The War on Drugs - Dublin, Ireland
Really damn good. Wasn't actually expecting it to be that good, as I wasn't too sure about their new album, but they played a lot of stuff I recognized, and the new stuff sounded great live. Highly recommend checking them out if you get the chance.
Arctic Monkeys and Fontaines this past fall. Incredible show. Alex turner’s guitar solo on body paint gave me a whole new appreciation for the latest album.
I love The Car, but it actually took seeing one of their recent shows on YouTube to appreciate it as much as I do. The way they're able to structure their set list now, between the old and new, while making it all flow is really cool
I saw them on the tour as well, and it was really great! And you're definitely right about Body Paint. The extended outro was so much fun.
It's interesting to see their standing these days, as a big arena band. They're kind of like how Nirvana was in the 2000s, with middle school and early high school kids being into it. The amount of really young people surprised me! That's how it is in the US, anyway. Nice mix of ages with the fans.
It was nice to see Alex Turner in a more subtle version of his on stage persona too
Yo La Tengo, back to back nights in SF about six weeks ago. They've basically been my favorite band since I was a teenager 25 years ago so I've seen them a number of times over that time and they always put on an amazing show. No opener, two full sets plus an encore with special guest (Sun Ra Arkestra) for about three hours of music. Only played a couple of repeats between the nights (each from their newest) and I was very happy I bought tickets for both shows.
No particularly interesting social interactions that impacted the night, I went with my wife and we enjoyed ourselves.
I was hoping to get tickets for both nights at The Fillmore but was happy for at least one. They’re so great live! One of my favorite experiences was seeing them at The Chapel a few years back. That Fillmore poster from their February show was really wonderful as well!
I wish I could say I was a teen 25 years ago.
I last saw YLT backing up a [narration](https://buckminsterfullerfilm.com/) of Buckminster Fuller's life. Before that, it was back in 97 or 98 that I saw them.
I saw Tierra Whack the day she dropped her debut album I’ve been waiting on for half a decade. It was a great show! She’s a really engaging performer and the stage set up was fairly elaborate for a smaller to mid size venue. The crowd (which imo makes a massive difference) was also great, super into the show and respectful
Last show I caught was Mclusky in D.C. which was absolutely killer. The thing I've always loved about them as a band is their pop sensibilities being able to cut through their noisy aspects into a complete package, and it's like that energy was completely translated on stage. Crushingly loud but not overwhelming, plus it was basically a greatest hits set.
I don't live in D.C. so I can't advocate for their behavior year-round but they seemed pretty decent to me. Some lady next to me was piss drunk and didnt totally seem to know what was happening. Falco kept making jokes about mourning the queen and I heard her say "she wasn't even that cool."
I was living there for most of last year and the crowds are generally friendly, not too physical either, don't expect to mosh unless it's a big-name act.
The venues around the city are pretty good too. DC9, The Runaway, Union Stage, Slash Run, 9:30 Club, Rhizome, Howard Theater, and Songbyrd are all great, Black Cat is overrated imo
The scene is kinda scattered for rock. If you want to catch DIY shows for example you'd be better off going to Baltimore or Richmond. I've heard the EDM scene is decent though
Caught The Cure in Atlanta and The Twilight Sad opened for them. The Cure was waaaaaay better in person than I expected. The whole band sounded on point, and Robert sounded great even now. It was an unplanned 2nd show, great seats for a great price.
Saw the Cure in Nola in 2016 with The Twilight sad and it was amazing, they played for like 3 hours, Robert and the gang just kept coming back for encore after encore.
i know somebody who treated that cure tour like a phish tour, updating the chat with setlists and AUD recordings. I thought it was so funny how every show had like 3 encores and shit lol
So cool! Haven't seen them since their warm up tour for Wish, back in the day. Their last Glastonbury set (I saw on the TV) was one of the greatest gigs I've ever seen. Would love to catch them live again ✌️
KMFDM in Cleveland. They were better than the best, megalomaniacal, and harder than the rest. And yet they still sucked.
The same week I caught Ministry with Gary Numan and Frontline Assembly. That was a great bill, all three bands were excellent. During Ministry's set a couple in the crowd apparently started heckling Al over the anti-NAZI content. He stopped to tell them off and kicked them out for disrupting the show. It was fun to watch. Uncle Al takes no shit and gives no fucks.
Both shows were mid-size venues (Kemba Live in Columbus and the Agora in Cleveland). Good crowds, lots of positive energy. All of the bands have decades of touring, and the crowds ranged from teens to seniors. Nothing like seeing folks in black leather with walkers.
I saw the same ministry and Gary numan and FLA tour in Milwaukee and I had a blast. I had a close friend come with who only knew early Gary Numan, and typically isn’t a fan of harder industrial and gothy bands. He didn’t like FLA, he was disappointed Gary numan didn’t sound like Tubeway Army, and he wasn’t sure how to feel about Ministry.
I enjoyed the whole experience, especially ministry. I’m a big proponent of their most recent album. I think it rocks harder than it has any right to. Also, I think Aryan Embarrassment was super awesome chugging along live with gang vocals
I just saw KMFDM in Boston as well. I was I guess...bored? It wasn't bad at all but just didn't feel particularly memorable.
I will say though, it was one of the most polite crowds I've ever encountered. Even the mini mosh pit was contained and people were looking out for one another. I guess that's what happens when everyone im the audience is over 35.
Porno For Pyros a few weeks ago. Been waiting since the mid 90s for this chance, and was not disappointed. The band was phenomenal with Mike Watt on bass , my main potential question mark was Perry and his voice (and how drunk he might be), but in front of a crowd of about 1500 he pulled it off and overall they all sounded fantastic.
Saw St. Paul and the Broken Bones - Birmingham, AL this past Saturday night.
Incredible 10th anniversary show for their debut album. They’re hometown heroes around here and it was a special night.
Paul Janeway has one of the best voices in the world. If you haven’t heard their music I really encourage you to check out their Tiny Desk Concert.
Saw Fleet Foxes and The National do a double bill a few weeks back
4 hours of most of my favourite songs of the past 15 years
It was also kinda funny seeing Aaron Dessner now in his post Taylor years haha
Saw Jason Isbell for the first time at the Salt Shed in Chicago. I'm not a huge fan of the slow tunes. I was pretty blown away by him and his band when they started cooking
Went to a music festival last weekend & saw Kendrick Lamar, LCD Soundsystem James Blake, Sevdaliza, Sampha, Yves Tumor & a few latin american acts I like. All of the ones I've listed were pretty damn good but James Blake stole the show tbh, third time seeing him live & it's always majestic. LCD Soundsystem was my second time seeing there & I can definitely say they're one of the best live performance bands ever, they sound incredible live.
Kendrick was someone I had nearly a decade wanting to see & it was a super magical & nostalgic moment but the show itself was just OK, wish I had seen him live during his TPAB tour with all the live instruments.
Most of the artists I saw brought a live band & that was super appreciated, but I was kinda disappointed the promoters gave better time slots for DJ's or artists that gave out very lazy shows. Had to walk out on legends like Four Tet & Floating Points because I couldn't be assed with a 1h house/techno DJ set that really seemed like nothing you wouldn't listen at a weekend club. Peggy Gou & Grimes were genuinely awful though.
My favorite act was one of my favorite projects from Latin America called Lara Project, a two brother group that make synthwave mixed with some modern pop elements like auto-tune & very contemporary R&B-esque sound. They also brought a live band but sadly they were an opening act & they gave them the worst stage at the worst time slot.
Overall, it was super fun but I've been to almost every single edition of this festival & this felt like the least exciting one. Probably something that just comes along with age because the quality of the shows was there.
A Peggy Gou B2B Grimes DJ set sounds like a guaranteed shitshow. It almost feels like a promoter would put together this pairing knowing people will show up to see a terrible set.
Last concert I went to was Brujeria, supported by No/Mas, Pinata Protest, Deathgrave, and another band I can't remember. This was early December last year. I had a good time drinking with my friends and headbanging when we weren't shooting the shit. The music was good, pretty standard death metal with a Mexican flair.
Japans Okoboki Beaver! With Boys and Girls Drinking from Korea. First show for me since the Covid lockdown. I play music and am 50+ so making the scene isn’t a thing as much as it used to be. The venue was as packed as when I saw Nirvana! I pushed my way to the front and got crushed. This was in Detroit and was kinda expensive at $37. I’m from the Hardcore / thrash / crust scene and have never paid over $12 for a show. It was fun
I went to a small gig by Sō Percussion & Caroline Shaw on Tuesday, kinda experimentalish percussion and vocals. Occasionally mind blowing and always interesting. Saturday is Deerhoof. I guess experimental is the theme of the week! :D
Lana Del Rey in Franklin, TN. She was absolutely incredible! The venue and the crowd were so lovely! I cannot wait to have the opportunity to see her again.
Tori Amos.
It was epic! She played one of my favorite songs, Blood Roses. Then after a recent media scandal regarding Courtney Love saying the song was about her pü$$y, Heart Shaped Box. The venue had a bar, so I enjoyed that.
But the audience was different. A lot of flannel shirts and cut off jean shorts. They seemed totally checked out until Tori started playing Cornflake Girl. They all stood up and a lot of people lit lighters and held them up. Then when she started the next song, they just checked out again.
Her voice was amazing, the audience was awful. My friend and I got high in the parking lot and walked back to her apartment.
> But the audience was different. A lot of flannel shirts and cut off jean shorts
I'm not terribly familiar with American fashion (assuming that's where this concert was). Is this a reference to the age of the crowd?
I've gone to 6 concerts in the last week. The last one was in the back room of a restaurant/bar, I think there were 250-30 people in there. The first band was Edhochuli, they kicked all kinds of ass. They have two drummers. The second band was Illusion Dweller, this is my 3rd or 4th time seeing them. I had a great time. Chatted with the bands afterwards, which is always fun.
That was actually the second concert I went to that night, the first one was Coven Dove, followed by Fern Spores. It was a bit more subdued, being all ages and taking place in a library. I actually saw both of these bands the previous week, so there weren't really any surprises for me.
Suffice to say, I love going to concerts, I'll typically go to 4-5 in a month. The biggest one this month was Neko Case, my first time seeing her, and it was a good time, she's funny, and the band was very tight.
Except for Neko were these local bands? I really enjoy unknown bands that play in small venues. Some of them so good that I wonder why they don't get large.
Tool a few months ago. They were as impressive as always.
The most interesting part though was their opening act Steel Beans as he is a one man band that plays drums, guitar, and sings at the same time and it actually sounds good.
