Abby Holliday, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, BAILEN, BANKS & Julien Baker with Nationwide Symphony Orchestra, Drive-By Truckers, Jeff Lynne’s ELO, John Paul White, The Killers, Kings of Leon, Koyo, Anxious, One Step Nearer, Mamadou Diabaté & Percussion Mania, Model Pussy & Soul Glo, Megan Thee Stallion, Mk.gee, Oh Marvel, Pan Arcadia, Put up Malone, Rex Orange County, The Rolling Stones, Sabrina Carpenter, The Staves, Taylor Swift, Valley, Vampire Weekend
From all of us right here at Atwood Journal, we want you a cheerful and wholesome new yr!
2024 has been an inspiring yr for music. Residing legends have additional solidified their legacies, while recent faces have grow to be new favorites.
Atwood Journal has all the time had at its core the mission to have a good time music of all genres, and this yr we continued our objective to be an area of inclusivity and illustration by consciously highlighting artwork and artists from world wide. The yr in music was made all of the extra thrilling due to the broad vary of music we featured and centered on – from these acquainted names within the Prime 40, to creatives in probably the most underground, indie, and various of circles.
For thus many of those artists, music is greater than a mere technique of self-expression; it’s a vessel filled with superior potential. In recent times, it has felt more and more essential to acknowledge and elevate those that use their artwork as a voice for the disenfranchised; the oppressed; the underrepresented; and the underprivileged. This yr, we proceed to acknowledge those that communicate for extra than simply themselves, whereas on the identical time indulging within the acquainted, timeless themes of affection, loss, hope, connection, braveness, change, and the unending pursuit of happiness.
Because the yr involves an in depth, our employees took a step again to honor the songs, albums, EPs, concert events, and artist discoveries that had the best impression on our lives. With out additional ado, Atwood Journal is proud to current our curated record of 2024’s Greatest Concert events of the Yr, in alphabetical order by artist.
From Sabrina Carpenter’s Brief N’ Candy Tour and Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour to breathtaking exhibits by Mk.gee, Megan Thee Stallion, The Rolling Stones, Put up Malone, Vampire Weekend, and plenty of extra, these are our favorites – the concert events that left us impressed, invigorated, and much more in love with the music than we had been beforehand! Please be part of us in celebrating 2024’s contributions to the music world!
Mitch Mosk, Editor-in-Chief
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Atwood’s 2024 Music of the Yr
Click on on the artist’s identify to skip proper to their entry!
Abby Holliday, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, BAILEN, BANKS & Julien Baker with Nationwide Symphony Orchestra, Drive-By Truckers, Jeff Lynne’s ELO, John Paul White, The Killers, Kings of Leon, Koyo, Anxious, One Step Nearer, Mamadou Diabaté & Percussion Mania, Model Pussy & Soul Glo, Megan Thee Stallion, Mk.gee, Oh Marvel, Pan Arcadia, Put up Malone, Rex Orange County, The Rolling Stones, Sabrina Carpenter, The Staves, Taylor Swift, Valley, Vampire Weekend
Catching Abby Holliday reside has been on my “to-do” record ever since she debuted simply a few years in the past; the unapologetically impartial singer/songwriter has solid a uniquely dynamic and emotionally charged various sound that hits as exhausting on her three spellbinding studio albums because it does (I’m blissful to report) in individual. Selling her stunningly daring LP CRACK A SMILE COME ON STAY A WHILE (which we lately named one among Atwood‘s albums of the yr), Holliday created an environment of intimacy, vulnerability, and human connection – inviting her Brooklyn viewers to affix in her and her band members’ communal reverie. Irresistibly catchy tracks like “Higher By Now” and “The Worth” mixed with brutally uncooked performances of songs like “Ohio Laundry Room,” “Steve Martin,” “Assume Earlier than I Communicate,” and “Andrea” to make for a cathartic, compelling, and irresistibly memorable live performance – and one which, for me, strengthened Abby Holliday as a singular expertise, each reside and on document. – Mitch Mosk
It was the primary chilly day of fall; good sweatshirt climate for an out of doors live performance. A sea of shivering followers sprawled throughout the open garden because the solar set behind the open dome of the Merriweather Put up Pavilion. Rocking a slick child blue go well with, jet black shades, and an iconic pearly white smile, Anderson .Paak enters the stage exuding nothing if not pure, unabashed confidence.
