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foxesfred Aug 07 2014 at 11:12 AM	Like many of you I have followed Pat for 30ish years. My very favorite experiences are his live performances! I’d like to ask all if you could recall and /or describe any of those very special live shows that you had the good fortune to attend.I have one in mind from the 80’s and want to see if anyone else felt its artistic impact.
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tilbanup Apr 08 2018 at 9:05 AM	Living in Australia I have only seen him with the trio In Perth 2006 and once in Singapore with the Unity Group both were exceptional for different reasons.
MarcNebo Apr 06 2018 at 12:10 AM	Jazzmeister, Thank you. I didn’t move to San Diego until 1986. I can visualize driving on to the campus from the South end of the campus and turning West. It was in a seated auditorium. Maybe around 1990. Regardless a great show.
molesoulsandal Apr 04 2018 at 8:55 AM	i honestly cannot pick my ’favorite’ pat gig . . . . virtually every one of ’em (and i’ve been fortunate to have been in attendance to so many) have been complete & total ’christmas in july’ experiences, so t’ speak.
Jazzmeister Apr 02 2018 at 1:42 PM	MarcNebo I only saw PMG live once at UCSD’s main gymnasium in Nov. 1984. One of my fondest memories! No stage, no audience seats, just Pat and the boys at ground level and the entire (small) audience sitting right on the basketball court hardwood floor practically at Pat’s feet. I was no more than 10 ft. away from him. I was quite young then (19) and ended-up there with my older brother & his best friend who had just recently discovered PMG. Though I was a full on Rock’nRoll head at the time, that was one of my best and most educational breakthrough moments in my musical journey. I replied to your question thinking that I saw PMG at USCD sometimes around 1987, until I checked the PMDB archives and discovered I was about 3 years off! What a shocker!
MarcNebo Sep 22 2017 at 4:53 PM	Bucky60 if you are still out there I remember that show at the Milwaukee County Zoo. I remember Pat playing the Synclavier guitar and first making it sound like a Wolf howling and gradually making it sound more like a guitar. Don’t remember the fog, but do remember it was a great show.
MarcNebo Sep 17 2017 at 10:30 PM	The last two nights I visited Marc Morvan’s Pat Metheny Database Live to help me remember when and where I caught Pat live. My best estimate is at least forty times starting in 1977 and in five states. Does anyone remember seeing the PMG at UCSD between 1986- 1990?
Dahdoo Sep 13 2017 at 12:35 AM	Hello community. I’ve been listening to Pat since American Garage when I was in h.s..Seen him over 20 times in 4 different states. Its tough to choose, but i did see him at Town Hall in NYC where he, and the group played yet un-named tunes that turned out to be the Offramp album. Very cool to know that I witnessed history. Also very please that my wife of 27 years loves Pat as does our 21 yo daughter who sings jazz, and while in her hs, did an awesome version of Minuano with her jazz choir. Matheney has been for me, and I suspect for many of you a big part of my life.
JerryMessinger Jul 14 2017 at 8:51 PM	Someone below mentioned the Britt Festivals in Jacksonville, Oregon, my home zip code. ’95 We Live Here, I remember that one too! Those perfect summer nights. ’84 Hult Center in Eugene, First Circle (may still be my #1 album but there are so many good ones...) but ’87 at Britt was an amazing performance, and the smoke from the ’87 fires rolled in that evening, created a mystical, weird aura that seemed to go with the music. Three years later I’d start a career in Wildland Fire Fighting. 27 years into it now flying Air Tactical. Funny someone mentioned social media has killed the garage, I was here early on in the late 90’s too. First time in a while.
toneman Feb 07 2017 at 8:09 PM	DALE! Thank you so much for reviving this thread! What a treat it is to read everyone’s responses and to re-live all of these incredible shows. Amazing how Pat’s still going and going. There’s a few of them Energizer Bunnies out there... anyhow I noted someone below mentioned Mike Stern - am off to see him Feb 9 in Markham and looking forward to that. Brief funny story: while in university I learned that if you wrote a review for the student paper you could get free stuff; so I reviewed the Brecker record Don’t Try This at Home, and got to keep it. Then the tour comes to Toronto so I go to review it, but read up a bit on the band first, which included Joey Caldarazzo and Mike Stern, and the "literature" on Stern was unsettled on whether you’d call his music jazz or fusion or what; I had learned by then that if you lurk around after a show, you might get lucky and meet the performers (as I did a few times with Pat), so I got to meet Stern after the show so I asked him, How would you describe your music? His response : "Instrumental, man, instrumental". I still chuckle to think of that. I’d say Pat’s music is instrumental to me!
