This year didn't start off with any kind of
particular plan in mind but by the end, it had become by far the biggest
live music year of my life. Things began accelerating when I realized
what a great opportunity I had to knock several bands off my bucket list
that I had listened to since I was young but never saw. Tool, Porcupine
Tree, The Killers, The Dead Kennedys, and many others were bands I
chased for a long time, and was fortunate that it all lined up this year
to catch them all. From there, it all kind of snowballed with the
number of crazy good tours and festival lineups popping up all over. I
hope you all enjoy this breakdown of one of the wildest years of live
music.
There's
no other way to describe the incomparable Stevie Nicks as anything other
than a legend. As Bonnaroo's closing headliner, she regaled us with
some of the most timeless tunes from Fleetwood Mac's catalog as well as
her own, and accompanied that with stories from over the course of her
storied career.
24. Lingua Ignota
November 14 at The Basement East // Nashville, TN
Up until
now, I had admired the works of Kristin Hayter but did so from a safe,
respectful distance. With her harsh soundscapes and fire-breathing
persona, it was easy for me to respect her intensity and passion but
found it hard to truly love. Her live set gave me a new perspective on
how beautiful her performance could be.
23. Andy Frasco & the U.N.
June 16 at Bonnaroo
I almost
made a terrible mistake. I was this close to going to camp for the night and
not even seeing this band. Their set started at 1:15am, and I was tired
from having traversed Bonnaroo's first full day and having set up camp
in the blazing heat earlier. What a colossal error it would have been to
miss these guys. The vibe is a big, fun, silly rock show in the vein of
Mac Demarco or Twin Peaks. There were innumerable on stage antics that
made this such a memorable show. The ascendant jam band Goose are
quickly establishing themselves as Bonnaroo darlings, and the whole band
joined Frasco on stage for a few songs. Bassist Trevor Weeks wore a
block of cheese hat and read poetry. And if that isn't enough, the band
ended with a bone crunching cover of Rage Against the Machine's Killing
in the Name.
22. Widespread Panic
December 30 at Bridgestone Arena // Nashville, TN
Every
time I see Widespread Panic, I walk away with a new favorite song. The
jam band idols emerged from Athens, Georgia, in the mid 80s and have
been revered ever since as one of the most beloved bands in the scene.
It's easy to understand why once you witness the raw instrumental
prowess these guys put out, anchored by the impressive lead guitar
playing of Jimmy Herring. And in true jam band tradition, you're going
to hear a new set of songs at every show. My favorites this time was
Rebirtha, an ode that captures the adventures and misadventures of its
titular characters, along with a rafter shaking cover of Buffalo
Springfield's For What It's Worth.
21. Chris Lake
August 27 at Deep Tropics Fest // Nashville, TN
Most
commonly associated with the current tech-house craze, Lake hard edged
beats and infectious rhythms have catapulted him into being one of the
world's most sought after DJs. Just when you think you can't groove any
harder, he'll mix one his patented hits like "Automatic" or "Deceiver"
and reignite the whole dancefloor. Whether he's playing to a massive
field or small club, Lake has what it takes to keep your booty moving
all through the night.
20. Elton John
October 2 at Nissan Stadium // Nashville TN
Missing
Elton on his last tour was clearly not an option. I have had such a
great time with his music over the years that it's only fitting to see
the man one last time to pay respects. My favorite memory of this show
is glancing down my aisleway during Crocodile Rock to see everyone
bopping around and singing along, having the greatest time. After the
show, I saw this older woman in tears, clutching someone who looked to
be her son. I realized then, at my age, there's no way to fully know
what it's like to have grown up and spent your entire life with a
particular artist, anticipating each new release and chasing them on
tour like I'm sure this lady had done over the years. I can say one
thing. Whether you've been a fan of him for day or a lifetime, Elton
has created indelible memories none of us will ever forget.
19. Tame Impala
March 23 at Bridgestone Arena // Nashville, TN
At long
last, I finally got the two hour extravaganza from Tame Impala I had
always wanted. The last time I saw them was at their ignominiously
billed Late Night Bonnaroo show in 2016, and I couldn't help feeling
like I wanted more after they walked off stage with 30 mins still left
on their set time. They made up for it and more with this set, which
greatly elevated the material on The Slow Rush and treated us to all
their other faves we've come to know and love. They bookended their set
with One More Year and One More Hour, cleverly offering us a
retrospective on what we'd witnessed at set's end. And the crowd got
louder than I can ever remember them being at Bridgestone arena, showing
there is perhaps still some hope for the next generation of rock and
roll.
