It’s been a bit of a slow concert year for me since, between travel, medical issues, and an increased challenge in obtaining photo passes, I’ve only made it to thirty-five shows as opposed to over one hundred in 2019! This makes doing a top ten a bit silly so I’ll just do five. This doesn’t mean that there weren’t more than five great shows but these were truly a big wow for me. I’ll be taking a step back from shooting shows in 2026 but let me know if there’s a band I must cover!
#5 Thomas Anders (Modern Talking) at Rebel, Toronto – August 8th
All my memories of dancing to Euro-disco came flooding back when Thomas Anders took the stage. His long flowing locks are long gone but his showmanship remains.
#4 NCT127 at the Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles – March 12th
One of the biggest K-pop bands playing at the legendary Staples Center (now Crypto.com Arena)! What could be better?
#3 Sunday (1994) at the Drake Underground, Toronto – May 3rd
One of the more wonderful surprises of the year was LA-based Sunday (1994), whose music brings a very nostalgic feeling to the soul. May was to be an extremely good month.
#2 Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers at the Drake Underground, Toronto – May 22nd
Having heard a preview of their debut album back in 2023 and, unfortunately, missing their 2024 show in NYC, I was ecstatic when Teen Jesus brought their joyful riot grrrl show to Toronto.
#1 Audrey Nuna at Music Hall of Williamsburgh, NYC – May 13th
Already my favorite show of the year at that point, I had called Audrey Nuna a phenom, not knowing that she was about to explode when K-Pop Demon Hunters dropped a month later! The packed crowd at this show will be happy to have been there as they will not likely ever see her at such a small venue again!
Howard, I’d love to see you cover The Wombats show at Electric City on 2/10 🙂
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