My collection
In a Twitter conversation earlier today with the lovely Lauren Leeds, I said something to the effect that I collect live concerts like others collect stamps. In other words, going to see concerts is something of a hobby. I just love the experience of seeing a band perform live. And then I started to think about all the shows I’ve seen over the years. It hit me that it’s quite a long list, so I thought I’d try to write it all out.
Here’s a list as best as I can remember, with years, when possible (Note: I know some are missing. I’ll add them when I remember):
Huey Lewis & the News (1986)
REM (1989 and 1996)
Throwing Muses (1989)
Sting x2 (1989)
Concrete Blonde (1989)
Violent Femmes (1989)
Midnight Oil (1990 x2 and 2004)
The Origin (1990)
Hunters & Collectors (1990)
Depeche Mode w/Nitzer Ebb (1990)
Love & Rockets (1990)
Morrissey (1991 and 2009)
Lollapalooza (1992)
Included Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Ministry, Ice Cube, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Jesus & Mary Chain, Lush
Buffalo Tom x5 (1992, 1994, 2001, 2008)
U2 x2 (1992) and x1 (2004)
The Pixies (1992)
Primus (1992)
Material Issue (1992)
The Cure (1992, 1996 and 1997)
The Swans (1992)
Grateful Dead (1994)
Love Spit Love (1994)
Catherine Wheel x7 (1995, 1997, 1999, 2000)
Silverchair (1995)
Belly (1995)
Toad the Wet Sprocket (1996 x2, 1998, 2002)
Smashing Pumpkins (1996, 1998 x2)
Grant Lee Buffalo (1996)
Radiohead (1996)
Ani DiFranco (1996, 1998, 2006)
Duncan Sheik (1996)
Barenaked Ladies (1998, 2000, 2002)
Blur (1998)
Sarah McLachlan (1998)
Candyskins (1999)
Bill Janovitz (2000)
Son Volt (2002, 2x unknown)
Matthew Good Band (2002)
G Love & Special Sauce (2002)
Angie Aparo (2004)
The Sheila Divine (2004)
Jason Mraz (2004)
Fountains of Wayne (2004, 2007)
I seem to be missing some stuff from 2005-2006 …
Neko Case (2005, 2009)
Elvis Costello (2007)
Rob Dickinson (2007)
The Police (2007)
Dar Williams (2007)
Rilo Kiley (2008)
The Pogues (2008)
The Meatmen (2008)
Nine Inch Nails w/Bauhaus (2008)
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club w/The Duke Spirit (2008)
Matthew Good (2008)
Deadstring Brothers (2008, 2009)
Matt Mays & El Torpedo (2008)
Gore Gore Girls (2008)
Sponge w/Rhythm Corps (2008)
The Pretenders w/American Bang (2008)
Mike Ness w/Jesse Dayton (2009)
They Might Be Giants w/Oppenheimer (2009)
Huey Lewis & the News (2009)
Bloodshot Records 15th Anniversary BBQ, Madison, WI (2009)
Included: Deano Waco & the Meat Purveyors, The Deadstring Brothers, Bobby Bare, Jr., HaHa Tonka, The Waco Brothers, The Bottle Rockets, Justin Townes Earle
Hank Williams III (2009)
Old Crow Medicine Show (2009)
Ann Arbor Folk Festival (2010)
Included: Iron & Wine, Jay Farrar & Ben Gibbard, Band of Heathens
Camper Van Beethoven & Cracker (2010)
Wilco (2010)
Justin Townes Earle w/Joe Pug x2 (2010)
The Avett Brothers w/The Low Anthem (2010)
Flogging Molly (2010)
Various local shows, most multiple times (1990 – current)
Includes The Hannibals, 19 Wheels, The Verve Pipe, Calliope, Paucity, The Hard Lessons, Goober & the Peas, Electric Six, The Huntunes, Dorothy, Day-Glo Orange, Domestic Problems, Day 28, Steppin’ In It, The Lash, Big Willie, Daisy May, Ingham County Regulars, The Grand Nationals
So jealous.
I saw Weird Al one time!
Seriously though, one of the best concerts I ever went to was Prince back during his first “comeback” tour in 2003ish.
Dan, Prince is on my list of people I would like to see live. In fact, he’s one of the few arena-type performers I’d go see anymore. I find that I like club shows so much more.
I tried doing this once. You seem to have been much more successful.
Were Sarah and Barenaked Ladies together in 98? I think that’s when I saw them together, but not sure. “The Holiday Hootenanny” If so, you can add Dishwalla to the list.
I won tix to that show on the radio at like 4am haha.
Sarah and BNL were separate shows. I saw Sarah at the MSU Auditorium. BNL I saw once at the Palace and twice at the Breslin, I think. I’m not much of a BNL fan, but my ex-girlfriend was and so is Jess, so I went.
I know there are some shows missing from here and I’m pretty sure some of the years are wrong, but I used my best guess. Oddly, the last 10 years seem like a total blur to me.
I mostly don’t like them either. My canned response was always,”If I had a $1m, I’d buy the rights to that song and destroy it.” I will say the put on a fun show, though. Another plus in their column? They do the BBT theme.
Ryan,
this is an awesome list…I once put together a list of the different artists I had seen (not counting seeing someone >once) and stopped at 104. It was great fun…and I remember (just like a smell on a summer’s day or something) having all these memories, unique to the concert or time of year the concert was, or the relationship I was in, or the amount of alcohol consumed (or not)….it was a lot of fun.