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Best Concert You've Ever Been To? (Open Poll for Future Video) (Patreon)

Published:
2025-10-26 19:00:09
Imported:
2025-10
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Content

Hey everyone! In my post yesterday, I said I'd post the topic for the next poll video tomorrow. And now tomorrow is today. Isn't the passage of time cool? So here's the topic!

What is the best concert you've ever been to, and why?

Can be either a standalone show or part of a festival. Hell it can even be harsh noise wall in a basement. As long as it's music performed live, it counts.

I'll feature several responses in a future video for paid Patreon members and Nebula subscribers. Thanks!

Files

Comments

MysteryMii

Gee I have so many I could choose from. I guess one of the more notable ones I could shout out would be when Bleachers played Radio City in NYC back in July 2022. Mainly because the vibes were great and Jack Antonoff brought out Bruce Springsteen as a surprise guest for the song Chinatown (had this show actually happened across the river in New Jersey, it would have been an amazing homecoming show). Also love the interlude to Rollercoaster where Antonoff was talking about how the low hum of a Juno keyboard was what helped inspired him to start Bleachers. They actually later released a recording of this exact show as a live album (which is part of the reason why I'm shouting this show out) if anyone's interested in hearing what this show was like.

JeremiahMusician

I think that musically the best concert was seeing Rick Wakeman about 2 weeks ago. He played Six Wives and King Arthur in full and it was performed incredibly well by everyone. But I think my favourite overall concert was seeing Wunderhorse in August last year in a 300 cap venue. It will always stick out to me as the front man Jacob Slater went over the barrier next to where I was stood.

Brandon G

Beyoncé - Cowboy Carter. It was like watching one of our greatest athletes excelling at their sport.

vdal

Ive got 2 answers! (Sorry for the long comment) First one Is a very personal one, it was from a small artist called Renee, i've got the chance to meet her and talk to her for a bit at a signing of her newest record at the time, "NMDQH" (No Me Digas Que Hacer, "Don't Tell Me What To Do" in spanish), and a couple of months later, I went to her show in my city. The venue was really small, more of a bar with a small stage really, and in one part she got off the stage and walked around the crowd while singing, and she recognized me! And even approached me and gave me a hug while singing! It was so magical and i'll forever treasure that memory. Didn't get a chance to see her after the show or even get a tshirt, but i actually got to meet her opener, GRTSCH, by complete accident, thinking she was just another fan. But yeah, not the most impressive show on a technical but still one I'll always remember. Now for a more technical answer, definitely Lady Gaga's show, incredible stage design and costuming, similar to her coachella stage, amazing vocals, the screens, pyrotechnics, all amazing, and the crowds energy was out of this world, it made sense since she hadnt been in the country in over a decade. So cool and so much fun. (Again sorry for the long answer lol)

Breezer

I went to a Good Kid concert where everyone was dressed as a pirate and the band sang sea shanties with the audience for the first 30 mins. It wasn’t the most life changing concert but it’s the most fun i’ve had at one

Tom Randal

I’ve got two answers, one small concert and one very big concert. First the small one: the sign relighting at the Huntridge Theater in Downtown Las Vegas, which featured live performances from three local bands - The Dirty Hooks, The Hypnotiques, and The Rhyolite Sound. All three bands played amazing sets (especially Dirty Hooks - I actually bought their album “Electric Grit” after seeing them, and the easy highlight from their set was “Naked City Colt,” which is on that album), but the real highlight was seeing so many people from the surrounding neighborhood coming together in support of the Theater itself, an 80-year-old former movie theater and later concert venue that hadn’t seen a major live performance in nearly 20 years at that point (the last such performance being the Beastie Boys’ MTV2 $2 Bill concert). Plans for renovations to the theater (which is expected to be operated in the future by SoHo Playhouse) were shown at the event, but those have unfortunately stalled as of late because AT&T and Crown Castle put a cell tower in the back of the theater some years back and they don’t want to move it somewhere else, resulting in a legal battle between them and Huntridge owner J. Dapper, who still hopes to finish the renovations by next year. Now the big concert: Sir Paul McCartney at Allegiant Stadium. My dad got me into this one along with my sister and her boyfriend, and I’m very glad he did, because you *do not* say no to a Beatle (I think that’s punishable by law in the UK). Jokes aside, Paul and his bandmates put on a *fantastic* show - some of the highlights for me were “Coming Up,” “Maybe I’m Amazed,” “Something” (where he whips out a ukulele given to him by George), “Blackbird,” “Now And Then” (kinda wish Paul had gotten Ringo behind the kit for that one - he was doing a separate gig at the Venetian at the time), and *especially* “Live And Let Die” where they whipped out wrestling pay-per-view levels of pyrotechnics. Phenomenal show, dude may be 83 but he’s still got it.

