What are everyone's favorite bands to see live? For me, Gwar, they put on an awesome live show no matter how big or small the venue is.

I am not a big live band guy much any more....but Henry Rollins and Mike Patton were 2 dudes that always left their guts on the stage when they walked off.

m0ng0 wrote:I am not a big live band guy much any more....but Henry Rollins and Mike Patton were 2 dudes that always left their guts on the stage when they walked off.

Henry Rollins is great on his Spoken Words tours as well. If you haven't seen it I'd recommend going at least once.

Steve Vai, always leaves my jaw on the floor.

best concert i've been too was dark side of the moon Pink Floyd, Spokane coliseum... the light show was incredible, they lost almost all power at one point, and instead of taking a break, they did an acoustic set until the power was restored... amazing band....

Rush (Gorge)
AC/DC ( Spokane Coliseum )
BB King ( Toyata Center Tri Cities )
Buddy Guy (Actually got to open for him at the Big Easy in Spokane)
Motley Crue ( Hard Rock Cafe ) Vegas
Monsters of Rock ( Joe Albi Stadium,, Spokane) Van Halen, Scorpions, Metallica, Kingdome Come, one other can't remember

all great shows...

My Morning Jacket

Portishead. Only saw em once but I could've died happy that night.

Not gonna try and go back through all the shows I've seen cuz I saw KISS when I was eight. Yeah, it was KISS, but it was life changing as an 8 year old.

Tool is an amazing live act. Was lucky enough to see them in the Paramount on the Lateralus tour. Was like you had headphones on, they were that tight.

Pearl Jam is the best bang for the buck. See them in Seattle, get 3 hrs. of music. See them in Vancouver the next night and get 2 and a half hours of different music.

Derick Trucks has never disappointed whether solo or with the Bros.

Was blown away by Dead Sara when I saw them in Oct. The guitar player moshed so hard she broke a rib on tour last year, and the singer is not opposed to doing a stage dive here and there..Pretty cool for a "chick band"

The longevity award is a tie between Rush and Maiden. Decades on, they still bring it. hmmm maybe DeVo too.

Oh, and Oingo Boingo...but those days are gone

OkieHawk wrote:

m0ng0 wrote:I am not a big live band guy much any more....but Henry Rollins and Mike Patton were 2 dudes that always left their guts on the stage when they walked off.

Henry Rollins is great on his Spoken Words tours as well. If you haven't seen it I'd recommend going at least once.

saw one at Western in 95-96? quality entertainment.

crap forgot Tori Amos...whiny chick stuff, but I never wanted to be a piano bench so bad. Lady can play her ass off.

Lamb of God puts on an amazing show I've heard, but I've yet to be able to see them. Same goes for Gojira and Hatebreed.

Lazarus A.D., Trivium and Unearth I have seen though and they are all amazing live. Not many people know of Laz, but they're a thrash band from Wisconsin. Really chill guys to hang out with and can put on one hell of a show. I seen them twice in 2011 and am eagerly awaiting them to return to NOLA.

Oh, and Megadeth. Megadeth was pretty awesome too. Almost got Mustaine's wristband...

IronSaint wrote:Oh, and Megadeth. Megadeth was pretty awesome too. Almost got Mustaine's wristband...

Oddly, I found Megadeth to be boring as hell live. They're technically amazing and precise, but there didn't seem to be any life to their show. It was just them playing songs exactly like they sounded on the album.

Two bands really come to mind for me when I think of a live performance just going above and beyond: Ministry and Swans

Ministry simply puts on a hell of a show and they make sure you FELT the music, as in it was so loud that you felt your ribcage vibrate.

Swans shows are grueling endurance-fests. They treat live shows like chambers for experimentation, twisting songs, tweaking sounds, and drawing riffs and songs out until your mind is just blasted. And the intensity of Michael Gira doing his thing puts most metal bands to shame... yes, that's right, Mr. Corpsepaint. That almost 60-year old dude in the cowboy hat and the snarl just out-brutalized you.

Between the Buried and Me - heavy complex songs, amazing musicians (seeing them tomorrow night in SF)

John Mayer - say what you want about his songs, but the man is one of the best live guitar players.

IronSaint wrote:Lamb of God puts on an amazing show I've heard, but I've yet to be able to see them. Same goes for Gojira and Hatebreed.

Lazarus A.D., Trivium and Unearth I have seen though and they are all amazing live. Not many people know of Laz, but they're a thrash band from Wisconsin. Really chill guys to hang out with and can put on one hell of a show. I seen them twice in 2011 and am eagerly awaiting them to return to NOLA.

