Not long ago, I came across this wonderful book while I working at the Golf Links Library. It is must reading for any type of music buff, as it covers nearly every genre of music. There is nothing better than talking with someone about the music they love and why they love it. Usually, when I hear a fresh perspective through heartfelt and organic words regarding a particular musician, I find myself eager to learn more about that artist. I often ask friends what was the best show they ever attended. This single question often blossoms into some of the finest discussions I've shared with friends. Just listening to someone talk about a great live act they once saw is almost like seeing the show for yourself because the person talking always describes everything so vividly with fondness. The Show I'll Never Forget is a collection of such descriptions.
The book includes 49 entries, all composed by different novelists, poets, biographers, critics and songwriters. Among the concerts discussed are classic performances from the 1950s-1970s by Miles Davis, the Beatles, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix with Buddy Guy, Nina Simone, Led Zeppelin, Queen and Patti Smith. Accounts of more recent shows by Nirvana, Prince and others are also included. The book features as well a recollection of the original Woodstock festival in 1969 written by Sigrid Nunez. Additional contributors include Thurston Moore, Jennifer Egan, Ishmael Reed, Tracy Chevalier and Lydia Millet. The wide range of both performances and commentators is one of most appealing things about this book.
As for me, the best show I ever saw was when my brother and I went to see Bob Dylan and Paul Simon in Phoenix back in Summer of 1999. Unbelievable show. Please feel free to share your best show with me in the comments below.
To read all of the entries in their entirety, reserve a copy of The Show I'll Never Forget: click here, opens a new window or on the book cover above. Thank you for reading and enjoy the music.
-Fred
[Editor Carl just has to toss in his two bits in favor of a Parliament-Funkadelic show in Providence back in 1994 which, over the course of 4-5 hours, tore the roof off the sucka.]
