Favorite Concerts 2023

[Steve F.]

I saw 57 shows in 2023.

I actually think I got some enjoyment out of ALL of them, but here were my favorites:

2/18/2023 Olli Hirvonen Trio / Patrick Smith - Rhizome, DC

4/16/2023 Joel Harrison and Anthony Pirog Quartet - Rhizome, DC

4/29/2023 Thumbscrew - New Spire Arts, Fredrick, MD

5/6/2023 Max Johnson Trio with Anna Webber and Michael Sarin - Rhizome, DC

5/13/2023 Infinien - Orion, Baltimore

5/27/2023 Roger Clark Miller / Insect Factory + Scott Verrastro / Janel & Anthony & Mike Kuhl - Orion, Baltimore

6/2/2023 We Used To Cut The Grass - Orion, Baltimore

6/3/2023 Joel Ross with the Corcoran Holt group - Takoma Station, DC

6/26/1934 Zoh Amba & Chris Corsano / Luke Stewart - Rhizome, DC

8/11/2023 Ensemble Volcanic Ash - Rhizome, DC

8/13/2023 Abe Mamet 4tet - Bartlett Park, Brentwood MD

8/30/2023 Luke Stewart Silt Trio + - Allyworld

9/2/2023 ProgDay 2023: Perfect / You Bred Raptors? / Moon Letters / tu-NER
9/3/2023 ProgDay 2023: a Light Sleeper / Red Fiction / We Used To Cut The Grass / Karmic Juggernaut
[Progday is here as much for the bands as it is just because it was an incredibly FUN experience for both Joyce and I]

9/11/2023 Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamps - Rhizome, DC

9/29/2023 Joseph Daley Tuba Trio with Scott Robinson and Warren Smith plus special guest Ken Filiano - Tonal Park

10/11/2023 Sara Serpa with André Matos - Georgetown Day School

10/16/2023 Gwenifer Raymond - Rhizome, DC

11/4/2023 Nick Millevoi's Digital Reaction - Rhizome, DC

[Threemboy]

Tremendous list.

Made me realize how few shows I took in this year.

Kings X in April (Chicago suburbs).
Based on some live clips I wasn’t expecting much vocally from Doug Pinnick but was happily proven wrong.

Extreme and Living Colour in August (Milwaukee)
First time seeing Living Colour and they were a revelation. Maybe one of the best frontmen I’ve ever seen. Extreme were great as usual with a diverse setlists including a good portion of the new disc

[interbellum]

I visit less and less concerts, so it's not hard to pick this years best:

EXIT NORTH - Helmond, The Netherlands - May, 26: https://www.facebook.com/stevejansen...2405251073106/

[per anporth]

Of the gigs I saw this year, the following were particularly special:

Kokoroko at the South Bank in London - a lovely gig, which my kids had sorted out for my birthday. Even better - I met the admirable Sunlight Caller!

Graham Costello's Strata - in Bristol, in a small club, in the round, which was an exhilarating experience... But, musically, their gig at the Edinburgh Jazz Festival was even better!

Colin Steele's Stramash, also at the Edinburgh Jazz Festival - a glorious, joyful, reunion of the big band that in many ways kick started the vibrant jazz-folk crossover scene in Scotland.

Brìghde Chaimbeul's trio with Ross Ainslie at the Sidmouth Folk Festival. Their album, released last year, was superb, but I hadn't realised her show would feature the trio - their performance was brilliant
.. & was matched by the support act, Vrï, a unique Welsh trio exploring the common roots of Welsh folk music & chapel music.

[SteveSly]

Had a good concert year this year and saw the following:

Jan 13: Entransient / Imminent Sonic Destruction – Pyramid Scheme Grand Rapids Michigan.

Jan 15: Patty Pershyla & The Mayhaps – Bell’s Brewery Kalamazoo Michigan.

Jan27: Umphrey’s McGee – 20 Monroe Live Grand Rapids Michigan.

Feb 16: Ana Popovic – Park Theater Holland Michigan.

Feb 23: Tab Benoit – State Theater Kalamazoo Michigan

Feb 24: Joe Bonamassa – Devos Hall Grand Rapids Michigan.

March 13: The Winery Dogs – Devos Hall Grand Rapids Michigan.

