I was in the record business for a long time, including management for a major distributor, so I’ve seen hundreds of concerts, of all types. The most memorable have been:
Prince TWICE, once for a private audience of 1200. No words.
Debbie Harry with Tom Tom Club (Talking Heads without David Byrne) opening and backing. They were great, she was great, peak new wave.
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, at Carnegie Hall with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt, featuring singers Dawn Upshaw and Thomas Hampson. Harnoncourt had been a personal inspiration for decades, and I met him and the singers after.
kd lang, at an astonishing private performance for about 900. A couple of weeks later, she did an interview on 60 Minutes, and said that now and then she does a perfect performance, and I knew she was talking about that show I saw. I was sure of it when I saw her on that tour a while later, and it was great, but nothing like what I saw.
Yes, the classic late 70s line-up, 3 times. Always great, but the best show was the one where they showed two classic Bugs Bunny cartoons as the opening act, and there is nothing like laughing with 25,000 happy stoners.
Messiaen: Turangalila Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Pierre Boulez conducting. It’s not the sort of classical music I gravitate to, but I’ve seen the Cleveland Orchestra dozens of times, and that performance was easily the best performance I ever saw from them. It was just really, really great.
Joshua Redman Quartet, some tiny little jazz club in Cleveland, with a crowd of about 120. It was their first concert, on the first tour, of his first album. Very few people had heard of him yet, but he went to win multiple Grammys, including for that album. Not only that, but the other three guys in his band, pianist Brad Mehldau, drummer Brian Blades, and bassist Christian McBride, all went on to do solo albums that won Grammys. That night I watched four excited young future jazz stars open their first tour, and BURN DOWN THE HOUSE. All night long, I just marvelled at what incredible musicians each one was. With every solo, I’d decide he was the best on the stage, and then the next guy would take a solo, and change my mind. A truly special performance.
Lindsey Buckingham, in a solo performance in a conference room with about 25 people. He sang 3 songs, with an acoustic guitar, with that trademark intensity, red face, tendons in his neck, truly incredible performance.
Lyle Lovett, in a hotel hallway at a music retail trade show. His first album was coming out in a couple of weeks, and his manager interrupted a really fun party (that had spilled into the hallway because it was so hot in hotel suite), and introduced Lyle, who went on to sing three incredible songs, including She’s No Lady and If I Had A Boat. I was irritated that the party had been interrupted, but I became an instant lifelong fan.
Dear Evan Hansen, on Broadway, in the earliest weeks of the run before it had become a big thing. Ben Platt was absolutely incredible. This show has become a bit of a lighting rod, but there was no doubt of why it was such a big hit.
The Great Comet, on Broadway, with Josh Groban, the same week. I’ve never seen another Broadway show like it, it was totally immersive, with audience and the stage all intertwined. There was a runway in the row in front of us, and we often had dancer musicians playing and strutting around in front of us. The show ended in ignominious and unfair fashion that has become Broadway legend, but it was the most innovative show I’ve ever seen, and had incredible music.
David Byrne, American Utopia, on Broadway. It was probably just a normal performance for them, but it was really great. Spike Lee’s film of it won Emmys.
Little Shop of Horrors, a high school performance with my son as Seymour. He killed it, honestly. He has a great voice, and was perfect in the role.
I was in the record business for a long time, including management for a major distributor, so I’ve seen hundreds of concerts, of all types. The most memorable have been:
Prince TWICE, once for a private audience of 1200. No words.
Debbie Harry with Tom Tom Club (Talking Heads without David Byrne) opening and backing. They were great, she was great, peak new wave.
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, at Carnegie Hall with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt, featuring singers Dawn Upshaw and Thomas Hampson. Harnoncourt had been a personal inspiration for decades, and I met him and the singers after.
kd lang, at an astonishing private performance for about 900. A couple of weeks later, she did an interview on 60 Minutes, and said that now and then she does a perfect performance, and I knew she was talking about that show I saw. I was sure of it when I saw her on that tour a while later, and it was great, but nothing like what I saw.
Yes, the classic late 70s line-up, 3 times. Always great, but the best show was the one where they showed two classic Bugs Bunny cartoons as the opening act, and there is nothing like laughing with 25,000 happy stoners.
Messiaen: Turangalila Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Pierre Boulez conducting. It’s not the sort of classical music I gravitate to, but I’ve seen the Cleveland Orchestra dozens of times, and that performance was easily the best performance I ever saw from them. It was just really, really great.
Joshua Redman Quartet, some tiny little jazz club in Cleveland, with a crowd of about 120. It was their first concert, on the first tour, of his first album. Very few people had heard of him yet, but he went to win multiple Grammys, including for that album. Not only that, but the other three guys in his band, pianist Brad Mehldau, drummer Brian Blades, and bassist Christian McBride, all went on to do solo albums that won Grammys. That night I watched four excited young future jazz stars open their first tour, and BURN DOWN THE HOUSE. All night long, I just marvelled at what incredible musicians each one was. With every solo, I’d decide he was the best on the stage, and then the next guy would take a solo, and change my mind. A truly special performance.
Lindsey Buckingham, in a solo performance in a conference room with about 25 people. He sang 3 songs, with an acoustic guitar, with that trademark intensity, red face, tendons in his neck, truly incredible performance.
Lyle Lovett, in a hotel hallway at a music retail trade show. His first album was coming out in a couple of weeks, and his manager interrupted a really fun party (that had spilled into the hallway because it was so hot in hotel suite), and introduced Lyle, who went on to sing three incredible songs, including She’s No Lady and If I Had A Boat. I was irritated that the party had been interrupted, but I became an instant lifelong fan.
Dear Evan Hansen, on Broadway, in the earliest weeks of the run before it had become a big thing. Ben Platt was absolutely incredible. This show has become a bit of a lighting rod, but there was no doubt of why it was such a big hit.
The Great Comet, on Broadway, with Josh Groban, the same week. I’ve never seen another Broadway show like it, it was totally immersive, with audience and the stage all intertwined. There was a runway in the row in front of us, and we often had dancer musicians playing and strutting around in front of us. The show ended in ignominious and unfair fashion that has become Broadway legend, but it was the most innovative show I’ve ever seen, and had incredible music.
David Byrne, American Utopia, on Broadway. It was probably just a normal performance for them, but it was really great. Spike Lee’s film of it won Emmys.
Little Shop of Horrors, a high school performance with my son as Seymour. He killed it, honestly. He has a great voice, and was perfect in the role.