Concert veterans unite!

[theryugobuddy]

I think most shows I went to in High school were $5-$7, and I was shocked that Led Zeppelin charged $11 in 1977 for the Presence tour. Highway robbery!

They rocked the house--and Jimmy played like a God all over the fretboard-

Oh I remembered a few more

Sunfest in West Palm- Fleetwood Mac, Ray Charles, Lyle Mays, Carol King, Rickie Lee Jones, Widespread Panic, Jimmy Buffet and Little Feat, Earth, Wind and Fire, Bela Fleck, Richard Elliott, Patti Austin, and ..Traffic.

Blues Fests: B.B.King, North Mississippi All-Stars, Buddy Guy, Ike Turner, Derek Trucks,

Jazz Fests: Joshua Redman, Tito Puente, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Rippingtons, Ramsey Lewis

Eddy Money, Boston (I passed out after the first song--little too much rum) , Dio (great show), Hootie and the Blowfish, and, probably the best show of all --Bruce Springsteen at the Orange Bowl for the "Born in the USA" tour--

Man--makes me tired! That's alot of chemicals, head slammin, and singin' along--

[SCOOTERDOG]

Oh Man how could I have forget the Boss! I think it was

around 84-85 saw him at the Oakland Coliseum.

You also mentioned Jimmy Buffet, saw him after a Giants Baseball game! Margaritaville all the way!

And no I am not going to strain my brain anymore.

I wuld have to be drug induced to remember the rest. Oh come to think

of it that may be I don't remember some...never mind

[Audible Nectar]

If not for my concert hobby, I probably would not be here on this forum. My addiction to Klipsch was born from my years of attending concerts - and my search for a speaker that would duplicate the sound and feel of being at a live show.

So, lessee - my first show: REO Speedwagon, The Cars, Head East, and Ian Hunter at the Rockford Speedway in the summer of 1979. I was thirteen, had to beg the sisters and older kids to tag along. Had to get Mom to spring for the $17.50 to go (which was an expensive ticket in those days). REO was BIG back then.....

In high school, I had a friend who worked for a Rockford radio station, who got us more free concert tickets than we could use. You name the genre, we got tickets for it. Everything from Alabama and the Oak Ridge Boys to Def Leppard (like HIGH AND DRY era Def Leppard) and Van Halen....and everything in between. I probably saw 40 concerts before I graduated high school.

Best concert of my high school years: QUEEN, without a doubt. The last US tour this band did was in 1982, and looking back, I am still amazed that I got to see this. I had no idea as to the rarity of that performance, especially given that it was in the US.

But this was all "minor leagues" compared to the world I was about to discover in the summer of 1985. During my Freshman year in college, I found out about an old band whose name I recognized from Alpine Valley Music Theatre ads from their appearances there each summer. It seemed that about a third of the campus had a specific tape rack for a specific band's live concerts. That band was The Grateful Dead.

To make a longer story shorter, I would see the Grateful Dead 90 times in the next ten years. I would be afflicted with the same tape collecting and travelling disease that the Deadheads became known for - a disease for which I sought no cure. For me, the Grateful Dead was the quintessential American rock band.....no musical entity represented what America means to me more than The Dead: freedom of thought, expression and art, the spirit of discovery, and THE PEOPLE. The strongest of bonds have been formed by way of my travels with the Grateful Dead - bonds that still last until this day. "Strangers stopping strangers, just to shake their hands". It was a different kind of post secondary education, where I began to discover just who I was, in an environment where everyone else was doing the same. Doctors, lawyers, fast food workers, collegians, trust fund kids and transient hippies were all on the same level and space.....