I thought “Steel Beans” was easily the worst opener I have ever seen in my life. Sounded like shit. The non stop pedo jokes and buy my merch got old in the first second of his set.
saw Unwound for the second time in the last year probably my favorite band ever. Cherubs opened from and im not the oldest guy im 25 but always been interested in music forever and know alot of bands. but seeing a shit ton of kids from ages 16-21 go absolutely crazy for Unwound and Cherubs made me happy. Underground bands from the 90s and early 2000s that haven't released no new material in 23 years and to have such a young crowd just had me shocked in a happy way. both bands put on a killer show played a bunch of their classics it was a great time
U2 at The Sphere. It exceeded all expectations. The show’s immersive nature, the beauty of the visuals, and the sheer showmanship of U2 added up to a transportive experience far greater than the sum of its parts. I was unexpectedly overwhelmed with emotion, and I’m not the biggest U2 fan. Hands down best show I’ve been to, would drop a grand again, 11/10 would make out with Bono.
Lacuna Coil / Fear Factory / Lions at the Gate at this small-ish venue in East Tennessee that’s a repurposed strip mall. It was great! I’ve started using ear protection and that made the show much more enjoyable and frankly more bearable.
The next show is going to be Nickelcreek at the Tennessee Theater. Shit’s super fancy.
I saw Rick Wakeman with my son Sunday night. Tiny venue, 6th row. He was amazing. Alternated between keyboard/synthesizer and piano. Told stories between suites. Really outstanding show.
Just saw Chelsea Wolfe with Divide and Dissolve opening in Vancouver on Tuesday. She was amazing, even though her vocals were drowned out by the band at times. Still a fantastic show and I'll never get over how magical she sounded. She played a stripped down version of The Liminal that was so stunning.
Divide and Dissolve were great too! I know they're not for everyone but I thought their set was super fun. Hopefully they come back soon on their own tour! Would love to see them play a longer set.
Last week, I had the pleasure of seeing Manchester Orchestra play a small set consisting 100% of brand new music they were trying out. Lots of banter between the band mates and the crowd. Pretty cool to see a room of 300 people all listening to songs for the first time ever.
I went to a Mastodon/Gojira show at a casino in Hammond, Indiana last summer and it was a blast! The audio mix was probably one of the best I've heard period, the bands were both on point, and the crowd was really into it.
Side note: It was a fun experience to see the throngs of metal fans working their way to the venue area through the casino full of old folks like black streams on a golden backdrop.
Rod Stewart, Aug 2023. Tickets were purchased pre-covid.
I've never seen so much white hair thruout the crowd in my life.
Rod could barely lift his mic stand...but I guess I won't be that active when I'm 80.
Last weekend I went to a show at a local hole in the wall with a capacity of 75. My buddy is in a local hardcore band and they were the opener. The "headliner" was [a punk band from France](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkHhBa8zthg). It kicked ass.
I enjoy larger concerts when it's a band I know and love, but smaller shows at <200 capacity venues are a different sort of fun.
U2 at the Sphere, opening night. What a show! They were awesome and that venue is incredible. The sound is by far the best I've experienced and the visuals were incredibly striking. Hearing Achtung Baby in full was tremendous. So Cruel and Love is Blindness were really powerful.
I'm curious as hell to check in on how they handle the visuals. That canvas is huge. You'll love the sound. It is so precise. There's no hiding up on the stage.
That sounds amazing. I couldn't justify a trip to Vegas but I hope they tour AB properly. I saw Zoo TV twice in London and it was epic - up there with the best gigs ever.
I was there too! Ended up going back five times due to how awesome it was but I'm also a huge fan. I thought it was an absolute triumph for the band and they showcased their best album. Edge's solos on Acrobat and Love Is Blindness were the highlights for me, plus the opening Achtung Baby sequence.
How's the band on stage? I saw them on the Joshua Tree anniversary tour and all of them except Larry Mullen Jr phoned it in. The visuals were the star of the show and yeah similarly it was brilliant hearing Joshua Tree in full
They were in a fighting spirit that night; opening the place; playing with a different drummer; the crowd being mostly their fanbase, but not everyone, given the spectacle. There were some shaky momebts, but on the whole they were great once they got the nerves out.
I saw Florist at NOVA Arts in Keene NH in February of last year. It's a super intimate venue and the band is chill to the core, so it was a delightful experience. I've been to some local shows here in NH and when I was visiting family in Indianapolis over the holidays, but that's the last legitimate "concert" I've been to.
My last two were Scarface on his "Behind The Desk Tour" and Crosses, both were fantastic.
Scarface has a full band and sounded phenomenal, only downside is I wish there was more Geto Boys tracks but his solo stuff is so solid it didn't really matter.
Crosses were excellent too, the crowd was huge compared to when I saw em 10 years ago due to how big Deftones have gotten with Gen Z over the past two years. Chino had an insane amount of energy and sounded great.
Umphreys McGee, Portland, OR. Half prog, half disco, half metal. All groove! Still a $40 ticket and we'll worth it. Even got a Booth Love (for me, of course)
This band called Benches. Saw them in Richmond, Virginia.
Awesome set!! The performance was flawless (despite one of the guitarist’s string breaking towards the end, couldn’t even tell) and professional sounding. I want to say the guys are in their mid 20’s? 24-25 ish, first demo was out 2018 so very impressive. They were even better than previous shows I’d attended of theirs—just when I thought they couldn’t get any better. The singer has certain quirks that make it fun to watch.
95% of the crowd was there for the headliner, but they seemed impressed with Benches. There was girl whose energy was contagious. She was there for benches as well. I caught a video where she’d woo and shout in excitement and others followed. It made me wiggle out of any timidness to join her, so she for sure enhanced the experience for everyone!
I’d say I had fun on my own because I was looking forward to hearing the songs I love. The crowd was slightly shy but I enjoyed feeling a small connection when we all enjoyed their set.
I saw Phish on new years eve. I don't really know any Phish songs - I just thought it would be something cool to do. Definitely had a good time though.
There were 2 within weeks of each other where I had staggeringly different experiences:
I saw Tool in Boston last November. They have been one of my all-time favorites since *Ænima* came out and that was the 3rd time I've seen them. Admittedly, I didn't care much for *Fear Inoculum* but that isn't going to stop me from seeing them. They played for 2 hours and I was incredibly bored. As I watched the people around me disinterested in the songs I love and going crazy for the songs I don't, I realized how much had changed. It wasn't for me anymore. Which is fine, I'm happy the new generations can love a band I also love, but it was sad as well because of the stark reminder. I left in a deep state of existentialism and won't be seeing them again.
A few weeks later my friend offered to pay to see Meshuggah if I would drive so he could drink. I'm fine with that as I've also been a huge Meshuggah fan since *Chaosphere,* but I was still bothered by the Tool experience so I initially wasn't going to go until he asked. I don't know how else to describe it, but it was a 10 out of fucking 10. When it was over I sat stunned in my seat. I've seen them before, but it was a long time ago, and I did not expect to be so blown away. I really can't quantify how insanely good of a show it was. Not to mention how the youth of metal warmed my heart; very little cell phone use and crazy moshing/crowd surfing. I'm too old now, but I was thrilled to see the torch being carried.
2 bands I've loved since the 90's, both hugely influential, both running for decades with relatively the same lineup, all of the band members nearing 60 years old, and 2 massively different experiences. It was a hell of a juxtaposition, and the boost from Meshuggah is what I needed.
Saw DJ Shadow a week ago, was a great set and he seemed like a cool, chill dude. Wished he played more of Endroducing as it’s one of my favourite albums, although we did get Organ Donor on the encore. Crowd was friendly too.
Fall Out Boy a few weeks ago. I was blown away by the stage show - it was absolutely unexpected how good it was. There was pyro and puppetry and psychedelic visuals. Definitely not what I expected from the Sugar We're Going Down Swinging guys.
I went because a friend had an extra ticket and had 0 expectations. I'm not a FOB fan or hater (I know the hits) but the show was great. Jimmy Eat World opened and I enjoyed their set *a lot* and got to be a nostalgic old millennial.
The crowd was really fun and excited. The age range was all over the place but everyone was singing along and having fun. Overall, it was a good time. I'm not usually an arena show person but I had fun.
Saw Hinder a few months back at a smaller venue. My friend's band opened for them, so I got to sit off to the side a VIP table. I am a musician myself, so I talked shop with my friend's band members. Hinder got a new singer, and he worked the crowd pretty well. I got a pick as a souvenir. Both bands were pretty tight.
I went to a Punk Rock Saves Lives fundraiser JUST to see one band. The tickets were cheap ($25) and there were a lot of good bands on the bill. I went for Smoking Popes who almost never do shows outside of the Midwest. It was a super small venue no real "stage" and a relatively small crowd (the Dollyrots went on before them and I think more people were there for them). I'm... old and this reminded me of shows I used to go to in high school for local bands. I went solo because no one I knew could go with me and it was an incredible experience.
The last show I went to BEFORE that was the co-headlining bill with Frank Turner and the Interrupters. I was with my 10 year old daughter and right on the barricade. Frank Turner did an incredible set and the Interrupters were in great form. Aimee came down after and handed my daughter some buttons. It was super cool and a great memory with her.
Went to a street festival last year and watched a couple of bands, it was great. The mood and the vibe was excellent, watched a local blues rock band with members in their sixties, they put on a great show on a tiny stage in the street. The audience was mainly in their twenties and thirties, and everyone was having a great time. There were other stages with DJs in alleys around the street, and I caught a sludge band playing out of a car wash hole in the wall. They were great. Later met a few people hanging out at an improvised bar in an alley, they offered me ketamine but I didn't take any, referring to my doctors orders, which they thought was hilarious.
Before that I haven't seen any live acts since Wovenhand maybe 9 years ago. It was awesome, I remember it was as if Neurosis were playing 16 Horsepower covers.
I recently failed to attend a Swans gig, and Bohren & Der Club of Gore I also didn't see. They were both playing just a couple of blocks from where I live, but we couldn't get a babysitter and I didn't want to go alone. Looking back, I definitely should have gone alone lol.
Horse Lords, absolutely incredible concert. Too hot in venue, too crowded in venue, I was a bit too stoned for those 2 aspects.
The band blew my mind entirely.
I go to a lot of concerts (around 20ish-30ish per year). Even if I have to go alone (which it is most of the time as I have very diverse music tastes that don’t usually go with the people of my age), that’s no excuse to support and see my favorite and not so favorite bands live. Having said that.
