Atwood Magazine’s Best Concerts of 2024!

Atwood Magazine's Best Concerts of 2024
Atwood Magazine's Best Concerts of 2024
Abby Holliday, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, BAILEN, BANKS & Julien Baker with National Symphony Orchestra, Drive-By Truckers, Jeff Lynne’s ELO, John Paul White, The Killers, Kings of Leon, Koyo, Anxious, One Step Closer, Mamadou Diabaté & Percussion Mania, Mannequin Pussy & Soul Glo, Megan Thee Stallion, Mk.gee, Oh Wonder, Pan Arcadia, Post Malone, Rex Orange County, The Rolling Stones, Sabrina Carpenter, The Staves, Taylor Swift, Valley, Vampire Weekend

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From all of us here at Atwood Magazine, we wish you a happy and healthy new year!

2024 has been an inspiring year for music. Living legends have further solidified their legacies, whilst fresh faces have become new favorites.

Atwood Magazine has always had at its core the mission to celebrate music of all genres, and this year we continued our goal to be a space of inclusivity and representation by consciously highlighting art and artists from around the world. The year in music was made all the more exciting because of the broad range of music we featured and focused on – from those familiar names in the Top 40, to creatives in the most underground, indie, and alternative of circles.

For so many of these artists, music is more than a mere means of self-expression; it is a vessel full of awesome potential. In recent years, it has felt increasingly important to acknowledge and elevate those who use their art as a voice for the disenfranchised; the oppressed; the underrepresented; and the underprivileged. This year, we continue to recognize those who speak for more than just themselves, while at the same time indulging in the familiar, timeless themes of love, loss, hope, connection, courage, change, and the never-ending pursuit of happiness.

As the year comes to a close, our staff took a step back to honor the songs, albums, EPsconcerts, and artist discoveries that had the greatest impact on our lives. Without further ado, Atwood Magazine is proud to present our curated list of 2024’s Best Concerts of the Year, in alphabetical order by artist.

From Sabrina Carpenter’s Short N’ Sweet Tour and Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour to breathtaking shows by Mk.gee, Megan Thee Stallion, The Rolling Stones, Post Malone, Vampire Weekend, and many more, these are our favorites – the concerts that left us inspired, invigorated, and even more in love with the music than we were beforehand! Please join us in celebrating 2024’s contributions to the music world!

Mitch Mosk, Editor-in-Chief

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,Atwood Magazine

Atwood’s 2024 Music of the Year 



The Best Concerts of the Year

Click on the artist’s name to skip right to their entry!

Abby Holliday, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, BAILEN, BANKS & Julien Baker with National Symphony Orchestra, Drive-By Truckers, Jeff Lynne’s ELO, John Paul White, The Killers, Kings of Leon, Koyo, Anxious, One Step Closer, Mamadou Diabaté & Percussion Mania, Mannequin Pussy & Soul Glo, Megan Thee Stallion, Mk.gee, Oh Wonder, Pan Arcadia, Post Malone, Rex Orange County, The Rolling Stones, Sabrina Carpenter, The Staves, Taylor Swift, Valley, Vampire Weekend

Atwood Magazine's Best Concerts of 2024

Catching Abby Holliday live has been on my “to-do” list ever since she debuted just a couple of years ago; the unapologetically independent singer/songwriter has forged a uniquely dynamic and emotionally charged alternative sound that hits as hard on her three spellbinding studio albums as it does (I’m happy to report) in person. Promoting her stunningly bold LP CRACK A SMILE COME ON STAY A WHILE (which we recently named one of Atwood‘s albums of the year), Holliday created an atmosphere of intimacy, vulnerability, and human connection – inviting her Brooklyn audience to join in her and her band members’ communal reverie. Irresistibly catchy tracks like “Better By Now” and “The Price” combined with brutally raw performances of songs like “Ohio Laundry Room,” “Steve Martin,” “Think Before I Speak,” and “Andrea” to make for a cathartic, compelling, and irresistibly memorable concert – and one that, for me, reinforced Abby Holliday as a singular talent, both live and on record. Mitch Mosk

