When you go to a concert, do you ever consider how many musical acts have graced the very stage you're looking at? Even relatively young music venues have seen thousands of concerts, ranging from totally nobodies to total superstars, from legendary before-they-were-famous shows to insane tribute acts.

One of the top venues in the Windy City is the House of Blues Chicago. We wanted to know about the most-memorable concerts at the Chicago House of Blues, so we asked some of the venue's long-time staff to pick some of their favorites, in categories ranging from "craziest show" to "the best tribute band show" to "all-around best show." They answered, via email:

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The craziest show was...

Kanye West. "We did a free show subject to capacity. Lines were super long and a lot of people were turned away." – Brian Szopinski, box office manager

 

The Mars Volta. – Nicky Welo, finance manager

Kesha. "The craziest show was probably Kesha, [during the] Get Sleazy Tour. The energy was great, and there were confetti canons spitting out Kesha Dollars and condoms. Fun and funny all at the same time!" – Kristin Atlas, director of sales

 

The show with the most extreme audience reaction was...

Jay-Z & Kanye West. "Jay-Z played here, and Kanye West was a surprise guest. When Kanye came out on stage the crowd went absolutely wild. It was definitely a goose-bump moment for sure!" – Kristin Atlas

 

The funniest show was...

Chippendales. "I can't! I was laughing so hard I was crying. From the audience reactions to the dances and props. Very fun!"– Kristin Atlas

The quietest show was...

Of Monsters and Men. "Everyone was so serious that I got shushed when talking with my girlfriends!" – Candace Izbicki, operations manager

The tribute band that was most like the original was...

Bruce in the USA. "The singer and band strive to look like the original." – Brian Szopinski

The Prince Experience. "The lead singer is phenomenal and does a really fantastic tribute to Prince." – Kristin Atlas

Who's Bad, [Michael Jackson tribute]. – Nicky Welo

Trippin Billies. "This is easy. The best cover band out there for me is Trippin Billies. You can close your eyes and pretend that you are listening to Dave Matthews! They are super talented." – Candace Izbicki

 

The show with the most backstage drama was...

Snoop Dogg. "Man, does he bring an entourage. Backstage had like 100 people there, and Snoop was late because he was finishing up playing a video game in his hotel." – Kristin Atlas

The longest show was...

Prince, if he came out on time. "[Then] he would play forever." – Brian Szopinski

The shortest show was...

Prince, if he came out late. "[Then] it was always a few hits, some of his personal faves, and then done." – Brian Szopinski

The show that got "a little out of hand" was...

GWAR. "Any GWAR show is completely out of control in a great way because they have amazing and crazy stage presences." – Candace Izbicki

The most people on stage at once was...

Grits & Biscuits. "A down-south dance party." – Brian Szopinski

George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars. "They jam for hours and dance all over stage. Great show!" – Kristin Atlas

The best show was...

Iggy Azaela. "The energy in that room was beyone electric. Everyone was waiting for her to hit the stage with anticipation, and when she did, you felt the magic in the air." – Brian Szopinski

Usher. "He was fantastic, and it was quite a sexy show!" – Kristin Atlas

Prince. – Nicky Welo

Justin Timberlake, Axl Rose, and My Chemical Romance. "Justin Timberlake was one of the best performers I've seen, reminded me of Michael Jackson! But nothing can beat seeing Axl Rose playing November Rain with his piano. Or watching My Chemical Romance (who are no longer together) play their entire The Black Parade album start to finish." – Candace Izbicki