Put that unspent ticket fee money to good use at your friendly neighborhood record store and pull up a chair to the most intimate show in town.

I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS WHO really dig music, like me. Makes sense, right? In fact, music has been the catalyst of many of my friendships—we’d either meet at a show, or randomly hang out at a show if one of us had an extra ticket, or bond talking about some show we were both at and didn’t realize we were both at the same show. Basically, I have a lot of friends that I find myself with whom the subject of conversation is constantly focused on music. These people are my kindred spirits, and the well of possible discussions we can have about music will most likely never run dry—probably because music is an unstoppable force that keeps being reborn, over and over again, year after year. There is always something new coming out, because there are virtually infinite possibilities when it comes to the composition and production of music (which also happens to be a topic of discourse amongst my peers and I). I know that with my musically inclined friends I can basically say whatever I want about music, no matter how blasphemous, and they won’t judge me (too much) because we all know music is subjective and maybe, just maybe, not EVERYONE has to love fucking Nirvana. And these are the people that seem to be the last people on earth who know how to appreciate an album.

Nobody listens to albums anymore because they want to customize their own listening experience through playlists and Internet radio. What they may not realize is that an album is a curation all its own: an artist or band has taken the time to not only write and record these songs, but sequence them in the order in which they are meant to be played. It’s a playlist they’ve shared with the world, and it’s beautiful. But then it’s ripped apart and pieces are thrown here and there with other pieces, creating new mosaics of sound that are admittedly enjoyable to construct and listen to and ultimately share with others. I admit whole-heartedly that I love to make playlists. But I also respect the structure of the album, even in these crazy times where everything is all clicks and drags and drops and more clicks. Sometimes that one double-click at the beginning is enough.

That’s why live albums are great—because if you take the songs out of context, they usually sound weird on playlists because they often have weird starting and end points, sometimes in the middle of a roar of applause. When that comes up on a playlist, it interrupts the flow and can be quite jarring. But that’s not the only reason live albums are great. They also showcase a band at their strongest, often in their element under the pressure of performing onstage, and that raw vulnerability comes through with each unseen rush of adrenaline. Live albums cut out all the hundreds of takes and hours of mixing and mastering and present you with the true power of music in its live setting.

I’ve taken the liberty of compiling a list of what I feel are the most exquisite examples of an artist or band taking to the stage and turning a night out at the theater into an unforgettable experience—and then capturing it, so it can be revisited again and again. Keep in mind this is just a small selection of the plethora of live albums available these days, so if anything, let this inspire you to find some recordings of your very own favorite artists.

The Band – The Last Waltz

 Where/When: Winterland Ballroom (San Francisco), November 25th 1976

Why it’s so good: On Thanksgiving Day in 1976, The Band held their farewell concert at legendary show promoter Bill Graham’s Winterland Ballroom, a now-defunct venue once located in San Francisco, about two blocks away from the famed Fillmore Auditorium. The concept of the “final” show (they got back together and resumed touring in the mid-1980s) came about as the result of a combination of elements, ranging from physical injury to mental weariness. Those lucky enough to attend the show were treated to turkey dinners and ballroom dancing before The Band’s lengthy set, which in itself included appearances from several A-list guest artists, including Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, and Neil Young, as well as Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan, both of whom The Band served as a backing/touring band for, before becoming its own artistic entity. The concert was originally documented as a concert film by none other than Martin Scorsese, and includes artist interviews and insight into the total experience of being present at the show. The film is heralded as one of the greatest documentations of live music ever produced, but the album is where the sheer genius of the artists’ is truly felt.

Key Tracks: “Up On Cripple Creek”, “This Wheel’s On Fire”, “Acadian Driftwood”, “Forever Young”

Band of Horses – Acoustic at the Ryman

Where/When: Ryman Auditorium (Nashville), April 2013

Why it’s so good: Back in 2013, Southern folksy rock outfit Band of Horses played two nights at Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium, offering stripped-down acoustic versions of songs lifted from their first four albums. Though much of the band’s material isn’t know for being particularly heavy or “plugged-in,” these new versions shed light on the more delicate nuances of BoH’s songwriting style, drawing the listener in with rich vocal harmonies underscored with softly evocative piano and guitar. If the version of “The Funeral” that appears on this collection doesn’t tug at every one of your heartstrings, then you are probably dead inside (which is fine; it is 2017 after all so you do you, boo).

