Concerts, what gets better than that? I personally love the energy of concerts from the live music to the lights and even the packed venues. Over the years I have been to over 20 concerts, 4 festivals, and I have seen over 100 artists. Out of all of those concert ventures I will give you my top 5!
5. Houndmouth
Houndmouth is one of my favorite artists. They are extremely underrated in my opinion. They have so many amazing songs and such a positive stage presence. I have seen Houndmouth three times with the first one being them as an opener then at the Hinterland festival then their own concert. I try to see them every time they come near my area. The most recent time was the concert in Omaha at The Slowdown where I got to see their full set. It was such a fun concert as they sang all of their popular stuff and some new songs. The entire band just has such an uplifting vibe to them. They all looked like they were having fun. One was drinking tea another was jamming out and they would talk with the crowd.
4. Bird and Byron
This is my most random choice due to the fact that are such a small duo but the energy and kindness they showed us was unmatched. Not to mention how amazing their vocals are. Bird and Bryon are an indie rock duo. They have a very soulful feel on top of that which gives them such a great sound which I personally would argue that they are even better in person.
I recently saw them in Omaha at The Slowdown which is a smaller venue near the CHI Health Center. When we first got there we got a table to sit at and enjoyed some of the opening bands. They were small artists and some weren’t my cup of tea but that was okay because we were there for the main act. As we watched them though we kept seeing Bird and Byron walking around the venue and selling their merch at the table. I appreciated this and the fact that they wanted to meet their fans.
During the concert they had great stage presence while talking to the crowd and dancing around. After the show they told us that we should all stop at the merch table to talk with them and check out their stuff. Of course we did and we had a great time talking with them. They took the time to get a picture with us also.
On top of this we had asked if they had any posters left over but they were all sold out. Quickly they offered to give us the set list and that made my respect for them go up even more.
3. Greta Van Fleet
Wow. All I have to say for Greta Van Fleet. First off Josh’s vocals are just out of this world. The entire band is extremely talented in not only their main instrument but so many others. They have actual flames behind them. What can get better than this?
Greta Van Fleet concerts are true rock concerts. They can sing they can rock and they can provide a great concert experience. They can also dress and each concert the fits always match their vibes. The brothers and Danny are also just hilarious. They post behind the scenes during concerts and always have something funny to say during the show. They have a Led Zeppelin vibe to them but in their own way. One of my favorite bands and if you enjoy rock you should try them out.
2. Noah Kahan
Noah Kahan is an outstanding artist. He has a range of songs but they all have the same folk tone to them. I found his music a few years ago and from then I have seen him three different times. Two times at different Hinterland festivals and one time in Kansas City. His full concert made me like him even more but the first time I saw him at the festival was definitely a moment I knew I wanted to listen to him more. To make the whole crowd laugh in between songs is a whole other talent that he has. People bring a lot of signs to his concerts that he likes to interact with. He is so relatable and easy to joke with which helps his stage presence.
Each concert I attend he seems to get more confident and funnier making each show better.
1. Stevie Nicks and Billy Joel
Now do I need to say more? It seems a little unfair that Stevie Nicks and Billy Joel performed at the same concert together but they did and I am so glad I got to enjoy it with my mom. Of course this is what she grew up with so naturally this is what she raised me on. I have been obsessed with Fleetwood Mac for so long so to see Stevie Nicks in person was insane. Then to see Billy Joel just made this concert the best.
Stevie Nicks has a very cool and calm vibe to her. She is as magical as you may think and has such a beautiful voice though she didn’t talk to the crowd much only sang. She had comments here and there but her singing was enough for me. She sang some of her own top songs and some of Fleetwood Mac’s. She had tributes to Tom Petty and Christine McVie. She also brought on Billy Joel for a duo which was so cool to see.
Then there is Billy Joel. Incredible stage presence and hilarious. To hear Piano Man and Vienna live was insane. Hearing basically every song he sang was insane. He has so many hits and to sing that with an entire crowd was so fun. He seemed like he was happy to be up there which made the crowd even happier to watch.
We laughed we sang and we danced. Such a great concert!
These are my Top 5 artists.
Watch the videos on my social: https://www.instagram.com/explorewithang/?igsh=bm5zZ21sOTljMDUw&utm_source=qr#
Find more on my website: https://buzz.uni.edu/exploringwithang/
I too enjoy all the artists you have mentioned in this list. I hope to see a few of them in person someday as well. I hope you continue to update this list as you go to more concerts as I hope it inspires others to see their favorite artist in person as it has inspired me.
Hello Tyler. Thank you so much for your kind words. I’ll sure take this into account!