March 24: Indigo Girls – State Theater Kalamazoo Michigan

March 29: Bruce Springsteen – Little Ceaser’s Arena Detroit Michigan

April 1: Queensryche / Marty Freidman – The Intersection Grand Rapids Michigan.

April 8: Zebra / Donnie Vie – Arcadia Theater St. Charles Illionois

May 19: Foreigner / Cage Willis – Wings Stadium Kalamazoo Michigan

June 18: The Struts / Mac Saturn – 20 Monroe Live Grand Rapids Michigan

June 23: Buddy Guy / Alley Venable- Meijer Gardens Grand Rapids Michigan

June 28: Samantha Fish / Jesse Drayton / Eric Johanson- Bell’s Brewery Kalamazoo Michigan

June 30: Black Midi – Bell’s Brewery Kalamazoo Michigan

July 2: Umphrey’s McGee – Meijer Gardens Grand Rapids Michigan

August 8: JD Mcphearson – Bell’s Brewery Kalamazoo Michigan

August 25: Alter Bridge / Sevendust – 20 Monroe Live Grand Rapids Michigan

Labor Day Weekend: ProgDay – We Used To Cut The Grass / Karmac Juggernaut / A Light Sleeper / Moon Letters / Perfect / Tuner / You Breed Raptors – Storybook Farm Chapel Hill North Carolina

October 3: Ringo Starr – Devos Hall Grand Rapids Michigan

November 11: Mammoth / Nita Strauss – Elevation Grand Rapids Michigan.

December 8: Robert Jon & The Wreck – The Token Lounge Westfield Michigan.

[RandallB]

My 2023 concerts were:

Riverside
Queensryche
Seal w/Buggles
Crowded House
The Mars Volta
The Cure
Echo & the Bunnymen
Haken
John Lodge
Dreamsonic: Dream Theater / Devin Townsend / Animals as Leaders
The Beat starring Dave Wakeling
TU-NER
Progject
Geoff Tate
The Church
Sting
Peter Gabriel
TesseracT
The Musical Box

The best? Peter Gabriel.
Well worth it after the 20 year wait since I last saw him.

[Kcrimso]

Poil/Ueda was my favourite concert of the year. I love their two albums (especially debut) but live they were even better.

[Rufus]

Devin Townsend by a long chalk

[mozo-pg]

Anekdoten - Friday and Saturday Night (Friday Vemod/Nucleus).
Steve Hackett
The Musical Box The Lamb And Selling England
Peter Gabriel
La Maschera di Cera
I've seen others but just can't recall right now.

[wurz]

^^^ some great lists up there - 2023 for me, all UK;

Fusion Festival (various inc IQ) - Stourport on Severn
Lissie - St Lukes Glasgow
Jason Ringenberg - The Greystones Sheffield
Chuck Prophet - The Greystones Sheffield
Elton John - Manchester Arena
The War on Drugs - Piece Hall Halifax
Karnataka - Chantry Brewery Rotherham (Great Beer :-))
Tyketto - The Waterloo Blackpool

Enjoyed all of them....

[markwoll]

Shakti - Wolf Trap

At Big Ears:
Exploding Star Orchestra
Gatos Del Sol
Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, Shahzad Ismaily
Modern Masada
John Zorn: Bagatelles 2 - Mary Halvorson and Trigger. Trigger was an absolute hoot.
Zorn Cobra and probably some more.

Bill Frisell trio Wolf Trap

Progday 23
Red Fiction
We Used To Cut The Grass
Moon Letters ( when I had my eyes shut )
You Bred Raptors?

Steve Morse Band - Birchmere

Kenny Loggins - Wolf Trap ( for personal reasons )

[rickawakeman]

Steve Hackett in Montreal
Snarky Puppy at UMass
Thank You Scientist-Amherst despite getting Covid

[boilk]

A pretty good year, for me as well:

Dry Cleaning - Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto (playing bigger venues, and deservedly so)
The Messthetics/James Brandon Lewis - The Drake Hotel, Toronto (amazing, heavy hitting show in a small venue...I'll take these over XXX at an arena, all day long)
Brit Floyd - Hamilton (not usually my thing, but went with a Floyd fanatic friend, and we had a good time. Looking around, it seemed like half the crowd had never even heard See Emily Play before)
Haken - Opera House, Toronto (prog metal masters were in good form, but so loud it was almost hard to enjoy it, at points)
GoGo Penguin - Opera House, Toronto (never thought I'd see a jazz band at the Opera House, where rock rules the day. Shows you how their crowd has grown, and an amazing show)
Poil Ueda - Victoriaville, Quebec (FIMAV) (mind. blown.)
Anekdoten - Quebec City, Quebec (Terra Incognita) (killer sound and hearing them play Vemod in its entirety was a great treat)
Elder - Lee's Palace, Toronto (great band, great show. I'd like to think that they will be playing bigger venues the next time through North America)
We Used to Cut the Grass/Karmic Juggernaut - Orion Studios, Baltimore (love Orion, and loved this show. Fabulous One/Two punch)
Snarky Puppy - History, Toronto (they featured almost all of Empire Central, not my favourite album, but they still always deliver)
Rush Tribute - Lee Lifeson Art Park, Toronto (first time there and a lot of fun and inventive Rush/prog covers)
Perfect / You Bred Raptors? / Moon Letters / tu-NER/a Light Sleeper / Red Fiction / We Used To Cut The Grass / Karmic Juggernaut - Chapel Hill, North Carolina (Progday) (Michael knocked it out of the park again)
Moulettes - Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts, Oakville, Ontario (good crowd and a much larger venue this time. Such a creative, unique band)
Terrance Blanchard and the E Collective - Koerner Hall, Toronto (mind-melting fusion, at an incredible venue)

Alright, fine, those were just about all my concerts, but they were all great to one degree, or another, haha. Looking forward to next year...especially my first ever Big Ears.

Neil

[everyday]

57 concerts!!

I managed 4 with the wife:
Peter Gabriel
Regenesis
Russ Ballard
Dexy's Midnight Runners (her choice!).

[AdventAlan]

Greetings,

My top concerts for the year (chronologically):

• 5/25: Hermeto Pascoal & Grupo, Pioneer Works, Brooklyn, NY
• 6/30: Childish Japes with KADAWA opening up, The Sultan Room, Brooklyn, NY
• 12/2: Jonathan Scales Fourchestra, Triumph Brewing Company, Red Bank, NJ

Cheers!


Alan

[thedunno]

Trying to remember what i saw this year but Poil Ueda, Lankum and Arooj Aftab, vijay Iver& Ismaely stood out this year.

[battema]

An extremely light year for me...but the easy highlight was The Midnight @ Anthem DC, for personal reasons.

[alucard]

Ultraphauna / January, Saint-Contest (FR)
Second Life /March, Saint-Contest (FR)
Poil Ueda / March in Leyden(NL) and July Festival
'Chauffer dans la noirceur' Granville (FR)
The Notwist / March in Leyden(NL)
Peter Gabriel / Juin in Antwerpen (Be)
Royal Blood / July Beauregard Festival Caen(FR)
Dry Cleaning/ August La Route du Rock Festival Saint Malo (FR)
Yo La Tengo /August La Route du Rock Festival Saint Malo (FR)
Quid/August La Route du Rock Festival Saint Malo (FR)
Domi and JD Beck/ Juin Paris (FR)
A Certain Ratio /December BB Mix Festival Paris(FR)

[Shadow]

My grandson Eli's sixth grade Christmas concert.

[KevMo50]

Riverside @ Sony Hall NYC
The Cure @ MSG NYcC
Chicago @ NYCB Theatre Westbury
Luna @ Bowery Ballroom NYC
Eagles & Steely Dan @ UBS Arena
Interpol @ Beacon Theatre NYC

[NogbadTheBad]

Poil Ueda - Victoriaville FIMAV - stunning
Black Country New Road - Boston
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs - Boston (stoner metal)
Clone Decay - Boston (Mary Halvorson with 2 trombonists)
Gogo Penguin - Boston
Ezra Collective - Boston

ProgDay
Red Fiction
A Light Sleeper
All bands were good and the festival was excellent as usual

Big Ears
Exploding Star Orchestra
Makaya McCraven
Zorn Bagatelles - Asmodeus
Gatos Do Sul
Tyshawn Sorey Trio
Zorn New Masada
Caroline
Zorn's Cobra
Arooj Aftab with Vijay Iyer

[zappaeverafter]

I don’t actually track my concert attendance at the event level, but rather at the individual artist level. I saw over 130 individual artist performances this year. But I must acknowledge that the biggest bang for me in live music are festivals and certain adventurous music series. And here are the significant ones for the year:

