Last summers Radiohead concert. Thom York put on an amazing show. I honestly can’t think of one Radiohead song that I don’t like. I also caught Fleetwood Mac a couple of months ago. Stevie and her multiple costume changes (her outfits all gypsy-like) and the rest, they still sound good..

The most beautiful show I ever saw would be the cocteau twins in nyc long long ago……

Nina Simone at the Wiltern, 2000. I think many of us knew at that show she wasn’t going to be around much longer, and I relished being in her funny, odd, and amazing presence. She shuffled across the stage with a big fan, and squinted to get a good look at the audience. Once at the piano, she made some funny anecdotes, mumbled some things under her breath that couldn’t be understood – she was a little all over the place. However,the moment she whisked her hands across the piano keys and opened her mouth with that god-given voice pouring out – everything made sense. This old woman, her aged voice, and her piano. Stars lined up and it was all that we needed. I think we were all grateful to witness it.

Tori Amos made a one night appearance in Oakland for the third stop on her Sinful Attraction tour, and I was one of the many in attendance. It wasn’t the first time I had seen her, but it had been a while. Let me tell you, Tori is still in fine form. Wonderfully weird in her redhair flips and piano-stool straddles, she wowed the crowd with her improvisations and Britney Spears covers. There’s simply no denying this woman is talented.

I saw Andrew Bird this past spring at a tiny venue in Madrid, Spain. Only him, a sock monkey, and a spinning phonographic machine on stage, lit by soft orange lights. Halfway through, it started raining outside and apparently the lack of rain in Madrid meant they hadn’t soundproofed the roof, so you could hear the drops as he tuned his instruments. It was captivating and haunting.

Beautiful is the hard part here. Hmmm…

2nd or 3rd Coachella I was so happy with the grass and general outdoor atmosphere that I took off my shoes and spent the day barefoot. I obviously wasn’t able to squeeze in towards the front of a show, but as I stood from afar, I was able to appreciate the ‘letterbox’ band performances. There’s something to be said about keeping some distance from the stage.

Was this a post in October for a show on September?

I don’t want to enter, because I think the show already happened and I wouldn’t be able to make it anyway, but I do want to share some amazing acts in case anyone wants to check them out.

The 2 most “beautiful” shows that I’ve ever seen are hands down Antony and the Johnsons and Shakti.

The Shakti set involved the group sitting cross-legged on the stage and relaxed but their playing was inspired. Their tuning alone emotionally trumps almost any sound that I have ever heard.

Antony Hegarty’s voice has a similar quality. The senses are easily confused by the mismatch between the audio and the visuals source. It doesn’t make any sense that that voice comes out of his head or that the sounds could come from John Mclaughlan and Shakti’s strings.

What I loved the most about each of the performances was that emotional power, which felt universal. Whether or not you are a fan of the music or would want to bump it in your car, I still find it hard to believe that anyone wouldn’t experience something intangible and priceless during a live performance. It’s rare to have a room full of strangers involved in the same experience. That’s what churches shoot for but, generally, fail to accomplish