Thoughts for Thursday: Live Music/Concerts

Most people who have regularly read this blog or know me in person have come to the conclusion that I enjoy attending concerts.  Its true! Live music has become a major part of my life over the past ten years.  I have literally been to hundreds of shows, and I have a pile of ticket stubs to prove it!

There is just something so exciting about seeing a band live! It is more than just the actual music that draws me, it is also the emotion attached.    I tried to compile a list of bands that I can recall seeing.  Some of these bands I have seen many, many times!  One of my most memorable concerts ever was seeing Santana on December 31, 1999 at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas.  Seeing Prince perform at Paisley Park ranks up there too.  There have been some really great shows that I have been to, too many to get into specifics!
Ready for the list of bands I have seen?  Its a LONG list!
311 (many times)
30 Seconds to Mars (many times)
A Perfect Circle
Alabama
Ankla
Arch Enemy
Armor for Sleep
Baby Face
Beach Boys
Billy Dean
Black Flood Diesel
Boys II Men
Buried by Hope
Children of Bodom
Chimaira
Circa Survive
Coheed & Cambria
Creed
Damage Plan
Days of the New
Deftones
Dir en Grey
Eric Sardinas
Fear Factory
Fishbone
Five Finger Death Punch
George Clinton
God Forbid
Godsmack
Grand Central Station
Ill Nino
In Flames
Incubus
Iron Maiden
Janet Jackson
Joe Satriani
Judas Priest
Kentucky Headhunters
Kid Rock
Killswitch Engage
King's X
Korn (many times)
Lenny Kravitz
Limp Bizkit
Linkin Park
LL Cool J
Mary J. Blige
Matchbook Romance
MC Hammer
Megadeth
Metallica
Method Man
Morris Day & The Time
Naughty by Nature
Neil Diamond
Ozzie Osbourne
Pantera
Papa Roach
Powerman 5000
Primus
Prince (many times)
Queensryche
R. Kelly
Ra
Ratt
Redman
Rena McIntyre
Rise Against
Rob Zombie
Roger Waters
Santana (many times)
Sevendust (many times)
Sheila E.
Skid Row
Skywind (many times)
Smilin' Liar
Snoop Dogg
Staind
Static-X (many times)
Steve Vai
Steve Winwood
Strapping Young Lad
Subway
Sunset Black
Ta'Mar
Tesla
Testament
The Marvelous 3
The Police
Tom Petty
Twisted Sister
Type-O Negative
Velvet Revolver
Xero
Yngwe Molmstein

There are also some musicians I have never before seen that I would love to see someday (ex. Aerosmith, Elton John). I know that going out often is a luxury that I am fortunate to have since I do not have children keeping me at home, but I know that I will still make an effort to see as many good shows as I can even when I do I have kids.... when they get old enough, there is no doubt that music will also be a big part of their life too :)

What are your thoughts on live music??  Who would you LOVE to see live?  What have been some of your favorite concerts???

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Other TFT posts today:

Robyn on bipolar parenting

Kim A on food

Dana Leigh on pets

Ang on change

Comments

[Ang]

It's always had to pick a favorite; KNOTB was my first concert ever so it sticks in my head, and Sevendust always puts on a great show!
I love live music, it's such a great energy!

[Nicole]

I live seeing bands perform live, but rarely go to concerts because I just can't stand to deal with all the hassle (the cost, traffic, the smokey venue, etc.) Just like Ang, my first concert was NKOTB, though I recall very little about it. Hubby and I won tickets to see Blink-182 several years ago (quite fun, but we were clearly the oldest people there - at 23 and 27!) I have been to a couple Dave Matthews Band concerts - Folsom Field (AWESOME!) and the Pepsi Center (too much smoke - and not cigarette.) I also had the opportunity to see Elton John play in Laramie, Wyoming when he did a benefit concert for Matthew Shepard . . . a great show, and I loved the fact that I went with my Mom and her sister - it was so cool to see the huge age differences all rocking out together.

[Helmet]

I gave you an award... go check it out if you will...

http://helmet.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/09/dont-hate-me-because-now-im-even-more-awesome.html

[Denise]

Holy Crap Girl! I'm not really a concert person. But, here is my list.

Toby Keith - My 1st concert and the only reason I went was that I won the tickets.

Tool - I was on a Date and I don't really remember the concert because of some blue drink that I drank right before we got there. :O

Keith Urban - Twice for a Girls Trip to Vegas and Pennsylvania.

Really, I don't care to see anyone in concert except I will continue to go to Keith Urban concerts because we have way too much fun and he is AWESOME!

[Michelle]

I've only been to like 4 concerts, I don't really care for them. My fave was by far DMB in WI. He's awesome to watch!

[Dana Leigh]

I am the same as you. I love music so much and it is such a part of my every day life so of course concerts come into play. I have TONS of tickets and I have seen hundreds of bands. It's one of my favorite forms of entertainment. I looked at your list of bands and I have seen 26 of them at least once. I have seen Elton John and it was a great show! Like a few of the other comments, my first concert was also NKOTB. Seeing The Police last year was a big one for me and also Tom Petty and George Michael. I would love to see Fleetwood Mac. We have tickets to see Madonna in Miami in November but unfortunately the way our trip is planned (around Thanksgiving), we are going to have to sell them. I was going to do this topic for TFT today also so I'll cross that off my list!

I'm not sure there's many people left to see that I've not seen ... two do come to mind off the top of my head, Eric Clapton and Garth Brooks ... but other than that, I've seen some great shows: U2 was a great show, Bon Jovi is always awesome, as is Melissa Etheridge. They are tied for the band I've seen the most at 5 times each. One of the best shows I've seen was a 30 miute set by Lionel Richie as part of an all-day music festival. He did an acoustic set and he was phenominal. I think the best concert ever was the Eagles. The Hell Freezes Over tour. it was October, it was at an outdoor ampatheatre, it was SO cold, and raining and we were sitting in the lawn, but it was SUCH a good concert and so much fun.

[Kelly]

I like live music. I think the energy of the crowd can really make or break it though. My favorite concert I went to was Tim Mcgraw. There are lots of people I would like to see live but if I have to pick one I would pick Stevie Nicks.

[Samara]

WOW! That's awesome!