March 2025 Challenge Thread - Live Music (Really) Is Better!

Day 13: Tash Sultana October 2019, Ohana Festival – As opposed to The Strokes, Tash played a mellow yet spectacular sunset set. Just her looping various instruments creating a great collage. Was wholly unfamiliar with her before, but have made it a point to see her every time since. Play something by a solo artist.

I've only seen Dylan once, at Bonnaroo in 2004. I remember I liked the set, but was we were pretty far back in the crowd.

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Day 12: The Strokes October 2019, Ohana Festival
Play something by an artist with rabid fans.

Morrissey - Vauxhall And I
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Despite his best efforts to chase them off by being an insufferable prick, The Moz still has a sizable and dedicated following especially in Latin America.
 
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Day 14: Oingo Boingo December 1986, Hollywood Palladium – One of my favorite memories of my late friend Jim was seeing Oingo Boingo with him and jumping around in the pit. Play something for a friend.

I have a friend who's been my runnin' pardner to shows since the mid 80's. We met in a record store owned by Warren Haynes' brother. He heard me talking about a new bootleg Dylan DVD I'd gotten and being a card carrying Zimmy Fanboy inserted himself into the conversation. We've seen hundreds of shows together since then.

I've got a lot of Dylan on vinyl and he's top notch but wouldn't consider him one of my core artists. I hung in there with Dylan and went to his shows with my friend til 2016. I just didn't find Zimmy's gigs that enjoyable anymore. And Bob's stance over mobile phones had reached an obsessively ridiculous level.

Now I'm all for no photos and video during the show unless the artist allows and encourages it. There's nothing more obnoxious that a band going off live and half the crowd is looking at a 5 inch screen held above their head instead of the stage. But at these Dylan gigs you weren't allowed to even publicly display a phone. At this show (the one I'm posting a recording from below), the guy next to me pulled his phone out of his pocket, held it up to see if he had any messages, put it back in his pocket and was immediately descended on by security and ejected.

Here's the kicker - we were literally 2 rows from the back of the theatre. Almost as far away as you could be from the stage. This still blows my mind til this day. And that was the moment I decided Bob Dylan didn't deserve any more of my money.

Here's my recording of 'Pay In Blood' from that show. If nothing else, this is a testament to the outstanding sound in Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. I was in the upper deck two rows from the top in a 3500 seat theatre and this thing is way more listenable than it has a right to be...




Bob Dylan - Real Live

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Day 14: Oingo Boingo December 1986, Hollywood Palladium – Play something for a friend.

Wu-Tang Clan - The W

Playing this for my friend Brian. Due to life circumstances, we don’t really get to see each other any more, but we used to go to concerts together a lot. Last show we went to together was Wu-Tang and Nas in 2022.

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Day 14: Oingo Boingo December 1986, Hollywood Palladium – One of my favorite memories of my late friend Jim was seeing Oingo Boingo with him and jumping around in the pit. Play something for a friend.

This goes out to my friend Dave. He's an excellent drummer, and going to shows with him over the last 10 years or so that I've known him have taught me how to watch and pay closer attention to the musicianship happening on stage. Just so happens I picked this album up last night from my local, but the first time we saw this band was at the album release show for it. Bonus for that night was that the openers were Kikagaku Moyo and JJUUJJUU, which made for an absolutely fantastic (but loud as shit) bill in a 250 person room. Remember those earplugs people.

Earthless ~ Black Heaven

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Day 14: Oingo Boingo December 1986, Hollywood Palladium – One of my favorite memories of my late friend Jim was seeing Oingo Boingo with him and jumping around in the pit. Play something for a friend.

This goes out to my friend Dave. He's an excellent drummer, and going to shows with him over the last 10 years or so that I've known him have taught me how to watch and pay closer attention to the musicianship happening on stage. Just so happens I picked this album up last night from my local, but the first time we saw this band was at the album release show for it. Bonus for that night was that the openers were Kikagaku Moyo and JJUUJJUU, which made for an absolutely fantastic (but loud as shit) bill in a 250 person room. Remember those earplugs people.

