Rammstein. It's not even close. I've seen them half a dozen times at various venues, and it doesn't matter what the scale is, it's always the best show ever and I have seen a LOT of great live bands, including icons like NIN and Tool. The current stadium tour set up will go down as one of the best ever.

As a counterpoint to all the grand epic shows mentioned already, what blew me away was jpegmafia's concert. no pyrotechnics, no elaborate light shows, no huge band. Just a guy and his laptop, giving the strongest energy of any live show I've seen in a long while. He just pulls if from 0-100 in the first 10 seconds and then keeps it there until the end of the show.

Amazing performer!

Vulfpeck was amazing in concert. A lot of crowd/band interaction made it amazing. Hoping I can see them again soon but the closest and soonest is Bonnaroo which isn't really my environment. Wish I could have went to their Madison Square Garden show

I saw one of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ final shows in 2017, a few weeks before his passing, in the front row.

It was an experience like nothing else, the enthusiasm and energy of that show still stick with me. It revitalised my interest in the guitar and in rock, and to attending concerts altogether.

I’ve been to at least 9 concerts since—I attribute it to the magic I experienced there.

Beastie Boys and Seeed had a fantastic performance, but I have to admit that Skrillex was the best live concert I've been to. This guy has some presence and knows how to rock people for hours. And then he put an even wilder show in a club as an afterhour extra.

Beastie Boys was special though, they played a whole concert, then mixmaster Mike was doing his stuff for about 30-40 minutes before they came back with instruments and playing all their old hardcore stuff, with Sabotage as the final.

If you like metalcore, August Burns Red from Lancaster, PA puts on one hell of a metal show!

I came here to say Nine Inch Nails, and Manson is probably #3! I wish I could have seen him with Bowie :')

I have to say A Perfect Circle is up there for me, too- I saw them around 2003 and it was amazing!

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: Olympia, Montreal 2018
Absolutely phenomenal performance. These guys are true masters of their craft. How they are able to incorporate so many different ideas in such a unique way is never going to stop being a mystery to me. I'm just glad this band exists.

The Knife: Metropolis, Montreal 2014
This ended up being the last tour The Knife did as they announced their breakup shortly after I got to see them. They had remixed a bunch of their older songs to work within the context of their Shaking the Habitual sound. It was just like one giant performance art piece with the entire set-list choreographed and performed with the sole intention of getting people to shake and move and dance and feel.

The Mars Volta: The Phoenix, Toronto 2008
This was peak Volta to me. This was when I was listening to them daily still, and just loved absolutely all of their music to death. I remember Cedric taking one of the symbols off the drum kit, climbing up onto the monitors hanging from the ceiling like a monkey, and just going absolutely bananas. In the brief moments that they would actually stop between songs, he'd apologize that he's not going as wild as usual, because he's feeling a bit sick but would take a few sips of tea to help his throat out. Man there is no way I would have been able to tell this man was sick because he gave the performance everything he had.

There have been many other amazing shows that I've been to but these are the first ones that pop into my head whenever this gets brought up in conversation.

I’m gonna go with Slipknot, I saw them in 2006 & 2008 and they had insane energy. Not sure if they’re still as good as then with all the member changes, but they’ve always had the spot for best performance to me

Probably a band no one has heard of, but Neurosis around the Souls at Zero/Through Silver in Blood/Times of Grace albums put on absolutely mind-blowing shows.

More recently Rage Against the Machine really blew me away. Zach's energy was absolutely contagious despite being injured and unable to walk. Unforgettable.

Easily a band named This Heat. They're a proto-typical Noise Rock band, conventionally labeled as Post-Punk, from the late 70s..

John Peel of Peel Sessions claims they're like nothing he's ever heard*. They take themselves very seriously. Flawless execution of some pretty complex arrangements, even at the age of 70, when I saw them perform.. Their music is also super meaningful. Great political messaging, but subtle and ambiguous..

Fucking love them.

If I were to make a recommendation, Deceit* by them would be it. Their Peel Sessions is sweet if you like it a little noisier, and all of their stuff is honestly worth listening to.

Edit: *

All this NIN talk has my former teenage heart jumping! I tried desperately to find a way to see the Lights in the Sky tour, but my mother was not having it with a 14 year old going to see a band she did not agree with. Still haven't seen them live, but I've had the chance to go see other musicians since.

