Who was the best live band you've ever seen?

Graham Bland · From: Tennessee, USA

This may turn into a long one but will try to keep it short…I got married last December and my new wife tells me she is this huge Reba McIntyre fan now over the years I would hear Reba’s recordings on radio and while I liked the songs, I realized I was listening to them for the studio musicians.Weldon, among other s,well she wanted to go see Reba her in Nashville a month or so ago and so I was not particularly interested in going I wanted to take her to see something she really wanted to see…well we got there and I really wasn’t thinking of the band but I was floored, Mike Johnson and his band mate knocked it out of the park!
They Made all of Reba’s.. hit’s better live than the original recordings!…I can’t say enough about Mike’s talent on steel and he’s an Awesome dobro player!…If you get the chance go see the show!…I promise you will throughly enjoy the show! The Musicians made the show for me…don’t get me wrong Reba is an excellent singer but the musicians in her band are second to none! And I made my wife happy too!…I just hope Reba realizes what a Great and I do mean Great band she has!…Go to see them if you have the chance!

John Pioli · From: Connecticut, USA

Three way tie for best live acts I have seen:

Low
Yo La Tengo
Bill Frisell trio

David DeLoach · From: Tennessee, USA

The Dixie Dregs in 1980 when Mark O'Conner was with them.
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Dave Grafe · From: Hudson River Valley NY

I have been blessed to have mixed thousands of shows with the greatest artists in the world, and there are still plenty I have never seen, so my perspective is not a common one.

Consistently the best country show band that comes to mind was Desert Rose, with whom I was fortunate to work a number of fair and festival shows, first with Jay Dee Manness and later with Tom Brumley at steel. Always phenomenal. First runner up would be Pam Tillis at the Alaska State Fair in Palmer, early 2000's, she certainly had a smoking, "sit up straight and listen to this" band happening then.

Best non-country show band is harder. I began my audio career in 1981 with Tower of Power and could name dozens more since that truly put down - how do you choose between the likes of the Seldom Scene, Union Station, or Jim and Jesse McReynolds, James Brown or George Jones with their ace bands, or Tony Bennett or Linda Ronstadt with full symphony orchestras? So many nights with chills running up and down my spine. Ultimately, however, Earth Wind and Fire were in a league of their own.

Still the surprise best show of my life so far, one I recently paid to see, was Herb Alpert and Lani Hall with Hussain Jeffrey on bass, Tiki Pasillas on drums, and Bill Cantos on keys. Only three pieces with one horn and one singer but they redefined the meaning of the word performance.

Bob Shilling · From: Berkeley, CA, USA

"Best" is too subjective - I won't go there. But, since this thread started I've thought about some of the most memorable live performances I've seen/heard. Here are four:

1961 or '62, EM club - Kaneohe MCAS. Tex Ritter. An icon, put on a great show.

1969, Denver Jimi Hendrix Experience. Not their best performance, but it was their last time together.

1972?, Denver - The Eagles. They opened for Joe Cocker and their first record had not come out yet, so no one knew who they were. Cocker was late (as usual) and they had to deal with a really tough crowd.

early '80s - Inn of the Beginning, Cotati CA; Doc and Merle Watson. Only time I heard Doc and Merle, and the only time I was at that fantastic venue. They're all gone now. Glad I had that opportunity.
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Bob Shilling, Berkeley, CA--MSA S10, "Classic"

Tommy Shown · From: Denham Springs, La.

For a good laugh becauseI workedwith him for 40 years, " Jimmy De Latte a
And His Kuntry 5!"
Serious Clifton Brown with Danny Harrell and his Nashville Editing, and David Morgan and his Loose Cinch Band with Billy Tams. And band Wilburn Stewart is playing with.
And I am gonna put my name on it because it is true.
Tommy Shown

Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

Emmy and the Hot Band back when Ricky Skaggs was just a side man with her.

Poco at MSG with The Doobie Bros and Outlaws\,,, Poco really did outclass them both, no question.

Lets see,, Oh yeah then at the Capital Theatre in Passaic it was BB King with Blood Sweat and Tears..
BB and his band blew BST off the stage.. Honestly, it was pathetic.. BST was terribly out of tune, and just weak, and BB's band was great.. I recall him standing 10 feet from his mic, and his voice was still booming out...

This might be out in left field for some, but Robert Cray and his band were one of the absolute best bands I ever saw anywhere.. Just great... I went with a drummer friend of mine that said it was a "religious experience"...

worst band ever?... Doors at MSG... awful.... bob
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Michael Rademacher · From: Killeen, Texas

Most memorable: Deep Purple (Ludwigshafen, Germany March 1975), Roy Buchanan (Austin TX 1974)
Most energy: Thin Lizzy (opening for BTO in Germany 1975; most of the crowd left when Thin Lizzy finished their set.)
Most fun: Sunday Break II, Austin TX (1976) featuring The Band, Fleetwood Mac, Steve Miller, Peter Frampton, and Chicago. Damn, what a lineup!!
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2024 Rittenberry SD10 4&5 Prestige
May God have mercy on my no-music-theory-having soul.

Bud Harger · From: Temple / Belton, Texas

... for me:

1) EAGLES - the original band members, back when.

2) TIME JUMPERS - then (w/ John Hughey) and now (w/ Paul Franklin)
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bUd

1969 Emmons D-10 8f/4k; Evans Amps.

gary pierce · From: Rossville TN

The Beatles in Memphis 1966 third row center

Ian · From: San Francisco, CA

Rolling Stones, No Filter tour at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara 2019.

