* (restored)
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The Forum: Jimi Hendrix Experience, Yes, David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, Chicago Transit Authority, AC/DC, Neil Young, Shaun Cassidy, The Rolling Stones, Ike & Tina Turner, Bob Dylan w/ The Band, Jethro Tull, Devo, The Faces, War, Tower of Power, Leon Russell, Blind Faith, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Stevie Wonder, The Cars, …
Universal Amphitheater: David Bowie, Pet Shop Boys, Bette Midler, Frank Sinatra, Siouxie & the Banshees, The Wonder Stuff, Alison Moyet, Elvis Costello & Burt Bachrach, Ian McCulloch, The Smithereens, Linkin Park, The Offspring, Pennywise, Roxy Music, Joni Mitchell, The Pretenders, Echo & the Bunnymen, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, …
The Hollywood Palladium: XTC, Fleetwood Mac, Moby Grape, Sugar, Jo Jo Gunne, Kraftwerk, Tool, Skinny Puppy, Janes Addiction, The Kinks, The New York Dolls, Bjork, Iggy Pop, The Melvins, Bad Religion, Bad Brains, Massive Attack, The Beach Boys, MC5, Keith Richards, The Clash, The Byrds, Blondie, Talking Heads, Savoy Brown, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Silverhead, Sonic Youth, Steve Miller Band, Hot Tuna, It’s A Beautiful Day, Primus, Fugazi, Psychedelic Furs, New Order, Ministry, No Means No, Fear, Goldie, Garbage, …
The Palace: The Flaming Lips, Silverchair, My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Tortoise, Cheap Trick, Superchunk, Blur, Pavement, Orbital, Polvo, Tortoise, Drive Like Jehu, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Yo La Tengo, Rocket from the Crypt, Super Furry Animals, ABC, Shellac, Helmet, Swirlies, Palace Brothers, Mudhoney, Dinosaur Jr., …
The Roxy: The New York Dolls, Guided by Voices, My Bloody Valentine, Lush, Ride, Bow Wow Wow, Depeche Mode, Haircut 100, Television, The Ramones, Patti Smith, The Screamers, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, John Cale, Lou Reed, Hole, Todd Rundgren, Talking Heads, Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band, Wall of Voodoo, Half Japanese, Dwight Twilley Band, The Wedding Present, Dr. Feelgood, Scritti Politti, Urge Overkill, Tom Tom Club, Pizzicato Five, The Lemonheads, Richard Thompson, Johnny Thunder & The Heartbreakers, Dave Edmunds, Teenage Fan Club, Patti Smith, The Fibonaccis, Great Buildings, Laurie Anderson, …
Santa Monica Civic: Love, The Jam, Pere Ubu, The Cramps, Magazine, The Kinks, Lou Reed, David Bowie, The Runaways, Cheap Trick, Todd Rundgren, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Buzzcocks, Mott the Hoople, Iggy Pop, Silverhead, The Clash, XTC, Frank Zappa, The Who, U2, Elvis Costello, Pink Floyd, Prince, Laura Nyro, The Tubes, The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Pantera, Gary Numan, Procol Harum, Traffic, Ten Years After, Electric Light Orchestra, Roy Wood’s Wizzard, Argent, J Geils Band, Aerosmith, Johnny Winter, Little Feat, T Rex, Wall of Voodoo, Ultravox, Nina Hagen, Steely Dan, Dead Kennedys, X, Queen, Mothers of Invention, Allman Brothers, Graham Parker, Patti Smith, Devo, Jesus & Mary Chain, New York Dolls, Sonic Youth, Derek & the Dominos, Eric Carmen, …