Since I am a believer in the "variety is the spice of life" mantra, I also saw the requisite list of bands in the late '80's and 90's:

Crosby Stills and Nash (4 times - and once with Neil. Saw Neil solo 3 times as well)

Peter Gabriel (3 times)

Pink Floyd (4 times - yes, Rogerless, but nevertheless an OUTSTANDING show. Saw Roger as well - and was outstanding)

The Who (3 times)

The Rolling Stones (4 times, including a club show at the Aragon in Chicago)

Van Halen (4 times - 1 Dave, 3 Sammy)

Dire Straits

Jimmy Buffett (3 times. More alcohol per capita consumed here than at any show)

KISS (everyone should see the original once)

King Crimson

Dave Matthews Band

Bob Dylan

Tom Petty

U2 (3 times)

....and many others whom I'm not recalling immediately, but it gives ya an idea.

The passing of Jerry Garcia brought a shift in the musical diet - at least in reference to the concert scene. A particular band "getting pub" in Grateful Dead parking lots was getting a LOT of buzz - and a lot of rear window and bumper space. I had heard the music, and thought it interesting - but did not afford myself the time to see for myself until the GD had quit touring. I finally got that chance on October 31, 1995 - Halloween night - a night that served to make Halloween one of my favorite holidaze.

The band was Phish, and with a twist: A Halloween "musical costume", where the band would perform a 3 set show with the middle set being another band's album. After a first set chocked full of rarities, stories, and teasing the crowd over the album choice, the band returned to the stage to the pumping sounds of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" - a fakeout - then I hear the sounds of crashing waves. Then a distant voice......"reign o'er me".... as I piece together that this will be The Who's "Quadrophenia". As the band ripped through a ninety minute version (complete with horn section), I come to realize that this band will own a portion of my wallet for the forseeable future. And they did.....another 50 concerts with Phish alone, including my wedding and two festivals: One at a BRAC'd air force base in Limestone, Maine, and the December 30-31st, 1999 festival at Big Cypress Indian Reservation in South Florida.

While most were sweating Y2K, we were in South Florida, more prepared than FEMA: Generators and infrastructure for 100,000 people - our own "city", complete with enough food, beer, water, and ice for 4 days in the everglades. Our power wasn't going out [] and if the world did come to a stop, we were exactly where we wanted to be. Since the world didn't stop, Phish treated us to a midnight to sunrise set - a 7 plus hour journey (this following 4 sets over the prior two days) to the first sunrise of 2000. Not a bad way to start the new millennium (assuming that's when it starts, hehe)[]

Big Cypress was the "crown jewel" in Phish's career, an event that seemed impossible to beat. It was the beginning of the end for Phish, as it seemed they did lose their drive following this. There was little left to say after that. The band recognized this as well, and went into a "hiatus" - a break to rejuvenate and retool - during which time I again sought - and found - greener pastures.

Having airline credits from that Big Cypress trip that needed to be used by March's end, we took a "Grateful Dead" reunion weekend of sorts - Phil Lesh's 60th birthday party in Oakland, Ca. It was our first trip to the bay area, so it was a chance to see the requisite sights and meet new folks. However, since the Phil Lesh concert was only one night, we sought to fill the trip with another show or two. We found out about a two night stand in a little hideaway in northern California, in the heart of the redwoods in Humboldt County. I had never heard the band before, but had been told by friends: "Trust me. You'll be glad you went". So we make the 4 hour drive north of San Francisco to a little town in the redwoods, where we check into a 20 room mini-lodge. The first thing I see in the parking lot is a Honda Civic with a license plate:

SCI JOY

The band has set up shop in a small gymnasium, with an expected attendance of 500 people (and 50 DAT recorders hooked up to the soundboard), all to see an acoustic/electric combo featuring a fiddle/electric mandolin player as "lead guitar", a flat pickin' *** kickin' bluegrass songwriter, and a keyboard player who is affectionately known as an alien. That band was the String Cheese Incident.

