Tuesday, January 14, 2025

The Top Five Albums of 2024


2024 was another excellent year for new music, and there was no shortage of great material from artists old and new. Classic alternative acts like Pet Shop Boys, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, The Cure, and solo outings from Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon, Portishead’s Beth Gibbons, and The Breeders’ Kim Deal all scored highly among critics and fans alike. Pink Floyd fans will likely never get more music from that band, but guitarist/vocalist David Gilmour returned with another great set. New Wave lifers They Might Be Giants released Beast of Horns, a great live collection showcasing their ace horn section. There were also notable solo offerings from John Cale and Nick Lowe. Psychedelia continued to stretch into country on the debut LP from Johnny Blue Skies (a pseudonym for Sturgill Simpson) and bluegrass on the latest offering from the great Billy Strings.

Hip hop saw yet another strong album from Kendrick Lamar, another creative adventure with Tyler, the Creator, and potentially a retirement LP from Eminem (though he’s made a few others in the past). Singer-songwriters like Father John Misty, Maggie Rogers, and Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes delighted their fanbases and critics alike. 2024 also saw notable alternative rock albums from The Smashing Pumpkins, Vampire Weekend, St. Vincent, Waxahatchee, the always bizarre Melt Banana, the returns of Nada Surf and Jamie XX, and a strong sophomore effort from the female punk quartet, The Linda Lindas, following their stint as openers on Green Day’s gigantic summer tour. While many anxiously await the possibility of new music from Oasis, the feuding brothers market saw a great album from The Black Crowes, their first in 14 years.

In addition to these releases, five albums stood out as the year’s very best.

5. The Smile-Cutouts

The third LP by The Smile, a side project from Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood, expanded on their experimental alternative rock sound, incorporating more keys and electronic elements than their previous releases, including the acoustic-leaning Wall of Eyes, also released in 2024. While many of the tracks on both albums are quiet or slower in tempo, the dizzying tones of funkier, dance-based numbers on Cutouts, like “Zero Sum,” “Don’t Get Me Started,“ and “The Slip,” make it a more engaging listen than its predecessor and leave the group with many potential options for where they may wish to take their music next.

4. MGMT-Loss of Life

Returning from a six-year hiatus, psychedelic alternative duo MGMT delivered a surprising blend of songs that reflect their own maturity without abandoning the creative perspective that gained them a large following of fans since their major label debut 17 years ago. A blend of quiet atmospheric sounds and acoustic guitars match up with electronic tones and crisp vocal and drum production throughout. Standout tracks like “People in the Streets” and the crunchier “Bubblegum Dog” offer introspective lyrics over music that captures feelings of regret and sometimes even guilt over choices from earlier in life now being seen from middle age. While the group’s first releases celebrated excess and living for the moment, they now seem to feel somewhat embarrassed by some of those sentiments and actions. Loss of Life laments wasted time and former relationships more than the passing of family or friends, but MGMT does it in their own creative and unique style.

3. Pearl Jam-Dark Matter

The highly anticipated 12th album by Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Pearl Jam, Dark Matter, released in April, delivers a strong collection of heartbreaking songs that mostly center on the theme of a relationship in the process of ending. While not quite a next-gen Blood on the Tracks by any means, this is the first time the grunge legends have focused the majority of an LP on tones and moods of classics like “Black” and “Nothing as It Seems” repeatedly in various ways rather than just touching on them once or twice among other topics. The mid-tempo and slower ballads are balanced out with a few rockers, “Dark Matter” and “Running,” that aim anger at political and social frustrations, very similar to the bands many other excellent albums from the last 34 years(!) Strong singles like “Scared of Fear,” “Wreckage,” and “Waiting for Stevie” have already become live favorites and fit in well among Pearl Jam’s vast back catalog. While the signature production of upstart Andrew Watt muddies the drums and other elements at times, the songwriting and performances by the group shine through across the entire track list.

2. Green Day-'Saviors'

It’s hard to believe Green Day have made it to their 14th LP, but these hall of fame punks have been at it for 35 years and counting and have never sounded so tight and focused. Following a string of albums with stand-out moments that didn’t feel as strong all the way through, 'Saviors' is not just their strongest release in over a decade, it hones what the band does best: reflecting and commenting on modern times through a jaded but personal gen-x filter. The strong opening run of six songs in about 16 minutes, including five singles, establishes the tone for the rest of the album, and while speedy punk numbers make up the majority, a few mid-tempo rockers and ballads are sprinkled in to balance things out. Unlike Green Days’ prior recent releases, however, they don’t weigh things down or take away from the momentum of the rest of the tracks. “The American Dream Is Killing Me,” “Look Ma, No Brains!” and “One Eyed Bastard” became live favorites throughout the band’s massive summer stadium tour, and “Bobby Sox” and “Dilemma” became hits on on rock and alternative radio. “Strange Days Are Here to Stay” and “Living in the ‘20s” most directly comment on the melancholy of modern life better than almost anything all year.

