Top ten shows of 2022, my list

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I "only" attended 40 shows in '22, lower by half or more than the years before COVID. In particular, the number of acts I'm interested in seeing seems to be shrinking, and in general my overall desire to see shows also seems to be shrinking, but 40 is still pretty good, and just because it's fun to put it out there, and hopefully to inspire you folks to share what lit you up in '22, here is my top ten best.

Whatcho' got???
 

Top Ten Shows of 2022

1.  Trees Move Air - Scott Amendola, Michael Manring, David Torn - Freight & Salvage - 03/24

2.  The Residents - Presidio Theatre - 05/13

3.  James Francis Trio + George Cables Trio - Dinkelspeil Auditorium, Stanford - 07/23

4.  The Residents - Sweetwater - 10/13

5.  JRAD - Frost - 08/13

6.  TxR Family Band - Guild - 08/05

7.  Bob Dylan - Santa Cruz Civic - 06/23

8.  Dave Alvin & Jimmy Dale Gilmore - Guild - 06/25

9.  ROVA Sax Quartet - Lytton Plaza - 08/19

10. Immanuel Wilkins Quartet - Bach - 02/20

I only went to 2 shows by bands you (Zoners) have heard of, and maybe 10 or 12 by my friends the Brewkats, a fun band to dance to who mostly play outside at wineries. (I still love to dance.)

Acoustic Hot Tuna - Hult Center - Soreng Theater - 6/20

Bobby and the Wolf Bros w/ the Wolf Pack - Hult Center -Silva Concert Hall - 10/22

1. Adrian Belew

2. Stickmen

3. Nick Mason 

4. Roger Waters

5. Paul McCartney 

6. little Feat

7. Billy Strings

8. Phil with midnight ramble

9. Phil n friends 

10. Dire Straits Legacy 

No particular order

I only went to three shows last year - all outside at the Cuthbert.

Phil and the boys - one of the best post-Jerry GD music shows I have attended.

Jackson Browne - excellent show, almost as good as the last JB show at the Cuthbert (pre-Covid), which was phenomenal.

Bonnie Raitt - Bonnie's voice and guitar chops were fine, bur her (new) band just couldn't get it together. A disappointing show from one of my favs.

Ambrose Akinmusire with Bill Frisell and Herlin Riley, SFJazz

Les Claypool's Bastard Jazz, Guild Theatre

JRAD, Frost Ampitheatre 

Top 5 faves of 2022.

1. Roger Waters/Albany

2. Sleaford Mods/SF

3. Jerry Joseph & Steve Drizos/Park City

4. Tenacious D/Bridgeteezy

5. Van the Man/Bridgeteezy

Saw a bunch of the usual jam-band shenanigans but nothing that quite reached a memorable plateau. Also perhaps the first time in years a Phil show didn't crack the top 5. 

 

 

 

I saw 20 concerts and went to 3 festivals. About 2/3 of my usual annual totals. Nothing really blew my mind in 2022. Unusually low total (3) of Dead related band shows last year. The following shows/sets where the standouts

  • Das Trio (moe. without Chuck) – Ardmore
  • Kitchen Dwellers – Harrisburg
  • Karina Rykman - Peach
  • Phish - N1 Philly
  • Billy in Philly N2

Also, visited 19 venues in 15 cities. 2 venues I hadn’t visited before to note.

  • The Caverns in TN for CaveFest with an outdoor stage in a natural amphitheater and the underground stage in the cavern, was just a perfect festival site.
  • XL Live in Harrisburg was another standout. Sound, lights, and outdoor hanging area are all dialed in and made a tremendous difference in the Dwellers show.

Oh yeah kitchen dwellers were good in Rochester 

Rolling Stones-Lyon, France

Bob Weir-Ace 50th Anniversary Shows, Radio City Music Hall, New York, 2 shows.

Stevie Nicks-NOLA Jazzfest

Burning Spear-The Moore Theatre, Seattle

Dan Penn-Chickie Wah Wah, New Orleans

Nick Mason's Saucerful Of Secrets-Moore Theatre, Seattle

Irma Thomas-NOLA Jazzfest

X/Los Straitjackets-The Neptune Theatre, Seattle

Beausoleil-NOLA Jazzfest

Andy Coe Band-Blue Moon Tavern, Monday nights, Seattle

Saw a bunch of other acts at Jazzfest--Billy Strings, Radiators, Buddy Guy, Trombone Shorty, Bill Kirchen, The Cowsills, Kermit Ruffins, etc. That was about it in 2022 for me.  
 