Flyinglizrds

I’ll leave my music-bro shoes at the door and say Mumford And Sons are fantastic performers. Me and my sister grew up on their first two or three albums, but I had a bit of that weird apprehension since a lot of people in music communities blame them for the worst of the 2010s “stomp-clap-hey” movement in indie music. Didnt take long to realize how much I unabashedly love their music. Marcus has tons of energy as a performer and literally ran across the crowd mid song. In started raining right as they hit the climax of Hopeless Wanderer and I ascended. They played both me and my sister’s favorite deep cuts (covers of S&G’s The Boxer and Bob Dylan’s Kansas City respectively), just a three part harmony and acoustic guitar, on the b stage right in front of us. And the craziest part was them bringing out THE WHOLE TED LASSO CAST for a fun couple minutes of jamming, because the new season films in KC and Mumf does the show’s theme song. Plus it was a great night of bonding that me and my sister don’t get much of anymore since we’ve left highschool. Just kinda one of those nights I’ll remember the rest of my life. Honorable mention to my first mosh pit experience at the Death Grips concert

Dav

Cheating with 2 here cause they were too memorable to not mention but I’ll try and be brief. First would be seeing Black Country, New Road in Edinburgh in 2021, it was the first concert I attended after lockdown so it was kind of a strange atmosphere having to social distance and sit for the whole thing. But that concert featured performances of songs that would eventually end up on Ants from Up There, which I had never heard before and was blown away by when they played them. This made things all the more bittersweet when the album eventually came out but Isaac left the band shortly before. The band doesn’t play those songs live anymore because of this, so the memory of hearing those songs live for the first, and likely, last time in that setting always sticks with me My second would be seeing Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds last year, purely because Cave had such a magnetic presence as a performer and he had the audience completely in the palm of his hand for the whole show. The best comparison I can give was like attending some kind of religious ceremony with Cave as the pastor. When he closed with a solo performance of ‘Into My Arms’ you could hear a pin drop in that arena which is a very difficult thing to accomplish.

sailor sophie

My first concert in years had been a Harry Styles concert, my friend won tickets, and I was who she wanted to take! I did not grow up attached to One Direction, and wasn’t entirely aware that he was even a solo act. I knew one song (kiwi), and left wanting to listen to his entire discography. Harry was just such an electric performer, that even though I had known one song, I felt compelled to have the best time dancing and singing along to words I simply did not know. I’m not a frequent concert goer, but I’ve gone to a good handful, and many tend to fade into the background. I still randomly find myself thinking back to that concert and that near impossible feeling I felt when the concert was over. Don’t listen to him regularly, but if another friend just so happened to offer a ticket to one of his shows — I’d take it in a heartbeat. I did also see Beyoncé for Cowboy Carter, and that does surpass my experience with Harry especially since I’ve been listening to her since I was in the womb! BUT!! Still one of my favorite experiences to date.

James Rackham

I have many stories but the one that stands out was seeing The Mad Capsule Markets in Sheffield (England) at the time I just thought it was the last night of the tour and they blew the crowd away to the point I actually couldn't speak for 10 mins straight after the show. I had travelled half the country to see this show and was over the moon. What I didn't know until a few months later was that they decided to split up as in their own words they had done everything they wanted to musically. So I ended up seeing my all time favourite band on their final ever European show (they did a few more shows in Japan before the split) so not only was it an amazing experience it is one that can never be replicated. Also if you ever have the time check out there album OSC-DIS it's noise punk of the early 2000's and is truly my favourite album ever (I flew half way round the world to get a vinyl copy)

