Tom Petty at the Erwin Center in 2001, I think, was pretty good. We were up pretty high though, so that diminishes things a bit, but he and the Heartbreakers are good enertainers...but the opening act, I don't even know who they were, were very very terrible.

Pearl Jam may tour late summer through the fall, depends on their new album coming out.

Best shows?
U2 - Astrodome 1992
Morrissey - Hou 1992
Belly & Radiohead - Houston 93
Page & Plant - Houston 95
Guided By Voices - Austin 97
Olivia Tremor Control - Houston 99
Elvis Costello acoustic - Houston 99
Paul McCartney - Houston 02
Pearl Jam - Houston 03
Decemberists - Houston 03
and Arcade Fire a few weeks abck was pretty amazing.

although i don't typically like their style of music, 'bowling for soup' can flat out entertain. it was one of the best shows i have ever seen in a bar.

String Cheese Incident with Robert Randolph at Red Rocks in 2002.
Ben Folds Five in Chicago in 1999.

to 1:

sigur ros played houston, austin, and dallas around two years ago. the houston show was at the verizon wireless theater.

Dwight Yoakum - Flores Country Store 2003 - the show that all others will for ever be compared to
AC/DC - Compaq Center 1994?
Steve Earle - Verizon Wireless
Springsteen - Compaq Center
The Flatlanders - some bar on the lower east side of Manhattan
Jerry Jeff Walker - Gruene Hall 1990

Sigur Ros played the Granada in Dallas about 2 years ago. Even though I don't listen to them that much anymore, It was truly a 'one of a kind' concert experience...just beautiful.

Wow, I'm amazed at how many of these shows I was also at. Rockfest was great at the time, but retrospect has taught me that it was a good experience, but not a great concert...

Pearl Jam (1998 w/ Dennis Rodman & 2001 played "the kids are alright" for encore)
Arcade Fire 2 weeks ago
Toadies/Bush 1995
Nixons 2000 in Bryan
Weezer & Get up kids 2/2001
No Doubt/ Cake/ Vandals 1996

...I'm tired of this game. Bye.

Rush (twice), Clapton farewell, Metallica (2000), Velvet Revolver ( about 15 feet from the stage) and Burden Brothers, Motley Crue Meggadeath Anthrax Maximum Rock tour, Nuggent is awesome live, Powerman 5000 rocks, Godsmack is bad@$$ live, and the list goes on

#1 Cheap Trick - Budakon Tour 1979...told Robin Zander last year when he was in town that seeing them changed my life...sounds corny when people say that, but I really did toss my KISS records after seeing them.

#2 U2 - Unforgettable Fire Tour...didn't know a band could have that kind of passion. Changed the way I listened to music.

#3 Guns and Roses Use Your Illusion Tour ...I had been to probably 30 shows at the Summit before that, and I've never seen such energy before and during a show. And I probably never will again.

#4 White Stripes Elephant Tour...I'll be godda##, there still are good bands out there, just as I was about to call it a day.

Honorable Mention: Van Halen Women and Children First Tour

Social Distortion in '91, and Janes Addiction in '91. Not the same night, of course.

John Paul Jones at SXSW in 2000. And of course, Page and Plant in '94.

Biggest Regret; Getting too drunk at waaaay too many shows...not thinking about the fact that I was wittnessing rock history, events that others would only be able to dream about one day. Taking great bands for granted.

Here is where I date myself.

1980s:
The Police Houston
David Bowie Houston
Billy Joel Austin
Elvis Costello Houston

Sigur Ros and The Album Leaf-3/2003
The Arcade Fire-Dallas 1/2005
Jimmy Eat World-Austin 9/2001
Weezer-Dallas 9/2000
The Faint-anytime
Desaparecidos-Houston 2/2002
The Anniversary-Denton and Austin 11/2001



[This message has been edited by eld02 (edited 2/13/2005 11:00p).]

For those of you at A&M between about 92-95, Stafford Opera House in Bryan had some GREAT shows...

Green Day, $5 for minors, free for over 21.
No Doubt, same thing and only 50 people showed up... (it was a Tuesday and nobody knew who they were)
REK, many times, too packed though...
Fugazi
Dinosaur Jr.
Dead Milkmen
tons of others...