The Malibu Tour is a reside transforming of .Paak’s 2016 breakout venture of the identical identify. Revamping the melancholic, extremely private storytelling of Malibu, .Paak spun his music right into a enjoyable and invigorating funk-rock extravaganza. The expertise onstage was unreal. The artist navigated the stage with unimaginable command, effortlessly swapping between singing, rapping, and drumming, all whereas spinning a collection of dance strikes that may make Michael Jackson jealous. The person’s supporting solid was equally as spectacular. The maximal efficiency of The Free Nationals supplied a masterclass in versatility. Songs like “The Season/Carry Me” included blazing quick improvised solos and clean as hell again up vocals which gave .Paak loads of vitality to bounce off of. Merriweather’s giant screens had been enjoying a collection of lofi, psychedelic results alongside footage of the efficiency on the stage which created a surreal throwback high quality to the music. It was significant to see Anderson .Paak have a good time the album that skyrocketed his music profession, and it’s clear that he’s having fun with each rattling second of his fame. – Jake Fewx
The unofficial “closing cease” on Bailen’s Drained Hearts tour – the multi-leg headliner celebrating their sophomore album Drained Hearts, which graced Atwood Journal‘s Greatest Albums of 2023 – was held up in Marlboro, New York, at The Falcon. With a complete capability of 150 seats, it’s in all probability the smallest venue and among the many most intimate of BAILEN’s concert events over the previous two years; they kicked off mentioned tour in 2022, enjoying to a packed and sweaty room of 500+ folks at Le Poisson Rouge in New York Metropolis.
And whereas I’ll all the time bear in mind each exhibits fondly, there was one thing distinctive about that closing present this previous spring – not least as a result of I received to look at one among my favourite bands shred onstage lower than 5 toes away from me. The Falcon has deep significance to the Bailen siblings, who’ve been placing on exhibits there for a number of years now – lengthy earlier than they achieved any type of nationwide or regional fame, again once they had been simply Julia, David, and Daniel making music as a trio. To see them returning “house,” having toured the nation and honed their already-sharp reside abilities, was highly effective, particular, and exhilarating; in spite of everything, how usually do you get to be so shut to a finely-executed rock present, solely to seek out your self deep in dialog not simply with the band, however with their dad and mom, afterwards? Between beautiful renditions of “These Bones,” “Name It Like It Is,” and the now-classic “One thing Tells Me” – to not point out a panoramic cowl of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” – I spotted I used to be experiencing BAILEN on one of many phases, and in one of many halls, that formed their very id as a band; that made them who they’re immediately.
If you end up within the Hudson Valley and in want of some reside music, I extremely advocate visiting The Falcon – and should you ever get the possibility to catch BAILEN reside, take it. Between their breathtaking vocal harmonies, gut-wrenching guitar solos, all-consuming drum beats, and downright daring and exquisite melodies, the indie pop trio have cemented their place as one among my all-time favourite reside acts. – Mitch Mosk
From the very first episode I watched of MTV Stripped, I’ve been fascinated by the idea of artists bringing a weak and stripped down model of their very own songs. This live performance was in a means simply that, titled “DECLASSIFIED” led by Ben Folds with the Nationwide Symphony Orchestra in tow.
Julien Baker (of Boygenius) went on first. She went on to carry out “Sprained Ankle” and “Ziptie”. Although her efficiency of “Claws In Your Again” was an extremely emotional and putting second, main solution to a standing ovation and breath of awe.
BANKS later went on to carry out her personal tracks, like “Ready Sport”, although the addition of the orchestra added a further layer to the track itself. With BANKS’ ever commanding vocals main the way in which. She then carried out “I Nonetheless Love You” this time a track off her album Sepertina. Although her efficiency of “Gemini Feed” was probably the most animated and enjoyable track of the evening. – Jada Moore
Nostalgia has wrapped the touring financial system in a sleeper maintain. Hardly a tour package deal escapes a reserving agent’s desk with out getting hog-tied to one anniversary naked minimal. Even the highest-grossing reside performer in recorded historical past spent 2024 reliving her eras. Drive-By Truckers additionally received in on the act this yr. However true to their phrase, Southern Rock Opera was by no means concerning the previous.
Consistent with the long-standing venue’s custom, the TLA oversold the Trucker’s Philly cease by a snug margin. Rubbing elbows with so many pasty middle-aged dudes in weblog rock shirts throughout a mid-set quest for the toilet introduced me too near my very own future (to not point out virtually pissing my pants), however I’m blissful to report that this was not your daddy’s anniversary tour.
In fact, Drive-By Truckers paid homage to the supply materials behind Southern Rock Opera. From the opening blast of “Ronnie And Neil”, their three guitars had Steve Gaines grinning just like the satan up in heaven. Regrettably, I didn’t drop acid for this present, although the lasers throughout “Let There Be Rock” — an all-timer that I haven’t stopped spinning because the days of my high-school commencement — was one heck of a visit. However the band performed it quick and unfastened with the album’s tracklist. Some songs returned after being retired from the setlist prematurely. Others had been swapped out for age-appropriate covers (Moist Willie, “Rockin within the Free World”) or later album cuts that continued to chew over the duality of “The Southern Factor.”
