2015 – Year in Review

My total attendance for 2015 was 50 events, a significant increase as compared to my 2014 total attendance of 36 and yet another annual record overall. The 50 events included 29 concerts, a single day festivals, two multiday festivals in which I only attended one day, and a multiday festival in which I attended multiple days. In total, this involved live music on 53 individual days, just over an average of one day/evening per week. As far as I can confirm, 27 of those events were sold out. Moving forward, the number of days attended in addition to the number of artists seems like the more relevant figure to use when tracking my stats. References to “concerts” or “events” will mean individual days attended. So three days of Lollapalooza would be equal to three events.

I attended more events in Chicago (48) than anywhere else, all of which were within the city limits itself. I visited a total of 27 separate venues this year, of which 23 were in Chicago. This included multiple visits to many including the Riviera Theatre (7), Chicago Theatre (4), Metro (4), Thalia Hall (4), FirstMerit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island (3), Vic Theatre (3), Concord Music Hall (2), Lincoln Hall (2), Schubas (2), United Center (2), and Wrigley Field (2). In addition to shows in Indiana and Wisconsin, I also saw two international shows will on vacation in Southern Africa. Including Ingonyama's performance at Miombo Safari Camp in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe might be a bit questionable, but I did come away with their album, so I'm counting it.

I saw at least three shows on every day of the week. Saturday (13) was the leader, followed by Friday (11) and Thursday (9). Though there was a slight uptick in the summer months, the number of events were spread pretty evenly throughout the year. July was the leading month with six, though a full seven other months had a total of five. February was the lowest with two.

Including all the artists that I specifically wrote about, I saw a total of 90 performances by 87 artists, seeing Damien Rice, Kishi Bashi, and U2 twice each. Of the 90, 34 were artists that I have seen before; the remaining 56 were artists that I was seeing for the first time. This includes counting Brandon Flowers' solo performance and Dave & Tim's acoustic set as new acts but Neil Young + Promise of the Real as just another iteration of his same performance music.

Though Lindsey (19) still attended more concerts with me than any other person, Sarah (15) and Matt (13) were not far behind; Seth (9) and Blair (8) also put up considerable numbers as well. I attended three events on my own.

Total ticket cost was $2,262, an average and median of $43 and $35 per event, respectively.

None of my favorite sets of there year were at a festival; half were artists I saw for the first time. The only venue with more than one appearance on the list was Wrigley Field, which happened to be my only two shows at the venue this year.

• Grateful Dead [Soldier Field] – Fare Thee Well to a legendary band, the mythology surrounding this experience made this the most memorable performance of the year
• U2 [United Center] – Up close for an amazing performance from one of my favorite bands of all time; the experience they provide each and every tour proves why they’re worthy of being called the greatest rock band in the world year after year
• Billy Joel [Wrigley Field] – Finally getting to see another legendary performer whose catalogue I love
• The Rolling Stones [Indianapolis Motor Speedway] – Perhaps the most legendary of them all on a beautiful night in an open field
• AC/DC [Wrigley Field] – More rock gods who still know how to bring it
• Kendrick Lamar [Riviera Theatre] – An intimate performance centered around one of my favorite albums of the year
• Frank Turner (& the Sleeping Souls) [House of Blues, Chicago] – A few new songs, many older favorite, just an unbelievably fun show
• Marilyn Manson [Riviera Theatre] – Though not my scene, an artist that I’ve always liked and am glad exists in the world; great crowd and fun show
• Zola Jesus [Athenaeum Theatre] – Great seats for a really unique singer
• Alt-J (∆) [Aragon Ballroom] – One of my favorite bands of recent years; I love their entire catalogue and very happy to see them at one of my favorite venues in the city 
• Honorable mentions include: Damien Rice [Auditorium Theatre & Jay Pritzker Pavilion], Dave Matthews Band [Alpine Valley Music Theatre & with Tim Reynolds at Farm Aid, Guster [Riviera Theatre], Imagine Dragons [Farm Aid], and Strand of Oaks [Lollapalooza].