18. Caitlyn Smith
April 7 at Brooklyn Bowl // Nashville, TN
There was
one point during the first song of this set where Caitlyn did this
sidestep away from the mic, cocked her head back and let out this little
scream. I knew right then and there this was going to be a kickass
show. The Nashville by way of Minnesota country starlet has wowed with
the raw power and incredible command of her voice, and offers a
refreshing alternative for those who find the music row sound has grown
stale. Smith's lower range gets a strong showcase during Contact High,"
in a performance that leaves the microphone molten, while on "Tacoma,"
she channels that same energy into a biting tearjerker. What's
magnificent is it avoids the common pitfalls of being overwrought or a
by the numbers power ballad and delivers a performance that feels both
refreshing and heartfelt. She also got some guests in on the act,
bringing out the night's opening performers in Caylee Hammack, Jillian
Jacqueline, and Emily Weisband for a cover of Kenny Rogers's "You Can't
Make Old Friends," while bringing out Old Dominion's Matt Ramsey to duet
on her breakout hit "I Can't."
17. Marc Rebillet
June 18 at Bonnaroo
It
took some time before I could fully come around on Marc's zany brand
comedic musical improv. When I first discovered Marc, I wasn't sure if
this was some kind of American Pie style gross out sex stuff or
something equally dumb. There are some elements of that, but it's not
nearly as bad as I equally thought. Instead, what I found was that Marc
has a mind dedicated to having the most ridiculous kind of fun possible,
and isn't afraid to make himself look comical in order to do so. The
show began with Marc playing on his turntables out in the crowd, and had
to haul his equipment up to the stage due to technical malfunctions.
What we got once he got there was one of the latest, greatest, and
weirdest late night dance parties that Bonnaroo has seen.
16. The Killers
September 17 at Bridgestone Arena // Nashville TN
“It is my great pleasure to say that we are The Killers,”
singer Brandon Flowers jubiliantly proclaimed as he took a bow about midway
through his band’s set. You know what to expect with a Killers show: this is a
big band with a big sound and big hits. They did their best to go through as
many of them as early as possible in the set it seemed like (which borderline
caused pacing problems for the latter half of the set), but we were here for it
as Flowers performed these cuts with his fist raised high. The distinctive
keyboard layering of “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine,” the earnest driving guitar
churn of “When You Were Young,” and the dancefloor bop “Somebody Told Me” all
factored in to the early portion of the setlist. But we were also treated to
“Quiet Town,” which is fast becoming a fan favorite. It’s pulled from their
latest offering Pressure Machine, an album which paints a pastoral
portrait of small town living in the American West, something akin to the
band’s attempt at their very own version of The Joshua Tree. It’s
hard to deny the feel good story when Flowers let the fan from the crowd come
up to play drums on “For Reasons Unknown.” I didn’t know this until I
researched it more but this is apparently a semi-recurring thing the band does
at shows. Not everyone who’s tried it has actually been able to do it! But the
guy we got in Nashville did a bang-up job. This set up for a great show outro
as the main set ended with longtime Killers anthem “All These Things That I’ve
Done,” while opener Johnny Maar strutted back out for a ravishing rendition of “This
Charming Man” during the encore, before the night came to an ultimate end with
a slow jam version of “Mr Brightside,” which lasted for the first verse and
chorus before the band erupted into the full speed version of the song.
15. The Smile
December 3 at Ryman Auditorium // Nashville TN
There's
no doubting any project helmed by Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood. It's
not that any songs presented here couldn't necessarily fit comfortably
into the Radiohead lexicon, but the group seems to be more relaxed and
ambitious not having to live up to the expectations of writing music for
their flagship band. This time, they also have jazz-based drummer Tom
Skinner in tow from Sons of Kemet, who you saw on the earlier
installment of this list, to help propel their engine. It's difficult to
think of a musical experience that compares to kicking back and
watching this impressive battery of musicians do their thing.
14. Old Crow Medicine Show
December 31 at Ryman Auditorium // Nashville, TN
Move
aside, Mumford & Lumineers. These boys have been stomping since long
before you were ever even thought of. They pulled out all the stops for
this special set. There was a Nashville New Year's hype song and a
cover of "Rock & Roll All Nite" alongside familiar favorites. And,
of course, there are few better ways to kick off the new year than with a
gigantic sing along of OCMS's quintessential tune "Wagon Wheel" just
after the stroke of midnight. Year in and year out, the band continues
to prove there are few better ways to ring in the new year in Nashville.