Queesryche - April 91 Reunion Arenea - first concert ever - they had the dual video screens and did Mindcrime in its entirety


Metallica, Spring 92 ? RA - bought tickets a few days before the show, "behind stage" seats..little did we know they had the diamond stage and faced the back as much as the front

DMB - seen him every year since 1999, including Dave and Tim Reynolds in Boone, NC a few years ago.

Monte Montgomery - numerous times over the past 6 years - the guitar player to end all "greatest guitar player" conversations.

Pearl Jam open for Sound Garden at the Bronco Bowl in 1992 - you could buy tickets at the gate. My friends and I already had them and were the first people in the building.


As someone mentioned above, Pushmonkey and Cowboy Mouth are difficult at best to beat in concert.


[This message has been edited by Adam Ag 98 (edited 1/17/2006 3:53p).]

agree about the stafford opera house, though I know I missed a ton of great ones. saw jowbox there though. and saw REK at Third Floor the night the cowboys won one of their superbowls, maybe 100 people there? Awesome, never felt like battling the crowds or pay $20 to see him after that.

blue october in any remotely small venue.

cowboy mouth.

toadies - shadow canyon 4/01

guster - stubbs 7/03

black keys - mary jane's fat cat 5/05

Front 242

Judas Priest, Megadeth and Testament at Reunion Arena, 1990 I think.

1988 Texxas Jam at the Cotton Bowl: Van Haggar, Scorpions, Dokken, Metallica, Kingdom Come (damn near got squashed in the surge towards the stage when Van Haggar came on)

Ozzy/Metallica at Tarrant Co CC 1986

Metallica at Reunion Arena 1992

Slayer at the Bronco Bowl

Slipknot, Lamb of God, Shadow's Fall at Nokia Live last year

quote:

---

Monte Montgomery - numerous times over the past 6 years - the guitar player to end all "greatest guitar player" conversations.

---

too bad he's the biggest tool on the planet. and every song turns into, "hey look at me! i can play the acoustic guitar really good!"

overrated. even within the regional music scene. don't get me wrong, he's a damn good guitar player, but please...

[This message has been edited by AggieOO (edited 1/17/2006 7:24p).]

Here's 3 that I remember best from 20 years of concert-going in Houston:

Bruce Springsteen - around 1984 at the Summit. No opening act, he hits the stage at 8:05 and the show's over about 4 1/2 hours later. Wow, he & the E-Street'ers know what the heck they're doing. Power show, stories, every song done differently than on the albums - truly a legend on stage.

Joe Ely - December probably 1994 at Rockefellers. I've seen him about 9-10 times, but this show was by far the best. Ian Moore on guitar was on fire; Joe was in top-notch form. They had the house absolutely rocking. The Chronicle music writer (Rick Mitchell) called it the best show of the 90's.

Beat Farmers - probably 1990 at Fitzgerald's. Unlike any other band out there, they had this guy named Country Dick Montana - a true showman. He's since died of a heart attack on stage in Canada. Montana was amazing, telling campfire stories, ruling the world from on-stage.

nickel creek at the wiltern in los angeles. they were absolutely incredible.

DMB - 1998 Starplex. Got upgraded through The Warehouse to front row center.

Stones - Reliant Stadium. We were right next to the little stage in the middle of the floor where they played 3 songs. 10 feet from the old guys.

The Darkness - Easter 2004 Verizon Theater.

Aggie00 - I go to see Monte because I prefer to see him turn each song into an extended guitar solo. I really don't see how he can be considered overrated unless people were trying to say he's a lyrical genius.

And I'd like to know a better regional acoustic guitarist who also sings.

[This message has been edited by Adam Ag 98 (edited 1/20/2006 1:32p).]

wilco...it sounded just like the album

I agree with alot of yall on this board. I'd have to say of the shows I've been to...

Collective Soul - Myrtle Beach, SC #1
Rocked real hard, great vocals, covered some AC/DC

Pearl Jam - Charlotte, NC #2
Mike McCready is the best lead guitar in the land

I've seen Col. Soul and Pearl Jam multiple times, and also some others worth honorable mention

Audioslave is fun and rocks hard, though not musically and lyrically as good live as PJ or Col Soul imo

Train, pretty fun live, covered some Led Zepplin

American HiFi, Sister Hazel are okay

As a fun alternative, Rockapella was actually very impressive and fun and a good show to take a date to.

