25 Greatest Live Bands Now!

15
RIVERBOAT GAMBLERS
Mike Wiebe never met a wall he couldn't bounce off, a lighting rig he couldn't hang from, a monitor he couldn't hurdle, or a fan that wouldn't try to rescue him from certain doom. And he's got the bruises, gashes, and broken bones to prove it. As the frontman for punk pop's best kept secret, Wiebe is truly the hardest-working maniac in rock, and the other guys in the band are nearly as mobile -- if way more sensible.
BEST MOMENT: When it's looking like someone's got to call an ambulance. Happens every show.

14
YEAH YEAH YEAHS A blowhole gusher of beer. A mic that nearly escaped being swallowed. Four-letter verbs paired with the names of parental figures. These things you expect to come out of Karen O's mouth. Then there's the one thing you don't: that voice -- a gorgeous fiberglass tremble-wail that's as delicate as it is corrosive, anchored by pipes that probably spent their early years blowing out other kids' birthday candles and by the sense that O's angst is earned, because above the siren screech of guitars and drums, she still has to fight to be heard.
BEST MOMENT: "Maps," when a sing-along among fans and their dates renders "They don't love you like I love you" both ironic and poignant.

13
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE
The uniforms and armbands suggest a pretentious Boy Scout troop. The bulletproof vests bring to mind 50 Cent wannabes. And Gerard Way's voice fails to ascend to the heights it does on record. But the makeup makes perfect sense. MCR may have a frantically anthemic sound, but they're memorable live because of Way's diva-like flourish. He's an emo-goth mezzo-soprano, projecting his tears, betrayal, and pride so that all in attendance feel like their heartache is a battle they can survive.
BEST MOMENT: Just before the last chorus of "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)," when everyone freezes for a split second, and Way says coyly, "Trust me."

12
TURBONEGRO Is it the outlandishly swishy boa-draped keyboardist/guitarist who's in his own schizo world? Maybe the ruddy, 12-foot-tall blond bassist in the white sailor's cap? Or perhaps the hirsute barrel-bellied singer with abused-raccoon eyes and top hat? There are so many what-the-fuck? foci when these Norwegians hit the stage to unleash their full-bodied take on Ramones-style hard rock, you'll either shoot beer through your nose or ask where these goons have been all your life. Quite possibly both.
BEST MOMENT: When the audience chants along to "I Got Erection."

11
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE
Queens of the Stone Age are a rock band. They walk out, pummel you for an hour and change, then smoke cigarettes, drink vodka through their eyes, then get tattoos of their victims' names, or whatever it is you do to celebrate pummeling thousands of people for an hour and change. Yes, there are solos: on bass, on guitar, on drums, on keyboards. Yes, there are guest appearances, from Dave Grohl to the dude from Kyuss whom Josh Homme is still on speaking terms with. No, it is never less than awesome.
BEST MOMENT: When guitarist Homme switches to bass on "Burn the Witch" and you realize there is very little, instrument-wise, on which he is not a total badass.