1. Jack White-No Name

The year’s best album is No Name, the latest from Detroit guitar whiz Jack White. Coming closer than ever to sounding like The White Stripes on a solo album, White retains the crunch and fuzz of his signature performance and production style while commenting on topics both personal and social. Featuring drummer Patrick Keeler of The Raconteurs and The Greenhornes on half the tracks, contributions from White’s wife and two children, and appearances from members of his recent backing bands, it’s clear he sets himself up for success by working closely with people he trusts. This also allows him to focus on other elements of the songwriting, performance, and production that set his songs above those of most of his contemporaries due to their unique and creative nature and frequent mash-ups of punk, blues, and classic garage rock. Songs like “Old Scratch Blues,” “That’s How I’m Feeling,” and “It’s Rough on Rats” present entirely new ideas while sounding immediately familiar. White’s weirder side shows up on the comically memorable “Archbishop Harold Holmes” and the sarcasm of “What’s the Rumpus?” It’s as though White considered the thought that he has cultivated a signature sound and decided to make a modern rock album that sounds exactly like himself instead of venturing too far in any experimental directions. While his frequent dips into country, bluegrass, and folk aren’t present this time around, No Name harkens back to the music that made White world famous two decades ago. It feels honest, it feels real, and it feels great.

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Friday, October 11, 2024

2024 Summer Concert Adventures

It’s hard to believe another summer has come and gone, but it was an amazing season for live music as always. I enjoyed a number of my personal favorite acts in some of my favorite venues and unintentionally ended up celebrating notable anniversaries of significant albums along the way. Rather than my usual lengthy reviews of each show, I’ve decided to write summarized reviews and include each of them in one post. (I’m both lazy and a busy teacher starting a new school year, so gimme a break!) While I don’t post here on the blog as often as I’d like, I would love to hear about your favorite shows of the summer too, so feel free to post in the comments below or on the JAMBlog Facebook page under this article!

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THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS – June 19th, The Vic, Chicago, IL
 

The summer started strong with another amazing show from veteran New Wave rockers They Might Be Giants who had an amazing Midwest run in May and June and will bring “The Big Show Tour” to the east coast at the end of the year. I caught them twice in Detroit about a month prior but couldn’t pass up another chance to catch them in Chicago. Not only were these shows “an evening with” (no opener, two sets), but each performance featured songs from a spotlight album (either Apollo 18, John Henry, or Mink Car). Between the three shows I caught this year, I’m happy to say I saw one of each by happy coincidence. Chicago’s run through about half of John Henry was especially fun as the band included hits, fan favorites, and deep cuts alike, but 2024 is also the 30th anniversary of that album. Fantastic work and showmanship from TMBG as always. I’m already looking forward to seeing them again!

Set list:
Stompy Intro (intro tape)
---------
Subliminal
Snail Shell
Unrelated Thing
Out of Jail
Meet James Ensor
The Famous Polka
Doctor Worm
Dirt Bike
A Self Called Nowhere
Spy
No One Knows My Plan
Stellub
The End of the Tour
--------------- (intermission)----------
Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love (“Stellub” video in reverse)
Godzilla Intro (intro tape)
----------
The Mesopotamians
Authenticity Trip
Underwater Woman
Let Me Tell You About My Operation
When Will You Die?
The Glamour of Rock
James K. Polk
Man, It’s So Loud in Here (demo version)
Ana Ng
New York City (Cub)
Lie Still, Little Bottle
Can’t Keep Johnny Down
----------------
Drink!
Birdhouse in Your Soul
------------
Istanbul (The Four Lads)
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ECHOES OF PINK FLOYD - July 4th, Jackson Stadium, Lansing, MI

Michigan’s premier Pink Floyd tribute band was part of a great event dubbed “The Dark Side of the Diamond” which offered a full show from Echoes of Pink Floyd (and an opening set from another local cover band, Be Kind, Rewind) alongside the City of Lansing’s Independence Day fireworks, all from Jackson Stadium, home of the Lansing Lugnuts for all you minor league baseball fans. Certainly an option for parents who wished to both take their kids to see the fireworks and to drink, some in the crowd were passive about the music, and many trickled toward the exits after the fireworks during the band’s intermission, but some loyal fans and newcomers alike were treated to a full Echoes of Pink Floyd show, two sets which focus primarily on songs from Floyd’s strongest and most popular albums of the ‘70s. This show also advertised the entirety of The Dark Side of the Moon played live with the first 43 minutes of The Wizard of Oz on the big screen, a now common pairing of the original, mythical synchronization. One of Echoes’ only performances of the summer, their following scheduled appearance at the Hoxeyville music festival was canceled, and longtime bassist/vocalist, Tom Beller quit the band, making the July 4th performance his last.