The Whisky A-Go Go: Black Sabbath, The Cure, Roxy Music w/ Eno, Sparks, The Allman Brothers, Patti Smith, Blondie, The Ramones, Iggy & the Stooges, The Screamers, Spiritualized, Tom Petty, X, Germs, Weirdos, DiLs, Echo & the Bunnymen, The Runaways, The Quick, Talking Heads, Siouxie & the Banshees, The Clash, Swervedriver, Cream, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, The Dictators, The Jam, B People, Jefferson Airplane, Kaleidoscope, Spirit, Procol Harum, John Mayall, King Crimson, Quatermass, Uriah Heep, T Rex, Yes, Curved Air, Atomic Rooster, Jo Jo Gunne, Arthur Lee, Manfred Mann, Weather Report, Suzi Quatro, Gentle Giant, Family, Nico, Dead Boys, Redd Kross, Medicine, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Psychedelic Furs, REM, Nick Lowe, Ian Dury & the Blockheads, Human Hands, The Bush Tetras, The Specials, The Selecter, Ultravox w/John Foxx, Shoes, 20/20, Tom Robinson Band, The English Beat, Jim Carroll Band, The Fleshtones, Lena Lovich, Milk and Cookies, Choir Invisible, The Gun Club, Killing Joke, Kommunity FK, Nervous Gender, Spizzenergi, Adam and the Ants, F-Word, Zeros, The Blasters, Cornelius, Skulls, Suburban Lawns, Generation X, Circle Jerks, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dream Syndicate, Cockney Rebel, Generation X, Joan Jett, The Mumps, The Nuns, Crime, Dwight Twilley Band, Magazine, The Last, James Blood Ulmer, Pere Ubu, The Three O’Clock, The Undertones, Jonathan Richman, …
The Shrine Auditorium and/or Exposition Hall: Chambers Brothers, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, Nina Simone, The Last Poets, The Kinks, Mott the Hoople, Sir Douglas Quintet, Long John Baldry, Little Richard, BB King, Albert King, Canned Heat, The Mothers of Invention, Alice Cooper, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band, GTOs, Wild Man Fischer, Delaney & Bonnie, Jeff Beck Band, Chuck Berry, Randy Newman, Moody Blues, Bo Diddley, Electric Flag, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Iron Butterfly, The Rascals, The Electric Flag, Jefferson Airplane, Genesis, Big Brother & the Holding Company, Buddy Miles Express, Chuck Berry, Country Joe & the Fish, The Who, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, …
The Anaheim Convention Center: Jimi Hendrix, Soft Machine, Blue Cheer, Eric Burdon & the Animals, Cream, Spirit, ABBA, John Mayall, Norman Greenbaum, …
Rose Palace: Led Zeppelin, Grateful Dead, Lee Michaels, Alice Cooper, Dr. John, Joe Cocker, Grand Funk Railroad, Deep Purple, Crazy World of Arthur Brown, The Byrds, Albert King, Fields, John Mayall, Julie Driscoll/Bryan Auger and the Trinity, Procol Harum, Jethro Tull, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Vanilla Fudge, Spirit, Young Bloods, Iron Butterfly, Steve Miller Band, …
The Troubadour: Jobriath, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Cat Stevens, Jackson Brown, Tim Buckley, Stereolab, Manic Street Preachers, Elton John, Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band, Incredible String Band, Linda Ronstadt, Randy Newman, Radiohead, James Taylor, Tom Waits, Laura Nyro, Carole King, Van Morrison, Carly Simon, Tim Hardin, Sebadoh, John Sebastian, John Stewart, Loudon Wainwright III, Poco, Stephen Malkmus, Dan Hicks & his Hot Licks, Melanie, John Prine, New Pornographers, AC Newman, Broken Social Scene, Liars, Mercury Rev, Pinback, Bonnie Raitt, Judy Collins, Fairport Convention, …
