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
-------------------------------------------------------------
***************
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
--------------------------------------------------------------
*****************
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
------------------------------------------------------
********************
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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