Dale (Motown) Feb 03 2017 at 8:32 AM	Just popped in to say hello to everybody! (It’s been a few years since I’ve been here; I go waaay back to the late 90s, when this was THE place before Social Media, LOL). Anyways, we continue to admire Pat’s timeless music and performances! I miss those great parties we used to have when he’d frequently include Detroit on his tours - although he has been to our Jazz Festival, recently...
ShannonInJax Jan 31 2017 at 9:57 PM	I’ve seen him at least 18 times. It would have to be a tie between the first time I saw him which in itself was pivotal. I was on the front row at Florida Theatre in Jacksonville in 1987. And I got to see "The Way Up" tour in Orlando at House of Blues where the floor was general admission standing room and we were actually leaning on the stage during the show. Can you imagine being surrounded by other PM fans and that close to the band while they performed that album?
Kooltrane Dec 31 2016 at 5:15 PM	Favorite show? The Handle Bar in Greenville SC. Intimate setting w/the Trio; Mc Bride and Antonio. PM is at his best in the trio IMHO.
BobSmith1 Dec 31 2016 at 12:31 PM	facing west--My vote for post of the year to you. I was fortunate and privileged to also see one of the Pat Metheny Group's First Circle concerts, this one at UNLV’s Artemus Ham concert hall in Nov 1984. I’ll never forget the Forward March Walk-In. To hear Pedro at his peak... Thanks again for that post, you hit the bulls eye regarding Pat’s dedication, work ethic and super-human stamina.
facing west Dec 29 2016 at 11:37 AM	I’ve been fortunate to see Pat play in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Seattle. All incredible shows in their own way. Foxesfred, I’m not surprised that the ’85 show at Centennial Hall in Tucson was it for you. The ’85 show at Toronto’s Ontario Place stands out for me for a few reasons. It was a unique venue. Lightening flashed just before the band took the stage, and people rushed in from the surrounding hills to take cover and sit in the aisles, creating a sense of drama and anticipation. No one was sitting for long. The band came on with Forward March, and proceeded to burn the place down. Metheny's group set up on the edge of a revolving stage (the only band that I know of to experiment with this), bringing them practically into the audience, creating added intimacy and a sense of movment. And Pat and the band really connected with the audience. One standing ovation after another. Another killer aspect of the show was the vocals, with Pedro in his prime. For the final few numbers, the band was joined by Perri, a vocal jazz-gospel-R&B group of four sisters who got together after being inspired by ... a Pat Metheny show. Perri joined PMG on over 25 gigs that year. Hope there is a live recording somewhere in Pat’s home studio. Toneman and I have exchanged comments about the Ontario Place show before. As he said, it was a great summer night. The 2005 Montreal Jazzfest was also special. Pat’s passion for the music was super-human. As the featured artist that year, Pat played around town with a number of guests, with shows often going into the early hours of the morning. The Wednesday night show with Charlie Haden was sublime. On Friday night Pat joined Gary Burton and Steve Swallow for a much-anticipated reuntion, with Antonio on drums. It was wildly successful. Just an hour or so later Pat again took the stage at a more intimate venue, this time with Dewey Redman. Okay, we’re talking beyond sublime here. But there was more. Around midnight Pat came back on stage to duet with fellow guitarist and former mentor Mick Goodrick. He looked as fresh as when the evening began, with one inventive idea after another flowing seemingly without effort. I’m pretty sure I was more tired than Pat. I remember getting home around 2 or 3 in the morning. Meanwhile, Pat was on his way down the road to play a Saturday night The Way Up gig with PMG in Ottawa. That’s no easy drive, by the way, never mind the show. I needed to take a day off to recover. Sunday afternoon in Montreal was probably 95 degrees plus, and humid. My wife and I were sitting in a cafe when we heard a familiar sound. We walked outside to see Pat and the band doing soundcheck. There were probably 100 or so people gathered around, some calling out requests. It was like a mini-concert. It was incredibly hot in the sun, and I got a small sense of the dedication that it takes to put on a show. I stumbled back to our hotel room to crash for a few hours. As you can see on YouTube, the evening show in front of over 100,000 people was a spectacular exclamation mark on a remarkable week. Another great summer night, and another reason why Pat Metheny is the greatest musician of his generation, and among the greatest of all time.