This entry marks my 200th post, going back to June 2009 with consistent entries since September of that year. While this blog documents a significant number of performances, there were many before I started writing. I have since tried to go back and document every performance that I have seen. It actually all began at a Kenny Loggins concert that my mom took me to somewhere around 1991. While this process of going back and documenting all these shows involved some guesswork, I was surprised how much information could be found in some corner of the internet. I’m no doubt still missing some though. The below estimates reflect totals to the best of my knowledge as of this blog entry. They’ll be updated on a regular basis and posted annually as I correct errors and omissions.

By my count, I have attended 303 events (i.e. days of music) and seen 641 performances by 434 artists. I have seen only five artists six or more times including Phish (11), Dave Matthews Band (10 through 11 if you count Dave & Tim), Guster (8), Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue (7), and Modest Mouse (6). I have seen a further eight acts five times, 13 acts four times, 20 acts three times, 60 acts twice, and 333 a single time. I have visited 111 separate venues in 46 cities. Of those venues, I have been to the 9:30 Club by far the most, 35 times. Following the legendary DC club, I have attended a total of 19 days of music at Bonnaroo. The only other venues in double digits are the Riviera Theatre (16) and Merriweather Post Pavilion (13). Other notables are Verizon Center (9), Wolf Trap National Park (8), Lincoln Hall (8), Chicago Theatre (7), Vic Theatre (7), Jiffy Lube Live/Nissan Pavilion (7) Metro (6), and FirstMerit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island (6). Concerts in the Chicago metro area (115) have officially eclipsed the Washington DC metro area (100).

Johnnyswim, Thalia Hall, Chicago, Illinois

I had now been to Thalia Hall in Pilsen a couple times, and it was also my second time seeing the folk, soul, blues, pop duo Johnnyswim, comprised of husband Abner Ramirez and wife Amanda Sudano (daughter of singer Donna Summer and composer Bruce Sudano). The last time was a few years ago at Lollapalooza. Though they have yet to release a proper follow up album, their brief December holiday tour would feature songs from a Christmas EP released last year, plus a couple additional unreleased Christmas songs.

The venue was fairly empty when we arrived, so it was easy to get a spot close to the stage. A few Christmas trees decorated the stage, but otherwise both the stage and lighting were fairly sparse. Hearing that there would be no opener and two sets, I assumed that meant a standard set and a Christmas set. Instead, they ended up doing two sets that were a mix of the two. Not my preference, but it was fine. The audience was older than I would have expected. It seemed like a lot of middle age couples and groups of female friends enjoying a night out. The show was also louder than I would have expected, but we were pretty close to the speakers.

In addition to Amanda and Abner, the pair were accompanied by their backing band, same as at Lolla. At one point, they also briefly brought their son, who had been born in just the past year, on stage. Sporting a set of large ear muffs, the youngster added one word to the performance, “hi.” Not bad considering he was in utero that last time he was at the venue. Before the intermission, they plugged a charity that they support, telling everyone to bypass their merch table and support the charity.

The duo did a couple of off mic songs, where they stepped to the very front of the stage with just a single acoustic guitar and their voices. During the second set, they did an unplugged song where they came to the center of the audience in the middle of the room to perform a singalong of “Santa Clause is Coming to Town” and I believe one of their songs. I don’t know what they were thinking, because that didn’t really work. Why would I want to hear people around me whispering and singing poorly instead of the band, especially when I can’t even see them?

Their Christmas songs including some interesting new arrangements of Christmas classics, though nothing exceedingly innovative. They were updated, but not completely new orchestrations like Sufjan Stevens does. Overall a very pleasant evening though and certainly a show I’d be happy to see annually.

