Best Concerts of 2017

My final show as a patron was last night. It was a ripping hour and a half of the brilliant band X. A great show but it didn't make my final top ten list for 2017, so it's now completed. 2017 was a good year for me & shows. I've had better but I sure ain't complaining, as every one of these was fucking great.

1.  Wayne Shorter Quartet - Miner - 04/30

2.  Wayne Shorter Quartet - Miner - 04/27

3.  ROVA Sax Quartet - Miner - 01/29

4.  Karl Denson's Tiny Universe w/ Phil Lesh - TxR - 07/06

5.  Wayne Shorter Quartet - Miner - 04/29

6.  Wayne Shorter Quartet - Miner - 04/28

7.  Willie Nelson - Fillmore - 05/06

8.  Wadda Leo Smith w/ ROVA Sax Quartet, Henry Kaiser & others - The Lab - 12/16

9.  Mike Watt + The Secondmen - Bottom Of The Hill - 12/20

10. The Bad Plus - Miner - 11/05

I can only hope that 2018 is at least as good, and I can't wait to find out.

GO TO THE SHOW!!!

It has been a fine year for live music and i sure feel fortunate to have seen what I did.

I saw a lot of acts for the first time and it sure was neat finally attending the hardly strictly fest.

strange as it may sound to many, I think the show I enjoyed the most this year though out of all the incredible concerts I attended and don't even have time to list was the cowboy junkies at the crest in Sacramento in late April.

i had never seen them before and they played a particularly psychedelic show, by their standards, and I found them absolutely captivating.

If I had to narrow it down to my top 5 runners up, in no particular order I guess I'd go with:

Wayne shorter quartet at the miner on 4/29, McLaughlin/herring at the warfield a few weeks ago, Mike Keneally band featuring special guest Chad wackerman at the baked potato a couple days ago, the heron oblivion/Steve Gunn band co-Bill at the space bar in San Diego in late July and the first day of the aftershock fest in Sacramento where I saw gojira, mastodon, run the jewels, a perfect circle and nine inch nails consecutively.

#1 Steely Dan Greenwich Town Party

that is all,,,, 

Carry on.

Col Bruce’s 70th was the concert of the year 

Hard to argue with that

Didn’t get to nearly as many shows as I would have liked to this year. The best would have to be King Crimson at the Count Basie in NJ 7/9 or at Miller Symphony Hall in Allentown, PA 11/11 (both top notch shows). A close second would be Hot Tuna at the Paramount in Asbury Park 12/7. 

Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 in Golden Gate Park

X, Meat Puppets, Mike Watt at The Observatory 

Roky Erickson at The Chapel

Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile at The Fox

Jesus Sons at The Chapel

King Crimson in Northfield, OH 11/24

Bob Dylan w/ Mavis Staples in Columbus, OH 11/05

Steve Hackett in Nashville, TN 02/14-02/15

Bruce Cockburn in Pomeroy, OH 06/04

Hot Tuna in Pomeroy, OH 11/11

Greg Loiacono CD release party   Center for the Arts GV

Lukas Nelson  Hangtown Music Festival

Achilles Wheel Miners Foundry Nevada City

Hot Tuna Acoustic Center for the Arts GV 

Cowboy Junkies Center for the Arts GV 

Jackie Greene Solo Center for the Arts GV

Rhiannon Giddens at the Targhee Bluegrass Festival was quite the eye opener. She's in Park City tonight for NYE. 

Sam Bush at the Targhee Bluegrass Festival. Best Sam show in a while.  

Hot Rize at the Ogden Music Festival (with Red Knuckles). 

Brandi Carlile at Hardly Strictly.

Randy Newman at Hardly Strictly.

 Rowan at Hardly....

Railroad Earth @ The Cap back in Feb.  Had been a few years.  Still a great band, which was no surprise.

David Bromberg's Birthday Bash @ Town Hall in Sept.  Likely the last time I'll see Bromberg.  But only the first time I'll see Bettye LaVette, who opened.

