So, freely admitting I am a nerd, I have a confession to make:

I went to my first rock concert last night. Never went in high school, never in college.

The band was U2 (I am a huge fan) and I had an amazing time. I am sitting here at work and humming songs to myself (it's lucky my officemates aren't in today). I was so happy at the concert that I cried (yes, I cry at the drop of a hat). Definitely I have to do this kind of thing more often!

So I was wondering if more experienced concertgoers would like to speak up -- what concerts have y'all been to? What if anything did you love about them, and what if anything did you hate?

Oh I do love live music, and have seen a lot of really good concerts over the years.
In the last 5 years (or so) I have seen;
The Rolling Stones
Billy Joel
Neil Diamond
Rod Stewart
Tina Turner
Elton John
Simon and Garfunkle
David Bowie
Paul McCartney
The Guess Who
Three Dog Night
America
The Monkees (2 of them anyway)
Chicago, and most recently,
Carole King.

The only concert I didn't really enjoy was the 5th Dimension. People actually got up and left that one.

Hmmm. Now that I think about it I haven't been to a concert for over a dozen years. Too bad, really, because I always enjoyed the music AND the atmosphere (well, except that one time when this stanger got drunk and threw up on my shirt ). As I recall I've seen:

Pink Floyd
Edgar Winter
Ted Nugent
Stephen Stills
Heart (when Ann Wilson was half the size she is today)
Electric Light Orchestra
KISS (I actually enjoyed that concert - what a light show!)
James Taylor
Linda Ronstadt
The J. Geils Band
Bon Jovi
Grand Funk Railroad (anybody remember them?)

I think my favorite one was an outdoor concert with Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock jamming on face-to-face white baby grand pianos. Great jazz, for sure. The wine went down pretty smoothly, too.

I'm jealous, skunkee. I would have killed to see Bowie or Carole King - but they never played in my neck of the woods back in the day. Or if they did, I didn't know about it .

Outdoor made me remember the Eurythmics and Lou Reed. I've also seen Bob Dylan and Arlo Guthrie.
Yes, I remember Grand Funk Railway! I heard something of their's on my Oldies Station recently.

Like Dave, it's been forever since I've attended a concert. My first husband used to say I was too old to attend concerts : I guess he thought they were for teens only. Of course, you can tell from my list that I WAS a teen when I attended many of these.

Styx (twice)
Boston
Sammy Hagar
Pablo Cruise
Foreigner
Foghat
Electric Light Orchestra
Kansas
Yes
Pat Benatar
The Moody Blues (twice)
Head East
Jay Ferguson
The Alan Parsons Project

and probably a few more that I can't remember.

I have been to various concerts over the years. Sigh. I feel old :<

Alabama
Air Supply
Crystal Gayle
Michael Damien (from "Young and Restless" Danny Romalotti)
ZZ Top
Cheaptrick
The Monkees (A record crowd!)
Gloria Estavan (Miami Sound Machine)
REO Speedwagon (twice)
Little River Band
Styx (three times)
Lonestar (Twice)
Sammy Kershaw
Keith Urban (Awesome! but would have been better if he had a big screen)
Tim McGraw (It was great!!!)
Kenny Chesney (twice - he opened for Tim the first year. Good both times)
Montgomery Gentry
Blaine Larsen (he was only 20 when I saw him. WHAT A VOICE! He was better than Sugarland by far!)

I used to go to them a lot (when I was young with lots of energy, and the tickets were still something approaching affordable ) A few of my favorites were
Led Zeppelin
Rolling Stones
The Kinks
The Eagles
and my favorite big concert band, Van Halen. You know, the REAL one with good ole Diamond Dave--none of that Sammy Hagar wanna be stuff. I saw them three or four times.

Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, though, I went to clubs a lot more often than big concerts. Those were usually much better shows.