John Barlow, lyricist for the Grateful Dead, dubbed them "Grateful Dead version 2.0". It was easy to see why he would have that opinion. We were 3 songs in, and my friends are looking at me saying "these guys ROCK". If the Grateful Dead expressed as a band was a VW bus, SCI would be a hybrid between a VW bus and the Starship Enterprise - a more "polished" vehicle. No one else can take you from Earth to another galaxy and back like SCI. And much like the GD, they had an running undercurrent of that "family" feel, whose energy and expression is all about spiritual beings having human experiences. Whereas the GD could literally scare the hell out of you at times, SCI stays on the more hopeful side of life - an antidote to civilization, if you will.

I'm still riding that vehicle (53 gigs), and am also enjoying the following current crop of artists:

Umphrey's McGee (these guys are gonna get big).

Sound Tribe Sector Nine

New Monsoon

Railroad Earth

Medeski Martin and Wood

Signal Path

Klipsch are my method of experiencing those live sounds at home. As I stated at the beginning of this post, it's ultimately why I am here - my love for live music.

[theryugobuddy]

AudiNec--

Great post--

You got any good SCI CDs?

[skonopa]

In high school, I had a friend who

worked for a Rockford radio station, who got us more free concert

tickets than we could use. You name the genre, we got tickets for it.

Everything from Alabama and the Oak Ridge Boys to Def Leppard (like

HIGH AND DRY era Def Leppard) and Van Halen....and everything in

between. I probably saw 40 concerts before I graduated high

school.

Did that station happen to be WZOK? Yes, I am originally from Beloit, WI and remember listening to that as a kid!

Anyway - just stuck another big feather in my cap for concerts! I

just got back from Atlanta, GA where I saw ProgPower USA VI! Un-friggan-believable! Ten totally awesome bands over two days! For me! Talk about a kid in a candy store here!

The bands (in order they appeared!)

Friday night:

Manticora

Circus Maximus

Orphaned Land

Conception

Angra

Saturday night:

Stride

Symphorce

Pink Cream 69

Therion

Stratovarius

Later tonight, I'll have to post more detailed report in this section

on the band (as well as a few of the pictures I managed to get before

the damn battery in my camera died! [:@]). Now, I got some 20+

CDs to listen to (not to mention all the free samples, including one

very impressive three CD set just loaded with music that was given as part of admission!).

[Born2RockU]

Friday night:

Manticora

Circus Maximus

Orphaned Land

Conception

Angra

Saturday night:

Stride

Symphorce

Pink Cream 69

Therion

Stratovarius

---------------------------------------------------

Skonopa:

The drummer from Stride, Matt Kansler, was one of my client/students about 8 years ago. How did they do ? They are all my close friends from Houston.

I would have loved to be their at P.P.6 to see Circus Maximus, Angra, Link Cream 69 and, of course, Stratovarius.

What band was your favorite???

~Rock On,

Craig LeMay

---------------------------------------------------

[skonopa]

Skonopa:

The drummer from Stride, Matt Kansler, was one of my

client/students about 8 years ago. How did they do ?

They are all my close friends from Houston.

I

would have loved to be their at P.P.6 to see Circus

Maximus, Angra, Link Cream 69 and, of course, Stratovarius.

What band was your favorite???

~Rock On,

Craig LeMay

Stride was friggan awesome! I wish my camera did not die, because

I'd live to have gotten a picture of them in action for you! I am

the proud owner of there new CD, which was on sale at the show.

I've not had the chance to spin it yet on my system, but if it was

anything like thier show, I will definitly be for one hell of a

ride! Damn, Matt Kansler was your student?! Geez, I can

only imagine how friggan awesome you have to be on the drums! I

just did a Google search on your name. I see that you are now a drummer

for some outfit called Krucible. In that picture on that site's

front page, which one are you? I'd love to hear some of your

material (never mind, I found your demo's - friggan SWEET!!!!!

Any CDs on the horizon?). Man, I'd love to learn to play an

intstrument! I tried my hand at keyboards, but geez, the time and

patience it takes to truly get good at it!