Set list:
Shine on You Crazy Diamond (pts. 1-5)
What Do You Want from Me?
Welcome to the Machine
Wish You Were Here
Learning to Fly
Another Brick in the Wall (pt. 1)
The Happiest Days of Our Lives
Another Brick in the Wall (pt. 2)
Pigs
---------------(intermission / fireworks)-------
Speak to Me
Breathe
On the Run
Time
Breathe (reprise)
The Great Gig in the Sky
Money
Us & Them
Any Colour You Like
Brain Damage
Eclipse
---------------
Happy Birthday (Hill/Hill)
Comfortably Numb
Run Like Hell
------------------------ 

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UPHEAVAL FESTIVAL (Day 1) – July 19th, Bellknap Park, Grand Rapids, MI

West Michigan’s annual two-day metal and hard rock festival returned with two big days and three stages of non-stop music and lots of fans clad in black, baking in the hot summer sun (almost like the old Ozzfest days). Upheaval has continued to grow each year and has brought in bigger bands and more fans along the way. Mainstage performances from the likes of Godsmack, Killswitch Engage, Of Mice and Men, and Saliva delivered rock radio hits from the last 25 years and provided the bands with an audience not limited to their regular followers, always one of the biggest selling points of a festival. Some ticket-holders sought a bit of shade near the smaller second stage where they were treated to strong sets from Sevendust, Ayron Jones, and other up-and-coming heavy acts. The second stage vibe was stronger and more intimate which added engagement and enjoyment for the crowd. To see veteran acts like Godsmack and Sevendust, decades removed from their first years on the scene illustrates the longevity that quality musicianship or a dedicated work-ethic can lead to, and certainly younger bands can look to those with long, established careers as inspiration to dig in for the long haul and to remain dedicated to their craft. For fans, a chance to see a bit at a time from lots of different groups adds value to the ticket dollar as well. While I didn’t attend day 2 this year (missing out on Stabbing Westward, most of all), Upheaval is a great annual opportunity for Michigan metal heads to meet up for a few days of great tunes and fun in the sun!

Godsmack set list: 
When Legends Rise
Cryin’ Like a Bitch!!
You and I 
Something Different 
Awake  
Surrender
Keep Away
Voodoo
Batalla de los Tambores
Whatever
-----------     
Under Your Scars
I Stand Alone
--------------------------------

Sevendust set list:
Pieces
Alpha
Till Death
Denial
Splinter
Hero
Waffle
Enemy
Black
Face to Face
-------------------------------- 

Killswitch Engage set list:
My Curse
This Fire
Strength of the Mind
The Arms of Sorrow
A Bid Farewell
In Due Time
The Signal Fire
Unleashed
Hate by Design
Rose of Sharyn
This Is Absolution
The End of Heartache
My Last Serenade
Holy Diver (Dio)
---------------------------------

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THE OFFSPRING – July 26th, Soaring Eagle Casino, Mt. Pleasant, MI

A hot summer night in Mt. Pleasant drew alternative rock and punk fans from near and far to the outdoor stage at Soaring Eagle Casino to enjoy a career-spanning set from veteran west coast rockers The Offspring! Celebrating the 30th anniversary of their breakthrough LP Smash and previewing their upcoming 11th album Supercharged, hit singles and fan favorites were the order of the day. After opening sets from Hoobastank and Simple Plan, both of which engaged the younger fans in attendance, The Offspring wasted no time by blasting through five high-energy singles right off the top, setting the tone and the pace for the rest of the night. Now down to only two original members, Dexter Holland, Noodles & company (ha!) still sound great and still play everything in the original tempo (though in an understandably slightly lower key in most cases). The newer support and replacement members of the band held their own as well, especially drummer Brandon Pertzborn. A few crowd-pleasing jams and covers broke up the main set and kept the engagement level high throughout the rest of the show, and belting out the bridge of “Bad Habit” with an assembled mass of people is always going to be fun in any case!

