In honor of my new Avatar, I must create a new Stevie Ray Vaughan thread.

I only have 3 of his shows on DVD, apparently there is a 4th one out there, but I haven't seen it anywhere.

Austin City Limits is my favorite. It's two shows pieced together, from 83 and 89. The sound isn't terrific at either show, with the guitar being too quiet in the 2nd. But, the camera is awesome, right in Stevie's face a lot of the time. I think this DVD showcases his singing the best of the three. Highlights of the video for me are "Pride and Joy", "Texas Flood" (this performance is why that is in my top 3 SRV songs) and "Riviera Paradise" which is an amazing display of emotion, SRV can tear it up even when he isn't rocking or shredding solos. The music video at the end, to the tune of Little Wing, aside from making me cry, totally shifts the foundation of my universe; in all seriousness, one of the most powerful videos of anything I have ever seen.

Live at Montreux comes in at second. Another DVD with actually two appearances, from 1982 and 1985 both at the Montreux Jazz Festival (Blues Night) in Switzerland. It is so captivating to watch the first show. The crowd is fucking booing him, and Stevie and the band are absolutely destroying the place with thier intensity. This DVD showcases his guitar-work the best. Filmed before they are even signed to a record label, Double Trouble is playing for thier living here, in the rawest sense, and you can tell in every second of thier performance. Incredible behind the back/head playing, he doesn't even flinch or miss a note. This is the show that got SRV and Double Trouble the attention of Jackson Browne, so they could record Texas Flood at his studio (watch the DVD for the whole story). Hard to pick out a favorite, because they are just rolling from one song to the next, but "Rude Mood" and "Dirty Pool" stand out as being especially amazing.

The second part of the set is slightly less enthralling, but incredible nonetheless. The band is having a fucking blast playing, and it makes it an extremely fun show to watch. My only complaint is that whenever Johnny Copeland joins them for a song, and he does a solo, it just seems so boring compared to Stevie. But Stevie loves it. Probably the most satisfying part of the show, however, is that the crowd absolutely fucking loves it and is going crazy - which is funny, because this is only 3 years after they were almost boo'd off the stage. Highlights of this show are "Scuttle Buttin" and "Look At Little Sister".

Live at the El Mocambo is my least favorite of the three. The camera angles are kinda shitty sometimes, so to speak, and I don't really like the venue for some reason. It is really personal, though. One of the coolest things about the show though, and I am probably the only one that would think of something so crazy, but... sometimes it looks like Stevie is kind of bewildered by the crowd, and they are pretty intense and kind of close in to the stage. It almost seems at times like he is trying to beat them back with his guitar playing. Crazy, I know, but there is just so much intensity and emotion in his playing, it really works, he tames the crowd, but he never lets back. "Texas Flood" is fucking breathtaking as usual, as is "Voodoo Child". And then "Lenny", the song I have always said reminds me of Yellow Ledbetter, is another of my favorites. My least favorite of the three, but that says nothing, it's an incredible show. Worth every second of it.

I'm not sure how many people here appreciate Stevie Ray Vaughan like he deserves, but I know I do. I worship him. The greatest guitar player of all time, he didn't invent the blues, but he embodied it. Noone in the world do I regret never having been able to see, in person, more than this great man. Long live Stevie, in our hearts, our minds, and our souls.

i love SRV, but the only album i have is 'live alive'

i have a random blues CD on which there is a roughly 9 minute long version of 'texas flood' which is one of the best songs i've ever heard.

just to verify my love of srv (especially live) i will post in this thread. i have never seen the montreaux dvd, is that a bootleg? i have only seen macimbo (sp?) and austin city limits.

srv = wow

srv = awesomeness

I have yet to check out those DVD's. Hopefully I will soon.
SRV was just amazing!