Hollywood Bowl: Bjork, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper, The Monkees, Humble Pie, Bonnie Prince Billy, Faces, Cactus, Stephen Stills, …
Ash Grove: Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Loudon Wainwright III, Taj Mahal, Randy Newman, Buddy Guy, Howlin Wolf, Mississippi John Hurt, Phil Ochs, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Sugarcane Harris, Johnny Otis, The Persuasions, Ian Whitcomb, …
Starwood: Gang of Four, The Damned, The Dickies, John Cale, Cheap Trick, The Quick, Devo, The Go-Gos, The Plimsouls, The Bags, The Weirdos, Wayne County, X, Zolar X, Geza X, Black Flag, Fear, Adolescents, Rubber City Rebels, The Blasters, Wall of Voodoo, DOA, The Pop, Shoes, 20/20, Suburban Lawns, Mumps, The Jam, Gun Club, Dead Boys, …
Jabberjaw: Bikini Kill, Guided by Voices, The Melvins, Jawbreaker, Godheadsilo, Low, Unwound, Further, Sebadoh, Bratmobile, Polvo, Beck, Codeine, Royal Trux, Red Aunts, Gas Huffer, Shudder to Think, Unsane, Beat Happening, Beck, Nation of Ulysses, …
Spaceland: Wire, Melt Banana, Arcade Fire, Bloc Party, Arthur Lee & Love, Guided by Voices, Dinosaur Jr., Spoon, Pavement, Sebadoh, The Breeders, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Caribou, Destroyer, Helium, Moving Units, Ariel Pink, The Fall, Wolf Eyes, Black Dice, Nels Cline, Frog Eyes, Jesus Lizard, Sky Saxon and The Seeds, …
Henry Fonda Theater/The Music Box: Donovan, The Shins, Guided by Voices, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Sparks, Architecture in Helsinki, Battles, No Age, …
Long Beach Arena: David Bowie, Weezer, Elvis Costello, Slayer, Megadeth, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Deep Purple, King Crimson, Jeff Beck Band, The Who, Jimmy Eat World, Tenacious D, The Beach Boys, …
Miscelaneous venues: Flying Burrito Brothers, Jefferson Airplane, Moody Blues, Cecil Taylor, Sun Ra, Frank Zappa’s Hot Rats, PiL, Mountain, The Orb, Orbital, Underworld, Chemical Brothers, Buffy Sainte Marie, Prince, Johnny Cash, Throbbing Gristle, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Melanie, Little Richard, The Doors, Public Enemy, Funkadelic, Incredible String Band, Ozzy Osbourne, Marilyn Manson, Black Sabbath, Roxy Music, Arlo Guthrie, Cat Power, Cabaret Voltaire, Young Marble Giants, Dusty Springfield, Spiritualized, Animal Collective, The Books, Flipper, Broadcast, Liza Minelli, Deerhoof, Interpol, Matmos, Pinback, Human League, Butthole Surfers, The Replacements, Tuxedo Moon, Translator, Dada Munchamonkey, The Los Angeles Free Music Society, Anthony Braxton, Pharoah Sanders, Stephen Prina’s Sonic Dan, Factrix, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Terry Riley, Robert Pollard, Mouse on Mars, Matmos, Air, Frank Black, Brian Wilson, The Falcons, The Quick, Bonnie & Delaney, Leif Garrett, …
Very favorites
(in no order)
Gang of Four @ The Starwood (circa ‘Entertainment!’)
