I will condense this into life changing events over the last twenty plus years:
Black Flag, 1984.
Minutemen, twice in 1984.
COC, 1985.
Honor Role, several times, 1986-1989
Butterglove, 1989
Die Kreuzen, 1984


I am sure I could think of more, but as far as this kind of thing goes, I can't really say I have had my mind blown by a band since.

BOREDOMS - last night. holy shit!

tim wrote:BOREDOMS - last night. holy shit!

Huzzah! They owned St. Paul last weekend at the End Times Festival, in a small dive bar with a micro-stage just barely big enough for all V∞redoms drums and people, if you can imagine that.

(Also owning at the one night of the fest I attended: Burning Star Core, Yowie, and XBXRX!)

a show that sticks out for me was a band I don't even listen to that much on record. Trans Am! holy shit, they brung it and rung it. downstairs Fitzgerald's in Houston, around '96. it's a little bitty space with a 6 inch riser for a stage. they weren't human at this show.

also,

the first time i saw Dirty Three, around 95 or 96 also. they came to town opening for Beck at Numbers. Of course, I did not attend this event. but they got Emo's there in Houston to let them play a show at about 1a.m. I had never heard of them, but my friend dragged me out there on a work night when I had to be up at 7. They were so on. They played until at least 3 in the morning, and the club kept selling beer. We got trashed, they completely rocked. I might have spermed in my pants even. I've seen them a few times since, and they have never come close to the energy they put out at this show.

the adolescents "bring it".

one of the best shows i've ever been to.

USS Horsewhip

les savy fav, november 2004. in a basement / art gallery. first australian tour. fucking amazing.

The Constantines.

Every time.

I saw Torche at the Emissions from the Monolith festival a couple years ago and they nearly had me in tears. I was completely spent by the end of their set.

Ditto for Dove, while we're in that lineage.

Alabama Thunderpussy leave me with an absolutely paralyzing case of rock neck every single time I see them. I'm sitting here right now unable to turn my head because of their set in New Haven on Halloween night.

Keelhaul turn me inside out.

I saw Maceo Parker about 5 years ago and he was the most charismatic, magnetic live performer I've ever seen. The entire crowd was eating out of the palm of his hand for the entire 2+ hours of his set.

Dixie Witch are a primal force live. Christ, they just blow the top of your head off and then jump up and down in the exposed brains.

Big Business have never failed to blow me away.

Pearls & Brass have only lost me once in the 4 times I've seen them and that was partially because I was high out of my mind and exhausted.

High On Fire are live gods. I foam at the mouth at High On fire shows.

Ween are a consummate live band. An enormous repertoire, effortlessly recalled, and their sets are always a little different. I saw them on two consecutive nights one weekend in Winooskie, Vermont and the sets were almost entirely different. They cover an incredible sonic range in their live show. (If only their shows weren't full of annoying, smelly hippies.)

Sonic Youth-the Vic (Chicago) 2004

Shellac-some weird engineering building (Milwaukee) 2006
"a fucking assballs decent band" -some guy in the crowd

Houndrunner-The Corral Room (Madison) 2006

http://www.myspace.com/houndrunner

I'm sure there's more, but these are the shows that popped into my head immediately. Les Savy brought it too. I also saw the Wilco show in Madison that they released a few tracks from on the extended version of "A Ghost Is Born."

Yeah, nothing very original or exciting from me.