Bikenjazz Oct 20 2016 at 10:05 AM	Summer of 95 (I think).........We Live Here.............outdoors on a beautiful summer night at the Britt Festival theatre in Jacksonville, Oregon..............
franksexton Oct 17 2016 at 9:47 AM	my first one was the ID tour, they played ID in its entirety PLUS practically everything that was on The Road to You album Plus are you going with me.
angieale Oct 13 2016 at 1:17 AM	Saw Pat too many times, it’s so hard to me choose 1 show. But I remembered an Athens last show of tour, was my birthday... what a gift! I am very grateful for all. Angie
drakebill Sep 27 2016 at 11:23 AM	Stephens Auditorium,Ames, Iowa, 1981, the day after my 21at birthday. It was the Offramp tour, so it was the first time I ever heard AYGWM? . Also, the performance of As Falls Wichita, with Nana’s vocals and dramatic lighting effects. First of dozens of Pat shows over the years, still best concert experience ever. Best, best, best.
patsfan Nov 17 2014 at 7:44 PM	Bob ..... I am envious, the Greek theater in Beserkeley 3 times for We Live Here, one of my favorite albums now. But the Paul Masson concert, I am so sorry I missed that one. .... I am always going back and watching the DVD of the concert .... Yes, the Heat of the Day !!!! .... Pat gets into the music so intensely and it’s amazing to watch. But also his introductory piece on the Pikasso. And being from Ca (Davis) I absolutely was in heaven when the Mondavi announced a last minute concert for 25 bucks !!!!!! The group was.given the Mondavi for 2 days to totally prepare the tour East. Anyways , it was unforgettable, as you know. And I have seen them in Florida, most recent Mahaffey.
BobS Nov 16 2014 at 5:03 PM	My first time has to rank at or near the top because of the overall impression it left on me. It was the Still Life tour, Knight Center, in Miami. My jaw hit the floor a couple of times. Best overall show since then was probably at the Greek Theater in Berkeley on the We Live Here tour (which I saw 3 times). Sound quality, set list, and overall playing put that one right up there. Someone mentioned the Mountain Winery gigs for Imaginary Day and I attended the first two, which were special. Hearing September 15, which happens to be my birthday, brought me to tears, as did Pat’s solo on Heat of the Day (watch Pat at the end of that solo). The Secret Story tour (the then brand new Performing Arts Center in Ft. Lauderdale) was unexpected. And perhaps the best non-musical moment was riding in the elevator at my hotel after the Kin gig in Davis, CA last August with Antonio.
naut Nov 11 2014 at 4:17 PM	I couldn’t say what Pat show was best for me; I’ve seen so many, and all were excellent. But there was a soundcheck he did back in the ’80s in Fayetteville that has stuck with me for over 30 years. He was just jamming, but the riffs he got in that small hall the afternoon of the show were, yes, amazing. (Loved the SS show/tour; that’s high on the list.)
mugsy Nov 11 2014 at 2:06 PM	Like many of you, I have seen dozens of Pat Metheny shows. Solo, trio, quartet and beyond. Each show has had something special that I walk away with. For example, the Speaking of Now show was the first time that I actually got to meet Pat. I was frozen like some stupid kid meeting his idol. I didn’t know what to say! The next time was at The Way Up concert and I was much better at saying "Hey, thanks for all the great years..." or something like that. I think it was The Way Up that really knocked my socks off musically! I saw that show four times along the California coast. Each show was just different enough to make it worth the price of the ticket and the transportation, etc. I can’t remember any show that was disappointing in any way! Every Pat experience is unique and exciting. Even his Orchestrion Project had me in awe. The man is a genius and I can’t wait to see and hear what is next!
toneman Nov 10 2014 at 9:25 PM	He tends to draw huge crowds in Montreal. Had a similar sized audience show up for Letter From Home show all them years ago. Quite fitting since Every Summer Night was inspired by you crazy Montreal fans!