FESTIVALS:

Big Ears

Bang on a Can LOUD Weekend

ProgDay

Constellation (Chicago) 10th Anniversary Fest

Hype Park (Chicago) Jazz Festival

Frequency Festival (contemporary and experimental)

SERIES:

LAMPO (acousmatic)

CLEAT (16 channel omni-directional speaker array utilized by artists to compose and perform expressly for the sound capabilities)

Ensemble dal Niente Series

My top 20 favorite performances of the year:

1. Suso Sáiz - Rockefeller Chapel
2. Jerry Harrison & Adrian Belew Remain in Light - Vic Theater
3. Zorn: Cobra - Tennessee Theater Big Ears
4. Messthetics - Constellation
5. Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade - Salt Shed
6. Tarta Relena - LOUD Weekend, MASS MoCA
7. Instigation Orchestra with Aurora Nealand - International House, Hyde Park Jazz Festival
8. Bang on a Can All-Stars - LOUD Weekend, MASS MoCA
9. Bang on a Can All-Stars with Ensemble Klang - LOUD Weekend, MASS MoCA
10. Kronos Quartet with Bang on a Can - LOUD Weekend, MASS MoCA
11. Cheer-Accident - Elastic Arts
12. tu:NER - ProgDay
13. Chris Siebold Trio - Reggies
14. Gordon Grdina The Marrow - Constellation
15. Exploding Star Orchestra - Knoxville Civic Auditorium Big Ears
16. Andriessen and Akiho - LOUD Weekend, MASS MoCA
17. Ned Rothenberg Crossing Quartet - St. John's Cathedral Big Ears
18. Yarn/Wire - St. John's Cathedral Big Ears
19. Gorzortenplat (Zappa tribute) - Reggies
20. Bitchin Bajas - Rockefeller Chapel

[IncogNeato]

Saw several, but my two faves were Steve Hackett and Cynic.

[Brad 2 the Bone]

I didn't count the total number of individual shows (since festivals may have 5+ shows in one day) but I attended shows on 61 different days in 2023. Highlights included:

February 10th - Lydia Lunch Retrovirus (with Weasel Walter, Tim Dahl, and Kevin Shea), Club SAW, Ottawa

May 18th - Poil Ueda, FIMAV

May 20th - Void Patrol (Payton MacDonald, Colin Stetson, Elliott Sharp, and Billy Martin), FIMAV

May 22nd - Next Music From Tokyo Vol. 15 featuring Furutori, Batroica Metal Summer Jacket, The Hatch, Arigarnon Friends, Heliotrope, Cafe Campus, Montreal

June 23rd - Zoh Amba & Chris Corsano, Ottawa Jazz Festival

June 24th - TEKE::TEKE, Ottawa Jazz Festival

June 26th - Sun Ra Arkestra, Ottawa Jazz Festival

June 28th - Buddy Guy, Ottawa Jazz Festival

June 29th - ADG7 (Ak Dan Gwong Chil), Ottawa Jazz Festival

July 10th - Mdou Moctar, Club SAW Courtyard, Ottawa

September 14th - أحمد [Ahmed], Guelph Jazz Festival

September 15th - Ratchet Orchestra, Guelph Jazz Festival

October 5th - Goblin Plays "Suspira", Mayfair Theatre, Ottawa

October 13th - Brulez Les Meubles (Louis Beaudoin, Eric Normand, Jean Derome, John Hollenbeck), IMOO Fest

October 13th - Canadian Electronic Ensemble, IMOO Fest

October 14th - John Oswald Mystery Ensemble (with Lina Allemano, Eve Egoyan, Ben Grossman, Jesse Stewart), IMOO Fest

October 14th - Eyevin Nonet: Tribute to Thomas Chapin, IMOO Fest

November 29th - Esmerine, Shenkman Arts Centre, Ottawa

[boilk]

May 18th - Poil Ueda, FIMAV

May 20th - Void Patrol (Payton MacDonald, Colin Stetson, Elliott Sharp, and Billy Martin), FIMAV

I was also at that Poil Ueda show, and it was indeed, amazing. Also glad to hear that Void Patrol at FIMAV made your list. I was unable to catch them there, but intend to try and see them at Big Ears next March.

Neil