Most unforgettable/mind blowing prog song you saw performed live?

[the illusionist]

Great question... I was 18 years old in 1970, living close to SF and The Fillmore, Winterland, etc. Saw so many great shows, most I can't
remember anymore. But the most mind blowing show I can remember was when the Mahavishnu Orchestra opened for ELP in a year I'm not
sure of. I was so blown away, I can hardly recall any moments of the ELP performance.

[Skeptrick]

I'd say for me it would be the entire Kenso show at NEARFest.

[flowerking]

I really wasn't a fan of prog until around 82 (big Yes fan earlier than that) so I missed most of the bands during their heydays. I first saw Genesis in 1982 and they played Suppers Ready, but it was the first time I had ever heard the piece. So my list isn't going to be as great as many of those who have already posted (or will be posting). But here's my list:

1. Suppers Ready - Steve Hackett Genesis Revisited (last year)
2. Black Page New Age Version - Zappa 1988 tour
3. Garden of Dreams + Stardust We Are - Flower Kings 2001
4. Scheherezade - Renaissance Nearfest Apocalypse
5. Remember the Future parts I and II + Tab in the Ocean - Nektar Nearfest 2002
6. Childlike Faith in Childhood's End - VdGG - Nearfest Apocalypse

[GuitarGeek]

I don't say that "If you don't see God during a Magma show, you never will" for nothing. Certainly the two NEARfest shows and the French embassy show, there was certainly a divine presence in the room.

Other such instances:
1. Yes playing Soon and Revealing Science Of God in Cleveland on the Open Your Eyes tour
2. Yes doing Hearts and Awaken in Cincinnati on The Ladder tour
3. Close To The Edge and Ritual on the Masterworks tour, in Nashville
4. In The Presence Of... at Radio City Music Hall on the 2002 (first tour with Wakeman since the Union tour)
5. The Musical Box playing Supper's Ready at NEARfest 2004 and also when I saw them do the Trick show in Cleveland circa 2006-2008 (I forget exactly which year I saw them but it was in there someplace)
6. Maybe not quite prog, but California Guitar Trio encoring with Bohemian Rhapsody at NEARfest 2001
7. Definitely not prog, but still a big one in terms of "awesome": Robert Hunter making eye contact with me (I was in the third row) as he sang the first verse of Ripple when I saw The Other Ones in Cleveland, November 2003.

[Dave (in MA)]

It was kind of cool to hear UK (Jobson, Wetton, Machacek, Minnemann) finally play Nevermore after 30-some years. Hearing Genesis play the Duke suite in the intended order in '80 was nice, too.

[schlongasaurus]

Interior lulu at the Marillion weekend in Montreal 2009.

[Chris Kemp]

Four holes in the ground by Pfm opening for Welch's fleetwood Mac at Chico St. Never heard of them before. Never forgot them after. They became my favorite band. Saw them the next week at Winterland where they proved their greatness was no fluke.

[Tangram]

I missed most all of the classic lineups of the major groups but that doesn't mean I didn't see some unbelievable concerts. Most unforgettable, Pink Floyd, Giants Stadium, 70,000 people totally silent for SOYCD. Of course Gilmour's soloing on Comfortably Numb with all of the effects is the top of the list.

Honorable Mention
Biko - Radio City 82
Genesis - MSG I believe the ABACAB tour. Anytime Banks got soloing, the drum duo and Mike Rutherford on drums with Whodunnit. Ok the last one was just to see if you were paying attention, but seriously it was fun in concert.

[mogrooves]

So many...

On the Magma tip....."Mekanik Destructiw Kommandoh," '73
Mahavishnu Orch. - "Meeting of the Spirits," '71

"The musical box"

+1, '72

Gentle Giant doing the Octopus medley!

+1, '74

KC doing "Sailor's Tale" or even "Schizoid Man"

+1, '71

"Supper's Ready"

+1, '72

ELP live for the first time just after their debut record came out

+1

[bob_32_116]

Another vote for Supper's Ready. Others: Turn of the Century, Awaken, Cinema Show, Us and Them, Anesthetize (PT).

I haven't experienced any of these live, unless you count the sort of medley that the Tree did of the middle part of Anesthetize combined with Russia On Ice, which did not do justice to either song.

[chalkpie]

One entire concert that stands out for me was Tribal Tech in Albany, NY in 1995. I had only heard a few tracks before this show. I chatted with Scott at the bar (not even realizing he was in the band; he had dreads or braids - can't remember), hit the and and was BLOWN away when they opened with "Stella by infra-red .....". Willis and Covington just RIPPED it to shreds - I was giggling like a little girl. Mindblowing for me at the time.