patsfan Nov 09 2014 at 6:28 PM	Defoy ...... Yeh, I am holding in my hands right now ’The Way Up. .... Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, July 10, 2005 ’. 68 min of pure enjoyment.
defoy Nov 09 2014 at 1:28 PM	In 2005 at the end of the Montreal jazz festival. In front oh 100,000 or more. It was a bit windy but the time was perfectly cool. They play the Way up. When i think of that evening,. i’m still smiling. And in 5 days, i will see again this incredible musician, this time in Québec city. Long live to you Pat.
patsfan Nov 03 2014 at 8:06 PM	Well, I have seen countless Pat concerts, all grooved in my memory., but this is about a concert I always regretted missing. It was the Imaginary Day concert at the Paul Masson Winery ..... It is the basis for the Imaginary Day DVD . If you don’t have that, get it. I’ve come to appreciate this music , which at first was not my favorite. .. But it has great continuity and groove, culminating in ’The roots of coincidence’ .. But each tune before and after have a continuity that I never appreciated.
yossarian Nov 03 2014 at 10:00 AM	In 1989: I’d just seen Mike Stern/Bob Berg in London, which was great. We had tickets for PMG at Hammersmith (LfH tour)... my girlfriend said to me ’Stern and Berg was incredible, never seen anything like that - this Metheny guy can’t match that surely’ I said, knowingly, ’keep your powder dry on that one’. And so it proved... remains to this day the most spellbinding gig I’ve seen... but of course the band have matched it since, it’s just that I knew what to expect. Mind you, the Unity Band gig in June was beyond even my expectations, as mentioned below, it was a very special night, a legendary gig, an ’I was there’ one. My girlfriend was there too.
cartpros Oct 24 2014 at 6:55 PM	The intro for the WE LIVE HERE show I saw was one of the best concert intros ever. I have yet to see it on YouTube or anywhere else. They didn’t do it on the DVD. It was just Pat with a guitar showered in foggy lasers playing the synth lead for that track all alone. Unbelievable. Any one else see a show where he did that?
Bikenjazz Oct 12 2014 at 8:21 PM	Seems that there is a continuing thread concerning First Circle..........amazing live performance as was the transforming "Still Life Talking" tour.....seen in Portland, Oregon, and seeing the group at the now defunct "Place" near Sea-Tac airport in Seattle. But by far it was an outdoor concert in August 1995-96? at the Britt Festival in Jacksonville, Oregon................stunning night outdoors...........it was the "We Live Here" tour.....till the end of the world it was that night.............temporarily transformed more than a few people in three hours.....
MarcNebo Oct 09 2014 at 7:53 AM	I have lost track of how many times I have seen Pat Metheny live. My best guess would be fifty times. The last time was this year with the Pat Metheny Unity Group. The show was excellent, but what made it so memorable was that I partially sponsored the gig. The best benefit was meeting Pat and the band backstage after the show. Will be hard to top that night.
foxesfred Oct 08 2014 at 10:37 AM	Thanks to all for your most interesting responses. I am not surprised that several responded that it was the First Circle tour that stood out from many, many excellent shows. That was the tour I had in mind from my original post. I caught them at Centennial Hall on the campus of the Univ. of Arizona in Tucson. I arrived late as they had like a 4:00 start time. I was so late, that I parked my car illegally right next to the building. I ran in and as soon as I sat down Lyle comes down the aisle blowing trumpet on Forward March. Pat was on stage and really getting a kick out of the crowd’s reaction. They played the tune and the place is going wild. Pat moves right in to Yolanda You’ll Learn and after picking up his synth the entire place was on their feet and the music is melting impressions into our nervous systems that we’d never forget. To think of the emotion the group can conjure up by hitting the notes of what we know as electric amplified music! Pat was having a GREAT TIME. He laughed as much as he did playing w/ Bruce Hornsby on this summer’s Campfire tour. All of his shows have equally great moments, but this one was ELECTRIC LIVE.....
toneman Oct 05 2014 at 7:35 PM	in response to the initial question - so hard to pick one as each has been unique and memorable, but the medal goes to the virgin experience for me which was First Cirlce tour (Pedro!) at the Ontario Place Forum in Toronto - the one that used to rotate & you could sit on the grass under the stars. life changing for me. posted about it here before and one of you noted how that night Pat himself made a comment to the effect, we’re really on tonight. in my experience there hasn’t been a show where he has not been dazzling in some respect.
