While the volume of quality releases ended up being somewhat smaller than I had hoped, my concertgoing experiences ended up making this musical year a huge success. A solid chunk of the most memorable, surreal and chill-inducing shows I've ever attended occurred during this wild stretch of time otherwise known as 2017. Here are the 10 best performances that I was fortunate enough to witness over the past 12 months.
Concerts I attended in 2017:
2/19: Tove Lo/Phoebe Ryan, House of Blues, Boston, MA
2/24: Run the Jewels/The Gaslamp Killer/Gangsta Boo/Cuz Lightyear, House of Blues, Boston, MA
3/9: Every Time I Die/Knocked Loose/Harm's Way/Eternal Sleep, The Middle East Downstairs, Cambridge, MA
3/28: Vince Staples/Kilo Kish, Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
5/9: Coheed and Cambria/The Dear Hunter, Blue Hills Bank Pavilion, Boston, MA
5/19: Metallica/Volbeat, Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA
5/23: Future/Migos/Tory Lanez, Xfinity Center, Mansfield, MA
5/29: Boston Calling (Tool, Weezer, Cage the Elephant, Run the Jewels, Flatbush Zombies, Converge, The Hotelier), Harvard Athletic Complex, Allston, MA
6/6: Banks/Toulouse, Royale, Boston, MA
7/29: The Summer Slaughter Tour (The Black Dahlia Murder/Dying Fetus/The Faceless/Oceano/Origin/Rings of Saturn), The Palladium, Worcester, MA
9/19: Thy Art is Murder/Fallujah/Ghost Bath, Brighton Music Hall, Allston, MA
9/24: Between the Buried and Me/The Contortionist/Polyphia/Toothgrinder, Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
12/8: Converge/Pile/Give, Brighton Music Hall, Allston, MA
Honorable Mentions: Fallujah (9/19), Dying Fetus (7/29), Converge (12/8), The Faceless (7/29), Future (5/23)
10.Flatbush Zombies (5/29): If it weren't for the lackluster festival crowd that was either unfamiliar with their material or just didn't give a shit, this performance would've cracked the top five. Like most of hip-hop's elite live acts, Flatbush Zombies possess an unwavering level of punk-esque energy, off-the-charts technical prowess and a genuine sense of unpredictability that makes them exhilarating to watch. I'm really looking forward to seeing them with a crowd full of people that are willing to match their levels of insanity at some point in the future.
9.Tove Lo (2/19): The main takeaway I had from Tove Lo's live show was that she deserves to be a god damn international sensation. Her attention-grabbing headlining set at the House of Blues did an excellent job of highlighting (and subsequently reinforcing) that she has all the tools (magnetic personality, natural flare for performing, unique and powerful voice, musical fearlessness) required to be a Madonna or Lady Gaga-esque alternative pop superstar.
8.Weezer (5/29): Weezer's rousing 75-minute set at Boston Calling was far and away the most pleasant surprise of the year. Rolling out a hit-filled setlist that was tailor-made for a festival setting, Weezer offered up one of the most over-the-top fun slices of nostalgia I've ever experienced.
7.Converge (5/29): Seeing one of the most chaotic bands in the history of metal play the biggest stage at a relatively major outdoor festival that predominately books indie rock/pop/folk acts made for a beautifully odd spectacle. Converge's trademark intensity translated surprisingly well to a massive stage and their career-spanning setlist was damn near perfect.
6.Banks (6/6): Breaking news: Jillian Banks is a queen that has miraculously gotten even better live since the last time I saw her in November 2015. Her stirring vocals combined with the sheer level of artistry that went into her stage production (choreography, lighting, etc.) helped accentuate the raw power, honesty and dark beauty that defined her cathartic 2016 LP The Altar.
5.Run the Jewels (2/24): Their insane rise in popularity (THEY'RE OPENING FOR LORDE THIS SPRING) and subsequent move to larger venues has not taken the edge away from Run the Jewels' live shows. Killer Mike and El-P are still the same kings of anarchic fun that they were when they first teamed up in 2013 and that ability to consistently light a room on fire makes them the best live act in hip-hop in my sorry-ass opinion.
4.Every Time I Die (3/9): One of the safest bets in music is Every Time I Die putting on a killer live show. Even with a not overly great setlist and a barrier-protected stage with a low ceiling that was ill-equipped to house their typical chaotic shenanigans, Buffalo's angriest sons were still able to straight-up eviscerate the room with a glorious collection of pummeling riffs and level of grimy hardcore energy that only savvy genre veterans like them can offer up.
3.The Black Dahlia Murder (7/29): We're now entering the shameless fanboy section of this list. I was blessed with seeing three of my all-time favorite records played in their entirety this year and unsurprisingly, these performances ended up being the most impressive live shows I saw in 2017. In the case of The Black Dahlia Murder, this performance of their 2007 breakout album Nocturnal ended up serving as a visceral reminder of why they've enjoyed such longevity in modern death metal's tumultuous climate. Nocturnal's eerie, suffocating atmosphere beautifully translated to a live setting and even after all of the lineup changes they've endured over the years, founding members Trevor Strnad (vocals) and Brian Eshbach (rhythm guitarist/primary songwriter) are every bit as passionate and musically sharp as they were at the inception of the band.
2.Coheed and Cambria (5/9): Given Coheed and Cambria's track record of playing their records from start to finish (they've fittingly dubbed these unorthodox anniversary tours "Neverenders"), I had been eagerly waiting for the From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness tour since they completed the touring cycle for its predecessor, In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3, in the fall of 2014. Thankfully, the actual show managed to live up to my nuclear level of anticipation for it. Hearing this flawless collection of tracks live essentially served as a time machine back to my middle/early high school years and seeing it performed against the backdrop of Boston Harbor on a cold, rainy night made the experience that much more epic.
1.Between the Buried and Me (9/24): If you read my initial review of the show or have come in contact with me anytime over the past three months, this selection should come as no surprise. Colors is in my top five favorite albums of all-time and watching this beautiful, multi-layered masterpiece come to life in real time was simply stunning to behold. I'll never be able to shake the sheer magic of this performance as long as I live.
Miscellaneous Awards:
Top 5 Shows
5.Run the Jewels/The Gaslamp Killer/Gangsta Boo/Cuz Lightyear
4.Summer Slaughter
3.Between the Buried and Me/The Contortionist/Polyphia/Toothgrinder
2.Coheed and Cambria/The Dear Hunter
1.Boston Calling
5 Biggest Surprises
5.Rings of Saturn
4.Origin
3.The Gaslamp Killer
2.Future
1.Weezer
5 Biggest Letdowns:
5.Volbeat
4.Vince Staples
3.Toothgrinder
2.Tool
1.Metallica
5 Artists I Hope to See in 2018:
5.Counterparts
4.Gucci Mane
3.Lorde
2.Rivers of Nihil
1.Travi$ Scott
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