So I promised David I'd do this awhile ago...and I was looking at my ticket stubs
So here is my list of best concert moments I have ever witnessed: but I will limit myself to 2 per band
1) The Smashing Pumpkins 4-21-2000 - Hara Arena, Dayton. If you know me at all, you know this story, so I will refrain.
2) Jimmy Eat World 4-22-2008 - Hara Arena, Dayton. "Dizzy" and "23" at the same show!!!! I almost died right there. I was just so...happy.
3) Bright Eyes 5-20-2007 - Wexner Center, Columbus. I somehow finagled some front row center tickets. I took Kolbie, her friend Misty and Mucci. Kolbie wasn't really into Bright Eyes at that point at all, but she was totally move by the show to the point that she started to like them. Everyone was in white tuxedos and dresses (including the 6 piece orchestra on the side of the stage) and the highlights were "Make A Plan To Love Me" "The Calendar Hung Itself" and "Lime Tree". When Conor played "Lime Tree" it was just him on acoustic and the orchestra. I looked behind him and saw in the shadows that one of the female percussionists was weeping hysterically. (For those not in the know the song is at least partially about an abortion ("And since the operation, I heard you're breathing just for one")). That was quite moving.
4) Taking Back Sunday 11-5-2004 - Newport Music Hall, Columbus. This is the only time I have ever gone to a show by myself. I didn't care after the openers though because I was so into the show and having a blast in the pit. This was before Where You Want To Be came out, so it was almost all Tell All Your Friends material...I , of course, screamed along all the lyrics.
5) Zwan 12-16-2002 - Newport Music Hall, Columbus. This was the third time I had ever seen Zwan (Billy's post-Pumpkins band) and they always put on a fantastic show. What makes this one special is that I would download recordings of shows, so even though the album was nowhere near being released yet, I knew every song. Until the encore. They played this fantastically amazing song entitles "Mary Star of the Sea" and after the show I saw everyone with the same awe-struck look that I had. The most commonly uttered phrase was "Holy Shit! What the fuck was that? That was incredible". Truly life-altering.
6) Summersault 8-11-2000 - Molson Ampitheatre, Barrie, ON, Canada. The pain and troubles paid off. After getting detained, getting a flat tire, getting lost in downtown Toronto, getting wasted and getting a girl kicked out of her parents house, it finally paid off. The Pumpkins, OLP, Foo Fighters, Catherine Wheel, Eve 6 and Treble Charger. I wasn't a huge OLP fan before the show, but afterwards, I was. At one point, the sun was sweltering and they played a new song ("Life") and as Raine sang "life is waiting for you, it's all fucked up, but we'll survive..." the weather changed and it staretd to sprinkle on us and everyone immediately had arms outstretched to soak up as much of the cooling rain as possible. I think I cried a little. The Pumpkins were good also, of course.
7) Our Lady Peace 4-16-2001 - Newport Music Hall, Columbus. The venue was completly packed. Upstairs and down and everyone was singing along and that was amazing. The most amazing part though was that the upper left balcony started chanting for "Theif" as Raine was announcing it would be their last song. The guitarist started to play the opening notes to "Starseed" and Raine walked over and pointed to the balcony and just said "no, no, they win" and they then played "Theif" before ending with "Starseed". You cannot forget a band that loves their fans that much.
8) The Killers around 7-14-2004 - Mod Club, Toronto. I got to see the Killers at a 200 person venue before they were big. This was a birthday present from David, and it was amazing. We got to the venue like 3 hours early and watched them carry their equipment in. We were right against the stage for the show and my hand was at the base of Brandon's keyboard stand. They played everything off Hot Fuss except "Natalie" and "Everything Will Be Alright". They did play "Indie" and "Under The Gun" to make up for it though. When we were walking back to our hotel, we saw Jack White and Meg and Renee Zellweger coming out of a sex shop on Yonge Street. Wendy saw him walking by and just said "oh...you're Jack White" and he looked back and started walking faster. Haha.