Alabama Shakes in an outdoor pavilion theater was amazing! Brittany has such a powerful voice and hearing her belt Hold On was euphoric! It was one of my first true concert experiences and it still gives me goosebumps thinking about it. There was limited theatrics and special effects, but I think that allowed for such a special experience of just enjoying the music as it is.

X Ambassadors honestly surprised me with their energy and their crowd interaction. It honestly felt like the crowd and band were feeding off each other's energy and it resulted in some wild antics. At one point the lead singer grabbed a drumstick and aided to banging the absolute dickens out of a cymbal with it during the ending of one of their songs. He then threw it out into the crowd which then dropped in a wave like manner to the ground searching for it. It was one of those caught in the moment incidents and I dropped into the crowd as well to try my luck. I couldn't see anything due to the crowd of bodies, but could feel a sea of hands all patting the ground searching. Somehow I felt it, grabbed it, and then rose up out of the crowd raising it up to the sky like Excalibur pulled from the stone with a cheer! It was like the whole crowd and band felt my excitement and the set continued with that high.

I still have that drumstick and it's all gnarled and dented from Sam whacking it. It's honestly one of the most unique items in my possession because of the amazing night tied to it and seeing the literal energy of that concert in its damage.

I'm a real sucker for musicians that leave everything on the stage. X Ambassadors (as @KneeFingers mentioned), The Avett Brothers, and Kevin Devine have been some of my favorite concerts. All very straightforward concerts, just a band playing music on a stage, but they all rocked. I saw Kevin when I was in high school in some tiny bar in Philly, and my god I have never seen a man sweat so much in my life. He went through like three shirts in an hour. He poured his heart and soul into that (and every) performance, and then hung out for a good hour afterward just talking to his fans.

Muse had an amazing show ~6 years ago. The effects and lighting was super cool and the atmosphere was incredible. The songs were played perfectly. The guitarist Chris played his super cool two neck-midi guitar and all instruments had fancy LED lights that were connected to the beat. It was a very good day.

It doesn't have to be all fancy. Another awesome concert was from While She Sleeps. I think I have never seen so much asses in the sky in my life. A lot of crowd surfers, but very friendly people overall.

Same goes with Parkway Drive. They always either play with fireworks or fancy light effects. I always had good times with my friends at their concerts.

One last thing that comes to mind is from Heaven Shall Burn. They started this huge circle pit around the whole infield. Literally taking two huge stages hostage. Super fun!

I’ve seen a decent amount of shows in my day. Best live performance was Ben Rector, hands down. Every song was amazingly well done, and super fun.

Saw Weezer and Foo Fighters once. Weezer were fantastic. Oddly enough, Foo Fighters (headlining) had a trash audio mix, which was disappointing.

John Mayer in a small dive bar with Norah Jones before he became a household name was great too.

Mastodon. They’re not the best at crowd interaction, they more just show up, melt faces, leave. But damn is it a fun show. Every time watching them has been a blast.

For pure spectacle, Flaming Lips at festivals puts on a visually stunning show. Everything from balloons and confetti, to smoke machines and giant laser hands, and Wayne Coyne rolling out of a giant vagina inside an inflatable ball. Just tons of fun. I lean heavily towards smaller venues shows as well so one show I'll never forget seeing Sunbather-era Deafheaven in a room of a hundred people. Incredibly intense and I felt like an animal being hunted down by a predator. Just wild. Finally, hip hop shows tend to be hit (RTJ) or miss (Stalley, Vince Staples) but the best one I've ever seen was Acid Rap/3 era Chance when he had his entire band running around with him. Just a dude having a ton of fun after working so hard for success.

I’ve seen the Foo Fighters 3 times, once at the Boston Garden, once at Fenway, and just recently up in NH. They’ve put in an incredible show every time. At the Garden and Fenway, they played 3+ hour shows and didn’t care much for the curfew. Dave just puts his all into his shows and will play as many songs as he can.

Superorganism, hands down. You couldn't tell by listening to their recorded tracks, but goddamn they rock. There was at least three mosh pits at there show, and I wasn't expecting that.

2003 Give me Ed Til I'm dead tour. Motorhead opened for DIO, who then opened for Iron Maiden. I'm not big on Motorhead but Dio and Maiden were amazing.