It was the first cold day of fall; perfect sweatshirt weather for an outdoor concert. A sea of shivering fans sprawled across the open lawn as the sun set behind the open dome of the Merriweather Post Pavilion. Rocking a slick baby blue suit, 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 live reworking of .Paak’s 2016 breakout project of the same name. Revamping the melancholic, highly personal storytelling of Malibu, .Paak spun his music into a fun and invigorating funk-rock extravaganza. The talent onstage was unreal. The artist navigated the stage with incredible command, effortlessly swapping between singing, rapping, and drumming, all while spinning a series of dance moves that would make Michael Jackson jealous. The man’s supporting cast was equally as impressive. The maximal performance of The Free Nationals provided a masterclass in versatility. Songs like “The Season/Carry Me” included blazing fast improvised solos and smooth as hell back up vocals which gave .Paak plenty of energy to bounce off of. Merriweather’s large screens were playing a series of lofi, psychedelic effects alongside footage of the performance on the stage which created a surreal throwback quality to the music. It was meaningful to see Anderson .Paak celebrate the album that skyrocketed his music career, and it is clear that he is enjoying every damn second of his fame. – Jake Fewx

The unofficial “final stop” on Bailen’s Tired Hearts tour – the multi-leg headliner celebrating their sophomore album Tired Hearts, which graced Atwood Magazine‘s Best Albums of 2023 – was held up in Marlboro, New York, at The Falcon. With a total capacity of 150 seats, it’s probably the smallest venue and among the most intimate of BAILEN’s concerts over the past two years; they kicked off said tour in 2022, playing to a packed and sweaty room of 500+ people at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City.

And while I will always remember both shows fondly, there was something unique about that final show this past spring – not least because I got to watch one of my favorite bands shred onstage less than five feet away from me. The Falcon has deep significance to the Bailen siblings, who have been putting on shows there for several years now – long before they achieved any sort of national or regional fame, back when they were just Julia, David, and Daniel making music as a trio. To see them returning “home,” having toured the country and honed their already-sharp live skills, was powerful, special, and exhilarating; after all, how often do you get to be so close to a finely-executed rock show, only to find yourself deep in conversation not just with the band, but with their parents, afterwards? Between stunning renditions of “These Bones,” “Call It Like It Is,” and the now-classic “Something Tells Me” – not to mention a breathtaking cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” – I realized I was experiencing BAILEN on one of the stages, and in one of the halls, that shaped their very identity as a band; that made them who they are today.

If you find yourself in the Hudson Valley and in need of some live music, I highly recommend visiting The Falcon – and if you ever get the chance to catch BAILEN live, take it. Between their breathtaking vocal harmonies, gut-wrenching guitar solos, all-consuming drum beats, and downright bold and beautiful melodies, the indie pop trio have cemented their place as one of my all-time favorite live acts. Mitch Mosk

From the very first episode I watched of MTV Stripped, I have been fascinated by the concept of artists bringing a vulnerable and stripped down version of their own songs. This concert was in a way just that, titled “DECLASSIFIED” led by Ben Folds with the National Symphony Orchestra in tow.

Julien Baker (of Boygenius) went on first. She went on to perform “Sprained Ankle” and “Ziptie”. Though her performance of “Claws In Your Back” was an incredibly emotional and striking moment, leading way to a standing ovation and breath of awe.

BANKS later went on to perform her own tracks, like “Waiting Game”, though the addition of the orchestra added an additional layer to the song itself. With BANKS’ ever commanding vocals leading the way. She then performed “I Still Love You” this time a song off her album Sepertina. Though her performance of “Gemini Feed” was the most animated and fun song of the night. – Jada Moore

Nostalgia has wrapped the touring economy in a sleeper hold. Hardly a tour package escapes a booking agent’s desk without getting hog-tied to one anniversary bare minimum. Even the highest-grossing live performer in recorded history spent 2024 reliving her eras. Drive-By Truckers also got in on the act this year. But true to their word, Southern Rock Opera was never about the past.

In keeping with the long-standing venue’s tradition, the TLA oversold the Trucker’s Philly stop by a comfortable margin. Rubbing elbows with so many pasty middle-aged dudes in blog rock shirts during a mid-set quest for the bathroom brought me too close to my own future (not to mention almost pissing my pants), but I am happy to report that this was not your daddy’s anniversary tour.

Of course, Drive-By Truckers paid homage to the source material behind Southern Rock Opera. From the opening blast of “Ronnie And Neil”, their three guitars had Steve Gaines grinning like the devil up in heaven. Regrettably, I did not drop acid for this show, though the lasers during “Let There Be Rock” — an all-timer that I haven’t stopped spinning since the days of my high-school graduation — was one heck of a trip. But the band played it fast and loose with the album’s tracklist. Some songs returned after being retired from the setlist prematurely. Others were swapped out for age-appropriate covers (Wet Willie, “Rockin in the Free World”) or later album cuts that continued to chew over the duality of “The Southern Thing.”

