Music So Good, Sometimes It Hurts

Clockwise from top left: Cadaverette, Darkside, Maruja

Here's a little something about me -- I love seeing live music. I find it invigorating, inspiring, and physically purifying. I say that, but I also get what I call "music sick" from long, loud, growing bass (which I happen to find both physiologically enthralling and upsetting). It seems the bass triggers an inner ear disturbance that causes nausea and dizziness. It disappears once I'm away from the music - sometimes, I'm forced to leave the show early to my great disappointment.

Anyway, despite the chance of getting sick at the show, I see lots of bands. My husband and I aim for 10-12 concerts per year... but you won't find me in the mosh pit. I ain't got time for all that physical therapy 😛

Since 2022, I've been keeping a list of all the bands I see each year...

SHOWS IN 2022:

• Bettye LaVette (NYC)

• Chet Faker (Vancouver, Canada)

• Dope Lemon (Boston)

• The Wailers (Hampton, NH)

• Skye Dee Miles (Las Vegas)

• War on Women (Cambridge, MA)

• Soft Moon (Cambridge, MA) *Favorite Show of 2022*

• QWANQUA (Portland, ME)

• Special Interest (Portsmouth, NH)

• *Random Boston Band (not sure who they were, but they did a great cover of 'Season of the Witch')

2023:

• Funky Dogs (Portsmouth, NH)

• Wolfdoor (Portsmouth, NH)

• Yo La Tengo (Brooklyn, NY)

• Snow Tha Product (Boston, MA)

• Four Tet (NYC)

• Teke::Teke (Montreal, Canada)

• Ashnikko (Boston, MA)

• Dope Lemon (Boston, MA)

• Kaleta and Super Yamba Band (Portland, ME) *Favorite Show of 2023*

• Deadmou5 (Boston, MA)

• Wolfmother (Boston, MA)

• Pussy Riot (Boston, MA)

2024:

• Black Pumas (NYC)

• Tekacs Quartet (Boston, MA)

• The Kills (Boston, MA)

• Hermanos Gutierrez (Boston, MA)

• The Messethtics (Somerville, MA) *Favorite Show of 2024*

• Jjuujjuu (Somervillle, MA)

• Joyce N'sana (Montreal, Canada)

• Baba MD (Montreal, Canada)

• Sun Ra Arkestra (Portland, ME)

• Santigold (Boston, MA)

• Brittany Howard (Boston, MA)

2025 (so far...):

• Jack White (Boston, MA)

• Cadaverette (Portland, ME)

• Darkside (Boston, MA)

• Maruja (Somerville, MA)

• Mogwai (Boston, MA)

• Lambrini Girls (Somerville, MA)

• Tickets purchased for concerts later this year: Amyl and the Sniffers, The Black Keys, and Mannequin Pussy

I hope you'll follow the links and check out the bands! Let me know what you think, what you like, and who you're seeing this year in the comments below.