Lucie Say

Such a great question! The one that comes to mind is The Offspring at Hellfest last year. I had seen them several times before but this one was quite special: the Hellfest mainstage had impressive pyrotechnics, the crowd was also on fire and I think this positively impacted the band's performance! But what is most impressive is the live recording which accurately depicts the show's electric atmosphere. The show is on YouTube ;) NB : on the recording, you can see my husband crowd surfing during Self Esteem. That made me so proud ahahaha

Oisín Quinn

I think my favourite concerts are the unexpected discoveries you can make at music festivals. Hearing something for the first time in a live environment and falling in love with it. Primavera Sound in Barcelona is a fantastic place for this. No matter who the headliners are, I know I’ll have a week packed full of good music. I saw The Lemon Twigs there without having a clue what their music sounds like after a friend told me I’d like them. They opened with My Golden Years and I was jumping up and down 15 seconds in (and don’t get me started on those harmonies). I had a similar experience with Memphis rapper Tommy Wright III’s show. I hadn’t even heard of his name before the show, but by the end I was on the tiny club stage with 20 others shouting “DON’T START NO SHIT, WON’T BE NO SHIT”. There are countless others. Dancing in circles under a spotlight with strangers at the back of the crowd at Parcels. Jumping in a crowd with Spanish locals during Carolina Durante. Skipping the crazy crowds at Charli to discover Yo La Tengo and watch them jam out to Pass The Hatchet for 15 minutes. Seeing Danny L Harle at 4:30 in the morning, lulling the crowd into a false sense of security with Don’t You Worry Child before destroying them with one of the most disgusting hardstyle drops I’ve ever heard. I’ve been to many festivals before, but there’s something to be said for having a really wel curated music-focused festival that always has something good playing. It helps when your friends are there too :)

KStebbs

It's total recency bias but it might be when I saw Lorde last week in Berkeley for her Ultrasound Tour. It was one of the most lively concerts I've been to and felt like the culmination of my relationship with Lorde and her music. I've been a fan since before she released Pure Heroine, and because we're the same age (she's a month older than me) I've felt particularly connected to her. Virgin especially helped me process a lot of things this year. I've loved all of the shows I've seen her at, specifically her last show in Berkeley a decade ago that I framed my college essay around. To see her at that same venue 11 years later, where she reflected on how she's both changed and not changed since that time, felt really special and meant a massive deal to me.

The Respected Madman

In this order: Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s Grand National Tour Kendrick Lamar-Big Steppers Tour Jay-Z’z Blueprint 3 tour with J. Cole, Wale, and N.E.R.D (w/ Teyana Taylor) Kanye West-Saint Pablo Tour

PBJ1130

Mine would be The Police at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in 2008. It was my first full blown concert and this was during their reunion tour and I specifically remember being so overwhelmed with feeling and I don’t know what it was but I was balling my eyes out!!!My parents thought something was wrong with me but just being in the atmosphere, singing along and all that just made me appreciate the band and the feeling of being at a concert and being with others listening to live musicso much more!!

Caleb Harrison

I got to see Elton John and Paul McCartney at the same venue a couple months apart in 2022. Elton John was for the last leg of his Goodbye Yellow Brick Road tour and he was absolutely spell bounding. Getting to hear him play hit after hit after hit on the piano was unbelievable and it was made even more unbelievable that he was playing with a band that have been with him for decades. It was amazing that even though he's such a music legend he still took time to bow and thank the audience after every song and address every section around him throughout the show. Very cool to have him also shout out my home state of Tennessee for being the birth place of so many genres of music causing him to want to be a part of that legacy. And it was so incredible that he made sure to reschedule this concert after it was originally cancelled in 2020. He also played Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding which is my favorite Elton John song ever. When I saw Paul McCartney a few months later it was just as if not more exciting than Elton's concert (which is me being biased since The Beatles are my favorite band.) But what really made this show so special for me was how happy Paul seemed to be while playing. You could tell two tracks in that he was having a great time with how much he was showboating with his band and ad libbing shouts in his songs. I think at one point he even just straight up said "this is gonna be a good show i can already tell." My favorite part being when Paul and his band played the last three songs of the Abbey Road medley. Which left me an emotional wreck getting to hear one of my favorite groups of songs ever performed live. Both of these stand as lessons that if you are able you need to see your favorite artists while you still can.