2008 Bank of America Pavilion. Water front in Massachusetts. Dream Theater. Masters of progressive metal. Mike Portnoy was nothing shy of magical to watch. The entire band is perfection.

I saw Dream Theater this weekend! They played in Austin with Devin Townsend and Animals as Leaders. Devin live is incredible, and the encore of The Spirit Carries On with Dream Theater, Devin, and Tosin was a real crowd pleaser. Some of the absolute finest in prog metal in my opinion.

I can agree that NiN puts on incredible shows, my personal favorite shows of theirs that I went to was for the tour right after The Fragile released. I am having a hard time pinning down the best shows that I have seen, most bands don't give a live show that out does the studio albums to my ears. The only one that pops out in my Mind was the KMFDM Symbols tour with Pig (early 97 I think). Both Pig and KMFDM just knocked it out of the park and blew me away. That show also had the wildest mosh pits I have ever seen, and I was constantly going to metal and industrial shows .

Though not for the musical performance, but I also would give a shout out to shows by shock acts like Gwar and Genitorturers as their shows were incredibly entertaining and wild experiences (I rarely missed them when they were in town).

The only 2 big concerts I've been to...

• Jimmy Buffett back during his License to Chill tour in 2004. It truly was a huge beach party, beach balls just being hit around the crowds, people in full costumes, tons of interaction from the crowd, clouds of pot everywhere.

• Elton John Farewell Yellow Brick Road, post-covid. Not as interactive but still a great show with amazing visuals around the stage. Glad I got to see it before he fully retired

This jamband from Philly called The Disco Biscuits, their shows are a mix between a rock concert and rave and with the right performance enhancers the shows can be quite the experience.

A few come to mind:

Title Fight at The Masquerade in Atlanta, date unknown, probably 2012 or 2013. Believe I was there to see another band and I was just blown away by the energy of the band and the crowd.

Into It. Over It. at Vinyl in Atlanta, date unknown. I’ve been a big fan of Evan Weiss for a long time and this show was just emotional af. Midnight: Carroll Street with a long outro that just rocked my world.

Gov’t Mule, Roxy Theatre in Atlanta, 2/27/1998. Record release party where they played all of their album Dose followed by a set with a bunch of guests. One of the last songs was a cover of I Shall Be Released with a solo by a young Derek Trucks that literally brought me to tears.

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Red Rocks, 2018. First time at Red Rocks. Just an incredible place to see a show. He played two of my favorite Drive By Truckers songs, Decoration Day and Never Gonna Change. Got to enjoy this show with my wife. We don’t enjoy much of the same music.

Edit for worst show I’ve ever seen:

Taking Back Sunday, Exit/In Nashville, 2016. They played their entire new record that was frankly awful. You’re TBS in 2016, everyone is there to hear the hits. I’ve never seen such a disinterested, bummed out crowd. They eventually did play some of their classics, but by that point I felt like I’d been held hostage for 90 minutes. Bright spot was seeing You Blew It! open.

Metallica for sure. I've seen them live three times and each time has been better than the previous. They put on such good performances and it'll be a sad day when they stop touring.

Immortal / Abbath in terms of pure fun lol

Behemoth in regards to theatrics and on-stage performance, very atmospheric

Carcass probably takes the mantle as being the best live-band I've seen, playing pretty much flawlessly

Amon Amarth and Cannibal Corpse deliver a solid show every single time, I've seen both about 5 times and they are just super consistent bands so they get an honorable mention

Deafheaven is probably my overall best experience ever however. The emotion and musical skill from them was incredible - close second was a concert where Behemoth and Amon Amarth was on a co-headliner tour which is an unbelievable line-up

GWAR on new years 1999 was an insane time.

The Bad Plus was a very intense experience, back with the original trio.

I once watched The Locust absolutely destroy a tiny weeknight show. It was like hell opened up in that little venue.

Someone already said The Mars Volta, but I was lucky enough to see them on that first tour for "Deloused in the Comatorium." They opened for A Perfect Circle, and absolutely blew them off the stage. It was almost sad watching APC after that. Not even in the same class.