Earthless ~ Black Heaven

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Hmm... I don't know JJUUJJUU.
I have some JUJU, though.
 
Day 14: Oingo Boingo December 1986, Hollywood PalladiumPlay something for a friend.

The Charlatans - Live It Like You Love It


My mate Sam hipped me to the Charlies and we saw them quite a few times together, including my 14th gig on the ticket. Feel like this live album could be better - I'd love one from 93/94 by them.

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Day 14: Oingo Boingo December 1986, Hollywood Palladium
Play something for a friend.

Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People
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My closest friend growing up was Brian. One of the things we bonded over most was our love of music. BSS was something he introduced me to and was one of the many live shows we attended together. I feel like he was always ahead of the curve when it came to music.
 
Day 14: Oingo Boingo December 1986, Hollywood Palladium – One of my favorite memories of my late friend Jim was seeing Oingo Boingo with him and jumping around in the pit. Play something for a friend.

This is for Brad. We saw Paul Simon together a few years ago on his farewell tour. It was a fantastic show. I haven't stayed in touch with him after a couple ugly incidents with his drinking. I don't judge much, but he had a big problem. Anyway, he's a good person with a good heart and I think we'll eventually reconnect.

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Day 7: Play something by someone who made an unexpected collaboration.

Gorillaz - Cracker Island

Every album, they still manage to surprise me with the guest collaborators, even though I'm expecting them to surprise me with the guest collaborators.

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Day 15: Flight To Mars May 2012, The Casbah – Play something with a guest star.

You fine folks of this community showered my wife and I with a ridiculous amount of love for our 40th wedding anniversary last April.

One of the gifts was VIP tix to Drive-By Truckers celebrating their Southern Rock Opera record performing it in full with some bonus tracks sprinkled in along the way.

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The encore was a blazing left jab / right cross of Neil Young's 'Rockin' In The Free World' and Jim Carroll's 'People Who Died'. The band brought out Asheville's own MJ Lenderman on guitar and vocals for both songs.

Patterson went totally nuts during 'People Who Died'. He ditched his guitar (between Cooley, MJ and two roadies who joined in, there were still 4 left) and was all over the place - jumping, windmilling, writhing on the stage - a glorious spectacle.

I wish every one of you could have been there.

Actually, y'all still can..

DBT - The Orange Peel 11-8-24 - Rockin' In the Free World-People Who Died




Drive-By Truckers - Southern Rock Opera

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Day 15: Flight To Mars May 2012, The Casbah – Play something with a guest star.

You fine folks of this community showered my wife and I with a ridiculous amount of love for our 40th wedding anniversary last April.

One of the gifts was VIP tix to Drive-By Truckers celebrating their Southern Rock Opera record performing it in full with some bonus tracks sprinkled in along the way.

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The encore was a blazing left jab / right cross of Neil Young's 'Rockin' In The Free World' and Jim Carroll's 'People Who Died'. The band brought out Asheville's own MJ Lenderman on guitar and vocals for both songs.

Patterson went totally nuts during 'People Who Died'. He ditched his guitar (between Cooley, MJ and two roadies who joined in, there were still 4 left) and was all over the place - jumping, windmilling, writhing on the stage - a glorious spectacle.

I wish every one of you could have been there.

Actually, y'all still can..

DBT - The Orange Peel 11-8-24 - Rockin' In the Free World-People Who Died




Drive-By Truckers - Southern Rock Opera

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That crescendo though!
 
Day 6 - Spin something by an artist that promotes or has played for charitable reasons.

I’ve never really dug into Paul’s solo work, I’m not even sure why this is the only album of his that I have.
Saw him live once in 1993 and, it may sound blasphemous, but I was unimpressed. Maybe because I was 19 and didn’t know better.


Paul McCartney - Run Devil Run

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Day 7: Play something by someone who made an unexpected collaboration.

Paul McCartney’s chewed celery and carrots on Receptacle for the Respectable.

Saw the SFA in 2003, after the show we found Gruff in the crowd sipping a beer. He was super cool and signed my friend’s flag of Wales.


Super Furry Animals - Rings Around the World

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