93 Concerts and Counting

Tool, Coachella 2006

Since November 1, 1997 I have been to 93 concerts. Well, 91 confirmed shows, but I'm pretty sure it's 93. As my addition with Google Spreadsheets continues, I finally was able to complete a record of every major concert I've been to. It includes 60 different bands, but excludes local bands like those without a label and studio albums (too hard to keep track of those). Want to know who I've seen the most? What venues? How many times I've seen Steven Seagal? Find out after the jump!

I sure am glad that I saved most of my ticket stubs, otherwise all this would not have been possible. That and a lot of OCD-type behavior looking online for exact dates and venues of concerts that happened years ago.

The List: Ten, Six, Four, and Three

Starting out with the big ones.

Tool

• Wiltern, 8/14/01
• Irvine Meadows, 11/1/01
• The Forum, 7/15/02
• Cox Arena, 11/21/02
• Coachella 2006, 4/30/06
• Street Scene, 8/5/06
• Staples Center, 9/7/06
• Nokia Theater, 12/10/07
• KROQ Epicenter, 8/22/09
• Nokia Theater, 7/19/10

Ten times. Each show is kick-ass.

Nine Inch Nails

• Duck Pond, 6/6/00
• Coachella 2005, 5/1/05
• Soma, 5/31/05
• Hollywood Bowl, 10/1/05
• ?
• The Forum, 9/6/08

NIN, Coachella 2005

This is one of the bands that I cannot find evidence of seeing a certain concert. I'm pretty sure I've seen NIN six times, but I can't get conclusive proof. What's disturbing is the NIN wikia only confirms these five so maybe I am wrong....

Pink Floyd

• David Gilmour, Rick Wright: Kodak Theatre, 4/19/06
• Roger Waters, Nick Mason: Hollywood Bowl, 10/5/06
• Roger Waters, Nick Mason: Hollywood Bowl, 6/13/07
• Roger Waters: Staples Center, 11/29/10

So yes, I have technically seen all of Pink Floyd. Except Syd.

A Perfect Circle

• Santa Barbara, 10/29/99
• Duck Pond, 6/6/00
• Warfield, 9/6/00
• Universal Amphitheatre, 6/5/04

The first show in Santa Barbara was at some small stage, which I can't remember the name. I think it was part of UCSB.

Disturbed

• Palladium, 4/18/01
• Olympic Auditorium, 9/17/02
• ?

The other mystery concert. I know I've seen them three times, but it's hard to get records of shows online.

Megadeth

• The Forum, 4/25/07
• The Grove, 9/12/07
• Long Beach Arena, 5/21/08

Dave Mustaine. That's all you need to know.

The List: Twice

The following bands I've seen twice:

• Alice in Chains: Wiltern, 11/28/06; Fairplex, 8/22/09
• Autolux: Coachella 2005, El Rey, 2/1/08
• Bush: Santa Barbara Bowl, 4/29/00; Universal Amphitheatre, 4/3/02
• Chris Cornell: Home Depot Center, 9/15/07; Irvine Meadows, 8/10/08
• DJ Z-Trip: El Rey, 12/13/02, Coachella 2005
• Foo Fighters: Henry J. Kaiser, 11/1/97; Home Depot Center, 9/15/07
• Godsmack: Irvine Meadows, 9/30/06; Wiltern, 7/31/07
• Revolve: Whiskey or Roxy or Key Club sometime in 2004; Good Hurt, 2/24/05
• Stone Temple Pilots: Shoreline, 9/9/00; Hollywood Bowl, 6/24/08

Coachella 2005

Note that the Foo Fighters in '97 was my first concert. Also, I'm not sure where Revolve played, but I remember they were somewhere on the Sunset Strip.