High Times in Southern France with Chef Thomas and China Rider!  
 

I left one off: 

Taj Mahal & Ry Cooder

Great American Music Hall, San Francisco

Fun meet up with Llollo and Zooey.

Tool @ AT&T Center, San Antonio 2/2

Sigur Ros @ Moody Theater 5/24

Mono @ Parish 3/16

Osees @ Hotel Vegas 9/30

Kikagaku Moyo @ Far Out Lounge 9/17

Godspeed You! Black Emperor @ Empire Garage 10/28

Meridian Brothers @ Antone's 8/16

Atomic @ KMFA Studio 8/31

Moon Duo @ Feels So Good 10/30

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard @ Stubb's 10/28

Honorable mention to the 4/22 Phish set 3 underwater spectacular @ MSG

i barely saw shows last year.

best one by far was Kikagaku Moyo @ the Variety Playhouse.

Comedy Bang Bang @ the Tabernacle was a lot of fun.

Brian Jonestown Massacre @ Terminal West was a huge disappointment.

those are the only "shows" I can remember seeing all last year.

Saw lots of great music this past year, but here are some the highlights that immediately jump out:

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss at the Edgefield

Billy Strings run at the St. Augustine Amphitheater

Trey Band and the Edgefield

JRAD at Hornings Hideout 

Phish New Years run at MSG

Billy Strings at the Edgefield

Drive-by Truckers at the Wonder Ballroom

Dakhabrakha at the Reser

Garage a Trois at Revolution Hall

Ghostlight at Revolution Hall

Paul McCartney - Climate Pledge Arena Seattle

David Bromberg - Aladdin Theater Portland

Bob Dylan - Schnitzer Auditorium Portland

Fantastic Negrito - Aladdin Theater - Portland

Roger Waters - Moda Center Portland

Adrian Belew/Jerry Harrison - Remain In Light - Hardly Strictly SF

John Doe Trio - The Old Church - Portland

Not a high volume of shows in '22 but good quality

Phil & Friends - 2nd weekend Port Chester

X/Los Straitjackets - Revolution Hall Portland

The Smile - Portland

Not a high volume of shows but good quality in '22

Probably only less than 10 shows this year, they were all really good. 
 

Billy Strings tops the list. 
 

 

 

fuck Covid 

>>>fuck Covid

Yeah. I got sick right after the JRAD Frost show and missed My Morning Jacket and Tedeschi-Trucks/Los Lobos. That hurt.

Hamilton was the best show I saw last year (Hult Center Eugene), otherwise,
I only did small / local venues here in Corvallis with a few exceptions.

Fave house concert;
Martyn Joseph (Roseburg OR)

Fave shows;
Sitting in with "The Easy Targets" at the Yachats Underground,
and sitting in w/ Dennis Monroe's funked up blues jam at the Old World Deli in Corvallis (OWD)

Thursday shows that occur at the OWD I try and visit every week;
Wild Hog Jam
Sarah Saul's Jazz jam
Dennis Monroe's funked up blues jam
But there's been at least 4 GD related bands to play there, many out of town bands coming thru (Eclectrick Street Band)

Common Fields has live music on Weds / Thurs I often walk by (Food truck court w/ beer / wine, nightly activities). It's mostly local acts, which is great! (a few travelers, like Arthur Buezo)
Space Neighbors
Melanie and Friends
DRTR
Side Hustle
Dr Zoo
Easy Targets 

Whiteside Theatre;
Garcia Birthday Band
Ike Willis 

jealous of some of your dance cards

only 3 this year:

 

Adrian Belew    Newton Theater, Newton NJ

"Wow"

 

Cowboy Junkies     Avalon Theater Grand Junction Colorado

Margo still has the "magic"

 

Stray Grass    My back yard

(it was my wedding and they let me sit in)

Burning Spear in San Diego 

I made it to eight shows last year, and wouldn't say there was a clunker in the bunch. From top to bottom, in terms of lasting impact.