blisterfree Sep 06 2014 at 3:32 PM	I think what Pat has proven he can do, time and again, is to write symbolic works of fiction, sort of the soundtrack to our lives as opposed to his own, necessarily. Yes, there’s a smattering of autobiography and socially-conscious journalism here and there as well, I suppose, but it’s hard to do that sort of thing with instrumental music, especially jazz. Frankly it doesn’t matter to me where Pat gets his inspiration, and I would even probably find it a burden if every album had some huge, poignant backstory that I had to know in order to "get" the music. That’s what Dylan is for. With Pat, it’s a Secret Story, a Way Up, an Imaginary Day, and every listen is a little bit different from the last, based on my mood, based on what’s happening in my life. That’s the beauty of fiction over non-fiction. Of course sometimes it’s not about finding transient meaning of any sort, but simply enjoying the jam. Pat does that pretty well too, eh?
foper Sep 05 2014 at 7:18 AM	Blister… I didn’t mean to imply that no emotion exists in Pat regarding his music. I do think the music itself drives him emotionally. But, if you’ve watched his many interviews, it’s all about the music itself and not really from any specific inspiration in his life. The closest thing I can come to is Pat’s comments on ‘TWU’. He admits TWU was inspired by what he was observing of our time, the attitudes of our society; that it was sort of ‘protest’ to those sentiments. My memory about ‘Secret Story’ had something to do about a breakup or something like that. I don’t know if Pat actually said this or if it’s just rumored. ‘A Map of the World’ is the closest I’ve seen where he actually wrote something that perfectly fit the situation. If you’ve watched that movie that ended with that scene where Pat is playing the theme song, it was absolutely perfect. I don’t know if Pat felt the conflicting emotions of pain and joy that came out in that scene when he wrote that song; but I feel it. But I get the impression Pat approaches writing and playing from a standpoint of ‘how can I become a better musician. How can I push myself to that next level?’ Perhaps ‘mechanical’ wasn’t an accurate term. It’s about the music and not some connection to an event in his life or emotion; at least most of the time.
gaellepage Sep 03 2014 at 1:45 PM	hi everyone, i saw Pat 3 times this year, at the olympia in paris this summer, after the show, pat was busy with VIP and journalists downstairs (i tried to go there, i told a stupid story to the security staff, it didn t work out but we had a big laugh at it !!!! ) so we were about 5 or 6, we waited outside until 1 h 30 am, then suddenly someone came out and invited us to come in, pat showed up, very nicely signed cd´s and pictures, chatting to us, i was a bit impressed actually, i didn t dare to do anything, didn t want to annoy him, and he shout "are we done guys !!!! i love pat so much, he is my number 1 favorite artist, for his virtuosity, all his songs, his work ( I have all of is albums) , but i don t mind him as a person cause i don t know him ( maybe one day !!!!!) that i want to say is after 3 hours show, it s been so kind of him to come to see us, i guess he cares about his fans so pat, you are great !!!!!! thx to chris, ben, antonio and mr carmassi as well and again, thank you so much, Pat, for your music ...... gael from paris
blisterfree Aug 28 2014 at 7:24 PM	Pat’s music born from something mechanical, as opposed to emotional? I just don’t see that at all. I’m a late bloomer here and have only seen Pat a handful of times, all within the last few years, but it’s still absolutely clear when watching him that what he’s doing is about as far removed from being "an exercise for its own sake" as one could humanly get (as if what we’re hearing on the records weren’t equally as revealing). Of course the music means different things to different people, and no doubt Pat recognizes this, thus his reluctance to put too fine a point on inspiration and interpretation. But as I believe he stated in a recent interview, it’s all about speaking a musical vocabulary fluently, without really thinking about which words to use. The words just flow, otherwise they get in the way of communication. Clearly Pat uses different words in different contexts to achieve different results, but it seems to me that the entire lexicon is so well developed that writing and performing are beyond anything rote or mechanical. Of course Pat has his distinctive and familiar phrasings, but when a PM tune comes on you know it right away from the boundless ideas flowing directly from the man to the instrument, unfiltered.