Cheap Trick @ The Starwood (circa ‘In Colour’)
Kraftwerk @ The Palladium (1998)
My Bloody Valentine @ The Palace (circa ‘Loveless’)
The Flaming Lips @ The Palace (circa ‘Soft Bulletin’)
Superchunk @ The Palace (circa ‘On the Mouth’)
New York Dolls @ The Roxy (circa ‘Too Much Too Soon’)
Love @ The Whisky-A-Go-Go (circa ‘Da Capo’)
Roxy Music w/Eno @ The Whisky-A-Go-Go (1972)
The Screamers @ The Whisky-A-Go-Go (1977)
Sparks @ The Whisky-A-Go-Go (circa ‘Whomp That Sucker’)
Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac @ Shrine Exposition Hall (circa ‘English Rose’)
Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band @ Shrine Exposition Hall (circa ‘Lick My Decals Off’)
Nina Simone @ Shrine Auditorium (1971)
ABBA @ Anaheim Convention Center (1977)
Spirit @ Rose Palace (circa ‘The Family That Plays Together’)
Alice Cooper @ Rose Palace (circa ‘Love It to Death’)
Guided by Voices @ Jabberjaw (circa ‘Bee Thousand’)
Melvins @ Jabberjaw (circa ‘Houdini’)
Pavement @ Spaceland (circa ‘Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain’)
Cecil Taylor @ UCLA Royce Hall (1970)
PiL @ Olympic Auditorium (circa ‘Metal Box’)
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p.s. Hey. ** Dominik, Hi, D!!! Rick Owens owns a whole building in this swanky part of Paris. I only saw the ground floor. Very loft-like, walls and ceiling painted black, expensive contemporary art on the walls, big veranda/terrace. Pretty nice. I didn’t meet him because he either wasn’t there or wasn’t awake yet, I think the latter. I’m gonna try about that sand post. So watch your step. Ha ha, that’s my kind of handsome, thank you. Love transporting you through time and space to any of the concerts listed above that you choose with a VIP backstage pass, G. ** Bill, Thanks. I would, of course, love to know what you would do with ice. But those popsicles sound doable for now. I’ve only seen that third Conjuring film. Like I said, it was alright. I didn’t FF, which is something, I guess. ** David Ehrenstein, It is! ** _Black_Acrylic, Ooh, how did I not find that Zalman King stuff in all the relentless searching I did for that shebang? ** Daniel, Hi, Daniel! Nice add, thank you. Glad to know you’re a fellow warrior against these hateful skies. ** Steve Erickson, Wow, another ‘why the hell didn’t I or rather Google come across that example?!’ Thanks, man. ** Brian, Hi, Brian! Thanks, I aimed to help. Yes, Criterion announced the Van Peebles box the very day after I made the post. Your dad’s cool to have that as his favorite film. My dad’s fave was ‘Field of Dreams’. But my wacky mother’s favorite film was ‘Harold and Maude’. Ouch, your thumb, ouch. That does sound like one busy week. And very real sounding. Is ‘Ludwig’ not on the Criterion Channel? I only just got it and haven’t scoured yet. My week … Zoom with someone who’s doing her PhD on Mike Kelley, do film-related stuff, start thinking harder about the new Gisele Vienne piece she wants me to write, talk Zac into eating nachos with me at Hard Rock Cafe, probably see art and a film or two, maybe write something or start to. Kind of a ‘we’ll see’ week. Let’s compare notes, and here’s to yours starting with a bang (sans collateral damage). ** Okay. I’m very aware that today’s post is very nerdy and self-indulgent. I restored it because a friend of mine recently queried me about my concert going past, and I told him to check out this post, only to realise it was dead meat. So I brought it back for him and, if I’m lucky, for you too. You can respond by telling us/me about some hometown concerts you especially liked maybe? Or I guess I could tell you what any of those concerts listed up there were like if you want? Or … you can just scroll through rapidly and think, ‘Whatever’. Anything goes (as always). See you tomorrow.
Now available in North America 
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Hi!!
I really like loft-like apartments/spaces and big terraces, so I’m pretty sure I’d be a fan of Rick Owens’s place. When I was a kid, we moved to an apartment where the living room’s walls and ceiling were painted black. It was a bit weird, and the room felt like a box, but I didn’t hate it. I guess the entire apartment would fit into Rick Owens’s place’s ground floor a few times, though, so the scale was slightly different, haha.
Ah! Oh my god! I adore today’s post and your love! Thank you! As the ultimate fan, I have to choose the Red Hot Chili Peppers show (when did you see them? How was it??), although I must ask when you saw the Manic Street Preachers. And also… also… I’d give quite a lot to see a Hole or an R.E.M. show right now. And The Doors. Fuck, haha. How was the Hole gig? Love making any concert you’d best like to go to happen in Paris tonight, Od. (What would it be?)