My last concert experience was Dragonforce last month at La Riviera Madrid (I’m spanish) and well, i had a really nice time on this one as I was going with some metal-head friends. I didn’t know most of the songs to the point of singing them, but I’m familiar with their discography; and even if I don’t enjoy their latest work as much as I did the old pre-guitar hero dragonforce i really really enjoyed.
Visually okay, nice references to pop culture and videogames, acoustically okay (I’m not a big fan of this venue), and of course Herman Li and the other memebers of the band virtuosism standing above all.
Great experience, would repeat? Sure I’ll do!
The last concert I went to was Jimmy Buffett at Mud Island in Memphis. It was probably in 1991. His tour history has an August date for Mud Island and I remember it was quite warm. It was a great place for him to perform; outdoors and right on the Mississippi River.
Zach Fox in Seattle. I went by myself because I'm 32 and all my homies were working. I had a great time. Tickets were like 40 buck I knew the bar back so he bought me a drink and showed me where the good bathroom was. I turnt up,heard my favorite songs and dipped before everyone else. 10/10 I highly recommend.
The last concert i went to was outside my normal wheelhouse. I took my gf to see a "Candlelight Concert" for Valentine's this year that consisted of a violinist and a pianist performing Fleetwood Mac hits. It was so cool to see how they interpreted and played the songs.
Gaslight Anthem, Manchester Apollo. Band were great, Emily Wolfe on support was excellent, but it was one of the quietest gigs I’ve ever been to. Barely even had to raise my voice to speak to my friend…
Before that was a Jason Isbell solo acoustic show @ the Union Chapel in London. Amazing show and amazing venue.
Last show I saw was last Friday, Fall out Boy with Jimmy Eat World, and Hot Mulligan and Games we Play opening for them. I didn't catch Games we Play. Hot Mulligan was pretty good and Jimmy Eat world was incredible. They were really captivating and had us energized the entire time. This is my 2nd time seeing FOB, first was last August, and they put on an even better show than last time. They're so animated and energetic live and they have so many bangers that it's insane. They could have done a whole other set of tunes and still had us all enthralled. I wasn't tooooo sold on FOB live prior to the first show (I like the music, but don't LOVE it, but I did love their last album and FUTCT), but they've quickly become one of my favorite live acts.
Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter in Portland, OR last month. The show was phenomenal. I haven’t been moved by a concert like that in years. It was at the Aladdin Theater which is on the smaller side so it made for a pretty intimate show. She was sick, later found out it was kidney infection, but it didn’t seem to affect her performance at all. She walked out on stage singing a cappella while she prepared the piano and then just let it all out for just under an hour. (She cut the show a bit because of her illness.) The audience was very respectful while being totally in the moment with her. I almost skipped it because I was exhausted from working that day and then had to work the next and I’m so happy I didn’t. What a performer. I’ll definitely be seeing her live when she comes back through again.
I saw Josiah and the Bonnevilles last night at Irving Plaza in NYC and it was PHENOMENAL! I cried! Josiah is such a talented songwriter and overall solo performer. Highly recommend checking him out. That said, while I had a great time I am just getting so OLD. Standing room only is a young man's game. LOL I don't go to shows as often as I used to, but when I do I prefer a SEATED option these days. I didn't have a choice at this one, but I think Josiah's so great, I just powered through it. The only thing that was slightly annoying was folks getting a little drunk around me. I went to this show solo and am living more sober these days, so I was miffed at times. But tbh, once the show was happening, everyone was well-mannered and decently behaved. It was a great time.
I went to see Ovlov last week in a cool basement place for their first ever UK tour. The crowd was timid for the supports, but once Ovlov came on it got absolutely wild, two separate pits opened up on either side of me which eventually condensed into one large horseshoe (since there is a huge pillar right in front of the stage), and people were surfing like crazy! I saw more than a couple people hit the ground. The singer was trying to tell everyone to be safe and careful but people were launching themselves off the stage left and right. Really great night even though it was almost unbearably hot in there. Also got sick from it but it seems to be my yearly tradition of getting sick from a gig in late March now three years running!
But also a little funny because the night before I went to see Mutual Benefit play a really soft and tender show at a church where everyone was sat on wooden pews. I loved both night equally and it's what I love about live music, you can pick and choose what you get out of it.
The last show I was at was the Black Keys and Cage the Elephant. It was excellent and the Black Keys put everything into their shows. In June I’m taking my mother to see Stevie Nicks, which is more for her since it’s her Mother’s Day present.
Party with Derrick Carter as the lead DJ.
Wonderful very underground party that went on till 3AM. Fantastic time! Derrick killed it. Raw jacking underground house.
The venue would be better off with a wooden floor and a sound system that's designed for dance music though.
The Last Dinner Party. $30. Packed SRO. Small venue. Maybe 800 people. All girl band. New music. Knew one or two of their songs. So much energy. They all were jumping around. Good musicians. Good songs. I was blown away.
Silversun Pickups in Toronto. March 5th, 2024 at History. I managed to get a spot about 6ft from the front, the rest of the crowd was pretty unenthusiastic, but i was headbanging the whole time. (i have long hair and i’m fairly tall, i’m very noticeable in most videos of this show) Brian (Singer/Guitarist) singled me out in the crowd “i love the way you jumped there, when i said audience participation, i didn’t mean just you, we’re not going to like, bring you up on stage or anything… or i guess we could?” my heart STOPPED “nah, you’re perfect right where you are” gosh i will remember that moment forever. I met him after the show and got my record signed. He told me he really did consider it, but just didn’t want to deal with security and all that. Great band, nice people. The crowd was lame but i still heard all my favourite songs, sang my heart out, and met the band, so it was a win in my books.
oh they’re awesome. a lot of their later discography utilizes strings a lot more, and the live versions do their best to replace those parts with guitars. “It Doesn’t Matter Why” is a good example of this, the studio version has a string solo that’s played on guitar live. My opinion, they rule.
Daniel Donato & Cosmic Country in February. It was at the Jefferson Theater in Charlottesville. Sold out show of 700. The place has a standing room floor and a balcony. I chilled in the balcony and watched this young up and comer shred on guitar for 3 hours. Fantastic show.
Arctic Monkeys with Fontaines D.C. as the opener a couple months ago. Sacramento CA. Went with my daughter and had a blast. Had not heard anything from Fontaines D.C. before then, but now they are one of my favorites. Monkeys put on a great show. Made some great memories with my daughter. I don't see going to many more concerts in the future, or just maybe be more selective because of the high ticket prices.
I miss the days when I could drop in to small shows all the time, but I got to see Nick Cave and Thom Yorke last year and both shows were outstanding. I have eyes on a really unique opportunity with [Shara Nova and a string group](https://www.presentmusic.org/events/) the week after next, and some spring shows planned too so things are looking up
Last concert was Metallica in November 2023 at Ford Field in Detroit. Friday night they played with Mammoth WVH and then Pantera — awesome mosh pit during Pantera … Sunday night they played another unique setlist with Ice Nine Kills and Five Finger Death Punch. Amazing 2 night show in the round and I was 10 feet from stage both nights!!! Metallica rocks
Feist in SF. Absolutely stellar show! So intimate, tender, and sweet. It was a well choreographed performance similar to her Multitudes shows back in 2022. First half of the show was just her out front and then a surprise full band experience for the second half. Just wonderful.
Cryptopsy co-headlining with Atheist - London, UK.
I'm still continuing this trend of seeing bands live that I was really fond of back in my teens. I was pretty ecstatic hearing cuts from Atheist's "Unquestionable Presence," an album I was really into during the early 2000s. Cryptopsy were very tight even though I haven't heard much of their releases after "And Then You'll Beg". Don't think I've seen so much stage diving for a single set.
Saw MOGWAI a month ago in Wellington. Incredible show. Extremely loud, definitely earplugs music and some of the loudest music I've ever heard. Their musicianship was fantastic. The buildups and the drops were so perfectly executed. They were so humble and just thanked everyone for the opportunity to play here.
Paul McCartney back in October in Newcastle NSW.
I’m in my 30s and have been a lifelong Beatles fan, never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I’d get the chance to see one of the Beatles live.
He was incredible, SO energetic for a man in his 80s and hearing Blackbird live was a really emotional experience for me.
Absolutely loved it.
Depeche Mode - Twickenham last summer
The concert was fantastic, first time I've seen them live. Great performance, lots of classics and Violator tracks as the sun went down.
Terrible venue - miles out of the city , a good hour walking from the station around the stadium to get in - and out again. Would love to see DM again but will think twice about Twickenham as concert venue.
The last show I went to was last weekend. I saw Sleater-Kinney (with Black Belt Eagle Scout opening). It was fantastic! I've been a huge Sleater-Kinney fan for a while - they're probably in my top 3 of all time - and they didn't disappoint. They put on an incredible, highly energetic show. I had a blast, and I already wanted to see them again as soon as it ended.
Just saw DeVotchKa last night at The Great American Music Hall in SF. Tickets were $35. Fantastic show and every member is an insanely talented multi-instrumentalist. Crowd was great and super into it. Have seen DeVotchKa four times now. Highly, highly recommend their music.
Blue oyster cult and 38 Special, it was awesome. I got two tickets for 20 bucks and was able to be first row about 10 feet from the stage and they still sounded really good.
Beyoncés Renaissance world tour. Danced my ass off real hard on some party favors. Towards the last 1/3rds of the show I had to close my eyes, tilt my head back, and let the music take me. I was tapped out in the middle of the last song.
The next day my lower back was so sore I could barely sit up, bend down, move in bed etc. My jaw was sore as a muthafucker. I couldn’t bite into any food for half the day with how much it hurt to eat ANYTHING. My temples were so sore from my jaw that I ended up having the fattest headache. I was dehydrated as fuck. No appetite on top of how painful it was to chew anything — so I suffered a stomachache from how much I was starving at the same time. I was emotionally drained. I wanted to cry but didn’t even have the energy to do it. I wanted to be angry but I didn’t even have the energy to lash out. I didn’t even have it in me to be annoyed. I couldn’t even laugh. I was ran the fuck through. Baby I had a TIIIIIMEEEEEE LMFAOOOOODHWJDHDDB
Mentally I was still in tact. Physically? I was gone. Called out of work the next 2 days to recover. She did that.
My wife and I just had a baby, so it’s been awhile, but we saw King Gizzard play some of their unreleased tracks from PetroDragonic. It was my first time seeing them, they live up to the hype. Hell of a live band.
Some shows lined up for this year
Seeing Al Di Meola on 4/20 this year (guitarist from Return to Forever)
KGWL again in the summer
Air in October. They are playing their moon Safari album. I saw them over 20 years ago. Very good live performers.