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue @ Terminal 5.  Lily won tix.  Shorty is priceless.  Terminal 5 sucks; even for free.

Herring/McLaughlin "Meeting Of The Spirits" @ Town Hall.  Show of the year.

LIVE FROM HERE with Chris Thile @ Town Hall.  Show of the year, if not for the above.  Thile/Sarah Jarosz/Punch Brothers/Jeff Tweedy/The Staves with YMusic (which was a mindfugg).

Wilco @ Solid Sound Friday night

 Being There followed by an encore of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot! 

Herring and McLaughlin was tied for first with

Kamasi Washington at Higher Ground

followed by Kamasi Washington at the Flynn

I also enjoyed MMJ at Shelburne Museum

Then there was Phil with Midnight North at the Waterfront with Twiddle as a distant 5th

Terminal 5 sucks; even for free.

Truth. 

I enjoyed seeing Bob Seger.

Shows that stood out:

03/24 THE LARRY KEEL EXPERIENCE w/THE STILL HAND STRING BAND

05/24 CABINET/FRUITION @ LATE-NIGHT

05/25 TAB

06/23 DEAD FEST IV

08/25 JRAD

08/26 PPPP

08/26 JOHN FOGERTY

08/26 JRAD

09/21 BILLY STRINGS

09/21 DREWCIFER

10/31 OTEIL BURBRIDGE & FRIENDS

11/09 JOHN MCLAUGHLIN & JIMMY HERRING

11/22 CABINET w/CRIS JACOBS & FRIENDS

11/24 JRAD

Gold:  The Hooteroll project @ the Cap in April.  That's a tour I would follow.  NO singing!

Silver:  Mc Laughlin/Herring @ the Cap & the Keswick (basically the same shoe)

Bronze:  King Crimson @ the Cap

I would add a category:  "Best Complete Day of Music" (festival or otherwise):

David Bromberg's Big Noise Fest, Wilmington DE in May:  D Bromberg Big Band, Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Dr John, Anders Osborne, Larry & Theresa (I may be missing an act or 2).

I woulda said Sat @ Peach Fest but that Allman Bro's tribute was fucking HORRIBLE - sorta like DeadCo & Terrapin Family Band for the ABB . . .

Stones Paris 3rd shoe,Phil's b-day, 

Top 10% chronologically:

01-12 - The Radiators @ Tipitina's

02-06 - Angel Olsen @ Mohawk

03-01 - Robyn Hitchcock w/Yo La Tengo @ Bowery Ballroom

04-29 - Alejandro Escovedo w/The Minus 5 @ Paramount Theatre

05-12 - White Denim @ Gruene Hall

06-17 - Sigur Ros @ Forest Hills Tennis Stadium

06-23 - Lightning Bolt @ Pioneer Works

07-15 - Roky Erickson's 70th Birthday Bash @ Charles Johnson American Legion Hall

08-19 - Earthless, Sleep, Magma and Neurosis sets @ Psycho Las Vegas

08-30 - Inter Arma @ Mohawk

10-01 - Wilco @ Bass Concert Hall

10-13 - Wand @ Barracuda

10-28 - Jon Langford/Churchwood @ ABGB

11-03 - Ween @ Stubb's

11-15 - King Crimson @ Capitol Theatre

11-18 - John Cale's 75th Birthday Celebration @ Brooklyn Academy of Music

12-26 - The Jungle Show w/Billy Gibbons, Jimmy Vaughan & Charlie Sexton @ Antone's

5/28 Earl's of Leicester at Strawberry Music Festival (Grass Valley)

6/7 Vulfpeck at the SF Fillmore w Special Guest Zig Modeliste

7/1 - Billy Strings Tribute to Doc Watson at HSMF

7/2 - Trey Band at High Sierra Music Fest (my favorite show of the year)

12/31 - DNB at the River Theater in Guerneville



 

The Zombies

The Sadies

Ron Carter

Beck

In 2017 I did not go to the show very often, so I don't have much to chose from.. in fact, I think this list covers literally every show I saw with the exception of the Dead cover band Mike and Amy Berry play with (which was a ton of fun).