Hi DC, That’s an enviable list! Well, since you offered, I’d like to know your experiences of attending these concerts: Nine Inch Nails, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Radiohead, Garbage, Marilyn Manson.
I’ve only seen a few of my favourite musicians live: Swans, Placebo, Garbage, Jack White, HIM. Enjoyed all, really. Found myself in tears when Shirley Manson sang ‘Milk’. Jack White poured himself on stage, I was so inspired by the intensity of his performance – even though I don’t like all of his songs. Swans was a divine fevered dream that I’ll never forget. Placebo & HIM I only enjoyed because I love(d) their music so much, TBH the live experience didn’t add much to the music, but of course it was still deeply thrilling – esp seeing Brian Molko & Ville Valo as real human beings, and not ethereal angels.
Would’ve loved to see Bowie, Cohen, and Nirvana live… I didn’t see Nirvana on your list? Would love to see Radiohead, Boy Harsher, Lana Del Rey, Muse, and perhaps Rammstein (depending on the improvement of my German and the behaviour of their fans), Nine Inch Nails & Marilyn Manson live. I dislike Marilyn Manson (his persona, make-up, and general vibe and drama), but I’m afraid I’ve loved listening to some of his songs & looking at some of his paintings since I was a teenager. Same with NIN, I’m totally obsessed with some of their songs, but wouldn’t really want to see Trent IRL.
Sorry about the nerdy and self-indulgent comment haha… I hope you’ve now fully recovered from the unpleasant side effects of the second jab. Liberation! Muah
That’s quite the list right there! Hmm I saw most gigs when I was a 90s teen indie boy but sadly that era corresponded with the zenith of Britpop and my tastes changed somewhat in the years since. I did have a ticket to see Nirvana in Manchester 94 but that one never happened obvs.
Seeing Jeff Mills DJ at the Orbit in Leeds 98 made the greatest impression, and I couldn’t even understand that as music at the time. Took maybe a year for me to acknowledge its lifechanging brilliance.
Dennis, How much did you hate typing “The Doors” up there, hahaha?
Well, any top-lawyered rich person really. The woman did say to call the State’s Attorney and tell them why we think we shouldn’t have to appear. I don’t think that’s gonna work, though. Really, they just want to establish his whereabouts and a timeline. So funny that the two people who were with him weren’t charged or subpoenaed. Ugh.
Man, yeah, that three-day weekend was sweet. And seemed much longer because the holiday was on a Friday and not a Monday. And I pretty much did squat. Pretty much watched sports all day yesterday. Baseball, golf, and the US Olympic trials. A woman from my hometown made the US team in the 100 meter hurdles. We were pretty happy about that.
Oh, and got a summons for jury duty in July. Fuck. I get these motherfuckers like every two years. Others never get them. What the fuck?
The Doors and Them (with Van the man), Procol Harum, Television, Screamers, X, (and more) at the Whiskey a-go-go. Santa Monica Civic – Incredible String Band, Magazine, NY Dolls, Iggy/Bowie, Ziggy Stardust Bowie, Grin, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, The Kinks (many times), Lou Reed, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, and more. The Shrine: Jimi Hendrix Experience, Soft Machine, Blue Cheer, Electric Flag, King Crimson (the 70’s version), – Bowie at Long Beach Arena, Universal (Diamond Dogs), and DEVO like everywhere. The Forum: Echo & the Bunnymen, Rolling Stones/Ike and Tina, Blind Faith, and I saw Frank Sinatra somewhere in Orange County and an outside concert space. And lots more.
Nico
and
Tim
at the Whiskey
xoxoxoxox – such a great post, so adore and here, hot of the presses – will start to promote this week for next month release – hope you’re well – and we catch up somewhere soon xo
https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/live-in-italy-1994
https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-the-knitting-factory
https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/spill
I also really wanted to share these with love
https://youtu.be/kV5eorIJpyU
https://youtu.be/NxKsOab86as
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFo7zBhCaLc
You saw Gang of Four back in the day? I’m so envious. I only caught the ’05 reunion, though they were pretty great.