Key Tracks: “Marry Song”, “No One’s Gonna Love You”, “The Funeral”

The Chemical Brothers – Don’t Think

 Where/When: Fuji Rock Festival (Japan), July 31st 2011

Why it’s so good: Long-regarded as one of the best live electronic acts out there, the UK’s Chemical Brothers finally showcased their talents on a global level with the release of Don’t Think in 2012. The album is a recording of the Brothers’ headlining set at the 2011 edition of Japan’s Fuji Rock Festival, as the duo was touring behind their 2010 album Further. Their expertise as producers and performers is exhibited through their skillful maneuvering of their beats as they weave their already impressive compositions into one giant, unbroken tapestry of electronic sound. The set includes both old and new favorites, and the only official recording of their excellent “Superflash,” a song I personally fell in love with when I saw them on this very tour in Miami earlier that same year. The album is also packaged with an accompanying video of the set, which allows hungry fans to catch a glimpse of their equally remarkable visual setup.

Key Tracks: “Swoon/Star Guitar”, “Don’t Think/Out of Control/Setting Sun”, “Superflash”

Daft Punk – Alive 2007

Where/When: Palais Omnisports de Paris-BercParis), June 14th 2007

Why it’s so good: Daft Punk—the French electro-house duo made up of virtuosos Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Momem-Christo—have been no strangers to enigma over the course of their 20+ year career. From their specially-designed illuminating helmets to their rare and erratic public appearances, Daft Punk have utilized their love of mystique to not only keep their fans intrigued, but also as a statement, letting the music speak for itself rather than being tied to the face of the artists. That being said, on the rare occasion that the duo does tour, they give fans exactly what they want: the ultimate Daft Punk experience. Alive 2007 was captured during their famous 2006-7 tour, featuring their giant electronic pyramid (which debuted at the 2006 Coachella Festival), from which they accessed custom-made computers using MIDI controllers and assorted mixers to blend elements of their music with live synthesizers and controlled loops and distortion. Much like The Chemical Brothers’ Don’t Think, this collection offers the opportunity to experience Daft Punk more as a performance, rather than just a recording, and at double the length of their first recorded live set (Alive 1997), it features a much broader sampling of the duo’s illustrious catalog. If Daft Punk ever tours again (God willing), it’ll be hard to beat the vibrancy of Alive 2007, but I’m sure they will not disappoint in the least.

Key Tracks: “Television Rules the Nation/Crescendolls”, “One More Time/ Aerodynamic”

David Bowie – Live Nassau Coliseum ‘76

Where/When: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Long Island), March 23rd 1976

Why it’s so good: Recorded during Bowie’s 1976 Isolar tour in support of his excellent Station to Station LP, this showcases the Thin White Duke during one of his true peaks: as an artist, as a songwriter, as an idiom. The Isolar tour followed the somewhat tumultuous Diamond Dogs tour, which was documented in the BBC film Cracked Actor (a live album by the same name featuring recordings from the Diamond Dogs tour was released earlier this year on Record Store Day. The concert was originally presented as a live radio broadcast, which was then widely distributed (illegally) as a bootleg before being included as part of the 2010 special deluxe reissue of Station to Station. Nassau is a fantastic snapshot of an artist reborn, a man bent on victory whose past struggles are gone but never forgotten. The combination of Hunky Dory favorite “Life on Mars?” into the triumphant melancholy of Ziggy Stardust opener “Five Years” is gorgeously executed, painting a portrait of a man finding beautiful, unexpected hope in uncertainty, demonstrating Bowie’s transformative grace like never before.

