THE TOP 70 SETS OF 2014

2014 was an absolute excellent year for music. I was lucky enough to see some great festivals (GovBall, Lolla, Big Guava), fall in love with a band (Arctic Monkeys), get introduced to some new bands that have since become favorites (The Orwells and New Politics), see some bands 4+ times this year alone, (Young the Giant and Bleachers) and to finally lose my Arcade Fire virginity. It's definitely one that will be going down in the record books.

Even though I have already ranked every show on a 5 star basis as I have reviewed them throughout the year, it only seemed appropriate to put them in order to cap off 2014. Now this is not exactly a list of the top 70 concerts I saw, as it also contains individual performances from festivals I attended. But it ranks the sets in their entirety. Sometimes a festival atmosphere can enhance the performance, while other times bands can be more captivating in a small club. Either way, this is my opinion of practically every show I saw for 2014.

It was a great year. Hope you enjoy:

#70: Edward Sharpe headlining Clearwater Jazz Festival - Full Review
#69: Benjamin Booker live from Hogan's Beach - Full Review
#68: Bronze Radio Return live from Crowbar - Full Review
#67: Bleachers set at GovBall
#66: Haim set at Big Guava

#65: Wild Child live from Crowbar - Full Review 
#64: Vance Joy set at Lolla
#63: Alt-J at 97x Next Big Thing - NBT Review
#62: Blue October set at Big Guava
#61: Bleachers set at Lolla

#60: American Authors live at Jannus - Full Review
#59: MS MR set at Big Guava
#58: Deer Tick live from Crowbar - Full Review
#57: Cherub live at the Cuban Club - Full Review
#56: Outkast set at GovBall

#55: J Roddy Walston & the Business at Gasparilla Music Fest - GMF Review
#54: Foster the People set at GovBall
#53: Mowgli's live at Jannus - Full Review
#52: Magic Man set at Big Guava
#51: Young the Giant at 97x Next Big Thing - NBT Review

#50: Orwells at the 97x BBQ - Festival Review 
#49: American Authors set at Big Guava
#48: Airborne Toxic Event live at State Theatre - Full Review
#47: Capital Cities live at the Ritz - Full Review
#46: Portugal the Man set at Lolla

#45: Young the Giant live at the Hammerstein Ballroom - Full Review
#44: Cut Copy set at Lolla
#43: Trampled by Turtles live from the Overture Center - Full Review 
#42: Young the Giant live at Jannus - Full Review
#41: Phoenix set at GovBall

#40: Jimmy Buffet live at the Amphitheater - Full Review
#39: J Roddy Walston & the Business at 97x Next Big Thing - NBT Review
#38: New Politics live at Irving Plaza - Full Review
#37: Smallpools set at Lolla
#36: Fitz and the Tantrums live at the Sundome - Full Review 

#35: Local Natives live at State Theatre - Full Review
#34: Train live from the Mahaffey Theatre - Full Review
#33: Frank Turner set at GovBall
#32: Lorde set at Lolla
#31: Twenty One Pilots set at Big Guava

#30: Grouplove set at Big Guava
#29: Portugal the Man live in Central Park - Full Review 
#28: Foster the People set at Big Guava
#27: The Strokes set at GovBall
#26: Vampire Weekend set at GovBall

#25: Cage the Elephant at Coral Skies - Festival Review
#24: Black Keys live at Amalie Arena - Full Review
#23: Avett Brothers set at Lolla
#22: Bastille at the 97x BBQ - Festival Review
#21: Fitz and the Tantrums set at GovBall


#20: Jake Bugg live from the Riviera - Full Review 
#19: Bastille live at HOB Orlando - Full Review
#18: New Politics at 97x Next Big Thing - NBT Review
#17: Old Crow Medicine Show live from Jannus - Full Review 
#16: Outkast set at Big Guava


#15: Arctic Monkeys from Hard Rock Live - Full Review
#14: Cage the Elephant set at Lolla
#13: Twenty One Pilots live at the Dome - Full Review
#12: Springsteen live at the Amphitheater - Full Review  
#11: Grouplove live at the Metro - Full Review


and now for the top 10...

#10: Empire of the Sun set at GovBall

#9: Jack White set at GovBall

#8: Band of Horses acoustic in NYC - Full Review

#7: Jack White at the Township - Full Review

#6: Fitz and the Tantrums at the Metro - Full Review

#5: Young the Giant + Friends at HOB Chicago - Full Review

#4: Arcade Fire - Round 1 at Barclay's - Full Review

#3: Arctic Monkeys set at Lolla

#2: Vampire Weekend set at Big Guava

#1: Arcade Fire - Round 2 at Barclay's - Full Review



Thanks so much to everyone that came out and joined me for a 2014 show. It is going to be tough to top, but I have big plans for next year. 2015 should bring some great things - hopefully a return to both Lolla and GovBall, maybe even add a new festival, and of course the long awaited return of Foo Fighters! It should be another good one.