Duke86fan

It's either shaky knees this year where there was all American rejects going crazy and MCR bringing pyrotechnics, or the flaming lips with all their emotion and doing war pigs at the end in honor of Ozzy

Dead Tansen

I think my favorite concert I’ve ever been to is Dan Reeder in Memphis, 2024. The venue was so intimate, the set list was a perfect mix of songs he and the audience love, and the addition of his daughter to help him perform on-stage had a chemistry reciprocated by the audience. Most importantly, the man brought chops—especially for his age. It was one of the few live concerts he’s ever played in America despite being born in Louisiana, and a lot of fans speculate it may remain that way due to his age and long-term residence in Germany. Man is a mostly unknown folk legend, a savant songwriter, and a clear influence on many notable contemporary musicians—and seeing him on-stage that day justified it. Honorable mentions: Weyes Blood in Atlanta, 2024. She and the band also struck a perfect balance in performance, set list, and venue. It happened to be my first concert and it convinced me to go to others. A Stephen Steinbrink concert was very similar to Reeder’s with much of the same magic, too.

Quinci

My no. 1 is BTS's Permission to Dance Tour at SoFi in LA. It was my first K-pop/idol concert after getting into the genre in 2020 and it was an entirely new world. In addition to BTS's performance, the GOATed setlist, and Megan thee Stallion coming out my night (the cheers were so loud my ears did something scary), the concert celebration extended all the way out to K-Town with businesses doing themed nights and fanmade goods/freebies everywhere. I'm preparing to spend an ungodly amount on tickets next year to be part of the live magic again post-enlistment. Honorable mentions: Beyonce's Renaissance tour Bruno Mars opening night at LA's Intuit Dome (I was there the night Gaga came out for "Die With a Smile") Anderson.Paak's Andy's Beach Club tour Paramore and Fall Out Boy's Monumentour Seventeen's set at LAFC (random-ass festival in LA, got to see all 13 members) Twice III World Tour (Dahyun sent me a heart) Agust D Tour

Robin

I know this is recent but: Lady Gaga's The Mayhem Ball. Talk about camp! It's so amazing how much detail is paid to set design, costuming, etc. You may have seen the Coachella version of this concert but the arena tour itself is a reimagining within a theater setting. It really feels immersive, like I can tell she put a lot of thought into this one. It helps that the catalog is so good , including fan favorites as well as hits. Made me really appreciate the Mayhem album a lot more, which successful album tours tend to do. Check it out if you can! Lady Gaga is not going anywhere -- can always count on her to put on a show. Ive been to the Artpop ArtRave, Joanne World Tour, Chromatica Ball, and Mayhem Ball -- I go to concerts about every month too. Gaga's productions are out of this world, so fun.

Ivan Myring

I went to a festival in like 2017 called strange forms, it was all like math rock and post rock type stuff. First time moshing, I lost my glasses in the mosh pit and people stopped and helped me look for them. Super nice vibe to the crowd. And my (at the time) favourite band, rolo tomassi, were playing and absolutely killed it. Found a bunch of new bands I'd never listened to who were great

Blackthorn

Lady Gaga - The Monster Ball I had been to a couple shows of bands but this was my first pop concert and it was amazing, the sets, the theatrics and the overall vibe of the crowd I ended up seeing it twice. I have been to every Gaga tour since and while they were all great with Mayhem being the most recent and truly phenomenal I don't think The Monster Ball will ever be topped for me personally. I would recommend watching the HBO special that she released for it.