Key Tracks: “Station to Station”, “I’m Waiting for the Man”, “Five Years”  

Jeff Buckley – Live at Sin-é (Legacy Edition)

Where/When: Sin-é (New York), July/August 1993

Why it’s so good: Originally released as a four-track EP back in 1993, this was singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley’s first commercial release, recorded at the East Village coffee house Sin-é, featuring just Buckley and his electric guitar. The deluxe edition was released ten years later—six years after the singer’s tragic death—and featured his full concert over two compact discs, including some banter between songs during which he pontificated about dreams and The Doors. This collection shows Buckley at his rawest, and while these versions may not be as rounded-out or fully produced as the ones on his other live album, Mystery White Boy, they display a tender, more pensive Buckley before he reached the peak of his success.

Key Tracks: “Lover You Should’ve Come Over”, “Mojo Pin”, “Je n'en connais pas la fin”

Justice – Access All Arenas

Where/When: Arena of Nîmes (France), July 19th 2012

Why it’s so good: Access All Arenas isn’t Justice’s first live album – that honor belongs to 2008’s A Cross The Universe, which celebrated the electro-house duo’s first massive tour supporting the release of their excellent debut album † (pronounced Cross) just the year before. While A Cross is beautifully constructed and showcases the dynamic beauty of a pair of artists truly coming into their own as visionaries in their field, its with Access that we are given the opportunity to witness something even more spectacular: their evolution through style. Access documents the band on their tour behind their sophomore effort Audio, Video, Disco, which as studio albums go is admittedly somewhat lackluster, but these tracks are given new life in the live arena, pumping high-octane bass with snarling electro synths and pounding percussion.

Key Tracks: “Helix”, “Canon”, “Stress”, “Phantom Pt. II”  

LCD Soundsystem – The Long Goodbye

Where/When: Madison Square Garden (New York), April 2nd 2011

Why it’s so good: Recorded at was supposed to be the band’s final show, The Long Goodbye is a three-hour odyssey through LCD Soundsystem’s fascinating catalog, which only spanned three albums and a handful of EPs. Here, old favorites like “Daft Punk is Playing at My House” and “Tribulations” rub elbows with the more mature sounds of “Home” and “I Can Change.” As the band has since recently reunited and released a fourth LP (this year’s wonderful American Dream), the title The Long Goodbye seems somewhat caustic and dramatic, but it doesn’t really matter as the performance is unparalleled. And as you’re listening to James Murphy’s voice crack in the eleven-minute finale of “New York, I Love You, But You’re Bringing Me Down,” you can tell that, at the time, they really meant for it to be ‘goodbye,’ and it caused them just as much pain – if not more - for them to leave us than it did for us to lose them.

Key Tracks: “Dance Yrself Clean”, “All My Friends”, “Tribulations”  

Led Zeppelin – How the West Was Won

Where/When: LA Forum/Long Beach Arena (Los Angeles), June 1972

Why it’s so good: There’s no denying that Led Zeppelin are veritable gods when it comes to rock ‘n’ roll. From the wail of Jimmy Page’s guitar to Robert Plant’s calculated, blues-driven shrieks, the unmatched virtuosity of John Paul Jones to the mathematical fury of John Bonham’s percussive skill…there simply is no other way to put it. Led Zeppelin’s massive and diverse catalog has earned them honors at all points of the spectrum of rock music, from being heralded as the first real metal band to being known as the artists behind the last slow song played at virtually every high school dance (ugh, that part at the end of the song where it gets all fast? And you don’t know whether to keep dancing slowly or to speed up and awkwardly bop around with your hands around some girl’s waist? Ugh). If it weren’t for the untimely death of drummer John Bonham, we may have been treated to several more years of Zep, but the universe has its own way of doing things. Luckily, eight years prior to Bonham’s own ascension up the "Stairway to Heaven", Led Zeppelin played a couple of shows in SoCal and somebody decided to record it. The result is a three-disc masterpiece showcase of unbridled ability and flair as the four rock gods power through songs made famous by their first four albums (I, II, III, IV) and Houses of the Holy (which in my opinion is an oft-overlooked unsung hero of the LZ discography). All of the recorded material is raw, poetic genius, yet Disc 2 shines as the heavyweight champ of the bunch, bookended by a 25-minute rendition of “Dazed and Confused” and a live version of “Moby Dick” that features a Bonham drum solo that lasts over a quarter of an hour. This album is to played often, with relish; preferably with a steady head for banging and plenty of dexterity for those epic air-guitar solos – and always at maximum volume.