Martin Barre.  I was huge Tull fan, so seeing Marin at our local club (Moe's) was a real treat.  Turns out besides playing a mean guitar, he's also a great front man and very funny (poor guy never got a word in edgewise when he was backing Ian "attn whore" Anderson).  The two sets were great and packed with popular as well as some less well known songs.  Fake Ian has a great voice, but I wish he would stop it with the Ian head twiching.

Also got to see the Sless, Molo et al in California Kind a couple of times at another local spot (Moldy DonQs). I liked Katie Skene, who added some much needed youth and female energy to this group of old dogs.  I also liked the different (from DNB) covers and some of sped up tempos they used.

Speaking of DNB, it was a treat to see David Nelson back on stage again (TXR), and though it wasn't as rippin' or deep as DNB can get, it was definitely my sentimental favorite.

Top show honors though, have to go to King Crimson at the Oaktown Fox.  That show was right up my ally and the ode to Bowie with the Hero encore was the cherry on top.

And I was expecting to be just as blown away by McLaughlin/Herring (aka John Mclaughlin and the 4th Drum Solo), but jazz fusion music just doesn't do it for me like it used to back in the days of my angst filled youth (when I would travel to see Alan Holdsworth. lol).

A few this year. Phillips Arena Atlanta, GA 11/29/17

Bump for Howard's photos.

Nelson 75th bday 3 set jam party

sturgill simpson - hollywood bowl. (performance of the year).

#1-5: Exile On Bourbon Street: Ryan Adams and Friends at Jazz Fest cover Exile On Main Street 

Adding Paul Simon at Oakland. Thought that was a fine show and amazing band.

David Byrne in San Jose was also a great evening 

 Sturgill Simpson Hollywood bowl was probably a top 10 Mr. turtle 

But the year is still young

 And while we are speaking of crazy horse .......hell ya

Admit it Turtle, those are the ONLY shows you saw this year.

1. Phil Lesh at the Hollywood bowl was in the bottom 10  having recruited a cover band guitarist from back east just three days before the show made no fucking sense   The multi instrumentalist is like the only professional in the band well of course not counting mr Lesh 

and it wasn't the only show I went to

JgE.  Blows 

Are we doing '18 now?

Flecktones @ The Cap

Superhuman chops all around.

Glad I saw Brandi Carlile before she's playing arenas; and Clapton (again) before he retires.

2018 was another low volume show year.  And with the exception of being totally ripped off by Neil (still pissed I drove all the way to Fresno for a mere 1 20 minute show),  I feel strangely satisfied with what I did see.

The 2 BGCA Phish shows in July, and last week's Dweezil show were my favorites, with the Phil/Denton backyard show getting an honorable mention.

Kinda bummed not to be seeing Nelson on NYE, but c'est la vie~

Sweetheart Of The Rodeo--Town Hall NYC  September 2018, Marty Stuart and Band as backup was a revelation to me

sweetheart was sweet!    mountain winery 2nd row crasher

Edit

I don't get why we're doing this on last year's thread... is that a thing now? And there's still more than two weeks left in the year, but whatever.

There are still a few shows in the next couple of weeks that MIGHT break into my top ten (Dumpstafunk, Zigaboo Modeliste's 70th Bday, Karl Denson) but I figure my 2018 list is pretty much set, so here it is...

