Double your pleasure!
Tonight a Townsman is taking his kids to see Foo Fighters. This will be the second time said Townsman, who will remain nameless until he outs himself, has seen “the Foos,” as he tells me The Kidz call ’em. He, like me, sees way less concerts than might be expected considering his encyclopedic knowledge of greatest hits albums and how opinionated—and right—he prides himself in being. We got to talking about it. Not counting cult and underground bands we’ve loved and seen multiple times (eg, Pere Ubu, Gang of Four, and Big Dipper, for myself), beside Elvis Costello it’s possible that neither of us has seen a national-level band more than one time. (By “national-level” I mean big enough to have been on commercial radio, have albums stocked in major chain stores, be big enough so that “regular people” at work are likely to know who you’re talking about if you bring them up in conversation.)
That’s right, he’s seen Nick Lowe twice, but the first time as an acoustic opener, so maybe that doesn’t count. I was supposed to go to that second show with him but had to stay home for, uh, security reasons. Tonight my Townsman friend will leave me in the dust, joining us tomorrow with what are likely to be spot-on comparisons between the two Foos’ shows he’ll have under his belt.
Can anyone beat my record of only having seen one national-level band more than one time? If not, what band have you seen the most times, not counting your friends’ bands or bands you’ve opened for? (I’ve seen Pere Ubu 6 or 7 times.)
Wow, I’m really wracking my brain on this one. Can’t say I’ve really seen too many “big” bands … and certainly never more than once.
I, um… I, well… not sure how to put this but… I’ve seen the Dead somewhere around 30 times. Boy, I thought I would feel better getting that off my chest but I don’t.
I’ve seen several other national-level bands more than once but none close to 30
I think I am following this question correctly…
I’ve seen Dylan (that would be Bob) 12 times.
I’ve seen Willie Nelson quite bit too, mostly with Bob.
I’ve see Macca three times.
The Who twice.
I saw Simon and Garfunkel once and Paul Simon solo once, so does that count Paul simon twice?
I’ve seen Elvis Costello three times, but accoring to your rules, he doesn’t count?
TB
Who 1
Crapton 1
Kinks 1
Van fucking Halen 1
Kiss 1
AC/DC 1
Nugent 1
Beach Boys 1
ZZ Top 1
James Brown 1
Prince 2
Macca 2
Upper Crust 4 — they may be my most-seen band. Given how seldom they perform, that’s saying something.
I have a tie between Steve Earle and R.E.M. at six each. I saw The Replacements at least six times — but those were all local shows in Minneapolis (except for one in Sioux Falls, SD!). The female national artist I’ve seen the most is a tie between Emmylou Harris — Marti Jones — four times each. I used to go to a lot of concerts — and rationalized the expense by calculating all the money I didn’t spend on cigarettes.
You’ve never even seen Costello more than once, which would then tie you with me? I thought all of our crew attended at least 2 EC shows.
[Mr. Moderator quietly jots something in his notebook…]
Sorry for the confusion: Costello counts; seeing Nick Lowe as an acoustic opener for Costello may not count as having seen Lowe a second time (provided you saw him one other time, that is). Yes, this is a HIGHLY SCIENTIFIC thread!
Shoot, I don’t know. I’ve seen Dylan (that would be Bob), I dunno, 35ish times? U2 at least a dozen. Paul Weller, probably 6 or 7 times. Costello, several times, maybe 4 or 5? Van Morrison a few times, maybe 4 or 5. Robyn Hitchcock a few times. Saw the Replacements a couple of times but that was opening for EC, and saw Westerberg a couple of times. (And the first time, when his first album was out, was one fantastic show at the Paradise in Boston.) Saw Pete Townsend a couple of times. Big Audio Dynamite a couple times. The Waterboys a couple of times. I think I saw Oasis twice. So now you know my life story.
The more shocking–or not–thing is how few concerts I’ve been to in the past decade. Can count ’em on one hand, I think, or maybe one hand and a couple of fingers. More shocking is how little I want to go to any shows.