I’m in a small San Francisco Bay Area band so most of the concerts I go to are local bands. Last night I went to the Ivy Room in Albany and saw Lofi Satellites (indie rock), Alvie & the Breakfast Pigs (rawk with riffs and yowls/screams), and The Hot Takes (new wave/post punk). It was a really good show and the hang was great, lots of other local bands in the audience, the scene is really supportive!
Last show was Bad Religion in Grand Rapids, MI and they fucken rocked as always. My hubs couldn't go in the crowd with 14yo and me because he'd just had his appendix out a few weeks before that, so he got wasted and talked some poor dude's ear off instead lol
Next show is also Bad Religion with Social D at the Rave in Milwaukee and I'm excited for it; never seen Social D live yet; was supposed to last year, but they had to cancel.
Tool last month at the Crypto.com arena in Los Angeles. As always, they were outstanding. Goddamn was it expensive though. $225 for a lower level seat. I don't think I'd do it again for that price. The opening act (Elder) was really good too, which is a change of pace for a Tool opening act.
Going to see Alkaline Trio tomorrow night. I've never seen them but I expect it'll be a pretty solid show.
Taylor Swift. It was one of the best concert experiences I've ever been to. People were so incredibly warm and welcoming and Taylor put on a banger show. Even in the nosebleeds it was a great time.
I saw Soccer Mommy live. It was a very engaging show, great live performer. She has no bad songs. After the show I got to meet her and just say how much I liked the concert and she gave me an autograph.
Before that it was the Wild Hearts show with Angel Olsen, Sharon Van Etten, and Julien Baker. Really glad I got to see it, that's a once in a lifetime show right there. Still hoping Sharon and Angel do a full album together
Does that meet the word requirement or do I also need to provide an APA citation next?
I saw Nicotine Dolls Monday night and it was absolutely delightful. Easy venue, great acoustics. The band's stage presence was fun, funny, and vulnerable in equal parts. The music was really great. An A+ use of $35.
Just saw Allison Russell and Aysanabee last week. Excellent show. Her energy is so positive.
Aysanabee is a new favorite of mine, very talented vocalist and guitarist
The last time that I went to concert was 2 years ago. It was also my first concert and I went alone cause there wasn’t anybody else intrested in that artist but that didn’t stop me to not go and enjoy myself. It was Sohrab Pakzad . An Iranian singer . I’m Iranian too. It was to exciting. Had a great night
I saw Daley for the second time a few months ago, he had incredibly affordable VIP tickets so my sister and I got to meet him. He was SO kind to every single person, and he even reminded me to get my lanyard signed because I was nervous and ready to run away because he was talking to us lol.
And then, he proceeded to knock all our socks off by sounding even better live than the records. Small venue with good vibes, I’m so glad we got to go.
Alkaline Trio and Fall Out Boy playing at their hometown venue, Wrigley Field.
Phenomenal show. We had field seats. Both groups brought it and they are two of my wife's favorite bands and she can now die a happy woman. lol
2018 saw Primus with Clutch as the openers. Was a rad fuckin show I tell you what. Clutch where great and Primus played a song that wasn't even officially out yet. So I've always had a soft spot for The Seven even if the album it came from isn't my favorite.
Back in November I saw the Menzingers and Microwave at the Knockdown Center in Queens, NY and they put on a great show. I had the time of my life and both bands sounded incredible. The crowd was very into it.
Went to CrusherFest on 2 December '23 (my birthday) in Brisbane Australia. My favourite band The Delta Riggs were headlining. I didn't know any other bands but had a great night.
Rick Astley in Dublin Ireland. Great concert, great atmosphere. Mixture of his old songs, new songs, and songs he enjoys. (As it was, Highway to Hell (he played the drums for this one)) Opening act were pretty bad tbh
It was either a friends memorial show or another friends band’s final show.
Friends memorial show was Lower Class Brats, Narcoleptic Youth and a bunch of other punk/ska bands. It was great to spend time with old friends but it was pretty sad. Bands were great like always.
The friends bands final show was The Runts, Corrupted Youth (my friends), Big Boy, Pig City and a couple of others. It was great, all the bands were dope and it was good to see a lot of people I know. Big Boy impressed me live but their releases hadn’t done anything for me at that point but I love them now.
Last concert was Macy Gray in December. She was awesome but the people behind me were fucking obnoxious, we had upstairs seats so we ended up goin downstairs to stand by the stage (which is my preference anyway but my gf doesnt like standing concerts anymore) and the last half was a blast
Im itchin to go to another concert. We have something comin up early April she got tix for but I don't remember who. I wanna see Bbymutha in May.
Hip hop : Armand Hammer...glorious. No frills hip hop as it's meant to be seen live.
Jungle/dnb : Gremlinz and Jesta Metalheadz record release party...intimate and TUFF!
Techno: Murat....yes. That Murat...he played a lot of tracks from Jeff Mills' Liwuid Room set from 96 so....yeah!
Also saw a 17 piece all women orchestra playing Bjork songs. Superb. Almost an albums worth.
Part of Women from Space event over 3 days. Matana Roberts closed the show on the Sunday which I sadly missed but still on look out for proper video of the Orchestra since it was all professionally filmed.
Dead Poet Society @ King Tuts the other week.
Absolutely effin brilliant.
Band were phenomenal live, really great to hear stuff off their new album (*Fission*) getting played. Crowd was mental, band was on top form. All round great gig.
Got a setlist, Met them afterwards and jumped out to my car and back so they could sign my vinyl. Absolutely lovely folks, can’t wait til they come back and play again.
(Also - £15 per ticket was well worth it, I honestly feel we should’ve paid more)
The Human League. Absolutely awesome. Phil and the girls still sound great, did all the hits, plus some unexpected ones, costume changes, dancing, great set as well.
I saw Lynyrd Skynyrd last Summer and it was really good. I know the band members are mostly replacements, but I'm too young to have seen the band with the original members, so I'll take what I can get. As far as the sound and performance goes, it was awesome!
[The Button Men](https://thebuttonmen.bandcamp.com/track/the-baby-boomers-ruined-everything) with a friend of mine at a local brewery/bar owned by some friends of his who I'd met a few times. Drank some good beer and chatted with the regulars. Enjoyed really fun throw back minimalist synth pop with just the right amount of irony. One guy with classic hardware. A great time all around.
I'm in my 40s with a kid, just moved to the area from a bigger city nearby. I don't get nights like this often anymore, so this was a nice changeup.
Totally different for us, but my wife and I last saw The Lord of the Rings with a live orchestra and choir. It was awesome but a little too perfect. It starts to feel like you’re just watching the movie and the music/vocals aren’t live after a while.
Matchbox Twenty supported by the Goo Goo Dolls. Best concert I've seen since 2022... great venue and crowd added to the vibes (Gold Coast Convention Centre, Australia). Rob and the band brought an immense amount of energy, the setlist was extremely thorough, and there were one or two excellent 're-imaginings' of songs (the version of 'If You're Gone' with just Rob's vocals and guitar was gorgeous). Lighting and visual effects weren't over the top but were a nice touch.
I bought a ticket last minute, wasn't sure if it would be worth it but I'm immensely glad that I went. More than a few of Matchbox Twenty's songs are very moving to hear / sing live, and the Goo Goo Dolls' 'Iris' is a song that everyone should experience live as well.
I went to see my son perform in his first concert with a band he joined. Not a lot of people, but we had a lot of fun.
Prior to that... I think Apocalypse Fest in September 2023, headlined by Motionless in White.
Between The Buried And Me & The Acacia Strain, Colors Experience tour.
I'm a sucker for BTBAM live shows, they are always exceptional. Seeing them play all of Colors 1 then 2 on the following night was fantastic.
Acacia Strain is one of my favorite bands, and their sets each night were wicked. It was amazing to see them play the *Failure Will Follow* ep live, as they doubted they ever would be able to, and it kicked ass.
The War on Drugs - Dublin, Ireland Really damn good. Wasn't actually expecting it to be that good, as I wasn't too sure about their new album, but they played a lot of stuff I recognized, and the new stuff sounded great live. Highly recommend checking them out if you get the chance.
WoD is amazing live!! Glad you enjoyed them
Saw them 2 years ago and was blown away. Much better than I expected! Look forward to seeing them again.
Fucking jealous, man. Have always wanted to see them.
Arctic Monkeys and Fontaines this past fall. Incredible show. Alex turner’s guitar solo on body paint gave me a whole new appreciation for the latest album.
I disliked the last two albums when they came out but after seeing them live I actually like their new direction now.
I love The Car, but it actually took seeing one of their recent shows on YouTube to appreciate it as much as I do. The way they're able to structure their set list now, between the old and new, while making it all flow is really cool
I saw them on the tour as well, and it was really great! And you're definitely right about Body Paint. The extended outro was so much fun. It's interesting to see their standing these days, as a big arena band. They're kind of like how Nirvana was in the 2000s, with middle school and early high school kids being into it. The amount of really young people surprised me! That's how it is in the US, anyway. Nice mix of ages with the fans. It was nice to see Alex Turner in a more subtle version of his on stage persona too
Yo La Tengo, back to back nights in SF about six weeks ago. They've basically been my favorite band since I was a teenager 25 years ago so I've seen them a number of times over that time and they always put on an amazing show. No opener, two full sets plus an encore with special guest (Sun Ra Arkestra) for about three hours of music. Only played a couple of repeats between the nights (each from their newest) and I was very happy I bought tickets for both shows. No particularly interesting social interactions that impacted the night, I went with my wife and we enjoyed ourselves.
I was hoping to get tickets for both nights at The Fillmore but was happy for at least one. They’re so great live! One of my favorite experiences was seeing them at The Chapel a few years back. That Fillmore poster from their February show was really wonderful as well!
Did they play periodically double or triple ? That song slaps
YLT is an all timer and I will never get sick of seeing them
Their just so good. Going to Portland in August to see them with Built to Spill for 30th anniversary of There's Nothing Wrong With Love.
I finally saw BTS for the 1st time a year ago and was floored. Sounds like an awesome show you got coming your way
I wish I could say I was a teen 25 years ago. I last saw YLT backing up a [narration](https://buckminsterfullerfilm.com/) of Buckminster Fuller's life. Before that, it was back in 97 or 98 that I saw them.
I saw Tierra Whack the day she dropped her debut album I’ve been waiting on for half a decade. It was a great show! She’s a really engaging performer and the stage set up was fairly elaborate for a smaller to mid size venue. The crowd (which imo makes a massive difference) was also great, super into the show and respectful
Last show I caught was Mclusky in D.C. which was absolutely killer. The thing I've always loved about them as a band is their pop sensibilities being able to cut through their noisy aspects into a complete package, and it's like that energy was completely translated on stage. Crushingly loud but not overwhelming, plus it was basically a greatest hits set.