Some memorable mid/late 80s Illinois gigs: Savage Republic, 7 Seconds, Big Black, Rapeman, Naked Raygun, Scratch Acid , Roger Miller (Mission of Burma) solo… some ’88 SF gigs: Anthony Braxton, Consolidated, Boyd Rice…
Bill
Hey, Dennis,
You’ve been to an awful lot of concerts. I’ve only attended a few, but maybe that’ll change—after we’re past this setback, of course. Oh, “Malkovich” isn’t my dad’s number one fave—that’d be “Brazil”—but it’s up there. I’ve never seen “Field of Dreams”, but I do kind of love “Harold and Maude”, which I need to rewatch. I’m not sure if “Ludwig” is on the Channel, certainly it’s not in the Collection. I actually don’t have the Criterion Channel, I’ve only done a few free trials. Awesome that you got it, it’s a cave of wonders. Your week sounds pretty stacked, with plenty of potential for fun. Mike Kelley: I looked him up and realized I saw some of his work at PS1 when I was very young. Very beautiful. My week didn’t start with a bang, but rather a pleasantly soft breeze, which was fine too. I watched “Drive” to cover on the podcast, which I thought was nifty and stylish and fun but not much else (not that that’s a problem), and then this movie from 1980 called “The Apple”, which was just atrociously bad. I laughed harder than I have in probably over a year. Tomorrow I have to finish that minor editing stuff I’m doing for the charity. It’s also my brother’s prom, so plenty of preparing for that and the inevitable drama that will ensue. And I think I might finally start reading Thomas Hardy’s “Tess of the d’Urbervilles”, which I’ve been curious about for some time. Let’s see if any/all of that comes to fruition. And may your own endeavors prove similarly bountiful.
Back in 1967 Iggy and the Stooges at the Worl’s Fir Favilion in Flushing Meado with Three Dog Night.
Thanks for this!! Such a great list. We shared a couple of these: Sparks, XTC, Gang of Four. My very first rock show was Captain Beefheart and Little Feat at the Santa Monica Civic. That pretty much set the course… (Also got to see Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust tour at the same venue…)
This is a beautiful document, Dennis. So many lost venues. I wonder what mine would look like? Basically Melt Banana at every club in LA. You are showing great bravely by admitting you saw Emerson Lake and Palmer. I salute you. Love, B
A lot of these fill me with a lot of envy lol. Tom Waits, King Crimson, Leonard Cohen. Super cool you’ve seen them(sometimes multiple times).
I didn’t realize I liked concerts until like 2018 and I still always find a way to miss out on them. Missed out on a Daughters show from a busted car tire for example. Or the many times I just don’t pull the trigger on tickets.
Some concert memories would include a Street Sects/Dalek show which had about 6 other people in this basement and Street Sects filled the room with deep fog and the singer ran around with a chainsaw(not sure if real) and waved it in people’s faces.
Another good one was when I went to a mini-fest AJJ was holding in Arizona and after a goofy pop punk band played Jamie Stewart from Xiu Xiu played a solo electric guitar set that included a lot of vibrato moaning and droning and it brought the mood down in a very nice way lol. Could tell a lot of the people weren’t really feeling the ultra sweaty Stewart on stage giving such an intense performance.
When the world kicks back I am excited to see more shows again.
Did you ever see Swans? Seems like something you would’ve been into at some point. That’s still a holy grail show I need to see. Only thing I’d want to see more is maybe a Joy Division concert. But que sera sera.
Hope you’re having a good day Dennis.
Cheers.
Hey, that’s us in the Jabberjaw pic— Kicking Giant! I don’t know if you ever saw us but I’m a huge fan of yours. Our song “Appetite” was written after a summer of reading your books. Years later I’m reading them again, looking forward to “I Wished”.