Dang, I knew I should have kept that to myself…
[cdm sighs and then slowly starts putting his things in a box]
Au contraire, my friend! This detail makes you all the more valuable to us.
Beat Farmers – 6 or 7
Guided By Voices – about 6
Buffalo Tom – 3
Wilco – 4 or 5
HooDoo Gurus – 3 or 4
Replacements – 3
ACDC – 3
Dylan – 2 or 3
Petty – 2 or 3
KISS – 2
Big Audio Dynamite! — saw them in DC in the early 90s — Mick Jones introducing the songs was funny . . . “Here’s a little number . . . ” Then all hell breaks loose.
I saw Oasis three times at the GMU Patriot Center — which is dinky arena — to me they are no better to watch than The Cars, but sound great. They are due for a critical upgrade. I also saw an early Westerberg tour — at the University of Maryland field house — just a great show!
I still like to go to shows, but it’s not the priority it was . . . and arena rock is pretty much out of the picture for me these days.
I’ve never seen a national level band more than once. I can’t think of a national level band I’ve even seen, except Cheap Trick at the Bank of America Pavilion here in Boston a few years ago, and Wilco once. I can’t think even think of a show I’ve seen in a venue seating more than 2500 people or so (Sonic Youth at the Orpheum in Boston), except the Cheap Trick show. I’ve seen Husker Du and the Replacements pre-1986 several times, but they certainly weren’t “national level” at that time. I’ve seen a friend of mine play 50 to 60 times, various local Boston bands (the Lyres, the Family Jewels) 10+ times, but shows from national level bands never really appealed to me.
Upper Crust? Very cool. You’re in Boston, yes?
No, I’ve see Costello about 6-7 times over the years. I didn’t think he counted as a “big” act ala Foo Fighters.
Aha!! I thought of one! I’ve seen the Talking Heads twice. Both in college, when they were at their radio-friendly height.
My concert list is more like a birder’s Life List: once I’ve seen the band, I can cross them off my list and I make greater efforts to see another group that I’ve been striving to see.
That said, in my younger, AZ days, I saw Kansas, Billy Squier and John Cougar (with and without the Mellencamp) multiple times. Since becoming more “discriminating” with my palate, I’ve seen Yo La Tengo, Stereolab, Pavement, and Throwing Muses multiple times. There were lots of other RI and MA bands that I saw over and over but I don’t think they fit your criteria ie Swirlies, Morphine.
I am excited that I’ll soon get to add Portishead to my Life List.
Grateful Dead 4
Bob Dylan 4
Neil Young 4
David Lindley 4
The Saw Doctors 4
Steve Forbert 4
REM 3
Aerosmith 3
Skynyrd 3
Kiss 2
Elvis Costello 2
Full disclosure: the Life List concept was also created to address Grad Student financial issues as well as the “getting older and grumpier” inability to handle large stadium shows. I can remember more about my rancor during the one and only Pink Floyd show I saw (some yahoo next to me screaming all the way through Wish You Were Here) than I can the set list from that show.
Clearly there is some need for healing here.
HVB’s in the DC area, historian.
So it looks like the historian is in the lead!
I’m like Ladymiss in this regard, that once I see a band, I’m usually good. I’ve seen The Stones at least five times but other than them, I’ve only seen bands in the big barns once a piece. I’ve seen a lot of the big shows, though. I’ve passed on a surprising number of Classic Rock heavies that most people see.
