That being said, I still managed to catch some great shows over the past 4 months. Now I consider winter concert season to be from Thanksgiving week to the end of February. I believe the start of March, and Gasparilla Music Fest (which comes with it) is a good indicator of the start of Spring Concert Season.
So now that the winter season has ended, it's time to put out the final standings. Between another great 97x NBT, some trips to shows out of state, and the usual tour stops in Tampa for holiday concerts or Florida getaways, it made for a good list.
15. Benjamin Booker - Live from Hogan's Beach
14. Charles Bradley - Live from Crowbar
13. Alt-J's set at 97x Next Big Thing
12. Shovels and Rope - Live from State Theatre
11. Guster - Live from House of Blues Orlando
10. Cherub - Live at Baltimore Soundstage
One line summary: Crazy dancing and grinding club environment where everyone around you will be a friend by the end of the show.
9. Young the Giant's set at 97x Next Big Thing
One line summary: The always consistent group from Cali caps off a busy touring year with a solid headlining gig at 97x's biggest show.
8. Misterwives - Live from Jannus
One line summary: Lead singer Mandy Lee steals the show with her looks and vocals, proving Misterwives is ready for a headlining tour.
7. Bleachers - Live from Jannus
One line summary: Jack Antonoff and his new group get better every time you see them.
6. J Roddy Walston & the Business' set at 97x Next Big Thing
One line summary: The Nashville rockers delivered the hardest rock show of any on this list and played much better than the afternoon time slot they were given.
5. New Politics - Live from Irving Plaza
One line summary: A relatively new punk rock band blew me away in a legendary venue in New York City.
4. Train - Live from the Mahaffey Theater
One line summary: It's tough to top Pat Monahan when he's signing holiday tunes mixed with Train's biggest hits in a small and intimate venue.
3. Black Keys - Live from the Forum
One line summary: As much as I hate arena shows, the Akron duo still impressed while highlighting songs spanning their entire career.
2. New Politics set at 97x Next Big Thing
One line summary: Just one week after the Irving Plaza show, New Politics prove they are a festival band and steal the show at Next Big Thing.
1. Dr. Dog - Live from the 9:30 Club
One line summary: These seasoned favorites flex their experience and deliver a performance heavy on hits, all taking place in one of the most famous small venues in the world.
Thanks for a pretty solid winter concert season and congrats to Dr. Dog. Now it's time to turn to Spring. It's looking pretty promising. Highlights look to be Gasparilla Music Fest, the 97x BBQ, a weekend of back to back Avett Brothers shows, the return of Old Crow to Jannus, a highly demanded Walk the Moon show at State, and of course - Shaky Knees Music Fest. Gonna be sweet!