I've seen
Janis Joplin (unbelievable)
Diana Ross( 6 or 7 times)
Cher (last time in 2003)
Barbra Streisand (in Central Park)
Elvis Presley (when I was very very young)
Garth Brooks (also in Central Park)

I hardly ever pass up an opportunity to go to a concert. I've seen:

Spinal Tap
Alice Cooper
Judas Priest
Counting Crows(Twice)
Styx(Twice)
Everclear(Three times)
Elvis Costello
Ike Reilly
Butch Walker
Marvelous 3 (Three times)
Violent Femmes
Reel Big Fish
Spin Doctors
Social Distortion
Matchbox 20
Bush
Goo Goo Dolls
Stabbing Westward
Faster Pussycat
LA Guns
Garbage

I may be leaving out a few, but you get the picture.

I live in a place that for many years was rarely a large concert area. I had to either drive to Omaha an hour away or Kansas City, more like 4 hours, yet I did so more often than not...

I've seen:

Nine Inch Nails (my favorite concert experience!)
Jethro Tull (three times)
Phish (twice)
Billy Joel
Bush
Emerson, Lake and Palmer, who opened for Jethro Tull at one of the concerts I attended
Counting Crows
I saw 311 when they were still a local band (they're from my area)
Parliament
Steve Vai and Eric Sardinas (mmm, what a guitar hottie!)

Honestly, I'm probably missing a bunch. I mostly went to shows when I was in high school and shortly thereafter, because tickets are getting more and more expensive. I had an opportunity to see Def Leppard and Bryan Adams this summer, but passed it up because my sis had just gotten back from Africa. Steve Vai and Eric Sardinas was the most recent show I've seen, and that was this spring, and I was running a 103 degree fever, so I don't remember it very well. I DO remember that Eric Sardinas is a guitar hottie, though!

Edited to add:

Oh yeah, I forgot about all the shows I've seen at our state fair. That'd be Styx, with the US Navy rock band opening, and I almost enjoyed the US Navy rock band more than Styx... Um, an almost total departure for me, I've also seen Dwight Yokum and Chris Ledoux at the fair. (I got to see Chris Ledoux less than a year before he passed.) And though I hate to admit it, The New Kids on the Block, which was the first concert I ever saw.

I saw Emerson Lake and Palmer way back when too, as well as Deep Purple.
We have tickets to see Chris de Burgh in a couple of weeks.

I have forgotten some of the opening acts, maybe even the main acts. But here's the best I can recall now:

Allman Brothers
Beach Boys ('73 Carl & Dennis version)
Pat Benetar
Better Than Ezra
The Black Keys
Blondie
Blue Oyster Cult
Blues Traveller
Jimmy Buffett
Solomon Burke
The Bus Boys
Johnny Cash
Harry Chapin
Chicago
Continental Drifters
Robert Cray
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Burton Cummings
Shannon Curfman (3 times)
Rick Danko & Levon Helm
Mac Davis
John Denver
Neil Diamond
Rick Derringer
Dr.John (twice)
Doobie Brothers
Bob Dylan
The Eagles (twice)
Dave Edmunds
ELO (twice)
England Dan & John Ford Coley
Fleetwood Mac (twice)
J.Geils Band (twice)
G.Love & the Special Sauce
The Greenhornes
Hall & Oats
Heart
EmmyLou Harris
The Iguanas
Indigo Girls
Iron & Wine
Chuck Jackson
The James Gang (post-Joe Walsh)
Jewel
Billy Joel
David Johansen
Elton John (twice)
Kansas
Greg Khin
The Kinks
Kris Kristofferson/Rita Coolidge/Billy Swan
Patti Labelle
Ramsey Lewis Trio
Los Lonely Boys
Los Lobos
Los Straightjackets
Lynyrd Skynyrd (original line-up)
Paul McCartney (with Linda)
Michael McDonald
Roger McGuinn
John Mellencamp (twice)
Sergio Mendes & Brasil '77
The Meters
Steve Miller Band
Molly Hatchet
Eddie Money
North Mississippi All-Stars
The Outlaws
Tom Petty
Elvis Presley
Billy Preston (twice)
Quarterflash (twice)
The Ramones
Helen Reddy
Rolling Stones
Linda Ronstadt (5 times)
The Roots
Mason Ruffner
Rufus with Chaka Khan
Todd Rundgren
Leon Russell
Sanatana
Boz Scaggs
Scandal
Seals & Crofts
John Sebastian
Bob Seger
Shaggy
Shooting Star
Paul Simon
Phoebe Snow
Southside Johnny & the Asbury Dukes
Son Volt
The Spinners
Bruce Springsteen (twice)
Ringo Starr (twice)
Steely Dan (twice)
Rod Stewart
Stray Cats
Sugar Ray
Sutherland Bros & Quiver
38 Special
John Waite
The White Stripes
The Who (1975)
Lucinda Williams
Brian Wilson
Edgar Winter
Stevie Wonder
Neil Young

