This is almost becoming a chore. But if I am to prove myself as compulsive I must finish this list! In case you’re as compulsive as me click here for a link to part 1 and click here for a link to part 2, click here for part 3, click here for part 4, click here for part 5, click here for part 6, and finally click here for part 7. Without further ado here are more concerts I went to. Starting with a couple I forgot to mention in previous editions..
186. Bright Light Social Hour – March 1, 2014 – Tobacco Road, Miami – My thoughts, “Each of the four band members have locks that go beyond their shoulders and various forms of facial hair that would have cops profiling them for selling hits of acid at a laser light show. But their songs are as indebted to garage and Southern classic rock as tripped-out cosmic tuneage.”
187. Brazilian Girls – November 13, 2014 – Ball & Chain, Miami – My thoughts, “In the end, for their obedience and their pleasure, Brazilian Girls rewarded the fans with songs they actually knew. The night would have felt empty without being allowed to holler “pussy, pussy, pussy, marijuana!” After all, a Brazilian Girls concert is perhaps the only socially acceptable venue for shouting those words in that exact succession.”
188. Brazilian Girls – November 6, 2015 – North Beach Bandshell, Miami Beach – Weird I got paid to review the same band twice in such a short amount of time, but who am I to turn down work. My thoughts, “The New York-based Brazilian Girls, consisting of keyboardist Didi Gutman, drummer Aaron Johnston, and guitarist Jesse Murphy, played the breezy, jazzy, lounge intro of “Homme” as Sciubba sauntered onstage at 10 p.m. Wearing something in between a shawl and a cape, she lifted a cigarette to her mouth before singing the French lyrics. Throughout the night, Sciubba said to the crowd the kind of things you can get away with only if you have a European accent. “I wish we could turn down the lights in all the cities in the world and be in the dark together.””
189. Beirut – April 8, 2016 – North Beach Bandshell – My thoughts, “Beirut’s first show in Miami brought a big crowd to the Bandshell, which presented its own set of problems. Many attendees were diehards singing along to the lyrics, but there were also many present just out looking to get their drink on. This dichotomy was fine for Beirut’s more upbeat danceable songs like “Santa Fe” and “Perth,” but it was jarring to hear all the chit-chat during the band’s more melancholy songs like “The Peacock.” As Condon sang the refrain about a fallen soldier, you could hear the same three drunken conversations about what to do after the show was over.”
190. Modest Mouse, Brand New – July 8, 2016 – Bayfront Park, Miami – My thoughts, “Double-headliner shows like Modest Mouse and Brand New seem to make sense financially. You get two bands who might not be able to sell out a venue as large as Bayfront individually, and clump them together for a big turnout, even if it is kind of weird.”
191. Prophets of Rage – October 2, 2016 – Coral Sky Amphitheatre, West Palm Beach – Rage Against the Machine members fronted by Chuck D and B Real.
192. Kurt Vile – February 2, 2017 – North Beach Bandshell.
193. GroundUp Music Festival – February 10-11, North Beach Bandshell – David Crosby and Snarky Puppy.
194. Tortoise – March 19, 2017- North Beach Bandshell.
195. Radiohead – March 30, 2017 – American Airlines Arena.
196. Tom Petty – May 5, 2017 – Coral Sky Amphitheatre – We had great seats in maybe the sixth row seeing a legend right before he died, but don’t bring a nearly 4 year old kid to a concert if you want to stay late.
197. Temples – May 8, 2017 – Gramps, Miami.
198. Beach House – May 27, 2017 – Revolution Live.
199. Paul McCartney – July 7, 2017 – American Airlines Arena.
200. Modest Mouse – September 6, 2017 – Fillmore Miami Beach – Special show right before a hurricane evacuation. My thoughts, “As the clock ticked past 9 p.m., it became clear the space would not be filled to capacity. There was much more elbow room than one would expect — until one remembered gasoline was a rarity. It was a night where the casual Modest Mouse fan did not show, only the die hard. And so when the lights dimmed and the buzz of cicadas came from the speakers, there was a roar. When the entire band came out and played “Dark Center of the Universe”, a majority of the crowd sang along to every word to the now 17-year-old song.”
201. Modest Mouse – September 11, 2017 – Civic Theatre, New Orleans – Either a sign I have my priorities out of whack or my priorities completely straight while my family evacuated from our home for a hurricane all the way to New Orleans, I took advantage of my concert promoter contacts to get myself and our host in free to see one of my favorite bands.
202. Arcade Fire- September 23, 2017 – Watsco Center, Coral Gables.
203. LCD Soundsystem – October 25, 2017 – James L. Knight Center, Miami – Fantastic show!
204. Roger Daltrey – November 1, 2017 – Hard Rock Live, Hollywood.
205. House of Creatives – November 11-12, 2017 – Virginia Key – MGMT, Washed Alt-J.
206. Reverend Horton Heat – December 21, 2017 – Revolution Live, Fort Lauderdale.
207. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – January 24, 2018 – Revolution Live.
208. The Black Angels, The Black Lips – April 17, 2018 – Revolution Live.
209. The End of the Century ’90s Cover Show – June 1, 2018 – Gramps – The only concert I ever organized. Appreciate how hard it is to put on a show. But what a special night To promote my 1999 based book The End of the Century talked Miami bands Jaialai, MC Jumanji, Xotic Yeyo, and Monterey to play cover songs from 1999. As a special bonus stand-up comedian Brian Kirk told jokes as though it was 1999.
210. The Pixies – June 21, 2018 – Revolution Live- My thoughts, “Last month, when a band named after the Pixies song “Debaser” was announced the night before the Pixies were in town to coheadline a tour with Weezer, the hint seemed pretty clear: The Pixies were using an alias, which happened to be the name of one of their most popular songs. Although there was no official confirmation, enough people took a leap of faith to sell out the room. They were amply rewarded with an action-packed set that was almost like a riddle or an SAT math question. How can a rock band play 41 songs in two hours? The Pixies did it.”
211. The Pixies – June 22, 2018 – Coral Sky Amphitheatre.
212. The Smashing Pumpkins – July 24, 2018 – American Airlines Arena – My thoughts, “The format for this concert felt like a poor fit for Miami. It was a three-hour deep dive into the first decade of the band’s career, structured for hard-core fans. But just about any band playing a cavernous arena will draw a lot of casual listeners. And this night’s attendees wanted to hear “1979” and would evidently let their boredom be known when serenaded by songs they didn’t know. They talked loudly during the quieter ballads and stampeded to the bathrooms and concessions when Iha took the reins to sing his lone song.”
Starring Pablo Chiste 