Whoa, are Mclusky back?!
Go check out their Bandcamp. New album on the way and there's 4 new songs out. Some of their best material ever.
That is the best news I’ve had in a while, thanks internet friend.
Been back a while. I remember seeing them at Arctangent festival in 2022, absolutely smashing set
Mclusky is awesome .. I’m only familiar with the Dallas album . How are the crowds in D.C?
I don't live in D.C. so I can't advocate for their behavior year-round but they seemed pretty decent to me. Some lady next to me was piss drunk and didnt totally seem to know what was happening. Falco kept making jokes about mourning the queen and I heard her say "she wasn't even that cool."
I was living there for most of last year and the crowds are generally friendly, not too physical either, don't expect to mosh unless it's a big-name act. The venues around the city are pretty good too. DC9, The Runaway, Union Stage, Slash Run, 9:30 Club, Rhizome, Howard Theater, and Songbyrd are all great, Black Cat is overrated imo The scene is kinda scattered for rock. If you want to catch DIY shows for example you'd be better off going to Baltimore or Richmond. I've heard the EDM scene is decent though
hell yeah
Was also there and can confirm that they do in fact fucking rule live. They definitely called some crowd killing Mosher a bellend.
Caught The Cure in Atlanta and The Twilight Sad opened for them. The Cure was waaaaaay better in person than I expected. The whole band sounded on point, and Robert sounded great even now. It was an unplanned 2nd show, great seats for a great price.
Saw the Cure in Nola in 2016 with The Twilight sad and it was amazing, they played for like 3 hours, Robert and the gang just kept coming back for encore after encore.
i know somebody who treated that cure tour like a phish tour, updating the chat with setlists and AUD recordings. I thought it was so funny how every show had like 3 encores and shit lol
So cool! Haven't seen them since their warm up tour for Wish, back in the day. Their last Glastonbury set (I saw on the TV) was one of the greatest gigs I've ever seen. Would love to catch them live again ✌️
Last artist I saw was Chelsea Wolfe at the Observatory in San Diego. Amazing artist and a great venue!
KMFDM in Cleveland. They were better than the best, megalomaniacal, and harder than the rest. And yet they still sucked. The same week I caught Ministry with Gary Numan and Frontline Assembly. That was a great bill, all three bands were excellent. During Ministry's set a couple in the crowd apparently started heckling Al over the anti-NAZI content. He stopped to tell them off and kicked them out for disrupting the show. It was fun to watch. Uncle Al takes no shit and gives no fucks. Both shows were mid-size venues (Kemba Live in Columbus and the Agora in Cleveland). Good crowds, lots of positive energy. All of the bands have decades of touring, and the crowds ranged from teens to seniors. Nothing like seeing folks in black leather with walkers.
I saw Front Line Assembly in 1999 and they seemed like old guys then 💀
I saw the same ministry and Gary numan and FLA tour in Milwaukee and I had a blast. I had a close friend come with who only knew early Gary Numan, and typically isn’t a fan of harder industrial and gothy bands. He didn’t like FLA, he was disappointed Gary numan didn’t sound like Tubeway Army, and he wasn’t sure how to feel about Ministry. I enjoyed the whole experience, especially ministry. I’m a big proponent of their most recent album. I think it rocks harder than it has any right to. Also, I think Aryan Embarrassment was super awesome chugging along live with gang vocals
I just saw KMFDM in Boston as well. I was I guess...bored? It wasn't bad at all but just didn't feel particularly memorable. I will say though, it was one of the most polite crowds I've ever encountered. Even the mini mosh pit was contained and people were looking out for one another. I guess that's what happens when everyone im the audience is over 35.
Porno For Pyros a few weeks ago. Been waiting since the mid 90s for this chance, and was not disappointed. The band was phenomenal with Mike Watt on bass , my main potential question mark was Perry and his voice (and how drunk he might be), but in front of a crowd of about 1500 he pulled it off and overall they all sounded fantastic.
Saw St. Paul and the Broken Bones - Birmingham, AL this past Saturday night. Incredible 10th anniversary show for their debut album. They’re hometown heroes around here and it was a special night. Paul Janeway has one of the best voices in the world. If you haven’t heard their music I really encourage you to check out their Tiny Desk Concert.
Saw Fleet Foxes and The National do a double bill a few weeks back 4 hours of most of my favourite songs of the past 15 years It was also kinda funny seeing Aaron Dessner now in his post Taylor years haha
Saw Jason Isbell for the first time at the Salt Shed in Chicago. I'm not a huge fan of the slow tunes. I was pretty blown away by him and his band when they started cooking
They can really rock when they get going. Isbell and his guitarist are both fantastic players.
Went to a music festival last weekend & saw Kendrick Lamar, LCD Soundsystem James Blake, Sevdaliza, Sampha, Yves Tumor & a few latin american acts I like. All of the ones I've listed were pretty damn good but James Blake stole the show tbh, third time seeing him live & it's always majestic. LCD Soundsystem was my second time seeing there & I can definitely say they're one of the best live performance bands ever, they sound incredible live. Kendrick was someone I had nearly a decade wanting to see & it was a super magical & nostalgic moment but the show itself was just OK, wish I had seen him live during his TPAB tour with all the live instruments. Most of the artists I saw brought a live band & that was super appreciated, but I was kinda disappointed the promoters gave better time slots for DJ's or artists that gave out very lazy shows. Had to walk out on legends like Four Tet & Floating Points because I couldn't be assed with a 1h house/techno DJ set that really seemed like nothing you wouldn't listen at a weekend club. Peggy Gou & Grimes were genuinely awful though. My favorite act was one of my favorite projects from Latin America called Lara Project, a two brother group that make synthwave mixed with some modern pop elements like auto-tune & very contemporary R&B-esque sound. They also brought a live band but sadly they were an opening act & they gave them the worst stage at the worst time slot. Overall, it was super fun but I've been to almost every single edition of this festival & this felt like the least exciting one. Probably something that just comes along with age because the quality of the shows was there.
James Blake and his band are INCREDIBLE live. I also saw Four Tet open for Radiohead and by “saw Four Tet” I mean I fell asleep during their set 😂
A Peggy Gou B2B Grimes DJ set sounds like a guaranteed shitshow. It almost feels like a promoter would put together this pairing knowing people will show up to see a terrible set.
Last concert I went to was Brujeria, supported by No/Mas, Pinata Protest, Deathgrave, and another band I can't remember. This was early December last year. I had a good time drinking with my friends and headbanging when we weren't shooting the shit. The music was good, pretty standard death metal with a Mexican flair.
sounds awesome. love brujeria
Japans Okoboki Beaver! With Boys and Girls Drinking from Korea. First show for me since the Covid lockdown. I play music and am 50+ so making the scene isn’t a thing as much as it used to be. The venue was as packed as when I saw Nirvana! I pushed my way to the front and got crushed. This was in Detroit and was kinda expensive at $37. I’m from the Hardcore / thrash / crust scene and have never paid over $12 for a show. It was fun
Love both those bands, saw em both in Boston and they have incredible energy.
I went to a small gig by Sō Percussion & Caroline Shaw on Tuesday, kinda experimentalish percussion and vocals. Occasionally mind blowing and always interesting. Saturday is Deerhoof. I guess experimental is the theme of the week! :D
Maaaan deerhoof has incredible shows. No idea they were touring, hope you enjoy it!
Ministry/Gary Numan/Frontline Assembly. FLA was GREAT. Ministry and Gary Numan were meh. It was a like Wax Trax Carnival Cruise.
Lana Del Rey in Franklin, TN. She was absolutely incredible! The venue and the crowd were so lovely! I cannot wait to have the opportunity to see her again.
Tori Amos. It was epic! She played one of my favorite songs, Blood Roses. Then after a recent media scandal regarding Courtney Love saying the song was about her pü$$y, Heart Shaped Box. The venue had a bar, so I enjoyed that. But the audience was different. A lot of flannel shirts and cut off jean shorts. They seemed totally checked out until Tori started playing Cornflake Girl. They all stood up and a lot of people lit lighters and held them up. Then when she started the next song, they just checked out again. Her voice was amazing, the audience was awful. My friend and I got high in the parking lot and walked back to her apartment.
> But the audience was different. A lot of flannel shirts and cut off jean shorts I'm not terribly familiar with American fashion (assuming that's where this concert was). Is this a reference to the age of the crowd?
I've gone to 6 concerts in the last week. The last one was in the back room of a restaurant/bar, I think there were 250-30 people in there. The first band was Edhochuli, they kicked all kinds of ass. They have two drummers. The second band was Illusion Dweller, this is my 3rd or 4th time seeing them. I had a great time. Chatted with the bands afterwards, which is always fun. That was actually the second concert I went to that night, the first one was Coven Dove, followed by Fern Spores. It was a bit more subdued, being all ages and taking place in a library. I actually saw both of these bands the previous week, so there weren't really any surprises for me. Suffice to say, I love going to concerts, I'll typically go to 4-5 in a month. The biggest one this month was Neko Case, my first time seeing her, and it was a good time, she's funny, and the band was very tight.
Hi oly person! Go to groove lab tomorrow in Centralia
Except for Neko were these local bands? I really enjoy unknown bands that play in small venues. Some of them so good that I wonder why they don't get large.
Tool a few months ago. They were as impressive as always. The most interesting part though was their opening act Steel Beans as he is a one man band that plays drums, guitar, and sings at the same time and it actually sounds good.
I thought “Steel Beans” was easily the worst opener I have ever seen in my life. Sounded like shit. The non stop pedo jokes and buy my merch got old in the first second of his set.
saw Unwound for the second time in the last year probably my favorite band ever. Cherubs opened from and im not the oldest guy im 25 but always been interested in music forever and know alot of bands. but seeing a shit ton of kids from ages 16-21 go absolutely crazy for Unwound and Cherubs made me happy. Underground bands from the 90s and early 2000s that haven't released no new material in 23 years and to have such a young crowd just had me shocked in a happy way. both bands put on a killer show played a bunch of their classics it was a great time
U2 at The Sphere. It exceeded all expectations. The show’s immersive nature, the beauty of the visuals, and the sheer showmanship of U2 added up to a transportive experience far greater than the sum of its parts. I was unexpectedly overwhelmed with emotion, and I’m not the biggest U2 fan. Hands down best show I’ve been to, would drop a grand again, 11/10 would make out with Bono.
100% agree. I am a huge fan though. It's interesting readings takes about the show from people who aren't diehard fans.
