Gary, you've made some excellent observations. Whenever I'm at a concert, especially outdoors, I try to be positioned as close to the sound booth as possible. That's where it should 'sound' best, but I can't count the times I've had to resist the temptation to clue in the sound man.... very frustrating!

As far as when we're performing, doing a pre-performance sound check is sooooooo important. Better yet, if you're lucky enough to have a spouse or friend (you know, like your token groupy , who accompanies you when you perform, teach that person how to "hear and balance" sound, and then allow him/her to have complete control over your sound.