*side note - the Bleachers / Misterwives show from Dec. 29th is not included on this list.

Concert Review: BLACK KEYS on Turn Blue Tour

One of my top albums of the year is Turn Blue by the Black Keys. The eighth release from the Akron duo seemed to take the band back to their roots a bit, heavy on smooth hooks and a seventies funk-rock feel. It has a more bluesy vibe than the previous LP El Camino, which contained many arena rock singles.

My fan hood for Turn Blue took me to the recently renamed Amalie Arena to see the Keys on their 'Turn Blue' tour two weeks ago. This a true arena-venue, and says a lot about how far the Black Keys have come. Their most recent Tampa headlining show was back in 2004, playing Skipper's Smokehouse for 750 people. Ten years later and the Keys are playing shows for 10 times as many people.

Opening up for the band was St. Vincent, a female fronted indie rock band serving as the stage name for musician Annie Clark. Coming off a huge year, Clark displayed some impressive guitar skills and used a lot of spectacle in her performance. Unfortunately, the crowd did not appear too interested, and were clearly ready for the Black Keys.

The consensus wish was answered soon after as the Keys came out jamming to El Camino's "Dead and Gone" to open. This was just the first of seven songs played off El Camino on the evening. Things stayed high energy at the beginning with "Next Girl" and "Gold on the Ceiling" both coming early in the set. The latter featured the Keys backdrop lowered to reveal multiple LED screens that traveled behind the stage throughout the show.



The band itself is fronted by guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney. The pair go way back to their garage rock days in 2001. They paid tribute to those early days by performing "Leavin' Truck," a song off their debut album entitled The Big Come Up. The Keys in total actually played material from six of their studio albums.

Carney is not your typical drummer. Rather than a standard setup, Carney's drum set is practically center stage, taking its place right next to Auerbach. Carney never speaks during the set but remains very active. He barreled through fan favorite "Howlin' for You" and provided the necessary backing rhythm for the entire set.

With so much experience together, Carney obviously works exceptionally well with Auerbach. The guitarist and vocalist sounded great, leading the crowd through all of the Keys biggest tunes - "Gotta Get Away," "Fever," and "Tighten Up." The expected closer was "Lonely Boy," capping off a very strong second half of the set list.

One slightly disappointing note was the energy of the crowd. As mentioned before, it had been so long since the Keys had been in the Bay area. Therefore, I imagined a crowd anxious and rowdy for the Akron boys. Throughout the show though, there wasn't as much jumping and singling along as expected. The floor was surprisingly tame and I even saw some people in the lower bowl sitting down. To the bands credit though, it is difficult to get everyone connected at an arena show.

An exception to the lack of singing along came with final song of the night - "Little Back Submarines." Auerbach started this tune off with an acoustic guitar, motioning for the audience to sing with him, before departing from the mic and letting the fans sing the chorus. He then ditched the acoustic for an electric performance closing the show. This followed up other encores - "Turn Blue" and "Weight of Love," which are two of my favorites from the new album.

Overall, I was very happy to finally see the Keys and have that moment be in Tampa. Not always do huge rock bands stop by Tampa, (hint hint Arcade Fire and Foo Fighters) so this was quite the treat. The band has a few weeks off before hitting the international circuit all spring. They also seem very logical to headline GovBall in 2015. I expect to see them then.

Concert Rating: 3.5 Stars




Setlist:
1. Dead and Gone
2. Next Girl
3. Run Right Back
4. Same Old Thing
5. Gold on the Ceiling
6. Strange Times
7. Nova Baby
8. Leavin' Trunk
9. Too Afraid to Love You
10. Howlin' for You
11. A Girl Like You (Edwyn Collins Cover)
12. Money Maker
13. Gotta Get Away
14. She's Long Gone
15. Fever
16. Tighten Up
17. Your Touch
18. Lonely Boy

Encore:
19. Weight of Love
20. Turn Blue
21. Little Black Submarines

Concert Review: Train at the Holidays

A band with a true roller coaster story is Train. The pop-rock group from San Francisco reached considerable success in the late 90's and early 2000's before falling off a bit after the release of their fourth album. The band, led by Patrick Monahan, then took a three year hiatus before returning with a fifth LP.