This year only marked the 23rd anniversary of Southern Rock Opera. That DBT chose to pay the album a visit on an odd-numbered birthday begs the question: Why now? After all, to hear them tell it, Patterson Hood and his college-roommate-turned-pen-pal Mike Cooley have been kicking the proposed can down the road for some time now. And rightfully so, if I do say so myself. By my count, they went on to make at least three albums that are better than this one.

But despite fixating on a band of free spirits that didn’t live to see the ’80s, Southern Rock Opera primed the pump for our current political watershed. I caught this tour two weeks before the election. Democrats were buzzing with fresh optimism, but Hood knew not to get fooled by the polls again. During an updated version of “Three Alabama Icons”, he spoke glumly about how race relations haven’t improved as much as he’d thought since the days when cultural dinosaurs like George Wallace roamed the governor’s mansion. No matter how you voted, “Angels And Fuselage” effectively ended the show on a prescient note. “And I’m scared shitless of what’s coming next“, Hood groaned amidst ghostly power chords. It wasn’t a reminder so much as living proof that Drive-By Truckers are still a vital American band.  – Will Yarbrough

I am frankly astonished that anything of the week of October 9th happened. Friends of mine – one from Utah and another from Australia – flew in the fourth of October for a vacation, and although we had a blast on our own time, the real main event was seeing Jeff Lynne’s ELO play live. The Electric Light Orchestra is the reason I’m writing this article now; the impeccable craft of songwriting, production, and instrumental talent from each and every release of theirs was so capitvating that it turned me into a music fan, one obsessed with albums, bands, the art of recording—really, anything tied to music. And now, six years after I discovered them, I was driving my car with my two friends in tow all the way to Detroit, finally in a position to watch a version of the band play their heart out.

And did they ever! Jeff Lynne’s ELO is known for putting on some incredible-sounding shows spanning a large part of Electric Light Orchestra’s heyday, and even us, as megafans, were treated to hints of deep cuts and signs that there was some genuine respect for the legacy of the band. Every song they put on, barring keys lowered and live endings, sounded nigh-identical to the albums that my friends and I fell in love with. Lead vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Jeff Lynne was putting on an incredible show at-then 76 years old, leading a quick-footed band that understood each and every song from the inside out.

I remember sheer joy emanating in the audience hearing every song, from the deeper cuts like “Fire On High” (a huge surprise when I found out they were doing that one) and “Steppin’ Out”, to megahits everybody sang along to, like “Turn to Stone”, “Telephone Line”, “Livin’ Thing”, “Sweet Talkin’ Woman” and “Don’t Bring Me Down”. You could see the happiness colored on everybody’s faces, young and old, with ELO’s signature light show being the only thing brighter than the expressions I saw from that whole concert. There was a serious risk of the audience bringing down the Little Caesars Arena when the band came back out to play the encore song “Mr. Blue Sky”—the moment I’m sure we were all was waiting for. Everybody was smiling at Jeff Lynne, and for a good reason.

The Over and Out tour is the last time ELO is playing the United States, with their last shows scheduled for 2025 in the UK, and I can safely say they left their best impression on America. The whole day was surreal for me—driving home that night, with friends I never thought I’d see for a thousand years, coming back from seeing a band I never thought I’d see in a million years. Six years ago, I thought a scenario like that was unreal, but time has a way of surprising us all. – David Diame

“It’s only going to get sadder,” said John Paul White to the audience at The Omeara as he finished playing the opening song in his set, “I Wish I Could Write You a Song”, from his third record, The Hurting Kind. The Americana artist who was once part of the Grammy Award Winning duo, The Civil Wars. White played an acoustic set as part of his 2024 European Tour, including songs from his critically acclaimed Beulah, The Hurting Kind and his debut record, The Long Goodbye.

The last time I saw White was 5 years ago in the stone-walled room. He was playing songs from his yet-to-be released The Hurting Kind, a cosmopolitan country record. Back then, White did not play any songs from The Civil Wars. Those songs remained firmly in the past, and I understood why. This time around, White brought the past into the room and let the ghosts dance among the audience. White played “Falling”, the song that kicked off The Civil Wars, “20 Years” and “Barton Hollow”, which White’s son, also called John Paul White, accompanied him on guitar. The audience danced and harmonised with White where that second voice used to be.

