TabulaRasa6
User

Soundoffs 21
Album Ratings 852
Objectivity 81%

Last Active 02-25-20 6:45 am
Joined 11-27-19

Review Comments 566

 Lists
04.22.21 Built my first gaming PC03.26.20 Nick Cave Album Artwork Ranked
03.24.20 Best System of a Down ranked03.17.20 Video Games Thread
03.12.20 Coheed records ranked03.03.20 Shows I've been to
03.02.20 Best Devin Townsend records ranked

Shows I've been to

Saw another list like this and decided that a list could be a great opportunity to chronicle every artist on the website that I've seen live. These are not ranked nor are they in chronological order of when I saw them perform. If I remember the exact date I saw one, I might write it in the description, but this is simply a list of shows I've attended. Also, it'll be a pain to list every date of every time I've seen a particular artist, so I might go by years should the time I saw them be included.
1Prince
Musicology

@MCI Center (now the Verizon Center) in Washington, DC in August, 2004.
The first concert I ever went to. My dad, having raised me on Prince, took me there since I was only about to start middle school back then. Incredible show that I still have memories of. So happy I got to see Prince before he passed. On a random note, I'm 95% sure I saw Usher standing in the outside hall after the show.
2Motley Crue
Shout at the Devil

In either 2005 or 2006 w/ Aerosmith headlining.
Great show despite Vince Neil having throat issues. It was also my second or third concert ever, so I have really fond memories of it for that.
3Aerosmith
Aerosmith

In either 2005 or 2006 w/ Motley Crue co-headlining.
Everything I said above.
4Queen
A Night at the Opera

@Capital One Center (now the Verizon Center) in Washington, D.C. on March 8th, 2006
It was technically Queen + Paul Rogers that I saw, but it was still fantastic even if Adam Lambert is a better fit vocally for the band. Absolute chills when they played Bohemian Rhapsody with Freddy's vocals playing through the PA for the first half and footage of him playing on the screen behind the band.
5Dir En Grey
Uroboros (Remastered & Expanded)

@Baltimore Soundstage in Baltimore, MD on November 8th, 2013.
I don't remember who opened for them but they were pretty cool. I had been waiting since middle school to see Dir En Grey live and I wasn't disappointed. They were on the Ghoul tour which showed Kyo donning some really creepy facepaint and giving a performance of "The Blossoming Beezlebub" that I won't ever forget.
6Dream Theater
Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory

Saw them three times:
2008 w/ Opeth, BTBAM, and 3; 2009 w/ Scale the Summit and Zappa Plays Zappa; 2017 on the Images, Words, and Beyond tour

Too much to talk about since I've seen them three times now. Think my favorite was the first time I saw them because their setlist was really rad, but the 2017 show was also incredible since their encore was "A Change of Seasons" in its entirety (the song, not the album). 2009 was great too, but yeah, the other two were better.
7Opeth
Still Life

Saw them 5 times:
2008 w/ Dream Theater, BTBAM, and 3; 2011 w/ Katatonia; 2012 w/ Mastodon and Ghost; 2016 w/ The Sword; 2019 solo show in Japan

Every time has been awesome, but I preferred it a little more when they played more of their heavier songs in their set in 2008. That said, the show with Katatonia had mostly new songs, but my date (the Maryland date) was the last show of the tour and instead of playing "Demon of the Fall" for their encore like they been doing, Mikael-led Bloodbath made their U.S. debut with "Soul Evisceration" and "Eaten". That was fucking epic.
8Deftones
Saturday Night Wrist

So I've seen Deftones about five times overall and they're amazing every time, but the two best shows were the first time I saw them in early 2007 while they were touring for SNW (which was epic and emotional in every way; I actually won two free tickets to this show) and in 2011 with Dillinger Escape Plan. Both of their setlists are equal in quality and variety, but I'm torn between the massive crowd response in 2007 against freaking Greg Puciato coming in on guest vocals for "Passenger" and fucking killing it.
9The Decemberists
Picaresque

@The National in Richmond, VA on April 9th, 2017 w/ Julien Baker
I went with my girlfriend at the time because they're one of their two all-time favorite bands (the other being Death Cab For Cutie). Admittedly, I was only familiar with the songs I knew at the time, but this show definitely made me a fan. While they unfortunately didn't play "The Mariner's Revenge Song", they did play the entirety of "The Tain" as their encore, which was incredibly epic.
10Julien Baker
Sprained Ankle

@The National in Richmond, VA on April 9th, 2017 w/ The Decemberists
When my gf at the time and I walked into the venue, we didn't expect such a powerful and stunning opening act. I have yet to give all of her material a listen, but man... That was some heavy stuff.
11Conor Oberst
Ruminations

@Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C. on November 15th, 2012 w/ Daniel Johnston
Ruminations actually wasn't out by then, but Conor's setlist was 2/3rds Bright Eyes songs, so it hardly matters. This is what turned me from a casual Bright Eyes fan into a full-fledged fan. I haven't heard much of Conor's solo material, but this concert led to me checking out almost every Bright Eyes record. Hopefully I can catch the full band performance on their reunion tour.
12Daniel Johnston
Hi, How Are You

@Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C. on November 15th, 2012 w/ Conor Oberst
I didn't know who Daniel Johnston was until I walked into that theatre and saw a middle-aged man on a stool, trembling as he sang with a voice that can only be described as both disturbed and sincere at the same time. Just like with Julien Baker, I did not expect such an emotional and powerful performance. Unfortunately, I only caught about half of his set, but I'll never forget what I saw. Despite me being a bigger Bright Eyes fan and not having listened to a full Daniel Johnston album yet (I have songs, though), he ranks pretty high in my favorite live performances and is likely in the top five for best surprise performances I've ever seen.
13Rammstein
Völkerball

@1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, MD on April 25th, 2012 w/ Joe Letz from Combichrist doing a DJ set
Völkerball remains to this day my favorite live DVD. Being able to experience a live set by Rammstein for the first time was absolutely incredible and ranks 3rd in my top four live performances I've seen (I only have four ranked so far). Between that amazing setlist of hits to the incredible theatrics and pyrotechnics they bring to the stage to every member being incredibly animated, this show remains unforgettable to me. If you can, you should see them on their upcoming tour. You will not regret it, even if you dislike the music. That's how good it is.
14Roger Waters
Is This The Life We Really Want?

@Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. on August 4th, 2017
I have a confession: I had only heard singles from Pink Floyd until this performance. But like The Decemberists, Roger Waters's live performance turned me into a hardcore fan and was easily one of the greatest live performances I ever beheld. If not for my decade+ long love for Rammstein and prior love for the other top two artists who are in my favorite live performances, this would be even higher. Amazing and captivating visuals, a set composed nearly entirely of Floyd's best material, astounding musicianship adding some changes to tracks like "Welcome to the Machine" that maintain the original's quality even with their addition, and giant Donald Trump in a diaper balloons flying around the arena while they played "Pigs (Three Different Ones)", my mind was absolutely blown. Despite not having been a Floyd fan before, I am so lucky I got to go to this show for free. I will never forget it as long as I live.
15Godspeed You! Black Emperor
'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!

@Rams Head Live in Baltimore, MD on October 3rd, 2012
My second favorite live performance is none other than the post-rock gods, GSYBE. They were touring for Allelujiah! Don't Bend! Ascend! at the time but they played a song off every release except for Yanqui while, of course, starting with "Hope Drone". This is one of the most interesting and massive sets I've ever seen, but never go to a Godspeed show while tired because you might miss something during their long stretches of songs and you want to be awake for every second.
16Sigur Ros
Kveikur

@Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA on March 24th, 2013 w/ Tim Hecker
First things first, I missed Tim's performance.... And I'm incredibly sad about it.
That said, Sigur Ros is probably my favorite live performance I've ever seen. Every song was breathtaking to hear performed live and were executed perfectly. It would have been nice to have seen them back when Sveinsson was still in the band, but Kveikur is a great record and the other songs in the setlist were well chosen. Jonsi's E-bow is even more impactful live than on the albums.
17Wu-Tang Clan
Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

@Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD on August 5th, 2007 for Virgin Music Festival
I don't know if it's okay to include festival sets, but Wu-Tang was the first rap performance I ever saw. I remember arriving there with my cousin (who admittedly wasn't into hip-hop/rap) but I think even he enjoyed the performance. When Wu-Tang came on, the crowd went fucking nuts and the atmosphere heightened immensely. I can't find the setlist anywhere, but I do remember them performing "Ain't Nuthing Ta F Wit" and possibly "Triumph". I also wasn't aware that rap shows had mosh pits too until I saw them. That was a ton of fun, holy shit.
18Velvet Revolver
Libertad

@Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD on August 5th, 2007 for Virgin Music Festival
I'll remove these festival groups if they don't count. This is the first of two times that I saw Scott Weiland and Slash live, as well as other Stone Temple Pilots and ex-GNR members. I was up front with my dad, cousin, and uncle (who got us free VIP passes through his record label job) for this one. It was a pretty great show. I was pretty into Velvet Revolver back then and it was awesome seeing Slash live.
19The Smashing Pumpkins
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

@Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD on August 5th, 2007 for Virgin Music Festival
Sorry, I'm just getting all of these out of the way quickly. Yeah, I saw The Smashing Pumpkins. They were pretty awesome despite me not being very familiar with their music at the time. In fact, I didn't realize how heavy they were until I saw them.
20Bad Brains
I Against I

@Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD on August 5th, 2007 for Virgin Music Festival
Hometown heroes Bad Brains were both my first hardcore punk AND reggae performance I ever saw live (there were a lot of firsts here). They were absolutely insane and it's because of their performance that I started becoming interested in the punk scene in general. Shit, until I saw them, I thought Green Day was actually punk. How silly of me!
21Matisyahu
Youth

@Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD on August 5th, 2007 for Virgin Music Festival
Yeah, caught some Matisyahu which became my second reggae performance ever (unless I saw Bad Brains later that day, then it's my first). It was pretty cool. I checked out Youth after watching them and thought it was good. That's all I really have to say.

I caught a bit of P!ATD, Explosions in the Sky, and maybe Aiden as well, but I wasn't really into any of them at the time. Regrets: Now that I love post-rock, I'm upset I didn't watch more of Explosions. I also missed Interpol's set that day. I'm such an idiot.
22Dark Funeral
Attera Totus Sanctus

@Jaxx (R.I.P.) in West Springfield, VA on October 10th, 2007 w/ Daath, Valhalla, and I forgot the co-headliner and I can't find any info on the tour online
First black metal band I saw live, my friend and I were about to leave early due to school the next day when my friend and I heard the drummer warming up, turned to each other with our eyes widened and jaws dropped and turned right back around. We were staying for the whole show.
23Run the Jewels
Run the Jewels

@930 Club in Washington, D.C. on August 10th, 2013 w/ Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire and Kool A.D.
It should be noted that this setlist wasn't just RTJ (since they only had their debut out at the time), but also full solo sets from Killer Mike and El-P as well. Killer Mike was touring for R.A.P. Muzik and El-P was touring for Cancer For Cure while both were touring for the debut RTJ record. I was more familiar with Killer Mike's solo material than El-P, but they both came out and put on amazing sets before totally destroying the place with their RTJ set. Haven't seen them since, but I definitely want to see them perform songs off the other two RTJ records at some point.
24Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire
Kismet

@930 Club in Washington, D.C. on August 10th, 2013 w/ RTJ (Killer Mike and El-P) and Kool A.D.
I was only familiar with his debut record at the time, but eXquire was HUNGRY that day offering a very memorable performance with him at the top of his game. This performance led me to listening to Kismet (which he was touring for at the time) and that became one of my favorite rap records of the year. Hell, he sounded even better live than on the record, which is an incredible feat for rap artists to pull off since they usually have a hype man. But the reason this probably is so is because, well... there wasn't a hype man. Just eXquire killing it every second he was on stage.
25Kool A.D.
Not O.K.