At that stage of a career, it's rare for a band to put out a hit record heavy on radio singles. But that's exactly what Train did. Monahan released 2009's Save Me, San Francisco, containing hits "If It's Love," "Hey Soul Sister," and "Marry Me." The rediscovered success brought new life to the band. All of a sudden they were touring with Maroon 5, playing large amphitheaters, and performing for fans of all ages.

Since Train revitalized their career, I have been lucky enough to see them live four times. The first time was practically a mistake, but their live performance won me over. This year, they were playing a Christmas themed show at the Mahaffey Theatre in St. Pete.

Train opened up with "Cadillac, Cadillac," just one of three songs played off the bands newest album, entitled Bulletproof Picasso. The new songs sounded great, as did the old classics. Two of the bands earliest hits - "Meet Virginia" and "Calling All Angels" received some of the loudest ovations of the night.

What I believe takes Train shows to the next level is the front man ability of Pat Monahan. They guy has an incredible voice, but also is very interactive. At one point of the show, Pat took advantage of the smaller venue acoustics and sang a slower song without any microphone. It was an incredibly pure moment.

Monahan also went into the crowd on one occasion and picked out audience members to help him sing the duet "Bruises." Additionally, he brought kids up on stage to play different percussion instruments on holiday themed tune "Shake Up Christmas." The singer is a true entertainer, making the show what it is.

The biggest sing-a-longs of the night came towards the end, with "Hey, Soul Sister" leading into 2011 hit "Drive By." Train exited the stage with the same energy they came on with.

Of course Monahan and the boys would return for the expected encore of "Drops of Jupiter," which had the crowd belting out the choruses. They followed this up with an Aerosmith cover of the classic - "Dream On." This is quite the difficult tune to sing, but Monahan has the necessary powerful vocals to hit the famous Steven Tyler notes.

After seeing Train 4 times now, I can come to one clear conclusion. When you see them perform live, they will play their best songs. Even as their catalogue continues to expand, they select the best tunes off their new album and combine those with their overall greatest hits. It's a guarantee at this point and that's a nice feeling for a concert-goer. You can attend a show and know that you're going to hear the hits. It's a winning formula for bands to stay relevant and attract fans to come back to future shows. I know it works for me as I'll definitely see Train again for their summer tour.

CONCERT RATING: 3.5 Stars



SETLIST:
1. Cadillac, Cadillac
2. 50 Ways to Say Goodbye
3. If It's Love
4. Meet Virginia
5. Bulletproof Picasso
6. When I Look to the Sky (sans microphones)
7. Calling All Angels
8. Save Me, San Francisco
9. Shake Up Christmas
10. Bruises
11. Angel in Blue Jeans
12. Hey, Soul Sister
13. Drive By

Encore:
14. Drops of Jupiter
15. Dream On (Aerosmith Cover)

Festival Review: 97x Next Big Thing

Without a doubt, one of my favorite days of the year is the 97x ‘Next Big Thing.’ Over the years, it has introduced me to some of my favorite artists. From Young the Giant and Cage the Elephant in 2011, to Grouplove, Twenty One Pilots and Of Monsters and Men in 2012, it’s always a respectable lineup. This year was no exception, as 97x put together a show heavy on bands that get regular traction on their voter based station.

Opening up the day were three relatively young bands that all have a successful single on their resume. Young Rising Sons started the show, finishing with their hit – “High.” They were followed up by alt-rockers, Bear Hands, who I believe have the most backing material of the early bands. They entertained the crowd with catchy song after song. The same cannot be said about Big Data, who followed Bear Hands and had the lowest sound quality of any band on the day. Even overplayed radio single “Dangerous” sounded flat and unimpressive live. This was one negative mark on an otherwise positive day.

The real ‘must see’ part of the festival started at 3:15 when J Roddy Walston and the Business took the stage. This was my second time seeing J Roddy, with the first being in the springtime when they won GasparillaMusic Fest. Following a similar theme to that show, J Roddy let it be known early that they were going to use their set time to play some old fashioned rock n’ roll music. The essential tracks of their performance included “Take It as it Comes,” “Don’t Break the Needle” and 97x favorite – “Heavy Bells.”   

The pounding piano style of J Roddy would have been the best set of the day, if not for punk rockers New Politics who immediately followed them. Now I just reviewed the New Politics Irving Plaza show last week, so their performance was fresh in my mind. As you can read here, the small club gig for New Politics was great, but they made it well known at NBT that they are a festival band!

The trio from Denmark played a shortened version of their NYC show but they sure did not shorten their energy. Front man David Boyd thrived off the crowd, playing all the bands most well-known material. They also threw in the same Beastie Boys cover of “Sabotage” and the opening to Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” which only fueled the alternative rock based crowd. The set highlight for me was “Fall Into These Arms,” where Boyd departed the stage and sang with the fans.

