I used to usher campus concerts in college, so I got to see a few for free. Barry Manilow with Lady Flash did a double, he always put on a good show, can’t imagine how they did two in one day. But the best was Elton John. Holy cow, what a showman. Fabulous.

Tedeschi Trucks at the Ryman in Nashville. This was about 5 years ago. My bestie and I waited outside after the show and got to meet Derek and had our picture taken with him.

Also, Brandi Carlile at Madison Square Garden 2 years ago.

I am like a total loser on this front. I think when i was a teen we saw Heart? Oh and Tony Orlando and Dawn when I was in camp! And Perry Como and Glen Campbell with my parents! I was a really cool kid, as you can tell.

As an adult, sometimes we went with business clients. Always a little stilted (coulda just been me!). I recall Bruce Springsteen. The B52s.

Oh wait! Celine Dion. See, very cool.

I'm right there with you, Mtn. Of the few I went, when I was younger-Journey was the most memorable-my cousin and I snuck down to the floor and eventually got about 2nd row.

I think it's been a couple of years now, but saw Pink and Chris Stapleton-both of their bands played separately and then sang their song they sing together, "Love Me Anyway"- they played at a wedding reception we attended. Also, the same wedding, the singer who sang in the movie, Crazy Rich Asians, Kina Grannis, sang "I Can't Help Falling in Love with You" during the wedding. So close and personal, it was fabulous! Not really a concert per se, but sorta? About 150 people at the wedding. Hubby was a groomsman.

Oakley, I would have LOVED to have seen The Monkees in concert, back then!

I've been to a couple of Garth Brooks concerts, although, I love most of his songs, I cannot stand him and his crying all the time on national TV. Blech! So fake!

Of course, Toby Keith, he's great!

I’m a huge Deadhead to this day- my first show at the Hollywood Bowl truly changed my life, and it never changed back…like going from black and white to Technicolor in The Wizard of Oz! I met my husband at a show in ‘84, chose my long and fulfilling career as an RN for the tour-friendly flexibility of the work schedule, met most of my closest circle of friends at shows in the ‘80, and we’re still very close to this day. I attended almost 400 GD shows before Garcia’s death in 1995. Having the Grateful Dead in my life is the luckiest thing that ever happened to me. Still grateful:))
Best Dead show I ever saw? 10/18/74 at Winterland. Most memorable Dead shows? Paris and Berlin in 1990, Telluride, and oh so many here in the Bay Area. I was lucky to live here, as their shows were in smaller venues with a local, intimate feel, not in stadiums. Many people moved here in the ‘80s because they were Deadheads, and could see easily 25-30 shows a year without traveling. Also, ticket prices were a bargain back then!
I still go to lots of live music shows ( I’ve seen maybe 1000+ not including those Dead shows, I’d guess), although the pandemic has put a crimp in it, to say the least. Most recently, last month I saw a wonderful Patti Smith show at the Henry Miller Library in Big Sur, outdoors surrounded by redwoods. Later this month, I’ll be going to a “Dead adjacent” show at Frost Amphitheater on the Stanford campus, with my old show buddies and my son.
Some other memorable shows that come to immediately to mind: Joan Baez and Bob Dylan at the Masonic Auditorium in SF in 1964 for my 14th birthday (thanks, mom and dad!). The Jefferson Airplane ( (original lineup) at the Berkeley Folk Festival in 1966. The Byrds in ‘66 at my high school auditorium in Berkeley. Tom Petty at the Fillmore, several times; I also got to see his band Mudcrutch there. Patti Smith at the Fillmore on her birthday. The Rolling Stones in ‘73 in San Diego. Springsteen at Winterland in ‘78.
Any other Deadheads out there?

Most memorable was Rod Stewart at the forum. I got a cigarette burn in my eyelid from my friend dancing and waving her arms around.

Mtn, I would haved loved to have seen Heart, they were one of my faves!

I also saw Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Journey (opening with Bryan Adams), Neil Diamond and Huey Lewis and the News. My cigarette waving friend was in love with Huey Lewis, lol.

Oh yes, Chicago, loved them!

Stones, no contest. It was spectacular. Nothing could top it for me.