What band was my favorite? Ho boy! That is a toughy.

I've also been a long time fan of Stratovarius, so there was no doubt

that I was stoked to see them live. Orphaned Land was quite the

surprise, though. Circus Maximus has a really great, clean

progressive sound, with some truly epic parts in, which I absolutly

love. I am so looking forward to hearing this CD as well.

What is my favorite? Going into the show, it was probably

Stratovarius, but coming out of the show, I don't know. This was

such an eye (and ear) opening experience for me. To find just how

much material and how many truly awesome bands out there that I've yet

to even listen to. A truly whole new world of music for me to

explore. At this point, I've pretty much given up on the so

called "mainstream" acts that you constantly hear on the local FM radio

stations.

I am going to try my damndest to try to go to next years ProgPower USA event.

At the time you posted your message, I started a thread "ProgPower USA

VI - Un-Friggan-Believable", where I tried to go into much more detail

of my impressions of the show and the bands that performed there.

Play it HARD! Play it LOUD!

[Born2RockU]

Skonopa:

The drummer from Stride, Matt Kansler, was one of my client/students about 8 years ago. How did they do ? They are all my close friends from Houston.

I would have loved to be their at P.P.6 to see Circus Maximus, Angra, Link Cream 69 and, of course, Stratovarius.

What band was your favorite???

~Rock On,

Craig LeMay

Stride was friggan awesome! I wish my camera did not die, because I'd live to have gotten a picture of them in action for you! I am the proud owner of there new CD, which was on sale at the show. I've not had the chance to spin it yet on my system, but if it was anything like thier show, I will definitly be for one hell of a ride! Damn, Matt Kansler was your student?! Geez, I can only imagine how friggan awesome you have to be on the drums! I just did a Google search on your name. I see that you are now a drummer for some outfit called Krucible. In that picture on that site's front page, which one are you? I'd love to hear some of your material (never mind, I found your demo's - friggan SWEET!!!!! Any CDs on the horizon?). Man, I'd love to learn to play an intstrument! I tried my hand at keyboards, but geez, the time and patience it takes to truly get good at it!

What band was my favorite? Ho boy! That is a toughy. I've also been a long time fan of Stratovarius, so there was no doubt that I was stoked to see them live. Orphaned Land was quite the surprise, though. Circus Maximus has a really great, clean progressive sound, with some truly epic parts in, which I absolutly love. I am so looking forward to hearing this CD as well.

What is my favorite? Going into the show, it was probably Stratovarius, but coming out of the show, I don't know. This was such an eye (and ear) opening experience for me. To find just how much material and how many truly awesome bands out there that I've yet to even listen to. A truly whole new world of music for me to explore. At this point, I've pretty much given up on the so called "mainstream" acts that you constantly hear on the local FM radio stations.

I am going to try my damndest to try to go to next years ProgPower USA event.

At the time you posted your message, I started a thread "ProgPower USA VI - Un-Friggan-Believable", where I tried to go into much more detail of my impressions of the show and the bands that performed there.

Play it HARD! Play it LOUD!

skonopa:

Sounds like I missed out on a Great ProgPower event. I have attended many in the past, but I just returned from a 17-day tour of Japan,Singapore and Indonesia 7 days ago. I will probably attend next years event in Atlanta.

I will now go check out your ProgPower USA thread.

ps- forget all the mainstream music...stay w/ prog music , it is what energetic melodic music all about !

Rock On,

Craig LeMay

--------------------------------------

[Born2RockU]

skonopa:

I forgot to mention.

I am the 4th person from the left in the Krucible band photo.

http://www.krucibleband.com/zlotz/index.html

I am also in the Queensryche tribute band, MINDCRIME ! .

..hit my WWW link at the BOTTOM of this thread for my MINDCRIME info !