Key Tracks: “Since I’ve Been Loving You”, “Dazed and Confused”, “Moby Dick”  

Moderat – Live

Where/When: Velodrom (Berlin), June 5th 2016

Why it’s so good: One of my absolute favorite albums of last year (and show, for that matter) is this gem of a performance by German trio Moderat. Consisting of the duo Modeselektor (Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary) and Sascha Ring (also know as Apparat) came together to do an EP back in the early 2000s, which eventually led to a debut studio album seven years later. Two studio albums later, they embarked on a massive world tour, complete with intricate visual design including projected art and a fascinating light display to complement the trio’s uniquely eclectic, enveloping sound. Simply being titled Live is a nod to the band’s trademark minimalist aesthetic (their second and third albums were titled II and III, respectively), though sonically, they are anything but, as evident in the contrast of the cooler, silky vocals of opener “Ghost Mother” and the track that follows – pulsing instrumental number and breakthrough single “A New Error.” Each time seeing Moderat is like traveling to a separate dimension, though sadly the trio has called it quits (for now) to focus on individual projects, and their final tour concluded earlier this fall in their hometown of Berlin. At least, for the time being, we have this near-perfect portrait of the band at their acme to return to, and I plan to often.

Key Tracks: “A New Error”, “Reminder”, “Rusty Nails”, “Last Time”  

Orbital – Live at Glastonbury 1994-2004 / Live at Roskilde Festival

Where/When: Glastonbury Festival (UK), various performances 1994-2004 / Roskilde Festival (Denmark), 1999

Why it’s so good: Ok, so these are technically two separate albums, but they are both so wonderful and so vital that it would be an absolute shame to omit either one. Orbital – the fraternal UK electronic duo made up of brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll – came on the scene at the tail of the 1980s, just in time to drastically sculpt Britain’s rave culture into the sonically colorful and effervescent landscape that is recognized today, that which is secured as a vital pillar in the history of electronic dance music. Over the course of a decade (1994-2004), they performed at the world’s premiere music event – the UK’s annual Glastonbury Festival – on five separate occasions: 1994, 1995, 1999, 2002, and 2004. The two-disc collection Live at Glastonbury 1994-2004 provides a unique look at the brothers’ meteoric rise to fame and adoration while also offering a career-spanning retrospective journey in which the listener is able to experience Orbital’s metamorphoses over the course of just over two hours’ time, from their early days (“Impact,” “Halcyon,” “Belfast”) to their twilight years (“Frenetic,” “Doctor?”) leading up to their first parting-of-the-ways in 2004 (they have since reunited for an album in 2012, broken up again, and gotten back together, their latest reunion occurring just earlier this year). The other album, Live at Roskilde Festival, is much less of a vast recollection and more of a tableau, as this recording serves as a snapshot of the band’s middle years, appropriately capturing Orbital’s tour behind their 1999 album The Middle of Nowhere. Once again favorites from their earlier releases like “Impact” and “Halcyon” appear within the set, but much of this particular recording reads almost like a live rendition of the album itself, especially evident in the set’s opening one-two punch of the gorgeously arranged “Way Out” and the tempestuous techno of “Spare Parts Express.” With “I Don’t Know You People [Parts 1 & 2]” the concert seems to reach a fever pitch; that is until the frantic conclusion unfolds into a symphony of bliss. Orbital is one of the finest electronic outfits to ever grace one’s eardrums, whose talents in composition are surpassed only by their prowess on the stage, and while dozens (if not hundreds) of live recordings of their shows exist in the tangled corridors of cyberspace, these two make up quite the reverent pair – just like the two fine gents responsible for producing them.