I can’t speak for anyone else, but this was one of most moving shows I’ve been to. From the first time I heard The Civil Wars’ music it felt like coming home, so to hear the duo’s songs live was indescribable.

White closed his set with “Hate the Way You Love Me”. The song turns from a somber folk song into a fully-fledged country song full of that richness and closeness. White never tries to gloss over the cracks or pretend he’s healed or has learnt his lesson. It’s plain and simple – here I am broken, bruised and ugly, and I don’t know why, but you love me.

When you go and see live music, not only do you get to hear the music in a live setting and create new memories of that music and artist, but you can also get transported back to the time, place and the person you were when you first heard that music. – Emily Algar

It started with a low light…” I had the unrivaled privilege to finally see one of my favorite bands of all time, The Killers, at the Boston Calling Music Festival over Memorial Day Weekend this year. They closed out the fest on Sunday night, drawing in tens of thousands of attendees. It was a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience for me, validating all those formative years I spent obsessing over their music, particularly the albums “Hot Fuss,” “Day & Age” and “Battle Born.” Before their set, Hozier had just finished playing (another once-in-a-lifetime experience for me!) on the neighboring stage. My cousin and I went together, and we both wanted to not get caught up in the thickest of the Killers crowd that had begun to form even before Hozier finished. After a precarious few moments in which we almost got caught in a crowd crush, we were able to find a breathable spot halfway back to the entrance, where the crowd was not nearly as thick.

When the band took the stage, Brandon Flowers asked the crowd if we knew that The Killers were some of the finest purveyors of rock and roll in the world. My cousin, not (yet) a Killers fan, turned toward me with a questioning look, and leaned in to ask me if this was true. I said, “I absolutely cannot argue with that,” as they launched into “All These Things That I’ve Done.” The night was electric with a camaraderie that underscored how excited we all were to be witnessing this performance. During “Spaceman,” I noticed a group of young people next to me dancing without a care in the entire world. We were so far back that the only way you could see The Killers playing was on those big monitors on the sides of the stage. It did not matter even a little bit; the raw energy exploding from that stage could probably be felt halfway down to the Cape. They closed their set with “Mr. Brightside” and the sold-out venue went insane; it was like nothing I have ever heard in my life. In the 20 years (!!) since Hot Fuss came out, the fervor for these classic Killers cuts in my opinion has only increased. – Kendall Graham

Kings of Leon’s Can We Please Have Fun World Tour made an invigorating stop on August 22 at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. And the show was exactly that – pure fun!

Musical duo, Phantogram, opened for the alternative rock band. As they sang their song “Black Out Days,” energy had already filled into the arena before Kings of Leon made their way to the stage. So, when the Tennessee rockers did enter, exhilaration swirled in the air even more so. While introducing their loyal fanbase to newer songs such as “Ballerina Radio” and “Mustang,” they still mixed in die hard favorites such as “Sex on Fire” and “Use Somebody.” It was a perfect blend and kept fans entertained while maintaining high spirits. What was really unique about the Can We Please Have Fun World Tour though was how fans were able to call a Song For The City Hotline and request a song for their show. “Pickup Truck” was chosen as LA’s track. As colorful balloons fell from the ceiling and stringed lights shined bright, Kings of Leon put their fans at the forefront. The show was an entire fan focused experience which not many artists can say they do. – Lauren Turner

Between Turnstile’s rise and Knocked Loose on Jimmy Kimmel, the “moment” for hardcore has certainly arrived, and the triple co-headline tour with Koyo, Anxious, and One Step Closer, which crossed the country twice, is truly indicative of how strong the current wave of hardcore bands is. The Northeast trio of bands all came up together, and this run certainly felt like a victory lap as they carry the torch for the next wave of hardcore bands.

After opening sets from the beatdown group Hangman and pop-punk-leaning Stateside, Wilkes-Barre’s One Step Closer brought their heavy and fast-take on straightforward punk rock to invoke plenty of stagedivers. Connecticut’s Anxious brought a joyous amount of excitement when they played their indie-rock leaning tunes like “Growing Up” song or “More Than a Letter.” Even though they share DNA with indie and pop-punk, there’s still clearly a lot of hardcore running through the band’s veins as they encouraged people to keep on moving. Long Island’s Koyo played the part of hometown heroes, bringing their pop-punk-touched sound to remind everyone that this is a community, and songs like “Anthem” or a guest appearance from The Movielife’s Vinnie Caruana showed that they’re already prepped to take on the role of scene figureheads. Even after catching a boot to the eye, I couldn’t resist getting as close as possible for Koyo’s set. As the band slowly starts to build up to bigger tours, it’s clear that they’re going to keep that hardcore mentality with them. – James Crowley

My nine-day trip across Quebec in February turned out to be plenty international. I caught a Chinese New Year show in Montreal, saw some Inuit sculptures at the art museum in Quebec City, and went skiing with some guys from Russia, the Philippines, and Vancouver at Mont Tremblant. Plus, I got to travel culinarily to multiple nations during that trip – India, Italy, Japan, Tunisia, and more.