@930 Club in Washington, D.C. on August 10th, 2013 w/ RTJ (Killer Mike and El-P) and Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire
Honestly, I only know Das Racist from their feature on Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire's "The Last Huzzah!" (absolute banger if you haven't heard it) and checking out maybe one or two original songs by them after seeing their performance. Kool A.D. was fine live, but it didn't really make me want to check his original material out.
26Converge
All We Love We Leave Behind

@Baltimore Soundstage in Baltimore, MD on May 26th, 2013 for Maryland Deathfest XI
So uh, Converge is one of my favorite metalcore bands of all time and Jacob Bannon inspired me to both change my screaming style and provided great inspiration for my lyrics and poetry (I'm an all-around drummer and a metal vocalist). Before the show, I got to meet Jacob Bannon in person since he was sitting at the merch table just chilling. I told him about how much of an inspiration he's been on me musically and when he outstretched his hand and I shook it, he took his other hand and placed on top of mine before giving me one of the most genuine thank you's I've ever received. I was sincerely touched and surprised by this. Despite all the success and god-like praise Converge has received over the years, he still seems quite free of his ego. Absolutely great guy. Oh, and the performance was as awesome as I expected. Great set, though I would've liked to hear more from PTES and WFCC.
27Magrudergrind
Crusher

Saw them three times:
@St. Stephens Church in Washington, D.C. on January 11th, 2011? w/ Lemuria, Pulling Teeth, Give, and Hot Mess; @St. Stephens Church on October, 27th, 2011? w/ Despise You, Sick Fix, Triac, and Deathrats; @Baltimore Soundstage in Baltimore, MD on May 26th, 2013 for Maryland Deathfest XI

Can't get exact dates for the first two, but they both were definitely in 2011. Chris Moore as drummer in 2011 made them both the best times I saw them, but the new guy did really well in 2013. The first one in 2011 was the very first punk show I ever went to and it led me to start binging punk shows in the D.C. area. I will never forget how heavy they sounded and how intense the crowd was. I was surprised how it even surpassed metal shows in crowd intensity. One could say they were promoting Crusher, but their self-titled is still my fave and they mainly played songs off that. Will talk about Despise You, Pulling Teeth, and Lemuria later.
28Brand New
The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me

Saw them twice:
@Unitas Stadium by Towson University in Towson, MD on May 6th, 2011 w/ Far East Connection (reaaaally shows what year it was) and Reel Big Fish; @The Filmore in Silver Spring, MD on July 13th, 2014 w/ Man Man and Dinosaur Pile-Up

While I have only recently listened to "Sowing Season" and "Jesus" for the first time since the allegations against Jesse Lacey were confirmed to be true, I decided to put this here because I have an interesting story about the first time I saw them.

Tiger Fest was outside that year and unfortunately, rain came down just before BN's set (of course it would happen RIGHT AFTER FEC finished their set). Everyone rushed for cover and there was talk of Brand New getting cancelled. Everyone was worried about this happening and for about 30 minutes, nothing was heard. Then, suddenly, the students around us (I had just graduated high school and hadn't started college yet) started getting messages about going to the gymnasium. So everyone gathered...
29Brand New
Daisy

...there and waited to see what would happen. Eventually, a microphone was erected on the balcony overlooking the gymnasium and Brand New all came out while Jesse Lacey had a guitar with him and a tiny amp. The staff working the event quickly got an extension cable out and plugged in the amp while Jesse set up. It was then that I think it was Vincent that spoke into the mic telling the audience that because the rain ruined some equipment, the band wanted to do something to make up for it by having a stripped down set with Lacey performing to us almost acoustic (it wasn't exactly acoustic since Lacey's guitar was electric). What would have been a fantastic full-band set turned into an incredibly intimate set with Lacey performing alone most of the time. The rest of the band came out to yell the ending to (I think it was) "Soco Amaretto Lime" with everyone. It was incredibly emotional overall and a rare experience I'll never forget.
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlb0eWuffsM
30Marilyn Manson
Eat Me, Drink Me

@Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD on July 30th, 2007 w/ Slayer and Bleeding Through

Given what I've watched of his more recent live performances, I'm rather happy I saw Manson when I did. While I'm very proud of the man for straightening his lifestyle up and kicking his drug habits, the damage they seem to have left behind is obvious in his vocals and showmanship becoming weaker. However, this could also be related to age.
At any rate, I was a young teenager at the time who had gone through a Manson phase back in middle school, so I was very excited to see the man live. My goth ex and I were up front against the gate during his performance and man, Manson could certainly put on a show back then. The theatrics made every second entertaining and each song was very well executed. Also, his setlist had none of the shit that came in his later career since EMDM was the newest album at the time, so that was great.
31Slayer
Christ Illusion

Seen them twice:
@Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD on July 30th, 2007 w/ Marilyn Manson and Bleeding Through; @Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan on March 21st, 2019 for Download Fest Japan 2019

The first time I saw Slayer was incredibly memorable for two reasons: 1) A killer setlist. 2) Kerry King threw his guitar pick directly to me and I caught it. However, my ex who I went with asked if she could keep it and despite me being the bigger Slayer fan, I reluctantly gave it to her. So that was a big mistake because she lost it years later.

