communication breakdown

Top 10 Concerts I Wish I Had Attended

Concerts... something that I love to go to, although I don't do it very often. Musically speaking, I tend to enjoy studio releases of songs rather than their live counterparts, because they are more polished and eliminate a lot of the irregularities and mistakes that you get with a live performance. But, every once in awhile, there is something to be said for standing shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers, in a packed venue, face-to-face with a great artist, watching them do their thing as they proceed to endanger the safety of your eardrums. Oh, and did I mention the lovely haze of marijuana?

I've been to a few good shows in my day, but I think it's more interesting to speculate about shows that I didn't go to. Here are the select few that top my all-time regret list. As always, I'd love to hear some of your own entries, as well as any comments about my own list...

But first, let me begin with a clarification. This is not merely a list of artists I wish I had seen in concert, but a specific timeframe that I would have wanted to see them - in most cases, it represents the band's prime, the height of their artistic genius. They may still be together or not, still touring or not - the point is to convey a specific point in time that would have been significantly awesome to see these artists in concert.

On to the music...

10. Radiohead (circa 1997)

Radiohead is undoubtedly one of my favorite bands of the 90's, and certainly one of the most creative and influential bands of the last decade (surpassed in influence only perhaps by U2 or Nirvana). One the most remarkable traits of Radiohead is their ability to redefine their style - something they have done with each album they have released. Just think about how hard that is to do. Six studio releases, and each one sounds completely different, and yet each one is spectacular (some might argue that Kid A and Amnesiac were throwaways, but I think they succeeded at what they were trying to do).

Radiohead's most acclaimed album is 1997's OK Computer, widely considered one of the greatest (if not the greatest) albums of the 90's. I, however, seem to be one of the few people who will argue that their best album is The Bends, released in 1995 - I think it is undoubtedly the best album of that decade. To see them tour in the late-90's, incorporating material from both of those unbelievable albums, as well as some slightly-less-amazing-but-still-great material from their first release Pablo Honey, would be quite a show. Not to mention it wouldn't have cost like $80 a ticket back then, which is probably what they are going for nowadays.

Note: As I started writing this section, a Radiohead song popped into the mp3 player. I'm telling you, these guys are amazing...

9. Orbital (c. 1992)

One of electronica's most influential groups would certainly make for a wonderful show. They are the only techno artist on this list, but rightfully so, as their shows have often been considered legendary. A combination of stellar music and specatacular laser light displays, their show would certainly have been an amazing audio-visual experience - perhaps more than anyone else on this list.

By 1992, Orbital had released their self-titled album, as well as their follow-up Orbital 2, known informally as The Brown Album, a disc which sent shockwaves through the world of techno and really opened up new avenues of publicity and possibility for the young and fledgling music genre. To see some of their all-time classics such as Chime, Halcyon+On+On, and Satan live would be simply surreal.

8. Ben Folds Five (c. 1997)

Though still touring as a solo act, with some good material under his belt, I feel Ben Folds' best days were during his time as part of this 3-man band during the 90's. Featuring a fascinating mix of upbeat piano and thoughtful lyrics, combined with the spirit of rock and roll, Ben Folds Five was undoubtedly one of the most entertaining and sincere acts of last decade.

Ben Folds Five's best album is probably their original self-titled LP from 1995, but their 1997 follow-up Whatever and Ever Amen was wildly popular, with singles like Brick and Battle Of Who Could Care Less. I imagine one of his shows would be like watching Billy Joel, but a little younger, a little angrier, and hopped up on speed. Sign me up.

7. The Beatles (c. 1967)

I'm not even the biggest Beatles fan, but how could I leave them off a list like this? Just to say I was there, it would be totally worth it. Unlike some of the other artists on this list, I don't need to recap the Beatles' career for you - anything that could be said about them already has been.

In my personal opinion, 1967 was the pinnacle of the Beatles' career. They had already released some of their greatest material, including Rubber Soul and Revolver, and had reached popularity and acclaim of superhuman proportions with the release of Sgt. Pepper. Yet this is before their truly weird stuff, much of which can be found on Magical Mystery Tour and The White Album. Names like Lennon and McCartney, and even Harrison to some extent, are absolute gods of music history. To see them in person would be an experience never worth giving up.

6. Eric Clapton (c. 1970)

One of the all-time great guitarists would certainly be a hell of a show. 1970 found him making the transition from Cream to Derek and the Dominoes, two of the great rock bands of the era. Think of the classics that would have come out of that concert - Layla, White Room, Bell Bottom Blues, After Midnight, Let It Rain, Crossroads, Sunshine Of Your Love, Strange Brew - I could go on forever. At the time he was just becoming a superstar, and was in the midst of what seemed like a decade of creative genius. I love great guitarwork, and it doesn't get much better than Clapton.