One more crucial international element of my itinerary that week was seeing Mamadou Diabaté, a xylophonist from Burkina Faso currently living in Vienna. He heads the Percussion Mania band, who play a variety of African instruments— the Calabash, the Djembe and the Kora among them—with a few electric guitars and such thrown in for good measure. Mamadou himself takes command of the Balofan— a wooden West African version of the xylophone— and, together with the rest of Percussion Mania, deliver a true musical force to be reckoned with. On a Canadian trip chock-full of skiing, hiking, ice skating and sightseeing, my evening in the presence of these guys at the Grand Théâtre de Québec emerged as one of the major highlights of my trip. Merci, Mamadou! – Josh Weiner

One of the only shows I was looking forward to the most ended up landing on one of the bleakest and rainiest days in Austin, and I was devastated. I refreshed Mohawk’s and the band’s Instagram page every five minutes to see any updates and hoped there was no cancellation announcement. Thankfully, the show must go on, rain or shine. Rain jacket acquired, I stepped into the venue right as Soul Glo took the stage, and they radiated their energy over the entire crowd. You could feel the excitement within the crowd, which helped as droplets pelted everyone’s heads regardless.

Mannequin Pussy entered, and it was as if the storm stopped for a minute to let the band give their introduction and play various songs from their new record, I Got Heaven, and previous hits from Patience. The night’s highlight was hearing the opening riff of the newly iconic “Loud Bark” and waiting for the chaos to unfold. It started pouring as Missy roared through the chorus, and the crowd sloshed around and screamed at the top of their lungs. It was a magical night of collective angst and frustration from the weather, but we emerged victorious that evening. – Kevin Cost

The energy in the crowd was pulsating long before she even took the stage. It was a sunny, warm afternoon in Boston, everyone crowded around the stage platform, waiting for Megan Thee Stallion to emerge. The seconds ticked by, and I felt the fervor in the crowd getting stronger and stronger. When the first person to see her shouted out, it created a sharply-surging ripple effect, and pretty soon, we were all losing it. Megan Thee Stallion is obviously also Thee Hot Girl (and Hot Girl Coach, mind you) but she is also absolutely, completely adorable. The energy in her presence is at once infectious, calming and fierce. I have to admit I am not super familiar with a lot of her lyrics, I just cannot get enough of her as a person. She is so, so cute, and I have so much respect for the way she carries herself in the face of all she’s been through on her journey.

She was dressed in a glittery outfit that resembled a butterfly, and that kept with the imagery in her recent themes of transformation, molting and metamorphosis. Launching into “HISS” for her first song, pretty much the entire crowd shouted the words back at her. She also tore through classic hits like “Thot Shit,” “Big Ole Freak,” “Plan B” and “Cognac Queen” as we all bounced along in the crowd. Her dancers were on point, at one point having a dance battle to a classic Ying Yang Twins song while Meg went to change off stage. The energy did not dip even a little as she returned for the second part of the set. She closed out with “Savage” and had us shouting along every word. She really deserves her flowers, and as a matter of fact, someone in the crowd actually did give her a bouquet (her reaction was precious, she was so appreciative.) This show was one stop on her Hot Girl Summer Tour, and she earned over $40 million from just 36 shows. This number doesn’t really matter that much independently, but stands as a testament to how many of us are enthralled by her as a musician, artist and person. – Kendall Graham

For me, 2024 was the year of Mk.gee – a singular artist whose talents cannot be overstated. The moment I heard him on record, I knew I had to see him onstage – and experiencing him and his music live was a religious experience. Playing to a packed crowd at New York City’s Terminal 5, Michael Gordon’s brought a trove of searing and stirring songs – including the entirety of his debut LP Two Star & The Dream Police – to life with a fire that I have never before seen, heard, felt, or experienced at any show. The concert was a breathtaking spectacle – a stunning display of Mk.gee’s unique talents as a guitarist, and his raw energy – not to mention a mysterious persona – as a performer. The whole show confirmed and reinforced my long-held suspicion that he is a force to be reckoned with, and it will likely go down as one of the best concerts of my life. – Mitch Mosk

