Best Sounding Live Shows You Have Seen Lately

[chrisrulesmore]

Just caught two nights of My Morning Jacket in Denver and have to say it was one of the best sounding shows I've seen in a long long time. The first night was loud and rocking as they played most of the Okonokos set. The second night was more mellow, but still great nonetheless.

Other noteworthy shows I've seen in the last year are Spoon and Neko Case.

We seem to talk about great sounding records...thought it would be interesting to talk great sounding live shows!

-Chris

p.s. I figured it was safe to post this in the high end forum since My Morning Jacket had about $30k worth of Gibsons on stage!

[dfarness]

Buddy Guy at the Filmore in San Francisco. Hadn't seen him in a while so was afraid he was getting too old to put on a good show. The dude totally blew me away. And the sound at the Filmore was excellent.

[sordeli]

I enjoy very much great musicians, "Pat Metheny, The yellow Jacjets, I like very much, Jazz, for me thas the real thing!and they sound so good, very dimansional, those guys are great artist too (sound engineering)

[Tim L]

CSN&Y in the Theater at Madison Square Garden back in late August (used to be called the Felt Forum). Great freakin' show, awesome seats, fantastic sound! I sat about 20 feet off the left hand shoulder FOH mix position... approx' 20 rows back, dead center.

[phelbin]

I saw Oasis at the Shoreline in San Fran last year, and the sound was surprisingly good! Everything was really tight and punchy, but very clear as well. The FOH guy did an amazing job!

[Robobo1]

Heard Bill Frisell with his "Unspeakable Orchestra" two months ago at an auditorium here in DC. WONDERFUL mix! Apparently the same FOH engineer has travelled with Bill for years. I made sure to thank her after the show... and I had to wait in line to do so

[numrologst]

wilco in new mexico, the shins at stubbs in austin

islands
apollo sunshine
of montreal

[jonboyrock]

Originally Posted by phelbin

I saw Oasis at the Shoreline in San Fran last year, and the sound was surprisingly good! Everything was really tight and punchy, but very clear as well. The FOH guy did an amazing job!

Thats Bruce Johnston, quite the Australian Legend!

[Eide]

Another vote for Tool!!! Off the hooks!

[Ravian]

i went to see/hear chick corea (jazz) last week in rotterdam the nederlands
in the doelen.
he was playing with the Amsterdam Sinfonietta.
wauw the acoustic was great and the sound engineers....hats off for them.

[Improv]

I don't get out to shows often, but I was pretty impressed with the Flaming Lips set at a free Penn's Landing concert in Philly this past summer. Great sound and of course a lot of fun.

[cajonezzz]

Mute Math at Soma in San Diego.


and i heard that it wasn't a great show for them..I thought it was kller.

[mherrane]

I saw Tool on 10 000 days tour last summer and the sound was really good...But believe it or not, I also saw Strapping Young Lad the same summer and the sound was even better. There aren't too many metal bands (IMO) that really sound good live. I suppose many FOH guys mixing metal consider on the volume and forget the actual sound .

Also I saw Susanne Vega in the middle of 90s and was very impressed by the sound.

-- Mikko

[Improv]

Oh yeah, I recorded Wolfmother at the TLA a few months back and they sounded great! I remember being rather disappointed at the relative lack of power on their commercial release. They had a really tight heavy vibe live.

Generally though, it seems the best shows I've heard in my life tended to be in open-air, amphitheater-style settings. Anyone else agree? Only time I can understand the vocals anyway.

[soentkensound]

Richard Bona,


I just don't know why .
But he's (his concerts) sounding good any place anywhere.

[tombak]

Patti Smith at Bowery Ballroom NY Dec 29th 2006

Kenny, the Bowery's head FOH engineer worked his magic.

[Jonboy79]

Tim Reynolds earlier this past fall. Great sound and very entertaining for a one man show. I'd swear he had ten fingers on each hand. Fun to party with too. Also I saw Sevendust last year and they sounded phenominal, got me back into a mosh pit for the first time in 10 years. Mudvayne also kills live, drumsounds like I've never heard from another live show.

[max cooper]

Probably Tony Bennett at the Hollywood Bowl, but it wasn't that recent.

Sounded like a small hifi, except it was outdoors and pretty loud.

Really musical.

[funkcore]

The Dillinger Escape Plan and India.Arie, both at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC this past summer. 2 totally different styles of music and both sounded ridiculously good! The Bowery is always nice on the ears imho

[T- Funk Ian]

Originally Posted by moracspace

tool 10000 days 2006

Yeah, I saw Tool and it sounded great. Also, Eric Clapton sounded really good too, and that was in a big arena.

[taturana]

David Bowie, Peter Gabriel and Eric Clapton were the best sounding shows i've seen..

Bowie ,especially, was a loud, very dynamic,awesome PA sound, the like i've never seen before or after and this was a few years ago and in a place where i've seen many great shows and never liked the sound system there... some magic stuff ... and a great, highly charged up, band.

[ron florentine]

Another vote for the Pat Metheny Group simply stunning mucical landscape.





Ron Florentine
Soundswest Studio

[funka]

Phil Collins at Bercy in France. The sound was really good, and the musicians!!.
Hats off to the FOH.

[chandlersonic]

Originally Posted by Eide

Another vote for Tool!!! Off the hooks!

Tool does have an awesome sound live but man are they boring to see . 10000 days is hands down one of my favourite heavy rock albums ever...I'm not dfegad on the music, I just don't like their attitude on stage...

I saw Sigur Ros too and was amazed how good the sound was, I was expecting total sonic chaos and in fact it was pretty cool!!

[macmod]

NewYorkDolls, Milkyway Amsterdam 2006 (!)....and yes they're OLD and yes it was LOUD but they ROCKED!

Cheers,
Macmod

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by ron florentine

Another vote for the Pat Metheny Group

Not to take anything away from the excellent sounds coming off stage from the band, or (especially) the brilliant job David Oakes does mixing them, but just as a matter of trivia, it should be noted that there's not a single horn/compression driver in that entire PA. All ribbon tweeters, and direct-radiating cones for hi-mids & low-mids. Remarkably unique sounding speakers.

Best sounding live show I ever saw was Natalie Cole in the Plaza Ballroom. Four dV-dosc boxes per side and two or four subs, it sounded like I was sitting in my living room listening to a CD played back on a pristine audiophile hi-fi rig.

[jonboyrock]

Originally Posted by Improv

Oh yeah, I recorded Wolfmother at the TLA a few months back and they sounded great! I remember being rather disappointed at the relative lack of power on their commercial release. They had a really tight heavy vibe live.

Generally though, it seems the best shows I've heard in my life tended to be in open-air, amphitheater-style settings. Anyone else agree? Only time I can understand the vocals anyway.

Um, "Hey that was me!!"

Until about 2 weeks ago I was the FOH for Wolfmother. Thanks for the comment!

[Pasta4lnch]

KT Tunstall at Webster Hall a few months ago.

(best one of all time was Aquarium Rescue Unit at Mama Kin's MA)

[evangelista]

Eitzurzende Neubauten at Irving Plaza, NYC. Stunning sound and performance.

I would say it sounded like a record, but it actually sounded way better.

Ivan

[Improv]

Originally Posted by jonboyrock

Um, "Hey that was me!!"

Until about 2 weeks ago I was the FOH for Wolfmother. Thanks for the comment!

Hah, small world! I wonder if they ended up using those tapes for anything...? That was a fun gig... just show up, plug in and hit record. Easy money...