Weird Al was a super fun concert! I saw him while he was touring for his Running With Scissors album. It was cold and drizzly, but he still put on a hell of a show. Several costume changes, lots of energy, and even some pretty impressive high kicks. He really worked to get the crowd into it, and it was totally worth suffering in the rain. I think a lot of people didn't show up due to the weather, but it felt like Weird Al put on an even better show because of the challenge. I'm so glad we didn't cancel our plans. Definitely go see him if you get the chance.

I’ve seen Peelander Z four or five times now. They put on an interactive live show that has an energy I haven’t experienced anywhere else.

The only equivalent I can think of is that it’s like seeing a midnight showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show. People who’ve seen them know all of the interactive parts and get super into it. It’s a blast.

Back then Calexico. Around 2001. Very intimate club. ~800 people. The set opened with just guitar and drums and took a psychedelic turn until at the end the stage was fully packed including some Mariachi. Awesome experience. Looking forward seeing them again in October.

On the big stage, Neil Young and Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Maybe not a huge show, but awesome energy and raw power.

Blur at Nuits de Fourvière in Lyon France. It was awesome - very good set list - and the atmosphere was perfect. Nuits de Fourvière take place in the ancient Roman theater of Lyon. Artists come on scene as the sun is setting and rock you into the night. It ended up in a huge "pillow" fight (seat pillow are offered for seating in the theater) that I still remember vividly (it was in 2009 I think)

Juan Gabriel put on awesome tours before his passing. You could tell he gave 100% to ensure the audience was engaged and got there monies worth.

U2 - 2017 30th Anniversary The Joshua Tree tour definitely stands out - as Bullet the Blue Sky started, this strong gust of wind came on during an otherwise hot summer evening. Gave me absolute chills.

Arcade Fire - 2014 Reflektor tour. Not only did they sound great, but they put on SUCH a visual show/performance

Mumford and Sons - 2016 Wilder Mind. First time I ever saw a show at SPAC, and was so blown away by it that they've become the comparative measuring stick for whenever I see someone else performing there

Live on their Throwing Copper tour in like 94 was incredible. And, you're not going to believe this, but MC Hammer also in the mid-90s. I've never seen a performer work so hard. The man knows how to put on a show and was not afraid to sweat for it.

Melvins, always the best show. Seen them more times than any other band, at least 3 dozen times.

Acid Mothers Temple, every concert they do something I have never seen anywhere else.

Phish’s Haunted House set on Halloween 14 probably takes the cake for me. I don’t know that I’ve ever been as uncertain what in the hell was happening, but it was pure magic.

I’ll also shout out Taj Mahal at Locken in 2014.

Could probably also conjure up a half dozen transformative Phil Lesh shows if required as well :p

Trans-Siberian Orchestra, particularly Christmas Eve & Other Stories. Came to the show expecting decent music but not much else in a family-ish setting. When the 20 foot flaming pyrotechnics hit and I felt the wave of heat up on the balcony seats I was enraptured (can't conceive of what it was like on the floor), and the progression and feeling in the music was very genuine.

The King Diamond show when they played the entirety of the Abigail album about 6 or 7 years ago was so, so good. Also I saw Mercyful Fate last fall in Denver. It's crazy how much the King has still got it.

I saw Celtic Frost two nights in a row when they toured the US for the Monotheist album. It was a purely spiritual experience.

The most recent Cure show was exceptional, but the one I saw about 5 years ago was even more impressive.

Bjork in Seattle back in '02 or so was otherworldly.

In Solitude and Tribulation in 2013 both killed it so hard that night. I'm so glad I got to see In Solitude before they called it quits.

So far this year Elder/Howling Giant has been the best show. Last year or the one before, time blurs for me, Baroness played a fans picks the setlist tour that was absolute fire, Eula was transcendent.
Melvins with big business were the better shows that I was able to see, wish I would have gotten to see some of the shows just before that era, like the Lustmord collab they played at an art gallery and we were told it was sold out with like 50 ppl inside.
Smashing Pumpkins, Marilyn Manson, Mastodon, Portugal. the Man, Excision, Tool, Les Claypool, Green Jelly all played very memorable shows.
There are a lot of bands I feel like you need to catch on certain tours when they play certain songs, an example for me is Boris, I missed like a decade of shows from them during albums I liked because of money, distance or work interference and when I finally did see them they played the entire recent album I barely liked and ended with 3 songs from Pink that were absolutely top notch. They are touring with Melvins a little later this year and the album they are playing is better but still not even one of my top 5 of theirs.