Set list:
Come Out and Play
All I Want
Want You Bad
Staring at the Sun
Make It All Right
Iron Man (Black Sabbath) (tease)
Sweet Child O’ Mine (Guns N’ Roses) (tease)
In the Hall of the Mountain King (Edvard Grieg)
Blitzkrieg Bop (Ramones)
Hit That
Million Miles Away
Bad Habit
Gotta Get Away
Why Don’t You Get a Job?
Head Around You
Pretty Fly
The Kids Aren’t Alright
------------------------------
Lullaby
You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid
Self Esteem
-----------------------------

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JACK WHITE – August 8th, Saint Andrew’s Hall, Detroit, MI

One of the coolest things about being a Jack White fan is knowing he is always coming up with something different. This summer, he surprise-released a new album, No Name, and instead of a traditional tour has been performing intimate rock shows in small venues that would have fit him perfectly 25 years ago before the world knew about the greatness of The White Stripes. These shows have been announced, put on sale, and performed all within a few days' time which has made it both a challenge for fans to get into them and an extra special event for those lucky enough to do so. One of the first cities to host such a show was White’s native Detroit where he played a blistering rock set at the legendary Saint Andrew’s Hall, a venue he’d somehow never played before. After a bizarre opening set from arty noise rockers Macula Dog, Jack White and his current backing band, also featuring drummer Patrick Keeler of The Raconteurs, took the stage and ran through a blend of both new and old songs, primarily focusing on tracks from No Name and select favorites from The White Stripes. White kept the vibe local throughout the show. Aside from all but one of the musicians from the two bands being from Detroit and the inclusion of a number of classics from The White Stripes years, the entire balcony was reserved for White’s friends and family who were invited guests, including his 93-year-old mother, and a rocking cover of The Stooges’ “I Wanna Be Your Dog” reminded everyone that proto-punk also originated in and near Detroit. It’s always notable when you can experience something new and unique after having seen a performer many times before. Detroit rock city more than lived up to the nickname that night! 

Set list:
Old Scratch Blues
That’s How I’m Feeling
Morning at Midnight
It’s Rough on Rats
Hotel Yorba (The White Stripes)
Love Interruption
Cannon (The White Stripes)
I Wanna Be Your Dog (The Stooges) / Cannon (The White Stripes) (cont.)
The Hardest Button to Button (The White Stripes)
Little Bird (The White Stripes)
Archbishop Harold Holmes
What’s the Rumpus?
Why Walk a Dog?
Ball and Biscuit (The White Stripes)
------------------------------------------
Lazaretto
Keep on Trash (The Go)
Broken Boy Soldier (The Raconteurs)
Steady, as She Goes (The Raconteurs)
Hello Operator (The White Stripes)
Underground
Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes)
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DWEEZIL ZAPPA – August 18th, Royal Oak Music Theatre, Royal Oak, MI

Formerly known as Zappa Plays Zappa (and briefly as Dweezil Zappa Plays Whatever the Fuck He Wants), the ongoing tribute to the legendary Frank Zappa by the most musically inclined of his four children put on an amazing though truncated show in Royal Oak in August after experiencing a tour bus breakdown on their way to the gig earlier that afternoon. Not only were eager fans told there was a 2.5-hour delay when they arrived to see the show, there was also a venue-set curfew of 12am, so while the performance did eventually occur, a total of about 60 minutes or so of music had to be cut. The band’s current tour celebrates the 40th anniversaries of both Apostrophe and Roxy and Elsewhere, and a number of songs from each were included in the Michigan show. Other fan-favorites like “Punky’s Whips” and “Zomby Woof” were included based on crowd response compared to other songs that had to be cut for time. The meticulous precision that goes in to performing these pieces is very impressive, and while nothing would beat seeing Frank and any of his many excellent bands play them live, Dweezil’s crew of ace players do an amazing job of allowing fans from all eras and ages a chance to enjoy these songs live one more time (or for the first time in the cases of those who barely knew Frank Zappa’s music before his death or only discovered it after). If you dig FZ’s music, especially his 1974 releases, this year’s tour is absolutely one to catch!

Set list:
The Star-Spangled Banner (Key) (pre-show jam)
-------------
Heavy Duty Judy
Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow
Nanook Rubs It
St. Alfonzo’s Pancake Breakfast
Approximate (pts. 1-3)
Inca Roads
Pygmy Twylyte/Cantina Band (John Williams)/Fly Like an Eagle (Steve Miller)/Space Truckin’ (Deep Purple)/Imperial March (John Williams)
The Idiot Bastard Son
Dickie’s Such an Asshole
Punky’s Whips/Kashmir (Led Zeppelin)
Cosmik Debris
Zomby Woof
Cheepnis
Semi-Fraudulent, Direct-from-Hollywood Overture
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PEARL JAM – August 26th, Ruoff Music Center, Noblesville, IN

