12. Florence and The Machine, Ameris Bank Amphitheater
This was a sit on the back lawn and relax type of show. I cannot sit here and say I know Florence's or The Machines Deep cuts, but they did throw in their classics throughout the show including 'Shake It Out', 'The Dog Day's of Summer', and 'Hunger'. Enough about their music, because who really knows any of Florence and The Machines songs outside what I have listed.
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| Florence from a far singing the night away in no doubt one of her many white gowns |
Florence came out in a white gown and danced the night away, almost running around stage as if she were a ghostly figure. Her personality was one of the most unique I have seen for a band lead that preforms for outdoor amphitheater crowds. Introverted would be the best way to describe it. You could even say it is must see commentary. There was also a substantial amount of red haired men and women at the show which goes with the territory I suppose. I thoroughly enjoyed the days leading up to this show referring to the band incorrectly as Florence and The Washing Machine along with other salty jokes. Not bad music here, but more to reflect on here outside the music itself.
11. Mt. Joy, Variety Playhouse
I heard Mt. Joy as an opener for a concert in the early part of calendar year 2019 and immediately found appeal to the band. They were so good as an opener, I went back to see them as a headliner later that year. If you are looking for a new band to check out, this folk based rock band from Philadelphia is one to consider.
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| Mt. Joy puts on a good show start to finish, but a limited selection of music to dates made for a shorter headlining show |
Their single 'Astrovan' and 'Silver Lining' probably stick out as the most recognizable songs, but they do not have a bad listen in their portfolio. Fairly new to the scene, they have a album and EP to date, but I expect the band to grow in their popularity in years to come. Put them on your rising band radar list, you heard it here first.
10. The Head and The Heart, Pilgrimage Festival
The Head and The Heart had been high on my list of bands to see in 2019 and are a fairly recognizable name in the music industry. I missed an opportunity to see them at the Tabernacle in Atlanta on their fall tour, but found another opportunity to see them at Pilgrimage Festival in Tennessee. They put on a good show, but my primary takeaway was the far better experience would be to see them in a great indoor venue like the Tabernacle with excellent acoustics. I suppose I will have to put that on to the 2020, or maybe more likely the 2021 concert list
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| The Head and The Heart put on a good show, but would be a better experience in a indoor venue than an outdoor festival |
9. Adam Sandler, Chastain Park
The only hybrid comedy show/concert to make the list coming in the form of actor/comedian/song writer, Adam Sandler. Rob Schneider opened the night, which was fitting given the movie history between the two. Sandler ended up putting on a pretty amazing three hour comedy and musical show at Chastain Park. I think everyone can put into perspective that Sandler is a talented individual, but seeing that play out in person really puts the talent into scope. From the musical side of things, Sandler's highlights were his Chris Farley tribute song and closing the show with 'Wagon Wheel'. The only thing missing from the show was a visit to Lunch Lady Land.
8. O.A.R., Atlanta Botanical Gardens
I followed O.A.R. closely in high school and college, but they fell off my radar in my post college years. In the past two to three years as I have grown old and wise, I found a resurgence in listening to their music. It has been riveting find to dive back in to their old classics and introduce myself to some of their newer material. They have continued to crank out album year after year and similar to Dave, are known for their long summer tours. I enjoy Dave and have often heard Dave and O.A.R. fall into the same conversation, but I much prefer O.A.R. Must be time to go see Dave.
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| Skyline views and classic O.A.R. tunes make for a nice summer night in Atlanta |
It was hard to pass up on an opportunity to see O.A.R. in a Summer Concert Series at Atlanta Botanical Gardens. The Garden lawn was packed out on a warm summer night to see the New Jersey based band play their classics with a spectacular view of the Atlanta Midtown Skyline. One cool takeaway from this show was a purchased signed set list from the band which maybe around $25. It hangs in our living room and provides memories of a music filled Atlanta Summer night.
