32 live shows to ‘member and remember.

The Top Live Show of Forever and Ever That Will Stand the Test of Time Unto Infinity and Beyond, or 2025, Whichever Comes First.

In Chronological Order, Most Recent Last, Because “Fuck Recency Bias.”

Part of the 2024 Year In Review.

TOP LIVE

Battlemode parties with a South Shore bday bash at The Jungle on Saturday, 20 January 2024.

Shows get pieced together in all sorts of ways. Sometimes it’s just a bunch of South Shore dudes hanging out, and they’re like, “Let’s all head north and play a show at The Jungle.” Voila! It’s an alt rock bowl of mashed potatoes delivered to your doorstep, plus a bunch of gonzo shenanigans in the pit. Blessed chaos. No need to visit Quincy when Quincy visits you.

Ekene Ijeoma deconstructs the national anthem at Cyclorama on Thursday, 15 February 2024.

They say it’s all about location, location, location. This show was about location, concept, and musicians. The Cyclorama, a circular former velo rink, served as a kind of surreal venue for Ijeoma’s experimental jazz composition, executed with precision and passion. Chicago’s Angel Bat Dawid, a contemporary jazz dynamo on vocals and clarinet, closed out the evening in style, leading the group through improvisational jams from her own songbook.

Lobohombre rounds out the matinee at Midway Cafe on Sunday, 25 February 2024.

Matinee shows aren’t just for grandmas seeing their favorite Elvis impersonators on a Sunday afternoon. Matinees are punk. Matinees are 99%. Matinees are an opportunity for all us schlubs who have to work in the morning to get involved with the local music community. Matinees let out-of-town acts, who can’t afford the time or expense of an overnight, play a gig and get home at a more or less reasonable hour. Matinees give you an excuse to daydrink, if that’s your thing. Matinees are family affairs. Matinees should be on your wish list for 2025.

Jerry’s Got Jokes plays its swan song at Midway Cafe on Saturday, 16 March 2024.

It’s so hard to say goodbye… Jerry’s Got Jokes played its final show in March. The ska/punk outfit went out in style with help from Dear Maryanne, High and Dry, and a mystery act that remains a mystery. Wistful moment? Sure, but how teary-eyed can you get in a circle skank? Don’t answer.

Good & You? names their EPs with numbers at Union Tavern on Friday, 29 March 2024.

Union Tavern started putting on more shows this year, which it used to do regularly under its old name PA’s Lounge. The EP release show for Good & You? strung together a classic fourstack of local underground music with Voided Shape, Husbands, and Will Tell Aim mixing in different shades of gaze, hard core, and electro stylings. Can Union Square support three DIY-style venues, between The Jungle, Union Tavern, and regular shows at Warehouse XI? Yes, no, maybe. It’s a latter day Central Square from back in the days before Middle East was looking to turn itself into the bottom floor of a luxury hotel.

Christian McBride isn’t in Arlington, Texas at Regent Theatre on Sunday, 7 April 2024.

A contemporary lion of jazz comes to Arlington, Massachusetts. Christian McBride is a proselytizer and true believer. He’ll go wherever he can find an audience, and it was a sold out show at the Regent Theatre, where the headliner of the annual Arlington Jazz Festival was holding court. Don’t look now, but legendary guitarist Mike Stern will be playing the headlining spot at the same fest at Regent Theatre in April.

Circus Trees sway in the three-ring breeze at The 4th Wall on Saturday, 24 April 2024.

This is an example of a show, a sound, and a moment dovetailing in a particular powerful manner. Circus Trees played a resounding rendition of “Save Yourself,” which got soundtracked into the video show recap featuring recent footage from the police attack on the peaceful protest at Emerson College. Part of a slew of anti-war protests bubbling up at campuses in the area in response to the Israel/Palestine conflict. And the administrators at a few schools, along with the helping hand of law enforcement, decided to drop the hammer. Impressive song, gutting images.

Twig back on its hard rock grind at Midway Cafe on Saturday, 15 May 2024.

Theremin sighting! Hump Day News has started to track live sightings of the theremin at shows. The strange electronic instrument operates entirely without physical contact, sensing the movements of your hands to control pitch and volume with a pair of antennas. Invented in 1928, or thereabouts, by Leon Theremin. Awesome!

Ra Kalam Bob Moses keeps time at the Lilypad on Sunday, 2 June 2024.

