What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?

I was driving in the rain last night and traffic was of course, horrible.

It wasn’t the normal case of “just add water and drivers go crazy” kind of horrible but it was, nonetheless, as bad. Cars were lined up, stuck in the road for hours because the lights were out and there was pretty much not enough space to maneuver your car and go anywhere else, not even to change lanes.

So before I suffered from claustrophobia or extreme boredom, I turned on the radio and listened to music.

When you drive for hours everyday like me, you get tired of listening to the same music from the CD player or iPod in your car. I would have downloaded music videos from You Tube at that time but the rain made it impossible for my phone to get a decent reception.

So the radio it was.

The radio station was playing Alanis Morissette and she was singing You Learn at the top of her voice. I sang with her at the top of my voice too because the rain was pounding from the heavens, there was no soul to get annoyed with my creaky voice, I was already tired and hungry and I didn’t care.

Surprisingly, that turned out to be three full minutes of major Karaoke fun for me.

Speaking of Karaoke, I saw Alanis in a concert years ago back when she was MTV’s queen of alternative music and most of her songs were so popular then that the concert became an absolute sing-along. It was fun though, don’t get me wrong. However, I preferred to hear Miss Morisette’s voice rising above that mass commotion from her young croaky audience.

The sing-along started to bother me though two songs before Alanis’ final song because I really wanted to hear her voice live. Blame it on the sound guys or the 20 something year old Alanis for not minding being upstaged by her audience or my fellow youngsters who thought getting your money’s worth meant getting your voice hoarse from too much screaming and singing out of tune with thousands of crazies doing the same thing.

It was one of the most forgettable concerts I’ve ever been a part of but it was a great experience, nevertheless.

I’ve always been a concertgoer and I’ve been to a few. Some were good and some were not worth writing about. I saw most of the concerts in Asia and a few in the U.S. I won’t reveal much about where and when they happened but I’ll share a few snippets about them.

Here goes my list.

Menudo

The Menudo craze swept Asia in the mid-80’s to the early 90’s and all the young girls went gaga over Robby Rosa and the rest of the Puerto Rican male band. Ricky Martin was 12 or 13 when they came by for a series of concerts. Their concerts were sold out the first time and I missed it. When they came back, our parents bought me and my sisters tickets so we could watch. During the concert, everyone wrapped colorful strings on their pants, arms and heads Menudo-style. It was grade school awesome.

Swing Out Sister

It was held in a really small venue so the whole affair was kind of personal. Remember the song Breakout? The band sang and danced to their 80’s and 90’s hits while the audience listened and applauded in a timid kind of way. It was subdued and a little constricted. Very preppy.

MC Hammer

The concert was held in a big venue like a basketball arena that could probably seat more than 20,000 people and it was filled to capacity. MC was still big at that time and everyone was awed by his dancing and rapping. All I can remember now are those weird pants that he popularized in the 90’s and the words “Hammer Time”.

Barry Manilow

Everyone took time off to see Barry’s concert or so it seemed on Valentine’s day. The huge football field that hosted his concert was full to the rafters and teeming with love birds and love struck men and women who probably hoped to fill the void with Barry’s timeless love songs. Somebody proposed to his girlfriend onstage with Barry standing next to the couple and they caught it on tape. The couple got the tape courtesy of Mr. Manilow and they got the crowd’s attention too. The concert was a sing-along but Barry’s voice was so much stronger than his audience.

Phil Collins

One of the most memorable concerts that I’ve been to because it rained really hard during the last 30 minutes of the show and everyone was soaked. It was held in the same open football field as Manilow’s concert and the show was sold out. Interestingly, no one ran to seek for shelter. Maybe it’s because there was nowhere to go to. At least, not for those of us near the stage. It was an awesome concert. Phil was energetic and interactive and his stage was impressive with the big, moving carousel at the center.

Sting

Same open football field for his concert and same great, appreciative audience. Sting sang his new songs from his album and not much from his Police hits. I bought the CD prior to the concert so I was familiar with the songs but I knew a lot of people were a bit disappointed.