The second time, however, was also incredibly memorable because it was Slayer's final Japan show ever. They also played a killer set here, but at the end, Tom Araya stuck around after the other members bowed and walked off stage to deliver a farewell message to the Japanese fans in simple Japanese. The man was on the verge of tears as he spoke and the crowd roared to show their love and respect for the band. It was a truly touching moment.
32Bleeding Through
Declaration

@Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD on July 30th, 2007 w/ Marilyn Manson and Slayer

Back then, I was really into Bleeding Through's 3rd and 4th albums, This Is Love, This is Murderous and The Truth, respectively. While I can't say I've kept up with the band over the years, they did put on a pretty great show despite not at all being similar to Manson or Slayer. Never saw them again, but I enjoyed watching them.
33Judas Priest
Firepower

@Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan on March 21st, 2019 for Download Fest Japan 2019

When Ozzy was hospitalized last year, the metal gods themselves stepped in to fill the role of headliner. Despite their age, Judas Priest proved in 2018 with Firepower that they still have more gas left in their tank to continue creating kickass heavy metal than we all thought. This provided the perfect opportunity for me to finally see them live touring for an album that has great quality. The set was a well-constructed mix of their best songs from the past as well as cuts from Firepower, which is exactly what I wanted. Getting to hear "Painkiller" for the first time live was as epic as I imagined it. Age isn't slowing these guys down at all.
34Ghost (SWE)
Opus Eponymous

Saw them three times:
@The Filmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 9th, 2012 w/ Mastodon and Opeth; @Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, VA on June 3rd, 2017 w/ Iron Maiden; @Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan on March 21st, 2019 for Download Fest Japan 2019

I went from thinking this band was okay/meh to becoming a hardcore fan over the years. While I wasn't super into their music at the time, I'm happy I saw them during their tour for the first album back in 2011. It's crazy how they've transformed over the years. When I finally saw them again many years later in 2017, I heard songs from Meliora and "Square Hammer" for the first time (though I knew a couple from Meliora already). That made me dive in deep into their discography having only listened to the debut and second record until then. When I found out they were also playing Download Fest Japan in 2019, I knew I had to go (despite already wanting to). Ghost is a fun band to see live though I can see why their music doesn't appeal to some.
35Iron Maiden
The Book of Souls

@Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, VA on June 3rd, 2017 w/ Ghost

Iron Maiden was the first metal band I ever listened to, therefore the amount of anticipation leading up to this moment was intense. Sadly, while The Book of Souls is a good record and I'm sure the band is more excited to play new music than any of the songs they've been playing for the last 30+ years, I was hoping that there might be one or two less songs from The Book of Souls for their set as the setlist was basically 6 tracks from BOS, two tracks from NOTB, and one track from each of the following albums: BNW, FOTD, s/t, Killers, POM, Powerslave, and SWIT (and none from Seventh Son, my favorite). My shoddy complaints aside, Iron Maiden put on an amazing performance and I will definitely see them again should they continue to tour. For now, my rite of passage is complete.
36Gogol Bordello
Super Taranta

@Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD on August 9th, 2008 for Virgin Music Festival

These festival artists are really adding up. My first experience with Gogol Bordello came in the form of seeing them at this music festival. Their performance was absolutely insane, but supremely entertaining, making for one of the most unique bands I've ever seen live. I really wasn't prepared for their set but it was really awesome.
37Bloc Party
A Weekend in the City

@Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD on August 9th, 2008 for Virgin Music Festival

Possibly the best time to have seen this band live, Bloc Party put on a really solid set. I wanted to check out more of their stuff, but never did. Is it too late? I dunno.
38The Offspring
Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace

@Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD on August 9th, 2008 for Virgin Music Festival

I had a sneaking suspicion of having already seen The Offspring before and sure enough, I was right. I remember it being good, but I'm honestly not a huge fan of theirs. My cousin was ecstatic for them and really enjoyed it though, so I'm really happy for him.
39Chuck Berry
After School Session

@Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD on August 9th, 2008 for Virgin Music Festival

Are you surprised? So am I. My cousin, uncle, and father stuck around to eat something while watching Chuck Berry and the Silver Beat's set from afar. Despite being quite old by then, the man can still rock really hard. I'm not necessarily a fan of Chuck, but I can appreciate that man's love to rock n' roll.
40Foo Fighters
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace

Saw them twice:
@Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD on August 9th, 2008 for Virgin Music Festival; (I think) @Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. on November 11th, 2011 w/ Social Distortion

During the Virgin Fest, Foo Fighters headlined the south stage while Jack Johnson headlined the north. Not really caring for Jack Johnson back then, I saw Foo Fighters with my relatives and I remember it being thrilling, though I don't remember it as well as the next time I saw them on the Wasting Light tour. The best way to see Foo Fighters is seeing them play a full set outside of a festival. Dave Grohl is really down to earth despite all the success he and the band have received and manage to offer a performance that will keep your attention throughout its entirety.
41Hollywood Undead
Swan Songs

@Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD on August 10th, 2008 for Virgin Music Festival

And here comes the embarrassing part of my past... You'd best believe this isn't the only band from that time period who will end up on this list as I dig deeper into my memory banks and rediscover the shows I went to as a young'n. Yes, at the time, I liked Hollywood Undead and I enjoyed their performance because of course I did. But my main reason for liking their performance was likely due to me enjoying their music at the time. Nowadays, I think it would be a cringe fest.
42Chromeo
Fancy Footwork

@Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD on August 10th, 2008 for Virgin Music Festival

Really happy I decided to see Chromeo during the Fancy Footwork period. That's still my favorite album of theirs and they put on a madly fun performance. Back then, I wasn't as into electronic music as I am now so this was my only time setting foot in the dance tent other than pure curiosity (I missed an early Deadmau5 performance that would have been interesting to see), but my curiosity led me to one of the best performances of the day with Chromeo.
43Paramore
Riot!