Kamina in a Kamui

Without a doubt it's gotta be Shing02 with OMA. OMA are a UK group who blew up on Instagram for doing some damn good covers of hip hop classics (I believe their biggest video was a DOOMsday cover), and they were reached out to by Shing02 to tour. Shing02 was a frequent collaborator of the late great Nujabes, and between the Luv(sic) hexology and Battlecry (as heard in Samurai Champloo, which Nujabes scored), their work is some of my all time favorite music. It carried me through the pandemic, so seeing them live was a must for me and my buddy. OMA opened with some fantastic renditions of 90s and 00s hip hop icons (the aforementioned DOOMsday, Rapp Snitches, Shook Ones, NY State of Mind, and plenty more I'm forgetting), before bringing out Substantial, another frequent collaborator of Nujabes and one of the most charismatic MCs I've ever seen live. Everyone killed it that night, from Substantial busting out some nasty freestyles to OMA nailing the live renditions, to Shing02 himself naturally kicking ass. The extended version of Battlecry for the encore might just be my favorite single performance in any concert I've seen. If anyone has ever enjoyed Nujabes' work, you owe it to yourself to see Shing02 live. also special shoutout to King Gizzard, their most recent North American tour featured a live orchestra, and a certain tune regarding a collapsing keep has never inspired more awe in me.

Max Marriner

The best concert I've ever attended was for the indie-pop band Saint Motel at the Bellwether in Los Angeles during their "Awards Show" tour. The idea was that attendees would vote for their top songs ahead of the show and the band would play the winners at each concert. This meant fan favorites like "For Elise" from Saintmotelevision and the dream medley from Voyeur took center stage. And on top of that fun gimmick, the boys sounded excellent. The energy in the room was so positive and palpable, you could power a city for a day with all the electricity in the air. And you know damn well they closed out with an amazing performance of "My Type." Just a phenomenal experience all around.

Lucas Trueblood

Green Day’s The Saviors Tour in 2024. I was at the first US tour date in Washington DC and it went so hard.

Kaitlin Ross

Muse at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago, 2023. Muse is one of my favorite bands (the only one I've thought is worth seeing 3+ times) and I'll probably never get to be that close to them ever again. Their music is so big and bombastic, it was cool to see how it translates from the arenas I'm used to seeing them in to a much smaller venue.

Angus Hamill

Twenty One Pilots’ Clancy Tour in Sydney, Australia was unbelievable for me as a long time fan who wasn’t able to see them live for years because they never come to Australia. Banger after banger, incredible story telling and stage setup, lots of wholesome audience interaction, performing their final song while on tiny platforms IN the crowd. It was just an incredibly interactive and entertaining show and to top it all off I got to experience it with my beautiful best friend (and future wife mayhaps)

Isabel Uribe

So hard to pick one but Gorillaz at the Movistar arena Bogota and Paul McCartney Got Back tour in Bogota as well were incredible, one where I was invited to and came out a die hard fan of the artist was Billy Joel at MSQ!!!

Kurt's Cars

Best concert in terms of overall show has probably been Twenty One Pilots on the Scaled and Icy tour. I had seen them once live before, but this time I was in the pit, and pretty close to the stage. They always put on an incredible show. My favorite though would be Owl City on the To The Moon tour. I’ve been a life long enjoyer of his music, and met my partner through the fandom. It was my first time seeing him live, and we were barricade, front and center. Literally a dream come true. It was amazing seeing so many songs that I grew up listening to preformed live, at it was even better doing it with a bunch of people I had become friends with over the years, but had never met in person. Honorable mention would be the 20th anniversary tour for Death Cab for Cuties Transatlanticism and The Postal Service’s Give Up. Great show and super cool to hear The Postal Service live

Jane Doe

My favourite show of all time was seeing Touche Amore in Melbourne last year. This was the first time they'd come to Australia in ages because of covid, and more than any concert I've ever been to you could tell how happy they were and we were to be there. I've never felt a greater sense of community at a non local show, and they finished it off with the only real encore I've ever seen (you could tell it was real because they came back out and played some extra songs from really early in their career after having played all their biggest tracks). You could tell they were enjoying it just as much as the crowd, and during they also dropped news that they were gonna start recording their next album as soon as they got back to America. And of course the songs are absolutely killer, they hit me right in the gut and they are perfect for a live setting with the amount of energy they bring. They were brilliant when I saw them earlier this year too but this one takes the cake. Long comment but I could gush about this band and this show all day.