[-=RTFR666=-]

UK at the Painesville Agora, 1979 Danger Money Tour

[Stumpybunker]

Gog- VDGG at Wulfren hall Wolverhampton. The world was wiped clean after this
Awaken -Yes Union tour Wembley- Magical
Brave- Marillion Brave tour Town and Country Club (i think)- i was totally immersed in this. the lights the musicianship

[jkelman]

First time seeing Genesis at a small arena in Montreal. We were sitting front and center on the floor and when those magnesium flares went off at the end of "supper's ready" and Gabriel, previously dressed in that black robe with the inverted pyramid headgear, suddenly appeared in white sequins and the group went into the final minutes if the piece...and the show...well, that was as close to religion as I think I ever got.

There have been many great shows since, of course, but that one still sticks out as giving me shivers thinking about it, more than 40 years later.

Runners-up? ELP performing Tarkust at the NAC in ottawa; the first time I saw yes, on the bottom of a triple bill with Bodk Sabbath and Alice Cooper and, not knowing who they were, being absolutely flabbergasted by , in particular, Howe; the first time I saw Mahavishnu Orchestra, '72 I think: McLaughlin, dressed in all white with a double neck guitar, steps to the mike and asks for a minute of silent contemplation....and then the band starts at a decibel level that's as close to that of a jet engine as I may have ever been.

So many more, but those are some of the real mind blowers. We'll not talk about the first of just two times (honest) that I dropped acid, at Frank Zappa show with Flo & Eddie....I remember it surprisingly well.....

[Ten Thumbs]

Gentle Giant- On Reflection - any tour
Three Friends version 1- Three Friends song as played in Coolham England
Jethro Tull - A Passion Play - aPP tour
Pink Floyd - One Of These Days -1994
the list could go on

[JKL2000]

Not sure I can narrow it down to one song, but it was definitely something from when I saw King Crimson on the Discipline tour. Amazing show.

[rich]

Genesis standouts, Los Endos 1976 at Berkeley Community Theatre, Eleventh Earl of Mar in 77 at Winterland, Fountain of Salmacis in Oakland Daryl tore this up!, Dukes travels/Dukes end 1980, and Suppers Ready at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley 1982.

Anything from Close to the Edge, love them all live but the song Close to the Edge in particular is my favorite... always feel bummed out when it's not in the set list.

[Dr. Weber]

Certainly a contender: "Karn Evil 9" on the Brain Salad Surgery tour.

Or "The Gates of Delirium" or "Sound Chaser" on the Relayer tour.

[Reid]

Pat Metheny-Finding And Believing on the Secret Story tour.
Zappa-Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbeque on the '88 Tour (part of this performance ended up on the Best Band CD.)
Chick Corea Elektric Band performing their entire debut album in '86
Allan Holdsworth-Non Brewed Condiment, opening for Corea at the same show.

[SteveSly]

Would have to be either Yes doing "Awaken" on the 1991 Union tour, or "The Gates of Delirium" on the 2000 Masterworks tour. I'm not old enough to have seen the masters in their prime back in the '70s, alas.

“Awaken” on the “Union” tour ranks right up there for me too. David Gilmour and Richard Wright doing “Echoes” on the “On And Island” tour was pretty amazing as well. Another one that comes to mind was seeing “Marillion” do “Ocean Cloud” which was incredible. The Flower Kings doing "Stardust We Are" as the sun went down at ProgDay 98 was pretty special too.

[nosebone]

Not sure I can narrow it down to one song, but it was definitely something from when I saw King Crimson on the Discipline tour. Amazing show.

That 81 tour was indeed amazing.

[FKYES]

Transatlantic- Coming on stage to begin Into The Blue as the Progressive Nation At Sea cruise left port in Miami. Ive seen some great moments but nothing topped this. It was surreal.

[Adrian]

“Awaken” on the “Union” tour ranks right up there for me too. David Gilmour and Richard Wright doing “Echoes” on the “On And Island” tour was pretty amazing as well. Another one that comes to mind was seeing “Marillion” do “Ocean Cloud” which was incredible. The Flower Kings doing "Stardust We Are" as the sun went down at ProgDay 98 was pretty special too.

Steve, you and I were probably at the same Union show! Kalamazoo?

[Progtopia]

I'm not exactly sure why, but Gabriel's rendition of "Digging in the Dirt" on the So 25th anniversary tour wrecked me.

[progeezer's ghost]

Asia- Heat of the Moment at Park West in Chicago back in '05 or '06 (JK )

Not individual songs, per se, but PT playing the entirety of Fear of a Blank Planet on June 2, 2007 at the Rave in Milwaukee and/or marillion playing the entirety of Marbles in 2005 at the Park West in Chicago.

honorable mention (not quite prog, but): TSO performing The Lost Christmas Eve last winter. The first and only time I've seen them, much like the above acts, and the lasers and 3D graphics were delightfully OTT.