Paul McCartney in ’14. Great show.

The Doobie Brothers … they’re awesome live.

Boston/Aerosmith at the Texxas Jam in ’87 … Brad Delp singing for Boston. Amazing.

Boston again, a few years ago. Tom Scholz is a guitar god.

Heart, twice, LOVE them.

Peter Frampton, the legend, twice. He has a degenerative disease now and can’t tour anymore. He has a precious service dog. We saw him on his farewell tour and there wasn’t a dry eye in the place when he said goodbye.

Van Halen, the very last time Eddie and Dave toured together.

Chicago, twice. Hopefully again!

Joan Jett … she never ages!

Earth, Wind, and Fire. So fun.

Crystal Gayle at Six Flags when I was a kid (late ’70s).

America … they sounded great.

Styx.

Steve Miller.

ETA: Every summer, the Fort Worth Botanic Garden does Concerts in the Garden, with great cover bands of classic rock. It’s so much fun — everyone brings elaborate dinners and cocktails, and we all set up on the lawn. Very fun concerts.

In June 1972, within a three week period, at the Seattle Center Arena, I saw The Eagles open for Jethro Tull, Stevie Wonder open for the Rolling Stones and Led Zepplin. All were memorable but LZ was my favorite.

WOW, jrb.

I so envy those of you who saw these bands in the ’70s. So jealous!

None as a teen....Beach Boys, Natalie Cole, Roseanne Cash, Alison Krause, Sarah Brightman, Pink Martini as an adult....

Oh, yeah, I also saw the Beatles at the Cow Palace in 1964. We all screamed our heads off, as was expected.

Oh, geez. I've been to so many concerts, and ALL are memorable. Whether it be because it was the first, the person/people I was with, the people I saw or the music and the way it made me feel!

First concert, I was in JH. Bob Segar and the Silver Bullet Band headlined, with Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and another band. Paul Revere and the Raiders.

During HS - Peter Frampton, KISS, Boston, Foreigner, Journey, Kansas, Heart, Styx, Elton John, Eagles, Sting and the Police, Alice Cooper., Steve Miller Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd.... I'm sure there was more.

Took our youngest daughter to Back Street Boys, and NSYNC in the 90s. During that time DH and I went to see Eagles twice, Elton John, Sting. Went to see Garth Brooks with my mother and sister. Never a country music fan (half a minute is all I can take) but it was his (first) fairwell tour. He ended it with American Pie, so it was worth it.

DH and I started going to concerts again about 10yrs ago. Went to Vegas to see Queen with Adam Lambert (amazing show). The night before Queen, I dragged DH to see Donnie & Marie. Laugh all you want but it was a fun concert! Even DH had a good time. On another trip to Vegas we saw Eagles Hotel California (the first night it was played anywhere) Not the same w/o Glenn, but Deacon Frey and Vince Gill were good choices to include. I've seen Eagles five times. We were suppose to see Aerosmith the night before, but Steven canceled. >:(

Another favorite place to go to concerts is Biloxi. We've been numerous times to see Styx and Foreigner. Did a meet and greet (only tickets available) to Heart. Also Boz Scaggs (DH huge fan). We've seen Boz probably 4 times, but not all in MS. A really fun single along concert was The Monkees with Mickey and Peter. We had tickets to go see Mickey and Mike, but the pandemic came along. Others concerts there Frankie Valli - 80+ yrs old and still had it. DH kept joking we were the youngest people there. Another sing along concert. LOL DGS loves Styx and we had tickets to take him to his first concert there, but again... pandemic. Glad we didn't tell him we had tickets! Oh, Alice Cooper a few years ago, and Kevin Sorbo sat in front of us. He and Vincent are friends and play golf together. That's a concert to go for people watching since many show up in costume.

Oh, cannot forget America x 3. The last one was my favorite. Their 50th Anniversary Tour. Steely Dan, another DH favorite. Steve Miller Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd. We easily missed 8 concerts due to CV, including Sting in Vegas.

ETA: My sister loves concerts too. We went to see KISS two years ago, and Backstreet Boys. Both were so much fun! Good music and talent never dies.

