Catch a show when you can. I find their fanbase to be entertaining, moreso, than say DMB; which I like very much, but the crowd can be homogeneous (though likely part of that is the drugs).
As far as the recent releases, my opinion is that like most creatives, they tame in older age. Latest Pearl Jam album, I don’t feel the same way that I did listening to Ten, VS, or Vitalogy when I was a teenager. Same with Phish - A Live One, Hoist, Picture of Nectar, then I feel they changed with Story of the Ghost and Farmhouse, and more recently round room, sigma oasis, etc.
He is touring solo acoustic this spring. He played a few songs at the soulshine benefit in Nov, including an acoustic Waste with Dave Matthews which was great.
I caught my 1st show in '96, I think. I believe the reddit fanbase calls this 1.0; and we are on 4.0 era now?
I think Phish is still primary. I caught classic TAB (Trey Anastasio Band), in Chicago last spring. Good show, but my preference is the full band with horns - or full TAB.
I caught the Sphere shows last year, the Hollywood bowl run in '23; before that it was maybe 5 years that I caught them. I am happy to see guys still playing well, similar to others - Tool, Primus, DMB, Pearl Jam all have members close to or older than 60.
Still hope to catch them during a NYE run at MSG, some day. Watching the clips - similar to Sphere, at least this year, and last year, the physical/visual production seems pretty big for those shows.
Though my work not “risk-taking” nor risgué by any means, just trying to be moderately prolific, develop some interesting images, and maintain some momentum is a challenge
Not in order:
St Vincent
Gang of 4
Get the Led Out(Zeppelin tribute band who are totally entertaining)
SxSW - my annual trip to Austin for an orgy of live stuff from bands I’ve never heard of but are about to become my new favorites
Billy Strings
I am going on the cheesiest thing ever in May: The Little Steven’s Underground Garage Cruise:
Social Distortion, X, Flamin’ Groovies, etc, etc, etc The bands are great; getting on a boat for four days to see them…well, not my thing but I’m going anyway
I’m seeing Frank Turner locally with the Bouncing Souls (although they may be different days) which should be fun. Rand it’s a multi day show and I have plus one, not sure what days my wife is going to, but both Frank and Bouncing Souls might be up your alley.
Comedians probably don’t count as shows. My wife and I saw Ali Wong last year. Free tickets from my SIL and we liked Beef. That was an incredibly awkward show sitting next to my wife and a group of drunk women. But we both loved her opening act Sheng Wang, so we have tickets to him. Anyone who can make jokes about the how buying shallots shows purpose is my comedian.
I saw them with Dawes, The Lumineers and The Hold Steady at a local music station’s summer festival. Dawes was the band before The Hold Steady, I can’t recall if Avett Brothers or Lumineers were on the side stage. What makes me feel old is my daughter went to the same venue 15 years later and The Lumineers were the headliner.