Following a COVID-related postponement, and nearly one full year after the original scheduled performance date, ‘90s rock legends Pearl Jam finally arrived in Noblesville, just outside Indianapolis, to play for a patient and supportive crowd. Now celebrating 34 years as a band, Pearl Jam have long ago established themselves as a premier live act, rotating hits, fan favorites, and deep cuts from all eras of their history into and out of each set list. Every show is different, which makes every show special. Leaning a bit harder than usual into songs from their latest album, in this case, 2024’s Dark Matter, the band balanced tones and tempos throughout the 2.5 hour concert. They also included four songs from their third LP Vitalogy (also celebrating its 30th anniversary this year) within the first six songs of the show. This night also featured a sprinkling of ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s rock classics as tags or connections between the original songs, with bits of Sleater-Kinney, Soundgarden, Pink Floyd, The Police, and The Who included throughout the show. Opener Glen Hansard set the table for the main course and performed an additional song with Eddie Vedder to begin Pearl Jam’s encore. All five core members of the group, supported by long-time keyboardist Boom Gaspar and recent addition (and former Red Hot Chili Pepper) Josh Klinghoffer on guitars, vocals, and keys, sounded excellent on each song, and none sounded slowed or lowered to accommodate the ages of the players. While casual fans may have grumbled that more hits or earlier songs weren’t included, or that the band could have played a bit longer to thank patient fans who waited an extra year to see the show, the Noblesville performance was full of the powerful emotion Pearl Jam packs in to every concert and did service to their storied history and massive catalog. 

Set list:
Wash
Nothingman
Present Tense
Last Exit
Spin the Black Circle
Not for You/Modern Girl (Sleater-Kinney) (tag)
Scared of Fear
Superunknown (Soundgarden) (tease)
React, Respond
Wreckage
Daughter/Another Brick in the Wall (pt. 2) (Pink Floyd) (tag)
Even Flow
Dark Matter
Upper Hand
Roxanne (The Police) (tease)
Black
Do the Evolution
Running
Porch
--------------
Song of Good Hope (Glen Hansard) (w/Glen Hansard)
Lightning Bolt
Corduroy
Setting Sun
Alive
Baba O’Riley (The Who)
Yellow Ledbetter
-------------------------------- 

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PEARL JAM – August 31st, Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL

Unbelievably, I was fortunate enough to make it through the ticket lottery to get seats for the second of two sold-out Pearl Jam shows at their (seemingly) favorite venue, or at least Eddie Vedder’s, the legendary Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. As any Pearl Jam fan knows, the set list at any given show varies from the ones before and after it, so attending any at all is guaranteed to be different from any other you’ve seen before, even if it was the previous night. In the case of Chicago #2, fans were treated to a bit less of the newer material from Dark Matter and a bit more in the way of fan-favorites and hit singles, including five songs from their 1991 debut LP and radio songs like “Not for You,” “Given to Fly,” and “Better Man.” Vedder added the full cover of The Beat’s “Save It for Later” to the end of “Better Man” (rather than just a bit of it as a tag at the end) after releasing a solo studio version of it this summer as a tie in with the Chicago-based hit TV show, The Bear. As usual at any Pearl Jam Chicago show, Vedder took time to reminisce on trips to Wrigley with family as a child and teen, telling stories about sharing games on TV in his youth, and introduced Jarrett Payton, son of Walter, the hall-of-fame Chicago Bear, with a hilarious personal memory of meeting Walter by chance one afternoon decades ago. Opener Glen Hansard spent a bit more time on stage in Chicago compared to Noblesville, jamming with Vedder on another of his own songs and hanging out with the rest of the band to contribute to a spirited rendition of “Smile.” One of the biggest highlights came at the very end of the show when guitarist Mike McCready transitioned from the usual coda of “Yellow Ledbetter” into the familiar chords of Jimi Hendrix’s immortal “Little Wing,” which instead of just jamming on the riff turned into a full-band cover, including vocals, which fans are affectionately referring to as the “Yellow Wing” combo, not commonly included at most shows. Pearl Jam tours few and far-between, but the variety and quality of each performance makes them second-to-none when the option to attend arises.

