I never miss a chance to see Fishbone live. I've seen them about 30 times and they never disappoint.

Other faves: the Hold Steady, Prince, Elvis Costello, eels, They Might Be Giants.

I love Sloan and have been to a few of their concerts...but for a lot of reasons they just don't put on a good show in the US. They feed off the crowd and tend to shut down a little if the crowd isn't responding. As another poster said, in Canada the crowd often sings along with them, which they seem to enjoy a lot.

My pick for concert you need to see from the Canadian indie scene: The Joel Plaskett Emergency. Totally unknown outside Canada but Plaskett is an outstanding musician who's not afraid to diverge from the script, with interesting results. At a concert I went to in Toronto, he took a break from the main set to play a mini-acoustic set of "songs my friends wrote". "I wish I'd written that!" he said after one tune. You just don't get that in stadium rock....

I turned 51 years old yesterday,but I still love music of all kinds.However,I wouldn't be caught dead at a stadium/arena show these days.Aside from the outrageous ticket prices,there are VERY few "big ticket" acts I'd even bother with if the show was free.I agree with several others who've mentioned concertgoers BEHAVIOUR as well.I don't mind the pot smoke,but the obnoxious screaming (and,God help us..."singing" along) are too much to bear.

That said,there are still GREAT artists who regularly appear at smaller,intimate venues for reasonable ticket prices,especailly,as others have noted,the amazing Richard Thompson and Dave Alvin,Lucinda Williams,etc. As for TRULY GREAT CONCERTS,here's my list,in no particular order,(years maybe incorrect... due to consumption of various illegal substances):

JAMES BROWN,1970

ELVIS PRESLEY,1966 ( Iwas only 10 but I remember it well)

ZZ TOP: several times in the 70's,(PRE "LEGS" when they were still the greatest blues/rock band around)

THE WHO:Quadrophenia tour-70s

LED ZEPPELIN:Houses of the Holy era

PRINCE : Last night of the Purple Rain tour at the LA Coliseum,an amazing display of true talent at it's peak.I also saw him several times prior to that at small LA clubs circa "Dirty Mind"/Controversy.

Shows with dates I can't begin to remember,in the 70's which were nonetheless incredible: FRANK ZAPPA,WISHBONE ASH,THE STRAWBS,YES,KISS,ALICE COOPER,T REX,THE ALLMAN BROTHERS,ELTON JOHN,ITS A BEAUTIFUL DAY,HUMBLE PIE,DR.JOHN,BB.KING..... there are quite a few more but those come most readily to mind.I'm thankful to have lived through an amazing period of musical history.I fear there will never be one quite as influential again.

Yo La Tengo: unless James McNew gets a little too noisy. I love their chemistry, professionalism, and experimentalism (when it's good).

DeVotchKa: This group is more than just the soundtrack to Little Miss Sunshine. Talented musicians who exibit real passion with a touch of humor.

Hot IQs: 3-piece band with huge appeal, big energy, and the sexiest female drummer I've ever seen (plus she rocks). If there's justice, this band will be huge.

Luna: Unfortunately they've disbanded, but probably the best live band I've ever seen.

John Vanderslice: It is immediately apparent that John and his band have an incredible work ethic and are devoted to the practice room.

Rules for going to see bands: 1)never expect a good show in an arena, stadium, or other venue that holds more than a few hundred peopple. 2)go with friends who like the band or live music in general. Never drag along someone who's not interested. You'll just feel uncomfortable. 3)Drink. It's rock n' roll for god's sake.

I was simply blown away when I finally got to see Bjork perform live for the Volta tour recently... a 10-piece brass band is nothing to sneeze at, they filled in admirably on the songs that were originally recorded with strings.

Of course the venue could have had a lot to do with it: outdoors in Burnaby BC Canada (I drove up from Seattle), not hot, not cold, not windy or rainy, and show ended by 9:30 pm.

At some points it felt like being inside a dance club or rave, even though it was in this huge outdoor amphitheater, which was pretty amazing to me. Probably the most enjoyable concert experience I've ever had, and well worth the drive 3+ hours each way to see it.

One of the survivors of the mid-90s retread of the ska movement (the terrifying third wave), the Aquabats dress up like superheroes, act it out on stage, have video presentations they clearly made themselves projected behind them, and get in fights with costumed villians, all between pumping out some of the most energetic rocking music I can remember in my life. I had almost forgotten my high-school infatuation with being a Bat Cadet when my little sister, having found an album in my old closet, asked me to take her to a concert. They're still the best, and I'd recommend them in a heartbeat to anyone that can survive a crowd that roars and moves like a dangerous sea.

my friends and I have some very important rules about how to remain cool at a concert:

1) do not listen to the band in question on the drive to the show. you will get your fill.

2) never wear the band's shirt to the show. no matter how much you love the band, you are too cool for them. but always wear a band shirt.

3) always stand in the front. if there is a mosh pit, stand near it or dive in. violence = fun.

Actually that last rule was tested for me last night. I went to see this emo/punk band called Bayside (they aren't ver good, but I had nothing to do). The pit was mostly full of moshers but also contained a contingent of hardcore dancers. If you are unfamiliar with contemporary punk rock, moshers are people who run around in circles and crash into eachother at high speed, whereas hardcore kids basically do high speed capoeira. These groups do not go together well. The hardcore dancers made the pit a deathly dangerous place My friend who was in the pit said he got roundhouse kicked in the back. I got thrown into a the corner of a piller. Eventually tensions between the harcore kids and the moshers came to a head, egged on by overeager security. a fight broke out, blood was spilt, cops were called. but I suppose that's how a punk show should work.