A drum supreme, indeed! Ra Kalam Bob Moses, master percussionist, gives off vibes like he was a Craigslist roommate of William Burroughs in Tangier at some point in the 1950s. A far out cat playing far out jazz on a far out night.

E takes the new album for a walk at Midway Cafe on Saturday, 8 June 2024.

It was a treat to hear cuts from E’s new album Living Waters, with all the modded-equipment shenanigans you’ve come to expect from Thalia Zedek, Jason Sidney Sanford, and Ernie Kim. It’s also a treat to see how younger acts, like Rong, map onto bills with veteran acts, like E, in the local music scene, which doesn’t feel like a scene until those lines and patterns of genealogical musical inheritance become obvious when intergenerational bills share the same stage.

Tony Wilson doing flips in front of Regent Theatre on Saturday, 15 June 2024.

Is there a more intense showman than Tony Wilson in the Boston area? The “Young James Brown” is not so young anymore, which makes it all the more impressive when he’s pulling off front flips on the asphalt. The Arlington Porchfest event in front of Regent Theatre was intended to be a kind of sneak preview to whet the crowd’s appetite for an upcoming show. But Tony Wilson put in a two-hour performance, with a pair of backup singers on either elbow, and a full backing band. He just can’t say ‘No’ to a stage, even if it’s the sidewalk.

Killick Hinds blows a fuse at the Lilypad on Sunday, 16 June 2024.

Speaking of E and modded-instruments, Killick Hinds arrived at the Lilypad with a Frankenstein-looking guitar and cello. The cello was busted, straight out of the gate. But Hinds improvised with the modded guitar, joining Becca Pasley and Federico Balducci for a night of unpredictable, experimental music. Unpredictable in more ways than one: Balducci looped his own guitar through an aleatoric FX pedal, which basically did whatever it wanted to do, sound-wise, and forced him to respond on the fly.

Some punks celebrate 4th of July at O’Brien’s Pub on Thursday, 4 July 2024. Obviously.

There are all kinds of ways to celebrate the 4th of July. You can take off your cap and put hand to heart at a baseball field. You can BBQ with friends and family. Or you can throw on the leather and studs for a night out with punks. Sailor from Wild At Heart would’ve worn a snakeskin jacket as a symbol of his individuality and his belief in personal freedom. Sparklers optional.

The Amazing Acro-Cats arrived at Regent Theatre on Thursday, 1 August 2024.

Cats playing rock n roll, plus some minor gymnastics. The crowd went wild!

Jamey Haddad gets jazzy with his Quartet at The Mad Monkfish on Sunday, 11 August 2024.

Jamey Haddad toured through the Jazz Baroness Room with a world jazz set that prominently featured, of all things, the tambourine. A tambourine duet no less.

A free ferry boat ride out to Georges Island on Sunday, 18 August 2024.

It was a day trip out to the mysterious and magical Georges Island in the Boston Harbor for a little jazz and a lot of exploration through the 19th century ruins. A whale greeted the ferry boat on the way there and back, a rare sight.

Pile headlines a 4th Wall gig like you’ve never seen before at Capitol Theatre on Monday, 26 August 2024.

The 4th Wall relocated its usual show series to the main theatre, which gave both the bands and the light show practitioners a bigger canvas on which to paint. Missing a Pile show at the Capitol Theatre is something upwards with which I won’t put.

Renoly Santiago hosts a 35mm Hackers at Somerville Theatre on Sunday, 15 September 2024.

There was some sort of anniversary related to the 90s cyberpunk flick Hackers. But do you really need a reason to screen a classic? It was a multimedia affair: along with the movie, a light show, live music, DJ, and pre-show talk with the Phreak himself, Renoly Santiago. Honestly, he didn’t have much to say, but the vibes were good.

Claire Rousay does not explode your cellphone at Middle East on Sunday, 22 September 2024.

The experimental, analog/digital maven brought the pop act to Central Square. Shout out to Hump Day News for offering a slew of suggestions when Rousay was fishing around on Twitter for opening act suggestions months prior. All HDN’s suggestions were roundly ignored! But Lavagxrl and Jude Ivy did a great job.

Deerhoof miss a priceless collab opportunity at Arts at the Armory on Wednesday, 25 September 2024.

Deerhoof is kinda one of those living legend bands that have been killing it for so long that you figure you must have seen them live at one point. Right? Wrong. The train will reach the station eventually, so go see the “boxy” indie rockers live before it does.

