First: Ravi Shankar

I lucked into this one. When I was like six years old my parents had tickets to see Ravi in Iowa City, and a few nights before the show my sister broke her leg. My mom wanted to stay home with her instead of getting a babysitter, so my dad took me to the show instead. The music was amazing, but what I remember most about that night was feeling like I got to sneak in to Grown-Up World for a few hours. Quite the coup.

Last: Alanis Morissette

Still kinda can’t believe I finally got to see her live. Jagged Little Pill was such a huge part of my childhood and I’d always seen Alanis as this like, mythic figure, and she completely lived up to it while also coming across as totally human and relatable. Amazing show, 11/10.

Worst: Yellowcard

Total snoozefest, literally – I fell asleep halfway through.

Loudest: Dinosaur Jr.

The first time I saw Dinosaur Jr. I went in with no earplugs and they shook my brain most of the way out. I had to go to work at Chipotle the next day and I could not hear anything that anybody was ordering. Hope they got the burritos they wanted.

Best: Ween

Every Ween show is something special, but I’d give the edge to the last time I saw them, at Red Rocks in August 2023. The band was playing super tight and grooving together really well, and it created a powerful vibe that encompassed the whole amphitheater.

Most Surprising: Wilco

I didn’t really know them, and I expected something less interesting than what they turned out to be. The show made me a fan.

Happy I got to see: Weird Al

I saw him on his second Ill-Advised Vanity Tour, where the setlists were all original songs and no parodies. It would have been worth it just to hear my favorite Al song, “Why Does This Always Happen To Me?”, which was incredible, but the rest of the show was just as great. They closed with a straightforward cover of REM’s “End of the World”, so I finally got a chance to yell LEONARD BERNSTEIN along with a packed audience.

Wish I’d seen: Arrogant Sons of Bitches

Jeff Rosenstock live is a treat no matter what year it is, but I never even heard of him until long after his early high-energy ska band was in the past.