This year was pretty epic for me as a music photojournalist. In addition to this blog, I also shot for Pancakes & Whiskey and QRO Magazine. I attended 83 shows in total although it seemed like so many more. The shows are in date order since it would be impossible for me to rank them properly.
NOTE: All photos are copyright of Howard Shiau Photography 2025
Billie Eilish at Knitting Factory – January 3, 2019
While the photo shown is from her June concert at Radio City, it was the MTV Push show at Knitting Factory on Jan 3rd that makes the list. In addition to Eilish, H.E.R. and Jade Bird also performed this extremely private show. Since she was debuting new music that hadn’t yet been released from her then forthcoming record, everyone’s phones were locked in Yondr cases prior to entry. All three artists need to be on your playlists.
Sloppy Jane at Secret Robot Project – January 28, 2019
I had heard about Sloppy Jane’s incredible shows long before I had the chance to see them. Part concert, part performance art, and part shock, songwriter and frontwoman Haley Dahl puts 150% into her shows. With sometimes up to a dozen musicians on stage, Dahl puts an incredible amount of thought into all aspects of the performance. However, if you’re there to see her get naked or spew blue dye from her mouth, you’re doing the music and live show a great disservice. They are absolutely thought provoking but may not be everyone’s cup of tea.
Aurora at Brooklyn Steel – March 7, 2019
Norwegian artist/singer/magical creature/alien Aurora ran away with my best new artist in 2016 with one of my favorite records “All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend”. Her confidence and growth continued with a two part album in 2019, “Infections of a Different Kind” and “A Different Kind of Human”. While she was sick during her Brooklyn show (I provided her with a pack of tissues in between songs for her sniffles), she still ended with one of my top shows of 2019. NOTE: I didn’t have a pass for this one and was shut down after a few minutes.
Sara Bareilles at Bowery Ballroom – March 22, 2019
Two weeks before the release of her sixth studio album “Amidst the Chaos”, Sara Bareilles played to a sold out Bowery Ballroom. You can find my photos and full write-up here.
Billy Idol at Town Hall – March 27, 2019
Billy Idol was a mainstay on my cassette player during college and I can still remember headbanging down the highway as we drove to and from school. While Idol and guitarist Steve Stephens may not have maintained their looks as well as some of the female fans I spoke to would have liked, their sound is still good and they brought some chuckles to the crowd as they told stories about their heyday. You can find my full photo gallery here.
The National at the Prospect Park Bandshell – June 13, 2019
BRIC! Celebrate Brooklyn sure did it right when they booked The National and Courtney Barnett for this incredible show. The only downer was the rain which became downpour during the National’s set. By that time, this photographer was hiding out under a tent but frontman Matt Berninger came down off the stage to join the crowd in the rising waters. See my photos and full writeup here.
Lionel Richie at Radio City – July 18, 2019
Whether with the Commodores or solo, Lionel Richie was a hit machine in the 70s/80s. This was my first time shooting Radio City and I was lucky enough to have an all access pass including backstage. This was Richie’s second of two nights at the iconic venue and included not one song that you would not have recognized. See my photos and full write-up here.
Sarah McLachlan at Forest Hills Stadium – Aug 2, 2019
Singer, songwriter, organizer of Lilith Fair, and activist Sarah McLachlan made us swoon to her songs in the 90s and still sounded amazing in 2019! See my photos and full write-up here.
HAIM at Pier 17 – August 20, 2019
Choosing between the Jonas Brothers at Webster Hall and HAIM at Pier 17, I chose the “right” one, at least for me. These three sisters put on quite a show and also landed my photo of the year which received an “Omg wtf” on their Instagram story! Having the tennis GOAT Serena Williams introduce them was also pretty amazing. See my photos and full write-up here.