bxl12378 Aug 28 2014 at 2:25 AM	I understand very well those last comments.I had the chance to talk to Pat back in 2002 before a gig he was going to play later on that night. So what do you tell your absolute idol, face to face? I asked him if he was aware of his music meaning so much to people. I told him that AYGWM had changed my life, that I take it with me where ever I go and that I had listened to it some several thousand times...Pat was very polite and thanked me but I guess that he must have been thinking that there was something wrong with me...For him it’s just something he wrote, a musical proces. For us, it’s that tune that helpes us, closing our eyes, to see that coast line again, or those beautiful mountains, our children, our deceased friends our relatives, etc.But still, when ever I’ve seen Pat perform , it was always with a lot of commitment.And that’s what makes it so great. He must have played AYGWM some hundred, thousand times but still plays it as it were the first.
foper Aug 27 2014 at 3:50 PM	mort… I hung around after the Kin/Campfire show at Wolf Trap and Pat didn’t come out. The security people came up to us and told us the place was closed. When I mentioned I was hoping Pat would come back out on stage for a meet and greet, she said he had other obligations. I think it had something to do with being in the DC area and Ben is from DC. I’ve also heard Pat talk about how he approaches music as being more of being simply about the music and not with any intent of inspiration, or something to that effect. I think I remember him saying that’s why titles are hard for him, because the tunes aren’t born out of any inspiration. It seems so mechanical to me. But I am in the same place you are that Pat’s music has also brought me out of some really dark places; and if I had the opportunity to tell him, after all these years, I would. I just hope he understands that, even though he doesn’t play to inspire, his music not only inspires people emotionally on a plethora of different levels, but also on a musical level.
mortbike Aug 27 2014 at 12:19 AM	it is so hard to pick just one, but during the first circle tour we saw the group in santa Barbara , next night , LA then they added a show at UCI bren center. it was general admission , so I arrived very early. there were no lights on or anybody in the ticket booth. I wandered over to the stage door where the crew was unloading equipment, after a while 2 cars pulled up , out came pat and the band. I was wearing a first circle shirt, pat asked me how I liked the show, I somehow got "great" out , they signed my shirt, still have it!!!!.. pat then invited me in to watch the sound check, after it was over he came down and we spoke for about 10 minutes , couple of things I took from this, pat is very down to earth and easy to talk to. also when I told him his music pulled me out of some deep dark places, he said, I don’t write music meant to inspire, I just play what I hear. someone wrote about pat coming out after the show, I have waited as well,,, it is always worth it. one night after a show in san diego, he was getting ready to leave and said did everybody get a picture or something you want signed?,, the last few tours he has not come out, I hope im wrong, has anyone stayed around and did he come out????????
bluepno Aug 26 2014 at 1:32 PM	Chet Baker ...Lulu Whites Boston near the end.
bluepno Aug 26 2014 at 1:25 PM	at the jarrett concert he nearly walk off after 15 minutes of the playing unless a photogragher was thrown out...he pointed directly at the guy... Then he went on and played an amazing evening of music.
bluepno Aug 26 2014 at 1:14 PM	Pat sitting in with some biker rock band must’ve been 74-75 in north Connecticut..he did a Hendrix tribute.
bluepno Aug 26 2014 at 1:12 PM	Miles davis at Kix Boston...we want Miles tour...Bill Evans lulu whites and Jazz Workshop...Pat metheny Speaking of Now, the orpheum Boston...metheny Higgins Haden Paradise theater Boston...Gary Burton Dreams So Real tour west Hartford Conn w/ Chicorea Return To Forever...The Pat metheny Grup free concert at Bushnell park brand spankin new white Album stuff. Art Blakey Jazz Messengers at jonathan Swifts Cambridge...Paul Winter Consort Constitution Plaza Conn...Minnie Ripperton/ Weather Report Weslyan University...Horace Silver Lulu whites Boston.Miles avery Fisher Hall Bill Cosby sat in front of us...Miles opera house Boston....Jarrett solo...Wang theater..Tord Gustavson Charles Hotel Cambridge....Lyle Mays Willow Jazz club Cambridge. Thx for jogging the memories. ok..Stephanne grappelli Charles Hotel Boston w. Bucky Pizzarrelli. Dave Holland and Jim Hall duets cambridge.