It was a night of love and laughter, stories and songs – all billed as a celebration of Oh Wonder’s tenth year in the world. The now-married duo of Josephine and Anthony Vander West spent the evening chatting with, and playing to, a packed crowd of adoring fans in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood, delivering a special, stripped down set of songs mostly taken from their self-titled 2015 debut LP. It was as intimate a night as one could hope for; primp and polish went out the window, in exchange for vulnerability and raw humanity, which have admittedly long been the band’s hallmarks. A decade in, Oh Wonder’s soul-stirring songwriting and achingly emotional musical approach remain as strong and as moving as ever – and to further celebrate their big milestone, the duo are now re-recording and releasing updated versions of their debut album’s songs, employing the knowledge and experience they’ve gained over the years to bring those tracks to life, this time with real instruments and in a real studio. They’re putting one song out a month for the next year, no doubt culminating in a full album release this fall – hopefully with a full live tour to follow. And yet, I doubt any of those shows will come close to the kind of intimate, one-on-one experience we all felt that night in Brooklyn. It’s a night that can’t be manufactured; it was pure, it was real, and it was human – just like every one of Oh Wonder’s songs. – Mitch Mosk

My small town tends to cycle through similar types of bands and musicians, especially during summertime. The island is a musical hot spot for genres like folk, reggae and acoustic singer-songwriter types. This is not inherently a bad thing, but I really wanted to see a good rock band this year without having to take the ferry to the mainland. I wrote about a NYC-based band called Pan Arcadia for work in August, and went to see their performance on a balmy Friday night in downtown Nantucket. I went by myself, something I’ve been challenging myself to do, and I had a fantastic time. It seemed like one of those typical small-venue rock shows where some people are dancing and bobbing their heads in the audience, and others aren’t paying attention at all, lost in their own conversations.

Pan Arcadia has the ethos of a tried-and-true rock band although they are relatively new to the scene. Their lead singer, Eamon Rush, was raised on classic rock and CBGB bands, and the band embodies this energy so well. They’re laid-back guys, but their music is (mostly) anything but. Playing some of their best songs, “Hysteria,” “Sorry I Was Late” and my absolute favorite, “Justice” (which, believe it or not, is still in my On Repeat playlist), I was able to shimmy my way to the front of the audience and see them up close. It was the first time I attended a show of a band I’ve covered, and I will not forget that night. I felt like I was at some hole-in-the-wall dive bar listening to a band that turns out to be absolutely excellent. Pan Arcadia has released another EP, Dynamics, since that show, and I can’t wait to see them in person again to hear the new tracks. – Kendall Graham

Dang… so many hits in one night! Way to go, Post. It was awesome to see Mr. Malone blaze through his catalogue of bangaz from over the years – “Circles,” “Congratulations,” “Better Now,” you name it – all while making plenty of room for tracks off of his most recent LP, F-1 Trillion. All of those songs were given a starling live rock/country treatment, courtesy of Post’s accompanying band – and they put a grand finishing touch on it all with their orchestration of “Sunflower” as an encore. “You’re left in the dust unless I stuck by ya,” Post Malone sings on that Spider-Verse hit. Oh Post… how glad I am that I indeed stuck with ya throughout that ultra-memorable evening at Fenway. – Josh Weiner

Rex Orange County is known for his craft in artistry and music, and finally: A Theatre Tour encompasses that and more! November 4 at The Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles was only one of several nights Rex performed. Listening to these songs in such a stunning setting, allowed for a very intimate experience rooted in appreciation for music and its special way of storytelling.

