Patricia Barbara at the Soiled Dove in Denver.
Talking Heads at Red Rocks
Yes, many years ago in a somewhat small venue in Denver, don’t recall the location though.
Jean-Luc Ponty, also many years ago in a very intimate small venue in Denver that I can’t recall. Edit: By some small miracle my memory kicked in. The venue was Ebbets Field.
Billy Idol at McNichols Stadium I believe. One of the best rock and roll performances I’ve seen.
Pink Floyd at Foxboro Stadium in MA (1988 Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour); sadly without Roger Waters.
Richard Thompson at The Lyric Theater in Blacksburg, VA
All at The Harvester Performance Center in Rocky Mount, VA:
One more:
And two more:
And one more:
The Philadelphia Orchestra performing Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 on March 11th and 13th, 2016.
It is so rarely performed live that I drove twice from NYC to attend.
For me no live performances I have attended in person rivaled recorded ones in my listening history. So here are some of my top live performances recorded:
Paul McCartney, Grand Central Station, NYC concert.
Janos Starker solo cello concert, Town Hall, NYC.
Philadelphia Orchestra, Mahler 6 Symphony, Marian Anderson Hall,
Philadelphia (April 10, '25)
Philadelphia Orchestra, Beethoven 9 Sym., Marian Anderson Hall,
Philadelphia (May 29, '25 !)
I don’t remember the particulars of this concert but it has stuck with me:
County Stadium, Milwaukee
Mid 70’s
Crosby, Stills, Nash and a recently acquired Young
4 hour concert, lots of solos, close to stage
Everyone was high.
Some of my favorites:
Jethro Tull, “Thick As a Brick” tour, Chicago Stadium
The Roches, The Vogue Theater, Indianapolis
Brian Wilson, Pet Sounds tour, Murat Theater, Indianapolis
Guster (any of the 8 or 10 shows I’ve been to)
Julian Bream & John Williams, Ann Arbor
Stephen Stills & Manassas, SIU Arena, Carbondale, IL
Bruce Cockburn (any of the 6 or 8 shows I’ve been to)
I know there are others I came out of, saying it was the best show I ever saw, but they slip my mind right now.
The Who, 1970, Auditorium Theater, Chicago
The Mavericks, 1994, Fitzgerald’s, Berwyn, Il
Jimi Hendrix (1968) - Virginia Beach, VA, and New Haven, CT
Blind Faith (1969) - Chicago, IL
James Taylor and Carole King (1971) - Hartford, CT
John Prine and Steve Goodman (1976) - Iowa City, IA
Bob Dylan (1990) - Iowa City, IA
I guess it says something that I’m still listening to recordings from all of these great musicians so many years later.
Santana, 1984, Palace Theater, Albany NY
This one stands out for me. The right group of people, a great show, college road trip, and I met my first ex wife pre-gaming in the parking lot
Best,
JP
Out of the dozens of concerts over the years, these were the most memorable for a number of reasons…
Judy Collins - Carnegie Hall, NYC - 1975
David Bowie - “Station to Station” tour - Nassau Coliseum, Long Island - 1976
Jef Beck & Jan Hammer - Opening for Jefferson Startship - Nassau Coliseum - 1976
Bette Milder - “A View from A Broad” tour - Radio City Music Hall - 1978
Cyndi Lauper - (as lead singer - “Blue Angel”)- PastTime Pub - Amityville, NY - 1980
“La Bohème” - Zeffirelli’s production - Metropolitan Opera, NYC - 1982
Mick Jagger & Tina Turner, The Cars- (rehearsal/sound check the night before ) - “Live Aid” - Phila., Pa - 1985
Black Sabbath -“Live Aid” - Phila. Pa - 1985
Ricardo Muti/The Philadelphia Orchestra - Symphony No. 4 (Mendelssohn)- The Academy of Music, Phila. Pa - 1987
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - The Ritz - NYC - New Year’s Eve - 1988
Hot Tuna ( acoustic) - The Lone Star Cafe - NYC - 1989
Takács Quartet - Washington Irving High School - NYC - 2023
The Doors, Madison Square Garden, 1969
Jimi Hendrix Experience, Madison Square Garden, 1969
Pink Floyd, Hunter College, 1971
Pink Floyd, Roosevelt Stadium, 1973
So many great one’s but the first 3 that come to mind
Jethro Tull
U2
Phil Collins
Apex High School Chorus under the direction of Heather Copley, accompanied by Janice Dupre
Winter 2010
Apex Baptist Church
Apex, NC
First concert that literally had me in tears
So many, but standouts for me:
Al Di Meola, Paco de Lucia and John McLaughlin, Rainbow Music Hall, Denver, 1981
Jethro Tull, House of Blues, Las Vegas 1999 and
Peter Gabriel, Pepsi Center, Denver 2002 (in the round).
Pepsi Center usually isn’t great for acoustics, but had 4th row for this one & was great from there!
I would have given anything to be there!
You take the prize! 
Thank you kind sir it’s only because I’m old. 
I ain’t no spring chicken either! 
