2013 In Review : My Year In Concerts

I made a personal goal to try and make it to seventy-five shows this year. I just barely made it. 2013 was a pretty great year for shows for me. I got to see a couple of bands (Texas Is The Reason, The Replacements) I never thought I would see. I saw quite a few shows in cities (Chicago, Little Rock, Louisville, Memphis) outside of the St. Louis area. And of course, I made sure to see Lucero as many times (six) as I could this year.

I tried to include all the bands on the bill for this list. Unfortunately, there are a few I forgot to write down and cannot seem to remember. I am including comedy shows in this list and shows that I ran sound for as well. I am also including the New Years Eve show at Off Broadway from 12/31/12 since it rolled over into 1/1/13 and started the year off. On to the list…

12/31/12 – 01/01/13 – Kentucky Knife Fight/Blind Eyes – Off Broadway

January

5 – Deon Cole – Laugh Factory (Chicago, IL)
6 – Texas Is The Reason/Into Another/Sense Field/Popeye – House Of Blues
(Chicago, IL)
11 – The Trophy Mules/The BOB Band – Stagger Inn (Sound Gig)
16 – Our Lady/Breakmouth Annie/River City Sound – Firebird
18 – Delocated Variety Show w/ “Jon”/Archer Prewitt/Kurt Braunohler/Larry Murphy/
Greg Johnson – The Hideout (Chicago, IL)
19 – Chicago School Of Rock performing the songs of Wilco – Schuba’s (Chicago, IL)
19 – Lucero/Houndmouth/Matrimony – The Metro (Chicago, IL)
22 – Drive-By Truckers/Houndmouth – The Blue Note (Columbia, MO)

February

2 – 33 On The Needle/Breakmouth Annie/Clubber Lang – Stagger Inn (Sound Gig)
6 – Jonathan Richman – Off Broadway
7 – Potions/Dibiase – Stagger Inn (Sound Gig)
8 – Dana Anderson – Frawley’s
16 – John Henry And The Engine/The Incurables/The Trophy Mules – The Duck Room
22 – Dana Anderson – Stagger Inn (Sound Gig)

March

1 – Earthsol/The BOB Band/Super Fun Yeah Yeah Rocketship – Stagger Inn (Sound Gig)
2 – Steve Chosich – Iron Barley
2 – Kentucky Knife Fight/The Ladybirds/Pretty Little Empire – Off Broadway
7 – Robert Earl Keen/Andrea Davidson – Off Broadway
20 – Lydia Loveless/Two Cow Garage
22 – Pete Moss And The Northsiders – Stagger Inn (Sound Gig)
23 – Breakmouth Annie – Heavy Anchor
23 – The Trophy Mules – Mangia
28 – Hayes Carll/Warren Hood and the Goods – Off Broadway
29 – Flatwheel Band – Stagger Inn (Sound Gig)

April

4 – Amy LaVere/Sleepy Kitty – Off Broadway
8 – The Revival Tour (Chuck Ragan/Dave Hause/Tim McIlrath/Rocky Votolato) –
Old Rock House
13 – Billy Bragg – City Winery (Chicago, IL)
20 – Flatwheel Band – Stagger Inn
27 – Lucero/Langhorne Slim – RIBCO (Rock Island, IL)

May

3 – Lucero/Langhorne Slim – Headliners (Louisville, KY)
11 – Breakmouth Annie/33 On The Needle/Billy And The Jets – Heavy Anchor
18 – Kevin Smith – The Pageant (Q & A Session)
31 – Dave Alvin/Kevin Gordon – Off Broadway

June

6 – Joe Pug/Motel Mirrors/Shiverin Timbers/Scarlet Tanager – Duck Room
11 – Peter Frampton/Robert Cray Band/Kenny Wayne Sheppard – Family Arena
15 – Blind Eyes/Beth Bombara/Bruiser Queen – Off Broadway
20 – Ha Ha Tonka/Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin/Ezra Furman – Off Broadway