This yr solely marked the twenty third anniversary of Southern Rock Opera. That DBT selected to pay the album a go to on an odd-numbered birthday begs the query: Why now? In any case, to listen to them inform it, Patterson Hood and his college-roommate-turned-pen-pal Mike Cooley have been kicking the proposed can down the street for a while now. And rightfully so, if I do say so myself. By my depend, they went on to make no less than three albums which might be higher than this one.
However regardless of fixating on a band of free spirits that didn’t reside to see the ’80s, Southern Rock Opera primed the pump for our present political watershed. I caught this tour two weeks earlier than the election. Democrats had been buzzing with recent optimism, however Hood knew to not get fooled by the polls once more. Throughout an up to date model of “Three Alabama Icons”, he spoke glumly about how race relations haven’t improved as a lot as he’d thought because the days when cultural dinosaurs like George Wallace roamed the governor’s mansion. Irrespective of the way you voted, “Angels And Fuselage” successfully ended the present on a prescient be aware. “And I’m scared shitless of what’s coming subsequent“, Hood groaned amidst ghostly energy chords. It wasn’t a reminder a lot as dwelling proof that Drive-By Truckers are nonetheless a significant American band. – Will Yarbrough
I am frankly astonished that something of the week of October ninth occurred. Pals of mine – one from Utah and one other from Australia – flew within the fourth of October for a trip, and though we had a blast on our personal time, the true essential occasion was seeing Jeff Lynne’s ELO play reside. The Electrical Mild Orchestra is the rationale I’m writing this text now; the impeccable craft of songwriting, manufacturing, and instrumental expertise from each launch of theirs was so capitvating that it turned me right into a music fan, one obsessive about albums, bands, the artwork of recording—actually, something tied to music. And now, six years after I found them, I used to be driving my automotive with my two mates in tow all the way in which to Detroit, lastly ready to look at a model of the band play their coronary heart out.
And did they ever! Jeff Lynne’s ELO is thought for placing on some incredible-sounding exhibits spanning a big a part of Electrical Mild Orchestra’s heyday, and even us, as megafans, had been handled to hints of deep cuts and indicators that there was some real respect for the legacy of the band. Each track they placed on, barring keys lowered and reside endings, sounded nigh-identical to the albums that my mates and I fell in love with. Lead vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Jeff Lynne was placing on an unimaginable present at-then 76 years previous, main a quick-footed band that understood each track from the within out.
I bear in mind sheer pleasure emanating within the viewers listening to each track, from the deeper cuts like “Fireplace On Excessive” (an enormous shock after I discovered they had been doing that one) and “Steppin’ Out”, to megahits everyone sang alongside to, like “Flip to Stone”, “Phone Line”, “Livin’ Factor”, “Candy Talkin’ Girl” and “Don’t Convey Me Down”. You could possibly see the happiness coloured on everyone’s faces, younger and previous, with ELO’s signature gentle present being the one factor brighter than the expressions I noticed from that complete live performance. There was a critical danger of the viewers bringing down the Little Caesars Area when the band got here again out to play the encore track “Mr. Blue Sky”—the second I’m certain we had been all was ready for. Everyone was smiling at Jeff Lynne, and for a very good purpose.
The Over and Out tour is the final time ELO is enjoying the US, with their final exhibits scheduled for 2025 within the UK, and I can safely say they left their finest impression on America. The entire day was surreal for me—driving house that evening, with mates I by no means thought I’d see for a thousand years, getting back from seeing a band I by no means thought I’d see in one million years. Six years in the past, I believed a state of affairs like that was unreal, however time has a means of unusual us all. – David Diame
“It’s solely going to get sadder,” mentioned John Paul White to the viewers at The Omeara as he completed enjoying the opening track in his set, “I Want I Might Write You a Music”, from his third document, The Hurting Sort. The Americana artist who was as soon as a part of the Grammy Award Successful duo, The Civil Wars. White performed an acoustic set as a part of his 2024 European Tour, together with songs from his critically acclaimed Beulah, The Hurting Sort and his debut document, The Lengthy Goodbye.
The final time I noticed White was 5 years in the past within the stone-walled room. He was enjoying songs from his yet-to-be launched The Hurting Sort, a cosmopolitan nation document. Again then, White didn’t play any songs from The Civil Wars. These songs remained firmly prior to now, and I understood why. This time round, White introduced the previous into the room and let the ghosts dance among the many viewers. White performed “Falling”, the track that kicked off The Civil Wars, “20 Years” and “Barton Hole”, which White’s son, additionally known as John Paul White, accompanied him on guitar. The viewers danced and harmonised with White the place that second voice was.
I can’t communicate for anybody else, however this was one among most transferring exhibits I’ve been to. From the primary time I heard The Civil Wars’ music it felt like coming house, so to listen to the duo’s songs reside was indescribable.
