I saw them at Big Ears a couple-three years back. Inside a huge historic theater. Black robes and cowls looked good against the red velvet curtains. There were a few other shows going on at the same time in walking distance so I had my taste and went to see some other cool stuff. They did not disappoint!
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Last year I visited Russia and attended a MORGENSHTERN concert, I have never experienced greater drive and adrenaline in my life.
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Love this topic and it’s been fun reading everyone’s post. I’ve learned a few things, like there appears to be a good number of us in the Seattle area. I can’t want for when we can meet up at a show and/or for some beverages. [On a side note, for those of you in Seattle area, my brother owns the Barking Dog Alehouse in Ballard and has some great outside seating if we wanted to try to meet up sometime.]
I’ve been very lucky over the years, the best concert I’ve seen recently (pre-pandemic) was The Struts in June 2019 at the Showbox SoDo. They are amazing live and I can’t recommend them enough.
In the early 90s I worked at KXRX and KNDD (local Seattle radio stations) and I was lucky enough to see bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, AC/DC, Sting, etc. many times. But the absolute best during that time was Luka Bloom at small club in Ballard playing songs from “The Acoustic Motorbike”.
Finally, in 2015, I was lucky enough to attend the Grammys and see Stevie Wonder, Tony Bennet, Mary J. Blige, AC/DC, ELO, and many others perform. That was an amazing experience.
Looking forward to hearing more stories from the group.
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Iron Maiden somewhere in time tour (late 80s) Joe Louis Detroit Michigan
Anthrax among the living with Exodus and Celtic Frost (around 88/89) small bar in Detroit Michigan
Rush Presto I believe, best stage show, excellent all around show San Diego
Metallica glad I only paid 5 bucks to see them (Military paid most of the tickets, so I saw many people for around 5 dollars a show from 89 to 92)
Agnostic Front (don’t remember where anymore…)
Haunted Garage Hollywood Strip
Circle Jerks, Beowolf and Last Roundup in Tijuana
Death, Carcass and Pestilence in Tijuana
Exploited in Tiajuana
Suicidal Tendencies Huntington Beach
Danzig and Soundgarden SDSU university
Alice Cooper downtown theater San Diego with Danger Danger
many years later
Tool at Hult Center Eugene Oregon
Sara McLaughlin Hult Center
Dave Matthews at the Gorge, Washington
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Going to see the President’s Own Marine Band with my grandfather, a WWII veteran and the greatest man I ever knew. The President’s Own is, without any argument, the greatest wind band in the entire world.
RIP G-Pa
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Best overall production I saw for a show was Muse’s 2019 tour in the US. Amazing set list and visuals that made for a really fun and memorable trip.
Also seeing Volbeat at First Avenue back around their second US tour was the most energetic crowd to be a part of. Absolute riot from start to finish and also the first time I had gone to downtown Minneapolis, drove 4 hours each way for it and was my first real road trip after getting my license.
I see you like oldies.
I grew up in the era where Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Rush, Pink Floyd and many others were the big bands for those days. Motley Crew, Ratt, Cinerella and other hair bands were following suit. When in the military in 89, went from rock to metal to punk to alternative and as I got older, little pop and others. My teens was immortalizing Zeppelin, Ozzy, Alice Cooper, Ronnie James Dio and Floyd. Late teens, the cult movies for those times were Heavy Metal, Pink Floyd The Wall (I actually took that movie (the wall) and played it at a bar for my 24th birthday in Bahrain in the United Arab Emirates, partied with some British sailors from go figure, a British mine sweeper) and of course Clockwork Orange. Unfortunately, I didn’t start seeing shows till I was in San Diego but that was a good time for punk, metal and rock shows. Iron Maiden, Rush and Alice had the best shows. Alice for the theatrics and stage, Rush for amazing light show and just great music, had a second chance to see them but never did and Iron Mainden for the stage and great show, I remember the giant eddie and a flying saucer, theatrics were big for them also.
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Seeing Primus at Ozzfest right before Slayer coming on. Les Claypol saying in between songs in his high pitch voice " SSSSSSlayers Coming!!"
Plus Primus was 10x higher in concert compared to their recordings. Maybe they made it a tad heavier since the festival was all Metal bands but how good they sounded also was through the roof.
Worst one was Mars Volta. I love the band but the high pitches were shrieking screams out of hell and not in a good way haha
Thanks for reminiscing. I was funnin’ you a bit, young’un. You did see a lot of great shows, and that military ticked in your location must have been a blessing. I did see Rush, when they were a lead-in band for Blue Oyster Cult, the other lead in band was a new group called KISS. Saw Springsteen on the tour after Wild, Innocent, and E-Street Shuffle, and again later after Born to Run. Tull in the Acqualung / Thick as a Brick period was a good show too.
