My two favorite shows of 2019 represent the two opposite ends of my musical spectrum
#1 was Thumbscrew at the Iowa City Jazz Festival. A great late night event in an intimate venue. After about 20 minutes it wasn't really even music anymore but rather a snake that was crawling up my spine and into my brain, giving it a good scrubbing from the inside out. No pharmaceuticals were involved in this highly unique experience.
A close #2 was Deep Purple in Minneapolis. Completely rejuvenated, Gillan sounded way better than when I saw them last in '07 or on any of the live DVDs I have from the new millennium. The rest of the band were tight and spot on too. Good head-banging fun.
Honorable Mentions; shows where I really connected with that the artists were doing:
Nick Lowe & Los Straightjackets - IC/Englert Theater.
Brand X - Sellersville Theater.
Tomeka Reid Quartet - U Iowa.
Other worthy shows:
Kansas -POKR tour; Des Moines
Jimmie Dale Gilmore & Dave Alvin - Iowa City Arts Fest
The Bad Plus - IC Jazz Fest.
Bookmarks