White closed his set with “Hate the Approach You Love Me”. The track turns from a somber people track right into a fully-fledged nation track filled with that richness and closeness. White by no means tries to gloss over the cracks or faux he’s healed or has learnt his lesson. It’s plain and easy – right here I’m damaged, bruised and ugly, and I don’t know why, however you’re keen on me.
If you go and see reside music, not solely do you get to listen to the music in a reside setting and create new reminiscences of that music and artist, however you can even get transported again to the time, place and the individual you had been once you first heard that music. – Emily Algar
“It began with a low gentle…” I had the unmatched privilege to lastly see one among my favourite bands of all time, The Killers, on the Boston Calling Music Competition over Memorial Day Weekend this yr. They closed out the fest on Sunday evening, drawing in tens of hundreds of attendees. It was a very once-in-a-lifetime expertise for me, validating all these early life I spent obsessing over their music, significantly the albums “Scorching Fuss,” “Day & Age” and “Battle Born.” Earlier than their set, Hozier had simply completed enjoying (one other once-in-a-lifetime expertise for me!) on the neighboring stage. My cousin and I went collectively, and we each needed to not get caught up within the thickest of the Killers crowd that had begun to type even earlier than Hozier completed. After a precarious few moments wherein we virtually received caught in a crowd crush, we had been capable of finding a breathable spot midway again to the doorway, the place the gang was not practically as thick.
When the band took the stage, Brandon Flowers requested the gang if we knew that The Killers had been among the best purveyors of rock and roll on the planet. My cousin, not (but) a Killers fan, turned towards me with a questioning look, and leaned in to ask me if this was true. I mentioned, “I completely can not argue with that,” as they launched into “All These Issues That I’ve Finished.” The evening was electrical with a camaraderie that underscored how excited all of us had been to be witnessing this efficiency. Throughout “Spaceman,” I seen a bunch of younger folks subsequent to me dancing with out a care in the complete world. We had been thus far again that the one means you would see The Killers enjoying was on these large screens on the perimeters of the stage. It didn’t matter even a bit of bit; the uncooked vitality exploding from that stage might in all probability be felt midway right down to the Cape. They closed their set with “Mr. Brightside” and the sold-out venue went insane; it was like nothing I’ve ever heard in my life. Within the 20 years (!!) since Scorching Fuss got here out, the fervor for these basic Killers cuts for my part has solely elevated. – Kendall Graham
Okayings of Leon’s Can We Please Have Enjoyable World Tour made an invigorating cease on August 22 on the Kia Discussion board in Los Angeles. And the present was precisely that – pure enjoyable!
Musical duo, Phantogram, opened for the choice rock band. As they sang their track “Black Out Days,” vitality had already stuffed into the world earlier than Kings of Leon made their solution to the stage. So, when the Tennessee rockers did enter, exhilaration swirled within the air much more so. Whereas introducing their loyal fanbase to newer songs similar to “Ballerina Radio” and “Mustang,” they nonetheless blended in die exhausting favorites similar to “Intercourse on Fireplace” and “Use Someone.” It was an ideal mix and stored followers entertained whereas sustaining excessive spirits. What was actually distinctive concerning the Can We Please Have Enjoyable World Tour although was how followers had been capable of name a Music For The Metropolis Hotline and request a track for his or her present. “Pickup Truck” was chosen as LA’s monitor. As colourful balloons fell from the ceiling and stringed lights shined shiny, Kings of Leon put their followers on the forefront. The present was a complete fan centered expertise which not many artists can say they do. – Lauren Turner
Between Turnstile’s rise and Knocked Free on Jimmy Kimmel, the “second” for hardcore has definitely arrived, and the triple co-headline tour with Koyo, Anxious, and One Step Nearer, which crossed the nation twice, is actually indicative of how sturdy the present wave of hardcore bands is. The Northeast trio of bands all got here up collectively, and this run definitely felt like a victory lap as they carry the torch for the subsequent wave of hardcore bands.
After opening units from the beatdown group Hangman and pop-punk-leaning Stateside, Wilkes-Barre’s One Step Nearer introduced their heavy and fast-take on simple punk rock to invoke loads of stagedivers. Connecticut’s Anxious introduced a joyous quantity of pleasure once they performed their indie-rock leaning tunes like “Rising Up” track or “Extra Than a Letter.” Although they share DNA with indie and pop-punk, there’s nonetheless clearly lots of hardcore working by means of the band’s veins as they inspired folks to maintain on transferring. Lengthy Island’s Koyo performed the a part of hometown heroes, bringing their pop-punk-touched sound to remind everybody that this can be a neighborhood, and songs like “Anthem” or a visitor look from The Movielife’s Vinnie Caruana confirmed that they’re already prepped to tackle the position of scene figureheads. Even after catching a boot to the attention, I couldn’t resist getting as shut as doable for Koyo’s set. Because the band slowly begins to construct as much as larger excursions, it’s clear that they’re going to maintain that hardcore mentality with them. – James Crowley
My nine-day journey throughout Quebec in February turned out to be lots worldwide. I caught a Chinese language New Yr present in Montreal, noticed some Inuit sculptures on the artwork museum in Quebec Metropolis, and went snowboarding with some guys from Russia, the Philippines, and Vancouver at Mont Tremblant. Plus, I received to journey culinarily to a number of nations throughout that journey – India, Italy, Japan, Tunisia, and extra.
