would bring to a deserted Island Concert (aka best bands I've seen live)
The Boss with TESB (Timeless talent and songwriter/performer) Neil Young (Just dirty grooves all night long) Radiohead (When I want my mind blown) Phish (when I am blowin' my mind) Disco Biscuits (They could jam with Phish!) Chk Chk Chk !!! (Straight up dancin') Ryan Adams and the Cardinals (A mini Boss and Neil Young) Arcade Fire (Something sweet and modern) Erykah Badu (smooth spacey phreak RnB) Daft Punk (When I need a guitar break)
Shit, would probably revise that multiple times before headin' to the Island
TOOL Puscifer Rage Against the Machine I really enjoyed !!! (CHK CHK CHK), even though I had no idea who they were at the time. Pearl Jam The Flaming Lips (Sasquatch '06) Finger Eleven Deftones Mindless Self Indulgence Slipknot (touring on their first album, the next time was awful) MSTRKRFT Deadmau5 Girltalk The Mars Volta! The Melvins
hahaha, I probably should clarify this was circa 1998-1999. those were days long past but they truly had a great live show, back in the "tip" days... I lost all interest in their music after that album...
I much preferred them as the 'Rainbow Butt Monkeys' circa 1995 in the post grunge age.
My tongue is now planted in my cheek, but just a little bit.
Are their any other 90's Canadian alternative bands that you loved? There were sooo many in those days - it made it easy for Canadian radio stations to comply to that wierd canadian content rule. Here are my fav's:
- Rusty - Doughboys - The Gandharvas - Punchbuggy - hHead - The Killjoys (Tongue taken out of cheek) - The Lowest of the Low