Key Tracks: “Impact”, “Are We Here”, “The Girl With the Sun in Her Head” / “Way Out”, “Spare Parts Express”, “Satan”, “Doctor? + Chime”  

Pink Floyd – Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980-81

Where/When: Earls Court (London), August 1980/June 1981

Why it’s so good: The Wall is perhaps one of the most finely crafted pieces of art to come about in the twentieth century. There, I said it: what all of you were thinking – now it’s out in the open. No arguments allowed. Ha! I kid, of course. Not about The Wall being a fucking masterpiece (because it is), but rather about everybody blindly agreeing with me. In fact, The Wall seems to be one of the most divisive, polarizing artistic expressions to grace the face of modern (well, kind of modern) pop culture. Personally, I blame the film for all the bad blood that Roger Waters’ tragic operetta about a man’s inability to cope with his surroundings gets, because that movie is pretty messed up. Sonically, however, it is simply a wonderful thing to experience. The songs are not only catchy as hell, but they are packed with poetic nuance and political commentary that is still quite relevant, even forty or so years after its creation. When Pink Floyd brought The Wall to the live stage in the early 80s, the age-old question of ‘How the heck can this album be better’ was finally answered. This particular recording of The Wall being performed sounds almost like some deranged musical theatre production, yet at the same time the live setting gives the whole piece a sense of velocity and newfound purpose. The characters so beautifully penned into the original studio songs are now brought to violent, staggering life, and an instant classic is born anew.

Key Tracks: “Mother”, “One Of My Turns”, “Run Like Hell”

Portishead – Roseland NYC Live

Where/When: Roseland Ballroom (New York), July 24^th 1997

Why it’s so good: Oh, Portishead.  You were so good to us in the ‘90s, and now it’s like you’ve abandoned us.  This UK-based trip-hop trio breezed onto the scene and into our eerily morbid sensibilities with their fabulous 1994 debut Dummy, which was then swiftly followed up three years later with an equally breathtaking self-titled sophomore effort.  And then…nothing.  For more than TEN YEARS, nothing but silence emanated from the Portishead camp, until all of a sudden in 2008, our patience was rewarded with their third album, the brilliantly titled Third.  And now, we’re creeping up on another decade with no new Portishead album in sight; only a standalone single and an ABBA cover to keep us warm at night.  Thankfully, before retreating into the ether the first time around, Portishead teamed up with an orchestra and a NYC landmark (which has since closed) to offer up a collection of live versions of eleven of their best songs.  Upon its release, this live album also had a video companion offered a few months later, which is almost twice as long and actually features all of the musicians being recorded together at NYC’s Roseland Ballroom – which isn’t exactly true for a few songs off the album itself, as a couple of songs were recorded elsewhere (San Francisco, Norway).  Nonetheless, this album is terribly unique, as it shows singer Beth Gibbons stripped of her fortress of reverb and thrown into the pit with a bunch of classically trained musicians – and she does beautifully (as do band mates Geoff Barrow and Adrien Utley).  While nothing can top the one magical evening in which I got to experience a Portishead live show in person (on a pier, on the St. Lawrence River, in Montreal…yeah), this will always serve as a gentle reminder that hope springs eternal, and hopefully Portishead hasn’t given up on us yet.

Key Tracks: “Humming”, “All Mine”, “Glory Box”

Radiohead – I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings

Where/When: Various venues (France/Oxford/Ohio/Oslo), May-August 2001

Why it’s so good: Lifted from two of Radiohead’s most stunning albums to date, I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings follows the English alternative-rock quintet along a leg of their 2001 tour, spotlighting a handful of spectacular live cuts of songs from the highly-revered Kid A and its wacky younger brother, companion album Amnesiac.  Half of the album’s eight tracks were recorded in the band’s hometown of Oxford, while the other four were each individually recorded in places of varying randomness, from France’s Côte d’Azur to Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.  Not only does this collection contain the first-ever official recording and pressing of the elusive “True Love Waits” – performed brilliantly by frontman Thom Yorke using just an acoustic guitar and the ghostly genius that is his voice – it also includes a surprising take on oddball Amnesiac track “Like Spinning Plates,” trading layers of digital percussion and choppy static-tinged vocals for delicate cascades of piano and a much clearer and somehow more haunting Yorke on the microphone.  Radiohead seems to be a band that shies away from releasing live material (though several bootlegs exist), but when they embrace the concept like they’ve done here, they fucking bring it.

