Best (pop) concerts

So I am just back from the Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life show in Toronto (the only Canadian stop on the tour).  Pretty amazing band -- two of almost everything -- backup keyboards, guitarists, drummers, percussionists.  6 back-up singers, including his daughter (the one to whom Isn't She Lovely is dedicated to).  On some stops, India.Arie is the opening act and then joins the show.  Here she just joined in on 5 or so songs -- 4 costume changes (off-stage).  Great concert, though I wish he had started more or less on time -- it was 45 minutes late getting started.  Thus, we had to split as he was getting ready to do an encore.  Really wanted to hear that (on some stops it has been Superstition), but it was past our bedtime (and more to the point the baby-sitter meter was ticking...).  I've seen Stevie do a more hits oriented show in Grant Park in Chicago, so I decided it was ok to get out of there and beat the crowds on the train.  It actually was a pretty smooth ride back, maybe only 30 minutes to get from Union Station to home.

I'd say that this show is now in my top 10 of pop/rock concerts.  So that got me thinking about other great shows I've seen.  Now as it happens, I have not seen all that many pop/rock concerts -- far more classical and jazz concerts, and I wouldn't even attempt to pull out a top 10, though some day I could probably list a few of the most memorable.

In terms of my top 10, I'll just list what I remember, but will probably have to fill in details later (like year/venue and so on). (Actually, I am going to shamelessly steal from Spinal Tap and make it my top 11, since 11 is just so much more awesome than 10.)

Camper Van Beethoven, New York, 2003
This was a big surprise that they reformed and even managed to get one of the original members who had moved to Australia to come back for this one show.  I think it ran close to 3 hours, and they played a large part of Tusk (which was a high-concept album where they played Fleetwood Mac's Tusk).  It really was sort of an "event" for a relatively small handful of fans.  I've enjoyed all the times I've seen Camper Van and/or Cracker (I think it's up to 4 now), but this was by far the best.

David Bowie, Sound+Vision Tour, Detroit, 1990
This was supposedly the last time he was going to play most of his hits.  That didn't turn out to be the case, but I still had a great time, even if he didn't retire his hits afterwards.  We were on the main floor in the first 3 or 4 rows.  Sweet.

Steely Dan, Chicago, Chicago Theatre, 2008
This wasn't the tour where they played entire albums; it was just a tour where they had a really tight band running through the main hits.  I hadn't really thought they would tour together, but they seem to have gotten over their differences.

David Bowie, A Reality Tour, Rosemont/Chicago, 2004
Really great show -- a heavier, louder concert than Sound+Vision, drawing heavily on Earthling, which I like quite a bit.  From my understanding, we left and missed a second encore where he played "Panic in Detroit," but that may not be accurate.

Bruce Hornsby and the Range, Detroit, 1990
Cowboy Junkies opened for them and were incredible, far more dynamic than they usually come across on their albums.  Great show.

10,000 Maniacs, Detroit, 1988
This was actually at Pine Knob, a bit north of Detroit.  Again, a bit louder and more dynamic than what is on the albums.

Stevie Wonder, Songs in the Key of Life Tour, Toronto, 2014
See above

The Who, Pontiac/Detroit, 1989
They actually played at the Pontiac Silverdome, not Detroit proper; this is was the tour where they played most of Tommy.  It was also one of the very last tours before they became total caricatures of themselves.  You'd probably have to pay me to see The Who now.  I've heard that they will finally stop touring in 2015, but I'll believe it when I see it.

Depeche Mode, The Singles Tour, Rosemont/Chicago, 1998
Pretty much what it says on the tin.  The lead singer was just back from rehab and the band sounded great, playing mostly hits and some b-sides.

Tragically Hip, Chicago, 1995
This was at Metro, which was always standing room only.  They played slightly over half the material off of Fully Completely, plus some songs like Nautical Disaster and New Orleans is Sinking, that I wasn't very familiar with.

They Might Be Giants, Flood Tour, Vic Theatre, Chicago, 2009
They came through and played all the songs on Flood, but unlike some of these other album-centric tours, they mixed it up and played other hits as well.  I've seen them 4 times, including in their hometown of Brooklyn.  All were great shows, but I think this was best.

Runners up: Psychedelic Furs in New York; Roxy Music in New York (Rufus Wainwright opening); Sade with India.Arie opening, MSG in New York; Duran Duran in London (my wife really wanted to see the original line-up back together); Hall and Oates in Chicago; Steve Winwood in Vancouver; Sting in Grant Park, Chicago; Midnight Oil in Grant Park, Chicago; Barenaked Ladies in Grant Park, Chicago (mostly but not entirely singing children-oriented songs); Local H at a street fair in Chicago; The Waltons at a UT hang-out.

I just remembered seeing the original line-up of Everclear at Metro 1995 or so where they were playing off Sparkle and Fade.  Now that I think about it, that show is threatening to break into the top 11.  Probably would make the move "upstairs" if it had been the follow-up tour where they had some other great material from So Much for the Afterglow.  Now that Alex has reformed the band with some young pups, I'm less interested in seeing them.

I may recall some other really great concerts and shuffle the order a bit, but this is basically what I think of as the best concerts I've seen.  This actually is most of the pop/rock concerts that I have ever seen.  As I said, my focus has always been more on attending jazz or classical concerts.