Reversing the Numbness

Friday, May 23, 2008

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

The DM and I are 1 for 3 on concerts so far this spring. We had tickets to see Radiohead a few weeks ago, but we had to cancel a few days prior due to a number of things that conspired against us. 0 for 1. Then last weekend, us being jackasses and all, we realized at 5:30 pm that the Swell Season show we had tickets to see in Baltimore on Sunday was actually taking place on Saturday night, in just two and a half hours, and we were still at least five hours away from possibly being able to make it to Baltimore. 0 for 2.

But two nights ago, Clutch came to Morgantown, and we didn't miss that one. Our friend Olives stayed home with the kids, and we were treated to one of the most kick-ass shows we've ever seen in Morgantown. 1 for 3.

So this week's theme is: Music by the musicians who played the best shows you've ever seen.

24 comments:

Rob Zero said...

Good topic. However, I'm going to feature artists that I've featured already.

ONE

TWO

THREE (When he opened with this on his club tour in '97, I screamed like a girl at a Beatles concert)

FOUR

Anonymous said...

Nice topic!

Start here.

Then go here.

Here next!

And finally.

Fleming said...

Best show(s) I've seen .. Pearl Jam. Hands down. I've never seen this song performed live but given the current political climate, it's a good time for it.

The wife and I are going to Foo Fighters in Pittsburgh in July. I've never seen them live before so I'm hoping it's a good show.

Devil Mood said...

One of the shows I enjoyed the most was by Zero 7.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgIkQ2wcSig

The video is from Glastonbury, but I benefited from a very small, intense show which had a completely different vibe from a festival.

Anonymous said...

we hit this one up in Pittsburgh back in the day. Still one of the best 30 minutes of a show i have ever seen.

Crusselldrums said...

Hmm... here goes a couple:

Knee Deep Shag - Great Kalamazoo band that I had the pleasure of touring with. These guys were always fun and super-tight. Romney, WV native Rob Cookman played keys for them to boot. Unfortunatly there's not a great live video of these guys avail...


Another band I had the pleasure of playing with a few times... OKGO - These guys are the kings of dance videos (I am sure you have seen their treadmill antics as well), but this is my fave of theirs.


And I love me some Wilco!

SleekPelt said...

David Ferraris posted this suggestion on my Facebook page: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HmpYMKTBi8

Zee said...

Truly one of the best live bands ever. Period.

Great memories of seeing these guys in several small clubs in Philly.

This was not my first Arena Rock concert, but the first one for a band that I was near obsessed with. In fact, this show may have really sparked the obessession.

Susan Chipley said...

I know I've been recommending lots of RATM, or at least spinoffs recently. But, damn! You know how awesome they are live. 

I first saw RATM at Lollapalooza in '93, when I also was fortunate enough to see Alice in Chains. Completely blown away. They didn't really tour much other than that due to Lane  Staley's illness.

 I guess I also saw Tool at that show. I was really into them at that time, and they blew me away too. I saw some damn good music that day!

Remember how freaking awesome the Roger Waters show was? I think I about peed my pants when he came out rockin' this one.  

We've seen Radiohead several times, and they are probably the best live show I've ever seen. I mean C.R.A.Z.Y. I know this underline;"> is one of your faves from them. God, just listening to that makes me nearly jump up and down and giggle since we'll be seeing them in August. Pit tickets too! Woooo-hooo!

 

 

Crusselldrums said...

Sleek/David Ferraris: Wow... I saw My Morning Jacket open for Foo Fighters a few years ago and they killed. Great suggestion!!!

getto said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
getto said...

These are some of my fav's:
These guys were regulars in Lawrence-http://youtube.com/watch?v=_7SVtkjCIi4&feature=related
New Years eve show in Denver was amazing-http://youtube.com/watch?v=NpVWoF57sZg
Always great-http://youtube.com/watch?v=sHzdoxlNvNQ&feature=related (I even have a harmonica from a HORDE show)
Best mosh pit by far-http://youtube.com/watch?v=QjdZ7iJCYWo&feature=related

tüth+gnail said...

Nick Cave has to be tops in my books. The man is just dead brilliant. Saw him in a smokey little bar on the Danforth in Toronto.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKlaV-9Vzsk

The Ramones was just a super fun concert to go to and I can cross that off my list of bands to see before I die. (I'm with Jeff on the Tom Waits choice too, but i still need to cross that one off my list)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl3xVRautUg

Alien Sex Fiend was my very first date with Martin, 18 years ago so it holds a special little spot in my heart. (I'm such a romantic) Chalk this one up to fun too. Spent a little too much time in the mosh pit however. Ended up wearing fewer clothes than I came with.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ5wUDeYo-k&feature=related

David Sylvian is a bit of a departure from The Ramones and certainly Alien Sex Fiend, but I think I've been to see David at least 4 times and have been quite moved my his writing. I think Secrets of the Beehive was my favourite recording. I was a big Japan fan back in the day but of course never got to see them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2dgMNm64Mg

moneytastesbad said...

Believe it or not, seeing these guys changed my outlook on life. Of course it may have been the LSD, but whatever it was, I left there a changed man.

Here is another one that changed me, but I think they changed a lot of folks.

I also have to agree with DM about Tool.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Jealous of devil mood, who got to see Zero 7 live. I'm going to Ladytron on the 3rd of June, though! I cannot wait!

Kraftwerk Aerodynamik - Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, 23rd of April 2008.