Yet one more essential worldwide component of my itinerary that week was seeing Mamadou Diabaté, a xylophonist from Burkina Faso at present dwelling in Vienna. He heads the Percussion Mania band, who play a wide range of African devices— the Calabash, the Djembe and the Kora amongst them—with a couple of electrical guitars and such thrown in for good measure. Mamadou himself takes command of the Balofan— a wood West African model of the xylophone— and, along with the remainder of Percussion Mania, ship a real musical pressure to be reckoned with. On a Canadian journey chock-full of snowboarding, mountain climbing, ice skating and sightseeing, my night within the presence of those guys on the Grand Théâtre de Québec emerged as one of many main highlights of my journey. Merci, Mamadou! – Josh Weiner
One of the one exhibits I used to be wanting ahead to probably the most ended up touchdown on one of many bleakest and rainiest days in Austin, and I used to be devastated. I refreshed Mohawk’s and the band’s Instagram web page each 5 minutes to see any updates and hoped there was no cancellation announcement. Fortunately, the present should go on, rain or shine. Rain jacket acquired, I stepped into the venue proper as Soul Glo took the stage, and so they radiated their vitality over the complete crowd. You could possibly really feel the thrill inside the crowd, which helped as droplets pelted everybody’s heads regardless.
Model Pussy entered, and it was as if the storm stopped for a minute to let the band give their introduction and play varied songs from their new document, I Obtained Heaven, and former hits from Endurance. The evening’s spotlight was listening to the opening riff of the newly iconic “Loud Bark” and ready for the chaos to unfold. It began pouring as Missy roared by means of the refrain, and the gang sloshed round and screamed on the prime of their lungs. It was a magical evening of collective angst and frustration from the climate, however we emerged victorious that night. – Kevin Value
The vitality within the crowd was pulsating lengthy earlier than she even took the stage. It was a sunny, heat afternoon in Boston, everybody crowded across the stage platform, ready for Megan Thee Stallion to emerge. The seconds ticked by, and I felt the fervor within the crowd getting stronger and stronger. When the primary individual to see her shouted out, it created a sharply-surging ripple impact, and fairly quickly, we had been all dropping it. Megan Thee Stallion is clearly additionally Thee Scorching Lady (and Scorching Lady Coach, thoughts you) however she can be completely, utterly lovable. The vitality in her presence is directly infectious, calming and fierce. I’ve to confess I’m not tremendous acquainted with lots of her lyrics, I simply can not get sufficient of her as an individual. She is so, so cute, and I’ve a lot respect for the way in which she carries herself within the face of all she’s been by means of on her journey.
She was wearing a glittery outfit that resembled a butterfly, and that stored with the imagery in her current themes of transformation, molting and metamorphosis. Launching into “HISS” for her first track, just about the complete crowd shouted the phrases again at her. She additionally tore by means of basic hits like “Thot Shit,” “Large Ole Freak,” “Plan B” and “Cognac Queen” as all of us bounced alongside within the crowd. Her dancers had been on level, at one level having a dance battle to a basic Ying Yang Twins track whereas Meg went to vary off stage. The vitality didn’t dip even a bit of as she returned for the second a part of the set. She closed out with “Savage” and had us shouting alongside each phrase. She actually deserves her flowers, and as a matter of reality, somebody within the crowd truly did give her a bouquet (her response was valuable, she was so appreciative.) This present was one cease on her Scorching Lady Summer time Tour, and he or she earned over $40 million from simply 36 exhibits. This quantity doesn’t actually matter that a lot independently, however stands as a testomony to how many people are enthralled by her as a musician, artist and individual. – Kendall Graham
For me, 2024 was the yr of Mk.gee – a singular artist whose abilities can’t be overstated. The second I heard him on document, I knew I needed to see him onstage – and experiencing him and his music reside was a spiritual expertise. Taking part in to a packed crowd at New York Metropolis’s Terminal 5, Michael Gordon’s introduced a trove of searing and stirring songs – together with the whole lot of his debut LP Two Star & The Dream Police – to life with a fireplace that I’ve by no means earlier than seen, heard, felt, or skilled at any present. The live performance was a panoramic spectacle – a shocking show of Mk.gee’s distinctive abilities as a guitarist, and his uncooked vitality – to not point out a mysterious persona – as a performer. The entire present confirmed and strengthened my long-held suspicion that he’s a pressure to be reckoned with, and it’ll seemingly go down as top-of-the-line concert events of my life. – Mitch Mosk
