I love music (doesn’t everybody?) and I love going to concerts when I can. I’ll see just about anything but these are a few shows that I really want to see and am willing to go to greater lengths to make sure that I do one day.

David Bowie

Hopefully I don’t need to explain why seeing David Bowie live would be the amazing but, if you need some help understanding, just look up the word “cool” in the dictionary and you’ll probably find his picture. He has managed to put out great music over the decades despite changing his musical style and even his persona too many times to count. Unfortunately, he hasn’t toured in a few years and I’m not aware of any current plans to do so but if he did, I would do anything I could to see him. If you’re not familiar with his music, do yourself a favor and check him out on YouTube. Chances are you’ll hear something you recognize even if you didn’t know it was him.

Paul McCartney

I love the Beatles but I’m pretty sure the closest I’ll ever get to seeing them in concert is on DVD or by playing Rock Band. Sir Paul is still alive and kicking though and since he wrote and sang a few of The Beatles’ songs they’re sure to make an appearance at his shows. The Beatles’ songs plus hits from Wings and his solo career earn Sir Paul a place on my list.

Radiohead

Radiohead is on this list even though I’ve already seen them on the In Rainbows [iTunes] tour. The concert was excellent and I want to see more from one of my favorite bands of all time. Like David Bowie, Radiohead experiments with many different music styles while maintaining a signature sound. If Radiohead ever plays near you, do yourself a favor and make sure you’re there.

Beck

It’s Beck and I grew up in the nineties. Armed with a guitar and a Rhyming Becktionary, he crafts the kind of amazingly catchy songs full of nonsensical lyrics that I can relate to and want to see performed live.

Outdoor music festivals

Nothing sounds more exciting then spending a few hot summer days surrounded by thousands of sweaty people and buying overpriced food and drinks. That aside,  I’ve always wanted to go to a music festival but have never had the chance. Although it might only be a one time thing, I feel like it’s something any music lover should do at least once. There are plenty to choose from but Bonnaroo and Coachella are two that I’ve been interested in going to for a long time.

SXSW

The final item on my concert list is another music festival but, unlike the previously mentioned ones, this one takes place at over 80 locations in downtown Austin, TX. The music portion of SXSW takes place during the second half of the festival and it isn’t just performances. During the day there are music panels where you can hear artists and professionals in the music industry talk about pretty much any aspect of music you can imagine. When the sun goes down over 80 venues feature hundreds of bands. There is so much music that everyone should be able to find something they like; just check out the schedule for day one for  this year. You probably haven’t heard of a lot of these (I haven’t)  but that makes it a great opportunity to discover something new; there’s plenty of well known bands too!

There certainly are more concerts that I hope to see; these are just a few that I really want to see. Each of these artists’ groundbreaking contributions to music through innovative style and sound have earned them a place on my concert bucket list and as some of my favorite musicians.

So what’s on your list? Leave a comment and let me know.