Semi-Annual "What major bands have you seen live" thread?

[charlie and algernon]

With 2015 over, update your list. What major bands have you seen live?

"Major" defined as having a large regional/national/international following.


Mine:

Saw in 2015
Barenaked Ladies
Violent Femmes
Colin Hayes (Men at Work)
One Direction
Awolnation
Family of the Year
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

Concert for Valor (2014)
Eminem
Rihanna
Bruce Springsteen
Dave Grohl
Carrie Underwood
Zach Brown Band
Jennifer Hudson
Metallica
Jessie J
Black Keys

Previous
Jay Z
Beyonce
Rush
Deep Purple
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Steppenwolf
The Four Seasons
Beach Boys
Boston Pops
National Symphony Orchestra


Got my tickets to Firefly Music Festival in June, so I'll be adding another 20-25 bands for next year!

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. Far less than I'd like

last few years - Claire Lynch band, Beck, The National, The Residents, Hand and the Heart, Cowboy Junkies, Bill Frisell, Suzanne Vega, Swell Season, Patty Griffin/Buddy Miller, Los Lobos, Compay Segudo, Neko Case, Lucinda Williams, Neil Young, Lyle Lovett, Arcade Fire (twice), Pat Metheny Unity Band

I think I've seen the Pat Metheny group over a dozen times (between 1980 and 1992) - incredible each time.

[zappaman]

4. I've seen way too many bands to count, but the one in your list that stood out...

The Residents!
Seen them a bunch since way back on their 13th anniversary tour.
Met the two main guys in the late 90s.
Love 'em!

[NRaleighLiberal]

6. it was the most indescribable concert of my life. I do have many of their CDs.

And you realize of course no one really knows who the group members are!

[zappaman]

7. Um...yeah.

No one knows...

[NRaleighLiberal]

8. hmmmm

there are a zillion theories. Makes for some interesting googling!

[zappaman]

10. I could tell you their names.

But that would ruin the mystique.

[Arugula Latte]

23. Arcade Fire and The National are two of my current favorites.

[jmowreader]

2. Oh, let me see...

Bon Jovi
Blue Oyster Cult
Accept
The Alarm
Pat Benatar
Pink Floyd
Genesis
Bruce Hornsby and the Range
Bruce Springsteen
Lynyrd Skynyrd

Bands I did NOT see, but had tickets for...
Frank Zappa (I got sent to a leadership school the night Zappa played Berlin)
Rush (I left Berlin two days before the Rush concert)

[Ptah]

3. Back in the day:

Blood Sweat and Tears

Bonnie Raitt

Beach Boys

Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen

Grateful Dead

Frank Zappa

Shawn Phillips

Chick Corea

Count Basie

John Prine

Garth Brooks

New Riders of the Purple Sage

[NightWatcher]

5. Most entertaining showmen. White Zombie followed by Rage Against the Machine

Different time and venues

[First Speaker]

9. All a long time ago now...

...Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, the Thad/Jones Mel Lewis band, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Thelonius Monk, John Coltrane, Sun Ra, Bill Evans, Sarah Vaughan, Mel Torme... Jazz, as you can see. I don't think I've ever seen a major rock/pop band...

[Mendocino]

11. OK

Allman Brothers 3x
Rolling Stones 2x
Eric Clapton
The Who
Neil Young 2x
Bob Dylan
Jeff Beck
Santana
Heart 3x
Yes
James Taylor
Pink Floyd
Hot Tuna
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Ringo Starr
Joni Mitchell
Jackson Browne
Fleetwood Mac
Muddy Waters
Jefferson Starship
Martha Reeves
Roger McGuinn
Bob Welch
CSN
Temptations
Robert Cray
Todd Rundgren
Chicago
Tom Petty
Chris Hillman (Byrds)
Gordon Lightfoot
John Denver
Dickie Betts
Cars
Four Tops
Donovan
Eric Burdon (Animals)
George Thorogood
Boston
Robin Trower
Bob Seger 2x
Doobie Brothers
George Benson
Peter Frampton
Wet Willie
Eddie Money
Buddy Guy
Spyro Grya
Joe Perry Project
Gary Wright
Triumph
Marie Muldaur
Billy Joel
Mitch Ryder
Peter Tosh
Tower of Power
Starcastle

[Arkansas Granny]

12. The only major band I saw this year was Heart.

I truly believe they have gotten better over the years. They are still rockin' it.

Last year I saw Steely Dan. Still as good as ever.