13. Gorillaz
October 23 atFTX Arena // Miami, FL
The most
exceptional attribute to a Gorillaz show is how many moving parts there
are and somehow it all works, melded together by the mad vision of Damon
Albarn. You're treated to dazzling sound and genre shifts, powered by a
massive band tasked with conjuring any type of sound Albarn can
imagine. There's also a strong audiovisual element, considering that
they're trying to keep the animated band a part of it all. Some of the
visuals seemed particularly a bit violent or anti-authoritarian. During
one sequence, one of the animated bandmembers was on a floating island
getting bombed to bits by fighter jets. And of course, another highlight
is all the guests. which further expands the palette of what's possible
onstage. Notably, this would be their last show with De La Soul member
Dave Jolicoeur, who died in February 2023.
12. Rosalia
October 22 at III Points // Miami, FL
What an
audiovisual feast for the senses this show is. The immediate thought it
brought to mind is how it looked like a music video being filmed. The
cameraman was onstage with her panning all the way around her, and like a
consummate professional, she knows how to play to it as well as anyone.
Rosalia wows with her natural exuberance, she was born to be onstage. She
also has a strong, diverse catalog to back it up. She can go from
singing something sultry to absolutely heartrending ballad, before
breaking into an intensely choreographed dance stompers, or even
traditional Spanish flamenco. I'll add my voice to the chorus of those who believe Rosalia is well on her way to becoming a major fest headliner.
11. Ghost
September 3 at Gas South Arena // Duluth, GA
I was not prepared for how good Ghost was going to be. My only past exposure to them was when they opened on the Iron Maiden tour a few years ago. Their set then started off very strong but got old quickly. What they did here was a major evolution. I can’t remember the last time I was this surprised by a band in a positive way. If you’ve got just a little bit of wonder and imagination, it’s not hard to get swept up in this whole vibe they work very hard to construct of dancing in the graveyard at midnight with your forbidden lover. You can practically hear the ghouls singing in the background. There are highlights galore; at on point a mummy even jumped out of a sarcophagus and started playing saxophone. The entire set was very well constructed, particular the build to the end. Frontman Tobias Forge was masterful in enchanting the crowd. He announced there would be three more songs, then two. Then when it was done he was basically like well here's one more for you anyway. And the setlist selections during this final phase of the show were equally inspired as well, with the Gothic horror Mummy Dust, the poignant dance of the dead "Dance Macabre," and finally the hard-edged "Square Hammer" to close things out.
10. Billy Strings
June 18 at Bonnaroo
He opened
with "Dust in a Baggie," a song detailing the rise and fall of a
backwoods junkie, and it was the only song of his I knew but man, what a
clinic this was. Before his announcement on the Roo lineup I had little
conception of what type of musician Billy was, save for the fact that
he was some kind of guitarist. Safe to say I won't forget any time soon.
Watching this guy operate is insane; with his deft and frenetic four
finger picking it's like watching some kind of bluegrass Dream Theater.
His band was equal to the task, aiding him through delicate, heartfelt
numbers like "Love and Theft" and the prog/jam/bluegrass barnburner
"Hide & Seek." Playing the main stage before Saturday night's
headliners Tool allowed Billy to inject a little humor, remarking that
he wanted to avoid running over his set time so Tool frontman Maynard
James Keenan wouldn't skullfuck him. Feel free to come on back anytime,
Mr. Strings.
9. Red Hot Chili Peppers
August 12 at Nissan Stadium // Nashville, TN
Normally,
I roll my eyes pretty hard when I see a jam section written into a
band's setlist. Not with these guys. The big story here was the return
of classic era guitarist John Frusciante, who played a pivotal role in
lifting the band to its highest heights. They have a very thougt
provoking way of playing with one another. Flea on bass and Chad Smith
on drums are power players with a propulsive style. If I had to compare
them to a different art form, I could easily imagine these guys as
sculptors, powerfully chiseling their vision out of a slab of marble or
concrete. Frusciante, on the other hand, I could picutre behind an easel
with his headphones on, lost in his own world, painting these sweeping
brushstrokes on a canvas in a way that's very whimsical but at the same
time very purposeful. Onstage, it creates a marriage of majesty and
power, and no other band comes to mind that does things quite like they
do. You all know their hits well enough that there should be no need to
go over those in detail, although the setlist did make some attempts to
throw curveballs (Strip My Mind), and the tunes from their recently
released album Unlimited Love nestled their way among the band's bigger
staples without feeling too intrusive. The boldest decision was the
omission of "Under the Bridge," but opening the encore with "Soul to
Squeeze" gave the crowd plenty to crow about. If we're lucky Frusciante
will stick around, as his return has clearly revitalized the band
onstage in a major way.