The List: Only Once

• Alter Bridge: House of Blues - Anaheim, 4/12/05
• Antony & the Johnsons: Barnsdall, 3/2/05
• Apex Theory: Key Club, 10/1/04
• Ashes Divide: Irvine Meadows, 8/10/08
• Avenged Sevenfold: Universal Amphitheatre, 12/10/05
• Beck: Wilshire Theater, 10/25/00
• Chevelle: House of Blues - LA, 10/30/07
• Coldplay: Hollywood Bowl, 6/2/03
• Default: House of Blues - LA, 4/21/02
• Deftones: Universal Amphitheatre, 6/28/07
• Depeche Mode: Coors Amphitheatre, 8/11/01
• Fear Factory: House of Blues - LA, 11/30/05
• Genesis: Hollywood Bowl, 10/12/07
• Heaven and Hell: The Forum, 4/25/07
• Ice Cube + WC: House of Blues - Anaheim, 4/20/07
• Kraftwerk: Greek Theatre, 6/6/05
• Linkin Park: Fairplex, 8/22/09
• Marilyn Manson: Wiltern, 2/23/08
• Massive Attack: Coachella 2006, 4/30/06
• Moby: Santa Barbara Bowl, 4/29/00
• Mudvayne: Palladium, 4/18/01
• New Order: Coachella 2005, 5/1/05
• Nothing Face: Palladium, 4/18/01
• Orbital: The Palace, 10/25/01
• Ozomatli: Ackerman Grand Ballroom, 2/17/01
• Ozzy Osbourne: Glen Helen, 6/8/06
• Phil Collins: Staples Center, 8/31/04
• Placebo: Coachella 2007, 4/29/07
• Porcupine Tree: Wilshire Theater, 6/10/05
• Rage Against the Machine: Coachella 2007, 4/29/07
• Red Hot Chili Peppers: Shoreline, 9/9/00
• Rob Zombie: Irvine Meadows, 9/30/06
• Robert Fripp: Wilshire Theater, 6/10/05
• Seven Mary Three: Key Club, 10/2/04
• Silverchair: Wiltern, 7/14/07
• Sleepytime Gorilla Museum: Echo, 2/19/05
• Smashing Pumpkins: Home Depot Center, 9/15/07
• Steve Miller Band: Shoreline, 7/7/00
• Steven Seagal: El Rey, 5/31/06
• Submersed: House of Blues - Anaheim, 4/12/05
• System of a Down: Universal Amphitheatre, 12/10/05
• The Prodigy: Coachella 2005, 5/1/05
• Velvet Revolver: Wiltern, 2/6/08
• Wolfmother: Palladium, 9/28/06
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Coachella 2006, 4/30/06

Yes, Steven Seagal can play guitar. Yes, he has his own band. And yes, I saw him.

The Rage Against the Machine show at Coachella was ridiculous, since it was the first time they played since their first hiatus. It looked like one of those crazy European concerts you see footage from where there are thousands of people in attendance.

Best Show

Considering my current top three bands are Tool, Nine Inch Nails, and Pink Floyd, I have three concerts that rank among the best.

Tool on August 14, 2001 at the Wiltern was an amazing show because of several reasons. It was my first Tool concert so I was really stoked to finally be able to see them, especially after they released Lateralus. There was much panic and heart-stopping moments before the band even started due to some ticket fraud and interactions with shady scalpers. It cost me a lot to finally get in, but it was totally worth it.

You can't go wrong at a Nine Inch Nails concert because Trent Reznor doesn't mess around. Like Tool, the entire experience including visuals will blow your mind. What made the show at Soma in San Diego special was the venue: that place is small. So small that I was able to get pretty damn close to the stage where Aaron North was flailing about. It cost me a lot of sleep and gas to drive down and back to San Diego on a weeknight, but it was totally worth it.

David Gilmour

Pink Floyd does not exist as it did in it's classic lineup with Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason, and Rick Wright. Even if Waters and Gilmour looked beyond their egos and put away their differences, Wright recently passed away in 2008, making it impossible for a true reunion. Nevertheless, the two main men still tour once in a while to give the world a taste of what it was like. My most recent Pink Floyd concert was Roger Waters' The Wall just this past November. Like I said previously, the performance was epic.

Worst Show

Silverchair. They really changed their sound in a bad way. I can understand how bands progress and change throughout their career, but Silverchair really took a turn for the worse. They went from classic grunge-style hard rock to high-pitched ballads in the blink of an eye. Admittedly I didn't listen to Diorama but did hear the horror of Straight Lines from their Young Modern album. I heard it on the radio and then I heard the wallowing live at the Wiltern along with some other newer songs that really did not rock at all. They got soft. Big time.

I suppose it just so happened that all the songs they played live were the most ballad-esque or soft from the past two albums. Maybe I should give them the benefit of the doubt and actually give Diorama and Young Modern a full listen. Maybe.

Wants and Dreams

What bands are curiously absent from my list? Who do I desparately need to see before I die?

Rammstein

Yes. Rumors have it that these bad-asses will finally tour the U.S. later this year. I hope.

Metallica

This dream will come during The Big 4 Festival on April 23, 2011. Looking at footage from the European shows looks absolutely stupid-awesome. I mean, how can you not want to bang your head when you see all members of the bands on stage playing at the same time???

Mustaine and Hetfield, 1983

Radiohead

Unlike Silverchair, Radiohead has evolved their musical style in a good way. Though currently alusive in live performances, I'm holding out for that one day when they return to a small venue in LA.

Up Next

Aside from the ridiculous Anthrax/Megadeth/Slayer/Metallica show in April, I think I'm going to relive the late nineties by seeing Marcy Playground February 1 at the Whiskey. So that means I will be up 98 before half of 2011 is up, which is a good pace to break the 100 mark sometime this year.

Other potential concerts include Johnny Winter and Rush.