Set list:
Garden
Porch
Wishlist
Come Back
All Night
Not for You/Modern Girl (Sleater-Kinney) (tag)
React, Respond
Running
Wreckage
Even Flow
Given to Fly
Scared of Fear (intro/tease)
Dark Matter
In Hiding
Upper Hand
Better Man/Save It for Later (The Beat)
Rearviewmirror
-----------------------
Throw Your Arms Around Me (Hunters & Collectors)
Falling Slowly (The Swell Season) (w/Glen Hansard)
Smile (w/Glend Hansard)
Setting Sun
Jeremy
Alive
Baba O’Riley (The Who)
Yellow Ledbetter
Little Wing (Jimi Hendrix)
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GREEN DAY – September 4th, Comerica Park, Detroit, MI

This show was hands-down the best I saw this summer. What an amazing night of excellent rock music, new and old, and the best value for the price of a ticket of any tour this year. An expanded variation of the much-hyped but less engaging Hella Mega Tour, Green Day hit the road this year to celebrate both the 30th anniversary of their breakthrough LP Dookie AND the 20th anniversary of American Idiot, the album that brought about their unlikely resurgence to peak pop success, by performing each of the albums in their entirety every night (and finding a bit of time to highlight their latest release, Saviors, and a few other fan-favorites along the way). Instead of Weezer and Fall Out Boy, this time around, Green Day enlisted the support of psychedelic grunge legends, The Smashing Pumpkins, bay area comrades, Rancid, and the up-and-coming teenage punk rockers, The Linda Lindas, each of whom brought their unique energies and most engaging songs that made the entire 5.5 hour show worth watching and listening to throughout. Each band had an opportunity to highlight their current and upcoming releases while reminding casual and dedicated fans alike of each of their greatest contributions to rock history. One notable moment occurred a few songs into Green Day’s set when the band were rushed offstage by security mid-song with no explanation, leaving fans confused and standing by for about 10 minutes before they returned to the stage and continued the song from the point they had cut it off. Later, local media reported an unauthorized drone was seen floating near the stage and that the owner had been detained pending further investigation. Front man Billie Joe Armstrong mentioned it was a night they would all remember just prior to the last song of the night. In all, this concert was a perfect ending to a summer of great shows and will be hard to top even if the touring acts of 2025 have several months to assemble a show to rival it.

Green Day set list:                                                                                                           
Queen-“Bohemian Rhapsody” (intro tape)                                                           
Ramones-“Blitzkrieg Bop” (intro tape)                                                                    
John Williams-“Imperial March”/Queen-“We Will Rock You” (intro)           
-----------------------------------------------                                                                        
The American Dream Is Killing Me                                                                            
Burnout
Having a Blast
Chump
Longview *interrupted*-----------
Welcome to Paradise
Pulling Teeth
She
Sassafras Roots
When I Come Around
Coming Clean       
Emenius Sleepus
In the End
F.O.D.
All By Myself
Know Your Enemy
Look Ma, No Brains!
One Eyed Bastard
Free Fallin’ (Tom Petty) (tease)
Dilemma
Minority
Iron Man (Black Sabbath) (tease)
Master of Puppets (Metallica) (tease)
Brain Stew
American Idiot
Jesus of Suburbia (pts. 1-5)
Holiday
Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Are We the Waiting
St. Jimmy
Give Me Novacaine
She’s a Rebel
Extraordinary Girl
Letterbomb
Wake Me Up When September Ends
Homecoming (pts. 1-5)
Whatsername
Bobby Sox
Good Riddance
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Smashing Pumpkins set list:
Atum (intro tape)
------------------
The Everlasting Gaze
Doomsday Clock
Zoo Station (U2)
Today
That Which Animates the Spirit
Tonight, Tonight
Ava Adore
Disarm
Bullet with Butterfly Wings
Sighommi
1979
Jellybelly
Cherub Rock
Calling Dr. Love (Kiss) (tease)
Are You Gonna Go My Way? (Lenny Kravitz) (tease)
Zero
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Rancid set list:
Maxwell Murder
Roots Radicals
Side Kick
Tomorrow Never Comes
The 11th Hour
Ghost of a Chance
Radio
Something in the World Today
Fall Back Down
Time Bomb
Ruby Soho
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The Linda Lindas set list:
Too Many Things
Growing Up
Resolution Revolution
Excuse Me
All in My Head
Oh!
Racist, Sexist Boy
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Sunday, June 2, 2024

They Might Be Giants Rock Detroit, Back-to-Back

They Might Be Giants, the twin quasars of rock, triumphantly returned to The Majestic Theatre in Detroit for back-to-back sold out shows a few weeks ago, and as they always do, left their adoring fans thoroughly satisfied and buzzing on a concert high for days after.