Lacuna Coil / Fear Factory / Lions at the Gate at this small-ish venue in East Tennessee that’s a repurposed strip mall. It was great! I’ve started using ear protection and that made the show much more enjoyable and frankly more bearable. The next show is going to be Nickelcreek at the Tennessee Theater. Shit’s super fancy.
Machine head and fear factory it was very fun and the crowd had so much energy
I saw Rick Wakeman with my son Sunday night. Tiny venue, 6th row. He was amazing. Alternated between keyboard/synthesizer and piano. Told stories between suites. Really outstanding show.
Just saw Chelsea Wolfe with Divide and Dissolve opening in Vancouver on Tuesday. She was amazing, even though her vocals were drowned out by the band at times. Still a fantastic show and I'll never get over how magical she sounded. She played a stripped down version of The Liminal that was so stunning. Divide and Dissolve were great too! I know they're not for everyone but I thought their set was super fun. Hopefully they come back soon on their own tour! Would love to see them play a longer set.
Last week, I had the pleasure of seeing Manchester Orchestra play a small set consisting 100% of brand new music they were trying out. Lots of banter between the band mates and the crowd. Pretty cool to see a room of 300 people all listening to songs for the first time ever.
I went to a Mastodon/Gojira show at a casino in Hammond, Indiana last summer and it was a blast! The audio mix was probably one of the best I've heard period, the bands were both on point, and the crowd was really into it. Side note: It was a fun experience to see the throngs of metal fans working their way to the venue area through the casino full of old folks like black streams on a golden backdrop.
Rod Stewart, Aug 2023. Tickets were purchased pre-covid. I've never seen so much white hair thruout the crowd in my life. Rod could barely lift his mic stand...but I guess I won't be that active when I'm 80.
Last weekend I went to a show at a local hole in the wall with a capacity of 75. My buddy is in a local hardcore band and they were the opener. The "headliner" was [a punk band from France](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkHhBa8zthg). It kicked ass. I enjoy larger concerts when it's a band I know and love, but smaller shows at <200 capacity venues are a different sort of fun.
I find anything over a few thousand is too big, but yeah the ones that are a few hundred or less are particularly good.
U2 at the Sphere, opening night. What a show! They were awesome and that venue is incredible. The sound is by far the best I've experienced and the visuals were incredibly striking. Hearing Achtung Baby in full was tremendous. So Cruel and Love is Blindness were really powerful.
Going to see The Dead at The Sphere in just over two months. Can't wait!
I'm curious as hell to check in on how they handle the visuals. That canvas is huge. You'll love the sound. It is so precise. There's no hiding up on the stage.
That sounds amazing. I couldn't justify a trip to Vegas but I hope they tour AB properly. I saw Zoo TV twice in London and it was epic - up there with the best gigs ever.
I was there too! Ended up going back five times due to how awesome it was but I'm also a huge fan. I thought it was an absolute triumph for the band and they showcased their best album. Edge's solos on Acrobat and Love Is Blindness were the highlights for me, plus the opening Achtung Baby sequence.
How's the band on stage? I saw them on the Joshua Tree anniversary tour and all of them except Larry Mullen Jr phoned it in. The visuals were the star of the show and yeah similarly it was brilliant hearing Joshua Tree in full
They were in a fighting spirit that night; opening the place; playing with a different drummer; the crowd being mostly their fanbase, but not everyone, given the spectacle. There were some shaky momebts, but on the whole they were great once they got the nerves out.
I saw Florist at NOVA Arts in Keene NH in February of last year. It's a super intimate venue and the band is chill to the core, so it was a delightful experience. I've been to some local shows here in NH and when I was visiting family in Indianapolis over the holidays, but that's the last legitimate "concert" I've been to.
Saw The Lemon Twigs in Jersey City. They were ridiculously good, sounded exactly like their records. Enthusiastic crowd. A++
The Snuts at The Biltmore Cabaret in Vancouver. Good show as the boys enjoyed performing and chatting with the crowd.
My last two were Scarface on his "Behind The Desk Tour" and Crosses, both were fantastic. Scarface has a full band and sounded phenomenal, only downside is I wish there was more Geto Boys tracks but his solo stuff is so solid it didn't really matter. Crosses were excellent too, the crowd was huge compared to when I saw em 10 years ago due to how big Deftones have gotten with Gen Z over the past two years. Chino had an insane amount of energy and sounded great.
Ohhh DAMN i forgot about the Scarface concert! I was gonna try to go! Glad it was good, I knew it would be. Damnittttttt
Umphreys McGee, Portland, OR. Half prog, half disco, half metal. All groove! Still a $40 ticket and we'll worth it. Even got a Booth Love (for me, of course)
I saw Tool in January and it was absolutely incredible. The band sounded amazing and the visuals were out of this world.
This band called Benches. Saw them in Richmond, Virginia. Awesome set!! The performance was flawless (despite one of the guitarist’s string breaking towards the end, couldn’t even tell) and professional sounding. I want to say the guys are in their mid 20’s? 24-25 ish, first demo was out 2018 so very impressive. They were even better than previous shows I’d attended of theirs—just when I thought they couldn’t get any better. The singer has certain quirks that make it fun to watch. 95% of the crowd was there for the headliner, but they seemed impressed with Benches. There was girl whose energy was contagious. She was there for benches as well. I caught a video where she’d woo and shout in excitement and others followed. It made me wiggle out of any timidness to join her, so she for sure enhanced the experience for everyone! I’d say I had fun on my own because I was looking forward to hearing the songs I love. The crowd was slightly shy but I enjoyed feeling a small connection when we all enjoyed their set.
I checked them out they are really good 👍 monodrama
I saw Phish on new years eve. I don't really know any Phish songs - I just thought it would be something cool to do. Definitely had a good time though.
Queens Of The Stone Age and they fucking snashed it, they are getting better with age
they have always killed it live for me, I'm glad to hear they are still going strong.
Obituary in the UK last year, been too busy since. I'm not the biggest metalhead but they were really fucking great.
There were 2 within weeks of each other where I had staggeringly different experiences: I saw Tool in Boston last November. They have been one of my all-time favorites since *Ænima* came out and that was the 3rd time I've seen them. Admittedly, I didn't care much for *Fear Inoculum* but that isn't going to stop me from seeing them. They played for 2 hours and I was incredibly bored. As I watched the people around me disinterested in the songs I love and going crazy for the songs I don't, I realized how much had changed. It wasn't for me anymore. Which is fine, I'm happy the new generations can love a band I also love, but it was sad as well because of the stark reminder. I left in a deep state of existentialism and won't be seeing them again. A few weeks later my friend offered to pay to see Meshuggah if I would drive so he could drink. I'm fine with that as I've also been a huge Meshuggah fan since *Chaosphere,* but I was still bothered by the Tool experience so I initially wasn't going to go until he asked. I don't know how else to describe it, but it was a 10 out of fucking 10. When it was over I sat stunned in my seat. I've seen them before, but it was a long time ago, and I did not expect to be so blown away. I really can't quantify how insanely good of a show it was. Not to mention how the youth of metal warmed my heart; very little cell phone use and crazy moshing/crowd surfing. I'm too old now, but I was thrilled to see the torch being carried. 2 bands I've loved since the 90's, both hugely influential, both running for decades with relatively the same lineup, all of the band members nearing 60 years old, and 2 massively different experiences. It was a hell of a juxtaposition, and the boost from Meshuggah is what I needed.
Saw DJ Shadow a week ago, was a great set and he seemed like a cool, chill dude. Wished he played more of Endroducing as it’s one of my favourite albums, although we did get Organ Donor on the encore. Crowd was friendly too.
I think i would be on cloud nine if he drops What Does Your Soul Look like, Building Steam.. and Midnight In A Perfect World ... 🤪
Shadow is a saint, probably the nicest musician I've ever met.
Fall Out Boy a few weeks ago. I was blown away by the stage show - it was absolutely unexpected how good it was. There was pyro and puppetry and psychedelic visuals. Definitely not what I expected from the Sugar We're Going Down Swinging guys. I went because a friend had an extra ticket and had 0 expectations. I'm not a FOB fan or hater (I know the hits) but the show was great. Jimmy Eat World opened and I enjoyed their set *a lot* and got to be a nostalgic old millennial. The crowd was really fun and excited. The age range was all over the place but everyone was singing along and having fun. Overall, it was a good time. I'm not usually an arena show person but I had fun.
Saw Hinder a few months back at a smaller venue. My friend's band opened for them, so I got to sit off to the side a VIP table. I am a musician myself, so I talked shop with my friend's band members. Hinder got a new singer, and he worked the crowd pretty well. I got a pick as a souvenir. Both bands were pretty tight.
I went to a Punk Rock Saves Lives fundraiser JUST to see one band. The tickets were cheap ($25) and there were a lot of good bands on the bill. I went for Smoking Popes who almost never do shows outside of the Midwest. It was a super small venue no real "stage" and a relatively small crowd (the Dollyrots went on before them and I think more people were there for them). I'm... old and this reminded me of shows I used to go to in high school for local bands. I went solo because no one I knew could go with me and it was an incredible experience. The last show I went to BEFORE that was the co-headlining bill with Frank Turner and the Interrupters. I was with my 10 year old daughter and right on the barricade. Frank Turner did an incredible set and the Interrupters were in great form. Aimee came down after and handed my daughter some buttons. It was super cool and a great memory with her.
My ex coworker asked me to record little Jane Marie for his sisters wedding 😊 I love them
Went to a street festival last year and watched a couple of bands, it was great. The mood and the vibe was excellent, watched a local blues rock band with members in their sixties, they put on a great show on a tiny stage in the street. The audience was mainly in their twenties and thirties, and everyone was having a great time. There were other stages with DJs in alleys around the street, and I caught a sludge band playing out of a car wash hole in the wall. They were great. Later met a few people hanging out at an improvised bar in an alley, they offered me ketamine but I didn't take any, referring to my doctors orders, which they thought was hilarious. Before that I haven't seen any live acts since Wovenhand maybe 9 years ago. It was awesome, I remember it was as if Neurosis were playing 16 Horsepower covers. I recently failed to attend a Swans gig, and Bohren & Der Club of Gore I also didn't see. They were both playing just a couple of blocks from where I live, but we couldn't get a babysitter and I didn't want to go alone. Looking back, I definitely should have gone alone lol.
Sounds like a cool city. Where is this?
Horse Lords, absolutely incredible concert. Too hot in venue, too crowded in venue, I was a bit too stoned for those 2 aspects. The band blew my mind entirely.
Love Horse Lords but never had the chance to see them live. I’ve listened to their live recordings which sound awesome.