sunship Aug 25 2014 at 3:14 PM	I guess mine was in 1993 at the Tilles Center at CW Post College on Long Island.I guess technically it was in support of Letter From Home. They opened with Forward March (walking through the crowd down the aisles) jumped into Phase Dance. I remember First Circle, AYGWM?, Minuano, Have You Heard. What a fantastic night. - Then I wound up sneaking back stage and talked to him for about 20 minutes. All types of stuff, we talked about Holdsworth, Michael Hedges, Leo Kottke, and about Pat’s upcoming album, in which he told us, "I cant wait for you guys to hear the new album" in his midwestern drawl. That album turned out to be Secret Story. He was really charged up before that release.
harn Aug 25 2014 at 9:44 AM	Mine would have to be Manchester Apollo (UK) May 4th 1985 on the First Circle tour, simply because it was the first time I’d seen Pat play live and it was mind blowing. Every concert I’d attended up to that point was forgotten, there was a new benchmark! I seem to remember it began with a strange (to me at that time) wailing sound which turned out to be Pat on the Synclavier, he walked out from the side of the stage playing while the rest of the band came through the audience like a marching band playing "Forward March" I spent the next two hours with my spine tingling at the wonderful music, most of which I was unfamiliar with at that time, well I was only 15! Pat signed my program afterwards, I still have it. A non musical highlight was in 2005 on the Way Up tour. I went to the Hammersmith date and was staying over the road at the Novotel. We were in the bar afterwards and all of the band except Pat himself, came in and sat at the next table, it turned out they were staying there too. We had a really good chat to Lyle Mays who was quite a character, very unlike his studious stage persona! Great people, great music, it doesn’t really get any better than that!
bxl12378 Aug 25 2014 at 6:46 AM	My favourite show will always be the one where I saw and heard the PMG perform live for the first time(for me that is) AYGWM?That tune is my absolute drug and I must have put in on some 15,000 times by now(yeah I know, there’s some medical help for me somewhere out there).Was about 20 years ago and I cried when it started, not ashamed to say so...Second best? Last June at the Hammersmith Apollo. Am still not over that one...a lot of emotions.
Arlie Aug 18 2014 at 7:20 PM	I may be dreaming this, but during a show in the late 1980’s at Pittsburgh’s Station Square amphitheater (which was a former train station located along the banks of the Monongahela River, with train tracks running right behind the stage), a train came along behind the band as they were playing "Last Train Home". Pat did not seem to be amused, but I thought it was magical.
BUCKY60 Aug 18 2014 at 7:46 AM	Anyone posting here remember the Travels Tour and the performance at the Milwaukee County Zoo? This was the first PM concert I attended. Pretty sure it was the summer of "82. I posted this on another post a couple of yearas ago. The concert was performed outside in a tent. The nite was warm and humid. Towards the end of the show a natural fog began to cross the stage. This gave a surreal feel to the show. I am sure this was not done with any fog machine. The sound was excellent and the "natural special effects" just capped things off.
jk Aug 17 2014 at 4:12 PM	wow. just got up from a nap, and i’m thinking (half asleep) - i don’t know what was memorable. then the memories came pouring in. of the close to 70 pat experiences, very many were quite memorable. 36 years worth. pat man, you are old!!
foper Aug 14 2014 at 10:49 AM	Great story Will. I think Pat is pretty notorious for stopping for autographs and chats and such. Rather than doing the backstage pass thing, he likes to come out on the stage (if he has time) at the end of a show and meet any lingering fans. I didn’t hang around at Blues Alley because I was with a girl and didn’t think she’d want to just sit around. But when I saw him at Merriweather Post Pavilion in (I think it was) ’81 my friend and I decided to stay seated and wait until the crowd thinned out so we didn’t have to fight traffic. Then suddenly Pat and the group came out on the stage and started signed stuff and chatting. So we decided to chance it and make our way down there. After some pretty convincing begging the little security guard girl let us go on through. We managed to get his autograph on our tickets. I was too poor to buy any of this memorabilia. After moving here and there over the years, I have since lost that ticket. But my friend still has his.
tiny_tim Aug 14 2014 at 4:17 AM	Lisbon, Portugal at the Coliseu - June 2003...."Speaking of Now" Tour, saw it with some friends, dropped them back to the parking garage and came back to the Coliseu front entrance. Steve Rodby was speaking with a couple of music students, one an Italian Double Bass player, and her classical piano friend (who had never seen a jazz gig). I joined in and Steve had to go and out comes Antonio and we start speaking with him. After a while he asked where the Hot Clube was, one of the best Jazz Clubs on the Iberian Peninsula. I knew the way as a frequent visitor to the Hot Clube (whe it was at its original spot before the fire in Dec 2009) when I was in Lisbon for my professional work. We get there, head down to the cave, and the local band is gigging. The toilets are out the back in a lovely little garden. So I head to the garden and guess who was there with several musicians looking over their compostions and giving some pointers...PAT! First time to meet him face to face in all my years. A most magic night.