I'm going to see Bon Jovi next month, which I'm not a huge fan, but my girlfriend got tickets so I'll go see how that one is.

Rage Against the Machine - Battle of LA tour

Deftones/Glassjaw/Incubus - Aerial theater Houston

Audioslave - Debut tour, austin music hall

Toadies - Shadow Canyon 2001

weezer/ozma - pre-green album, just before they exploded.

played nearly all of blue album and pinkerton, plus the 'new' green album songs before its release.

Eazy E/N.W.A./Too Short - Oil Palace Tyler - 89' or 90'

Best concert for me was my first one:

1. Stevie Ray Vaughan, April, 1990
2. Leo Kottke, Stafford Opera House, mid 90s.
3. Boston, 2001 (I think)
4. Rush (several times)
5. Robert Earl Keen
6. Jerry Jeff Walker (last year)
7. Chris Duarte (1996 or so at Shadow Canyon)
8. Pat Green (2001 at Reunion Arena)
9. Ian Moore (some festival in Austin, mid 90s)
10. Pearl Jam (Saw them in a wing of the former Nazi Bavarian Parliament building in Nuremberg, Summer of 92).

Adam Ag, Monte is a great guitarist. Don't get me wrong, but his stick gets old a little quickly though. The first time I heard him I was blown away, but it doesn't really do a whole lot for me anymore. He's not even that well respected among the Austin musicians I know. If they were at Bayside High, Monte Montgomery would be Screech.

As far as great shows I've been to.

Collective Soul blew everyone off the stage at Rockfest in 1997.

Pearl Jam at Reunion Arena in 1998 in support of Yield. Dennis Rodman rushed the stage and eventually really pissed Stone off, but they put on a hell of a show.

Vallejo, Pushmonkey, The Toadies, Big Head Todd & The Monsters, and STP at Shore Thing in 2001 (I think): I officially became a Big Head Todd fan that night. Todd Park Mohr blew me away. STP also had one of the coolest set intros I've seen. Unfortunately The Toadies were way off that night.

The Toadies - Shadow Canyon. Damn they were solid that night, and they played EVERYTHING. Amazing show.

Metallica at the first Summer Sanitarium Tour was memorable just because You got to hear different people sing James' parts for the entire set. (James Hetfield was a no show because of a back injury from jet skiing)

Billy Idol at Stubbs for SXSW 2005 - Met Matt Pinfield and realized how much of a nut the guy is (I predict a riot!) and well, it's Billy ******* Idol!

The first time I saw Blue October was at Rodeo 2000 (I believe this was also Aggie00's first time too, he'll have to verify that) was great. I still have the setlist from that show and it's funny how much current stuff they played at that show.

I've been to a lot of shows, DMB, Toadies, Bush, Ozzfest, Weezer, etc. But without a doubt, the most entertaining and thouroughly enjoyable show I've been to was...


Tenacious D


Best show ever.

I think you guys are missing my point, from my perspective...I play guitar and have for over 15 years. I love watching people do stuff on the guitar that few if any other people can do. All of the bands you named are lacking in the musicianship department, but as a band they write great songs and they play together very well live. I included Monte because I love live music, and he shines as a performer, IF you can appreciate someone who is a freak of nature on guitar. It is funny that someone belittles a talented musician another person thinks is great in concert for his musicianship then names a bunch of grunge bands as their favorite.

Anybody ever seen Miss Molly and the Whips? Now that was a show, but don't piss her off if near the stage. She knew how to use that bullwhip.

Ah, the 80s were cool.

"We apologize for the inconvenience"

The 1998 PJ show in Dallas was great. Dennis was drunk as hell drinking lots of wine.

Saw Live at A&M in 99 or 00. Great show.

311 - Kicked ass at House of Blues in SC a few years ago. The ENTIRE place was jumping and going crazy. Never knew they could put on such a good show.

NIN - Chartlotte June, 2000. Perfect Circle opened for them before the CD came out. Kicked ass all around.

And my favorite.

Dave Matthews - 2001 Troy, WI.

Now, I've grown tired of DMB, but that place is one of the best venues I've ever been to...hey, I'm in the Army, I see a lot around the country....that place had some ENERGY that night. Saw him a few times after that, and now it is just a bore.

Helicopter videos from OIF:
http://www.cimoli.com/videos.htm

U2 Joshua Tree
Bruce Springsteen
Lyle Lovett and His Large Band