10.  Phish - Harvey's Tahoe, 1st show

09.  Marty Stewart & his Fabulous Superlatives, all acoustic - Freight & Salvage, Berkeley

08.  ROVA Saxophone Quartet - St. Cyprian's Church, San Francisco

07.  Chick Corea Trio - Miner Auditorium, San Francisco

06.  Phish, 1st show - Bill Graham Civic, San Francisco

05.  Taylor Eigsti Trio - Dinkelspiel Auditorium, Stanford

04.  Still Dreaming w/ Joshua Redman, Brian Blade & others - Miner Auditorium, San Francisco

03.  Everyone Orchestra w/ Phil Lesh, Stephen Perkins, Ivan Neville, Peter Apfelbaum, John Kadlecik & others - TxR, San Rafael

02.  Neil Young & Crazy Horse, 1st show - Warnors Theatre, Fresno

*01.  Phillip Greenlief & Joelle Leandre - The Lab, San Francisco

it was an admittedly low stub year lance. i'm all done with ticketmaster level shows....local ones not far behind. bummed i didn't go to a sunday local dave alvin/jimmy dale show...but 5:30am comes quick...

>>>but 5:30am comes quick<<<

Good god man, just reading that gives me a headache.

You're a stronger person than I.

I'm pretty sure ateix bumped this thread as a joke about Howard's wonderful pictures of a fairly laughable band to b in your top show of the year for any serious concert goer, so it's kind of a shame we're doing this for 2018 here but who am I to judge?

interesting list for ya this year, lance

I'm always behind the curve.

I sleep too late to keep up ateix.

David Byrne

2018 Top 10% chronologically to date:

Terry Allen & the Panhandle Mystery Band @ Paramount Theater, Austin

Charles Lloyd & the Marvels @ One World Theater, Austin

Medeski, Martin, Scofield, Frisell, Cline, Bernstein, Scherr, Apfelbaum, etc. @ Le Poisson Rouge, NYC

Electric Wizard/Russian Circles @ Stubb's, Austin

Wooden Shjips/Acid Mothers Temple @ Empire Control Room, Austin

Melvins (Pinkus Abortion Technician) @ Mohawk, Austin

JRAD (Night 1) @ Mardi Gras World, NOLA

Worship My Organ @ Maison, NOLA

Ufomammut @ Lost Well, Austin

Earthless @ Barracuda, Austin

YOB/40 Watt Sun/Bell Witch/Pinkish Black @ Lost Well, Austin

Neurosis @ Emo's, Austin

The Jesus Lizard @ Moody Theater, Austin

Paul McCartney @ Austin Ctiy Limits

Oh Sees (Night 2) @ Hotel Vegas, Austin

Gary Clark, Jr. (Night 2) @ Moody Theater, Austin

>> Medeski, Martin, Scofield, Frisell, Cline, Bernstein, Scherr, Apfelbaum, etc. @ Le Poisson Rouge, NYC

Was that the John Abercrombie tribute?

> Was that the John Abercrombie tribute?

No, it was the "Chris Wood's Ruptured Appendix Show." it was supposed to be a MMW gig that got turned into a massive jam as a result of Wood's emergency hospitalization.

Good call, fabes.

i thought the tour was a little over-hyped but am super grateful to have attended the Oregon shows.

and thanks for the heads up on that zig bday show, lance.

Aren't like the tower of power and Karl denson both playing that same day at different venues relatively near by?

my winter funk cup doth floweth over.

this late fall/early winter nor cal concert schedule is like nothing I've ever seen in my meager almost 20 years of active live music attendance.

I'm almost hard pressed to think of an actively touring band/artist I'm interested in seeing that isn't playing or played Northern California within the last or next 2 months.

my show radar has officially exploded, honey come quick with the iodine and someone fetch my fainting couch.

E, I think ToP is playing tonight in Napa or somewhere up around there, but I don't know about any Bay Area shows after that.

The Denson shows are at the Fillmore on the 28th & 29th and are also "birthday" shows, the first night with Dumpstaphunk also on the bill, which is the same night at the Zigaboo show.

Of course I'm super excited for the upcoming Wayne Shorter Quartet shows the first week of January. I've been at the point with that group for quite a while now where every time I see him/them I'm aware that it may well be the last time.

Ever since the first time I saw him in early 1980 I've always considered it a rare privilege to be in the same room with that guy, and now more than ever as we are about to enter 2019. I can't think of a better way to start a new year.