8. Roger Waters
August 20 at State Farm Arena // Atlanta, GA
Pink
Floyd's former bassist has unapologetically been one of the most
confrontational artists of our time, and he showed no signs of retreat
during his This is Not a Drill tour. There's so many once in a lifetime
moments in this set, from the opening strains of "Comfortably Numb,"
which is soon followed by the fist pumping rebellion of Another Brick in
the Wall Parts 2 & 3, and the giant inflatable pig floating around
the arena during the confrontational 1st set closer "Sheep," which sees
Waters cajoling his audience to pay better attention to world around
them. Of course, there's a more thoughtful side as well, case in point
with one of his solo songs The Bar," in which he describes the titular
bar as a marketplace for open exchange of ideas of all different shapes,
sizes, and topics. There's the sublime "Two Suns in the Sunset," one of
his last moments working with former bandmate David Gilmour before
departing from Pink Floyd, and there's an undeniable energy crackling
through the air when he launches into his signature bassline that opens
Floyd 's mega-hit Money. But by far the evening's most poignant and best
moment came during the montage that led up to "Wish You Were Here,"
which recounted trips Waters used to make into town with Pink Floyd
founding guitarist Syd Barrett to watch concerts together, experiences
that would no doubt be foundational in the development of the band's
sound. Waters may be as divisive as ever, but there's no denying the
power and immediacy of one of his performances.
7. Jack White
September 15 at Bourbon & Beyond // Louisville, KY
It’s rare to find an artist who blows me away this
consistently on a live stage. I’ve seen White four times and he’s made my end
of year Top 10 each time with room to spare. This time around he’s got two new
albums to boot, one focusing on his hard rock side and the other significantly
more mellow. I’m gonna skip over the
normally obligatory rundown of new material to call out the fact that I finally
got “Fell in Love With a Girl” live. I remember watching that Lego-ass video on
a Saturday morning at my buddy’s place, it was the first thing I’d ever heard
from that band. He had a sick solo he snuck in right in the middle of it before
he resumed kicking our asses. Carolina Drama was pretty great too. I had never
even heard that song before but I got heavy “Tweeter & the Monkey Man”
vibes off that song with its heavy focus on storytelling. “What’s the Trick” was
the easy highlight out of the new songs.
6. LCD Soundsystem
October 21 at III Points // Miami, FL
One of
the things I marvel about the most with this band is how remarkably
consistent they are. LCD Soundsystem has been a regular entrant onto my
live lists since I first saw them in 2016, and I'd be hard pressed to
rank any of those shows above or below one another. They simply are one
of the greatest touring acts for many reasons. James Murphy's outfit
inventively blends together elements of dance, punk, and garage rock,
and are very tight and always in sync with one another, which is even
more impressive when you consider there's about 8 or 10 of them on
stage. On this occasion, they were headlining the first night of Miami's
III Points Festival which had, to this point, flown under my radar, but
as I discovered is certainly a little gem of a fest. James called out
that he had lobbied the festival for an extended set time, and they
certainly made the most of their 1hr 45 mins to weave their spell. Rare
is it that a band can melt you with white hot heat (Movement, Get
Innocuous!), then turn around and smack you with a fist raising
tearjerker (Someone Great, All My Friends) with the type of zest that
LCD can.
5. My Morning Jacket
October 29 at KFC Yum! Center // Louisville, KY
Seeing
My Morning Jacket is always a treat. Catching them at a hometown show
right before Halloween, with giant monsters joining them onstage is a
whole other level of awesome. With one bandmember in a skull mask,
another wearing a floppy wig, and Jim James sporting dark eyeliner, you
might be excused for thinking he was putting on his best impression of a
goth-rock frontman. Although not technically a jam band by definition,
they draw inspiration from The Allman Brothers, Grateful Dead, and many
other titans of the scene to create a sound that many find more
accessible, and stands strongly on its own merits. They kicked off with
slow burning fan favorite "One Big Holiday," but reached into their bag
of tricks for a few surprises, including the full length version of "Run
Thru," which commonly is only played from the bridge onward, both parts
of the blissfully moody "Touch Me I'm Going to Scream," and a couple of
holiday themed covers with Donovan's "Hour of the Witch" and Classic
IV's "Spooky." Time and time again, James & crew continue to prove
why they're one of today's greatest rock bands.
