12 of the best concerts I have seen and why
I have seen a lot; these are the ones I remember the most fondly.
1. Frank Zappa 1988
Unfortunately, I was sick with the flu, but seeing him before he died was cool.

2. Red Hot Chili Peppers 1987
It was in a club in Syracuse on a 400-square-foot stage. They played with the energy of an arena show. Hillel Slovak was still alive: it was the tour for Freaky Styley.

3. Black Flag 1986
Huge sound, great PA, legendary band. Greg Ginn played his clear Dan Armstrong guitar: it must weigh a ton.


4. The Eagles 2022
Great concert: well done, great playing. Joe Walsh was on point:

5. Fishbone 1988
In the same club that I saw the RHCP. Great ska band: crazy show: like a bomb went off. The drummer set up sideways with a big China mounted so you could not see his face, and the bass and guitar players stayed still and played a sick tight groove. The lead singer had a mohawk, came out with a cane, played trumpet and generally went bananas. The guy that played the trombone was hanging from the pipes, threw his instrument across the stage and put a cigarette out in his palm.

6. Butthole Surfers 1992 and 1993
One indoors: the light show was so intense my eyes hurt. They had 2 banks of strobe lights behind them and ran their infamous "films." Their music is not for everyone (haha) but it is high-energy improvisation and weird. The second time I saw them, it was outdoors at the first Lollapalooza tour. Gibby Haynes was shooting a rifle and smashing bottles on his head. Now that's entertainment!

7. Orchestra Performance of Carl Ruggles Sun Treader 1994
I was able to take some of my metalhead friends to this. The opening of Sun Treader played by a large orchestra is one of the heaviest sounds ever made.

8. Gap Band with Surprise appearance by Whitney Houston 2006
This was at Universal Studios. The Gap Band was pretty good. Suddenly there was some commotion and Whitney Houston came out and sang a few songs. She did not seem 100% sober but her voice was at another level. So powerful and clear: a legend.

9. Chon 2021
A great band that my son introduced me to. We got the meet and greet the guys were super nice. They can really play and write interleaving guitar parts.

10. Polytown: Terry Bozio, Mick Karn, David Torn 1995
I have been a huge fan of Mick Karn's fretless playing. Terry Bozio really left an impression: he had such a command of time: it is hard to explain. He could stretch and control the rhythm in the room: it was mind-altering.

11. Aerosmith 2004
This was the second time I saw them. Steven Tyler was in good form and swung over the audience on a trapeze hanging by his knees without a safety connection at 56 years old! Joe Perry's guitar collection is awesome: he plays a different one on every song. I noticed that there were a lot of unusually attractive people in the front: the show was included in a concert DVD.

12. Meshuggah 2022
For fans of heavy music, this is one of the heaviest. The synchronized light show is incredible. I got a permanent souvenir of a broken finger in this mosh pit.

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