Top Ten Concerts

6. Brian Wilson/The Honeys: Los Angeles, CA; 2000

This was the third annual Carl Wilson Walk Against Cancer, and the first I’d heard of. Deb and I were Beach Boys fans, so we bought tickets to the picnic and walk, hoping to see some of our musical heroes. Little did we realize that it was just an open picnic area in a Malibu public park. There was a small stage set up, and the performers walked around eating hot dogs and Popsicles. For a Beach Boys devotée, it was like heaven. Brian Wilson, his Pet Sounds lyricist Tony Asher, members of his touring band, his daughters Carnie and Wendy, Robert Lamm from Chicago, Christopher Cross, all just hanging out and watching people play music. I stood next to Brian Wilson while we we ate orange Popsicles and watched his ex-wife’s group The Honeys perform. An experience like no other, honestly. It was scary and wonderful at the same time.

Brian Wilson, 2000
Photo by Christian Lipski

7. Brian Wilson: Roxy Theater; Los Angeles, CA; 2002

This time around at the Roxy, Brian did two shows on the same day in preparation for a new tour. The setlist was less “greatest hits”-oriented and included teases from the unreleased album SMiLE, which was amazing, since he had always claimed that the album held nothing but bad memories for him. Among the songs played was the “cantina” version of “Heroes & Villains,” which caused audible gasps from the scholarly audience, and “Hang On To Your Ego,” the original version of a song from Pet Sounds. Each song that he played seemed to be more exciting then the last, more obscure. Before the show I got to meet friends from various Beach Boys-related Internet groups for the first time, which was a lot of fun. We could all feel that Brian was warming to the trashed SMiLE music, and there was no telling what might come from it.

8. Enuff Z’Nuff: The Stone; San Francisco, CA; 1990

This was a small nightclub in San Francisco, and I had recently been introduced to the band’s debut (again by my brother, who knew that the power-pop metal band was right up my alley), so I was extremely excited to see them live. I went with a couple of friends who weren’t into the band, but were up for a live show. There were a couple of opening bands of the hair metal variety, but when the headliners came on, there was no question about who was leading the pack. Enuff Z’Nuff were at the height of their popularity and showmanship, and they really knew how to entertain. The bass player Chip had a 12-string electric bass with LEDs in the fretboard, and knew what he was doing with it. There were the obligatory stick tricks from the drummer, and lots of kicks and spins from the guitarists. During one of the wailing, swooping guitar solos, the lead singer reached around from behind the guitarist and took over the solo, to the delight of the crowd. Not only was the show visually entertaining, but the music itself was performed perfectly, including unknown songs and covers. I consider myself lucky to have seen the band at this point in their career, as times would soon change.

Bud E. Luv, 1990
Photo by Deborah Lipski

9. Bud E. Luv: A club on Folsom; San Francisco, CA; 1990

I can’t remember the name of the place where we used to go to see Bud E. Luv, who performed a hilarious lounge act with his two henchmen, Mark E. and Mike E. Luv. My friends and I would go see him pretty often, because we loved the shtick. There was nothing like singing along at the top of our lungs to “Delilah” or agreeing with Bud E. that we’d done well at the craps tables (since anywhere he played was Vegas). Of course, no Vegas experience would be complete without a few highballs to loosen the vocal chords. Luv’s stage persona was always on, always confident (“You like this jacket? You like these rings? You paid for ’em!”), and what a set of pipes. Truly a fun experience, especially shared. In fact, one night, Mike Beard from ZZ Top was there celebrating his birthday. Who loves ya? Bud E. Luvs ya.

10. Gwar: The Rock; Oakland, CA; 1990

I saw Gwar twice, and the second time, touring for their second album Scumdogs of the Universe, was better than the first. I suppose something draws me to theatrical shows with costumes or strong stage personas, and Gwar is no exception. Appearing as debauched aliens thawed from their Antarctic resting place to play rock and take drugs, they make every show a bloody spectacle. I wore my new goth boots with the skull buckles that night and got them trashed, but the show was so good I never really minded. They brought “guests” on stage and eviscerated or beheaded them, spraying fake blood into the audience, and generally mocked the legions of fans who would attend their shows only to be killed for the band’s amusement. I think this was the first show I ever went to where I ventured into the mosh pit, because I had a white T-shirt that I planned to have stained with the “blood” of the night’s sacrifices. I’ve never been to an event like that since, and I doubt I ever will.

I’m not as willing to go out for bands as I used to be, but I will make exceptions at times. Portland is a great place for live music because bands don’t have to pay to play, and new venues open up all the time, in any open space that will hold a few people. I wouldn’t be surprised if I had to expand the list to include some local shows in the near future.

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