Worcester Palladium, 25 April
Nikki Sixx lover/obsessive that I am, I had been looking forward to seeing SIXX:A.M. live even before they actually announced this tour. I was supposed to see them at Best Buy Theatre in New York, but a work trip got in the way of that, so Plan B was going home to Massachusetts for the weekend and seeing the guys in Worcester. I had never even heard of the Palladium, let alone been to it before, but I am always up for an adventure. Well, let me tell you: this is the oddest venue I've ever been to. I felt like I was either on a movie set or in a time warp. This place seemed like it hadn't been touched since the 80s (which is actually kind of fitting for Worcester). Over the course of the nearly three hours I was in this venue, I never got over the surreal quality of it all. With that being said, OMG this show was worth the trip and the weirdness! Honestly, it's really not fair to make a girl split her attention between Nikki Sixx and James Michael. They are both totally gorgeous, talented men who can work a stage and a crowd. Even though I'd been dreaming about this show for months (which can sometimes be a surefire recipe for a huge let-down), it was everything that I hoped it would be, and possibly more. Every song was so damn good, but I especially loved the live versions of "Stars" (complete with star-shaped confetti), "Drive," "Relief," "Lies of the Beautiful People," and "Skin." This was one of those shows for which I could be completely in the moment. There weren't good times to look at my phone, I didn't take any videos, and everything had an amazing clarity to it. If there was any way I could have done it, I would have loved to be able to see them in New York two days later, but the best I can do is treasure the experience I had and hope they make several East Coast stops that fit into my schedule when they tour again next year.
Barclays Center, 17 June
I waited until just a week before the show to buy my ticket and managed to find a pretty good deal on StubHub. I was actually going to this show because of Dave Koz, who I adore, but I ended up being very glad that I got the chance to see Barry Manilow perform live. He is quite the showman and a delightful performer to watch! At one point toward the end of the show, he did a massive medley of a bunch of his hits and had to have been singing non-stop for ten to fifteen minutes. That is pretty incredible stamina for a guy who is over 70. He opened with "It's a Miracle" and closed with "Copacabana," which are my two favorites, so everything else in between was just gravy. But what tasty, tasty gravy it was. This was an extra special show because Barry is originally from Brooklyn, it was the last show of the tour, and it was Barry's birthday. The whole evening had a wonderfully festive atmosphere, and I felt so lucky that I was able to be there.
Flatbread Co., 3 July
The crowd at this show was one of the worst I have encountered in recent memory (side-eye to all the drunk summer kids), so it was hard to truly enjoy the show as it was happening. This may have been exacerbated by the fact that I was (surprise, surprise) standing right up against the stage, as was my saint of a mother who kindly came along to the show with me. However, after the fact, when in my mind's eye I was able to filter out all the riffraff, it was a show that I couldn't stop thinking about for at least two weeks, which helped keep me going through some stressful times. As Walk the Moon becomes more popular and plays bigger and bigger venues, it is even more awesome to know I got to see them up close in a intimate venue, and in my favorite place on earth. On top of everything else, at the end of the show, I was able to snag a set list, which was written on a takeout container. Another Vineyard memory for the ages.
Barclays Center, 12 August
Okay, so I already saw Mötley's Final Tour when they swung through MSG in October 2014, and I hate Barclay's Center, so I told myself I would only go to this show if I could get a really good seat (i.e. close to the stage and on Nikki's side). I got a really good seat. So good that the heat from the pyro actually made my necklace warm. The show did feel a bit different from the one last October, even though I think the set list was pretty much the same. For one thing, Tommy's Crucifly was somehow even bigger, badder, and better this time around. I felt like I was in The Fifth Element (or some other SciFi movie) during his crazy drum solo. My favorite moment was at the end of the show when the boys played "Live Wire," "Dr. Feelgood," and "Kickstart My Heart" back-to-back. Those three songs are my absolute favorites (along with "On With The Show"), and I was able to get lost in the music for a few totally blissful minutes. In fact, during the whole hour and forty minutes that the Crüe played, I wasn't thinking about anything else besides the show and the music, which is something that doesn't happen to me nearly enough. I am so glad that I got to see these guys play one last time, even if Vince *still* hasn't learned the words to "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)."
