Live music has been tiptoeing its way back to full health for a few years now, still careening from pandemic-related changes and uncertainty. Here in Boston, 2023 felt like the first real solidly “back” year for live shows, with big names and local favorites alike taking the stage at venues big and small across Massachusetts. With so much more to come next year already announced and highly anticipated, looking back on the past 12 months in live shows and performances reveals 2023 to have been — somehow — only the beginning of what will shape up to be a great few years in gigging. Below are just a handful of highlights from a jam-packed year, listed chronologically.
Trans Day of Visibility Benefit Show at The Rockwell, March 31
In a display of community solidarity in support of Harbor Camps, a program for trans youth, trans artists declared that “Visibility is Not Enough” at this fundraising event in partnership with ONCE Somerville. Hosted and headlined by activist and musician Evan Greer, performers included Levi Cain, TBT, Candace Persuasian, and La Neve. It was an intimate, heartwarming evening that brought some of Boston’s best talent to the beloved basement black box theater.
PUP + Beach Bunny + Pool Kids at Roadrunner, May 24
It was a lineup that brought the pop-punk 20-somethings and TikTok-savvy preteens together in Brighton. Toronto’s PUP and Chicago’s Beach Bunny hit the road to crisscross North America this spring, with help from Tallahassee group Pool Kids along the way; walking in as a fan of one performer, it was hard not to walk out equally impressed by the rest in what ultimately proved to be a cohesive and high-energy show.
The Linda Lindas at Boston Calling, May 28
This Los Angeles rock band can never not melt faces wherever they play, whether at the Scripps National Spelling Bee or on one of Boston’s biggest stages. They’ve become a festival circuit regular of the past two years, and for good reason; these kids are incredibly talented, and command a stage like the best of the best. They’ll be back in town next summer on an equally lofty platform when they open for Green Day at Fenway Park. Photo below by Emily Gardner for Vanyaland.
Alex Lahey + Liza Anne at Crystal Ballroom, June 6
It’s been far too long since one of Australia’s greatest musical exports of recent years did a proper United States headlining tour, and this summer was a treat as Alex Lahey trekked across the country in support of her third album The Answer is Always Yes. Equal parts tongue-in-cheek humorous and authentically personal, Lahey made a big return to the Boston area with a killer set that did justice for her entire discography. Support from the ultra-talented and highly creative Liza Anne wasn’t too bad, either.
waveform* + they are gutting a body of water + Teethe at The Sinclair, July 12
Experimental music shows, frankly, either end up being engrossing experiences that leave you moved or something to shrug shoulders while quipping “well, it happened.” As its inclusion on the list suggests, waveform*’s show this summer at The Sinclair was, thankfully, the former. Openers they are gutting a body of water offered a memorable start to the show, and Teethe brought things back down before the headliners brought the house down with highlights from their 2023 release Antarctica. As New Englanders themselves, waveform* are sure to be back soon with another riveting set.
Love in Exile at MASS MoCA, July 27
Sure, not technically in Boston, but way out in North Adams, this supergroup (consisting of major players Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, and Shahzad Ismaly) made a case for itself with one of the best sets of the year at Bang On A Can’s annual LOUD Weekend. They played their entire critically-acclaimed self-titled album in full in an entrancing, non-stop set. LOUD Weekend is usually known as the who’s-who of new music, where the next Philip Glass composes and chamber ensembles perform, but their broad scope of musical stylings allowed these three musicians to really shine in one of the many performance spaces staged across the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.
Cautious Clay at In Between Days Festival, August 20
In Between Days avoided the sophomore slump by offering a killer lineup carefully curated across two stages and two days in Quincy late this summer. Cleveland-born multi-hyphenate Cautious Clay really stood out for not only a high-energy performance that captivated festival-goers, but also for the sheer breadth of instrumentation. It was, in all likelihood, the first time many had seen an artist sing and also play guitar, sax, and flute all in one set. Apart from the real renaissance man-level talent that feat required, the music spoke for itself, and Clay and his band had an energy to help carry folks through that second-day slog that hits two days into an August fest.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band at Gillette Stadium, August 26
It would feel wrong for me, as a person and a journalist, to not confess to my ever-growing love for The Boss. It started, as it does for many, in my youth, but grew into its own in adulthood, and by the grace of god, this year was the one Springsteen decided to hit the road again (though not without snags along the way, courtesy of show postponements). This show, in particular, was the strongest of the three staged in New England this run; with a surprise deep-cut-friendly setlist change that put it leagues ahead of the concert just two days prior at the same venue, many left the three-hour extravaganza concluding that all these years later, E Street’s still heart-stopping, pants-dropping, earth-shocking, hard-rocking, and so on.
Sammy Rae & the Friends + Britton & the Sting at Roadrunner, September 21
For one last run across the United States, Canada, and Europe before hiding away to finally produce a debut full-length record, Brooklyn favorites Sammy Rae & the Friends built a big whole world for not only themselves, but fans too. The CAMP Tour took over Brighton in early fall with photo opportunities staged like national parks, thematically-appropriate merchandise, a call for concert-goers to show up in their best sleepaway camp attire, and, of course, multiple faux trees onstage. Friends shows are reliably engaging, and by virtue of their musical stylings all but require top-level stage flare, and Broadway alum Britton Smith was certainly up for the challenge of warming an eager crowd up for a night of summer camp revelry.
Future Teens + John-Allison Weiss + Yet to Bloom at Crystal Ballroom, November 15
A list of Boston’s best shows is all but incomplete without mention of at least one Future Teens gig. The hometown heroes always give their all to Boston area venues, and local crowds without fail go their hardest in return. This time around, they co-headlined with John-Allison Weiss, who was celebrating trans joy and the 10th anniversary of their album Say What You Mean in a set that brought tears to the eyes of even those previously unfamiliar with their work. The night kicked off with up-and-coming rock naturals Yet to Bloom, who met, naturally, via Instagram poll while attending Berklee College.
Haasan Barclay + Aubrey Haddard at Rockwood Music Hall Fenway, November 20
Closing out this year chronologically, but far from last in our hearts, is this gig we talked up last month. The still-new Rockwood Music Hall proved a perfect space for this hidden gem of a show featuring local favorite Haasan Barclay and New Yorker Aubrey Haddard. Barclay performed with a full band, allowing for the full depth of his sound to shine, while Haddard held her own with just a guitar and a synth loop to mesmerize with songs from across her discography. The crowd was enthusiastic and entirely invested in the performance — a hard feat in a new room on such a busy strip of Boston like Fenway.