dates are always a bit hazy:

Circle - i can't say enough how great these guys are live...got my head blown clean off twice this fall.

Acid Mother's Temple - pure retarded magical chaos. another band I will always go see if they are in town.

Califone - pros...just beautiful to watch do their thing.

Shellac - well...you all know...never really disappointed...even at their sloppiest.

Jesus Lizard - the rumors are true!......i miss those guys

Ween - they are really good...no....really.

Fugazi - Tho not always on point...there have been a few times where they ruled the world for 45 minutes.

Cheap Trick - The one time I saw them I was just astounded..and this was when they were touring those reissues...I can only imagine what they must have been like in their prime.

The Dirty Three - Every time.

God Head Silo - fanfreakintastic...crap your pants good.

Circle - I love this band....

Justin from Queens wrote:Harkonen about a year and a half before that. They were a piece of work, much more aggro live than on record (which surprised me). Not that Ben from this has gone on to the wild and wonderful world of These Arms are Snakes, who should be on this list somewhere.

Ben isn't playing with TAAS anymore.

Harkonen (with Casey) were great live.

Local H. Never, ever, ever phoned in. Seriously. I don't understand how people silently worship AC/DC and refuse to give this band a glance because they had an annoying radio single.

McLusky.

You Will Die - band from Indianapolis. no, i'm not in them. But check them out if you ever get a chance. Amazing live rockitude.

QOTSA - Metro 2002, when they played one of no more than a dozen shows with Dave Grohl. Balls.

HUM.

Trenchmouth.

gillian welch and david rawlings

juno

Brainiac (ChampaignX2, Fireside)
Jesus Lizard (Peoria, ChamX2, chicagoX5?) every time
Bonnie Prince Billy Band (Lounge Ax--i see a darkness)
Vic Chesnutt (Schuba's, my birthday some year or the other)
Yo La Tengo (the first four times, the last two, they were just very good)
Rocket From the Crypt (Champaign + LAx + Metro)
Blue Meanies (a shit ton of times in high school)
Mr Bungle @ Metro on California tour, holy shit.
Trail of Dead (LAx, Metro, Bottle)
Fugazi in Peoria where they asked everyone to sit down
Blonde Redhead (Fireside, Metro, Fireside)
Thrones (fireside)
Sonic Youth @ the Rave in Mkee last year
the Ex (LAx-the other two times were brilliant, but that show killed me)
Built to Spill (LAx as a three piece)
Deerhoof (Open end and intonation)
De La Soul in St. Louis five years ago
Goodie Mob blew my mind that night, too.
Radiohead were incredible in St Louis and Grant Park
David Byrne @ the Riv and the Park West
Rachel's @ Abbey pub this year

good work, bands!

I forgot two who totally brought it, one rock band, one jazz dude.
The rock band was Far, the emo band from Sacramento. I saw them four or five times, and every time they left everything on stage.

The jazz dude was Matthew Shipp, solo. Fucking tore my face off at a little joint in San Francisco six years ago.

tful 282
camper van beethoven 1987&2004
unwound 1995
godheadsilo
john fogerty, 1998. damn straight i was there, 3rd row. played the hits. i might have cried.

Mclusky 2004
Rye Coalition 2003
Ed Gein 2005

Restricting myself to bands seen more than, say, three times, so as to be confident they consistently Bring It (and therefore, alas, leaving out many who most likely do/did, but I've personally only seen 'em once or twice, like Killing Joke, Subhumans, P-Funk Allstars, or Sun Ra & His Cosmic Love Arkestra):

NoMeansNo
Alice Donut
Constantines
Black Flag
D.O.A.
The Jesus Lizard
Ray Condo
Pere Ubu
Meat Purveyors
SNFU
Michael Hedges
Sun City Girls
Three-Day Stubble
Tupelo Chain Sex

...so many more...

fall out boy