Cherry Charleston

I don't think there's a concert that I'd call the 'best' because all of the live shows that I've attended stand out in their own way. I saw Phil Collins with my mum when he came to Australia for his 'Not Dead Yet' tour in 2019 and we were joking that he was so old he'd probably come out on a zimmer frame. When he came out with a walking cane we both started laughing. Regardless he was still really, really good and it was a memorable night for both of us. Around the same time I saw a Tommy Emmanuel concert with my grandpa. Initially I thought it would be boring. Apparently he was a 64 year old solo guitarist, and I had never heard of him before but he was a STUPIDLY GOOD player (And very funny too, he had a 'Let's meet the band' joke but he was the only one on stage). I was also floored by The Weeknd's show in Sydney last year. There were pyrotechnics and fireworks, the crowd was insane and he had the most incredible voice. I was able to get up pretty close to the stage and I remember watching him drop to his knees as he was (very healthily) belting, which was a great moment.

Nicole

i feel very fortunate to be living in a smaller city (perth, which isn't even small but in the grand scheme of things, pretty small) and many artists don't visit here when they come to australia. it's usually sydney and melbourne with brisbane thrown in occasionally but that's the whole "tour." i've heard speculation that to even get here, it doesn't cover how much the show will cost, even if it sells out and there is an active fanbase here. all this to say that the best show i ever went to was ninja sex party. i think it's such a bizarre act (with tupperware remix party as their opener and live band) that absolutely nobody expected to come to perth but they did. it was the first show on their "down under" tour and they were excited, the crowd knew every word and it always feels like artists are really surprised that one of the most remote cities in the world knows their catalogue back to front. the vibes were immaculate, the songs were great (goofy but you know what to expect) and overall such an amazing time.

Muse of Salzburg

Seeing Magdalena Bay this year is a close second, but I don't think anything will top seeing Tame Impala in 2022 for the Slow Rush tour. Even though I'm lucky enough to live in a city that coped really well during COVID, that concert was delayed 2 or 3 times, ultimately happening about 2 and a half years later than initially planned, and about 3 years after I got the tickets during Christmas. Even without that delayed gratification, it still would be my favourite though. I didn't know Genesis Owusu before, but him opening was a cool surprise, and then the concert was everything I wanted and more. The most insane lighting and stagecraft, it couldn't've fit Tame Impala's sound any better. Also, the set list was very well structured, with some of his more interlude-esque songs sprinkled in to keep people engaged between the barn burners like Let it Happen, The Less I Know The Better and Elephant.

SlushPuppy

Injury Reserve when they were touring By the Time I Get to Phoenix. I had already seen Injury Reserve perform in 2019 when they were touring their Self-Titled album in Australia. That was already one of my favourite concerts. It was a pretty small venue but the three of them put so much energy into their performance. It was a blast. Then in 2022, I went to see them again at the exact same venue. However, this time it was after one of the three members, Stepa J. Groggs, had passed away. It was very surreal seeing the remaining members, RiTchie and Parker Corey perform on that same stage, but this time they’d brought a very different energy. The two of them were clearly emotional and still grieving while performing. RiTchie had to walk off stage several times to gather himself when rapping certain lyrics was too distressing. They both still put on an incredible show. It was a deeply passionate and emotional performance that has left such an impact on me. It’s the first and only concert I’ve ever cried at. The contrast between those two concerts has always fascinated me. I still can’t believe that the tickets only costs me $20.

Kyle Cahill

EASILY Kendrick and SZA during the GNX tour. Not only was the staging and choreography fantastic as usual, and the song selections great which surprisingly fit well for a stadium setting (fr reincarnated was phenomenal in a live setting), but given everything that has happened with Kendrick leading up to the GNX tour, and how popular SZA has become in the wake of SOS popping off in the early 2020s, it felt like I was witnessing something not only culturally relevant but historic in terms of modern music lore. Also as a bonus, Pusha T was at the show I went to

Gorg

For me it was when I went to Porter Robinson’s Second Sky music festival in 2021 and saw his show there. Through 2019 I had watched vods of the original Second Sky festival’s streams and knew that going to this festival at least once was something for my bucket list. I was able to go for 2021, and it was a trip from the Midwest to California to see all of the amazing performances along with Porters’. His Nurture album had just released earlier that year, and the excitement of seeing Porter performing these songs live for the first time, along with the capacity of Porter’s team to create stellar visuals led to an astronomical hype level. My absolute favorite moment is when he held a MacBook laptop to face the crowd during an edit of his song Divinity, with the crowd being put on the big screen from the MacBook’s camera. It was such a fun and exciting moment that I always smile thinking of it.