Key Tracks: “Like Spinning Plates”, “Idioteque”, “True Love Waits”

Rufus Wainwright – Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall

Where/When: Carnegie Hall (New York), June 2006

Why it’s so good: Honestly, the title says it all, but for those younger folk unfamiliar with neither the late great Judy Garland, nor her self-assumed “successor” Rufus Wainwright, I will humor y’all:  In  1961, eight years before her life was tragically cut short, Judy Garland  -- star of stage and screen (and the original American idol, mind you) – played a massive two-hour show at New York City’s Carnegie Hall to a sold out crowd.  The set featured songs from her long and illustrious career as America’s favorite entertainer, as well as some classics lifted from her own list of favorites, backed by a full orchestra arranged and led by conductor Mort Lindsey. It was heralded as one of the most spectacular performances ever put on at the famed concert hall, and was etched into the face of history overnight.

Forty-five years later, fabulous Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright (son of folk icons Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III) decided to emulate said concert in the only way he knew how – at the very same place, recreated VERBATIM over two nights in the summer of 2006.  Wainwright has often regarded Judy Garland as one of his very favorite entertainers, a stalwart symbol of the so-called “golden age” of Hollywood whose talents have been mostly unfortunately forgotten amongst the younger generations, and so this tribute serves as a reminder of not only her magnanimous talent and poise, but also his devotion to preserving her legacy as well as his own.  Imitation is the highest form of flattery, after all.

Key Tracks: “Puttin’ on the Ritz”, “You Made Me Love You/For Me and My Gal/The Trolley Song”, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”

Talking Heads – Stop Making Sense (Special New Edition)

Where/When: Hollywood Pantages Theatre (Los Angeles), December 1983 

Why it’s so good: Because Talking Heads broke up and don’t tour anymore and this is the ONLY SOLACE WE HAVE LEFT.  AHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhh OK, so that’s  a little dramatic, but shit!  Talking Heads were soooo far ahead of their time that we are still catching up to David Byrne and his band of beautiful, beautiful weirdoes.  The original version of this soundtrack album to the famous concert film actually did not include the whole show as it was documented on video (barely half!), but thankfully, a full re-issue was released some fifteen years after the original, much to the delight of goofball music nerds like me who basically bow down at the feet of zany music pioneers like the great David Byrne.  Stop Making Sense is iconic, it is eternal, it is engrained into the memories of any child of hippie parents, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.  Now, stop goofing’ off and get back together already!  Sheesh.

Key Tracks: “Psycho Killer”, “This Must Be The Place”, “Take Me To The River”

Underworld – Everything Everything

Where/When: Forest National/Vorst Nationaal (Brussels), May 22^nd 1999

Why it’s so good:  The first official live release from the English electronic duo (Karl Hyde and Rick Smith) documents both the peak and ultimate conclusion of what became known as Underworld’s “MK2” phase, in which the core duo was joined by a third member – DJ Darren Emerson – over the course of three albums boasting highly danceable house and techno music.  Both audio and video of the set were recorded at a massive outdoor show that took place at Brussels’ Forest National during the final European leg of the band’s tour supporting the final MK2 installment, 1999’s excellent Beaucoup Fish, and heavily features tracks from the album, often mixed seamlessly with one another, as well as with favorites from the first two albums of the trilogy -- 1994’s dubnobasswithmyheadman (which was recently revived on a 2015 tour which saw the duo performing the album in full) and 1996’s Second Toughest in the Infants.  One of the most captivating elements of this collection – as is with any live Underworld show, to be honest – is the vibrant, electric energy that possesses both members of Underworld, as evident in Smith’s pulsating, throbbing instrumental urgency and Hyde’s rapidly ricocheting maniacal lyricism.  While the album doesn’t capture the show in its entirety (some numbers were omitted from the release due to time constraints), the highlights are all there, from the thunderous enthusiasm that meets the introduction to “King of Snake” to the all-out electronic melee that is the live rendition of “Born Slippy .NUXX,” perhaps the duo’s best-known track.  The collective result is a high-speed, boisterous display of talent, an instant classic that only gets better with age.

Key Tracks: “Push Upstairs”, “Shudder/King of Snake”, “Born Slippy .NUXX”, “Rez/Cowgirl”