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

[Paul Awalt]

Best Band was of course "The Band" in 73', at Watkins Glen. I was a more of a Dead and Allman Bros. fanatic. The Dead wasn't up to par, the Allman Bros. were solid, but the Band's rhythm and sound left me speechless. Steel, "Steelin' for the Hearts", with Herby Wallace, Weldon Myrick, and Buddy Charleton jamming together at the Ft. Meade VFW, Scotty was also there.

[Brett Day]

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

The Outlaws are still a band. One of their members, Henry Paul is also the lead singer/guitarist/mandolin player with the band Blackhawk. The Outlaws now have keyboardist Dave Robbins in the band, who wrote songs with guitarist Van Stephenson and is also part of Blackhawk. I think The Outlaws and Blackhawk are now the same band because one minute, Henry and the band will play Outlaws songs, then they will play Blackhawk songs at another show

[Jack Hanson]

Thanks for keeping your replies rolling in, people. Some very interesting stories in this old thread! Personally, I still gotta figger this lineup in one afternoon was the best show I ever saw (more than 50 years ago). Unbilled, and playing with the Bramlett's, was a fairly impressive young guitarist from Britain. Am I the only Forumite who was there? Pretty sure I got my seven bucks worth. Did you?

[Colin Boutilier]

Of all the times I've seen them, Blue Rodeo has never been less than perfect. Best steel playing I've seen live would absolutely have to be Vince and Paul touring to support Bakersfield. That was special.

[Chris Templeton]

Little Feat- 1979 Burlington, VT- Roy Buchanan, Jonathan Swifts, Cambridge, MA., '73 & '74, Buddy Cage & Bad Dog , '74, Jonathan Swifts, Cambridge, MA.
Bill Frisell, Burlington, Vermont 2020, Concerts at Jeffran, Scotty's and Jerry Byrd's Ho'olaule'a Honolulu.

[Fred Treece]

Every time I saw Poco (4times?) they knocked me out. They opened for America and Seals & Crofts once and should have been the headliner. One of the singers in America had just left the band, and about halfway through their set Tim Schmidt took a mic and started singing the guy’s parts.

Bob Dylan at the Fox Warfield in San Francisco, 1980. He did a two week run there, I was at a show beyond the halfway point. The band was studio all-stars -Fred Tackett on guitar, Jim Keltner on drums, etc. Great backup singers. Bob’s voice was strong and expressive. Yes, he could actually really sing when he wanted to. The light show was fantastic. Not gaudy and over the top laser BS like we have now, just perfect for the stage and the music (No drugs were involved). Great mix of hits, new material, and what he called traditional mountain songs. An unforgettable experience. Even the friend I went with, who did not care for Dylan, was in shock at how good that show was.

Best steel playing band I ever saw? The aforementioned Poco, with Rusty. Ricky Skaggs with Bruce, Desert Rose with JayDee. Toss it up.

Bob Carlucci’s post reminded me of a BB King/Bobby Blue Bland show I saw in the late 70’s. Holy crap, you nailed it, Bob. Their band was incredible, and both those guys were still peaking as singers and performers. And of course, Lucille was The Queen.

[Chris Templeton]

Great shows, Fred. That reminded me of seeing Dylan at the Warfield Theater in S.F., on his Slow Train tour. Mark knopfler played guitar.

[Kenny Burford]

I saw Mel Tillis and the State Siders in 1973 or 1974 and it totally changed my thoughts about what kind of band I wanted to be in. All were outstanding musicians, no one was trying to out play the other, and the combination of twin fiddles and pedal steel opened my eyes to how full a band could sound.