rich_WDC, agreed.
In light of what happened in Las Vegas, I'm doing my best to think about positive thoughts about why live music is so special. I have so many favorite 9:30 memories. They're all pretty random. Some are about concerts/performances. Some are about hanging with bands and being with friends. Some are about the crazy stuff you see at concerts.
Favorite concerts: Air, Aphex Twin, Belle and Sebastian, Bob Mould, Catherine Wheel, Devo, Echo & the Bunnymen / Electrafixion, Elliott Smith, The Feelies, Fischerspooner, Foo Fighters, Gang of Four, The Hives, Iggy Pop, Jesus Lizard, Judybats, Kraftwerk, Lou Reed, Luna, Morrissey, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Paw, Peaches, Peter Hook and the Light, Pixies, PJ Harvey, The Prodigy, Queens of the Stone Age, Ride, Slowdive, Social Distortion, Soft Cell, the Verve, Wire, X, Yaz, Yo La Tengo.
Favorite backstage/backbar/hanging out moments: Chemical Brothers, Primal Scream, Interpol, Lush, Nick Cave, Bob Mould/Grant Lee-Phillips/John Doe/Kristin Hersh, Electrafixion, Echo & the Bunnymen, Best Coast/Wavves, Dismemberment Plan/Death Cab, Pop Will Eat Itself, the Charlatans, Carter USM, Oasis. Any random number of evenings hanging out with the old school 9:30 gang, many of whom aren't around anymore.
Favorite wacky moment: the two girls having a knock-down, drag-out fistfight during "Die Lie a Dog", Curve's last song. One broke the other's nose and there was ripped out hair everywhere. I split them up, and the aggressor was the one with the broken nose. She stumbled off into the night. I asked the other gal what happened and she said "I have no idea, I've never seen her before! She just attacked me and I reacted. That was my first fist fight...that's what she gets when she fucks with a girl from Philly!"