Clockwork Orange was a great movie, but for headphones, I’d think that Amadeus would be more fun. I couldn’t scrape up enough student funds to travel to Pittsburgh to see Floyd - I will always regret that. A few friends saw the concert in the now defunct Civic Arena. Apparently they filled the dome with smoke and opened it as they started Obscured by Clouds. The Floyd movies of my day were The Valley and More.
San Diego is a blast, but I think I remember it more for um… certain clubs … than musical shows.
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I figured you had me by a couple years. I was Navy from 89 to 92 in San Diego, where do sailors usually go? Been to a few different bars from Tiajuana up to the Hollywood strip. Did fleet week in San Francisco in my dress blue and hit the bars in those dress blues. Any sailor in dress blues knows how much fun it is and how many buttons it takes when you have to use the restroom. There was a two story club in Tiajuana called iguana’s, they had some good shows. As far as bars, I’ve been to bars from Hawaii, to Phillipines, to Singapore to the Persian Gulf. Some of the good port of calls were removed thanks to the gulf war but we still had a good time (funny to say being at war).
The nice thing about the military and concerts, concerts around that time were 20 dollar shows. We had what we called wet side and dry side. People station on ships, wet side, go figure. Dry side, guess what, station on land. For concerts, wet side would pay half and dry side would pay half, half of 20 is 10 and half of 10 is 5. So, Rush for 5$, Metallica for 5$, Alice cooper for 5%, Danzig/Sound Garden 5$ and on and on.
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In my case, the first concert was the very best one. It was Pearl Jam on December of 2005 at Praça da Apoteose, Rio de Janeiro, 
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Always appreciated someone who’d rather ride than walk. Not military myself. And have been to TJ a few times. I’ve seen Iguana’s, but there was no show going on when I happened by. I came from an academic family, and spent a year in Argentina while in high school, and visited TJ while I still had a fairly strong (but acquired) Argentine accent. At least they didn’t take me for the typical Gringo tourista. My wife’s family was Air Force. She grew up on bases, and felt actually insulted when her Dad retired (Lt. Col, 409th) and she was forced to become a “civillian” (dirty word) at about age 13.
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Had a large group of guys that we went down to Tiajuana and of course, all being sailors but in leather jackets, etc, trying to stay away from looking like sailors, got drunker than skunks. Got a place in TJ we all crashed and woke up where someone broke into our room, with a large group and stole a bunch of jackets and stuff. Fun place but really got to watch yourself. Around that time when I was down there, it was college night on wednesday’s, great time to go to TJ.
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It would be interesting to track the median age the concertgoer was when they attended their favorite show.
As we age, it’s harder to change our lives with a chord progression. (Sadly?)
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I went into the service as the old guy at 21. Most of my concerts where in San Diego up to Los Angeles down to Tijuana from 21 to 24. Few and far between as I got older. Recently had a chance to see Gojira during the work week and just couldn’t bring myself to a crowded small venue at 8pm on a Tuesday. Would have been a good show. I had the tickets in hand, just didn’t go.
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For me, what happens is that there is a tier of so damn good that the best changes on my mood among the top few every day. And I get enjoyment out of just thinking about it. But my age ranged from about 20 to about 64 when I went - and I haven’t been able to go for about a year and a half due to demon coronavirus.
That top tier includes
Rush / Kiss / Blue Oyster Cult - Lock Haven PA 1970?
Springsteen - E Street Shuffle tour
Dave Brubeck Quartet - about 1968
Journey / Santana - Allentown 2017
Then there are some that blur - saw the groups a couple of times, but I can’t say which is best. Like Weather Report, Jethro Tull. And some that are super close to top tier, Herbie Hancock, Howie Mandel, Tim Weisburg, Chick Corea. I’ve left some out, I’m sorry artists…
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Not a concert, but with the environment and vibe, it might as well been. Rock of Ages, the musical on Broadway in 2011. The crowd on mezzanine level and the ability to order jello shots from the attendants working the aisle made for a rockin time – quite different from a typical show on Broadway, but we were all on the same page.
Been to a lot of great concerts… but the most memorable was Monsters of Rock at the now defunct Candlestick Park in San Fransisco. 1988, I just turned 18, had hair down to my ass… Wish I still had hair🥺 Van Halen, Scorpions, Metallica, Dokken (meh) and Kingdom Come (2x meh)The whole experience was nuts. The trip there from Reno, the concert itself, partying in San Fran afterwards, don’t remember the trip home at all…no I wasn’t driving. The scale of it…the whole thing… it was f***ing Epic !!
I remember being maybe 6 people back from the stage during Metallica trying to keep my feet under me…the sway of the crowd was intense… mosh pits we’re going behind us. I was sweating my ass off, thinking if I lost my footing or passed out and went under that would be it. It was an awesome road trip/trek with my buddies I’ll never forget.
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