7. Judah and the Lion, Bon Secours Wellness Arena (Greenville, SC)
I have seen Judah and the Lion on several occasions, so if anything this was more about the travel experience. I've been known to travel to see bands in the past. Tulsa, Boston, why not Greenville now? We decided to drive up to Greenville, SC on a Sunday afternoon for the soul reason of we had never been to Greenville before; we'd cap off this Sunday with a concert. Judah always puts on a high energy show and they are one of my favorite bands to see live in concert. Don't let the ranking here deceive you as it's ranking concerts I went to in 2019. If this listing was based on overall concert/band experiences, they would be right near the top. If someone had never seen any of the bands on this list live, it would probably be between Judah and The Killers who I'd recommend to see first. More to come from The Killers soon.
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| Judah and The Lion front-man Juah Akers leads the crowd in Greenville, SC |
6. Strumbrellas, Terminal West
Little did I know, but there was a lot more to the band The Strumbrellas than their hit song 'Spirits', Now, they are a band I can listen to all of their music from start to finish, and I would say there is no bad song. I rarely ever go to a concert without listening to an array of a bands music ahead of time. As a rule of thumb, I would say I like to know 75% of greater of the bands setlist to really enjoy the show. I came in below my benchmark for The Strumbrellas show and still and found myself blown away by their quality of music and overall show experience. The Canadian based six piece Indie Rock band brings funk, energy, and high quality music. They were touring for their most recent album release, Rattlesnake. Give them a listen and check out a few songs; ' I'll Wait', 'Young and Wild', 'Salvation' are a few to get you warmed up. If you are not hooked on this band right away, plenty of other options out there to choose from. Props to my cousin Mark for getting me on this bandwagon. Make sure you get to a show in the future, if for nothing else getting to hang with Dave for a whole night makes the Strumbrellas concert experience worthwhile.
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| The Strumbrellas folk rock sound is engaging and carries a rivertting sound in a live show |
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| Dave, On Keyboards, what more needs to be said (His shirt reads feminism) |
5.Judah and The Lion, 40 Watt Club
There's no photos or videos to share from this concert as phones were taken upon entering the venue, which was pretty nice actually. This was a memorable Thursday night in Athens at a historic venue centered around Judah and the Lion's 2019 album release, Pep Talks. The night started off with commentary from the band and background on what had been going on in their lives that inspired a number of the new songs. Many of the songs were based on seasons of struggle in their lives. Hearing this perspective before the music itself was special. After commentary on the new album they moved into a portion of the night where they played musical copy of their new album from start to finish via video. They closed the night with a few of their songs acoustically live which seemed a far cry from their normal high energy show, but was a rather enjoyable change of pace. They called this this tour the Story Tellers Tour and was really a unique way to get a sneak peak and perspective on the album that was to come. Overall this was a much better experience than my typical bi-annual fall trip to Athens winch usually ends in an Auburn loss in Sanford Stadium.
4. Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Tabernacle
I was at a music festival a few years ago in Birmingham and remember seeing the band Rainbow Kitten Surprise listed on one of the Saturday stages. As the day went out I noticed the large contingent of people that had made the trek out that day to specifically to see this band. The band name stuck out, how could it not. Following that festival I took it upon myself to check out their music. It turns out their music is just as good if not better than their name. From a live show perspective, it was energetic and colorful. Front man Sam Mellow leads the way. Bald and bearded, his range of musical tones covers the spectrum. Recognizable hits such as 'Cocaine Jesus' and 'Devil Like Me' carried a set which covered their last few albums. The name will draw you in, the music will keep you coming back.
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| Color, charisma and a strong fan base following make for a great 'RKS' live show |
3. Snow Patrol, Tabernacle
Going into the Snow Patrol show, expectations were unknown. I like that in a way, raising the question, what is this show going to bring? I had listened to this band for years, but this had been the first time I could recall seeing a Snow Patrol tour. They ended up putting on one of the best shows of 2019 that I saw. Leadman Gary Lightfoot was engaging, energetic, and charismatic (what more do you want from a lead?). He was also real. I remember they started a song off note and had to re-start the song. They took it right in stride and had a good laugh along the way. Their music was engaging and the crowd was into every song from start to finish. Ofcouse the excellent acoustics of The Tabernacle enhances the sound of any band. Stand out songs included 'Crack The Shutters', 'New York', 'Chocolate' and 'Shut Your Eyes'. They also had a nice of mix of songs from their most recent album, Wilderness. Their encore included 'Open Your Eyes' and they closed the night with 'Just Say Yes.' This Scottish based rock band is a hidden gem when it comes to a live show. Get out and see them if given the opportunity.