Rex began the show with the leading track “Alexander” off his latest album The Alexander Technique. Immediately, this opening captivated the audience through its detailed lyrics and immersed the crowd in this world that felt separated from the outside. But Rex balanced the energy gracefully throughout the show. He continued to perform songs from the latest album such as “Jealously” and “Pure” but mixed in iconic favorites such as “Happiness” and “Best Friend.” Rex knew exactly how to interact and pull on the heart strings of his fans. He never stayed in one precise feeling and gave each song their own deserved moment. His vocals were moving as he sang through the beautiful stories he has created. And when one story in particular contained the words, “And I’m flying back to LA,” pure joy rang through the theatre. “4 Seasons” was the surprise song before Rex finished with a mouth dropping version of “Pluto Projector.” The show was a standing ovation that radiated so many different emotions. While tears streamed down faces in “Look Me In The Eyes,” voices were lost screaming “Sunflower.” But fans left the theatre that night high on life and with smiles upon their faces. – Lauren Turner

Over the last 60 years, at pretty much any given moment, it’s been safe to assume that the Rolling Stones are currently on tour— the Wikipedia article “List of the Rolling Stones concerts” features some staggering lists and statistics, for sure! But at some point, it dawned on me— maybe this won’t be a such a safe assumption to make for much longer. After all, the three still-active members of the band— Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood— range in age from 77 to 81 years old at the moment. It seemed pretty urgent to finally catch these guys in concert for the first time while I still had the chance. Plus, I had a friend in Boston, Jose, who was about to move back to Chile and wanted the Rolling Stones concert at Gillette Stadium to be the “grand finale” of his tenure in Beantown. Why not join him for the experience, I figured?

And so, I made my way down to the House That Brady Built on the last day of May and caught the Hackney Diamonds Tour. What a night it was! Who know how many hundreds, even thousands of times Mick, Keith and Ronnie have performed their old hits like “Start Me Up,” “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” “Beasts of Burden” and more— they still put so much effort and energy into making these numbers memorable for the Foxborough crowd, and it was such a treasure to experience it all. These classics were interspersed with songs from the most recent album, Hackney Diamonds, which this tour was promoting. Those performances were massively entertaining as well— too bad Lady Gaga didn’t show up to do “Sweet Sounds of Heavens” with them, but the Stones had more than enough support onstage from their backup band to make up for it. Their longtime supporting bassist Daryl Jones and saxophonist Karl Denson are particularly praiswrothy in that regard. It was also nice to catch the Red Clay Strays as the opening act, especially on the heels of seeing them perform at Boston Calling only days earlier.

The band closed the night out with (what else?!) “I Can’t Get No Satisfation,” and althoguh I took part in singing along to the famed lyrics, I couldn’t be too sincere in saying them. “Satisfied” is the one of many words that could definitely be used to describe how I felt to have just seen the Rolling Stones perform – “Thrilled,” “Ecstatic,” and “Grateful” certainly make the list as well! – Josh Weiner

Sabrina Carpenter’s Short N’ Sweet Tour made its final US stop at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on November 18 and felt like one big, fun slumber party. Thousands of fans wore pastel colors, boas and all things sparkle as they enjoyed a third sold out night in LA. Within the past year, Carpenter opened for Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour, climbed charts with her hit songs such as “Please Please Please” and received multiple Grammy nominations for her album Short N’ Sweet, so it was no surprise that her 2024 tour was one to remember and delivered with nothing but pure excitement.

Although the actual performance time of the show was about an hour and a half, Carpenter took fans through a nightlong journey. Designed as a retro TV show, the concert began on a penthouse modeled stage around sunset with her song “Taste.” But as Carpenter glistened in hot pink and the show went on, acts transitioned from after dark to late-night. Performing an array of tracks from her latest album, Carpenter’s vocals were beautiful and her energy was contagious, keeping fans engaged and on their feet dancing. Carpenter’s biggest strength within her show though was her art of performing her songs in such unique ways that were specific to them. She performed “Slim Pickens” sitting near the fireplace of the penthouse after taking a shot. She performed “Bed Chem” on a round bed in another room on the stage. She even sang a gorgeously heart wrenching version of her track “Sharpest Tool” on a toilet in a neon-lit bathroom. Through this craft, it made her show feel intimate and made each song resonate with its audience. The biggest jaw dropper was her runway that led to a heart-shaped conversation pit. A chandelier hung in the middle and gave enough room for her dancers to take seats around her. In this part of the show, she sang a cover of “Super Freak” and then ended the act singing “Nonsense.” By the time the encore came, it was morning as she emerged from the stage with a cup of espresso to sing the track that took over the charts. The show was exactly as you would expect… short n’ sweet. – Lauren Turner