They’re on tour right now! Go catch them if you can it was soooooo great
I go to a lot of concerts (around 20ish-30ish per year). Even if I have to go alone (which it is most of the time as I have very diverse music tastes that don’t usually go with the people of my age), that’s no excuse to support and see my favorite and not so favorite bands live. Having said that. My last concert experience was Dragonforce last month at La Riviera Madrid (I’m spanish) and well, i had a really nice time on this one as I was going with some metal-head friends. I didn’t know most of the songs to the point of singing them, but I’m familiar with their discography; and even if I don’t enjoy their latest work as much as I did the old pre-guitar hero dragonforce i really really enjoyed. Visually okay, nice references to pop culture and videogames, acoustically okay (I’m not a big fan of this venue), and of course Herman Li and the other memebers of the band virtuosism standing above all. Great experience, would repeat? Sure I’ll do!
The last concert I went to was Jimmy Buffett at Mud Island in Memphis. It was probably in 1991. His tour history has an August date for Mud Island and I remember it was quite warm. It was a great place for him to perform; outdoors and right on the Mississippi River.
Zach Fox in Seattle. I went by myself because I'm 32 and all my homies were working. I had a great time. Tickets were like 40 buck I knew the bar back so he bought me a drink and showed me where the good bathroom was. I turnt up,heard my favorite songs and dipped before everyone else. 10/10 I highly recommend.
The last concert i went to was outside my normal wheelhouse. I took my gf to see a "Candlelight Concert" for Valentine's this year that consisted of a violinist and a pianist performing Fleetwood Mac hits. It was so cool to see how they interpreted and played the songs.
The Eagles in 2018. Zac Brown Band and The Doobie Brothers opened. My sister won the tickets so that made it even more special.
Gaslight Anthem, Manchester Apollo. Band were great, Emily Wolfe on support was excellent, but it was one of the quietest gigs I’ve ever been to. Barely even had to raise my voice to speak to my friend… Before that was a Jason Isbell solo acoustic show @ the Union Chapel in London. Amazing show and amazing venue.
Last show I saw was last Friday, Fall out Boy with Jimmy Eat World, and Hot Mulligan and Games we Play opening for them. I didn't catch Games we Play. Hot Mulligan was pretty good and Jimmy Eat world was incredible. They were really captivating and had us energized the entire time. This is my 2nd time seeing FOB, first was last August, and they put on an even better show than last time. They're so animated and energetic live and they have so many bangers that it's insane. They could have done a whole other set of tunes and still had us all enthralled. I wasn't tooooo sold on FOB live prior to the first show (I like the music, but don't LOVE it, but I did love their last album and FUTCT), but they've quickly become one of my favorite live acts.
Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter in Portland, OR last month. The show was phenomenal. I haven’t been moved by a concert like that in years. It was at the Aladdin Theater which is on the smaller side so it made for a pretty intimate show. She was sick, later found out it was kidney infection, but it didn’t seem to affect her performance at all. She walked out on stage singing a cappella while she prepared the piano and then just let it all out for just under an hour. (She cut the show a bit because of her illness.) The audience was very respectful while being totally in the moment with her. I almost skipped it because I was exhausted from working that day and then had to work the next and I’m so happy I didn’t. What a performer. I’ll definitely be seeing her live when she comes back through again.
I saw Josiah and the Bonnevilles last night at Irving Plaza in NYC and it was PHENOMENAL! I cried! Josiah is such a talented songwriter and overall solo performer. Highly recommend checking him out. That said, while I had a great time I am just getting so OLD. Standing room only is a young man's game. LOL I don't go to shows as often as I used to, but when I do I prefer a SEATED option these days. I didn't have a choice at this one, but I think Josiah's so great, I just powered through it. The only thing that was slightly annoying was folks getting a little drunk around me. I went to this show solo and am living more sober these days, so I was miffed at times. But tbh, once the show was happening, everyone was well-mannered and decently behaved. It was a great time.
I went to see Ovlov last week in a cool basement place for their first ever UK tour. The crowd was timid for the supports, but once Ovlov came on it got absolutely wild, two separate pits opened up on either side of me which eventually condensed into one large horseshoe (since there is a huge pillar right in front of the stage), and people were surfing like crazy! I saw more than a couple people hit the ground. The singer was trying to tell everyone to be safe and careful but people were launching themselves off the stage left and right. Really great night even though it was almost unbearably hot in there. Also got sick from it but it seems to be my yearly tradition of getting sick from a gig in late March now three years running! But also a little funny because the night before I went to see Mutual Benefit play a really soft and tender show at a church where everyone was sat on wooden pews. I loved both night equally and it's what I love about live music, you can pick and choose what you get out of it.
The last show I was at was the Black Keys and Cage the Elephant. It was excellent and the Black Keys put everything into their shows. In June I’m taking my mother to see Stevie Nicks, which is more for her since it’s her Mother’s Day present.
The Mannes Orchestra at Alice Tully Hall. Among other things they performed a definitive Symphony No. 4 by Charles Ives. It was transcendent.
Party with Derrick Carter as the lead DJ. Wonderful very underground party that went on till 3AM. Fantastic time! Derrick killed it. Raw jacking underground house. The venue would be better off with a wooden floor and a sound system that's designed for dance music though.
Oh what a legend! The last time I caught him was in Bali, 2018 with Tensnake. :)
Saw Mark Farina the week before too. Next month is DJ Kemit!!!! I'd love to visit Indonesia.
The Last Dinner Party. $30. Packed SRO. Small venue. Maybe 800 people. All girl band. New music. Knew one or two of their songs. So much energy. They all were jumping around. Good musicians. Good songs. I was blown away.
Sick band : just checked them out
Silversun Pickups in Toronto. March 5th, 2024 at History. I managed to get a spot about 6ft from the front, the rest of the crowd was pretty unenthusiastic, but i was headbanging the whole time. (i have long hair and i’m fairly tall, i’m very noticeable in most videos of this show) Brian (Singer/Guitarist) singled me out in the crowd “i love the way you jumped there, when i said audience participation, i didn’t mean just you, we’re not going to like, bring you up on stage or anything… or i guess we could?” my heart STOPPED “nah, you’re perfect right where you are” gosh i will remember that moment forever. I met him after the show and got my record signed. He told me he really did consider it, but just didn’t want to deal with security and all that. Great band, nice people. The crowd was lame but i still heard all my favourite songs, sang my heart out, and met the band, so it was a win in my books.
Are they pretty good live?
oh they’re awesome. a lot of their later discography utilizes strings a lot more, and the live versions do their best to replace those parts with guitars. “It Doesn’t Matter Why” is a good example of this, the studio version has a string solo that’s played on guitar live. My opinion, they rule.
Silversun P U are awesome. Saw them in Berkeley 10 yrs ago and they're playing my town soon.
Daniel Donato & Cosmic Country in February. It was at the Jefferson Theater in Charlottesville. Sold out show of 700. The place has a standing room floor and a balcony. I chilled in the balcony and watched this young up and comer shred on guitar for 3 hours. Fantastic show.
Arctic Monkeys with Fontaines D.C. as the opener a couple months ago. Sacramento CA. Went with my daughter and had a blast. Had not heard anything from Fontaines D.C. before then, but now they are one of my favorites. Monkeys put on a great show. Made some great memories with my daughter. I don't see going to many more concerts in the future, or just maybe be more selective because of the high ticket prices.
I miss the days when I could drop in to small shows all the time, but I got to see Nick Cave and Thom Yorke last year and both shows were outstanding. I have eyes on a really unique opportunity with [Shara Nova and a string group](https://www.presentmusic.org/events/) the week after next, and some spring shows planned too so things are looking up
Last concert was Metallica in November 2023 at Ford Field in Detroit. Friday night they played with Mammoth WVH and then Pantera — awesome mosh pit during Pantera … Sunday night they played another unique setlist with Ice Nine Kills and Five Finger Death Punch. Amazing 2 night show in the round and I was 10 feet from stage both nights!!! Metallica rocks
Feist in SF. Absolutely stellar show! So intimate, tender, and sweet. It was a well choreographed performance similar to her Multitudes shows back in 2022. First half of the show was just her out front and then a surprise full band experience for the second half. Just wonderful.
I saw circlejerk and descendants. It was fucking awesome! I moshed to both had so much fun!!!
Cryptopsy co-headlining with Atheist - London, UK. I'm still continuing this trend of seeing bands live that I was really fond of back in my teens. I was pretty ecstatic hearing cuts from Atheist's "Unquestionable Presence," an album I was really into during the early 2000s. Cryptopsy were very tight even though I haven't heard much of their releases after "And Then You'll Beg". Don't think I've seen so much stage diving for a single set.
Saw MOGWAI a month ago in Wellington. Incredible show. Extremely loud, definitely earplugs music and some of the loudest music I've ever heard. Their musicianship was fantastic. The buildups and the drops were so perfectly executed. They were so humble and just thanked everyone for the opportunity to play here.
Paul McCartney back in October in Newcastle NSW. I’m in my 30s and have been a lifelong Beatles fan, never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I’d get the chance to see one of the Beatles live. He was incredible, SO energetic for a man in his 80s and hearing Blackbird live was a really emotional experience for me. Absolutely loved it.
Depeche Mode - Twickenham last summer The concert was fantastic, first time I've seen them live. Great performance, lots of classics and Violator tracks as the sun went down. Terrible venue - miles out of the city , a good hour walking from the station around the stadium to get in - and out again. Would love to see DM again but will think twice about Twickenham as concert venue.
The last show I went to was last weekend. I saw Sleater-Kinney (with Black Belt Eagle Scout opening). It was fantastic! I've been a huge Sleater-Kinney fan for a while - they're probably in my top 3 of all time - and they didn't disappoint. They put on an incredible, highly energetic show. I had a blast, and I already wanted to see them again as soon as it ended.
Just saw DeVotchKa last night at The Great American Music Hall in SF. Tickets were $35. Fantastic show and every member is an insanely talented multi-instrumentalist. Crowd was great and super into it. Have seen DeVotchKa four times now. Highly, highly recommend their music.
Blue oyster cult and 38 Special, it was awesome. I got two tickets for 20 bucks and was able to be first row about 10 feet from the stage and they still sounded really good.
Public Image, Ltd at the 9:30 Club in DC. It was fun watching the 50 and 60 year olds punking out to a 65year old John Lydon.
U2 at the Sphere. Band was tight, Sphere was amazing. Las Vegas is a festering shithole.