Saw them twice:
@Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD on August 10th, 2008 for Virgin Music Festival; @Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD on October 23rd, 2009 for the MTV Ulalume Festival

Paramore is a band from my youth I'm not embarrassed about seeing even though I didn't care much for their self-titled record and only got back into them recently with After Laughter. In fact, I feel pretty proud that I saw them back during the Riot! years since it was just after they broke into the mainstream and were incredibly popular. The show at VFest gave me my first crowdsurfing experience and was packed with songs off their first two records. It was much more energetic than when I saw them next at MTV's (remember them?) Ulalume Festival since they had released BNE by then, but it was still a great show. Also, I was on TV due to the live broadcast of the concert! (Fuck, so many festivals...)
44Taking Back Sunday
Louder Now

Seen them three times:
@Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD on August 10th, 2008 for Virgin Music Festival; @Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD on August 30th, 2009 for Virgin Freefest; @9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. in 2011 for a secret show

I'm not even a major TBS fan and yet I've seen them three times. The good news is they always put on a great show and are pretty awesome people all around. The best time had to be the third time I saw them for the secret show. I went with my gf at the time, but the band absolutely destroyed the venue more than I thought they would. I was genuinely surprised being caught that off guard my third time seeing them. They also played "There's No I in Team" for the first time in a long time which was an incredibly epic way to end the show, with Adam holding his microphone with the stupidly long cord while climbing the upper balconies all around the venue and the crowd chanting during the part leading up to the final chorus.
45Lil Wayne
Tha Carter III

@Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD on August 10th, 2008 for Virgin Music Festival

So after TBS, my cousin and I went to catch a little bit of Lil Wayne's set, despite it supposed to have started 30 minutes prior. We were surprised to find his hype men on stage trying to entertain the crowd while the crowd was hardcore booing them. It was pretty hilarious, actually. Lil Wayne eventually came on five minutes later and performed a 10-15 minute set before walking off-stage. It was honestly one of the worst performances I have ever seen.
46Stone Temple Pilots
Tiny Music... Songs From the Vatican Gift Shop

@Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD on August 10th, 2008 for Virgin Music Festival

The second time seeing Scott Weiland and the shared members of STP and Velvet Revolver happened the following year at the same festival. But as expected, STP's music was just overall better than Velvet's. They played a lot of their hits and Scott is just overall an excellent showman. They were a wonderful breath of fresh air after Lil Wayne's shitty performance.
47Bob Dylan
Modern Times

@Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD on August 10th, 2008 for Virgin Music Festival

Honestly, I don't really count this because I only saw like 10 minutes of his set and his voice sounded godawful, but respect to the man, the legend, Bob Dylan. Glad I caught at least a little bit of his set just so I can say I've seen him performing before.
48Nine Inch Nails
The Slip

@Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD on August 10th, 2008 for Virgin Music Festival

While I really, really, really wanted to see Kanye's set that evening, I wanted to start with NIN. Their performance ended up being so good that I decided to skip out on Kanye altogether. The setlist was really varied and the screen that they dropped in front of the band to do a light show during the songs off Ghosts I-IV helped make it very epic. Unfortunately, my uncle and cousin didn't really care for it that much so they left early while my dad and I watched it through until the end. But that's okay, it's their loss.
49The Birthday Massacre
Walking With Strangers

@Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD on August 30th, 2009 for Virgin Freefest

Sorry, guys. I'm just trying to get all the Vfest performances out of the way. This was the second to last year I went and the last year I arrived late, so there aren't as many artists to talk about then.

The Birthday Massacre was a band that sounded cool by name that I just happened to check out. As a first performance of the day, it ended up being a great way to start everything. I didn't realize Vfest would book an industrial/gothic rock band. Had a mad crush on their singer for a bit after that. I think I actually might have even met them?? Either that or I was too shy to go try. Probably the latter. Saw the opening minutes of St. Vincent after and then left. Probably a mistake.
50Jet
Get Born

@Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD on August 30th, 2009 for Virgin Music Festival

My cousin wanted to see Jet and since I made him sit through TBM with me, I felt it was only proper to go see Jet with him. They were pretty good! As expected, they rocked really hard live. Not much else to say though since I hardly remember it. Lol
(Sad I missed Public Enemy, though)
51The Bravery
The Sun and the Moon

@Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD on August 30th, 2009 for Virgin Music Festival

As you can tell, I'm currently in a slew of artists whose performances I either just enjoyed or don't have much to say on. This is one I don't have much to say on. Would much rather have seen Public Enemy or The National. It was a fine performance, but I don't really care for The Bravery. In fact, are there any The Bravery fans reading this?
52Weezer
The Red Album

@Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD on August 30th, 2009 for Virgin Music Festival

Finally, a band I actually care about. Weezer were heavy-hitters for being only a co-headliner on this festival. They came out and played essentially the best songs off every release so far (with a large focus on the self-titled Blue Album) and had one of the most solid performances I've ever seen. It also helps that my cousin and I met two cute girls in the pit area. I haven't seen Weezer again since that show, but I look forward to the day I do as long as they cut out that Pacific Daydream and Black Album bs.
53Blink-182
Greatest Hits

@Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD on August 30th, 2009 for Virgin Music Festival

Before California, before Neighborhoods, before the post-break-up shitstorm of Delonge leaving and albums getting shittier with every release... Blink-182 headlined the festival as part of their reunion tour that had just started that year. The second they opened with "Dumpweed", the entire crowd simultaneously shifted forward towards the stage and yours truly got stuck in it. From there on, there were moshpits, hilarious banter between Delonge and Hoppus, a setlist of all killer and no filler songs from every release pre-break up, and one of the most fun atmospheres you could hope to have at a show. Would I see them again? Probably not now. It would likely ruin my memories of a perfect Blink-182 show.

