What are the best live bands you've seen?

In no particular order...

- Grateful Dead 
- Jerry Garcia Band
- Pink Floyd
- Roger Waters
- The Who
- The Rolling Stones
- Bob Weir & Ratdog
- Phil and Friends
- Yes
- Santana
- Crosby,Stills & Nash
- Crosby,Stills,Nash & Young
- Neil Young
- Widespread Panic
- Allman Brothers
- Paul McCartney
- Grateful Dead (worth mentioning twice)
- David Bromberg

Damn! I forgot Alice Cooper.

Devil's Night & Halloween in Detroit, 1985

since the question is "outstanding performances" rather than "famous folks" I'd have to think back to shows where the artist put out extra energy, or I had those spine-chilling sublime experiences (due to the music)
For example one of the times I saw Deep Purple in the early 70's (opened by blue oyster cult IIRC) was way better than in the same time frame, the Stone's perfunctory 55 minute performance (opened by relatively unknown stevie wonder).
Charlie Daniels/Marshall Tucker/Grinderswitch c. 1976 where each band took a few musicians from the other then they all 3 jammed Will the Circle be Unbroken. Never forget that night.

The inconsistencies of the Big Names (especially as some fall from grace) is remarkable. One of my "outstanding performances" was Joe Cocker about 5 years ago in a small venue (Norva); I had seen him about 35 years prior a few blocks away at an arena and he was drunk and stupid. But Leon Russell a few years ago was one of the worst "let me play my minimum and pick up my check" shows while when I saw him c. 1972 just after Bangla Desh, again one of the best nights of my life.

Now, I don't go see the Big Names in Big Venues b/c I don't like sitting in a chair (in the old days the arenas usually had "festival seating" meaning an open floor) so I see the "outstanding performances by the "undercards" like DBT, DSO, Potter, Randolph, Rev Horton Heat, Costello (w/ Dave Hildago), Taj, Roomful of Blues in a place like the Fillmore.

And Robert Earl Keene. Always outstanding

Of course the Greatful Dead, the Who in 82 at the carrier dome Syracuse N,Y, the Ramones Utica auditorium in 80', Allman Brothers in Atlanta GA in 79, Frank Zappa in west Palm Beach 85,Arlo Guthrie in Saratoga N,Y. I've attended over 1400 shows and I know my list is way longer but writing it down I'm good with the few I gave.

Hi, John. Really loved Travels with Charlie. Why don't you register and join more in the conversation?