9) Lollapalooza 2004 (7-23&24) - Grant Park, Chicago. This was fantastic for one major reason. THE ARCADE FIRE. It was over 100 degrees that day and they came out in black formal dress (Tuxedos and dresses) and when they started there were maybe 6000 people by their stage (G Love was playing at the same time). Before their set, I was incredibly excited to see them because I had heard good things, but nothing could prepare me for what I was seeing. The third to last song was "Neighborhood #1" and I turned around and you could not see the end of people. Spin later said that over 30000 were at their stage (3/4 of the people there). They are the most entertaining live band I have even seen. The entire time they looked like they were having the time of their life and sounded amazing. I heard many people say "I don't know who the fuck these guys are, but they are incredible". They ended with "Neighboorhood #3" into "Rebellion (Lies)" where the band marched out behind Will, who had thrown on an over-the-shoulder snare drum and lead them out through the crowd. From the end of "Neighborhood #3" through the entirety of "Rebellion" the entire crowd was clapping along with the driving beat. Everyone around was speechless as the band got on a golf cart and left. People stood around stunned for several minutes.
10) Jimmy Eat World (11-15-2004) - Newport Music Hall, Columbus. This was the only show I saw on the Futures tour. It was absolutely amazing (even if they did not play "23"). They played the entire album otherwise and the crowd wass fantastic, singing along to every song. Everything from "No Sensitivity" to "Just Watch the Fireworks" to "The World You Love". It was amazing.
11) Lollapalooza 2008 (8-1-2008 - 8-3-2008) - Grant Park, Chicago. This is the only time I've seen Radiohead play "Fake Plastic Trees". It was absolutely amazing, because right as the song started, fireworks started to go off in the distance. (If I had to guess, I'd imagine the White Sox won their game, because we were facing south when looking at the stage.) and as the finale of the fireworks started, the song climaxed...and they ended as the music came back down. It was simply beautiful and amazing. The next day MGMT put on one of the most fun shows I have ever seen. When they played "Kids", I turned around and could not see the end of people, and everyone was dancing around. Other highlights: Brand New, Gogol Bordello and NIN.
1) The Smashing Pumpkins 4-21-2000 - Hara Arena, Dayton. If you know me at all, you know this story, so I will refrain.
2) Jimmy Eat World 4-22-2008 - Hara Arena, Dayton. "Dizzy" and "23" at the same show!!!! I almost died right there. I was just so...happy.
3) Bright Eyes 5-20-2007 - Wexner Center, Columbus. I somehow finagled some front row center tickets. I took Kolbie, her friend Misty and Mucci. Kolbie wasn't really into Bright Eyes at that point at all, but she was totally move by the show to the point that she started to like them. Everyone was in white tuxedos and dresses (including the 6 piece orchestra on the side of the stage) and the highlights were "Make A Plan To Love Me" "The Calendar Hung Itself" and "Lime Tree". When Conor played "Lime Tree" it was just him on acoustic and the orchestra. I looked behind him and saw in the shadows that one of the female percussionists was weeping hysterically. (For those not in the know the song is at least partially about an abortion ("And since the operation, I heard you're breathing just for one")). That was quite moving.
4) Taking Back Sunday 11-5-2004 - Newport Music Hall, Columbus. This is the only time I have ever gone to a show by myself. I didn't care after the openers though because I was so into the show and having a blast in the pit. This was before Where You Want To Be came out, so it was almost all Tell All Your Friends material...I , of course, screamed along all the lyrics.
5) Zwan 12-16-2002 - Newport Music Hall, Columbus. This was the third time I had ever seen Zwan (Billy's post-Pumpkins band) and they always put on a fantastic show. What makes this one special is that I would download recordings of shows, so even though the album was nowhere near being released yet, I knew every song. Until the encore. They played this fantastically amazing song entitles "Mary Star of the Sea" and after the show I saw everyone with the same awe-struck look that I had. The most commonly uttered phrase was "Holy Shit! What the fuck was that? That was incredible". Truly life-altering.