It was an evening of affection and laughter, tales and songs – all billed as a celebration of Oh Marvel’s tenth yr on the planet. The now-married duo of Josephine and Anthony Vander West spent the night chatting with, and enjoying to, a packed crowd of adoring followers in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood, delivering a particular, stripped down set of songs principally taken from their self-titled 2015 debut LP. It was as intimate an evening as one might hope for; primp and polish went out the window, in alternate for vulnerability and uncooked humanity, which have admittedly lengthy been the band’s hallmarks. A decade in, Oh Marvel’s soul-stirring songwriting and achingly emotional musical method stay as sturdy and as transferring as ever – and to additional have a good time their large milestone, the duo at the moment are re-recording and releasing up to date variations of their debut album’s songs, using the information and expertise they’ve gained over time to convey these tracks to life, this time with actual devices and in an actual studio. They’re placing one track out a month for the subsequent yr, little doubt culminating in a full album launch this fall – hopefully with a full reside tour to comply with. And but, I doubt any of these exhibits will come near the type of intimate, one-on-one expertise all of us felt that evening in Brooklyn. It’s an evening that may’t be manufactured; it was pure, it was actual, and it was human – identical to each one among Oh Marvel’s songs. – Mitch Mosk
My small city tends to cycle by means of comparable sorts of bands and musicians, particularly throughout summertime. The island is a musical sizzling spot for genres like people, reggae and acoustic singer-songwriter varieties. This isn’t inherently a nasty factor, however I actually needed to see a very good rock band this yr with out having to take the ferry to the mainland. I wrote a couple of NYC-based band known as Pan Arcadia for work in August, and went to see their efficiency on a balmy Friday evening in downtown Nantucket. I went on my own, one thing I’ve been difficult myself to do, and I had a implausible time. It appeared like a type of typical small-venue rock exhibits the place some persons are dancing and bobbing their heads within the viewers, and others aren’t paying consideration in any respect, misplaced in their very own conversations.
Pan Arcadia has the ethos of a tried-and-true rock band though they’re comparatively new to the scene. Their lead singer, Eamon Rush, was raised on basic rock and CBGB bands, and the band embodies this vitality so nicely. They’re laid-back guys, however their music is (principally) something however. Taking part in a few of their finest songs, “Hysteria,” “Sorry I Was Late” and my absolute favourite, “Justice” (which, imagine it or not, continues to be in my On Repeat playlist), I used to be capable of shimmy my solution to the entrance of the viewers and see them up shut. It was the primary time I attended a present of a band I’ve lined, and I can’t overlook that evening. I felt like I used to be at some hole-in-the-wall dive bar listening to a band that seems to be completely wonderful. Pan Arcadia has launched one other EP, Dynamics, since that present, and I can’t wait to see them in individual once more to listen to the brand new tracks. – Kendall Graham
Dang… so many hits in a single evening! Approach to go, Put up. It was superior to see Mr. Malone blaze by means of his catalogue of bangaz from over time – “Circles,” “Congratulations,” “Higher Now,” you identify it – all whereas making loads of room for tracks off of his most up-to-date LP, F-1 Trillion. All of these songs got a starling reside rock/nation therapy, courtesy of Put up’s accompanying band – and so they put a grand crowning glory on all of it with their orchestration of “Sunflower” as an encore. “You’re left within the mud except I caught by ya,” Put up Malone sings on that Spider-Verse hit. Oh Put up… how glad I’m that I certainly caught with ya all through that ultra-memorable night at Fenway. – Josh Weiner
Rex Orange County is thought for his craft in artistry and music, and eventually: A Theatre Tour encompasses that and extra! November 4 at The Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles was solely one among a number of nights Rex carried out. Listening to those songs in such a shocking setting, allowed for a really intimate expertise rooted in appreciation for music and its particular means of storytelling.
