Definitely not a DVD camcorder, especially if you want to edit at a later time. They compress to MPEG.
MiniDV is great.
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/d/Reviews&level_b=Camcorder.htmCamcorderinfo is a great resource for evaluating cameras in your price range. You'll want to look for something that works well in low light. That
usually means bigger CCD sizes. 3CCD has a chip for each of the primary colors but that doesn't really make much difference when it comes to low-light performance. Ideally, you'd want 3 big CCDs.
I've heard good things about Panasonic cameras, and many say they have better audio performance. That may not matter if you'll have a soundboard feed or good audience recordings. I recorded a show with a borrowed Panasonic AG-DVC30 and fell in love with it. It's about $2,000 though.
Of course there is nothing wrong with other brands. You really need to consider each individual model.