AJ Buffam

2018, Laval. The Killers Wonderful Wonderful tour. Power went out three times during the concert BUT they made the most of it. Twice during Run for Cover (opening) then once during the first encore song (The Calling). I’ve seen them three times and they’re frigging fantastic. DDD when /hj

philaaj

I'd say the last one I went to (meaning Nine Inch Nails). 1st time I've heard a show sounds this go in a place this big (~15k people), tho my only point of comparison is The Mr Morale and the Big Steppers Tour (it was good but it sounded like shit, and the audience wasn't that cool/nice). But NIN was such an experience, like hearing the perfect drug was very cathartic (I've spent a month grieving Lynch so that songs mean a lot to me) and then the end with Hurt and everybody singing it was like very beautiful (also the beginning with Trent alone on stage playing piano was so nice). Also hearing the Laura Palmer's Theme play at the end was such a nice touch. Smaller concerts : I really liked shame it was very fun and the singer was very nice (also I sang Adderall with him taking my head in his hand and looking at me, very cool moment). I can't wait to see Cameron Winter next month and Geese in March, I'm legit more hype for it than for NIN.

Leaforator

Crowded House's 20th anniversary reprisal of their farewell concert on the Sydney Opera House steps in 2016, absolutely incredible show. I'd managed to sneak into the front row, and was blown away even with high expectations going in. The Crowdies reputation as a killer live act is more than earned; they were so good at being tight enough to improvise and jam within the timing constraints, while still exploring deep cuts and hits for 2 and a half hours. Also the location: as a Melbournian it pains me to give a compliment to Sydney, but the vista of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge as free set decoration... I'm not sure there's a more visually appealing venue. The one negative is that because the concert was being shown on TV, a mass audience got to cringe at how amped up on energy drinks I was.

ConnieTannosian

I used to work at a big event arena in a major city as security, and one of the perks of that job was that I sometimes got to be positioned to where I could see the event where I was placed while I worked, and because of that, I got to see legendary acts like Stevie Nicks, Duran Duran, Peter Gabriel, and Bruce Springsteen. My favorite concert while working there was Madonna's Celebration Tour, iirc the most recent tour she's done. I was situated in the barricade, basically up at the front row to prevent people from breaching the stage, so I got to see everything at such a good angle, and she performed really well too, though there was a sore lack of Confessions songs on her setlist, which is one of my favorite albums of hers. I remember she did frequent costume changes to show each era of her career, alongside an extremely talented dance group and lots of stage effects as well. Super memorable experience alongside being paid for it. :p

Danielle Garcia

One of my favorite concerts was Paramore’s After Laughter Tour. It’s probably my favorite album by them and it was just a whole experience. The energy the band was giving was electric after not seeing them in like 4 years. Hearing 26 live brought me to tears. A very close second would be Suga/Agust D, my second Kpop concert I loved D-Day and especially AMYGDALA I was a crying mess. Also having MAX come out for Burn It. The crowd went batshit insane. It truly made me love Suga more as an artist and performer.

Keifer

One of my favorite concerts I’ve been to was the Renaissance world tour put in by Beyoncé her vocals have never been better and the visuals were out of this world STUNNING

Cameron Cook

The Swell Season (the Oscar-winning duo of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova) at the Salt Shed in Chicago. First, when they announced the tour and released the tickets, they still hadn't named any openers yet. I thought to myself "Wouldn't it be cool if they got Malinda (a singer I've been following on Instagram for a few years; gorgeous voice, and a deep love of traditional Celtic music) for the show I'm going to?" Cut to a few months later, and lo and behold, they did! I'm sure the wheels were already in motion by the time I bought my tickets so I know I didn't actually manifest that, but I totally manifested it, me, I did that. The concert was absolutely phenomenal. They played pretty much everything I wanted to hear from both the "Once" soundtrack and their (at the time, only) two albums as The Swell Season. It was paced really well, with a good mix of duets, full-band songs, solo songs from both Glen and Marketa, and stories about how much Glen loved Chicago. In particular, he spoke a lot about being friends with Jason Molina, and how Jason introduced him to Steve Albini, which led to The Frames finally getting a foothold in the States. At multiple points during the show (or maybe just one really long section, I forget), he even brought out some of Jason's old bandmates to play some of his songs! After the show, I started getting into Jason and Magnolia Electric Co., who I'd only been passingly aware of up to then. The best part of the concert was just how LONG it was! It must've been at least two and a half hours, not counting Malinda and the time between sets. Glen is an absolute machine; he rocked his heart out all night long and felt like he could've gone even longer. I also appreciated how there wasn't any tease of an encore, a real sense of "We want you all to get your money's worth, so we're just gonna give you the best damn 3-ish hours of your life and say good night". And I fully expected the highlight of the night to be singing along to "Falling Slowly" with the original artists and a room full of strangers, but I think it actually ended up being the closer. I didn't expect them to play "Gold" (my second-favorite song from "Once") because it's not a Swell Season song, but they did! That surprise was a rush all on its own, but then they brought Malinda back out to sing the second verse, and she absolutely killed it.

