so … i’ve been thinking about this characteristic of live shows [especially after my last post].  some say it is distracting to the music presented and it alienates the artist from the audience.  i like to think of it as a tool that reinforces the artist’s vision in ways that audio cannot.  visual effects in live shows bring in a certain element that can either make or beak a show.  i decided to make a few selections in shows that i have seen that definitely bring together an unforgettable experience.  when it comes to judging a show, i’m more interested in the overall experience than the artist itself.  if i were to judge based on the artist’s pure talent, i would have saved the $30-400 and stayed home to listen to the album.

in no specific order.

Kanye West // Glow In the Dark tour.  Kanye goes into space, expresses his humanistic qualities to machines, there is a cover of “Don’t Stop Believin”.  Oh yeah, Kanye also plays all of his awesome songs.

Billy Corgan // The Future Embrace tour.  Michael Keeling did the LED lighting - he has done work with Manson, Nine Inch Nails … and did work in Justin Timberlake’s “Rock Your Body” music video.  Very impressionable light show and everything seemed so mechanical [via anti-bob dylan] like it was something new+refreshing in a year full of acoustic folk-revivalists.

Nine Inch Nails // Lights Over the Sky tour.  This was the most difficult example to show through an image since the set actually changed [dramatically] SO MANY TIMES that it was just a total mind trip.  Such a mind trip that I saw it four times in one year.

There are many more examples of artists using effects to enhance the overall experience of their set.  Radiohead’s set was cool … but I really expected more on both ends - performance and visuals.  Not everyone could [or really, should] try to pull off the intense lighting effects.  Examples would be: any post-folk project/Bob Dylan.  It would be more distracting and kind of tacky.  I would also like to note that although I hate 70’s rock, I will give credit to Pink Floyd for creating memorable ‘experiences’ [via drugs/lighting effects/music].

does any1 have a memorable concert experience that were ‘fucking awesome’ because of a combination of the artists talent mixed with ‘a striking visual performance’ ?