Patti Smith - Wiltern, LA

Bob Dylan - Pantages Theater, LA

Billy Strings - Wiltern, LA

Billy Strings - Santa Barbara Bowl

Tedeschi Trucks Band/Los Lobos - Greek Theater, LA

Phil & Friends - Frost, Stanford

Gov't Mule- Libbey Bowl, Ojai

since I didn't see half as many shows as mr. "I only saw 40" lance, I guess here's my top 5, though I don't much care for ranking:
 

The residents- sweetwater music hall

les claypool's bastard jazz featuring Vinnie colaiuta- Napa

p. Funk w/ kdtu opening - blue lake

gwar- Chico

dream syndicate- Sacramento

Nice lists. I'm going to make it out to Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society at some point. Hopefully this fall. Anyway, ten I went to this year, chronological: 

  • Eddie Palmieri
  • Phil Lesh & Friends (w/ Warren, Scofield, Medeski, Molo)
  • Newport Jazz Festival, highlights: Christian McBride's Newport Jawn (all-star jam, w/ Brandee Younger, Chris Potter, Mike Stern among others) / Nate Smith + Kinfolk / Nicholas Payton Trio / Pino Palladino, Blake Mills, Sam Gendel & Abe Rounds / Shabaka Hutchings / Theon Cross / The Mingus Big Band / Cecile McLorin Salvant / Sons Of Kemet / Makaya McCraven / Joe Lovano "Trio Tapestry" / Ron Carter Quartet / Nubya Garcia / Jason Moran Trio / The Soul Rebels / Vijay Iyer Trio / Takuya Kuroda
  • Sam Amidon & Marc Ribot 
  • Meg Baird / Chris Forsyth (w/ Ryan Jewel, Doug McCombs and Charlie Saufley) 
  • Patrick Holland / Tonstartsbahndt
  • Ryley Walker & J.R. Bohannon / Sunburned Hand of the Man 
  • Matt Lajoie / Sunburned Hand of the Man / Dyr Faser
  • The Smile 
  • The Cookers (Billy Harper, Cecil McBee, George Cables, Eddie Henderson, Billy Hart, David Weiss, Donald Harrison) 

Not as busy as in years past but I like to think that what I missed in quantity was made up for in quality. 

Way less than 10 shows 

DSO with Bob Weir Warfield

Bjork Chase

Phil at Frost and at Warfield - Did he start with Truckin and end with Truckin in 2022 or was that my imagination.

Roger Waters Golden 1

Nora Jones - Greek Theater was the worst show of the bunch

Wow, biffed that something fierce. Totally spaced on having attended Wilco's Solid Sound, which, due to the pandemic, shifted the scheduling of such to their "off" year. 

Highlights... Wilco, Tweedy & Friends, Bonnie Prince Billy, Terry Allen and the Panhandle Mystery Band, Sun Ra Arkestra, Angel Bat Dawid, Claire Rousay, Sam Evian, Liam Kazar, Eleventh Dream Day, Nels Cline Consentrik Quartet 

Also Sylvan Esso. That was a revelation.

Those r some crazy shows, A-town!

I'm intrigued by that sunburned hand collective

i love how organized some of y'all are with your shows

no BoxOfAss spreadsheets, still, impressive

saw phil and phish and loved most of it

Ken i love that you went to YEMSG

we couched it

oh, does couch touring count???

>>>i love how organized some of y'all are with your shows<<<

It's funny, because I'm generally not a 'lists' person, and overall I'm not the most organized of fellows, but I was having a hard time remembering details about shows so in 2008 I started keeping a list of shows I attended, with a 1 - 6 score and a brief review.

The REALLY kick-ass shows get a 6 with a *, which before COVID would be around 15 - 20 shows out of somewhere between 75 - 100 total shows. At the end of the year I go back and review all the shows with a * and put together my top ten.

I quickly realized that the lists were a great resource for my failing memory, and as the years go by it's been a great thing for me to refer to, either for a specific detail or just when killing time to look through a random year and remember some obscure show I enjoyed. Much like my beat up old Deadbase, I find myself going into my show lists often, my little own Heathensbase.

As I'm getting on in years I fear the 75 - 100 number will now be a thing of the past, but my memory isn't going to get any better so I'm going to keep on with my show lists.

Thanks for playing folks, and keep those lists coming. One thing everyone who posts on the black screen has in common is a love of the live event, and I enjoy seeing the variety of shows people go to.

BTW, couch touring doesn't count, at least not in this thread.

This is a GO TO THE SHOW! thread.