City Winery, 31 May
This was some *good jazz* (in doorman from That Thing You Do! voice). I owe a debt to John Mayer for making me aware of Don Was with Sob Rock and also Don's show on John's SiriusXM channel, otherwise I might not have taken the chance of seeing Don's brand-new group and having an amazing evening of jazz, funk, and vibes. So many vibes.
The Factory in Deep Ellum, 21 September
As noted in my album reviews, I needed a break from Chromeo post White Women, but knew I had to see them live again after my first listen to Adult Contemporary. While they didn't play my favorite tracks from the new album at this show (the set was a very tight hour, and should have been at least 30 minutes longer to allow for more songs and banter), they did play all the bops from White Women, and I am happy to report those songs still hold up very well! To borrow a phrase from LCD Soundsytem, I danced (and jumped) myself clean at this show. Yes, I wish it had been a longer set, but those 60 minutes were a delicious, funky rush.
Racket NYC, 8 November
For the two hours of this show, all was right with the world and I felt so fortunate to be there and for my life in general. This was my 21st Carbon Leaf show, and there is something about seeing a band almost every year for the past 18 years that helps put things in perspective. Highlights of this show were: lots of great songs from their new album, which fit seamlessly in with all the concert classics; Barry doing his best Patrick Swayze impression while singing a song about the 80s; standing right in front of Carter, as per usual; and reconnecting with a long-time Carbon Leaf show buddy.
St. George Theatre, Staten Island, 12 January
Believe it or not, after 16 years in NYC, this was only my second time on Staten Island and my first time riding the ferry. All completely worth it to see this super fun show featuring two 80s legends and excellent performers. Not only did the guys play all of their respective hits, but they also told lots of fun stories and cracked plenty of jokes at each other's expense. The highlight of the show was naturally "Jessie's Girl" as the closing number, with Rick Springfield sounding awesome and Richard Marx holding down the backing vocals. I would gladly see this duo again, as they really give it their all on stage.
Studio 54, 11 March
This was basically Alan's Joe's Pub cabaret show, but on a much larger scale (hence why it's a concert, despite the Playbill) and with the theme of aging. Alan had some really wonderful things to say about not acting one's age and ignoring what society says one "should" do at any given age, which really resonated with me as a newly minted 40 year-old with plush koalas hanging on her purse. Thankfully, in addition to some fabulous new material, Alan also sung Adele's "When We Were Young" (I much prefer his version; it hits so hard every single time) and did his fun Moana and The Little Mermaid medley, which is obviously amazing. On the story side of things, you really can't beat the one about Florence Henderson bringing a handle of vodka to Carol Channing's 95th birthday party in Palm Springs. He also told several stories which can be found in his memoir Baggage, which I highly recommend (it pairs well with Richard E. Grant's A Pocketful of Happiness - lots of overlap with those two, beyond the obvious Spice World).
Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater, Bridgeport, 21 June
Billy Currington has so many good songs, and I relish a chance to see him perform live. He doesn't really seem to have changed at all since I first saw him at Webster Hall in 2013; he is still as charming and goofy as ever, and he still sounds great. The set list of this show was packed full of hits, and also included his two newest songs, which fit right in with the classics. Getting up to (and back from) Bridgeport was a bit of a hassle, but well worth it in the end.
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