6) Summersault 8-11-2000 - Molson Ampitheatre, Barrie, ON, Canada. The pain and troubles paid off. After getting detained, getting a flat tire, getting lost in downtown Toronto, getting wasted and getting a girl kicked out of her parents house, it finally paid off. The Pumpkins, OLP, Foo Fighters, Catherine Wheel, Eve 6 and Treble Charger. I wasn't a huge OLP fan before the show, but afterwards, I was. At one point, the sun was sweltering and they played a new song ("Life") and as Raine sang "life is waiting for you, it's all fucked up, but we'll survive..." the weather changed and it staretd to sprinkle on us and everyone immediately had arms outstretched to soak up as much of the cooling rain as possible. I think I cried a little. The Pumpkins were good also, of course.
7) Our Lady Peace 4-16-2001 - Newport Music Hall, Columbus. The venue was completly packed. Upstairs and down and everyone was singing along and that was amazing. The most amazing part though was that the upper left balcony started chanting for "Theif" as Raine was announcing it would be their last song. The guitarist started to play the opening notes to "Starseed" and Raine walked over and pointed to the balcony and just said "no, no, they win" and they then played "Theif" before ending with "Starseed". You cannot forget a band that loves their fans that much.
8) The Killers around 7-14-2004 - Mod Club, Toronto. I got to see the Killers at a 200 person venue before they were big. This was a birthday present from David, and it was amazing. We got to the venue like 3 hours early and watched them carry their equipment in. We were right against the stage for the show and my hand was at the base of Brandon's keyboard stand. They played everything off Hot Fuss except "Natalie" and "Everything Will Be Alright". They did play "Indie" and "Under The Gun" to make up for it though. When we were walking back to our hotel, we saw Jack White and Meg and Renee Zellweger coming out of a sex shop on Yonge Street. Wendy saw him walking by and just said "oh...you're Jack White" and he looked back and started walking faster. Haha.
9) Lollapalooza 2004 (7-23&24) - Grant Park, Chicago. This was fantastic for one major reason. THE ARCADE FIRE. It was over 100 degrees that day and they came out in black formal dress (Tuxedos and dresses) and when they started there were maybe 6000 people by their stage (G Love was playing at the same time). Before their set, I was incredibly excited to see them because I had heard good things, but nothing could prepare me for what I was seeing. The third to last song was "Neighborhood #1" and I turned around and you could not see the end of people. Spin later said that over 30000 were at their stage (3/4 of the people there). They are the most entertaining live band I have even seen. The entire time they looked like they were having the time of their life and sounded amazing. I heard many people say "I don't know who the fuck these guys are, but they are incredible". They ended with "Neighboorhood #3" into "Rebellion (Lies)" where the band marched out behind Will, who had thrown on an over-the-shoulder snare drum and lead them out through the crowd. From the end of "Neighborhood #3" through the entirety of "Rebellion" the entire crowd was clapping along with the driving beat. Everyone around was speechless as the band got on a golf cart and left. People stood around stunned for several minutes.
10) Jimmy Eat World (11-15-2004) - Newport Music Hall, Columbus. This was the only show I saw on the Futures tour. It was absolutely amazing (even if they did not play "23"). They played the entire album otherwise and the crowd wass fantastic, singing along to every song. Everything from "No Sensitivity" to "Just Watch the Fireworks" to "The World You Love". It was amazing.
11) Lollapalooza 2008 (8-1-2008 - 8-3-2008) - Grant Park, Chicago. This is the only time I've seen Radiohead play "Fake Plastic Trees". It was absolutely amazing, because right as the song started, fireworks started to go off in the distance. (If I had to guess, I'd imagine the White Sox won their game, because we were facing south when looking at the stage.) and as the finale of the fireworks started, the song climaxed...and they ended as the music came back down. It was simply beautiful and amazing. The next day MGMT put on one of the most fun shows I have ever seen. When they played "Kids", I turned around and could not see the end of people, and everyone was dancing around. Other highlights: Brand New, Gogol Bordello and NIN.