Rex started the present with the main monitor “Alexander” off his newest album The Alexander Method. Instantly, this opening captivated the viewers by means of its detailed lyrics and immersed the gang on this world that felt separated from the surface. However Rex balanced the vitality gracefully all through the present. He continued to carry out songs from the most recent album similar to “Jealously” and “Pure” however blended in iconic favorites similar to “Happiness” and “Greatest Buddy.” Rex knew precisely find out how to work together and pull on the guts strings of his followers. He by no means stayed in a single exact feeling and gave every track their very own deserved second. His vocals had been transferring as he sang by means of the gorgeous tales he has created. And when one story specifically contained the phrases, “And I’m flying again to LA,” pure pleasure rang by means of the theatre. “4 Seasons” was the shock track earlier than Rex completed with a mouth dropping model of “Pluto Projector.” The present was a standing ovation that radiated so many various feelings. Whereas tears streamed down faces in “Look Me In The Eyes,” voices had been misplaced screaming “Sunflower.” However followers left the theatre that evening excessive on life and with smiles upon their faces. – Lauren Turner
Over the final 60 years, at just about any given second, it’s been protected to imagine that the Rolling Stones are at present on tour— the Wikipedia article “Checklist of the Rolling Stones concert events” options some staggering lists and statistics, for certain! However in some unspecified time in the future, it dawned on me— possibly this gained’t be a such a protected assumption to make for for much longer. In any case, the three still-active members of the band— Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wooden— vary in age from 77 to 81 years previous in the intervening time. It appeared fairly pressing to lastly catch these guys in live performance for the primary time whereas I nonetheless had the possibility. Plus, I had a pal in Boston, Jose, who was about to maneuver again to Chile and needed the Rolling Stones live performance at Gillette Stadium to be the “grand finale” of his tenure in Beantown. Why not be part of him for the expertise, I figured?
And so, I made my means right down to the Home That Brady Constructed on the final day of Could and caught the Hackney Diamonds Tour. What an evening it was! Who know what number of a whole lot, even hundreds of instances Mick, Keith and Ronnie have carried out their previous hits like “Begin Me Up,” “You Can’t All the time Get What You Need,” “Beasts of Burden” and extra— they nonetheless put a lot effort and vitality into making these numbers memorable for the Foxborough crowd, and it was such a treasure to expertise all of it. These classics had been interspersed with songs from the latest album, Hackney Diamonds, which this tour was selling. These performances had been massively entertaining as nicely— too dangerous Girl Gaga didn’t present as much as do “Candy Sounds of Heavens” with them, however the Stones had greater than sufficient help onstage from their backup band to make up for it. Their longtime supporting bassist Daryl Jones and saxophonist Karl Denson are significantly praiswrothy in that regard. It was additionally good to catch the Crimson Clay Strays because the opening act, particularly on the heels of seeing them carry out at Boston Calling solely days earlier.
The band closed the evening out with (what else?!) “I Can’t Get No Satisfation,” and althoguh I took half in singing alongside to the famed lyrics, I couldn’t be too honest in saying them. “Glad” is the one among many phrases that might undoubtedly be used to explain how I felt to have simply seen the Rolling Stones carry out – “Thrilled,” “Ecstatic,” and “Grateful” definitely make the record as nicely! – Josh Weiner
Sabrina Carpenter’s Brief N’ Candy Tour made its closing US cease on the Kia Discussion board in Los Angeles on November 18 and felt like one large, enjoyable slumber social gathering. Hundreds of followers wore pastel colours, boas and all issues sparkle as they loved a 3rd bought out evening in LA. Inside the previous yr, Carpenter opened for Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour, climbed charts along with her hit songs similar to “Please Please Please” and obtained a number of Grammy nominations for her album Brief N’ Candy, so it was no shock that her 2024 tour was one to recollect and delivered with nothing however pure pleasure.
Though the precise efficiency time of the present was about an hour and a half, Carpenter took followers by means of a nightlong journey. Designed as a retro TV present, the live performance started on a penthouse modeled stage round sundown along with her track “Style.” However as Carpenter glistened in sizzling pink and the present went on, acts transitioned from after darkish to late-night. Performing an array of tracks from her newest album, Carpenter’s vocals had been stunning and her vitality was contagious, preserving followers engaged and on their toes dancing. Carpenter’s largest energy inside her present although was her artwork of performing her songs in such distinctive ways in which had been particular to them. She carried out “Slim Pickens” sitting close to the fireside of the penthouse after taking a shot. She carried out “Mattress Chem” on a spherical mattress in one other room on the stage. She even sang a gorgeously coronary heart wrenching model of her monitor “Sharpest Software” on a bathroom in a neon-lit toilet. By means of this craft, it made her present really feel intimate and made every track resonate with its viewers. The most important jaw dropper was her runway that led to a heart-shaped dialog pit. A chandelier hung within the center and gave sufficient room for her dancers to take seats round her. On this a part of the present, she sang a canopy of “Tremendous Freak” after which ended the act singing “Nonsense.” By the point the encore got here, it was morning as she emerged from the stage with a cup of espresso to sing the monitor that took over the charts. The present was precisely as you’d anticipate… quick n’ candy. – Lauren Turner
No one does concord like The Staves – a incontrovertible fact that’s been confirmed repeatedly in live performance and on document. The band’s Bowery Ballroom present this previous April as soon as extra affirmed this evergreen reality; even with out their founding member and sister Emily there with them, Jessica and Camilla Staveley-Taylor persevered in making a particular night for his or her viewers, mixing track from their model new album All Now along with their beloved, decade-spanning oeuvre. For me, listening to “I’ll By no means Depart You Alone” – my favourite off their newest LP – was a private spotlight, as was experiencing any variety of songs off 2021’s Good Girl – particularly the impassioned title monitor. Whether or not they’re enjoying with a stripped-down acoustic set or a full-band setup, The Staves are to not be missed – their music all the time able to invigorate, encourage, and ship chills down concertgoers’ spines. – Mitch Mosk
For the final two years, Swifties have skilled the significance of girlhood. Earlier this yr, I received to expertise The Eras Tour at The Aviva Stadium, in Dublin, Eire. It was a magical evening going by means of every Taylor Swift period surrounded by a few of her largest followers, newcomers, and boyfriends dragged alongside to bounce the evening away with their mega-fan girlfriends. Taylor Swift meticulously ensures that each facet of the present is flawless, and her meticulousness and a spotlight to element are outstanding. I’m grateful that I might be a bit of a part of this second in music historical past. Experiencing The Eras Tour in individual is genuinely astounding in all probably the most important methods, on a scale so large and sometimes hardly comprehensible.