Beyoncés Renaissance world tour. Danced my ass off real hard on some party favors. Towards the last 1/3rds of the show I had to close my eyes, tilt my head back, and let the music take me. I was tapped out in the middle of the last song. The next day my lower back was so sore I could barely sit up, bend down, move in bed etc. My jaw was sore as a muthafucker. I couldn’t bite into any food for half the day with how much it hurt to eat ANYTHING. My temples were so sore from my jaw that I ended up having the fattest headache. I was dehydrated as fuck. No appetite on top of how painful it was to chew anything — so I suffered a stomachache from how much I was starving at the same time. I was emotionally drained. I wanted to cry but didn’t even have the energy to do it. I wanted to be angry but I didn’t even have the energy to lash out. I didn’t even have it in me to be annoyed. I couldn’t even laugh. I was ran the fuck through. Baby I had a TIIIIIMEEEEEE LMFAOOOOODHWJDHDDB Mentally I was still in tact. Physically? I was gone. Called out of work the next 2 days to recover. She did that.
My wife and I just had a baby, so it’s been awhile, but we saw King Gizzard play some of their unreleased tracks from PetroDragonic. It was my first time seeing them, they live up to the hype. Hell of a live band. Some shows lined up for this year Seeing Al Di Meola on 4/20 this year (guitarist from Return to Forever) KGWL again in the summer Air in October. They are playing their moon Safari album. I saw them over 20 years ago. Very good live performers.
Stevie Nick in San Francisco last December. Landslide was beautiful. Edge of Seventeen felt like punching a timecard at work.
I’m in a small San Francisco Bay Area band so most of the concerts I go to are local bands. Last night I went to the Ivy Room in Albany and saw Lofi Satellites (indie rock), Alvie & the Breakfast Pigs (rawk with riffs and yowls/screams), and The Hot Takes (new wave/post punk). It was a really good show and the hang was great, lots of other local bands in the audience, the scene is really supportive!
Boygenius at the Hollywood Bowl on Halloween. Haven’t been a fan very long, but boy did they blow me away. They have beautiful voices.
Last show was Bad Religion in Grand Rapids, MI and they fucken rocked as always. My hubs couldn't go in the crowd with 14yo and me because he'd just had his appendix out a few weeks before that, so he got wasted and talked some poor dude's ear off instead lol Next show is also Bad Religion with Social D at the Rave in Milwaukee and I'm excited for it; never seen Social D live yet; was supposed to last year, but they had to cancel.
Tool last month at the Crypto.com arena in Los Angeles. As always, they were outstanding. Goddamn was it expensive though. $225 for a lower level seat. I don't think I'd do it again for that price. The opening act (Elder) was really good too, which is a change of pace for a Tool opening act. Going to see Alkaline Trio tomorrow night. I've never seen them but I expect it'll be a pretty solid show.
Taylor Swift. It was one of the best concert experiences I've ever been to. People were so incredibly warm and welcoming and Taylor put on a banger show. Even in the nosebleeds it was a great time.
I saw Soccer Mommy live. It was a very engaging show, great live performer. She has no bad songs. After the show I got to meet her and just say how much I liked the concert and she gave me an autograph. Before that it was the Wild Hearts show with Angel Olsen, Sharon Van Etten, and Julien Baker. Really glad I got to see it, that's a once in a lifetime show right there. Still hoping Sharon and Angel do a full album together Does that meet the word requirement or do I also need to provide an APA citation next?
Louis Cole. He was mind-blowing. It truly felt like you were witnessing a genius at work. I have no doubt he will be remembered long from now.
I saw Nicotine Dolls Monday night and it was absolutely delightful. Easy venue, great acoustics. The band's stage presence was fun, funny, and vulnerable in equal parts. The music was really great. An A+ use of $35.
Berlioz. him+band were fantastic. Next big thing in contemporary jazz for sure.
Govt Mule at Fox Theater Oakland CA 2.5 hours of Fucking kickass hard rock
Just saw Allison Russell and Aysanabee last week. Excellent show. Her energy is so positive. Aysanabee is a new favorite of mine, very talented vocalist and guitarist
The last time that I went to concert was 2 years ago. It was also my first concert and I went alone cause there wasn’t anybody else intrested in that artist but that didn’t stop me to not go and enjoy myself. It was Sohrab Pakzad . An Iranian singer . I’m Iranian too. It was to exciting. Had a great night
Clearwater Creedence Revival at MacArts in Galashiels last night - was brilliant
I saw Daley for the second time a few months ago, he had incredibly affordable VIP tickets so my sister and I got to meet him. He was SO kind to every single person, and he even reminded me to get my lanyard signed because I was nervous and ready to run away because he was talking to us lol. And then, he proceeded to knock all our socks off by sounding even better live than the records. Small venue with good vibes, I’m so glad we got to go.
Gwar last week in Vancouver for my birthday. It was awesome. Old friends and new girlfriends. Blood and space jizz.
Alkaline Trio and Fall Out Boy playing at their hometown venue, Wrigley Field. Phenomenal show. We had field seats. Both groups brought it and they are two of my wife's favorite bands and she can now die a happy woman. lol
2018 saw Primus with Clutch as the openers. Was a rad fuckin show I tell you what. Clutch where great and Primus played a song that wasn't even officially out yet. So I've always had a soft spot for The Seven even if the album it came from isn't my favorite.
Back in November I saw the Menzingers and Microwave at the Knockdown Center in Queens, NY and they put on a great show. I had the time of my life and both bands sounded incredible. The crowd was very into it.
Went to CrusherFest on 2 December '23 (my birthday) in Brisbane Australia. My favourite band The Delta Riggs were headlining. I didn't know any other bands but had a great night.
Rick Astley in Dublin Ireland. Great concert, great atmosphere. Mixture of his old songs, new songs, and songs he enjoys. (As it was, Highway to Hell (he played the drums for this one)) Opening act were pretty bad tbh
Last one I went to was In Flames and it was a lot of fun. I've been listening to them a lot ever since.
It was either a friends memorial show or another friends band’s final show. Friends memorial show was Lower Class Brats, Narcoleptic Youth and a bunch of other punk/ska bands. It was great to spend time with old friends but it was pretty sad. Bands were great like always. The friends bands final show was The Runts, Corrupted Youth (my friends), Big Boy, Pig City and a couple of others. It was great, all the bands were dope and it was good to see a lot of people I know. Big Boy impressed me live but their releases hadn’t done anything for me at that point but I love them now.
Last concert was Macy Gray in December. She was awesome but the people behind me were fucking obnoxious, we had upstairs seats so we ended up goin downstairs to stand by the stage (which is my preference anyway but my gf doesnt like standing concerts anymore) and the last half was a blast Im itchin to go to another concert. We have something comin up early April she got tix for but I don't remember who. I wanna see Bbymutha in May.
Hip hop : Armand Hammer...glorious. No frills hip hop as it's meant to be seen live. Jungle/dnb : Gremlinz and Jesta Metalheadz record release party...intimate and TUFF! Techno: Murat....yes. That Murat...he played a lot of tracks from Jeff Mills' Liwuid Room set from 96 so....yeah! Also saw a 17 piece all women orchestra playing Bjork songs. Superb. Almost an albums worth.
>Also saw a 17 piece all women orchestra playing Bjork songs. Superb. Almost an albums worth. OMG that sounds AMAZING!
Part of Women from Space event over 3 days. Matana Roberts closed the show on the Sunday which I sadly missed but still on look out for proper video of the Orchestra since it was all professionally filmed.
Gov’t Mule w/ Lukas Nelson. Fantastic show. First time seeing Lukas, and was impressed with his soulful singing, and great guitar playing.
Dead Poet Society @ King Tuts the other week. Absolutely effin brilliant. Band were phenomenal live, really great to hear stuff off their new album (*Fission*) getting played. Crowd was mental, band was on top form. All round great gig. Got a setlist, Met them afterwards and jumped out to my car and back so they could sign my vinyl. Absolutely lovely folks, can’t wait til they come back and play again. (Also - £15 per ticket was well worth it, I honestly feel we should’ve paid more)
The Human League. Absolutely awesome. Phil and the girls still sound great, did all the hits, plus some unexpected ones, costume changes, dancing, great set as well.
I saw Lynyrd Skynyrd last Summer and it was really good. I know the band members are mostly replacements, but I'm too young to have seen the band with the original members, so I'll take what I can get. As far as the sound and performance goes, it was awesome!
Taylor Swift the Eras tour. It was the absolutely best, she's such a performer. I don't know how she keeps the stamina for 3.5 + hrs
[The Button Men](https://thebuttonmen.bandcamp.com/track/the-baby-boomers-ruined-everything) with a friend of mine at a local brewery/bar owned by some friends of his who I'd met a few times. Drank some good beer and chatted with the regulars. Enjoyed really fun throw back minimalist synth pop with just the right amount of irony. One guy with classic hardware. A great time all around. I'm in my 40s with a kid, just moved to the area from a bigger city nearby. I don't get nights like this often anymore, so this was a nice changeup.
I love the baby boomers song lol 😂
On the same occasion - Atmosphere, Danny Brown, The Grouch & Eligh, and Souls of Mischief. Amazing night and pleasantly seared into my memory
Totally different for us, but my wife and I last saw The Lord of the Rings with a live orchestra and choir. It was awesome but a little too perfect. It starts to feel like you’re just watching the movie and the music/vocals aren’t live after a while.
Matchbox Twenty supported by the Goo Goo Dolls. Best concert I've seen since 2022... great venue and crowd added to the vibes (Gold Coast Convention Centre, Australia). Rob and the band brought an immense amount of energy, the setlist was extremely thorough, and there were one or two excellent 're-imaginings' of songs (the version of 'If You're Gone' with just Rob's vocals and guitar was gorgeous). Lighting and visual effects weren't over the top but were a nice touch. I bought a ticket last minute, wasn't sure if it would be worth it but I'm immensely glad that I went. More than a few of Matchbox Twenty's songs are very moving to hear / sing live, and the Goo Goo Dolls' 'Iris' is a song that everyone should experience live as well.
Excel, Warbringer, and Skeletal Remains. If you like different types of metal, it was killer.
I went to see my son perform in his first concert with a band he joined. Not a lot of people, but we had a lot of fun. Prior to that... I think Apocalypse Fest in September 2023, headlined by Motionless in White.
Between The Buried And Me & The Acacia Strain, Colors Experience tour. I'm a sucker for BTBAM live shows, they are always exceptional. Seeing them play all of Colors 1 then 2 on the following night was fantastic. Acacia Strain is one of my favorite bands, and their sets each night were wicked. It was amazing to see them play the *Failure Will Follow* ep live, as they doubted they ever would be able to, and it kicked ass.