MacKenzie

When I was growing up, Paul Simon's Graceland was on constant rotation in my house. It was a constant companion. Even though it's not my favorite album, if I only got to listen to one album for the rest of my life, Graceland would be it. In 2018, I went to see Paul Simon live. I don't look up set lists in advance (though I do sometimes check them during a show), and so I wasn't expecting anything in particular. The show opened with "The Boy in the Bubble," the first track off of Graceland. When that first accordion cord hit from offstage, I just immediately started weeping. I cried through the entire song. It was a completely expected response for me, and very much about hearing such an important piece of music to me live for the first time. The rest of the show was great, but even now, years later, I can conjure up that moment and get teary.

MK Dren

there’s so many! seeing chappell roan in november 2023 before she got really big was such a treat, she is such a strong performer. sweat tour was the most fun i’ve had at a concert, the crowd was electric, and it was awesome seeing 2 great artists co-headline. saw magdalena bay a few months ago and that was so amazing it got me to listen to more of their older stuff and deep cuts. faye webster in 2021 was breathtaking, her voice is great live. i could go on and on but those are definitely the most memorable

Aubrey Youngman

I don’t know if it is the best, but I have seen Bruno Mars 3 times and I have never been disappointed. His arrangements, choreography, pacing, and humor have consistently impressed me and having me leaving every show on a high. The man goes from singing his heart out, to playing the drums, to dancing, to riffing on the guitar, before going back to sing a ballad while playing the piano. It is impossible not to have a good time at his concerts.

Cloud

oooh there’s a couple answers. in terms of the best live vocals I’ve ever heard? ariana grande sweetener tour without a doubt. but honestly the best concert I’ve ever been to is probably twenty one pilots. I don’t really listen to them all that much anymore, but their live shows are something to marvel at.

Cloud

I once saw Willow open for Childish gambino. his show was amazing but honestly she was FANTASTIC. I hadn’t listened to her music outside of her first album and that one emo girl song (lol). But her band and her vocals were on fire!! i remember specifically hearing “big feelings” for the first time stoned as hell, live from willows voice herself. i will remember it forever because her pianist and bassist were going insane and it makes me wish willow would do jazz forever.

Amotrician

First event that comes to mind was Mdou Moctar, because he started hesitant and unsure of himself but after two three songs he started rocking like hell. Also he had a guy onstage that not play but danced and hyped the crowd. All musicians should have a guy (or girl) like that.

Calla, Kisser of Lizards

unequivocally, the Mountain Goats at the Empire Live in Albany NY. Half because the show itself was intensely wonderful: the crowd was ecstatic, the drinks were excellent, they played so many of my favorite songs and they clearly just enjoy performing live together SO SO SO much, and there's really no feeling like scream-singing with hundreds of other people through a goats encore. But the other half of why it was my favorite is because the venue was literally across the street from my and my fiance's hotel and like four bars, and when we went barhopping afterwards , we made friends with a bunch of other people from the show, and then MET THE BAND and got to wish Matt Douglass happy birthday. At one point the entire bar (including the guys from the goats) all sang along LOUDLY through the entirety of How Soon Is Now and mr john goat said it was an incredible human moment and hugged us. It felt like the show bled out into the entire rest of the night, and i'll never ever forget that night or how it felt.