Willbur Aug 13 2014 at 8:20 AM	Great story, foper and reminded me of a similar occurrence that happened to me. It was 1996 and I was at the Village Vanguard in NYC for the first time, to see Pat play with Joshua Redman during the "Wish" tour, with Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins. The Vanguard is historic of course, but it’s a tiny place, downstairs and seats about 120. I also got there early and got a table up front next to the stage - and then nature called for me also and I made my way thru some narrow, winding area behind the check-in counter and opening the door to the men’s room, there was Pat. Not really the way I envisioned meeting a hero of mine but since Pat was on his way out, I did blurt out a surprised "Hi Pat!" and got a "Hey, how are ya?" Of course I did not try to extend the conversation under those circumstances. But Pat is so cool - at the end of their set, as they were walking offstage, my sister who was with me, blurts out "Hey Pat!?" He stops, steps forward, leans down and goes "Yes?" (GULP) I’m thinking, uh, WTF sis? And she asks "Was that ’James’ you just finished with?" Pat says "Yeah it was!" And I always remembered that, that someone of his stature would stop and answer some stupid question an adoring fan would blurt out. Pat may be a better human being than he is a musician, which of course says a lot.
foper Aug 09 2014 at 10:42 AM	I saw Pat at Blues Alley back in ’83 with Billy Higgins and Charlie Haden. Blues Alley is a really small place. I got there early and got a table right up front. You could count the nose hairs. The place is an old townhouse converted into a concert venue. So the steps to the right of the stage go up to the bathroom. I had to go. When I got to the top of the steps there was a room off to the side that was the sitting room for the band before the show. There wasn’t a door but a curtain. I heard them talking and peeked my head in. I think Pat said something like “hey dude, how ya doin’” So I chatted for a couple of minutes. When the show started Pat started with an improvised solo on his Synclavier. I guess the equipment sapped up so much power it kept tripping the circuit breaker. After the third trip he gave that up and picked up his acoustic and did a solo on that. It was a long time ago but I remember leaving there in a daze. The one show I absolutely regret not seeing was ‘The Way up’ tour.
HAMBONE Aug 09 2014 at 10:26 AM	This one has been brought up before and I still have to say the Travels tour in 83 was my all-time favorite PMG show.It was amazing in every sense. Nothing since has topped it, although a few have come close ( SON, TWU and most recent UG). But my all-time favorite show still remains Joni Mitchell’s S&L. Such a great experience from the band, music and crowd I was with on that magical night in Philly, summer of 79. Ah, the good ole days!...
bootybandit Aug 08 2014 at 10:55 AM	’First Circle’ tour, Grand Opera House, Wilmington, De. Had seen PMG Live a few times prior. First time my wife had seen them with me. When they performed ’First Circle’ (mid-show); the bands and the audiences adrenaline kept rising, and at the conclusion of the number, the entire house just ’Flipped-Out’; jumping out of their seats. I’ve never seen anything even close to that at a jazz show. There was nowhere else on the planet I would have rather been at the time. I’ve been a Huge ’Yes’ fan (seeing them 40 plus times), and they could accomplish this at the Spectrum in Philly. But this topped anything I had been a part of there. Absolutely Fantastic! BTW, many other great moments by Pat and Co. over the years; but this night took the cake. Thanks for asking. Peace
BobSmith Aug 08 2014 at 9:05 AM	I remember all of the shows I’ve seen but the one that stands out as the most enjoyable was Seattle Paramount Sep 87 for the Still Life Tour. It was the first time I had seen the group in 3 years and I’d been listening to the CD for a few months and was really amped up. I had great seats and was able to catch all the action. My most striking memory is them doing an encore of a still-as-yet unnamed Letter from Home with Pat on the little soprano guitar. You could have heard a pin drop.
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