How could I forget Fleetwood Mac?! Huey Lewis and the News, Hall & Oates, James Taylor, Jackson Browne... and Jeff Lynne/ELO in ATL a few years ago.

I'm not a big concert fan, but my first concert was Aerosmith in 1975. I remember our parents dropping us off (4 14yo girls) near the Providence Civic Center and picking us up after. I wonder if parents would dare do that today!

Chinacatpeekin, another Deadhead here. When my son was in eighth grade, I think, I took him to RFK stadium because his first concert just had to be the Grateful Dead. There was the added bonus of Traffic opening for them. The next year, he went again with Dylan opening. Happy mom.

I think one of my favorite shows was Emerson, Lake, and Palmer in Paris when they did an acoustic version of Luck Man and I was in love with a wonderful French boy. Sigh.

So many great concerts-Janis Joplin, George Harrison (Concert for Bangladesh), Jefferson Airplane, Pink Floyd, Chicago, Country Joe and the Fish, Leon Russel, BB King at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia and I could have reached out and touched him, Jethro Tull, Beach Boys, Stevie Wonder at the Valley Forge Music Fair, The Byrds, Leontyne Price, Graham Nash, Little Richard, Canned Heat, Butterfield Blues Band, Jerry Jeff Walker, Allman Brothers, gosh, so many. Probably why my hearing is going. The Atlantic City Pop Festival in 1969 was absolutely incredible. We used to go to lots of concerts at Duke University and Chapel Hill when I was in college at Wake Forest. My mother wouldn't let me go to Woodstock a few weeks later. Humph.

Still, my heart belongs to the Dead...and that French boy.

Mtn, DS1 went to a Perry Como concert when he was last touring. It's been awhile but DS1 is huge fan now.

China, I saw Joan Baez and Bob Dylan too, I think it was the mid-70s. I could listen to Joan sing acapella all day long. I think Roger McGuinn of the Byrds was with them.

I had front row to George Carlin at Tulsa Univ, in a smallish classroom. Split a gut laughing.

Mom was an accountant at a radio station in Tulsa and she gave me front row seats at the civic center to The Temptations. My gosh. They were dressed all in white, dancing back and forth & singing in perfect harmony.

This is a concert that I still think about and makes me smile mischievously. In college we saw Waylon Jennings and Jessi Coulter. I played Jesse's albums al the time.

6,000 people there and somehow we got front row seats which were pretty darn close to the stage. Well, one of the hot guitarists was standing on stage right in front of me and he kept staring at me and it got uncomfortable, but in a good way. I kind of stared back until DH noticed.

A girl needs a little boost of self-esteem, right?

BTW, I had to look up "Mischievously" so I could spell it right, and here's one of the definitions.

1. In a way that shows a fondness for causing trouble in a playful way. "She met his eyes and smiled mischievously." Oh yeah baby.

I went to many popular bands concerts when a teen/young adult. As a mature woman I haven’t been that often. The last concert I went to was several years ago, we saw Rod Stewart. If not for the incredable backup singer I would have been greatly disappointed.

Hands down my absolute favorite concert was Elton John. He hardly took a break the whole time. Granted this was the early eighties when he had a certain like of a powdery substance. My second favorite was J Geils. What a blast that group was. The entire concert hall was singing along to ”I see your hiney, its nice and shiny”. Not a person in their seat during Whammer Jammer https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ASF5CpqP6HY

So many years, so many concerts, so much fun. Lots of wondeful memories. Agree ticket prices were so much more affordable back then. I went to concert and club shows all the time. As far as memorable, my most memorable concert was my first concert with friends, no parents, Beach Boys and America at Anaheim Stadium. They did body searches, then we got in and there were people with over 2 foot bongs, could never figure that out, Then Queen at the Forum, it was close to Christmas and Freddie arrived in Santa's bag. Loved it, I was so into Queen. Fleetwood Mac, Tusk tour, with the USC marching band. Fleetwood Mac was good, but the USC band made it into an concert I will never forget. California Jam II was also pretty interesting. A huge festival show at Ontario Speedway, estimated an unbelievable 300,000 - 350, 000 attendees, many gate crashers.. We had a great spot and the music was good considering the venue, but getting to the bathroom was quite the challenge. I think it took me two hours just to get to the line. Thank goodness I had a strong bladder back then.

