2024 In Live Shows…

…and terrible concert photography.

I beat 2023’s concert total in 2024, attending 17 gigs. In 2025, I’ll attempt to beat 2024’s number, and so on, and so on… EEE TEE SEE.

I turned 48 years old less than a month ago. Being a man who’s close to 50, a fully-employed husband and father with a home to maintain and expenses to manage, the seeming frivolity of leaving the house to watch a band play some music for a couple hours is easy to recognize. Attending shows is something young people do, seizing those fleeting opportunities to commune with their generation in likeminded bliss and weather the decibel-laden onslaught of both sound and vision. I evidently haven’t grown up yet.*

I’ll admit that there are times when being anchored to my couch and lounging in front of my television with a cold beverage set next to me appeals to me more than venturing into the city to reach a venue, hunting for a parking space, and being squeezed or knocked around by the attendees around me as the act onstage does their thing. That said, I don’t want to be so readily accepting of said anchor. Chronology is unavoidable: my feet and back will hurt, energy will be difficult to retain, my face will everyday reveal to me a new network of creases with every glance at a mirror, and the white in my beard is already impossible to miss. But, I’m not willing to embrace my age if it means I no longer get to experience the things that keep me happy. I love live music. So, I’ll continue to see as much of it as I can before I’m physically unable to do so.

My biggest gig regret of 2024: I missed the METZ and Gouge Away tour. More painful is the fact that METZ wound up calling it quits months later, so barring any reunions, that was the last opportunity I had to see them perform. Thankfully, I’ve seen METZ play live twice, but one more time would’ve been nice.

As we’re now well into 2025, the following iPhone pics will be last 2024-related entry. Enjoy:

J. Robbins (Band) w/ Bitter Branches
Johnny Brenda’s
2/23