Yes – 3
Jimmy Buffett – 3
Pink Floyd – 2
Roger McGuinn – 2
Frank Zappa – 2
King Crimson – 2
Genesis (Gabriel) – 2
Elton John – 2
Who – 1
Jethro Tull – 1
Tom Petty – several times as Mudcrutch
Devo – 1
Talking Heads – 1
Grateful Dead – 1
XTC – 1
Eagles – 1
REO Speedwagon – 1
Devo – 1
Climax Blues Band – 1
Elvis Costello – 1
Gang of Four – 1
Allman Brothers – 1
Elvin Bishop – 1
Billy Joel – 1
ELP – 1
Leon Russell – 1
B-52s – 1
Peter Frampton – 1
Plasmatics – 1
Outlaws – 1
Poco – 1
Loggins & Messina – 1
Chick Corea/Larry Coryell – 1
Pure Prairie League – 1
Like some of you, the bands I’ve seen the most don’t qualify as ‘national-level.’ I’ve seen X and Gang of Four five times each, and that was before any reunions. Five times for Elvis Costello too. Four times for Alex Chilton, who probably doesn’t count, same with the dB’s.
Here are the other stats, and some of these gigs were before the artist became ‘national-level.’
REM – 3 (all before they were famous)
U2 – 2 (once in a small club and once in the Superdome)
Cheap Trick – 2
Talking Heads – 2
Bob Dylan – 2
Grateful Dead – 2
Springsteen – 2
Steve Earle – 2
Nick Lowe – 2 (once with Rockpile and once solo)
Kinks – 2
Faces – 2
Roger McGuinn – 2 (once with the Byrds and once solo)
Squeeze – 3
Fleetwood Mac – 4 (the Peter Green version, the Danny Kirwan version, the Bob Welch version, and even the fake version with no original members)
Talking Heads- 2
REM- 1
Pink Floyd- 1
Elvis Costello- 1
The Clash- 1
Cheap Trick- 1
Elton John- 1
Springsteen- 1
Rolling Stones- 1
The Who- 1
Devo- 1
Stray Cats- 1
Beach Boys- 1
Sex Pistols- 1
Foghat- 1 (It was hard to find stuff to do in the 80s in AZ. I’ll prove it again with my next one.)
Styx- 1
Does King Crimson count? If so I have a 2 for them but I don’t think they count. Judges?
Crimson counts. They’re a high-ranking prog band that once featured the Sexiest Man in Prog.
I think I saw Foghat 2x. And thanks for reminding me about Styx.
I’ve never kept any sort of record of bands I’ve seen, although I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen The Fall and Jonathan Richman, but don’t think they count against the original criteria of “National-Level Bands”.
When “Nevermind” was released and went enormous I commented to my flatmate that I’d like to see Nirvana next time they came over, and he reminded me that we’d seen them a few weeks earlier at the Reading Festival, which demonstrates that my memory even then was not as reliable as I’d always imagined it to be, and this despite a regime of sobriety throughout to enable me to get to see as many bands as physically possible.
Ladymissk’s post looking forward to seeing Portishead reminded me of the one occasion I saw Portishead, closing the Jazz World Stage at Glastonbury at the end of a ridiculously wet weekend with mud reminiscent of the reconstruction of the World War One trenches of the Somme in the Imperial War Museum. I’d been looking forward to them all weekend, but my body just gave out and I fell asleep as I stood, supported only by my wellies as the feet inside them sank into about eight inches of mud for the rest of their set.
I’ve also fallen asleep – while sober – during a set by Tindersticks, and wondered if anyone can beat my personal best of nodding off (again without any chemical or alcoholic stimulation) during three sets at three different festivals by Blur, between their first album and whichever year it was they released Park Life?
Happiness Stan or Narcoleptic Stan? You probably have that record locked up. I fell asleep during a Husker Du show, right at the foot of Bob Mould, but I had been drinking vodka mixed with a vanilla diet shake leading up to the show. (It seemed like an interesting idea at the time.)
Crikey, if they were half as loud as Sugar were when I saw them that is an awesome achievement, even with stimulation…
Vodka and Slim Fast? Yikes! No wonder you’re now temperate.
I nodded off during the drums and space part of a Dead show once. I also took a power nap during a set by the Blue Aeroplanes when they opened for the Church. In both instances, I was encouraged to go to sleep by my old fenemy Alcohol.