And with that, we're finally out of Virgin Fest... for now. I'll come back to the 2012 festival later.
54Kid Cudi
Man on the Moon: The End of Day

@Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD on October 23rd, 2009 for the MTV Ulalume Festival

At the very beginning of Kid Cudi's career, I got to see him at MTV's Ulalume Festival which was also broadcast live on MTV (catch me in the pit). I've never been much of a Kid Cudi fan outside of his work on 2018's Kids See Ghosts project with Kanye West. I suppose I should consider myself lucky that I caught him at the start of his career before he went off the deep end, though. His performance was good, although nothing really memorable. The NEXT performance, however...
55AFI
Crash Love

@Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD on October 23rd, 2009 for the MTV Ulalume Festival

After Cudi came AFI, the band I was most anticipating. I've been an AFI fan since the Decemberunderground era, but I love all of their old material and still consider Sing the Sorrow as a newer emo classic and like Decemberunderground more than I probably should.Although they were in the middle of touring for Crash Love at the time of Ulalume Fest (an album I mildly enjoy), a majority of the set was thankfully dedicated to Sing the Sorrow and Decemberunderground. Davey had a ton of energy and the rest of the band did a good job matching it despite the overwhelming commercialism of the festival. That said, I would have preferred some older material also be included in the setlist, but I knew that was highly unlikely since it was an MTV festival and they were trying to leave that part of their history behind back then. Either way, still a great show. Wanna see em again. No space to write mor-
56Goatwhore
Carving Out The Eyes Of God

Sometime in the fall of 2011 (I think) in Baltimore w/ Havok and other bands who I don't remember but Goat was headlining

My friends and I are bigger Acid Bath fans than Goatwhore fans, but my bassist wanted to meet Sammy since AB is his favorite band so we took a spontaneous drive out to Baltimore. Before Goatwhore came on, we went to a Subway in the red light district of Baltimore (it was right up the street) and encountered what appeared to be a pimp collecting money from the cashier as well as two strippers (and possibly side-gig prostitutes), one of whom were trying to inquire my bassist's younger brother (who was only 15-16 at the time. That was pretty hilarious. Anyways, show was good. Played some of their best songs and my bassist met Sammy who was super chill and really thankful that an 18 year old had grown up listening to and loving Acid Bath despite being a child when the band was still active.
57Havok
Time Is Up

Sometime in the fall of 2011 (I think) in Baltimore w/ Goatwhore and other bands who I don't remember but Goat was headlining

So this website seems to have very mixed opinions of Havok. Some people really like their take on thrash metal while others look down on them as being either amateur or shitty. What else is new? I'm not necessarily a fan of Havok, but their live performance absolutely SHREDS with their bassist being the main attraction playing super fast riffs with impeccable execution. I'll gladly see them again.
58Despise You
West Side Horizons

@St. Stephens Church on October, 27th, 2011? w/ Magrudergrind, Sick Fix, Triac, and Deathrats

The two performances from this show that impacted me the most were without a doubt Magrudergrind and Despise You. Having already seen Magrudergrind before, I already knew what to anticipate from their set. The main headliner, however, was Despise You from California. I had only heard these guys were basically legends in grindcore, but I had never listened to them before the show.
And holy shit, were they good.
That was easily one of the most anger-fueled performances I had ever seen with some of the craziest mosh pits I've ever been in. Their age didn't slow them down at all and was incredibly tight. I bought a shirt from them at that show which only recently got ruined in the wash. I had to throw that out with my Author and Punisher shirt that I had only gotten last year when I visited the States to see him. Still pissed about that.
59Pulling Teeth
Paranoid Delusions/Paradise Illusions

@St. Stephens Church in Washington, D.C. on January 11th, 2011? w/ Magrudergrind, Lemuria, Give, and Hot Mess

I miss this band. Not necessarily because they were an incredible standout from other hardcore bands with metal tendencies (I guess technically 'metalcore', but with more hardcore influence than metal in their sound), but because their set really impacted me and made me a fan. The vocalist spoke between songs with such passion about not only politics but also about personal matters and not letting the world get you down. I really resonated with him, and the awesome music only increased my liking of their band. I think I spoke with him afterwards when I bought a shirt from them. I would wear that shirt to many gigs my band played in the future before ultimately replacing it with my Killer Mike tanktop.
60Lemuria (USA-NY)
Pebble

@St. Stephens Church in Washington, D.C. on January 11th, 2011? w/ Magrudergrind, Pulling Teeth, Give, and Hot Mess

The black sheep of the line-up in terms of sound, indie rock group Lemuria were a rather nice change of pace from all the angry music that had been playing up until this point and did a good job at giving everyone some pleasant music to ease their ears before Magrudergrind took to the stage and unleashed a furious storm of grindcore/powerviolence. I've seriously been meaning check out more of their music since I first saw them, but never really ended up taking the time to. Maybe now is my chance.
61All Time Low
Nothing Personal

