25 Greatest Live Bands Now!

10
THE DIRTBOMBS
Jack White would be the first to tell you he's not the crucial Detroit garage-rock figure. That would be Mick Collins, who almost single-handedly reminded the world of the past, present, and future rock glories of his hometown. Although he's led or participated in multiple groups since the '80s, his best band is the Dirtbombs, which features two drummers, two bassists, and Collins himself on vocals and guitar. His bandmates may come and go, and the repertoire may flit from classic soul to chunky glam, but Collins' showmanship is undeniable.
BEST MOMENT: The first time the imposing Collins removes his Ray Charles shades and gets down.

9
PRINCE
How does all that sheer audaciousness fit into a 5'2" frame? Music flows through Prince like it did through Mozart, Duke Ellington, and James Brown. But could Mozart do that throw-down-the-mic-stand-then-kick-it-back-up trick? Did Sir Duke ever take the stage in a lace camisole? Has the Godfather of Soul ever unleashed one righteous six-string salvo after another? Prince's records can be astonishing or astonishingly misguided, but when he walks onstage, he and his band will not rest until the crowd is as sweat-soaked as they are.
BEST MOMENT: After wailing a guitar solo during "Purple Rain," he lets loose one of those screams.

8
THE HIVES
A half hour. Normal humans can clean their bathrooms in this amount of time. But the Hives cram an utterly devastating rock'n'roll throw-down into 30 minutes, packing a 1,000-capacity club with all the thrills that the Rolling Stones need three hours and a stadium to approach. It doesn't matter a bit that this Swedish quintet recites chapter and verse from the book of the Sonics. What does matter is Howlin' Pelle Almqvist's arrogance as he addresses the unworthy crowd, not to mention his scissor kicks, his bug-eyed mugging, and his band's two- to three-minute rave-ups. Fact is, we don't deserve more than 30 minutes.
BEST MOMENT: Some dude in the audience invariably heckles the band and receives a hilariously curt dressing-down from Howlin' Pelle.

7
GREEN DAY
In 1977 the Sex Pistols and the Clash wanted to not only set the English crown ablaze, but also sell lots of records. So when Green Day struck gold with 1994's Dookie, they hit the road hard and introduced the joys of "wuh-too-fee-faw" to mall rats and their little brothers and sisters. Green Day may be in their 30s, but they remember what it was like to be corrupted by punk rock, so they play selections from their big bag of hits hard, fast, and with punishing discipline, because every night is a night to make another convert.
BEST MOMENT: Sometimes they'll haul out "Rock You Like a Hurricane," which will always thrill some 13-year-olds unaware that the song was originally recorded by a bunch of ridiculous Germans.

6
WHITE STRIPES
It was a red, black, and white bolt from the blue: A couple of kids who looked as if they had avoided daylight for years make an unholy racket. "Is this a joke?" some wondered. Then they witnessed Jack White coaxing blistering tones out of his antique guitars as he bayed for blood on vintage mics. They saw Meg White, whose rudimentary percussion abilities belied a ferocity that shamed more experienced drummers. "No," those shaken folks said to each other as they walked away, "that was no joke."
BEST MOMENT: No set list for the Stripes: Watch as one tune is cut short by Jack and is replaced by a vicious "Little Room."