From being a fan since 2006, my youthful self could be over the moon to know I received to expertise historical past being made. It was uncommon. I used to be there. I’ll all the time bear in mind The Eras Tour. – Danielle Holian
Valley’s breathtakingly stunning third studio album has been billed because the work of a band getting back from the brink and discovering therapeutic by means of songwriting; their reside present, in its personal wondrous means, felt like an enormous group remedy session for all of us in attendance. The live performance was additionally a reminder of Valley’s beautiful means to mix the catchy and the cathartic with every part they make – beloved songs like “There’s Nonetheless a Mild within the Home,” “Like 1999,” and “hiccup” lit up the room with emotionally charged energies, buffered by the truth that each single viewers member gave the impression to be singing alongside the entire time.
However the true magic got here from Valley’s efficiency of their new materials, Water the Flowers, Pray for a Backyard – a rightful Atwood album of the yr, and one whose expressions of grief, of development, of heartache, of soul-searching, and a lot extra hit house with soul-stirring energy and finesse. Songs like “A Little Extra,” “When You Know Somebody,” the titular “Water the Flowers, Pray for a Backyard,” and “Let It Rain” all resonate on numerous ranges, but it surely was the present’s finale – the mesmerizing, seductive “Bop Ba” – that created a type of non secular awakening and unraveling that I’ll bear in mind for years and years to come back. The track isn’t meant to be a conventional hit; it’s softer and slower, extra of a dreamy “deep lower” than a peppy radio-friendly single – and but, because of the area Valley cultivated of their efficiency that evening, “Bop Ba” could very nicely be my new favourite track of theirs. That is as a lot a testomony to Rob Laska, Alex Dimauro, and Karah James’ collective abilities, as it’s a reminder of the enduring energy of reside music to maneuver our hearts and minds – an influence each Valley fan, myself included, is aware of all too nicely. – Mitch Mosk
We lovingly known as it “Vampire Weekend Weekend,” and it was: When one among my all-time favourite indie rock bands introduced a pair of exhibits (a Saturday evening and a Sunday matinee) at Madison Sq. Backyard with no repeats (besides “A-Punk”), I practically misplaced my thoughts. They did find yourself including a couple of extra “repeats” to the setlist – principally tracks from their recently-released and critically acclaimed fifth studio album, Solely God Was Above Us – however no person complained; after 5 hours and fifty-plus songs, concertgoers like myself had borne witness to the overwhelming majority of Vampire Weekend’s discography, purchased to life with the eagerness, tenacity, and sheer dynamism of a band very clearly of their prime.
Vampire Weekend are adored and beloved by tens of millions for his or her ‘enjoyable’ melodies, daring vitality, and sensible lyrics, however what I got here away with was an utter respect for them – for all of them – as musicians. In a lower than 24-hour interval, the group placed on a high-intensity, two-part spectacle that highlighted the entire extent of their practically two-decade journey – with songs spanning all the way in which again to their faculty days at Columbia College (“Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” and “Oxford Comma”), to model new ones like “Classical,” “Join,” “Ice Cream Piano,” and “Gen-X Cops” – all deeply inventive, advanced, compelling, and charming songs that pressure us to suppose critically about ourselves, our society, and the world at giant.
This was my fourth and fifth time seeing the band; whereas they by no means disappoint, what continues to astonish me is how they maintain upping the sport with each efficiency and each tour. This time round, they ended every present with a request-driven cowl collection, the place they invited the viewers to shout out track ideas. Most often, it was their first time enjoying these songs; they might work out a key, a beat, and simply go for it, with Ezra Koenig highlighting an enormous trove of lyrical information (and at instances, making up the phrases simply to maintain the present going). For sure, Vampire Weekend is without doubt one of the finest within the biz; they proved that over two exhibits at Madison Sq. Backyard this previous fall. – Mitch Mosk
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