Seen them twice:
@Rams Head Live in Baltimore, MD on December 28th, 2009; @a Maryland college sometime after releasing Nothing Personal w/ Yellowcard, Hey Monday, and The Summer Set (weird how I can't find any info on this)

Yes... Another relic from my dark past. And then we get to go over all the bands who played that second show. Yes, ATL isn't exactly a show to be proud of, but I actually do enjoy occasionally putting on their first three records and wallowing in nostalgia. No, they're no heroes of pop punk and they're certainly not groundbreaking in any way. However, they can write really solid and catchy tunes within their genre that do have enough pop appeal to find a large audience. In the interest of space and your disinterest in ATL, I'll keep this short:

1) The first show was peak ATL and has one of my favorite crowdsurfing memories during "Coffee Shop Soundtrack".
2) The second show showed the band's live show maturing.

They're hometown heroes, what can I say?
62The Summer Set
Love Like This

@a Maryland college sometime after Nothing Personal's release w/ All Time Low, Yellowcard, and Hey Monday

I'm keeping this one and the next one really short so I have more to talk about at the end, but I do remember liking TSS quite a lot live. I cannot for the life of me remember the reasons why and I'm not a fan of band. But great live show, I guess. Ended up buying a shirt of theirs designed like a Jack Daniels bottle because I liked the aesthetic.
63Hey Monday
Hold On Tight

@a Maryland college sometime after Nothing Personal's release w/ All Time Low, Yellowcard, and The Summer Set

What a short-lived band, am I right? They were good, certainly the weakest of the line-up but they weren't bad by any means. "Homecoming" was good and the rest was...there.
64Yellowcard
Paper Walls

@a Maryland college sometime after Nothing Personal's release w/ All Time Low, Hey Monday, and The Summer Set

I was ready to only enjoy the songs I knew from years ago when Ocean Avenue and Lights and Sounds were released, but this live set actually really surprised me. THEY WERE PRETTY DAMN GOOD. They had fun with their set throughout it and every song was stronger than I thought they would be, save for a couple weak ones. They even got a circle pit going to my absolute surprise (ATL tried outdoing them later with a wall of death, but the circle pit was stronger). I actually would recommend seeing Yellowcard live to everyone, but their attempts to sue JuiceWRLD after his passing is kind of fucked up. But if you don't care about that stuff, go see them. They're actually pretty fun live.
65Everything Everything
Get to Heaven

@Black Cat in Washington, D.C. on October 14th, 2017 w/ Savoir Adore

All I have to say about Savoir Adore is that I was drunk dancing to them and really liked them. I should check them out later.

I didn't want to end this particular string of gigs I saw on a pop-punk show headlined by ATL, so I decided to insert as my last till tomorrow. Everything Everything was technically touring for A Fever Dream at the time, but I much prefer Get to Heaven and Arc. Get to Heaven was one of my favorite records of the year it was released so getting to finally see these songs performed live aside cuts from the other albums was an absolute blast with "Regret", "Kemosabe", "Ivory Tower", and "No Reptiles" being the absolute highlights. Fun fact: I had forgotten I left my license with the bartender at the bar my friend and I were previously at, so I was a little worried after the show. Luckily, they still had it.
66Death Grips
Bottomless Pit

@The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on October 19th, 2017 w/ Ministry

Mainly went for Death Grips but I also like Ministry so I tried to stick around for a few songs. Unfortunately, they were late to start and I had work early the next morning, so I had to dip before they played. Death Grips was phenomenal, though. Gave an intense live performance that lit the entire floor up like dynamite.
67The Devil Wears Prada
With Roots Above and Branches Below

Saw them like three times? I think?:
@Sonar (R.I.P.) in Baltimore, MD on February 12, 2010 w/ Killswitch Engage and Dark Tranquility; two other times on two different Warped Tours

They were pretty great live even if I don't listen really listen to their music anymore other than to relive some high school memories. I remember trying to fight some giant guy to get to the front of the crowd during their set and yeah, I lost. Crowdsurfed over him later as semi-payback.
68Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage II

@Sonar (R.I.P.) in Baltimore, MD on February 12, 2010 w/ TDWP and Dark Tranquility

Technically, what I saw was Philswitch Engage because Phil from All That Remains was filling in on vocals for that tour since Howard had to undergo some throat surgery or something. Was really bummed I didn't get to see Howard, but seeing as how ATR dropped off the last tour I tried to see them on, this was kind of ironic. Great set, only played one song off KE2 and the rest were all classics.
69Dark Tranquillity
We Are the Void

@Sonar (R.I.P.) in Baltimore, MD on February 12, 2010 w/ TDWP and Killswitch Engage

Probably the most out of place band on the tour, Dark Tranquility still put on a great set. Thankfully, most of their songs were off of Fiction and Damage Done, but they also played a couple off their newest at the time, Void. What a band as renowned in melodeath as Dark Tranquillity were doing on a tour with two American metalcore bands is beyond me but I'm still happy they played.
70Carnifex
Hell Chose Me

@Sonar in Baltimore, MD on July 30th, 2010 at Summer Slaughter Tour 2010

Summer Slaughter Tour 2010 is a special show for me because that was the first venue show that my band ever played. There was also a hell of a line-up to boot. But while I was listening to Carnifex at the time, their show was pretty average. Also, their vocalist's voice got shot like halfway through the set. It was pretty rough.
71Cephalic Carnage
Misled by Certainty

@Sonar in Baltimore, MD on July 30th, 2010 at Summer Slaughter Tour 2010

One of my favorite bands of the day. They were fucking insane. They were also my second best mosh of the day since these were the years I was still moshing.
72Decrepit Birth
Polarity

