The longest concert for me was my first Santana concert in Copenhagen in '83, on the great "Shango" tour. Arrived just in time for the gig to start - by taxi, natch), but had to get a drink of water because I had a slight headache, so I missed the opening number, the current hit, "Hold On", and they've never played it in any of the subsequent eight concerts that I have seen with them. But, I had a great time, they played for three solid hours with many band members in the line-up, Tom Coster and Chester Thompson on keyboards; the Cubanettes on percussion: Raul Rekow, Orestes Vilató, and the legendary Armando Peraza; two lead vocalists in the great Greg Walker and Alex Ligertwood. Probably the best Santana show I ever saw and it made me a fan and completist. I remained an ardent fan of Santana until 1989, when the Beach Boys became my favorite band. But Santana are still in my all-time top 10.

bruce springsteen: the rising tour - 3hrs+

I've heard that Springsteen sometimes plays four hour sets. Of course the Dead are marathon concert champs.

But to be fair, The Dead (and Phish) audiences aren't paying attention half the time.

"Dark Star" alone would sometimes go on for half an hour.

I've wonder if the tribes of Deadheads became Phish fans after the Dead disbanded.

Pretty much Deadhead kids became Phishheads.

What, you mean the children of Deadheads?

♫ Phishheads, phishheads,
roly poly Phishheads ♪

Exactly.

Most Deadheads converted to Muleheads.

Gov't Mule would have to be the longest for me. They can easily do 5+ without breaking a sweat. Just like their relatives the Allman Brothers Band. All city transportation has LONG ceased at the end of a Mule show. Bring your car.

So, you could go to a Govt Mule show, watch an hour or so, leave and go have dinner, come back and still end up seeing a couple of hours or music.

Or "leave" while on a long acid trip, as the case may be.

I saw a P-Funk show that almost hit the 4 hour mark.

The one time I saw George Clinton and P-Funk at Brixton Academy in London, he went on forever and I had to leave before the end of the show, because my shoes were hurting my feet.

Oingo Boingo, on their "Farewell" tour. 3 and a half hours.

I saw a 3 hour Springsteen show in NC a few years ago. On the other hand, I've seen a handful of acts that did 30 minute sets that SEEMED 4 hours.

When at an all day music festival where you only really care about the final act, all those little 25 minute sets really add up, especially if they suck.

Ain't that the truth.

I've seen some long Dead shows but I think last week's Wilco show, 3 hours without a break, was the longest single rock set I've ever seen. Now, if you want to talk opera, I've seen a Parsifal that went 5-1/2 hours with intermissions.

Saw Elvis Costello with Emmylou Harris and Larry Campbell do a 3 hour
set in Pittsburgh a few years ago.

The first show of Springsteen's Born in the USA tour in June of 1984.
He took a break halfway thru and then filmed his Dancing in the Dark video.
They played the song twice. The concert started at 8:20, and ended at 12:40.