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| Snow Patrol lighting up The Tabernacle on a April night in 2019 |
2. Mar Oberage, City Winery
Marc who? The lead singer of O.A.R, ah yes. Tying back to my earlier comments about O.A.R. coming back into my top list of bands of recent years, I saw that Marc was going to be putting on a solo show at City Winery Atlanta and immediately jumped on this. A show like this with stripped down acoustic guitar and voice shows the true talent of a musician. Not that there was ever any doubt, but Marc is one talented individual. It felt like a fireside chat in a way. Marc started the night off playing a handful of selected O.A.R. songs. As the night went on to take a handful of requests. It was intimate and personal, as Marc sat just a few feet away from a smiling Atlanta audience. Before many of the songs, he provided perspective on what the song meant to him and the band or how and why it was written. He made note of his appreciation of his fans and noted a few followers who he had seen at prior show or three. This was such a great night in that was a real change of pace from the big band O.A.R. we all know and love and allowed Marc's talent to showcase in an intimate setting.
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| Marc Oberage played a full two hour acoustical set at City Winery and backed it up with a second show later that night |
1. The Killers Pilgrimage Festival
The Killers would be at the top of any list of mine involving a concert. I saw The Killers for the first time in Atlanta back in January 2018. I remember it being a surreal feeling going into that concert given this was a band that I started listening too in high school when their first album Hot Fuss debuted. Expectations were high for that concert and the experience ended up being better than I could have imagined.
The Killers have continued to put out great music since the time I was 16, to this day. They are lead and bread by lead singer Brandon Flowers. Flowers is Las-Vegas through and through, if you don't know that going into a show, you find it out very quickly. Flowers flashes suits that The King himself would be proud of and brings the strut and energy to the stage that Las Vegas herself would be jealous of.
On this Saturday night, The Killers were the headliner of The Pilgrimage Festival in Nashville, Tennessee. They are the definition of a headlining band in my book as they have headlined festivals all over the globe for the last several years and are a band everyone should seek out to see live.They kicked off the evening with a tribute to The Cars by opening with 'My Best Friends Girl' in honor of the bands lead singer Ric Ocaseck who had passed away earlier that week. Flowers had the honor of introducing the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I can hear The Cars swaying undertones and influence in Flowers Music.
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| Brandon Flowers leading a incredible set at Pilgrimage Festal in Nashville |
The fifteen song setlist was a tour through all the great years of music The Killers have produced. Classic songs like 'Somebody told Me', 'For Reasons Unknown' and 'While You Were Young' weaved together with a few hits from off there most recent album Wonderful Wonderful.
The show seemed to apex when they entered their final four songs of the evening and brought an extra level of energy when they had the Nashville crowd echoing the chorus of I've got soul, I'm not a solider in the classic song 'All The Things that I've Done'. Flowers and his band closed out the night with a two song encore, "Human' and you guessed it 'Mr Brightiside' etching out a electrifying set on a Nashville Saturday night.
Every now and then you get that question 'If you could have a sit down dinner with any three people in history, who would it be? ' I just may have Brandon Flowers at my table.
2020 And On
Over the past few weeks a number of concerts that I had bought tickets for in 2020 have either been cancelled or postponed.
An opportunity to see Dave Matthews for the first time will have to wait until Summer 2021.
A Sunday night festival headline featuring The Strokes will have to wait until the fall.
A trip to Denver for Red Rocks this summer will not be happening.
While this wave of postponements and cancellations was to be expected, it still carriers disappointment. Taking the time to reflect on what 2019 brought in form of music experiences has provided me with a even greater appreciation for each show and the overall experience of live music. It has been great to see the music platform promoted during this time through fundraising for those at need and at home concerts from our favorite musicians. We do not when we will get the experience of live music back in our lives, until that time we reflect back on our experiences and look forward to the day that time comes we can build upon them.
