What was the last live show you saw, in person? 2020 pandemic edition

Australian band Stonefield at Paradiso in Amsterdam. About half march.

 

November 19th, 2019...Elvis Costello and the Imposters at the Mahalia Jackson Theatre in New Orleans. Originally booked at the Saenger Theatre, it was moved due to safety concerns following the collapse of the Hard Rock Cafe Hotel under construction next door. I would never have bought a ticket - despite the fact that I’m a big fan of his live shows - had it been originally scheduled for “The Mahalia.” The venue’s acoustic qualities fall somewhere between highly problematic and absolutely intolerable. Despite Elvis and the band’s efforts, as expected, the show was a bonafide slog for the ears. But that was then and this is now. What I would gladly pay today to sit in that godawful concrete box and enjoy a live performance, ****e sound and all. In addition to the usual music festivals, I had tickets for The Zombies, Squeeze, Shovels and Rope, Allman-Betts, and Rhett Miller lined up this past spring, but those were all scratched as the pandemic took hold.

Here’s to a 2021 or ‘22 when live music and live audiences can commune once more.

 

Craig Finn in Seattle, November 13, 2019. Great show, comfortable venue, easy transportation to and from the gig. Just the way I like it. A good way to go out, I suppose. Not all of my recent shows have been so effortless. The Who and Little Steven were both nightmares at the venues and with getting home, which is why I almost didn't go see Craig Finn. Glad I did!

 

The great New Orleans funk/jazz/rock band Bonerama, on March 5.

Was set to see Wire on March 13 but shutdown happened and the show was cancelled, though Wire were present in Boston.

 

Rolling Stones - Glendale, AZ 08/26/19

 

I was lucky to actually get a 2020 show in and saw Epica (symphonic metal) in Los Angeles on January 5. Little did I know that would be it for the year.

 

March 9- Bix Beiderbecke Birthday Bash in Morristown, NJ with Mike Davis and band.

 

Two shows for me this year before lockdown - tribute to Ginger Baker in London and Damien Jurado in Dublin.

 

IDLES at Terminal 5 last October.

 

Simple Minds, March 6. They played one more concert, then the tour was canned.

 

I was lucky enough to finally go out to Chicago and catch Buddy Guy live at his January residency at Legends. Caught 3 shows over 3 nights and had tickets to see him again last month in NH. I had been planning on seeing the residency shows for about 20 years so I am very glad I got that trip in as the man is now 84.

 

I have two major arenas I go to + a downtown club/restaurant I frequent + I do travel when I have to.
Last time at each place for me.
Last time at Target Center: Celine Dion - 11/1/19.
Last time at Xcel Energy Center: The Who - 9/6/19. I broke rules to go to it due to being unwilling to travel because of the risk of Roger Daltrey's health. Really wanted to be back there days later for Jonas Brothers but I was plagued by problems in my schedule (didn't even get to go anywhere else on the tour - Ugh. ****. Grr. BOOHOO. BOO HISS)
Last time at Dakota Jazz Club/Restaurant: Cyrille Aimee - 3/4. Went to a play the next day and then March 12 that was that.
Last thing I saw traveling: Mandy Patinkin 1/23 at the Chicago Theatre - tickets were a Christmas present.
Jonas Brothers is still "indefinitely delayed" from last fall - UGH!!!!!!! This is even longer of a wait to see them then it was last time. I've only seen them once ever & I wish it wasn't once only - should be three times NOT one. UGH how it's going to feel on Friday. Most painful 7-8 hours of my life - last September 16. The approximate time that would have been between hitting the road to go to & then coming home after their show - didn't happen. I expected it to happen sometime "around now" but this COVID came before anything had a chance to come close to materializing. - Quoting from something they said. "When does Happiness Begin?" "I Don't know"

 

Queen at MSG 2019.

 

Elton John in Dunedin, Feb 4th 2020. Great fun gig even if felt like mid-Winter that night (heavy rain all day and a southerly breezing in directly from Antarctica). Two days later Elton abandoned his tour when he fell sick during the Auckland gig. Our lockdown was 3 weeks later...

 

I got to see Mavis Staples in early March at the Triffid (a relatively small 800 person venue).

She was in great form.

 

Robyn Hitchcock at The Chapel in San Francisco on March 3rd, 2020 playing his classic album, Eye, and also coincidentally, his birthday, as well.

 

Nashville Baroque, Sunday, March 8th.

 

Saga in Stuttgart on March 1. Yeah, things were already looking grim by then. I count myself lucky because it was a great gig but I also think by then, we probably should've taken more precautions...

 

Dweezil Zappa Hot Rats Live tour in Austin. Great show, waited until the last minute and got a very nice price on my ticket. So glad I did not blow that show off.

 

Sobering indeed.
I attended the concerts in Gävle, Sweden February 7 and Oslo, Norway February 9. I know that he did a concert in Paris, France on February 13. I don't know if he did any shows between Oslo and Paris, but he probably did.
In Paris he announced that he would have to cancel the rest of the scheduled European shows to go back home to get hip surgery. He had to sit down during the shows in Gävle and Oslo because of his hip injury. The show in Paris was sadly the last one he ever did.
Here's John Prine performing "Lake Marie" (this audience video is missing the first verse) in Gävle, Sweden on February 7, exactly two months before his death. It was one of the best concerts I've seen in years:

 

Kacey Musgraves in Charlotte, NC on September 19, 2019.

 

John Lodge (Moody Blues) in early March.

 

Dylan in Irvine--the first show of his last tour. This was about a year ago. Great show! Excellent version of "Lenny Bruce".

 

Almost certainly Whit Draper's Sportin' Lifers 4Tet, first weekend of March. My favorite group in Portland, because Whit's my favorite guitar slinger in town.

last concert ~
Steve Hackett/Genesis Revisited, 12 Oct 19

 

Live- Feb 20th, 2020 at the Count Basie, Red Bank, NJ

Band was doing 3 quick warm up shows before heading to Australia for a package tour in March.
Scheduled for 3 shows in South Africa in November, before taking another shot touring Australia Feb 2021.