Rock On,

Craig LeMay

[skonopa]

skonopa:

I am the 4th person from the left in the Krucible band photo.

http://www.krucibleband.com/zlotz/index.html

Rock On,

Craig LeMay

Looks like you have an "Evergrey" T-shirt on in that picture. Cool that I know can put a face to the name.

I hope you do come to ProgPower next year. I am planning on going

(saving up the cash now!). I hope to get to meet you there.

17-day tour in Japan, Singapore, and Indonesia, eh? That had to

been awesome! Anytime you'll get to play Jaxx just up here in

Springfield, VA? If so, FRIGGAN LET ME KNOW!!!

I'll be there like a fly on a dog turd! Would love to see you

guys perform (and get to meet you in person, no less!). So

awesome to find people on here that are into prog/power, let alone

somebody that actually plays in a band! From what I heard on your demo clips - ho boy - you guys must be friggan awesome live!

And yes, I have every intention of sticking to prog/power music!

Not that I still like to go back and listen to some of my old Styx,

Asia, Pink Floyd, and Rush, and of course, Queensryche, stuff,

though. Lets just say I am probably the only one that did not buy

that new Cold Play CD. I've listened to it and thought it was

alright, but just did not "do anything" for me. Would rather rock

out to Dream Theater's latest anyway!

Play it HARD! Play it LOUD!

[Born2RockU]

SKONOPA:

I am glad you are excited about my bands demo. I take you haven't my other band ,Big Left Turn , cd titiled "Dreamship"? http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/490641/ShowPost.aspx

...Let me know if ya want one, after reading the above thread. I'll get one out to ya.

I am constantly in the studio recording w/ other project but mainly staying focused on my MINDCRIME band, ... since I am getting ready to release a drum transcription book w/ Scott Rockenfield, Queensryches drummer.

Scott asked me to do his drum books for him. I got a writing team together and we got Scott a 3 book deal w/ a publisher out of New York, ...Carl Fisher Publishing . I just finished 20 transcriptions for the first of three books to be titled The History of Queensryche drumming ( I think this will be the title). My editor and typecaser is doing the interviews as we speak. The book will be out in time for Christmas and the Winter NAMM show in Anaheim,Ca.. So after this drum book release I will be promoting this book in line w/ future concert that I perform w/ MINDCRIME.

I'd love to meet ya in the future.

Rock On,

Craig LeMay

[itsawomanthing]

In response to Scooterdog's massive concert listing:

Good Lord Man - you would be a millionaire if you'd saved your money!! HA! But the memories (or what you remember of our good old days) are worth more than all the money in the world!

Sounds like you've had a very healthy music filled life.

[michael hurd]

My mind is terrible sometimes, trying to remember the concerts I have been to.

The Nylons ( Grade 8 class trip to Toronto, On )

Steve Earle Thunder Bay Community Auditorium (TBCA for short)

Collective Soul TBCA

Amanda Marshall TBCA

Jann Arden TBCA

Nazareth Scuttlebutts Bar and Grill

Big Wreck Coytoe's

Kim Mitchell Warp 9

Theory of a Deadman Lakehead University Outpost ( Molson Canadian Rocks )

Loverboy Outdoor free concert @ T bay charity casino

Trooper Outdoor concert @ Old Fort William

Toronto Outdoor concert @ Old Fort William

Streetheart Outdoor concert @ Old Fort William

Glass Tiger Outdoor concert @ Old Fort William

Harlequin Outdoor concert @ Old Fort William

Prizm Outdoor concert @ Old Fort William

[itsawomanthing]

Well, I can guarantee my list is not going to be like anyone else's.

1983 - Las Vegas Hilton, Las Negas, NV - Wayne Newton

1997 - Chautauqua Institute, Chautauqua, NY - Wayne Newton

1998 - Chautauqua Institute, Chautauqua, NY - Count Basie Orchestra

2000 - Chautauqua Institute, Chautauqua, NY - Victor Borge (he died a few months afterward)

2005 - Savvis Center, St Louis, MO

- Moody

Blues

that's it - I guess I've had a very sheltered life or something []

[theryugobuddy]

Well, I can guarantee my list is not going to be like anyone else's.

