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| Me and my partner in concert life, Glori. |
Oh 2017, you sure were a bitch but the richness of relationships and memories made through music helped cancel out some of your negative noise.
I invite you to check out 7 of my top moments in music in 2017. Hope they will entertain you and be a spark of inspiration to get out there and experience more of the magic of live music. Here is a list of some of my faves (in no particular order).
1. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
I witnessed Pearl Jam being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. LIVE. Do I even need to continue?!
I was fortunate enough to attend this monumental moment in history with a couple of my best pals and PJ family aka Jamily (Stone Gossard actually used this term during his speech!).
Another impactful artist I admire was inducted, Tupac Shakur. Tupac’s tribute video was moving and it was comforting to see him receive some of the recognition he deserves. Gratitude and respect filled the arena as we happily sang and danced along to his songs in tribute.
Lastly, big up to Barclays Center for serving fried chicken with mac and cheese at your concession stand. Really helped prevent a hangover the next day. Thanks!
2. Characters in the Pit
As I mentioned in my Foo Fighters Anthem post, their DC concert was my first real pit experience. GA shows are one thing but fans that choose the pit over seats are another breed of concert animal. I’ve always been a fan of an assigned spot (I get into why in my Anthem post) but after my experience, I’m more of a seat/pit hybrid.
I stood behind a 65-70 year old couple who were super into the show, jammin’ along. A lil dancin’ here, a lil head bangin’ there - it was fan-fuckin-tastic! A daddy/daughter duo stood to my left. Unfortunately, the dad seemed like sleazeball. Homeboy played me a little too close for comfort at times (he backed up after I shot him an intense I will F you up glare paired with an old-school Rock raised eyebrow).
This was his daughter’s first concert (I am an excellent eaves dropper) which was sweet. At first, she was timid but mid-concert she was jumping nonstop. There was a point where we made eye contact, smiled and jumped together. Pretty rad.
There’s always that one asshole that gets too drunk and violent. A fight broke out during "Monkey Wrench" which was unnerving for a moment until the crowd united and pointed the jerk out to security who then literally ripped the dude out of the crowd. My best friend Glori and I gave him the finger and screamed obscenities at him on his way out, so that was fun.
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| Pit Life. |
3. Green Day Wrigley Field & Concert Express NYC
Green Day was with me from the beginning. At 11 or 12 I discovered them and was immediately fascinated by their rebellious but sincere lyrics and heavy hooks. Fun fact - the first time I ever heard the term masturbation was during their song "Longview." My fan commitment level has varied over the years. But, alas, the renaissance. Listening to their new album lead me down a rabbit hole of rediscovery for the band that helped fuse my love for rock & roll.
Concerts at Wrigley Field are THE SHIT. The energy and history of Wrigleyville along with the passion and vigor of the fans set the tone for a spectacular show. Seeing Green Day for the first time as a fan play Wrigley for the first time as a band was pretty damn special.
And what a show! Kick ass vocals, musicianship, personality and props! They brought the "Bang Bang" - fireworks, confetti, fire, steam & smoke - you name it!
I was blessed enough to see Green Day again a month later in my hometown, NYC, at the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park on a gorgeous, clear, airy September evening.
Best part? I avoided all the painful parts that come along with huge (and free) music festivals of the like - lines, crowds, wait time, thirst, hunger, aching feet, etc.
A buddy that works the event granted me access to a close-to-the-stage location right before the band came on. Once they were done, my best friend and I decided to go (the crowd was overwhelming and it would be a nightmare leaving with them, plus I was under the weather).
So, we literally walked in to the festival, were positioned near the stage, sang and raged with GD for 35 minutes while the sun set across the NYC skyline, then left. Priceless.
4. The Danny Clinch Transparent Gallery
I was introduced to Danny Clinch’s photography through Pearl Jam. Danny is the man behind the epic Ed Ved jumping into the heavens over Wrigley Field’s legendary stage photo. Once I began following him on the gram, I realized, damn this dude is the business. He’s been around for decades and has photographed Tupac, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, Stevie Nicks, Prince and Green Day to name just a few. Turns out, he has a photo gallery right in the heart of Asbury Park, NJ at the swanky hotel, The Asbury.
