ALL OF THE SHOWS...Okay no not all of them.

Over the past year or so, I’ve been to a fair share of concerts. Now, I would never say I’m super crazy about music or that my taste is amazing or anything. In fact, my good pal Brett once told me “Alex, I think all you listen to is Top 40”. That’s only like 32% true. Don’t forget to throw in the occasional Disney playlist and classic 80s hits! Also, Celine Dion. 

Anywho, I decided to list my favorite and least favorite shows that I’ve been to this year. Listen up: this is not my list of favorite BANDS, just favorite SHOWS! Some bands are just better live/more memorable than others. Also, this is just so in 20 years when I stumble upon this blog while scrolling through the internets in my brain (because that’s where things are going, right?) it will be a nice little reminder of how I spent a good number of nights/days in 2013-2014. OKAY here goes:

The Good:

ALT-J/LORD HURON @ 930 CLUB

This is the band that started everything off. My friend Laura texted me about 3 months before this concert and asked if I wanted to go, as she had an extra ticket. Because I had just read Bossypants and I was inclined to never say “no”, I said of course, never mind that I had never heard any of Alt-J’s music. So, I spent the next 3 months listening to them on and off. Whaddya know, I loved them! They’re so weird and the lead singer’s voice is ever so unique.  Plus, this is the concert that started my love for the opening band, Lord Huron. These bands are casual, work listening at its finest.

My favorite Alt-J jam: listen.

AVETT BROTHERS @ FREEFEST

For a few years, I was extremely against the Avett Bros, after sort-of-dating this guy at school who was overly obsessed with them. If you’re super stuck up about music and tell me over and over how many times you’ve been to a certain band’s shows (I’m looking at you, Dave Matthews fans), you have the opposite effect on me. I will not listen to them. I will actively hate them. And probably you, too. Actually, this kind of goes for anything anyone tries to force me to do. Maybe that’s for a different discussion.

Anyway, I saw them at Freefest (RIP) and then realized why he liked them so much – they’re fun, easy to sing along to and super engaging with the crowd. Plus, their stuff is catchy as ferk. Good job Avett Bros, you converted a non-believer.

My favorite Avett Bros jam: listen.

BLEACHERS/MISTERWIVES @ 930 CLUB

I’ve seen Bleachers 1.5 times, the .5 coming from Firefly where I could hear them from about a quarter mile away but couldn’t actually see them. The 1 comes from seeing them at the 930 Club with Misterwives (who are equally as lovely, mad girl crush on their lead singer). I got introduced to them from a friend a few months before this and listened to their big hit, I Wanna Get Better, with great fervor. After great internal debate for the past 30 seconds, I decided this was the summer anthem. Great for windows down, stereo blasting, 395 cruising. I’d say this happened at least 4 times.

Bleachers: listen

Misterwives: listen

DIERKS BENTLEY @ WMZQ Fest

I’ll never forget this show, simply because when the song What Was I Thinkin came on, the group that I was with wasn’t dancing so much as running in circles around each other frantically. Couldn’t tell you more about why or how this happened, but we were all laughing and singing so much and being goofy with each other that it really doesn’t matter how it came to be. WMZQ Fest was exactly what I expected from a summer country concert and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. It doesn’t matter if you like country or not, these kind of events are built to entertain. The artists (in this case, Dierks) always ham it up with the crowd and get super into it. There was a lack of pretentiousness about the whole thing too, although maybe that was just because we spent the few hours before we wandered into the arena taking plain Burnetts shots but hey! YOLO!

Dierks: listen

JOSH GROBAN @ WOLF TRAP

There are a few things I’ve loved passionately since I was a youngin, and one of those things is not a thing, but a man. A Man among men. God’s gift to me (and Katelyn): Josh Groban. Something about his song You Raise Me Up really stuck with me after all these years. THAT DROP! Its beautiful! Then Josh guest starred in the Office and that was it.

When I heard he was coming to Wolf Trap, I knew this was it. My chance. Armed with my fellow soaring-ballad lover, Katelyn, we packed a delectable meal, plopped down on the lawn, and sobbed for 2 straight hours of Josh Groban. Okay, there was no sobbing, but there was laughing, smiling, joy, and above all, hope. I’d been waiting for years and years to see this guy, and here he was! On top of being everything I ever dreamed of and more, he was simply hilarious on stage. He had a whole joke about the word boner! Right before he went into my new favorite Josh song, Alla Luce Del Sol. Ha, what a guy, what a guyyyyy.  

JOSH: listen

CHROMEO @ 930 CLUB

These guys had personality, if you couldn’t tell from their keyboards held up by lit up legs. There’s nothing like having the whole room jumping and singing to the same song, as we all did with Jealous. Like we were all bouncing and jumping happily together. They worked the stage and were just a lot of fun. Two thumbs way up!

Chromeo: listen

NEW POLITICS/BAD SUNS @ 930 CLUB

Laura and Brett and I discussed beforehand that we were totally only there for Bad Suns, who were opening for New Politics. By the time New Politics came on stage, we were going to leave….and then….we stayed. New Politics was by far the most energetic band I’ve ever seen on that stage. Or maybe any stage in general. Every so often, the lead singer would breakdance and finally he backflipped off of the drumset. Plus the music was one of those that sound much better in person that you’d ever imagine after listening online. This brings me to my next band…

New Politics: listen

Bad Suns: listen

SAN FERMIN @ THE BLACK CAT

Caroline got me a ticket to this show and of course I said yes, despite not ever hearing of them before. So, I listened to their music, thought it was kind of mellow but would be fun to see live, and off we went. San Fermin might be the ultimate example of a band that you have to see live, you just HAVE TO! Their band supposedly is 22 members deep, at least for the album they were, and consist of all sorts of instruments. There was a trumpet, saxophone, an oboe on stage, just to name a few. And they were well utilized for every single super over-the-top number. Sometimes the songs would get a little quiet and only focus on one instrument, and then in one giant crash everyone would come alive and it was insanity. Plus they had awesome lights and since it was at the Black Cat, we could sit. We all won this show.

San Fermin: listen

THE BAD

First off, I don’t hate any of these three bands...clearly I don't hate 1D...it's just their performances. Sorry…maybe…try harder…

ARCTIC MONKEYS @ FIREFLY

Maybe I just don’t know their music well enough, but the Arctic Monkeys were super underwhelming. I don’t mean to offend anyone…but…I think I fell asleep during this show.  It was all in all just super meh.

MGMT @ FREEFEST

This was a huge disappointment. This might’ve also been because of the pouring rain, or the fact that MGMT refused to play Kids. I walked away from this experience not ever caring to hear them again.

ONE DIRECTION @ NATS PARK

I bought 7 tickets for this show way back in December. Yes, we had to wait 9 months to see this show, which I thought would be the spectacular marriage of two of my favorite things: One Direction and Nats Park. Well, it was spectacular. Every song had fireworks and crazy designs on their giant screen. It was just…clearly they were burned out. You could just tell they were going through the motions, playing show after show, and they had become numb to it all. None of the songs really stood out, not even any of their hits, and I don’t think anyone but Niall and Liam even spoke to the crowd while on stage. Sorry lads, I get it, you’re tired, but…but…c’mon. The group I was with was super fun and cuddly so of course it was awesome, but I couldn’t help but wonder how much longer the band will be together due to their lack of enthusiasm.

OH WELL this will always be my favorite 1D song, I've wanted to make a black and white music video with Brett dancing around as the whole band for years now...maybe I should tell him about this dream of mine: listen

There. There you have it. All my inner most thoughts and feelings. Ferk you Arctic Monkeys! Have a delightful rest of your week.