I was yanking your chain, Posty, but I honestly do not get their music much. To imagine being sober for those shows is even harder to figure. I am sure that the scene and the energy have a euphoric effect of their own, at least from the second-hand smoke and what-not. What is the statistics element, btw?
I gotta agree with you wholeheartedly that there are great and epic concerts all the time. Nice to have some historical high points, but there are plenty of shows that "matter" if you look for them.