Trying to remember the big arena concerts, it's been at least twenty years-
Santana
Neil Young
Eric Clapton
Moody Blues

I know there were lots more, but can't remember. There was always a little too much 'getting ready' for the concert, I guess.

In later years, it's been soft seat concerts and festivals-

Arlo Guthrie
John Prine (more times than I can count)
Randy Newman
Renaissance
Johnny Cash
Arrogant Worms
Fred Eaglesmith

Holy cow, rogue!!

I forgot to add The Kingston Trio!

To save time, I've seen most major metal acts over the last 20 years (and even some bad ones). Went to every Donington Monsters of Rock festival from 1988 until it changed to the Download Festival. Went to Ozzfest and the Warped Tour this year in Indy.

I've been going to concerts for over 20 years now. I've seen a lot of great shows, and some that weren't so great. I've been to every Ozzfest since 1999, and other shows. Some of the bands I can remember seeing include:

Ozzy Osbourne
Prong
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Greg Allman
Henry Lee Summer
Korn
Rob Zombie
Pantera
Slayer
Poison
Motley Crue
Aerosmith
Kiss
Otep
Genitorturers
Slipknot
Ratt
Quiet Riot
Black Sabbath
Black Label Society
Cinderella
Disturbed
Mudvayne
Kittie
Napalm Death
Diecast
Megadeth
Iced Earth
Dio
Motorhead
Iron Maiden
Arch Enemy
Seether
Papa Roach
System Of A Down
Ted Nugent
Metallica
Guns N Roses
Godsmack

I've been to a lot of gigs of artists previously mentioned, but I was wondering if anybody has attended a Rodriguez concert (or if anybody has ever heard of him). I don't think he's played that many times live.

I saw Eric Burden on Saturday night, and he can still belt them out. But what made the night so great was his band. He has drawn together some absolutely fantastic musicians, every one of them.
His lead guitarist, one Eric McFadden, is particularly talented. In fact, the words 'guitar god' spring to mind.

It's been years since I've attended any shows but I've seen some amazing ones in my days....

Three Dog Night (too many times to count)
Joe Walsh (also, countless times)
James Taylor
David Bowie (one of the best shows ever)
Carole King (very intimate show at a small venue - well worth it)
Bob Dylan (twice)
CSN
Grateful Dead
The Who
The Stones
Paul McCartney
Bob Seger (third row seats!!)
Pink Floyd
Triumph/Mountain (my first show, in high school)
Kiss (way back in the days when they were doing clubs and I was a kid, and then again in high school)
Van Hagar, Scorpions, Metallica, Dokken (Monsters of Rock tour int he 80s)
Elton John
Steppenwolf
Arlo Guthrie
Doobie Bros.
Steve Miller Band


I'd love to see Pearl Jam, Texas, Natalie Merchant or the Foo Fighters too but I think I'm too old now....

