Best You've Ever Heard, Live?

[il d00d]

Best:
Social Distortion, now that I think of it (thanks Randimus )
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream tour.  Lubbock TX of all places. 
P Funk - SxSW one year
Sonic Youth - A Thousand Leaves, another SxSW show.  Not my favorite album by them, but my fav show.
Broken Social Scene


Worst/most disappointing:
Pavement - they are not a good live band, but I will keep going to their shows.
Cat Power - they are very much not a good live band
Al Green - he had the crowd sing most of his songs.  Saw him with the Isley Brothers, who turned. it. out.

The ones that got away:
Grounded for Janes Addiction/Smashing Pumpkins
Showed up to a fundraiser where Willie Nelson was scheduled to play.  He was arrested for possession, so they sent Billy Ray Cyrus instead.  I would rather be kicked in the balls by Willie Nelson than watch Billy Ray Cyrus live.
Missed Radiohead at Szigetfest in Budapest Hungary by a couple hours.

Skeletons in my closet:
Madonna
Harry Connick Jr
Ted Nugent/Lynyrd Skynyrd
Ace Frehley

[DRKWNG]

Missed Radiohead at Szigetfest in Budapest Hungary by a couple hours.

Damn, talk about bad timing.  Not very often a person finds themselves with the chance to see these guys live.

[zzilla]

Eric Clapton playing with Jeff Beck, John Mayer, Carlos Santana, AND Booker T and the MG's (different sets) back in 04(?)

Lynrd Skynrd and ZZ Top playing a cover of "everyone must get stoned" new years eve 1999

Trace Atkins Bagram AFB Afghanistan.

[Desert Dust]

The Who and Pink Floyd, both in 1977 (different concerts).

The Who and Floyd  Wow! Wish I were there

[Desert Dust]

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Five Times

They don't disappoint.

[ducpainter]

Paul Butterfield Band with Elvin Bishop, Mike Bloomfield and Sam Lay as band members.

I know I'm missing someone...

[stopintime]

U2 (x5)
Talk Talk
UB40

any local blues gig serving beer

[Mike_D]

Led Zeppelin, Frankfurt, 1980 (I even got the T-shirt)

[superjohn]

I love live music, but the following groups always seem to be better live than on CD.

The Who have been phenomenal every time I've seen them.
Dweezil Zappa's latest "Zappa Plays Zappa" show is amazing.
Porcupine Tree rocks.
Rush
King's X

There have been many other bands that I've seen who were amazing, but this list is based on bands I have seen multiple times for a better basis of comparison since any band can have an off or on night.

[Oldfisti]

The Tragically Hip


Much better live than studio recorded

[Speedbag]

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Five Times

They don't disappoint.

+1  

Also saw Pearl Jam at First Avenue in Mpls about a week before "Ten" was released. Incredible show.

Another one that comes to mind was Sheryl Crow, believe it or not. It was in the late '90s (Globe Sessions tour if I recall), small venue, she had a small orchestra section as backup for much of it. All was spot-on and excellent.

I'd really like to see Tool (the band   ).

[Oldfisti]

Also Brian Setzer and orchestra right before the Dirty Boogie tour


Sounded phenomenal and EVERYONE was dancing

[Dannyboy]

Dropkick Murphys are always great live.  As are Pennywise and Social D.  The best Murphys show was in Austin in 2000, I think.  They had Lars Frederickson and the Bastards opening.  Murphys guitarist Jim Lynch had broken his wrist/hand/arm in Jersey a week or so earlier so they had Lars Frederickson filling in.  AWESOME!  Lars is so much better on his own than with Rancid.

Also, U2 in Stuttgart, Germany 1993.  Big open-air show.  Sound was really good, even at the back as we were prepping to exfil.  Opening band, Die Toten Hosen was really good too.

[Mike_D]

As for recent concerts, I saw Seether at the Norva in Norfolk and they rocked the place.  The opening band, State of Shock, wasn't bad either. 

[metallimonster]

Well this one is obvious for me.

In my opinion there are  no other bands out there that can even come close to the energy, stage presence, crowd noise and singing, and sound than Metallica.  Seen them 14 times and everytime leaves me amazed at how much energy they get out of the crowd.  They also sound just like the albums (James' voice is going a little bit lately) and play for at least 2 hours if not more.  After a Metallica show the crowd is walking out like zombies becuase they have given the band all of the energy they've got.  Even when 'tallica was at Bonnaroo where a lot of the crowd is in to hippy music I talked to major hippies who would have said they hated Metallica's music before say they were one of the best shows there.

Rest of the better bands I've seen live (in order0

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Ted Nugent/Lynrd Skynrd
Stone Temple Pilots (back in the day this band was amazing live)
Pearl Jam-very good musical performance but damn did Vedder talk too much about the gov't
Robert Randolph and the Family Band
Megadeth
Limp Bizkit (again a very entergetic and crowd involved performance)
Kid Rock
AC/DC

So many others but those are the ones that stand out.