Sailor Down headlines a Worcester house show at Midway Cafe on Saturday, 28 September 2024.

Classify this show as a happy accident that was never meant to be. At least it was never meant to be at Midway Cafe. But when a house show got canceled on short notice, as they are wont to do, it was Jamaica Plain’s favorite watering hole to the rescue. Music “7 days a week”!

Dávila 666 shines the star at Deep Cuts on Thursday, 10 October 2024.

Dávila 666 led the way on a punk bill that felt like it could have been plucked right off the Handlebar stage in San Juan, Puerto Rico. That’s right, we Googled “puerto rico punk venue.” Gossip Collar was the local darkwave outlier, but everyone fits in just right on a punk bill.

Spider Water celebrates Exit Plan release at Regent Theatre on Saturday, 12 October 2024.

Hump Nights and The 4th Wall teamed up to co-present a night of heavy emo, a bit of Viking thrash, and funk pop. An “all of the above” kind of night. Special thanks to Wallower for jumping on the bill at the last moment. Is the co-presentation a one-off, or the beginning of a beautiful friendship? Only time will tell.

It’s the 2001 Space Odyssey opener, dummy, at Symphony Hall on Friday, 25 October 2024.

Admit it. You went to this to hear the 30-second “2001 Space Odyssey” tagline, not the thirty minute composition that follows. But it’s all good, including a Liszt concerto and a (Boston?) premiere of new classical music, which, in many ways, sounded like old classical music. Extra points for the hair comb harmonies.

HINDS trash the Yankees at Brighton Music Hall on Monday, 28 October 2024.

An indie rawk night gets a gravitas interruption with a moment of (relative) silence for local and beloved veteran music critic Steve Morse. He would have enjoyed the show.

Orla Gartland grins and bears it at the Armory on Thursday, 7 November 2024.

Don McLean sang that song about “The Day The Music Died.” But what about the PA? Orla Gartland fought the good fight, braving a shaky sound system to deliver a knockout performance to a sold out hall of superfans. When the microphone cut out, the crowd would just keep singing the lyrics by themselves until the speakers kicked back in.

Trash Sun lives free and dies at The 4th Wall on Friday, 15 November 2024.

Trash Sun celebrated a record release at The 4th Wall, and The 4th Wall celebrated its 1-year anniversary. That’s right. The music series had its inaugural show on 11/11/23; hosted a bunch of shows and earned a pile of plaudits in 2024; and is eyeing a strong 2025. Venues come and go – enjoy them while they last.

The Melt sounds like a grilled sandwich at Lilypad on Sunday, 24 November 2024.

There are partners in love, of course. And sometimes people talk about “office husbands” or “office wives.” Not quite sure if the turn of phrase has migrated to “office partner”? Hey, llet’s get to the point. There are partners in music as well, and the sweet collaboration of Josh Rosen and Stan Strickland is a thing of beauty. Ostensibly, this show was showcasing Rosen’s jazz ensemble, The Melt. But Strickland was the special guest, and the true center of the music onstage was plain for all to see: a preternatural connection between Rosen’s piano and Strickland’s flutes, and sax, and vocals.

Cody plays out in style with Cape Crush at the Sil on Wednesday, 27 November 2024.

A bittersweet gig with Cody Rico on his adios tour as the drummer for Cape Crush. The backroom of the Sil is one of many micro music scenes that the IBOOKTHINGS guy helped bring to life. We’re all leaves, shaking in the wind, getting ready to fall. Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em.

High Reeper celebrates a record release at Johnny Brenda’s on Friday, 29 November 2024.

A trip to Philly! Apparently they’re a whole lot cooler with fog machines at small venues in the City of Brotherly Love than Boston. Johnny Brenda’s is a must-hit stop on your underground music itinerary. On Friday night, it was a night of doomy, shreddy metal to fill your teacup, with a new record from High Reeper to showcase.

“We’re just honored to be nominated” is bullshit people say at Big Night Live on Wednesday, 11 December 2024.

The Boston Music Awards is a total clusterfuck. But it’s a beautiful clusterfuck, full of familiar faces that belong to people putting in the work to make the music scene happen in Boston and beyond all year long. Go say hi.

Billy and Susan enter their Blue period at EventThem on Saturday, 14 December 2024.

The longrunning “Scream Along” show takes a swing at Joni Mitchell’s Blue album. Billy Hough has a few stories to tell. And who doesn’t like a good story around the holidays?