I saw lots of stuff during the year. Since I love live music, I just don't go out to see my favorites, I see anything remotely interesting. Most bands deliver in live performances since that is their bread and butter. I did see some lame shows (Ryan Adams, Ray LaMontagne, Joy Oladokun) but for the most part, bands realize the need to entertain and go beyond just playing their songs. Here were my highlights ( along with corroborating video proof) ,
1. Maggie Rogers- Miami's Bayfront Park- She's talented, pretty, energetic...and sincere. She danced, whirled and writhed, placed her emotions on her sleeve and absolutely knocked it out of the park. The highlight was when she found out, while on stage, that her tour was so successful that it will start to be booked into larger arenas...her appreciative yet well deserved euphoria was beautiful.
2. Jason Isbell & 400 Unit- Solid Sound Festival, North Adams, MA- supporting WILCO for WILCO's unique festival at an Art Museum, Isbell put on a "deep cut" set focusing on wonderful, endless guitar solos. Between his 6 string dexterity and his ace-in-the-whole, slide-guitarist extraordinaire, "Sadler Vader", it was a feast for the guitar aficionado culminating with a killer, jammy cover of REM's " The One I Love"
3. Nathaniel Ratliff & the Night Sweats- Farm Aid, Saratoga Springs, NY- This band took the stage completely on fire starting with their normally encore hit, "S.O.B." and then continuously taking it up a touch from there. The whole band seemed to act like a unified "front man" and they delivered the highest energy, smile-inducing show I saw all year.
4. My Morning Jacket- One Big Holiday, Riviera Maya, Mexico. These guys took a bit of a hiatus but then came back to show that they are still one of the kings of live music. Night 2 ( of their 3 night run) closed with a killer tribute to Nirvana's Kurt Cobain by making "All Apologies" their very own. Seeing this band can be a religious experience.
5. Kasey Musgraves/Lord Huron/Nickel Creek- Hardrock Hollywood, Fl - I enjoy Musgraves' gutsy and introspective pop songs yet is she a good live act? HELL YEA ! She is a terrific live act that has one foot in top 40 with the other entrenched in indie music. Her professionalism was top notch with every nuance of her vocals made acoustically perfect. Her addition of progressive bluegrass icons "Nickel Creek" and high energy Americana group "Lord Huron" stifled any appearance that this was a routine, mainstream, pop show. Musgraves has the songs, talent, looks, attitude and x factor to be a top notch live act for a long time.
6. Charlie Crockett- Farm Aid, Saratoga Springs, NY. Charlie is a traditional country artist yet backed by an unusually bluesy, jammy and soulful band. Crockett first resembles a wooden, statuesque performer who then, out of nowhere, starts dancing and screaming out his vocals. His performance was unpredictable and surprising and making him a wonderfully difficult to categorize artist. He also has a damn fine catalog of catchy songs.
7. Crazy Fingers- Tarpon River Brewery/Lauderale/Crazy Uncle Mikes/Funky Biscuit. This is, by far, the best value in live music . Crazy Fingers is a veteran Grateful Dead Tribute band. In a way, since the real Dead are no spring chickens, Crazy Fingers sings their classic songs better than the aging Dead & Company. The joy of this band is seeing the company they keep; the tie-dye, the dancing hippies, the cloud of smoke. For merely the price of a beer, you can sit back, sip on that glass and enjoy authentic Grateful Dead covers ...in a dynamic that is better than most over-priced shows where you are confined to a seat.
8. Remain in Light- Talking Heads tribute show at Hollywood Arts in the Park. With original member Jerry Harrison and virtuostic guitarists Adrian Belew, this was no pedestrian tribute...they combined with some high energy band-mates to produce a killer show. The same show touring the country to regular 3000-6000 venues played for free under the stars
Fellow live music fans, what were your faves for 2024 ?
27 comments:
You have horrible taste.
Bad fish 🐟
Springsteen. Wembley England. July 27. I was there. Nearly 4 hours and the English love him and he knows it and went the extra mile that night. Classic Bruce.
Does December 2023 count? If so, U2 in the Sphere in Vegas.
Scott. Thanks for sharing your favorites. Great list. Mine was
Dua Lipa 17 October 2024 at the Royal Albert Hall located in London, England. An Evening with Dua Lipa. Amazing.