Roxette

Small venue for a Valentine’s show. They sang their hits like Dress for Success and It Must Have Been Love. It was short and sweet. Literally.

Bush

Before Gavin Rossdale became Gwen Stefani’s husband, he had a band. It was called Bush, a rock alternative group from the 90’s and they had one song that was a radio hit called Glycerin. My friend was in love with Gavin so we went to see the concert. Prior to that, we had the privilege to meet the band backstage at the TV station where we worked for. My friend had a picture with them. I did not have one primarily because I was too shy to pose with them and I really didn’t like Bush that much. When the concert started, a lot of teenage kids dashed to the front stage and moshed. Somebody was overwhelmed by the adrenaline rush and threw a bottle of water in the band's direction which hit Mr. Rossdale. Ouch.

The Corrs

I saw them twice both in small venues so the effect was cozy and personal. Andrea Corr was thin and petite and pretty and she rocked the house down. When they sang So Young, the venue exploded from all the young people who could relate to the lyrics of the song. It was a true Gen X experience of a lifetime.

Julia Fordham

Her concert was by invitation only and was attended by socialites and business moguls. I had the privilege to attend because of my job. I brought my best friend with me too. Advertising is the bomb. The event was understandably timid, controlled and sophisticated. Very Julia Fordham.

Journey and Cheap Trick and Heart

Journey came by and we wanted to see and listen to Arnel Pineda, the new voice of Journey two singers after Steve Perry. It was held in a jampacked venue that could accommodate at least 20,000. The concert was sold out. I didn’t know about Cheap Trick then but I recognized one of their songs from That 70’s Show. Heart was awesome and Ann Wilson’s voice was timeless. Journey, of course, did not disappoint. The concert was a pleasant surprise. Arnel Pineda’s voice was flawless fronting a classic rock band with seasoned players the caliber of Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain who wrote Don’t Stop Believin, Ross Valory and Deen Castronovo. Arnel worked the stage like a hyper teenager. No wonder there were a lot of young people who watched the concert. As we all headed back to the parking lot after the concert, the crowd collectively sang Anyway You Want It and a bunch of young guys blasted their car speakers with Journey’s classics. Fun.

Lady Gaga

Gaga’s concert was colorful from start to finish. From the audience in their creative and elaborate costumes lining up to get to their seats to Lady Gaga’s grand productions. There was a sea of champagne and blonde wigs, high heels and swimsuits during the concert as worn by Lady G’s fans. Interestingly, three young women in revealing swimsuits, high heeled boots, fishnet stockings and catwoman masks were seated next to me. I felt overdressed in my jeans and dressy top. One guy came only in underwear covered with caution tape while a young woman came in a bikini and fishnets. It’s comparable to Madonna’s concerts in the 80’s although the audience then was relatively tamer and more conservative.

Muse

They played as U2’s front act and they were great. Their music was alternative with a different twist. It’s classical and rock intertwined. The band did not have any audience interaction at all but I guess, that was the image that they wanted to portray. Leave the entertaining to the older dudes.

U2

The concert was held at a football stadium that could seat 100,000 people and it was amazingly filled to capacity. Bono’s voice was not on point that night but Bono is Bono. He wowed the crowd with his signature stage antics and classic songs. Edge and Larry were subdued, playing on the sidelines while Adam and Bono worked the crowd. Typically, U2 had their political moments where they promoted their supported causes. The stage was huge with the space theme and the humongous fixture looked like a giant alien crab with all the light effects.

It was the best, most unforgettable concert that I’ve ever been a part of to date.

Certainly, I’ll be hoping to watch more live concerts in the future. Mr. Big, Duran Duran, Madonna, Billy Joel and Tears for Fears are on my list.

I definitely regret not seeing R.E.M., the original Smashing Pumpkins, No Doubt, MJ and Pearl Jam when they were still making the rounds. I guess, You Tube should take care of that problem.

How about you? What’s the best concert you’ve been to?

Got a list?