In full disclosure, along with Nirvana, TMBG are my favorite band ever, and these shows were my 29th and 30th times seeing them, respectively. Some might think there’s nothing new to be gained from continuing to see an act over and over like that, but Giants fans around the world know their unique brand of arty new wave and ironic alternative rock more than warrants repeat engagements. Now in the project’s 42nd year and continuing to barrel forward, TMBG will release a new studio album later this year and are treating their faithful followers in the Midwest to a string of special shows highlighting some key, fan-favorite albums from their incredible catalog. Each night features a focus on highlights from either Apollo 18 (1992), John Henry (1994), or Mink Car (2001), but the audience doesn’t know which until a few songs into the concert. This must certainly be a welcome change of pace after a somewhat doomed tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of their breakthrough LP, Flood (1990), which was interrupted many times by everything from COVID to car accidents, where the band played through the entirety of that album nightly. Considering it is so lauded among their fans, they continue to feature a handful of songs from it in spite of moving forward from it being the theme of the tour.

Instead of playing a different city every night, TMBG are also setting up camp for two-to-three-night stands in each city and venue. Detroit was graced with two nights of music at the famous Majestic Theatre, a venue that’s hosted the band more than any other in Michigan over their many years of touring. Sold out crowds both nights made for an exciting atmosphere, and TMBG delivered four great sets of hits and deep cuts alike, with tracks from their first album next to tracks from their 23rd, and a chance for longtime fans to enjoy focused mini-sets of material that hasn’t been featured in many years or possibly ever in a few cases. Detroit’s first show featured songs from Apollo 18, the Giants’ final release as a duo prior to expanding to include a supporting band. What a treat for fans young and old, many of whom were either very young or unborn when the band toured to support the album in 1992 and ’93. The time devoted to songs from that album was evenly distributed to include the three biggest hits from it (“I Palindrome I,” “The Statue Got Me High,” and “The Guitar"), a few fan favorites (“Spider” and “Fingertips”) and a couple deep cuts (“Turn Around” and the mega-rare “Narrow Your Eyes”) all of which was already more than worth the price of admission, and yet these songs only accounted for about 40% of Friday’s show. The audience for night #1 were also treated to songs from their latest LP, 2021’s BOOK, old favorites from TMBGs first two albums, including "Where Your Eyes Don't Go" and the triumphant return of “the stick” on the classic “Lie Still, Little Bottle,” and choice cuts from the other two albums in the featured rotation (most notably, the super-rare "Out of Jail"), sort of a consolation prize for audience members who were only attending one performance to ensure they still got a taste of John Henry and Mink Car. The audience was also treated to a new song from the band’s upcoming album entitled “The Glamour of Rock” which discussed doing laundry on a show day. The first night ended with a string of hits to round out the main show and the encores which included a show-stopping rendition of “Istanbul,” an enthusiastic romp through “Birdhouse in Your Soul,” and a celebratory blast with “Doctor Worm” to end the night, which was just a bit stronger both on stage and in the crowd than night two would turn out to be.


The musicians themselves all performed brilliantly throughout the weekend and co-founders John Linnell and John Flansburgh continued to entertain with comical banter between songs on top of their amazing vocal harmonies and skilled work on keyboard, accordion, and guitar. Drummer Marty Bellar shined during a brief solo in “She’s Actual Size” that replaced the longer solo section some fans may remember from previous drummer, Dan Hickey. Longtime bassist, Danny Weiknauf, and guitarist, Dan Miller are comfortably at home playing any of the band’s countless songs and added their own touches of flare throughout that punctuated many of the tracks’ most exciting elements. For the past six years, the quintet have also been writing, recording, and touring with an impressively skilled, three-piece horn section made up of Mark Pender on trumpet (formerly of Conan O’Brien’s TV band), longtime collaborator Dan Levine, primarily on trombone, and saxophonist Stan Harrison all of whom added volume and intensity to songs that feature great horn parts on the band’s albums but often lack those accents in their live shows.


Night 2 focused on Mink Car for most of the first set and included a similar mix of hits, fan favorites, and deep cuts from that album, most notably, the rarely-performed, “Hovering Sombrero.” Other popular favorites like “Cyclops Rock,” “Working Undercover for the Man,” and “Drink!” were a fun throwback to the band’s shows in 2001 and 2002. "Man, It's So Loud in Here" continues to be performed in the rock arrangement of it's demo recording rather than the disco overload version featured on Mink Car, which was only briefly included live around the time of the album's release. The crowd was enthusiastic throughout, but the vibe and the energy peaked-and-valleyed a bit at times, which may have also hastened the delivery of the second set. Five songs in each of the two sets on night 2 were also performed on night 1, which was great for those who only came to the second show but may have been less-engaging to fans who attended both nights. The band also brought back many songs that had not been performed in years but left some of the audience participation or otherwise scripted add-on bits out at times. For example, the use of the stick remained on “Lie Still, Little Bottle,” and the audience participation call-and-response during “Drink!” (drink! drink!) continued, but the phone call bit that interrupts "Older" has been dropped, and the traditionally, mandatory conga line jam was not included at the start of “No One Knows My Plan.” Prior to the intermission, the band confounded the crowd and flexed a bit by performing Flood’s “Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love” sonically backwards (a piece they call “Stellub”) which is filmed and played back in reverse to open the second set, allowing the audience to hear the song essentially as written but while watching a reversed film of a performance they just saw. This was punctuated by a rollicking run through BOOK’s “Brontosaurus,” one of the strongest performances of the night.