311 - Madison, WI September 2001 was a pretty energetic performance.

Largely unheard of by mainstream American listeners but I felt like Steven Wilson - Milwaukee, WI 2018 in his To The Bone tour was a great show. Even played a little Porcupine Tree.

I tend to enjoy smaller shows. The most recent was Lawrence as an opener for Jacob Collier. They’re just a ton of fun to listen to and watch. It was an outdoor venue, the lawn/GA ticket was about $54 after taxes. I felt like I got my money’s worth before the main act went on. Really looking forward to seeing them again on their next album tour. (Collier was wholly uninteresting to me; way too manic and wacky.)

I also have a fond memory of watching The Suffers in a basement in El Paso in 2019. It was just a really cool vibe.

Honorable mention goes to Pentatonix, 2016, at the Pan Am in Las Cruces, NM. Acoustically a terrible venue. But they really made the most of it. Their encore in particular is seared in my memory. They told the audience to be very quiet because they were going to do a song with no amplification. Standing around one Edison bulb, they sang “Light in the Hallway”—basically a lullaby. Totally surreal moment.

(I have Matchbox Twenty tickets for next month; I really hope that show makes this list.)

ZZ Top peaks on my list. They played so tight and their sound is big for a three piece. I am glad I got to see them before Dusty passed. I'm a guitarist heavily influenced by Billy Gibbons so that was a treat. Too many bands I've missed out on, now.

Seen The Sword three times and the show isn't flashy, but once was opening for Metallica & Lamb of God in '08, so additional points. Second time they had Big Business and O' Brother open for them, and the third time just as a solo show in a local venue, and Stoner/Doom shows just fucking bang.

Weird Al was such fun. Huge energy, lots of fun stuff between songs with many costume changes. Vibes like mad.

Seen Metallica a few times and they play really well still.

Honorable mention: an AC/DC cover band called High Voltage, I believe. They do mostly Bon Scott era songs and they kill it, as silly as it sounds.

I've seen The Dillinger Escape Plan a handful of times, they always put on an amazing show, and called it quits while they were still peaking. I saw them in Copenhagen on their final European Tour in 2017. It was simply amazing. Musically Dillinger were almost flawless too, which is impressive with how wild and energetic their shows were. However, I think Fantomas and Mr Bungle were probably better musically, but they weren't running around on stage, doing acrobatics quite as much as DEP.

Courtney Barnett, by far and away. I saw her in 2018 right before her album Tell Me How you Really Feel Came Out. It's hard to explain how transcendent the concert was. She strutted around like an amalgamation of David Bowie, Julian Casablancas, and Jimmy Paige. It was electric, it was heavy, it was sweaty. I loved it. I listened to the record after it came out and it doesn't stack up at all. Normally I really don't like live albums but I would shell out some real money for a copy of that show's audio.

Tame Impala and NIN round out some of the best live shows I've ever seen.

The Melvins came through my city last October or so and tore it up. Didn't expect them to sound that much heavier live.

In my opinion, the most outstanding live performance I have ever attended was by LCD Soundsystem just before their initial breakup, approximately ten years ago. Interestingly, the concert is available in their film, Shut Up and Play the Hits. The group was truly exceptional during This is Happening, and I was completely blown away by the experience. James and the gang were on top of their game and delivered an unforgettable performances.

I saw Sabaton with Babymetal and Lordi supporting not too long ago, and I was blown away by the theatricality of Sabaton's set. They have an honest to god tank on the stage, that periodically blasted pyro into the air. They did a two-part song about the development of poison gas during WWI, followed by a song about its use. The first song they had an actor on stage in front of a chalkboard with a great scientific contraption next to him, as he "figured out" the formula to win the war. The song ends and the machine starts pumping out smoke, and the band disappear for a minute. They all come back on stage in gas masks and launch into the next song, where the singer is holding what looks like a flamethrower, pumping more and more smoke out onto the stage. It was unbelievably cool, and it'll stay with me for a long time.