My most recent concert is up there as well. A couple of weeks ago, I saw Keith Urban at Caesar's, in what I understand was his first concent since everything was shut down. He was just so happy to be there, he never stopped smiling and thanking the audience for being there, a wonderful show. My first post-covid concert, a surprise birthday gift to me.

Probably my most memorable musical shows, were at clubs rather than concert venues. Carmine Appice's show at the Whisky a Go-Go, while Carmine's music was good, the memorable part of the night was that the club was filled with popular musicians of the time, Rod Stewart, Eddie Money, Mick Fleetwood and many others. It made my year. I also saw Motley Crue's first show ever, at a club called the Starwood in West Hollywood. I went to see them as I had really liked the band Nikki Sixx was in before Motley Crue, London. Was not nearly as big on The Crue, but fun history. Also, Social Distortion, they played in my backyard, before they were anybody. I went to school with most of the guys in the band, Dennis Danell the guitar player, lived two houses away from me. He was a good friend of my brother.

My saddest concert in memory was Tom Petty's last show at the Hollywood Bowl. One of my best girl friend's always had a huge thing for Tom Petty, she had recently passed away from brain cancer. I really went to the concert more for her and then it turned out to be his last concert, he passed away just over a week later.

Thank you for the topic, nice to look back on all of these wonderful music moments.

Tampa, Janis Joplin when she got arrested.

Tampa Stadium, Led Zepplin, when it stormed, the band left the stage and a riot broke out. It was many years before concerts were allowed back at the stadium.

And many other concerts without too many incidents. A grand time was when we were invited to a “Four Seasons” rehearsal. Audience of 7.

The most memorable was the one I didn’t go to. I was given a ticket to The Beatles 1964 concert in Jacksonville. My parents wouldn’t let me take the greyhound bus from Tampa to attend. I was 14.

eta: some more great concerts were….Cher, Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, Billy Joel, Jimmy Buffet, Tom Petty, Huey Lewis, early Beach Boys, The Rascals, The Association, Dave Clark 5, and many more.

One of the first concerts we took our kids to was Donny & Marie.

Not what you want to hear, but in my early twenties a friend and I went to see this classical pianist and I don't even remember his name anymore, and he kept flipping his hair and lifting his fingers in the most dramatic, pretentious, showy manner that we were overcome with histrionic laughter that we had to stifle for an hour and a half. Still memorable

Bumble, when I was a little girl if Liberace was on tv I'd stop playing and watch. I would have given almost anything to see him in concert.

This is when he had me at "hello." lol I kept watching him until he passed away.

JT, I was the same. Once we left OU in Norman, OK, home to the great OU Sooners, BOOMER!!, we beat Kansas State today....ANYHOW, we moved here and I started having babies, DH was working in downtown OKC and we were just too pooped to go back to OKC for concerts.

I just remembered and I know I posted this before but the memories of our college days and meeting our two best friends for life are the best memories I have. Hooked up with them last year.

Mountain Smoke was started in OK, and it was how Vince Gill and David Coe, not David Allen Coe, got their start. On weekends we'd play Bridge at David's house, he was living with my BFF, after Mountain Smoke played at a bar in Norman. We were all babies.

Vince went on to be Vince, and David joined Michael Martin Murphy's band, and now lives in Nashville and plays, and teaches fiddle. He and I attempted a fiddle/piano duet at my house one night. I bombed. :)

Long story short, David hosted our wedding celebration at his house, and all of the band members below was there.

Listen to the song, this is what helped Vince become famous. David is on the fiddle.

Vince is the lead vocal.

As you know, we go to many, many concerts. It’s probably our #1 entertainment expense.

First concert: KISS Destroyer 1976

Second concert: Van Halen II tour

Others from HS; Styx Pieces of Eight tour, Billy Joel Glass Houses

Other 80’s: REM at Buffalo State college, The Cult and the Divinyls Beacon Theater NYC, David Bowie at CN stadium Toronto, Also in Toronto: The Cure, Depeche Mode, The Who first final tour (LOL), More in Buffalo: Queen with Freddie (only played Buffalo once), Stray Cats, INXS at a club (won a contest and got to have dinner with the band beforehand), Prince Purple Rain tour and Prince last played here in 2011.