Hmm....I have seen a few

Molly Hatchet/The Guess Who (I was 11)
Pink Floyd (sans Roger Waters "Momentary Lapse Tour)
Iron Maiden
Anthrax
The Cure
Dave Mathews Band (as a little known co headliner with Toad the Wet Sprocket)
Megadeth
NIN with David Bowie (what a combo)
Chicago (at the Houston Rodeo no less)
Smashing Pumpkins/Garbage
5 or 6 multi band festivals

Dude! You guys are making me jelous! I've never been able to afford a concert ticket. All i've ever seen was when Gooser (a moderately famous local band) played at my high school.

I would have loved to see that NIN/Bowie show! David Bowie is such a showman - and combine that with the energy of Nine Inch Nails, wow I am the jealous one. Just one question - who opened this show? Or did they perform together?

I have not been to many rock concerts either, but Ive been enjoying Bruce Springsteen so much I wrote the following prose-poem:
_________________________________
ONE CONTINUITY: SEED PLANTIN’

Columbia Records signed Bruce Springsteen to a recording contract in April of 1973.1 This could be seen as the beginning point to the royal road to success of one of the greats in the rock and roll industry in the last quarter of the twentieth century. I had just started teaching high school at the time in one of South Australia’s model schools. I, too, was finally making it after a long road in my own much smaller world. I had been living in Australia for nearly two years as an international pioneer. This poem is about Springsteens life from the seventies to the mid-nineties and my own during this time. One gets a sense of who one is by comparison and contrast with someone whom one is not. 1 Ron Price with thanks to Stuart Werbin, Rolling Stone, 26 April 1973.

You are free to make up the narrative of your own life. This is biographical freedom. You can not choose what life to live, but you can choose how to explain it to yourself and others. Some would argue this, too, is determined. I would argue it is at least, partly, free. -In New Scientist, 8 November 1997.

When they signed you up in 73, Bruce,
Id come back from a sixties collapse
and was back on top and was making it
big in my little corner of the world,
on my way to yet another burnout.
You started packing them in all over America
and winning music-awards right and left.

Your acoustic triumph Nebraska presented
a glorious portrait of America
however unglorious America had become
and I was planting seeds, still planting seeds,
north of Capricorn, Downunder.
You were consolidating your identity,
finding out who you were and where
you belonged, with Born in the USA
and I was looking like I was born in Australia
and standing tall in spite of it all.1
Your incomparable charisma and your capacity
to churn out song after song made you artist
of the year time and time again
while I was slipping those seeds onto the path
as unobtrusively as a gentle breeze
and finding one soul:
better for thee than all the riches,2
as if it was the most important thing on earth.
And it was.

I learned to take it all light, as you took your R&R
light: serious and livin-it-easy locked together
as a survival package. With the Tunnel of Love
you knew the journey was worth it
even if there was no centre for you
in an international pop sensibility,
even if the movie was over
and you had a new identity to form
and a new place to belong. You’ll be playin’
as long as you’re livin’, Bruce,
and I’ll be writin’ my poems
‘cause I discovered them just the other day
along that lifeline of seed-plantin’,
an identity that’s here to stay. And it is.

1 Bruce Springsteen in Bruce Springsteen: The Ultimate Compendium of Interviews, Facts and Opinions from the Files of Rolling Stones, Rolling Stones editors, Sidgwick and Jackson, 1997, p. 200.
2 ‘Abdu’l-Baha, Tablets of the Divine Plan, p.12. While living north of Capricorn from July 1982 to December 1987 I found one soul, an Aboriginal elder named Larry Ahlin.

Ron Price
16 May 1999

rock concerts ive been too...mm, well, i lost my gig-going virginity when i was 12, and i went to see A1!
but, over the years ive seen

iron maiden
the rasmus
fall out boy
fightstar
yellowcard
oasis

and, festivals

download 2005
carling festival leeds 2005
glasto' 2004/2005

Wow I feel pretty pathetic now, I'm actually going to my first concert on Friday!
But then I am 15 so maybe I can be excused...
I hope to go to loads more though, there's so many bands I'd love to see!! You lot are so lucky!