Most powerful live show

the most intense on spiritual level (barf ;-)) is undeniably Sigur Rós

I can't imagine myself ever buying one of their albums, but it was one of the great wonders of my life.

sean gramophone OTM for Flaming Lips

mr josh OTM for Arcade Fire

I'll add Kitchens of Distinction every time I saw them. Made me feel like I was levitating. Stupendous.

The first time I saw Low live the had an almost absurd intensity, which subsequent gigs have confirmed.

And break out the Hatorade, because Broken Social Scene left me mouth agape on the one occasion I've been lucky enough to see them.

http://www.metalyou.com/img/history/rides_bio.jpg

EMOTIONALLY powerful, I second Sigur Ros. Again and again. Can't wait to see them on this current tour.

In a club, it's Sleater-Kinney.

-- nickalicious (nza2342...), October 31st, 2003.

808 State and Meat Beat Manifesto at the Roxy, 1993. I'd never gone dancing or really stayed out all night like that before. It was damn loud, and those lights...

Merzbow/Masona, Funtjars Gallery/Pieta (above Speak In Tounges), Cleveland 1995 or so.

The Rapture at the John St. Bar Halloween party a few years ago. They came out wearing gold unitards, headbands and glitter on their faces, and opened with Rock And Roll Pt 2. By the time they encored with their Black Flag-esque Louie Louie, people were jumping off the ceilings.

Yes, good call. I've seen him 3 times (twice in an arena and once playing acoustic the night of the election), and for some reason "Promised Land" and "Thunder Road," even though I've heard them hundreds of times in my life, never cease to make me want to sing my guts out.

Another really fun show was Guided By Voices at Maxwells in 1995, just before Alien Lanes came out. They played for 3 hours, until Robert Pollard literally passed out from beer. He kept muttering "Thanks for rocking with us" as the bassist dragged him off the stage. Classic.

-- mike a (mik...), July 22nd, 2005.

OTM. It almost seems like torture that they don't let you mosh.

OTM.

Seconded. They put on a dizzying live show back in the day, as they say.

Iron Maiden also are renowned for giving one their money's worth. I remember a friend and m'self seeing them on Ed Hunter tour a number of years back. Our seats were off to the side of the stage (the was at the `Garden) and I remember wondering aloud if we were going to be able to see then, as each side of the stage was flanked by herculean Marshall stacks. Once the show starts ::BANG:: out come the band like the Gestapo, and they spend the entirety of the show at the very lip of the stage and running around like crack-addled muppets. Oh, and they rocked.

Then, of course, there's Kiss.

Levitation
Sweep The Leg Johnny
God
American Heritage
Cranes (circa Wings Of Joy, oddly heavy experience)
Sea Nymphs
Fishbone (Glasgow Barrowlands, genius!)

The Woggles at Satyricon, Portland, 2003 -- Skin-tight matching uniforms, coordinated guitars swinging, general mayhem. You could tell they'd been playing together since 1987.

Rebirth Brass Band in Portland, 2004 -- parted the crowd down the middle and had us singing harmonies to Bill Withers' "Lovely Day". A New Orleans brass band with very dirty lyrics and lots of lady-flirting.

Roy Ayers last night in Bed-Stuy -- crushing solos from all musicians involved. Mr. Ayers exhibiting a grand sense of humor (even as his MIDI vibes kept giving him problems). All of the park getting down at 8:30 on a summer evening.

Iron Maiden at Madison Square Garden, 2003.
Radiohead at MSG, 2001.
Slayer at Roseland (first tour w/Dave Lombardo back on drums).
Cafe Tacuba at BB King's, 2002 or so.
Borbetomagus w/Merzbow (not playing together, just co-billed) at Tonic.
Khanate & Orthrelm at Tonic.

That's interesting.....I wonder what they were like live in small venues in the Syd era.

Gang of Four, good call.. Mike Watt, last time I saw him, also a good call. Watt chose some great covers last time I saw him too.

Also, many, many Royal Crescent Mob shows. (That may be alchohol related though.)

I'd like to say Dinosaur (89), husker Du (85), Fishbone (90) .. as I would have expected them all to be "powerful" .. but none ever really lived up to my hopes when I saw them.

arrgh xpost

a few friends and i had to leave a blonde redhead show in 2001. too much to handle...but i blame our chemical enhancement (though the band were phenomenal that night)

Anal Cunt - Ridiculous live show no matter what. Even when Seth turned down the violence.

Kings X - I'm sure they're not a popular band 'round these parts for a variety of reasons, but I always loved seeing them live.

From A Second Story Window - Some fairly generic death metal/nu-hardcore crossover band that caused a near riot when I saw them. It was the best thing I've seen at a live show in years. Since...

Pg. 99 - Another amazing fucking live band. I remember the show at Newtown Teen Center in CT where some folks went in the back, got pillows, and started swinging them in the pit. And someone was naked too.

i said this on a similar thread not so long ago, but more recently i was utterly blown away by the white light intensity of Marcia Bassett from Double Leopards and Matthew Bower from Skullflower performing together as the gtr noise duo Hototogisu

and yeah, the good ol' gddamm swans

Einsturzende Neubauten

These bands always seem to bring the goods.

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum at Big V's, trying to figure out why the lead singer had no teeth (blacked out with magic marker, as I later found out)

Skeleton Key at Big V's, as the percussionist nearly beheaded the lead singer by throwing a broken saw blade across the stage.

Firewater at the 400 bar, w/the keyboard player leading the crowd in the world's most bizarre alt-rock conga line.

Nine Inch Nails at First Avenue on the first tour destroying about half of the venues microphones.

Mr. Bungle at First Avenue, holding Mike Patton up at the shoulder while he kicked random crowd members in the teeth because someone tore off and stole his bondage mask.

Foetus at First Avenue, especialy the point where he invited a heckler up on stage to have a fist fight, and then knocked him unconscious with the base of his mic stand as the heckler (who was, it should be noted, a complete and utter douche) clambered up the front lip...end of show.

That should do it for now...

Birthday Party 1982 in Detroit
My Bloody Valentine 1989 and 1991 in Detroit and Toronto
Pixies 1988 in Kalamazoo, MI

Make that Charalambides.