5. The Who (c. 1971)

Simply one of the greatest rock bands of all time, following their release of Who's Next, which in my opinion, is the greatest album ever made. When I listen to this album now, it blows me away - I simply cannot imagine hearing it live. The Who are one of the few bands in history where every single member of the band is stellar - including one of the best drummers ever in Keith Moon. It would be simply surreal to hear with my own ears the fusion of Townshend's rhythm guitar, Entwhistle's hard bass lines, and Moon's furious drums, with Roger Daltrey's piercing vocals over top of them all.

But most importantly, The Who were notorious for being absolutely insane on stage. Thrashing around and wailing on every instrument, it was clear that they loved rock and roll. And undoubtedly they helped their audiences to love it too.

4. Lynyrd Skynyrd (c. 1974)

I can't imagine having more fun than being at a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert. The driving force of Southern Rock, they were nothing but a pure, unadulterated rock band. Much harder and louder than their contemporaries The Allman Brothers, they have become one of my favorite groups.

1974 saw the release of their second album, Second Helping, and by this point they had created the bulk of their classic material. It was only three years later that a plane crash took the life of lead singer Ronnie Van Zant (the heart and soul of the band), along with several other key members. They were never the same again, despite the fact that remaining members still tour today. At their best, they were down-to-earth, good-ol-boy rockers with great talent. Their penchant for rocking out on stage, often for extended periods of time, would have made for quite a great show. I mean, can you imagine seeing a 15-minute rendition of Freebird, live? It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.

3. Soundgarden (c. 1994)

I seem to be one of the few people to believe that Soundgarden was unquestionably the best act to come out of the 90's era of grunge-rock. Nirvana might have opened all the doors and broken down the walls, but Soundgarden was the most talented group of the bunch. A simple look at some of their influences - Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and AC/DC, among others - reveal that they were a much harder rock band than their contemporaries. Despite having a distinct 90's feel, they were a 70's metal band trapped in modern disguises.

Led by singer Chris Cornell, who possesses one of the great music voices of all-time, they were best known for Cornell belting out passionate, angst-ridden lyrics over top of thunderous guitar rifts and drum beats. This is the kind of music I live for. I especially regret missing this concert, because they were still touring when I was growing up in Jacksonville, and I have never been able to see them live. However, I have at least seen Cornell's new band Audioslave here in Atlanta, which stands as the best concert I've ever been to. I guess that's close enough.

2. Jimi Hendrix (c. 1969)

Who do you think of when you picture a guitarist? If you've ever heard any of his work, then Hendrix springs immediately to mind. This guy was insane - he did things with a guitar that nobody then or now has been able to duplicate. I don't know if it was the drugs, or some kind of freakish genetic talent, but the guy had unbelievable game with a guitar.

His reign at the top of rock and roll was extremely brief, cut short by drugs in 1970. But by '69 he had released his two most popular albums, Are You Experienced? and Electric Ladyland, containing the bulk of his timeless work. But more significantly, 1969 was Woodstock - one of the defining moments of music history, capped off by the ridiculously amazing performance of The Star-Spangled Banner by Hendrix. Just about everyone, from then to now, has heard that performance and been amazed. True greatness doesn't come often, and when it does, it's absolutely worth trying to catch a glimpse.

1. Led Zeppelin (c. 1971)

No real surprise here. Pound for pound, probably the most talented band across-the-board (with their only competition maybe being The Who). The reasons to want to see Zeppelin are endless. Page's godlike guitar work, only surpassed in history by Hendrix. Plant's mystical and sexy vocals. Bonham and Jones' heavily underrated drum/bass combo.

By 1971, Zeppelin had released 4 studio albums, (named Led Zeppelin I-IV: the only unimaginative thing they ever did) including the bulk of their superhuman work. Most of the classics were in place - Dazed and Confused, Whole Lotta Love, Ramble On, Black Dog, and of course, Stairway to Heaven. They were one of the few bands who really transcended rock-and-roll and music in general, who seemed to be one with nature and the heavens, having found a way to create music which most people did not even understand, let alone attempt to duplicate. I've seen some of their concert footage on the Led Zeppelin DVD, and it is mind-blowing. Watching Page wrestle unbelievable music out of his guitar, with Bonzo drumming out of his mind (literally, as he was probably drugged at the time), with Plant singing with a seemingly unflinching voice - it would be an absolutely surreal experience. I envy each and every person who ever had the chance to see such a unbelievable show in person.

Posted by sdishman at August 13, 2005 12:44 AM

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