Long live Wayne Shorter!!!

Long live live music!!!!

>>>>06.  Phish, 1st show - Bill Graham Civic, San Francisco

Hey I was there! The carini was good. 

>>> I think ToP is playing tonight in Napa or somewhere up around there, but I don't know about any Bay Area shows after that.

yep, Napa tonight.

same venue I saw dweezil at last week, which was delightful, hit up the new stone brewery location down the block from the venue and had a wonderful time, still don't think it was even in my top 5 concerts of this year though.

i totally would have gone back tonight for top if single tix were still available, the weather wasn't shitty and my show calendar wasn't over flowing.

i've never seen top and isn't this the real deal with Prestia, guarabaldi and all that good shit?

wanted to catch them in Oakland last June but had just gotten back from Oregon Byrne, which was way better than any dead co, u crazy bastard.

top is playing outside of sac same day as zig but it's sold out so I'll probably hit the zig/porter deal instead unless you'd advise otherwise.

only seen George and zig play together once and it was outstanding.

also, I'm overdue for a meters fix since those Fillmore shows got cancelled last year.

still can't believe they tried to take art on the road given his current health.

that reminds me, is it about time to start my annual 'best shows u didn't see this year' thread?

guarantee my list will have better shows than most posters on this board actually did attend, lol.

just purchased my ticket for the Saturday shorter show last night.

hope Wayne's still in fighting shape, looked like he was in a wheelchair to receive his Kennedy honors deal.

Well, he's 85 years old, so it's more than amazing to me that he's even still playing, if not standing.

But even if he's not close to his old best he's always been so damn good at fitting the smallest articulate suggestions of sound into the music that he can still converse with & take his brilliant group off into space with just hints & nudges. And right when you think he's not playing much of anything he'll hit you with a run or fleury that will remind you of how great he is. 

Shorter has always gotten more credit for his compositions than for his playing, but I think it's a shame that he has never gotten the widespread credit he deserves as a player; he stands with the greatest there's ever been, and in fact most of those stand with HIM, but it's also a testament to his subtle, smooth, unselfish ensemble style.

Wayne Shorter has always been able to say more with one note than most musicians can say in a hour, and I'm betting even at this late stage he still can.

I can't wait to find out.

I hear that.

guy's become like the yoda of Jazz.

was listening to a couple tracks off that triple album he came out with this year that I plan on custying up the $ for at some point, maybe even at the show next month, where he pulled off a move that to me was like the musical equivalent of teleporting through a wall.

no one puts shorter in the corner. 

...

>>>Oregon Byrne, which was way better than any dead co, u crazy bastard<<<

I liked both the Byrne & D&C shows I saw, and the Byrne show was certainly very good, creative, interesting and rocking, but one of the two was a totally choreographed "show", completely rehearsed and performed EXACTLY the same night after night note-for-note & step-for-step, while the other one was playing from the hip, going for whatever they could find THAT night. The Byrne show you saw in Oregon was virtually the same exact show as the Byrne show I saw in San Jose, and on & on.

Even if a group is playing from an old, arthritic hip, and as good & unique as the Byrne show was, I still love shows that GO for it in the moment (and sometimes find the true "it") over a completely rehearsed, EXACTLY the same every night "show" that manufactures an assembly line "it".

Especially when that arthritic old hip can still find a way to jump a few high fences.

YMMV.

Some say living in the moment is where it's at

I love living in the moment.

But then I usually talk right through it, so there's that.

(But I never talk during the music)

(Never, usually)

Just realized maceo is at the miner on the 28th too.

is this the funkpocalypse?

Crap, as I feared, looks like shorter isn't in well enough health to perform those SF shows in a couple weeks.

the band will go on without him and they scored some pretty heavy hitters last minute for special guests but I think I'm still gonna opt for the refund.

hope he's able to recover and I get at least one more chance to see him live again.