July

6 – Will Hoge/The Incurables – Off Broadway
23 – Griffin House – Old Rock House

August

7 – Tim Barry/Cory Branan – The Demo
8 – Lucero/Kentucky Knife Fight/Jesse Irwin – Off Broadway
9 – Adam Faucett/Kevin Kerby – White Water Tavern (Little Rock, AR)
10 – Lucero/John Moreland/Guy Venable – First Security Amphitheater (Little Rock, AR)
16 – Doc Ellis Band/Diesel Island/John Krane – Off Broadway
30 – TOK/Dibiase/Heroes Of The Kingdom – Schlafly Tap Room

September

7 – Slobberbone/Old Capital Square Dance Club – Off Broadway
12 – Kevin James – Chicago Theater
13 – Riot Fest Day 1 (Flatfoot 56/Smoking Popes/Andrew W.K./Bad
Religion/Atmosphere/Joan Jett And The Blackhearts/Danzig) –
Humboldt Park (Chicago, IL)
14 – Riot Fest Day 2 (X/Dinosaur Jr./Guided By Voices/Pennywise/Flag/
Blondie/Public Enemy/Violent Femmes/Blink-182) – Humboldt Park
(Chicago, IL)
14 – Rocket From The Crypt/The Flatliners/Tight Phantomz – Double Door (Chicago, IL)
15 – Riot Fest Day 3 (Chuck Ragan/Maps & Atlases/Peter Hook & The Light/Mission Of
Burma/Quicksand/Against Me!/Bob Mould/The Dismemberment Plan/Rocket
From The Crypt/Suicidal Tendencies/Pixies/The Replacements) – Humboldt Park
(Chicago, IL)
18 – Mutts/brotherfather – Stagger Inn
22 – Centro-matic – Off Broadway
25 – Dana Anderson/Jesse Irwin/John Krane/Dave Werner – The Focal Point
28 – Hursey Benefit – Fairview Heights Elks Club (Sound Gig)

October

4 – Fumer/Breakmouth Annie/Elbow Through Hammer – Foam
5 – 18 Stories/Mike Coykendall/The Sons Of Ill Repute – The Way Out Club
31 – Dana Anderson & Co. – Stagger Inn (Sound Gig)

November

14 – Will Johnson – Living Room Show (Chicago, IL)
15 – Kyle Kinane – Up Comedy Club (Chicago, IL)
20 – Mike Maimone/Dana Anderson/John Krane – Foam
22 – The Trophy Mules – Schlafly Tap Room
23 – Earthsol – Cicero’s
28 – Brian Krumm/Tim Krumm/Dana Anderson – Stagger Inn (Sound Gig)
29 – Austin Lucas/PJ Bond/Trapper Schoepp – Duck Room

December

3 – Drag The River/The Dive Poets – Duck Room
4 – brotherfather/Monogram Suitcase/Tommy Halloran – Livery Company
6 – White Water Holiday Hangout Night 1 (Caleb Caudle/Adam Faucett And
The Tall Grass/Glossary/Two Cow Garage) – White Water Tavern
(Little Rock, AR)
7 – White Water Holiday Hangout Night 2 (JKutchma/Mulehead/Motel Mirrors/
Glossary/Ben Nichols) – White Water Tavern (Little Rock, AR)
8 – White Water Holiday Hangout Night 3 (Shane Sweeney/Kevin Kerby/JKutchma/
Micah Schnabel/Paul Graves) – White Water Tavern (Little Rock, AR)
14 – 18 Stories/Explosive Space Modulator – Johnny’s Sidebar (Sound Gig)
19 – The Whistle Pigs – Stagger Inn (Sound Gig)
21 – Lucero/Dead Soldiers – Minglewood Hall (Memphis, TN)
27 – St. Louis Symphony : The Music Of John Williams – Powell Symphony Hall

So there it is, my year in shows. I know there are few I probably missed putting on the list, but I think this is pretty close to a complete list. I am going to have a hard time figuring out what my “Top 5 List” may be for shows this year. So many of these shows were so special and amazing for many different reasons.

Thanks to all the bands and venues for providing all the great entertainment this year. I would like to especially thank all the bands that let me run sound for them. Not only does it put a little cash in my pocket, but it allows me to do something I really enjoy doing.

I really cannot wait to see what 2014 has in store on the show front. The year is already looking to get off to a good start with shows from Diesel Island, Motel Mirrors, Bobby Bare Jr., Matt Pryor, and The Hold Steady in January. Hope everyone has a great New Year celebration and I hope to see you out at a show in 2014!