4. Goose
March 5 at Brooklyn Bowl // Nashville, TN
This was
the first ticket I bought to any show in 2022 and had I waited much longer I
doubt I could have. Connecticut-based jam rockers Goose have risen
quickly in the ranks of the jam band world, and they showed a sold out
crowd at Brooklyn Bowl exactly why that is. They're so good at locking
in on a groove with the bass and drums, setting the tone for a booty
shakin' three hour dance party. Nothing demonstrated this better than
the opening salvo of "Jive II" and "Jive Lee," They wasted no time in
capturing the crowd in the palm of their hand. But their real x-factor
is lead man Rick Mitarotonda, whose lead playing is just as crisp as his
vocal delivery. Considering the jam band scene is not known for quality
singers, Mitarotonda definitely stands out. Nowhere was this more
evident than on "Arcadia," with his soothing voice layering over top of
these rich, warm earth tones of the song, or when they broke out a cover
of Jim James's "State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.)," a bonafide crowd
pleasing moment for sure when taking into account James's revered status
within the scene.
3. Tool
June 18 at Bonnaroo
Bonnaroo
could have easily been a pass this year but then I was like, ah, damn,
they've got Tool. What am I to do? Not miss them, that's what. Tool does
a great job of transporting you into the world. I remember taking
awhile just being absorbed by their visuals. The setlist was one of the
best as well. It took guts, especially in a festival environment where
most folks expect to hear your best known stuff, but they went with some
deeper stuff. I actually said to myself pre-show that I'll probably
never get to hear The Patient and them bam! They broke it out in all its
glory. Pushit is one I'll never forget either. My only regret is I wish
they could have gotten longer. I've been following these guys since
high school and to finally see Maynard, Danny, and the boys was a real
dream come true.
2. Porcupine Tree
September 25 at Bellco Theatre // Denver, CO
When I first encountered these English prog rockers as a
high schooler, my mind was immediately blown by the dizzying way the could mix
psychedelia and ambient sounds with pop rock and harder edged metal. What was
less certain was if I’d ever have the chance to see them do it in person. The
band announced an indefinite hiatus in 2010, with frontman Steven Wilson moving
on to a solo career and drummer Gavin Harrison, who had widely been credited
with playing a major role in the band’s shift from the psychedelic space rock
of its early days into a harder progressive metal type of sound, spent the
intervening years touring with several different projects. So lo and behold, our heroes (along with
keyboardist Richard Barberi) decided to get back together and give it one more
go for a brief tour strongly alluded to as their last, behind their first album
in 13 years, fittingly titled Closure/Continuation.
They gave us everything they had over the course of the
show’s near three hour runtime. What wasn’t a highlight? You had the rarely
played full 17 minute version of Anethietze from the band’s breakout album Fear
of a Blank Planet, which starts off rather innocuously with an understated
guitar and keyboard pattern but gradually builds tension over time as Wilson
expounds on anxiety with our 21st century relationship with
technology before ultimately exploding with a magnificent combination of heavy
riffs and one of the greatest solos of their career (played by Rush’s Alex
Lifeson on the album version, no less). Perhaps topping that was “Collapse the
Light Into Earth,” a simple yet powerful piano statement between Wilson and
Barberi that touches on wistful emotion and nostalgia in all the right ways. It
had never been played live by the band prior to this tour. Wilson’s biting wit
was also on full display. Part of the band’s commitment was to play the new
album in full on each show of the tour. “I don’t understand these bands who put
out a new album and then play
one song ,” he quipped. Wilson was, unfortunately, quite beset by technical
issues but pulled through to deliver an outstanding first set highlighted by
the ethereal deep cut “Last Chance to Evacuate Planet Earth Before It Is
Recycled.” And Gavin Harrison is one of the greatest drummers I have ever seen
live. He has this Ringo Starr type ability where his playing never sounds too
sparse or too cluttered. His fills are always spot on and are a joy to listen
to.
1. Orbital
October 22 at III Points // Miami, FL
Ever
since I started going to festivals, I always dreamed of seeing Orbital. I
once hoped I'd see them at Bonnaroo. My plan was to sit and rest my
legs for three whole sets before them to make sure I had enough energy
to go wild. When it became apparent they weren't going to come to me I
eventually resolved to go to them, which set the stage for the Saturday
evening preheadlining slot at Miami's III Points festival. It was
everything I thought it would be and more. They're one of the absolute
best at creating emotion out of their intricate, lushy arranged
layering. The vigorous protest of Dirty Rat, the first-in-the-air pomp
of Smiley is enough to persuade the most cantankerous crowdmember to
move their feet. Then they'll sneak in a Spice Girls remix to get the
nostalgia energy pumping, before unleashing the coup de grace by
blissing you out with these spiritual, burning earth tones of Halcyon +
On + On and lighting the dancefloor (and seemingly the whole globe)
ablaze with Impact (The Earth is Burning). I've never had more fun
dancing at any show.