90’s Nirvana at SUNY Buffalo, The Offspring, KISS Reunion Tour, Cheap Trick and Stone Temple Pilots, Garbage on MTV campus invasion tour, Hole played our campus too. Bush, No Doubt, and the Goo Goo Dolls,

KISS Symphony show in Melbourne, Australia 2003

More recent: Garbage, Ghost, Iron Maiden, Badflower, Highly Suspect, Bones UK, Fever 333, In this Moment, Atreyu, Heart, Rolling Stones, and there were over 100 bands at the festival we went to a few weeks back.

Coming up: Alice Cooper and Ace Frehley, Slipknot, Atreyu, Starset, Ghost with Volbeat and Twin Temple

The Beatles - 1966, Candlestick Park, SF. The band's last public concert. Opening act: The Ronettes (Be My Baby). That summer they released Revolver, with sitar and psychedelia. But the sound system at Candlestick only accommodated the older rock songs.

Among the most memorable concerts -- Pharoah Sanders, Abby Lincoln, Dylan and the Band, Pink Floyd, Emily Lou Harris and the Hot Band, Fleetwood Mac.

And Goran Bregovic and His Wedding and Funeral Band -- felt like every Serb in the city was dancing in the aisles of UCLA's Royce Hall.

Gscience!!! Look what I found last night. Amazing!

Watch it!

Not rock, but another memorable concert was Vladimir Horowitz’ final tour. I skipped a high school band performance to go and got an F. Totally worth it.

Ive been to so many concerts-- not sure which stand out as most memorable because they are all special-- if not for the music, for the company.

My first concert was Chicago at 14. In my younger years I saw Grateful Dead a number of times, Flock of Seagulls, Bangles, Carlos Santana, Three Dog Night, Beach Boys, Bonnie Raitt, Fleetwood Mac, Neil Young, Boz Scaggs, Jackson Browne, Steve Winwood, Warren Zevon, Eagles, Bob Dylan ... and a bunch of others I am sure I have forgotten.

In my late 30s, 40s and 50s, I tended towards smaller, more intimate concerts-- Patti Griffith, Jonatha Brooke, Lyle Lovett, Buddy Guy, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Emmylou Harris... and a number of lessor known but wonderful artists.

Perhaps the most memorable wasn't a concert-- but seeing Tracy Chapman perform on the streets in Cambridge in the early to mid 80s just a year before she became well known for Fast Car.

Another stand out was seeing Michael Hedges-- perhaps the most amazing artist I've seen in person, in a small venue (twice). His performances took me out of my head. An artist lost way too early in his career (car accident).

I just remembered another memorable time, although it wasnt the concert itself, The Who pre-concert parking area was like being in another world. It was bazaar. It seemed people brought part of their meager living rooms. I remember seeing a lot of colorful sheets used to section off boundries.

I have definitely seem some major concerts, and not to snark too much but some of the majors were less memorable than I expected. (Billy Joel does put on a great show, but he is so staged and his impromptu banter is well done- but rehearsed and identical on subsequent and prior nights).

I saw Sir Paul about 5 years ago for the first time, and puts on a concert. I think he might be the best of the best of the best.

I remember seeing Santana back in the early 70's and that was a great concert. One of the group actually fell but the music continued seamlessly!

I saw Bruce Springsteen back in the early to mid 70's and he was super energetic.

Linda Ronstadt was great but not very engaging. I think she came across as rather shy.

I did see the Doors (!) at the Felt Forum when I was about 15. I was just in awe of being there so I don't remember too much of the actual concert.

I am sure I will think of some others when I hit submit.

My first as a tween at the LA Forum, the Osmond Live Album was recorded as we SCREAMED along. Cher gives a concert that is beyond spectacular. Whitney Houston's was good as well but it was a surprise to learn the gal had no rhythm.

Anyone here familiar with Delaney & Bonnie? I saw them at a smallish outdoor concert in Tulsa which was the first time I'd heard of them, and went out and bought their album immediately.