No one does harmony like The Staves – a fact that’s been proven time and again in concert and on record. The band’s Bowery Ballroom show this past April once more affirmed this evergreen truth; even without their founding member and sister Emily there with them, Jessica and Camilla Staveley-Taylor persevered in creating a special evening for their audience, blending song from their brand new album All Now together with their beloved, decade-spanning oeuvre. For me, hearing “I’ll Never Leave You Alone” – my favorite off their latest LP – was a personal highlight, as was experiencing any number of songs off 2021’s Good Woman – especially the impassioned title track. Whether they’re playing with a stripped-down acoustic set or a full-band setup, The Staves are not to be missed – their music always ready to invigorate, inspire, and send chills down concertgoers’ spines. Mitch Mosk

For the last two years, Swifties have experienced the importance of girlhood. Earlier this year, I got to experience The Eras Tour at The Aviva Stadium, in Dublin, Ireland. It was a magical night going through each Taylor Swift era surrounded by some of her biggest fans, newcomers, and boyfriends dragged along to dance the night away with their mega-fan girlfriends. Taylor Swift meticulously ensures that every aspect of the show is flawless, and her meticulousness and attention to detail are remarkable. I’m grateful that I could be a little part of this moment in music history. Experiencing The Eras Tour in person is genuinely astounding in all the most significant ways, on a scale so huge and often hardly understandable.

From being a fan since 2006, my younger self would be over the moon to know I got to experience history being made. It was rare. I was there. I will always remember The Eras Tour. – Danielle Holian

Valley’s breathtakingly beautiful third studio album has been billed as the work of a band coming back from the brink and finding healing through songwriting; their live show, in its own wondrous way, felt like a big group therapy session for all of us in attendance. The concert was also a reminder of Valley’s stunning ability to combine the catchy and the cathartic with everything they make – beloved songs like “There’s Still a Light in the House,” “Like 1999,” and “hiccup” lit up the room with emotionally charged energies, buffered by the fact that every single audience member seemed to be singing along the whole time.

But the real magic came from Valley’s performance of their new material, Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden – a rightful Atwood album of the year, and one whose expressions of grief, of growth, of heartache, of soul-searching, and so much more hit home with soul-stirring strength and finesse. Songs like “A Little More,” “When You Know Someone,” the titular “Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden,” and “Let It Rain” all resonate on a number of levels, but it was the show’s finale – the mesmerizing, seductive “Bop Ba” – that created a kind of spiritual awakening and unraveling that I will remember for years and years to come. The song is not meant to be a traditional hit; it’s softer and slower, more of a dreamy “deep cut” than a peppy radio-friendly single – and yet, thanks to the space Valley cultivated in their performance that night, “Bop Ba” may very well be my new favorite song of theirs. This is as much a testament to Rob Laska, Alex Dimauro, and Karah James’ collective talents, as it is a reminder of the enduring power of live music to move our hearts and minds – a power every Valley fan, myself included, knows all too well. – Mitch Mosk

We lovingly called it “Vampire Weekend Weekend,” and it was: When one of my all-time favorite indie rock bands announced a pair of shows (a Saturday night and a Sunday matinee) at Madison Square Garden with no repeats (except “A-Punk”), I nearly lost my mind. They did end up adding a few more “repeats” to the setlist – mostly tracks from their recently-released and critically acclaimed fifth studio album, Only God Was Above Us – but nobody complained; after five hours and fifty-plus songs, concertgoers like myself had borne witness to the vast majority of Vampire Weekend’s discography, bought to life with the passion, tenacity, and sheer dynamism of a band very clearly in their prime.

Vampire Weekend are adored and beloved by millions for their ‘fun’ melodies, bold energy, and smart lyrics, but what I came away with was an utter respect for them – for all of them – as musicians. In a less than 24-hour period, the group put on a high-intensity, two-part spectacle that highlighted the complete extent of their nearly two-decade journey – with songs spanning all the way back to their college days at Columbia University (“Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” and “Oxford Comma”), to brand new ones like “Classical,” “Connect,” “Ice Cream Piano,” and “Gen-X Cops” – all deeply creative, complex, compelling, and captivating songs that force us to think critically about ourselves, our society, and the world at large.

This was my fourth and fifth time seeing the band; while they never disappoint, what continues to astonish me is how they keep upping the game with every performance and every tour. This time around, they ended each show with a request-driven cover series, where they invited the audience to shout out song suggestions. In most cases, it was their first time playing these songs; they would figure out a key, a beat, and just go for it, with Ezra Koenig highlighting a vast trove of lyrical knowledge (and at times, making up the words just to keep the show going). Needless to say, Vampire Weekend is one of the best in the biz; they proved that over two shows at Madison Square Garden this past fall. – Mitch Mosk



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