Oops! should read “…my old frenemy…”
Smashing Pumpkins – 3 (don’t ask me why)
Beastie Boys – 3
Cheap Trick – 3
Blondie – 2
REM – 2
B-52’s – 2
Public Enemy – 2
Steve Earle – 2
Metallica – 2 (top that)
That’s most of the popular stuff. I’ve also seen The Pursuit Of Happiness – 8, Sonic Youth -3, Sloan – 5, GBV -2, Juliana Hatfield -3, Tragically Hip – 4, Midnight Oil -2, Drive-by Truckers 2, and many others.
University of Florida would have name acts perform free concerts on a broad grassy area on campus called North Lawn. People would bring blankets, picnic baskets, and the like for a big sprawl on the grass. While I’ve never actually puked at a concert, I have passed out at these relaxed affairs from chemical abuse and fatigue from under-the-blanket manipulations by my dates.
Perhaps the most drug-soaked concert I ever attended was Yes performing in the UF gymnasium in 1974. It was crammed “festival seating” on the floor and joints were being passed constantly throughout the show. After a while, people were achieving THC saturation and it got to the point where someone would hand me a joint and I’d be unable to pass it on because people were refusing it. So I’d pocket it. I ended up with nearly an ounce worth by the end of the concert. Not bad for a price of a ticket. I came out “a-head”, so to speak.
I must have seen “The Marshal Tucker Band” and “Charlie Daniels” about 5 or 6 times each. I saw “Yes” 4 times. Elton John 3. Stones 2.
Lesson learned: Don’t mix vodka, Slim Fast, and Husker Du!
I’ve seen the Kinks about 6 times, Ray solo 3 times, Elvis Costello 2 times (89 & 91, the last w/the Replacements opening), REM once (the same weekend in ’89 that I saw the Kinks in the same venue @ what was then Great Woods; that was some weekend going back & forth from the North Shore) & TMGB once & Devo twice. That’s probabably my “major act” concert history.
Wilco- 6
Elvis Costello – 5
Richard Thompson- 4
Alex Chilton- 4
Sonic Youth- 3
Paul Westerberg- 3
The Kinks/Ray Davies- 3
Cheap Trick- 2
The Cure- 2
Echo and the Bunnymen- 2
Randy Newman -2
Bob Dylan- 1.5
Plus, the definitely not-famous-enough Pernice Bros. and Quasi, who I saw around 6 times each. Saw Rilo Kiley (on the bubble, I’d say) 5 times.
I think most arena shows are too expensive these days to warrant seeing a band in that format more than once.
Seeing a band multiple times in a club format has the potential of being more rewarding, but still, it should be a band with the ability to mix it up and go off-script once in a while, and I suspect that’s a rarer breed these days, at least for the bands I might want to see, since it’s harder and harder for bands to commit to lots of touring.
I saw Pursuit of Happiness once. They were pretty good live and I liked their album well enough but they never seemed to catch on down here for some reason. Where they big at home?
That reminds me, I saw Yes two or three times. The Going fof the One tour was really cool.
Has anyone ever said this before?
I forgot that I saw Jethro Tull a couple of times back in the day when we used to go see anybody who came to town.
And add one to Nick Lowe — I also saw him with a full band opening for Costello in the early 80s at the World’s fair in New Orleans.
LMAO.
My problem is that I hate large crowds. And most bands. And music. Why am I at Rock Town Hall again?
Wow. That makes seeing the Upper Crust four times almost heroic.
Oh man, I forgot about this one – I saw Styx opening for Kansas in early 1977 in Lakeland, Florida. I think I liked Kansas better.
I’m with you on the old and grumpier, but I was born that way.
I slept through a Supertramp show — I was a bad boy that night.
Just for the record, I need to clarify a couple of things about Jimmy Buffett and Tom Petty. In the early ’70s, Petty would do free shows at University of Florida with Mudcrutch. So would Jimmy Buffett. The only time I paid to see Buffett was when he opened for the Eagles in 1980.