In days gone by:

Rare Earth
Doctor Hook
Sugarloaf
Ozark Mountain Daredevil's
Black Oak Arkansas
Willie Nelson
CSN
Foreigner
Chicago
ZZ Top
Pink Floyd
Eagles
Elton John/Billy Joel
Duane All man
REO Speefwagon
Bob Seeger
Rod Stewart

[hobbit709]

13. Not so many lately

But I see Bill Kirchen play on a regular basis
Denny Freeman
Ernie Durawa and Augie Meyers
Roky Erickson
Arthur Brown

And the ones I remember from the old days
13th Floor Elevators
Hendrix
Allman Brothers
B.B. King
Country Joe & the Fish
Bo Diddley
Freddie King
Lightning Hopkins
Mance Lipscomb
Stevie Ray starting with Paul Ray & The Cobras
Jimmie Vaughan in all his incarnations
Arlo Guthrie
Asleep At The Wheel
Frank Zappa
Bob Marley
Peter Tosh
Bobby Blue Bland
Bonnie Raitt
Buddy Guy
Commander Cody
Clapton
Eric Burdon
Fleetwood Mac-before they went pop
Grateful Dead
Jefferson Airplane
Janis
Hot Tuna
John Mayall
Long John Baldry
Johnny Winter
Muddy Waters
New Riders Of The Purple Sage
Stones
Spirit
Steve Miller
Taj Mahal
Talking Heads
Ten Years After
The Kinks
Toots And The Maytals
Townes Van Zandt
W.C. Clark
Willie Dixon
ZZ Top
The Wild Tchoupitoulas/The Meters
Dr. John

The thing about working at the 'Dillo was that you got in free at any other place in town when there was a good show.

[DFW]

14. This goes back a ways

Count Five
Jimi Hendrix Experience
Los Bravos
Ravi Shankar
PDQ Bach
Andréa Segovia
Boston Pops Orchestra
National Symphony Orchestra
Mungo Jerry
Johnny Winter
Canned Heat
Youngbloods
Hollies
Martha and the Vandellas
Junior Wells
Electric Flag
Grateful Dead
Allman Brothers
Pearls Before Swine
Country Joe and the Fish
Leo Kottke
Mahavishnu Orchestra
Kris Kristoffersen
Eric Clapton
Osipov Balalaika Orchestra
Doobie Brothers
Elton John
Rolling Stones
Paul Simon (Graceland Tour)
Bob Dylan
Billy Joel
John Mayall
Boys of the Lough
Steeleye Span
Steely Dan
Steve Miller
Little Feat
Jimmy Vaughan
Theodore Bikel
Wynton Marsalis
Taj Mahal
CSN
Moody Blues
Bonnie Raitt
Bruce Springsteen (solo tour)
Bruce Hornsby
Mark Knopfler
Left Banke
Marcel Dadi

And I'm sure I forgot half of them

[ProfessorGAC]

15. Well, I Was Going To Pass on This Thread Today

But, given the events of yesterday, i saw Bowie Live 5 times.

On Edit: Miscounted. I forgot about the tour where he went out with Adrian Belew. So, i saw him 6 times, 4 since we've been married.

[Iggo]

16. Bookmarking for later....

[LynneSin]

17. OMG I'll be at Firefly too!

Got my tickets last year before the price increase!! We should hangout down there!!!

[LynneSin]

18. Ok my list just for 2015

If I posted all the concerts it would take awhile

Robert Plant (3 times)
Jeff Lynne and ELO (probably one of the best concerts ever I have seen!)
Carbon Leaf (twice)
Iron & Wine and Ben Bridewell
The Arcs
Dr Dog
Chris Cornell
Dr John
Ryan Adams
Tedeshi Trucks Band

I saw a bunch of local stuff plus a slew of concerts I get to see while volunteering at a local concert venue here in Delaware.

[ghostsinthemachine]

19. From the Grateful Dead (1968) to The Brothers Comatose (last Saturday)

I couldn't begin to list them, or even some. I did see David Bowie do Ziggy Stardust at Winterland. And Serious Moonlight tour.
Saw the Dead plays 500 times.

[OriginalGeek]

20. So far this year I have tickets to see

The Florida Metal Fest in a couple weeks with Atheist, Obituary, Broken Hope, Deicide, Corrosion of Conformity, Generichrist, Malevolent Creation and some others

and this Sunday an all-day-ish fest with The Reverend Horton Heat and Unknown Hinson and several bands I've never heard before.

I bought the latest Immortal Bird CD this christmas and when it came Rae Amitay (she's the vocalist and, when I saw them a couple years ago she was the drummer too but I think she got a new drummer since then) included a sticker and a note that they will be playing in Florida this year so I'm going to see them for sure.

In a few months I'll get to see At The Gates again for the first time since about 1995 and I'm very excited for that.

most of the stuff I see is only major in the metal community but I've seen plenty of shows by big names too. Concert-going has been my favorite hobby since the early 80s.

in 2015 off the top of my head I saw
DRI
Acheron
Terrorizer
Mindscar
Vital Remains
King Diamond
Exodus
Gruesome (kind of a death metal supergroup founded to worship Chuck Schuldiner and Death)
Cannibal Corpse
Aeon
Voivod
Napalm Death
Alice Cooper

and a bunch of opening bands for all those shows

[clarice]

21. well let's see...

The Who
Moody blues
Allmans
Pink Floyd (original)
Jimi
Stones (even though I don't like em)
Creednance
REM
Dead
Sabbath
Motorhead
Deep Purple (original)
Yes (original)
on and on and on....

[mackerel]

22. I remember seeing Bowie

Day on the Green #4 - Serious Moonlight Tour