Ian

Michael Lee Allen · From: Portage Park / Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois

1967 into 1968...Club Alex, later known as The 1815, Howlin' Wolf's, and Eddie Shaw's Place. Earl Hooker's working band with Freddie Roulette, Johnny "Big Moose" Walker singing and playing organ and electric piano, Jack Myers or Earnest "Big Train" Johnson on bass, Odell Campbell on drums plus regular guests like Carey Bell, Louis Myers, and Andrew "Big Voice" Odom.
And a close second would have been the Big John's Paul Butterfield shows with Mike Bloomfield when he'd just got Howlin' Wolf's rhythm section, Billy Boy Arnold's brother Jerome on bass and Sam Lay singing and playing drums.
MLA

Terry Winter · From: Saskatchewan, Canada

I belive I posted on page one but....what was I thinking? by far the best band I ever saw was when Mel Tillis came through with a 17 piece band! Three fiddles, horn section, guitars, drums and steel. Don't know how he could afford to play with so many on the road. This was way back in the 70's.

Brooks Montgomery · From: Idaho, USA

Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

I forgot several other shows I saw-in 2000, I saw Alan Jackson in Greenville, South Carolina at the Bi-Lo Center(now called Bon Secours Wellness Arena) with Robbie Flint on steel-his opening act was George Jones, but I didn't see George because I was working at a Clemson Tigers football game as a ticket taker in order to get an occupational diploma when graduating high school-Clemson is where I saw George Strait perform in 1999, as part of his George Strait Country Music Festival. I also saw the last part of a Gary Allan show-I was a little late to the show and heard the last song, and in June or July of 2000, I saw the first Soul2Soul Tour-Tim McGraw & Faith Hill. If I remember right, both Tim and Faith used different bands-Denny Hemingson was playing an Emmons with Tim, and Gary Carter played a Derby with Faith.

Darrell Criswell · From: Maryland, USA

Best Club band was The Insiders at Pearls dance hall with Reggie Rueffer on fiddle and Gary Carpenter on steel. Reggie is absolutely the most phenomenal fiddle player.

Best big name was David Alan Coe. He was a phenomenal performer in his younger days. He would sing for three hours without a break. He had great backup bands.

David Farrell · From: San Diego, California, USA

This is a really hard question to answer, but Zappa Does Zappa blew my mind. It was incredible.
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Dave

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Jacob Yergert · From: Centennial, Colorado, USA

I dont know if I could pick just one, but maybe a few for different reasons?

Best smaller artist? I saw Willi Carlisle and Dylan Earl at the Kinney Family Farm on a cold night in December of 2021. That show was amazing, intimate, and made me feel something more than perhaps any show I've ever been to.

Best big band? Sleep was incredible. I saw them at Mission Ballroom in Denver on April 20th 2022 and those guys are so loud I reached another plane of existence. I love Al Cisneros so much.

Best show in general? Somehow the stars aligned on my birthday in 2016 and I got to see Danava, The Shrine, Monolord, AND Windhand all on the same bill. I'll never forget that show. Riffs, riffs, riffs for like 4 hours straight.

Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

In recent years at Dollywood, there's a band I see every year called Kim Carson & The Real Deal. Kim is an awesome singer/songwriter, as well as a great acoustic/bass guitarist! On steel in the band is Dwight Breland, who plays a 1981 Emmons push-pull. They play at Dollywood's Harvest Festival celebration in October, and their music consists of songs written by Kim, as well as songs by Loretta Lynn, Jessi Colter, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, and many others. Kim loves the steel guitar, and always makes sure it's heard! She's a great friend of mine.

Rick Kornacker · From: Dixon Springs, Tennessee, USA

Hey all! OK,been following this thread for a while. Anyway, short and sweet! How about Mark Knopfler"Sailing to Philadelphia" tour at the Ryman in Nashville with Emmy Lou Harris, Paul (Victor) Franklin on steel and Glen Worf on bass and full stellar band. What could have been much better...maybe a guest appearance by James Taylor?. Oh what a night. Absolutely best 60 bucks I ever spent. Y'all be good and play gooood! Respectfully submitted, RK😎
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"think MORE...play LESS"

David DeLoach · From: Tennessee, USA

The Dixie Dregs. June 1980 in Dallas. Mark O'Conner was playing with them back then.

I was a jazz guitar student at North Texas State as the time. I remember not being sure if I was inspired to go home and practice, or to go home and burn all of my guitars!
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Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

A very unknown band that only lasted for two years, I think. They came from England. It's name was Mighty Baby and in their set was a Buffalo Springfield number, and I loved it. Their music was kind of Moby Grapish, with psycchedelic influences. The guy on the organ also played saxophone and flute.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgYcCoWe17w

David I've also Heard the Dregs in the same year in Phoenix.
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Jack Stanton · From: Somewhere in the swamps of Jersey

Best Band (original Post) and best concert check two different boxes for me. Best band-hands down Duke Ellington in the mid seventies. I can only imagine what they must have been like in the 40's and 50's! Close second- Lyle Lovett and his Lage Band. Lee Sklar on bass, Russ Kunkle on drums, and of course, Buck Reid.
Best concert- John Lennon at Madison Sq Garden for the One to One concert in 1972. Stevie wonder was on the bill (Sha Na- Na opened Shocked

) and had just release Superstition. He blew everybody off the stage. Lennon was with Elephants Memory One Band, who were mediocre at best, but it didn't matter, it was Lennon!
Runner up- McCartney in 2001 in Philly. That band (same as he has today) was incredible, and him doing all those tunes that were the soundtrack on my adolescence still moves me.

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