Setlist:
Set 1:
Winter Wonderland/Baby, It's Cold Outside
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas/Santa Baby
Don't Let It Get You Down
You & I
Hummingbird [Acoustic]
What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve [Acoustic]
The Christmas Waltz
Adelina
Set 2:
Auld Lang Syne/Christmas Day/Joy to the World/All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town [Unplugged]
Trouble
Live While We're Young/Little Drummer Boy
O Come O Come Emmanuel
Take the World
Diamonds
Home
This Christmas

The Get Up Kids, Double Door, Chicago, Illinois

It was my second time seeing emo/punk band The Get Up Kids, the first being a couple years ago at Riot Fest 2014. Though I wasn’t really much of a fan during their heyday in the late 90s and early aughts, I became a fan because some friends were planning to attend their Riot Fest set. Before the festival, the band announced that they would be playing Something to Write Home About (2000) in full. I listened that album quite a bit in advance of the show and really enjoyed it and their performance, though I hadn’t expanded my appreciation of them much in the past couple years. So I arrived at the venue hoping to hear as much of that same album as possible. I was also excited to see The Get Up Kids in a club setting. As an added bonus, it would be my first visit to the Double Door, a beloved bar/venue in Wicker Park. Though we only showed up as the opening band was finishing its set, we were able to slide up the side along the bar and secure a very good spot for the show.

The band was celebrating its twentieth anniversary, so there were a handful of casual references to the experience of growing old and what was happening in the 90’s when they were getting started. While retaining their punkish vibe (at least on nights out), the older crowd could no doubt relate to days of youth long past. I was pleased to get to hear a handful of the songs that I knew from Sometime to Write Home About plus a handful of others that I enjoyed even though I didn’t recognize. However, I had had my fill by the end of their main set. Not wanting to battle the crowd to get to the main door, I bypassed a rope and snuck out the side door. As I exited, I gave a brief hello to a few of the band members as they were prepping for the encore.

Setlist:
Coming Clean
I'm a Loner Dottie, a Rebel
Stay Gold, Ponyboy
Holiday
Woodson
Overdue
Mass Pike
Action & Action
Valentine
Forgive and Forget
No Love
Off the Wagon
Campfire Kansas
Red Letter Day
Don't Hate Me
I'll Catch You
Encore:
Close to Me [The Cure cover]
Beer for Breakfast [The Replacements cover]
Ten Minutes

The Arcs & Mariachi Flor de Toloache, Vic Theatre, Chicago, Illinois

We arrived toward the end of opening band Mariachi Flor de Toloache’s set, an all-female Mariachi band from New York. I liked what I heard and wished that we would have arrived a bit earlier. I have a feeling they’ll be around for a bit though, so I doubt this was my only chance to see them. I could see them being quite successful on the festival circuit as they gain popularity. The show was sold out, but it was easy to find a good spot on the second landing, out from underneath the balcony so the sound was still very good.

The Arcs are a new side project for Dan Auerbach, lead guitarist of the Black Keys. The band includes five other members, with members often playing a variety of instruments. Generally this always included a pair of players on the drums throughout the show. Their debut album, Yours, Dreamily (2015), will be another contender for my top albums of the year list. The entirety of that album, plus a cover, would comprise the show’s setlist. Their sound is similar to the Black Keys, though less blues and more garage rock. They carry this with them in their attitude on stage. While they rocked hard, Auerbach and company all have such a casual demeanor about them, as if they actually were just a few friends practicing in one of their parents’ garages. There were some improvised jams and meandering solos. Mariachi Flor de Toloache, who had also contributed to Yours, Dreamily joined The Arcs onstage for a few songs.

Setlist:
Stay In My Corner
Bad Girl
Keep On Dreaming
Pistol Made of Bones
Put a Flower in Your Pocket
The Arc
Nature's Child
Little Baby [The Blue Rondos cover]
Cold Companion
My Mind
Chains of Love
Young
I Want a Holler
Outta My Mind
Encore:
Aretha
Velvet Ditch