Life went on I didn't keep up with their music. I was a big Roseanne show fan, until it got weird. One night while watching, the waitress on the show whose name was Bonnie, started singing. I nearly fainted. I'd recognize that voice anywhere. It was Bonnie Bramlett the whole time!

This is how I found out Bonnie had been on Roseanne.

I've been thinking about this question and had a call tonight from a long time friend with whom I attended many, many concerts. I asked her what her favorite concert of all time was and she came up with the exact same one I was thinking. There used to be concerts on a pier in downtown Seattle - big names appearing, with the backdrop of Elliott Bay (Puget Sound) and the Olympic mountains beyond. Always in the summer, when the weather was divine. The evenings are long here in the summer; it's often not totally dark until 10 p.m.

We went to see Joan Baez on the pier, probably in the late 1980's early 90's. I was never a fan of hers when she first became popular, but loved her as she and her voice and music matured. The night in question was a balmy August night and as she sang, a huge full moon rose in the sky behind her. It was truly magical. And the bonus was her son sat in the seats right in front of us and she came back to say hello to him and his friends before the concert started. (We had great seats)!

We are currently holding tickets to upcoming shows Genesis, James Taylor/Jackson Browne, and Elton John. I can’t count the number of times I have seen Elton John, with my first around 1971. My favorite was when he was with Billy Joel. Fantastic! I also loved Moody Blues the first time I saw them, but the second was in a much smaller venue, and they were just too loud (or maybe I was just too old???)

@deeinohio DH always puts something in his ears. He already needs/wears hearing aids and doen't need to loose more hearing. Mine has gotten worse since we started attending more concerts. Sometimes would have something to cut down noise, but not always. From now on I will though.

Would love to see Genesis. I was a huge Genesis/Phil Collins fan in the 90s. Saw Phil in Bham. One of the best concerts I've been to.

Journey 1978(?) was my first and terrific. The Police in 1983 made a big impression and I have seen Sting several times since. DH's first and only career has been broadcasting so we always had great tickets for everything that came through town.

Lizzie, before Alison Kraus and Union Station were known outside of the bluegrass circuit we were walking through a festival and her voice stopped me in my tracks. We've seen her in concert a few times, her voice is amazing.

How could I forget U2 on their first tour in 1981 at a local club for $4!

Anyone wanting to see Genesis, Phil Collins sits in a lounge chair and sings. His son plays drums. So, if you are expecting him to play drums, he hasn’t been able to do that for quite some time. But apparently his voice is still pretty good.

I saw an interview online of Phil and it showed his son playing the drums. Don't you know he would love to still be playing.

Yes, we saw Phil Collins a couple of years ago, and his son was playing then, with Phil on a stool.

National treasure Patti Smith played a concert today at the Pantheon in Paris, and I find that a memorable vision, although sadly I wasn’t there.

Ooh just reminded me in the mid seventies ( my best guess- 74-76) I saw Patti Smith in some very very small venue which might have been a basement of someplace. She spoke quite a bit and I can recall she said that Baudelaire was the first Rastafarian. It was all over my head, but I knew I was witnessing someone very special.

I also remember seeing Bette Midler at the Copacabana maybe a year after I saw Patti Smith. I was absolutely astounded at her energy. She really put on an amazing show and the venue was really small enough to have real banter going on with the audience. She was so sharp and quick- kind of how she comes across but it was so authentic.

I went to A LOT of concerts in the 70’s and 80’s - Springsteen, Stones, etc - and fewer after that. I’ve never been a fan of concerts in gigantic venues where you’re far away and the volume is deafening - even in my younger days. Some of the more recent and more enjoyable small venue concerts that come to mind include Boz Scaggs, John Prine, Linda Ronstadt, Van Morrison and David Gray.

I was at a horse show in Abilene, Texas in 1987 and Reba McEntire was scheduled to play. We were excited to see her.

I was at the salad bar in a local restaurant the day before … kept bumping elbows with the woman next to me. Looked over at her, it was Reba McEntire.

I very astutely said, ”You’re Reba McEntire!” She smiled and said, yup, that’s me!

Super nice and friendly lady (very cutely freckled up close) — I’m sure she still remembers the well-spoken 18 yr old from the salad bar.