1983 - Las Vegas Hilton, Las Negas, NV - Wayne Newton

1997 - Chautauqua Institute, Chautauqua, NY - Wayne Newton

1998 - Chautauqua Institute, Chautauqua, NY - Count Basie Orchestra

2000 - Chautauqua Institute, Chautauqua, NY - Victor Borge (he died a few months afterward)

2005 - Savvis Center, St Louis, MO - Moody Blues

that's it - I guess I've had a very sheltered life or something []

I thought Wayne Newton was a heck of a performer--played alot of different instruments--a great show--

[itsawomanthing]

both times I've seen him he put on a phenominal show. I wasn't

ever that much of a fan but he is the type of entertainer that isn't

found often anymore!

[sputnik]

I actually attended (got drug to) a Barry Manilow concert once. [+o(]

All of the other people there seemed to enjoy it and it did seem like

he appreciated his audience. But....[+o(]

In another weird experience, I attended a concert in Nizhniy Novgorod

(Gorky) Russia of some Russian psycho death metal band - not really much

to it but a bunch of loud gutteral noise. I asked my interpreter to

explain the lyrics and he replied "sh!t, they are literally singing

about sh!t".

On the plus side though:

Arlo Guthrie & Pete Seeger

Judy Collins (twice - I wanted to be a groupie)

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Cat Stevens

Mannheim Steamroller

The New Grass Revival

Mel Torme

Grateful Dead (twice)

Willy Nelson

Los Lobos

Oingo Boingo

The Eurythmics

Jimmy Buffett

Ferrante & Teicher

Rolling Stones

James Taylor

The Smothers Brothers

Crosby, Stills & Nash

John Prine (Todd Snider opened for him)

Arlo Guthrie (again)

String Cheese Incident

Harry Connick Jr. (way better than I thought it would be)

George Winston (twice)

A group of throat singing Tibeten monks

Baxter Black (if cowboy poets count)

Christopher Parkening

Nanci Griffith with the Crickets (the original Crickets - very cool) - Probably the best concert I ever saw.

[SCOOTERDOG]

"It's 106 miles to Chicago, we've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses."

I love the Blues Brothers! That's one of my favorite movie lines of all time!

Sweeeeet~

scooter

[skonopa]

SKONOPA:

I am glad you are excited about my bands demo. I take you haven't

(heard) my other band ,Big Left Turn , cd titiled "Dreamship"? http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/490641/ShowPost.aspx

...Let me know if ya want one, after reading the above thread. I'll get one out to ya.

Rock On,

Craig LeMay

No, I haven't heard that before. I did read that thread and also

found were somebody posted a link to Amazon.com samples. Sounds

like an interesting old-school straight-up rock-n-roll type

sound. Sure, would not mind having a copy. I'll have to go

see if my PayPal account even still works (let alone if I can remember

the password), since it has been so friggan long since I've used it.

And I am also concerned about you, after seen in the news what is expected to be coming your way. [st][]

Also to add: I've just added another concert to my "been there, done that, got the T-shirt" list.

I went up to Jaxx in Springfield, VA (about 45 minute drive north of

there - just outside of Washington, D.C.), and saw Stratovarius

again. That show was just friggan awesome (although it was the

same set played at ProgPower, but awesome to see them in an even more

intimite setting). I got whole thread coming on that one (with

some pictures).

[sputnik]

"It's 106 miles to Chicago, we've got a full

tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing

sunglasses."

I love the Blues Brothers! That's one of my favorite movie lines of all time!

Sweeeeet~

scooter

There were some gems in that movie. Check out these quotes:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080455/quotes

My favorite line was:

Elwood: "So what kind of music do you usually have here?"

Claire: "Oh, we got both kinds. We got country and western."