Saw them twice:
@Sonar in Baltimore, MD on July 30th, 2010 at Summer Slaughter Tour 2010; @Jaxx in Springfield, VA on October 10th, 2011 w/ Decapitated, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Rings of Saturn, and The HAARP Machine

Don't remember much of their set the first time I saw them, tbh. I might have left during it to get food or something. The second time was pretty good. They were funny dudes. Never cared too much for their music, though.
73Veil of Maya
[id]

Saw them twice:
@Sonar in Baltimore, MD on July 30th, 2010 at Summer Slaughter Tour 2010; @Jiffy Lube in Bristow, VA on August 3rd, 2014

They were better the first time for me since they were playing stuff mainly off their first two records which are the only ones I'm familiar with and their performance was tighter. The second time was alright, but I don't know like any songs after [id], so I was just kind of going with the flow. The really hot girl I was seeing at the time and took with me to the fest really wanted to see them and she really liked them, so that worked out for me in the end.
74The Red Chord
Fed Through the Teeth Machine

@Sonar in Baltimore, MD on July 30th, 2010 at Summer Slaughter Tour 2010

Best mosh pit of the day and one of the most ferocious metal sets I've seen. If you've been to a lot of metal and punk shows in the DMV area, you'll know there used to be this handicapped dude in a wheelchair who would always get the crowd to crowdsurf him and would even get in circle pits. That was my first time seeing that dude and it was fucking magical. One of the toughest motherfuckers I've ever seen. It was even funnier despite that room practically tearing itself apart, (according to my ex-vocalist) he allegedly went out the door to the outside smoking area exclaiming, "That mosh pit SUCKED!"
What a guy. It actually terrifies me to know what he'd consider a good pit by comparison.
75All Shall Perish
Awaken the Dreamers

@Sonar in Baltimore, MD on July 30th, 2010 at Summer Slaughter Tour 2010

To think this would be the last time I'd see them before Eddie headed over to the Suicide Silence camp. The show was really good. I was surprised how much it felt like he'd vocally regressed after seeing him with SS four years later.
76Decapitated
Carnival Is Forever

Saw AND played with them twice:
@Sonar in Baltimore, MD on July 30th, 2010 at Summer Slaughter Tour 2010; @Jaxx in Springfield, VA on October 30th, 2011 w/ Decrepit Birth, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Rings of Saturn, and The HAARP Machine

I didn't see much of their SS performance, but I stayed for 95% of their performance the following year. Even without Vitek (R.I.P.) these guys shred faces live. The album they were touring for both times kind of sucks, though.
77Rings of Saturn
Embryonic Anomaly

Saw AND played with them twice:
@Sidebar in Baltimore, MD on July 30th, 2011 on the Slaughter Survivors Tour; @Jaxx in Springfield, VA on October 30th, 2011 w/ Decapitated, Decrepit Birth, Fleshgod Apocalypse, and The HAARP Machine

Line-up changes happen fast. Their line-up changed literally in about four months, I believe. Either that or I'm remembering things wrong, but I swear they had already changed their live line-up by the time I saw them again. The first time seeing them was just simply impressive because I had no fucking clue what to expect from them. The second time just felt a little more like noise. Only liked this band for a few months before getting tired of their sound.
78Fleshgod Apocalypse
Agony

Saw them twice, played with them once:
@9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. on August 15th, 2011 for Summer Slaughter 2011; @Jaxx in Springfield, VA on October 30th, 2011 w/ Decapitated, Decrepit Birth, Rings of Saturn, and The HAARP Machine

Another instance of twice in the same year, Fleshgod Apocalypse first played Summer Slaughter where they absolutely floored me with their impressive musicianship and tightness all from the second they opened to them closing with "Thru Our Scars". The second time I saw them was also awesome, but they played more from Agony then and to be honest, I don't like that album much. Still a killer live band.
79The Haarp Machine
Disclosure

@Jaxx in Springfield, VA on October 30th, 2011 w/ Decapitated, Decrepit Birth, Fleshgod Apocalypse, and Rings of Saturn

Weird. This band hadn't actually released their debut yet when I saw them. They were good, but that's all I remember.
80Volumes
Via

@Sidebar in Baltimore, MD on July 30th, 2011 on the Slaughter Survivors Tour

I'm gonna be honest with y'all: after listening to this band's EP a few times, I only really cared about a couple songs. The full-length didn't really impress me either. I think I have it at a 2 on this website. Their live performance was good, though. I think they make for a better live band than studio band.
81Scale the Summit
The Collective

Saw them twice, played with them once:
@Sonar in Baltimore, MD on February 1st, 2010 w/ Between the Buried and Me, Cynic, and The Devin Townsend Project; @Sidebar in Baltimore, MD on July 30th, 2011 on the Slaughter Survivors Tour

So the first time I saw these guys, I caught the last bit of their set before Devy took the stage. They were really freaking impressive, though. I was glad I got to catch more the second time we saw them.
82The Contortionist
Exoplanet

Saw AND played with them twice:
@Sidebar in Baltimore, MD on July 30th, 2011 on the Slaughter Survivors Tour; @Soundstage in Baltimore, MD on October 23rd, 2013 w/ Between the Buried and Me, The Faceless, and The Safety Fire

So while I love this band, their live performance was better when I first saw them touring for Exoplanet than it was the second time. The second time was pretty boring, to be honest.
83Dr. Dre
2001

I'm not even close to finished chronicling every single artist I've seen.
With that said, I haven't seen Dr. Dre, but I'll see YOU... "in the next episode..."
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