Regrets? I’ve had a few… but over the past 56 years I’ve seen my own fair share of great concerts as well, and this is the toppermost of the poppermost in my books. No, it can’t beat out Bill Holdship who can add an Elvis Presley to the mix, or Ken Shane who saw the Beatles. But that’s what happens when you spend your life in boarding school. Also, I didn’t include every big act I’ve seen: no Ray Charles, Chuck Berry, Ringo Starr, George Jones, James Brown, Frank Sinatra… this isn’t a size test. This is the faves. 56 years in the making, my fave live shows of all time, in chronological order:
Cliff Richards And The Shadows – Blackpool – 1962 – I was five years old and all I remember clearly is running up and down the aisle singing on the top of my voice.
The News – Brummana High School Auditorium – December, 1968 – A Beirut based rock and roll band who didn’t bother with psychedelia. Though predating both, they sounded like the Box Tops meets Big Star!
Sabah – Starco – July 1974 – I don’t have many good memories of my Mom but this was a doozy. My Mom adored the Lebanese pop star and went over and over again to see Sabah’s musical comedy “Mistress Of Them All” . Oddly, there was no live band and when the audience demanded an encore we all waited for the tape recorded to be rewound but I became a fan of Sabah (and if I had the time I would seriously study her career) and my Mom’s pleasure in the show was contagious. Musically, this was Arab pop as opposed to Arab classical, so the language was vernacular not classical Arabic and the songs popped to Aoud as opposed to the deep orchestrations of a Fairuz or God knows an Imm Kalthoum.
Joan Baez – Baalbeck – August 1975 – This was the first biiiiig concert I can remember going to and despite Baez’s mistaken belief that the Lebanese did not speak English and so she kept trying to speak French and failing (we spoke Arabic, French and English of course, we were Lebanese) she played a thrilling set of hits and classic numbers in the ancient Roman ruins. PS: I remember the Roman acropolis being huge but maybe it wasn’t, the incline was very very steep. Within a year the civil war would have swept over the country and it would be decades till the festival at Baalbeck returned.
David Essex – Manchester Palace – November 1976 – Creamed by the NME’s Paul Morley at the time, it was the biggest pop concert I’d ever seen with set design and every thing. The little girls understood and me and my step-brother picked up a couple of dollies at the show and sang “Hold Me Close” as we waited by the bus stop!!
X Ray Specs – CBGBs – March 1978 – I saw the band four times during their five night residency (they cancelled one night) and was good friends with all the band except for Poly who was on acid at the time and pretty flipped out. Each show was better than the night before.
Linda Ronstadt – Continental Arena – 1980 – This was around the time of Living In The USA tour and was my biggest concert to date. I was a huge fan and she was in great voice though, of course, I couldn’t see a damn thing. Her Smokey cover “Ooh, Baby Baby” stands up well.
David Bowie – MSG – 1980ish – The Scary Monster tour and the first time I saw him. I had nosebleeds but snuck to the front of the stage and he was at a creative zenith.
Public Image Ltd – The Palladium – April 1980 – I have never seen Lydon this great before or since and Jah Wobble made a life long fan of this guy. The opening act, James Blood Ulmer was nearly as great.
Elvis Costello And the Attractions – December 31st, 1981 – The Palladium – Almost blue, almost 1982 AND he introduced us to some Get Happy!! tracks while he was at it.
The Kinks – Beacon Theater – March 26th, 1988 – Maybe six months after Ray was such a dick when I interviewed him, I got maybe 10th row with my friend Bob Nevin for a mind blowing set that Ray himself called “Not our best but very good”.
Jerry Lee Lewis – Tramps – Some time in early 1990s – An early show, Jerry Lee leaned back in his chair, we shouted out songs, he played em. James Burton (Mr. TCB) was his band leader.
Stevie Wonder – 1993 or 1994 –Radio City Music Hall – The “Natural wonder” tour, one hit after another, all played on fire. There is a live album from the tour, give it a listen.
Peggy Lee – Carnegie Hall – June 26th, 1995 _ So ill she had to be carried two and fro from the sofa, she got four real and true standing ovations and deserved more. THE SINGLE BEST CONCERT I’VE EVER SEEN.
Elvis Costello – Beacon Theater – August 3rd, 1995 – He was working on “All This Useless Beauty” and decided to test run some of the songs. The concert opened with “Little Atoms” and didn’t look back.
Bob Dylan – Beacon Theater – December 1995 – Patti Smith opened and I had fourth row and Dylan was in a great mood, actually talking and joking around and I have never heard him better in concert than he was in the 1990s. Plus he did a duet with Patti on “Dark Eyes” that was just lovely.
Prince – Roseland – January 7th, 1997 – I pushed my way to the front and it was worth the effort.
Sleater Kinney – July 12th, 1997 – Xgau had just compared em favorably to the Clash, so, pushing what would prove to be their best album, Dig me Out, they had a lot to prove. And prove it they did. At the Corin Tucker solo Mercury Lounge gig I mentioned it to her, she nodded to her friend: “I remember that one” Corin said. Impressed? THEY WERE THE OPENING ACT
D’Angelo – Radio City Music Hall – March 20th, 2000 – Anointed as the King Of soul, he abdicated the next day.
Jay Z – MSG – December 4th, 2003 – This was the Jay-Z retirement gig and everybody brought their A game. Everybody. If you have seen the video well, believe me, you didn’t see it.
Bright Eyes – The Town Hall – May 2007 – I saw one of the seven night stand but it was enough. Dressed in white, plugging Cassadaga, topped off with a “Lua” for the ages.
Paul Simon – Beacon Theater – February 14th, 2009 – A sprawl of a second night of the refurbished Beacon opening and peak Paul.
Titus Andronicus – Bowery Ballroom – February 15th, 2009 – Stickles was still pushing the first album and the first album never sounded better.
Van Morrison – Beacon Theater – March 4th, 2009 – Odd, eh? Three fave concerts of all time in a two week window. I’d seen Van perform Astral Weeks the week before at MSG, but this was the one. A “Slim Slow Slider” never to be beaten.
Bruce Springsteen – MSG – November 7th, 2009 – The best I’ve ever seen Bruce. He played the whole of his second album!
Paul McCartney – Yankee Stadium – June 26th, 2011 – Paul will always be magnificent but this night he was at a level of brilliance I’ve never seen him reach.
Aretha Franklin – Radio City Music Hall – February 17th, 2012 – The tribute to Whitney Houston show and the height of the woman’s immense gifts.
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