Iron Maiden also have a delightfully silly show. I last saw them on the Legacy of the Beast tour in 2019, and they were astonishingly good. A model spitfire opened the set, there were costume changes, the singer had genuine dual flamethrowers for one song, the inevitable Eddie walks on stage and has a fight with one of the guitarists, a giant demon appears at the back during number of the beast, epic amounts of pyrotechnics during Run To The Hills... They're my favourite band, so it colours my opinion somewhat, but I have never seen them put on a bad show. I've got tickets to see them next week and I could not be more excited (no spoilers for the set please, I've managed to remain pure)!

Everything Everything. If you have not heard of them, check ‘em out. They’re fantastic. They’re a really unique English art rock band.

Between The Buried and Me has an incredible live show. Progressive metal at its height. They make it look easy.

Animals As Leaders absolutely slaps. Super technical progressive metal instrumental.

The Contortionist is a journey from start to finish. Also progressive metal.

Everything Everything has to take it for me. They are worth exploring if you’ve never heard them.

I got to a lot of shows, and most of the best were in smaller clubs, theaters or festival stages. Big stadium shows can be fun too, I guess, but I find that the intimacy of a small stage and a small audience allows a lot more freedom. (Speaking as both a concert patron and performer.)

Anyway, here's my short list of my most memorable shows. Unfortunately I don't have time to tell the full stories of these nights, but take it from me, they were each magical in their own way.

• Brad Mehldau Trio at Small's, summer '95 (with Roy Hargrove and Pevin Everett sitting in)
• Maceo Parker at 7 Willow Street, Portchester, NY December '93 (with Fred Wesley)
• The Wild Magnolias at the Funky Butt, New Orleans, Jazzfest '98
• Bootsy Collins (with Bernie Worrell, Blackbird McKnight, etc.) at BB King's, NYC summer 2011
• Buddy Guy at New Orleans Jazzfest, 2015
• The Meters, Nokia Theater NYC 2006
• Chick Corea Quartet, Binghamton NY, Feb. 1995
• Hermeto Pascoal at Pioneer Works (5/25) and LPR (5/26), NYC 2023
• P-Funk All Stars w/Bootsy Collins, De La Soul, etc., Central Park July 4, 1996
• Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings at the Apollo Theater, NYC (several times)
• King Crimson, Beacon Theater NYC 2017
• Living Colour, AfroPunk Festival NYC 2018 (30th anniversary performance of Vivid)
• Mingus Big Band, Time Cafe NYC (saw them several times throughout the '90s when the band was still loaded with Mingus alumni)
• Donny McCaslin Quartet ("the Blackstar band"), Village Vanguard NYC 2019
• Iggy & The Stooges, LPR NYC 2013 (with Mike Watt on bass)

Of the stadium shows, these were the most memorable:

• Metallica / Guns N Roses / Faith No More - Giants Stadium, 1993
• Temple of the Dog, MSG 2016
• Roger Waters, Nassau Coliseum, 2017

Rush.

RIP Neil Peart

There are a few that stand out as being exceptional...

Prince and the Revolution - Saw them in the late 80s. Simply spectacular. When people talk about a person having an aura, I remember this concert. Prince had an otherworldly presence on stage.

Metallica - Seen them a few times, but their show for the Damaged Justice tour was unbelievable. And Justice for All... had just been released and their live performances of those songs were incredible.

Sting - Saw him with the Police and solo. Both were great performances, but his solo show was next level. His engagement with the audience was what put that show on this list. Felt like we were all over in his backyard...just jamming together.

Neutral Milk Hotel - I saw them in 2014 and it was such an amazing experience. For one, I saw them perform in a smaller, more intimate, venue (Royal Oak Music Theater). Being able to see all of the different instruments used to perform their album ‘In the Aeroplane Over the Sea” was so cool. Everyone at the show were there because they loved the band and every song was sung by everyone in the crowd. I really hope they go on tour again. I would see them again in a heartbeat.

GWAR by a country mile. The props and the way everyone gets covered with fake blood. The music is great but my god the show is incredible, especially in smaller venues. I only wish I could have seen them when Oderus was still alive.

Streetlight Manifesto.

seen them a dozen times, at least, and every show is top tier. never the same thing twice, so always worth seeing again.

A lot of great shouts in the thread already. Sunn O))) is a band I’d recommend anyone see. It’s a visceral but meditative experience. I’ve brought several non-metal heads and each have described it as a calming and cathartic experience.