My Morning Jacket. I'm like their records, but it does not hold a candle to seeing them live. And oddly enough Damien Rice. I like his album okay, and wasn't expecting much from the show, but it was great. I heard he is hit or miss though.

I'd have to say the Constantines. They are a great band to watch live.

This one is easy for me, because I only think that their albums are okay. But...
Primal Scream
was one of the best damn shows I have ever seen.
They came 1.5 hours late for a midnight show and the crowd was pissed at their tardiness. Downright hostile.

By 30 seconds into their set the whole freaking place was moving and dancing our ASSES off for the next 2 hours.

I was exhausted the next day, but it was well worth it.

2 bands that i LOVE LOVE LOVE their recorded output, but their live show still blows it away: my morning jacket and wilco.

What about bands whose records you don't like but who are amazing live?

grateful dead

I think Obner is strong enough to support 3 similar threads. I just don't see many shows of bands whose album I don't like. Living in Louisiana, means you hear the album and see the band later.

add sigur ros to my list.

Actually I think the opposite. American Beauty and Workingman's Dead are killer, but I have no use for anything live from them.

I think Busty said this about David Gray (sp?).

Porcupine Tree. Prog rock, and just killer shows from very accomplished musicians.

Drive By Truckers

MMJ is the poster-band for this topic---so much better live, and I love their albums.

I've got friends who dislike their albums that I dragged to an MMJ show 2 years ago and they left the venue thanking me. They've seen them every time they've come to town since that first show.

When are they going to release a live album?

i pray for news of this every night before i go to sleep.

Queens of the Stone Age

Ours. Definately. Their albums have been pretty average, which is probably why they haven't gathered a huge following. But hearing his voice live will blow you away.

King Crimson, without a doubt. I love the band in general, but there's no way around it, live they completely kill their studio material. There are very few acts that I will say that if you like their music, you NEED to see them live, and even if you don't, you still NEED to see them live to appreciate what's going on.

funny i was going to say the same thing. i am not the biggest fan of their recorded stuff...but live - they kick

gives me the chills hearing his voice..good stuff

yup. they blew me away at cmj... i like their albums okay, although the new one is creeping into my top 20.

i also have to say explosions in the sky. i love their recorded stuff, but seeing them live just kicks you in the ass and then some. i can't wait for when they come back to la next month!

les savy fav. they've put out some okay albums, but they are dynamite live. i don't know anyone who saw them at intonation festival and didn't think that they smoked away every other band there.

i've been sick the last two times that they've played near me. last year, some curmudgeon said it was easily the best show he'd seen all year. that's when i knew i should've toughed it out. the time before that, they were playing a room with a capacity of maybe 100. i should've been at both of those shows! i'm going the next time, even if i am sick.

yeah i saw them at atp last year, and i didn't think an all-instrumental band could blow me away like the way they did.... the emotion you feel through their music was just simply something that words can't explain, and not many bands do that me. definitely go see them the next time they're in town!

Th' Legendary Shack*Shakers. Greatest band I've ever seen live, no joke. The album I have is good, fun but nothing I put in very often.

the go! team
the hold steady