Lenny Kravitz Are You Gonna Go My Way? - Love Revolution Tour. Paramount Theatre, Denver, 22nd of January 2008.

Depeche Mode Personal Jesus - Touring the Angel. Wembley Arena, London, 3rd of April 2006. Best day of my life: read about it here.

R.E.M. Man On The Moon - Around the Sun World Tour. Coca-Cola Dome, Johannesburg, 11th of March 2005.

Erasure Love To Hate You - The Tiny Tour. Saambou Arena, Pretoria, 26th of July 1997.

Clash said...

U2 and the Clash were life-altering at the time, but this concert was just pure fun.

Seafood anyone?

SleekPelt said...

Holiday + deadline = should've had a guest host on Friday Music this week. I don't think I'm going to get these comments done before tomorrow -- weak! I've listened to everything though....

Unknown said...

Too busy thinking up cartoon captions, I see...

SleekPelt said...

teoh: Hmm. Good point. :)

rob: Iggy -- pretty cool song, despite being the same chords over and over; The Humpers -- you guys could tour with this band; Bowie -- I'm embarrassed to say it, but I don't know this song. I love it, though; Los Straitjackets -- now that's some crazy business right there. Do they always wear their Mexican wrestling uniforms?

jeffk: Tom Waits -- you fully introduced me to Tom years ago, and I still owe you one for that; Doves -- dang, I think you introduced me to these guys too. I really want to see these guys; Pixies -- I was bummed to miss their latest round of get-togethers, for sure. Still have their Austin City Limits show Tivoed, at least; Frank -- you saw Frank? I can't say that, but I did see Neil Diamond, which is pretty cool.

fleming: Vedder -- a Friday Music encore, and a good one at that. Vedder does folk quite well; Foo -- this band is high on my list to see, too. I'd really rather see them in a club, though, and I doubt that's going to happen.

devil mood: Zero 7 -- now that's interesting. My wife and I have listened to this band for years, but I'd never really considered them as live performers. This video surprised me, in a nice way. I wonder what it would be like to see a trip-hop show live? I'll have to find out one day.

rd: It was like ecstasy, wasn't it? The stars must have just been aligned, because that brief moment in time was like sheer bliss.

SleekPelt said...

crusseldrums: Knee Deep Shag -- despite the low-quality video, I can tell this is a fun band. The front man gets off; OKGO -- talk about fun! These cats are nuts; Wilco -- this band is probably in my top five bands I haven't seen yet but want to.

david: I love MMJ, and they are definitely in my top five to see. We spun Acoustic Citsouoca during the DM's labor with our son. Thanks for the suggestion!

zee: Rocket From the Crypt -- I totally think of you when I run across this band. I still need to check out more of their stuff though. To any motocross people reading -- does this frontman remind you of Cam Steele?; New Bomb Turks -- I bet this would be a noisy but fun show; Van Halen -- eh, you know. These guys have never been my thing. I know how you feel about them, though!

SleekPelt said...

dm: I'm glad I got to finally see RATM, especially after the first time I saw them there were just standing naked on stage to a backdrop of distortion with the letters PMRC pained on their chests. This is an awesome recording; Alice in Chains -- if I saw these guys at Lollapalooza, I don't remember it; Tool -- damn, what a lineup that was!; Roger Waters -- hell yeah I remember it. Still one of the best shows I've ever seen. I liked Roger Waters solo better than Pink Floyd sans Waters; Radiohead -- I love "Idiotech" live. It's one of my favorite Radiohead songs.

SleekPelt said...

geto boy: Samples -- nice! I saw this band in North Carolina back in the day with my boy Raoul Duke. Jeff Gaines opened for them. Crusseldrums and I had a conversation about this recently, in fact; Big Head Todd -- saw these guys too. I can't get the fact that the lead dude slept with that chick on the Real World, though. Gack!; Blues Traveler -- "Hook," nice. Reminds me of this; Green Day -- I'd check these guys out, for sure.

SleekPelt said...

tüth+gnail: Welcome back! I hope all is well with you and the family. Nick Cave -- okay, this is a side of him I haven't seen yet. (I'm just starting to listen to this cat.); The Ramones -- nice. I love this band and wish I would have seen them live; Alien Sex Fiend -- wow, what a first date! Dang. This is a real freak show, and very loud. Sounds like you had fun; David Sylvian -- hmm. I've never heard of this guy, so I'm going to have to check out some more stuff. He seems Bowieish in ways, though.

$: I've seen Rush a couple of times, but I'm afraid they didn't change much for me. They're so-so to me for the same reason I'm not into Yes. That whole genre just misses me; Grateful Dead -- now we're talking. The last show Jerry played in Pittsburgh, with the famous rain set, was one of the best concert experiences I've ever had. So awesome.

teoh: Kraftwerk -- hmm. I'm not sure that I could handle a whole show by these guys, but they're interesting; Kravitz -- I used to love this guy. I haven't been into much of the new stuff I've heard, but "Are You Gonna Go My Way" and before is classic stuff; Depeche Mode -- wow, they're rocking! This is raucous and fun; REM -- I've never been a massive fan of this band, but I like this song. I also checked out their '08 performance on Austin City Limits and was really into some of their new stuff. Check it out if you get the chance; Erasure -- that's quite a spectacle! That must've been some show.

clash: B52s -- I'd check these guys out for sure. I bet it would be one goofy show.