The pair of J Roddy Walston and New Politics were so strong, that it would have been difficult for anyone to follow up those sets. It was not surprising that Dirty Heads seemed way too laid back and non-energetic after performances like those. It’s unfortunate they played after and have such a different musical style.

Even Alt-J, who was making a rare Florida appearance, could not seem to measure up. I’ll admit this was the band I was most excited to see, since I had never before seen the British indie rock band live. They had a solid setlist combining material from both of the bands albums, and they were definitely unique to watch. My recommendation though is that they would have been much better in a club rather than massive Vinoy Park.

Closing out the day for us was a very familiar band in Young the Giant. These guys are no strangers to Tampa, and after seeing them play shows at Jannus, Hammerstein in NYC, and a Lolla Aftershow this year alone, we knew what to expect. The predictable setlist was still fun though as Sameer Gadhia led the band and the crowd through hits both off the debut album and 2014’s Mind Over Matter. If there’s one thing these guys are, it’s consistent, satisfying the fans and always ending with rock favorite – “My Body.”

The headliner for Next Big Thing was Fall Out Boy, but sorry readers, that’s not really my style. My group opted to get a head start on the downtown St. Pete bars after a long day in the park. Despite skipping the ‘headliner’ though, it was still another great year for NBT. Once again, my props go to New Politics for winning the day, and I hope to see them return to Tampa soon. And as always, credit to 97x – the GREATEST radio station in the world. Can’t wait for next year!      

CONCERT REVIEW: Benjamin Booker, Live from Hogan's Beach

It did not take long for rocker Benjamin Booker to return to Tampa for a hometown show. Following up his opening performance at Coral Skies Music Fest, just one month prior, Booker announced a show at Hogan's Beach. It was sponsored by 97x and named the official 'NBT Pre-Party.' 

Booker and his two backing members took to the beach stage just after 10pm and played about an hours worth of songs from his self titled debut album. (which was recently named #37 on 'Rolling Stone's 50 Best Album's of 2014' list)

Majority of the songs were very rock heavy, with Booker spending almost equal time between singing verses and shredding on guitar. He also dismissed the guitar for a few tunes and was accompanied by a violin and mandolin to play some songs with a more bluegrass feel. The 25 year old sings with much passion as he anxiously stomped and pulled at his shirt while belting out the words.

While Booker has a signature raspy voice, one negative I took out of the performance is that it's very difficult to understand him. Each word of the songs seem to run into the next, and it's tough to decipher one from another. This could have also been caused by Booker's on stage antics, as he appeared to be a bit 'out-of-it.'

The set ended with a lengthy jam session, followed by Booker quickly departing the stage and mysteriously exiting through the parking lot. The audience was appreciative of the performance but definitely confused with some of Booker's mannerisms.

The guy definitely has talent though and should continue to get more popular once his album catches on. His lead single, "Violent Shiver" is starting to get radio play and should lead to another strong year for this young guitarist. Booker has shows scheduled in Australia, Japan and the UK next spring before returning back to the States in March.

CONCERT RATING: 2 Stars  

CONCERT REVIEW: New Politics Live from Irving Plaza

While traveling up to New England for Thanksgiving a few weeks back, I found myself in NYC for a few nights. After the success of New York concerts this year, (Arcade Fire, GovBall and Band of Horses just to name a few...) it seemed foolish to not see a show while in town. So after doing some research, I ended up at Irving Plaza to see New Politics.

This was the second US headlining tour for New Politics, and this time they were accompanied by fellow alt-rockers Bad Suns and Somekindawonderful. I had seen Bad Suns before at the 97x BBQ in the springtime, and they performed a similar set. They're a band increasing in popularity and should go out on a headlining tour soon.

Somekindawonderful started the show, and in my opinion, was the least impressive of the night. They're lead single is called "Reverse" but the live version did not seem as captivating as the strong radio single.

It was about 9:30pm when New Politics took the stage. The band is a trio from Copenhagen, Denmark. Lead singer David Boyd really only provides the vocals. You then have drummer Louis Vecchio and bass player / piano player and occasional singer - Soren Hansen. I couldn't help not immediately thinking of twenty one pilots as the members took similar positions and provided much more sound than instruments seen on stage.

New Politics have released two albums and majority of the songs on the night were from their sophomore LP - A Bad Girl in Harlem. After hearing songs from this album performed live, it has quickly become one of my favorites of the year. Tunes like "Berlin," "Give Me Hope," "Goodnight Copenhagen" and "Everywhere I Go" get everyone in the crowd singing and jumping.

