What Band Blew Your Mind?
- Thread starter GGJaguar
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GGJaguar
Reverential Member
For me it was Grand Funk Railroad. After listening to Beatles/power pop/Motown as a kid, the heaviness of GFR blew my mind. Led Zeppelin, The Who and Pink Floyd quickly followed.
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Santana at Woodstock. Albert King at a NYC club in '81. I'd listened to Albert's records for years, knew he was getting older, didn't expect a whole lot in a live setting. Wrong. He was overwhelming in person, one of the most powerful shows I've ever seen.
Many years later, the Joe Zawinul Syndicate at a jazz festival. The depth of emotion and musical subtlety from that band was unexpected.
Many years later, the Joe Zawinul Syndicate at a jazz festival. The depth of emotion and musical subtlety from that band was unexpected.
jedzep
Senior Member
Central Park Sheiks, for one.
Earls of Leicester - Bluegrass group who performs, only, Flatt and Scruggs songs.
Not a band but Steve Goodman and Bill Morrissey. The may have been the finest players and songwriters I'd ever heard. Both died too young as we seem to see far too often.
And, I'll be honest, our own Glenn Jones is right up there for me as well.
And, I'll be honest, our own Glenn Jones is right up there for me as well.
highwayman
Junior Member
The Who Live at Leeds. I was 14 and on a night train to the North Sea. A class mate had a cassette recorder with him (we are talking 1972!). It changed my life musically.
Greetings from Germany
Greetings from Germany
krysh
Guildarist in the mod squad
Alan Holdsworth.
Canard
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This is a hard question. Perhaps because I am so easily impressed.
Some ...
Terje Rypdal's Odyssey in about 1976 in Oslo.
Randy Weston - Keystone Korner, San Francisco
Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition with Chico Freeman and Arthur Blytthe - free concert in Beacon Hill Park, Victoria, BC.
Peter Gabriel, the US Tour - best sound, best performance, best combination of stage-craft and music, I have ever heard.
Richard Thompson with Clive Gregson and Christine Collister - small club, very small - my ears are still bleeding - every pint Thompson finished caused him to reach for the volume knob on his Fender Twin.
Jim Hall ... every time.
Richard Thompson and Danny Thompson Tour.
Bert Jansch - every time.
Leonard Cohen - final tour
Van Morrison - tour with Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell tour with Jaco Pastorius and the Breckers etc.
Shelia Jordan - every time.
Some ...
Terje Rypdal's Odyssey in about 1976 in Oslo.
Randy Weston - Keystone Korner, San Francisco
Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition with Chico Freeman and Arthur Blytthe - free concert in Beacon Hill Park, Victoria, BC.
Peter Gabriel, the US Tour - best sound, best performance, best combination of stage-craft and music, I have ever heard.
Richard Thompson with Clive Gregson and Christine Collister - small club, very small - my ears are still bleeding - every pint Thompson finished caused him to reach for the volume knob on his Fender Twin.
Jim Hall ... every time.
Richard Thompson and Danny Thompson Tour.
Bert Jansch - every time.
Leonard Cohen - final tour
Van Morrison - tour with Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell tour with Jaco Pastorius and the Breckers etc.
Shelia Jordan - every time.
Van Halen's first album. Not my favorite band over the decades (I'm a Beatles freak), but wow, "WTF is THAT"?!
walrus
walrus
matsickma
Senior Member
Beatles on Ed Sullivan, then Jimi Hendrix Experience and early release material after his death. Interestingly I was not as enthralled by the Band of Gypsy version but loved Cry of Love, etc, YES, then ELP. Lucky Man may have been a song "hit" but hearing that Moog solo at the end changed everything. Went to college with plans to become an analog synthesizer designer but abandoned the idea as synthesizer went digital. EVH was a great return of guitar centric music. Today...Markus King...fun guitar. Not at the same level as Beatles, Hendrix, Keith Emerson but EVH and Markus King pleasant surprised. Honorable mention Carlos Santana and Jeff Beck. Both of these veterans are high on my list to see when they are on the road!
M
M
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Grateful Dead at one of the first concerts I ever went to as a teenage in 1970.
Rolling Stones last time I saw them, over a decade ago , but still, c'mon those old dudes were rockin! And are still at it today.