The second set on night 2 moved much faster than the previous three sets of the weekend even though it featured more songs than the others. Where the new song, “The Glamour of Rock,” had been included at almost every other show on the tour, it was not performed the second night in Detroit. Hardcore fans hoped in vain for a potential live debut of “Say Nice Things About Detroit,” but perhaps on the next tour. What fans got instead were a lovely sampling of songs, old and new, that all fit well together and often segued directly into one another, as TMBG kept things moving with less banter between songs during the final set (though they notably and comically called back to an anecdote about Courtney Love several times throughout the night). Favorites from John Henry, such as “Subliminal” and “Meet James Ensor” sounded great next to newer songs like “Underwater Woman” and “When Will You Die?” Hits like “Particle Man,” “The Mesopotamians,” and “Doctor Worm” were sprinkled in to balance out the more deep-cut leaning set of the weekend, and a continued highlight of material from the ‘80s was a welcome element as a second time each for “Lie Still, Little Bottle” and “Number Three” were accompanied by “The Famous Polka” and “Don’t Let’s Start.” The night ended with more deep cuts in the encores rather than ending with big hits like night 1 did. The 90-second, tongue twister, “Letterbox,” was followed by an especially impressive and extended performance of “Spy” which was possibly the most musically interesting portion of the whole weekend (with respect to the intricately-arranged "Darlings of Lumberland" on night 1), with both Linnell and eventually also Flansburgh controlling the members of the band (and briefly the audience as well) during the improvised argument, if you will, between the instruments that exists as the song’s free form bridge. A final encore of the John Henry fan favorite, “No One Knows My Plan” ended the two-night stand on an up note, and with little other fanfare, the Johns and co. were off the stage and headed home for the break between the two legs of the tour, which resumes in mid-June.

In 30 times of seeing They Might Be Giants, I still haven’t seen a bad show. Each of them were memorable and special for many reasons, and the combination of the uniqueness of their material, the creativity of their performance, and the attention to including a rotation of songs in their set lists makes almost every show an opportunity to see them perform songs you’ve never seen them play, even for obsessive fans. Attending a TMBG show is unlike a concert by any other artist and is most certainly not to be missed. I’m already looking forward to #31!

Friday, May 17th set list:
Stompy Intro (intro tape)
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Synopsis for Latecomers
Dig My Grave
Turn Around
Narrow Your Eyes
Mammal
I Palindrome I
Fingertips (pts. 1-21)
Number Three
Moonbeam Rays
Shoehorn with Teeth
She’s Actual Size
The Statue Got Me High
Spider
The Guitar
---------------------
*intermission*
--------------------
Godzilla Intro (intro tape)
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Man, It’s So Loud in Here (demo)
Out of Jail
Bills, Bills, Bills (Destiny’s Child)
Where Your Eyes Don’t Go
Lie Still, Little Bottle
Drown the Clown
The Glamour of Rock
Particle Man
The Darlings of Lumberland
Older
2082
Istanbul (The Four Lads)
--------------------
Damn Good Times
Birdhouse in Your Soul
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Doctor Worm
--------------------------------

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Saturday, May 18th set list:
Stompy Intro (intro tape)
---------------
Synopsis for Latecomers
Birdhouse in Your Soul
Moonbeam Rays
Bangs
Man, It’s So Loud in Here (demo)
Hovering Sombrero
Drink!
Wicked Little Critta
Mink Car
Cyclops Rock
Older
Working Undercover for the Man
Let Me Tell You About My Operation
Stellub
Brontosaurus
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*intermission*
-----------------------
Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love (video)
---------------
Godzilla Intro (intro tape)
----------
Subliminal
Particle Man
Spider
Underwater Woman
Meet James Ensor
The Famous Polka
The Mesopotamians
Lie Still, Little Bottle
When Will You Die?
Cloisonne
Number Three
Don’t Let’s Start
Doctor Worm
---------------------
Letterbox
Spy
-----------------
No One Knows My Plan
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