It's no secret that I am obsessed with music. Moreso with hearing my favourite bands play live right in front of me. I've been to countless concerts over the years - some mindblowing, some forgettable - but there are a few choice cuts that will always hold a special place in my heart. On my deathbed, I imagine I will cycle through these songs in my head so that I pass into the next world with a smile on my face. So here, in no particular order, are the best songs I've ever heard live.
Bjork - "Joga"
When I first heard this song on CD, it gave me shivers. Then I heard her sing it on the island across from Toronto one summer a few years ago. The power in her voice - coupled with the visual of fire pillars exploding behind her - pretty much brought me to my knees.
Queens of the Stone Age - "Song for the Dead"
I've probably seen them play this about five or six times over the years, and I could see it a thousand more. This one song is worth the ticket price alone. Fast, driving power rock that gets the fist pumping and makes you want to go get another overpriced beer.
Rage Against the Machine - "Freedom"
The proverbial show closer, but it's the one song that embodies everything that this band was. It's always sad whenever a concert's over, but whenever this epic came to a close, it was somehow satisfying when the lights came up and you made your way to the door.
Tool - "Lateralus"
Pretty much any song these guys play live is a both a sonic assault and visual spectacle. But the emotional ride this one can take you on is pretty much unrivalled in their catalogue. The first time I saw them play it was at Molson Park in Barrie many years ago, and it almost brought me to tears.
Pearl Jam - "Release"
When I was 13 I would sit in my room and listen to Ten non-stop. I would wait patiently for this song, the last on the disc. As the song slowly built I would imagine how awesome it would be to see it in concert. Back then I never thought I'd ever have a chance to see Pearl Jam live. Either they'd break up or Eddie would die or something. By the fourth time I saw them in the summer of 2003 I finally realized that adolescent dream, as they opened with this epic tune at the Molson Amphitheatre in TO. I was there with the Peltomaki brothers, and Matt commented how he'd never seen me smile so wide.
David Bowie - "Space Oddity"
I'm not as big a Bowie fan as others, but I respect him and his music. He opened his set at the Go Bang festival in Luebeck, Germany in 1997 with this song. It was just him, his acoustic guitar, one spotlight, and 50,000 people at his mercy. That's power.
The Black Crowes - "No Speak No Slave"
Not my favourite song of the Robinson bros, but it's the first ever rock song I heard played live. April 14, 1993 at Varsity Arena in Toronto.
Neil Young - "Powderfinger"
Will always hold a special place in my heart because I saw it live at the Air Canada Centre with one of the best people I've ever known in my life - Dan Kearnes. Rest in peace.
Ween - "Buenos Tardes Amigo"
Anyone who knows me knows this song because of my obsessive fandom with this band. So imagine how crazy I went when I saw it live for the first time.
Metallica - "One"
Sure, this band is a mere shadow of its former self, and that decline began with their Lollapalooza stint in 1996. But this is one of the best heavy metal songs of all time, and even they can't mess it up in their lame old age.
I'll probably add to this list as I dust off more of the ol' memory files. Post some of your favourites!