Madison Square Garden, 5 March
I got very excited about Maroon 5 and Adam Levine last year, what with Begin Again and V both making their way into the world, and so I ordered a ticket for this concert way back in September 2014 (3 days short of six months in advance, because planning!). At least my dedication to pre-sale tickets totally paid off and I got possibly the best seat I have ever had at MSG. This show was also noteworthy for the excellent use of a catwalk that went out into the crowd, nearly spanning the whole length of the arena. Adam definitely knows how to strut his stuff and work that catwalk for all he's worth. The set list was full of hits from all their albums, including four from Songs About Jane, which brought back plenty of good memories. However, the highlight of the show for me was "Sugar," which is my favorite song off the new album. This show kind of made me realize how much I've grown up alongside this band, from all the way back at TCU until now, and they've always felt relevant and fresh – which I think is kind of rare these days.
Mercury Lounge, 19 May
Mercury Lounge is such a special venue in which to see artists I love because it is so intimate and I can almost feel like I am inside the music. It turned out that this show was just for music industry folks and fans who won tickets through social media, so it was indeed super intimate. I got a spot two people away from the stage and right in Canaan's sight line -- i.e. he was making some serious eye contact with me throughout his set, and he has a killer pair of baby blues! *swoon* He played a lot of material from his new album and also did a cover of Nick Jonas's "Jealous". It's been great to see Canaan's career gain momentum this year because he's a great songwriter, a fantastic performer, and really has the chops to be a big star.
The Center for the Arts Natick, 21 February
Every time I see Carbon Leaf they are wonderful, but I think they may have reached new heights of wonderfulness at this show. Or maybe it was just that this random venue in Natick had a really, really good sound system. Anyways, the guys were totally relaxed and loose and on-point, and they sounded amazing. Carter's guitar solos keep getting better and better. As always, the set list wasn't quite the same as one I'd heard before, so everything felt fresh. You can't get much better than listening to Carbon Leaf perform at a cozy venue on a snowy night.
Madison Square Garden, 25 February
I really do love Florida Georgia Line's music, even if it is sort of goofy some times. But Tyler and Brian are kind of goofy too, so it all works. Despite the fact that Brian never really seems to know what to do with himself on stage and ends up gesturing over-emphatically (he reminds me a bit of Gob Bluth from Arrested Development), this show was so much fun! The crowd was really into it without being obnoxious or too crazy, and I loved getting to hear so many of my favorite songs live, especially "Get Your Shine On" and "Anything Goes". FGL definitely know how to throw a good party, even on a Wednesday night.
Bowery Electric, 26 October
When I saw Old Dominion open for Chase Rice last December, I wasn't all that impressed. They were trying way too hard to be cool and to be rock stars. The level of desperation and lack of authenticity in that performance was unappealing. However, I must say that over time, their song "Break Up with Him" did grow on me, and my limited observations revealed that the guys were growing into themselves and finding their comfort level as a band. There is no doubt that these guys are talented songwriters -- they've written a bunch of big hits for a variety of Country acts, so it's not surprising that their own songs are super catchy. Lead singer Matthew Ramsey has a smooth voice and a delivery that has grown more assured and confident over time. The guys played mostly new material at this show, and I was very pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed all of it -- a lot.
The Hall, 14 November
I've been a fan of Jon McLaughlin for nearly ten years, and it's been wonderful to watch him grow and change as a musician while always staying true to himself. He shares so much of himself during his shows -- both through his music and via between-song banter and stories (he has a really fantastic, dry sense of humor). This show was at a new venue in Williamsburg that featured seating around tables, and the whole evening felt very grown up and sophisticated (almost like a jazz show), while also being relaxed and fun (a cover of The Weeknd's "Can't Feel My Face"; two Christmas songs, including a jazzy rendition of "Jingle Bells"). I am not sure this venue would work for everyone, but it was pretty perfect for this show.
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