I was stoked to check it out. Although The Asbury is a fancy boutique hotel with a wannabe stuck-up vibe, the gallery is relaxed and inviting, in addition to being absolutely gorgeous and full of character.
You walk in and are surrounded by decades of work from the man with the master click, Dany Clinch. The staff’s friendliness is genuine and they each have their own funky style, not uniform in any way. You get to view perfectly positioned photos of your favorite musicians in a beautifully lit, industrial-chic, eclectic atmosphere surrounded by cool and interesting antiques (that were also for sale). Plus, local musicians perform live from 4pm-7pm on Saturdays!
You feel at ease staring at the photos for as long as you’d like without any staff side-eye. As lively musicians express their art through song, you can feel the support and sense of community between the artists, crew and crowd. I loved the place so much I ended up taking the 2 hour train trek there a few times over the summer and brought friends along. I briefly met Danny who was kind, humble and funny in a dad-joke kinda way. Check out this link for my IG post with pics of the place.
One amazing talent stood out to me during my time at the gallery - Rachel Ana Dobken. She is the host/emcee of the live music show and is an immensely talented musician herself - guitars, drums & vocals - this woman does it all. I felt personally connected to her original songs. Her voice is sultry and sincere, her lyrics are relatable and vulnerable, and her personality is like a beam of sun energy - golden and bold. I had the pleasure of attending a couple of her solo shows in NYC and she was stellar.
During one of my Asbury Park ventures, I attended a loaded best of the 90’s outdoor concert at The Stone Pony. It was really a Gin Blossoms show but opening acts were Alien Ant Farm, Dishwalla, Marcy Playground and Fuel. So yeah, it was a best of the 90’s treat fo sho.
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| Pic of me and Danny Clinch and his signature hat. Cool night! |
5. Breathe In, Breathe Out - Bush Live!
There are not many bands I would travel to Brooklyn for with a summer cold, but I knew I could pull myself together long enough for Bush in Coney Island.
I first saw them live in 2016 at Webster Hall in Manhattan. Back then I thought, why not? Tix were cheap and they’d likely play their 90s bangers I treasured as a teen.
I was shocked! Gavin has always come across as a stoic, robotic brooder of a man, but live he is engaging, full of energy and actually smiles often. That night at Coney Island, he was kick-ass once again and totally in is element - jumping, ripping his guitar and involving the crowd. His voice sounded just like it did on Sixteen Stone. He even ran full on into the crowd while singing "Little Things" allowing gushing gals to pat his sweaty back. Gavin was glorious - quickly running through the venue while singing, letting us know he is serious about his cardio routine. I nearly face-planted twice running after him through the amphitheater. True story.
Oh, and I respected that he played Alien (one of my low-key go to emo songs) and dedicated it to Chris Cornell. Magical.
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| Sweaty Gavin and an adoring fan. |
6. Chris Cornell Tributes
How do fans deal with the loss of a beloved artist?
Cherry on top? I found out about the tribute show through a fan-friend I met at a CC tribute spin class at Monster Cycle in NYC, of all places. What a unique and therapeutic way to deal with the loss. The class had screens projecting Chris’ official music videos while riding to the songs. I was able to cry, scream and sweat along to songs like Hunger Strike, Cochise, Jesus Christ Pose, all with visuals. Glorious.
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| Celebrating the life and music of Chris Cornell |
7. Dinosaur Pile-Up
Who? Dinosaur Pile-Up, bitches! A UK based rock band that I became acquainted with through a beloved “Jamily” member. She was at a music festival where they performed and blasted them on social media for being a rockin’ new band. Just so happened that they were playing at Webster Hall in NYC a few nights later, so I had to check em out.
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| Here it is! The pre-bathroom break selfie with Matt Bigland, lead singer of Dinosaur Pile-Up. Not my finest photo but I like it anyway. |
Feel free to share some of your memorable moments in music in the comments below. Have a rockin new year!!