Even if you did not know many songs, this trio was still thrilling to see live. Boyd not only sang, but went into the crowd and displayed some impressive acrobatics with his breakdancing and hand-stand abilities. The group also added in some familiarity with a cover of Beastie Boy's "Sabotage," as well a snippets of other covers including Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

The rowdiest section of the show came at the end, as New Politics ended with debut single "Yeah Yeah Yeah." They then encored with personal favorite "Fall Into These Arms," and appropriately titled - "Harlem" to close out the NYC show.

 Overall, this was a classic punk rock show that absolutely killed it. I found myself jumping and singing along more than I ever expected going into the concert. It was a pleasant surprise and I'll absolutely be looking to see these guys on their next headlining tour. I love concert surprises like this. Great job New Politics!

CONCERT RATING: 3.5 Stars

SETLIST: 

1. Tonight You're Perfect

2. Berlin

3. Die for You

4. Give Me Hope

5. My Love

6. Loyalties Among Thieves

7. Die Together

8. Sabotage (Beastie Boys Cover) 

9. Dignity

10. Overcome 

11. Goodnight Copenhagen 

12. Just Like Me

13. Stuck On You

14. Everywhere I Go (Kings and Queens)

15. Yeah Yeah Yeah

Encore: 

16. Fall Into These Arms

17. Harlem

FESTIVAL REVIEW: Cage the Elephant at Coral Skies Fest

After the somewhat success of Big Guava Fest this past spring, Live Nation put together another festival at the Amphitheater. Coral Skies Fest featured two stages and a dozen bands in the alternative-indie rock genre. You also had food trucks and beer gardens to help build up the fairgrounds aesthetics A decent lineup made for a nice Saturday in Tampa.

Opening the day up on the main stage was Tampa native Benjamin Booker. The young guitarist commented on growing up just 8 miles away from the Amphitheater stage, before jumping into a rock heavy 30 minute set. Booker is increasing in popularity, partially due to his opening gig for a number of Jack White shows this summer. You can definitely tell White had some influence on the 24 year old, but he also reminded me a bit of the Jake Bugg show I saw earlier this year. The arrangement was similar as Booker took center stage in a trio. Check out "Violent Shiver" to get a feel for the style.

The bands following Booker were all average performances for the most part. I was neither overly impressed nor bored with Wild Cub, Bombay Bicycle Club, Tokyo Police Club and Bleachers. All the groups have familiar songs though, so it led to a decent afternoon of music.

After a quick dinner break at the Winghouse conveniently located across the street from the venue, I was back for the main acts. After seeing the Strokes at GovBall this spring, I was intrigued by the idea of Julian Casablancas set with his new band. Let this be clear: they are not similar to the Strokes! Jules and his new group, The Voidz, were NOT good in my opinion. They sounded like the background music you would hear while watching a horror movie, and despite the chants, it was easy to tell that Casablancas clearly did not want to play any Strokes material.

The strange vibe set by The Voidz quickly turned positive as headliner Cage the Elephant took the stage. Guitarist Brad Shultz walked up to the main microphone and yelled at the crowd immediately to move up to any empty seats they saw and get as close to the stage as possible. He was followed by younger brother and lead singer Matt, who didn't say anything before jumping into opener "Spiderhead."

I've written about Shultz before, mainly during Lollapalooza when Cage delivered one of the best sets of the weekend. The frontman is absolutely unpredictable on stage. During the Coral Skies performance, he did some stage diving, crowd surfing, and for lack of a better term, crowd-jumping/walking. Shultz is the perfect example of a lead singer that makes the most of not playing an instrument.

Through the exciting stage antics, the 6 band members put together a great setlist. It was heavy on their most recent album - Melophobia, which I was not at all upset about. I believe the album is a bit more laid-back than the first two Cage albums, but is still upon one of my favorites for the year. Lead singles on it include "Take It or Leave It," "Cigarette Daydreams," and "Come a Little Closer."

The Bowling Green, Kentucky natives also mixed in some of their greatest hits throughout the set as well. In total, it was just a classic rock show. There was no backdrop or fancy screens. This was simply a performance where the band was the main attraction.

Cage the Elephant Concert Rating: 3.5 Stars



Setlist:

1. Spiderhead
2. In One Ear
3. Aberdeen
4. Take It or Leave It
5. Cigarette Daydreams
6. Ain't No Rest for the Wicked
7. It's Just Forever
8. Halo
9. Telescope
10. Bach Against the Wall
11. Teeth
12. Come a Little Closer

Encore:
13. Shake Me Down
14. Sabertooth Tiger