My Top "I-Was-There" Moments

One of my favorite things about going to shows is reliving them afterward through bootlegs and YouTube videos. Here are some of my favorite moments from shows where it just baffles me that I was there and saw these moments live and in person.

Motorhead - "The Game" (April 1, 2001)



This is a horrible performance because Lemmy forgets all the lyrics, but it's fucking Motorhead! This was the first time I had ever seen a band perform live. I was nine years old at the time and Motorhead did kick my ass. It was one of the founding moments of my love of live music, strangely enough happening at a wrestling event!

Metallica - "Blackened" (November 16, 2004)



The first time I ever saw a band live at a real concert and what a way to open a show! "Blackened" is a total classic from my favorite Metallica album, ...And Justice for All. Hetfield's voice is trashed here, but it was still amazing for me to experience as my first real concert experience.

Heaven and Hell (May 2, 2007)

Back when this show happened, there were tons of videos from it on YouTube, but they've all since been removed. Thanks, Warner Music Group. Anyway, I mention it anyway because it was a very important show for me. For one thing, Black Sabbath was my first favorite band and I will always love them. Second, it was the reunion of Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio, which was a major event. Third, it was the second to last time Dio and Black Sabbath played in Houston before Dio died. So it was a pretty big deal and it disappoints me that I can't see videos of it on YouTube anymore.

Down (November 13, 2007)

Likewise, there's no videos from this one on YouTube anymore. I mention it because it was another important show for me. It was the first time I went to a show at a smaller venue than a stadium. I instantly realized how much more fun it was and I've had a stance against stadium shows ever since, unless the band is just absolutely too big to play anywhere else.

The Mars Volta - "Cygnus... Vismund Cygnus" (April 14, 2008)



This was a big one for me because it was the first time I got to see my favorite band live. I've seen them do better shows than this one, but nothing will match the experience of the first time seeing the Volta. In my opinion, they're the greatest live band on earth and I will follow them anywhere. I post this video because it may be the craziest I've ever seen Cedric and it was pretty significant at the time, being that Cedric flipped out at a guy with a Jon Theodore poster and cussed him out. "IF YOU MISS JON SO MUCH, WHY DON'T YOU GO TO CALIFORNIA AND SUCK HIS FUCKIN' DICK, BRO?"

Roger Waters - "Sheep" (May 4, 2008)



Pink Floyd was a band I loved even before Black Sabbath, even before I knew who Pink Floyd really were. They'll always be one of my favorites and one of the greatest bands of all time. Seeing Roger Waters doing their classics was insane and this was one of the greatest moments: when he busted out the pig. It's covered in pro-Obama, anti-Bush graffiti, which made me even happier to see.

Iron Maiden - "Hallowed Be Thy Name" (May 22, 2008)



This entire concert was crazy, doing all those classics that they never play for this tour only, and I almost posted a more obscure song like "Moonchild" or "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" just because they busted out those awesome deep cuts, but this is one of their greatest songs and the perfect way to close things out.

The Mars Volta - "Goliath" (September 26, 2008)



This was the second time I saw the Volta, after waiting all day at Austin City Limits for it. This is, in my opinion, one of the greatest jams they've ever done. I wish there was a real bootleg of it, but I still play this YouTube video all the time.

Morrissey - "How Soon is Now?" (April 11, 2009)



Morrissey is one of my heroes. During this song, he gave a speech about the meaning of the song and essentially warned against being like the person in the song. It really impacted me in a big way and I've lived my life with that in mind ever since.

I'll continue this article tomorrow with concerts throughout the rest of 2009 and in 2010.