Which reminds me, I saw the Allman Bros once at a real gig and at least once at a free show in Audubon Park. I’m a little hazy on the details for obvious reasons. This was right before they broke big.
I knew a guy who attended high school in Daytona Beach, Florida in the late ’60s and the Allman Brothers played at his senior prom.
One of my close, personal Facebook friends (the kind I don’t think I know at all) posted a 30-minute clip of them with Duane and Berry Oakley (?) at the Filmore that was billed the only professional film of that version of the band. Their music never “speaks” to me, but this was actually really good, probably as uniquely Allman Brothers as could be expected. I’ll see if I can find that and share it with you… Here you go:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APAvrNAAFhE
Allman Brothers fans, let me know what you think.
I’m not an Allmans fan but the group had moments. Their first albums up to Duane’s death weren’t really all that “southern rock” as we’ve come to know it and aren’t bad at all. It’s only after 1971 that the Allmans got more prototypically rural, southern, and duller. However, they still managed better-than-average live gigs.
Possibly a great Hall topic, I have also fallen asleep: once during a Bangles show at The Stone in SF circa 1984, and I slept through the first half of The Who’s “Tommy” first-act in 1989 (after throwing up about a liter of screwdriver between my feet). That might actually be more of a passing-out.
Definitely a topic that inspires pride among us!
I saw TPOH so many times because they never failed to put on a good show. I always liked how Moe Berg was flanked by two female vocalists. It added a nice touch to the harmonies. The band made the rounds of all the university towns in Canada. Their popularity here was confirmed after they recorded the anthem “Gretzky Rocks”. They are now a staple of Can-rock radio.
Dylan – 1.5 (?). Was his head surgically grafted to a cyborg ?
Buffet opening for the Eagls. Now that is telling!
Mod, have you forgotten about my unforgivable bout of narcolepsy at one of *your* shows back in the late 80s? I fell asleep, resting my head on one of your stage monitors, if I recall correctly. I think the problem was that you rocked a bit TOO much, leading to rock overload and instantaneous rock exhaustion on my part. Rock less next time!
LOL
I did not recall that! So a band can rock too hard. RTH Labs makes another breakthrough!
I fell asleep during Moby’s set at a multi-act bill at the FU Center–there was Oasis, Beck, Moby, Foo Fighters. There were no drugs or alcohol involved, it was just really boring.
I was waiting for someone to notice that. In 2000, I had a free ticket to a Bob Dylan show, but could only stay for about half of Bob’s set.
Wow, interesting. I admit for a while I was a concert junkie (esp. The Who) and would go to see just about anybody. Sometimes that was a good thing.. – on a whim I went to see Leon Russell and it still remains one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. Another time I took a long road trip to buy walk-up tickets catch a Who show. Got good seats and Moon was dead before they toured again.
But, more often not so good. I saw Billy Joel twice, once as a complete unknown opening act and once on a date (her choice). She was hot, but it still wasn’t worth it. And really, there isn’t a reason on earth good enough for a Billy Joel concert. It was The Stranger tour and I still break out in a cold sweat over that one.
I guess I always assumed most music heads went to see a lot of shows national or not.
Actually, it was almost a double-bill. Buffett got nearly as much stage time as the Eagles and they even played together for a song or two.
Could only stand half a set . . . or had to do something very important?
So which version of Fleetwood Mac was your favorite. I’m particularly fond of the Bob Welch period.
Satan Presents Eagles and Jimmy Buffett. That is a double bill of pure evil.
These are dim memories. I’ll say the Peter Green version, but the Danny Kirwan version is underrated. I may have seen that version twice, and the problem was that one of those times (?) Jeremy Spencer did a gold lame’ clad 50s rock routine that was a drag. I don’t have any real memories of Bob Welch, probably luded out.