Kikagaku Moyo. Saw them in Boston, Mass & then again in Portland, Oregon.
My top two 2025 stocks Rumpole:
Thoughts?
Palantir
Rocketlabs
Lilly
who gives a rat's ass.
Leave Scott alone. I welcome his astute observations.
Bruce Springsteen ?? If you really listen to him sing, it's actually vomit inducing.
He's not a boss of anything, other than mediocrity. He’s a talent-less hack. Voice is awful, can’t sing in key, plays guitar like he’s trying to fuck a football. Mainly he’s only a boss to all the inbred hicks in New Jersey. I've met a few boss suck ups over the years, they are a strange bunch.
Well He sold about a billion dollars of tickets last year to people who wanted to vomit. And his 2025 tour is selling out. I went to both shows in Wembley. 150,000 people over two nights and the thing is he could have sold out 10 more shows. So you’re entitled to your opinion no matter how misguided and unsupported it is. And btw pal why are you so angry? Is it because he’ and the E street band are so successful for the last 50 years? Just wondering. That hate will keep you warm while no one else will right up to the point where it burns you to the ground.
Not a fan of live music concerts. Or live sporting events either. All this stuff is available on TV or the Internet, often for free. No crowds. No travel hassle. My own food in my own kitchen. And most important, my own clean toilet, which I use a lot more as I get older.
Been to three music concerts that I can recall.
1. Elton John circa 1976 New Jersey, because my sister was too young to go alone, and my parents asked me in their stead;
2. Michael Jackson circa 1982 Pennsylvania, a horrible, outdoor, roadside, standing only concert, needing binoculars to see MJ, because my gf got free tickets and wanted company;
3. Santana circa 1987 in Philadelphia, because a different gf was a fan. Best part was getting back home.
One of my favorite online concerts is this one by Taylor Swift on a barge in the Seine in Paris, rather unusual. Tickets must have been costly. Okay, got to get back to TikTok.
OFF LIVE - Taylor Swift "Live On The Seine" @ Paris, FRANCE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W_278Mc0Lo&t=1s
The Eagles farewell tour at the Hard Rock. Henley even sung a bunch of his solo hits - Boys of Summer, etc. Sounded like he did in 1975. Vince Gill has joined the band and sings lead on New Kid in Town. Joe Walsh still shreds like no other.
I the past it was easy to tell which college bowl game you were watching. The Orange Bowl , Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl.
But what the heck is the Pop Tarts Bowl, Pinstripe Bowl, Alamo Bowl, Fenway Bowl, Military Bowl ( all of which are on TV today)
There are many who count on Scott for advice on music and concerts and all are better for it. Not only a connoisseur but an astute critic as well. This should be a regular feature.
Flaming Lips and Gabriel Peacock (the Alabama astronaut) at Word of the South in Tallahassee. Do You Realize?!? Also, the Welsh Tornado, Gareth Pearson- one man guitar orchestra.
Hey @641- Angry? Who says I am angry? I'm not angry, just writing my own opinion. If you could hear me, you'd see I'm speaking in a real chill tone.
I only listen to classical music. Mozart, Chopin etc.
Boy does this all sound like it came from Scott Saul.
Saturday, December 28, 2024 6:05:39 AM You are not a fan of live music? You dont like crowds, travel etc. Geez, you sound like a hermit. You have no idea what you're missing out on.
Salami
When are the sanctions coming?
Not at all.
Live music is fine. Spent too many nights in piano and jazz bars. Had a good friend with a regular piano gig at a downtown hotel when I lived in Philly. Eccentric, not a hermit. Pearl Jam with Neil Young Rockin in the free world Toronto 2011 would have been good. Just don't like crowds. And I worked a lot too. It was just easier to hit a local night spot. Years ago I wanted to see the Stones, but my gf at the time nixed it, said she didn't want to watch a bunch of old men , which was true even then.
If i comment, I put my name on it. It's SAULAMI
RE: " It was just easier to hit a local night spot. Years ago I wanted to see the Stones, but my gf at the time nixed it. " Hmm, maybe she just didnt want to be seen with an "eccentric" cranky old guy who complains about crowds. That is what I think.
Can Cologne 1969
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