Oh, and Megadeth. Megadeth was pretty awesome too. Almost got Mustaine's wristband...

I've met Lazarus here at a show, they are great guys. Loved their first album

volsunghawk wrote:Oddly, I found Megadeth to be boring as hell live. They're technically amazing and precise, but there didn't seem to be any life to their show. It was just them playing songs exactly like they sounded on the album.

Ahh, to each his own. As a musician, I geek out on the technicality.

Tool. Seen em a half dozen times. They habe dialed some of it back in theor advanced age but still killer.

IronSaint wrote:

volsunghawk wrote:Oddly, I found Megadeth to be boring as hell live. They're technically amazing and precise, but there didn't seem to be any life to their show. It was just them playing songs exactly like they sounded on the album.

Ahh, to each his own. As a musician, I geek out on the technicality.

I'm a musician, too, but I didn't go to their show for a masterclass on how to play Holy Wars.

Botch was incredible. So was Refused, but I think I just built that up in my head.

I always had a great time when Glassjaw played.

Nobody reproduces studio work like Rush does live.

I prefer when the band actually deviates from the recorded material in a live setting, just makes it so much more fun.

Isis, The Mars Volta, Murder By Death and Darkest Hour put on the best shows.


I usually hangout in the back and listen to the music, unless I'm seeing any of these bands....then I'm up and moving.

Bands I've seen-
Shinedown
Sick Puppies
Cavo
Hollywood Undead
10 Years
Adelitas Way
New Medicine

CALIHAWK1 wrote:Tool. Seen em a half dozen times. They habe dialed some of it back in theor advanced age but still killer.

Nice to hear. I've been wanting to see Danny Carey live.

volsunghawk wrote:I'm a musician, too, but I didn't go to their show for a masterclass on how to play Holy Wars.

LOL, why wouldn't you want a lesson on how to play "Holy Wars"?!

I've never been a concert guy. But just from watching some of their live performances at awards shows or on youtube and such I really like Mumford and Sons. Also, Eddie Vedder seems like he would be great live.

volsunghawk wrote:Oddly, I found Megadeth to be boring as hell live. They're technically amazing and precise, but there didn't seem to be any life to their show. It was just them playing songs exactly like they sounded on the album .

I agree! I do not call this LIVE!

Taking Back Sunday. Adam broke 2 mics swinging them round his head or throwing them in the air, and sang 3 songs whilst standing on the bar at the back of the venue having crowdsurfed there. Plus, they killed.

Zeb, Portishead, really? I like Portishead, but wasn't it Beth sitting in a chair whilst a guy twiddled some knobs? Or was it the shows they did with an orchestra

cdallan wrote:Zeb, Portishead, really? I like Portishead, but wasn't it Beth sitting in a chair whilst a guy twiddled some knobs? Or was it the shows they did with an orchestra

Naw man, it was a full band, prolly 10 or 11 folks, 2 drummers... it was the best. Granted, I'd been waiting to see them live for 15 years, it was everything I'd hoped for and more, and Beth is my hero, she could've sang into a Tyco mic and made me happy. But still, it was really freakin great. They were perfect.

Nice. I've never seen them live (I don't know anybody else who likes them) but their live album at Roseland with the orchestra is something I would love to see live. I have it on video, so I can't even watch it on TV.

cdallan wrote:Nice. I've never seen them live (I don't know anybody else who likes them) but their live album at Roseland with the orchestra is something I would love to see live. I have it on video, so I can't even watch it on TV.

Man, that's like my favorite band of all time (them and Radiohead). Seeing them live was a dream come true, and they didn't disappoint.

For me it would have to be Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor is amazing live! Also I've been blown away everything I have seen Mars Volta live.

METALLICA. 'nuff said

Primus are fantastic live.

Zappa Plays Zappa was probably my favorite live act, though. Closest thing I'll ever get to Frank.

I don't go see live music much anymore, but I've seen Primus about five times. Alice In Chains was good,White Zombie, a few others. Henry Rollins put on a good show when I saw him.

Iron Maiden always put on a great show, seen 'em twice. Coheed and Cambria are super tight musicians and sound really good live.

The most intense band I've seen live is a band called "Letlive". It was at a cool, small venue in Spokane called the Kave. After finishing their set (they were the last of 5 bands that night, mostly local ones), the crowd starts chanting for an encore, and the singer just starts pacing the stage faster and faster. He then proceeds to punch out a nearby light with his bare fist, breaking it. Then, he starts smearing the blood from his hand on the wall behind him while the band begins to play and they go on to play a 3-song encore. I happen to know the guys who run the venue, and they weren't too happy with the blood all over the white wall, but it was pretty crazy to watch.