The only “national” acts I’ve seen more than once (if we don’t count The Replacements & solo Westerberg) would be Costello, 4 or 5 times, I think….and The J. Geils Band, 3 times, back in my high school years. I’ve seen a bunch of big-timers once, but I don’t think I’ve seen a show in anything bigger than a theater since I was in my early twenties…and I’m good with that.
This thread tests my memory too much and “national act” clearly is too hazy (when the thread starts off calling Nick Lowe a national-level act…).
Rock Nerd Time…What I keep track of is the act I’ve seen in the most states. It’s a tie between Loudon Wainwright (CA, PA, NY, CT, ME, MA, MD) and Richard Thompson (CA, IL, CT, MA, VT, NY, RI) but I’ve also seen Thompson in England and Scotland.
I’ve seen Metallica twice. The Justice tour and the Black album tour.
TB
I never counted them as a “national act,” but I have been lucky enough to see Big Star three times with Chilton. I also went to the Chilton “tribute” at the Shell in Memphis. (This was supposed to be a Big Star show, but Chilton checked out on us.)
TB
McCartney – 3x
Springsteen- 10x
Tom Petty – 8x
Rolling Stones- 4x
Kiss – 3x
ZZ Top – 4x
Steely Dan – 4x
Green Day – 3x (only 1x was at a national band level)
AC/DC – 2x
Van Halen – each Version 1x (so three shows)
The Who – 2x
Live – 4x (ex-girlfriend was a big fan)
Bon Jovi – 4x (Wife is a big fan, she has seen them more than I have by far, and I got an early start when they opened for 38 special in 1987)
Hall & Oates – 3x
I’m going to stop this laundry list… I’ve seen just about everyone and most of them twice
I didn’t include bigger bands I saw multiple times at clubs (Buzzcocks, Ramones, Rancid, Chris Whitely, Smithereens, Cracker, Crowded House)
Who I have NOT seen (even once)
Ozzy
David Bowie
Brian Wilson
Neil Young
Prince
Hopefully the Buffalo Springfield and Beach Boys reunions will make it to Atlanta and I can cross two off my list.
for Bowie, do I get partial credit for watching Reves Gabriels do a guitar demo at NAMM in 1997?
Band I have seen in the largest variety of venues: The Georgia Satellites
In order of date and order of venue size. i did not see them on their way up, I could not get into the clubs they played.
Atlanta Fulton County Stadium (w/ Skynyrd) – where The Braves played
The Omni- (w/ ZZ Top, Tom Petty, Bob Segar – 3 shows all in the same year) 16k
Lakewood Ampletheatre (w/ Drivin N Cryin)
Center Stage – Headliner – 96 Rock FM Broadcast (still have the cassette of this show)
Piedmont Park – w/ Black Crowes
Six Flags Over GA – headliner
The Fox – w/ Bob Dylan
Buckhead Roxy – headliner
The Georgia Theatre (Athens) – headliner
The Post- Dan Baird years…..
Stone Mountain Chili Cook-off – headliner
Center Stage – headliner (1 shot reunion w/ Dan Baird)
Smiths Old Bar – headliner
The EARL – headliner (1 shot reunion w/ Dan Baird – have the DVD)
PJ’s nest – headliner (I was the opening band) – holds 30 people
A million free festival shows and dive bars
My brother and I sat outside of the outdoor arena and listened to Styx by a small pond and drank beer. i think I peeked through the fence once just to see what they looked like (1996?)
I’m not going through them all (great to read other lists, though) but I’ve seen The Dead about 6 times since it was the social thing to do in my crowd (I am not a huge fan but not a detractor either), U2, Springsteen, Replacements and the Who 3X and probably more than a few (Petty, REM, etc) twice.
I like the “fell asleep at” sub-thread. I crashed (kind of literally) at a Peter Gabriel show during the Security tour. Wish I’d seen that one.
Wow, impressive! You remind me, I saw “Steely Dan” twice. The first time was better. Drew Zing is awesome.