Marty Stewart and His Fabulous Superlatives are freaking great live.
Tedeschi Trucks Band live!
Brandi Carlisle with teh Colorado Symphony Orchestra at Red Rocks! Incredible sound and impeccable voice. Lol: Lots Of Lesbians.
Jerry Douglas Band at Podunk Bluegrass Festival this past September. Great musicianship from everyone in the band.
Billy Strings and band.
Rolling Stones last time I saw them, over a decade ago , but still, c'mon those old dudes were rockin! And are still at it today.
Marty Stewart and His Fabulous Superlatives are freaking great live.
Tedeschi Trucks Band live!
Brandi Carlisle with teh Colorado Symphony Orchestra at Red Rocks! Incredible sound and impeccable voice. Lol: Lots Of Lesbians.
Jerry Douglas Band at Podunk Bluegrass Festival this past September. Great musicianship from everyone in the band.
Billy Strings and band.
Zeppelin.
Pickup big band led by Mingus at the NYC/Newport Fest, 1972 (?). Sax section included Get, Konitz, Mulligan, Sims, and (IIRC) even Dizzy sat in on trumpet. Much more recently (late '80s), Sun Ra and his Heliocentric Orchestra in a dingy basement club in New Haven.
Midnight Toker
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Was a Beatles/Beach Boys lover at a very early age w/ stacks of 45's and my suitcase fisher price record player getting used constantly. BUT...as a 5-6 yr old hearing Whole Lotta Love coming from my oldest brother's bedroom cranked up. My ears perked! The middle section was borderline scary! I'd regularly sneak into his room when he wasn't home to put that record on! I was instantly hooked. Been a hard core Zep fan since.
Live...Stevie Ray Vaughn Constitution Hall 1984. I was right up front and was absolutely floored! It had all the energy, bravado, and showmanship as the well known El Mocambo show from the same time period. I had already seen EVH before then, and as great as that was, to me it seemed like an extremely well choreographed fretboard dance where SRV's guitar seemed more like a living breathing part of his body and soul.
Live...Stevie Ray Vaughn Constitution Hall 1984. I was right up front and was absolutely floored! It had all the energy, bravado, and showmanship as the well known El Mocambo show from the same time period. I had already seen EVH before then, and as great as that was, to me it seemed like an extremely well choreographed fretboard dance where SRV's guitar seemed more like a living breathing part of his body and soul.
George ‘Harmonica’ Smith. Club show in 1970. Literally life changing. I haven’t been the same since.
Hollywood Fats Band. Fats had superstar charisma and talent; plus a gifted band that could do it all.
Ted Greene. If you were fortunate enough to catch a rare live gig; you heard the voice of god coming out of a telecaster.
Hollywood Fats Band. Fats had superstar charisma and talent; plus a gifted band that could do it all.
Ted Greene. If you were fortunate enough to catch a rare live gig; you heard the voice of god coming out of a telecaster.
HeyMikey
Enlightened Member
Al Di Dimeola is another that blew me away. I’ve seen him with Return to Forever and acoustically with Paco Delucia and John McGlaughlin. His Elegant Gypsy is a desert island album for me.
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davismanLV
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Probably Joni Mitchell & The LA Express (w/Jaco) and the Persuasions. They were at the Universal Amphitheater right across the freeway from where we lived. I believe the tour was called Shadows & Light. Live album by the same name. That was a MONSTER show!!
More recently, The Del McCoury Band with Preservation Hall Jazz Band (from New Orleans) at the Smith Center. Holy crap that was amazing. Both to start, then just Del band, then just Preservation Hall played. Then back together again. I was just honestly blown away by everyone in that show. Nephew Rob McCoury is the banjo player in Del's band. We met him and Lisa his wife the day before for dinner. What an amazing show!!
More recently, The Del McCoury Band with Preservation Hall Jazz Band (from New Orleans) at the Smith Center. Holy crap that was amazing. Both to start, then just Del band, then just Preservation Hall played. Then back together again. I was just honestly blown away by everyone in that show. Nephew Rob McCoury is the banjo player in Del's band. We met him and Lisa his wife the day before for dinner. What an amazing show!!