Official DOL Summer Concert Bucket List

Concerts and summer go together like 

There's nothing better than being outside on a beautiful summer night, vibin', drinkin' beers, maybe smoking something (only if you're in a state where it's legal of course), listening to awesome music with your friends/family. If you're going to exclude water based activities, which everybody with a brain knows is the best part of summer, concerts (along with a night at a ballpark) are the best way to spend a summer evening IMO.

Despite being a man child, wannabe blogger, who lives in my dad's basement I've been lucky enough to go to some awesome summer concerts; The Black Keys, Dave Matthews Band, Florence + the Machine, Zac Brown Band, and Jimmy Buffett (sort of) just to name a few.

With music, just like ice cream or money, you can never have enough. There's still a bunch of artists I'm dying to cross off my concert bucket list. So in the (my favorite filler phrase) dog days of summer, where content is at a premium I figured, what the heck? What better time to do a very specific blog about me and my own musical tastes to push onto others. Here I will try to use my gift of the written word to talk about music in a sense that has you thinking:

"You know what, I've been reading DOL for over a year, and this overweight, but handsome man actually has some pretty good shit to say, not only is he funny, and a v knowledge sport fan,  but he also has fantastic taste in music, I don't know exactly what he'd do there, but he should be working for barstool, maybe I'll go send an email".  

Stuff like that. (You totally should send an email to anybody at Barstool, explaining how much you love DOL and why I deserve at the very least, a sit down interview)

The only rules with this blog are that I cannot have already seen the artist (so that eliminates Mos Def and Talib Kweli, Kid Cudi, J. Cole, The Black Keys, Flaming Lips, Cage The Elephant, Taking Back Sunday, Of Monsters and Men, Kings of Leon, Zac Brown Band, Jimmy Buffett [although I do need to see him awake], Florence + the Machine, and Dave Matthews Band {probably forgetting someone}) AND they still have to be performing**. I think that's fair. I believe I can speak for all of us when I say seeing the Beatles or Hendrix live would've been pretty cool, but since it's not possible let's not waste time with them.

Alrighty, let's get it going. You're about to see a v random assortment of artists. 

via GIPHY

Lady Gaga

Song(s) I Want To Hear Live The Most: "A Million Reason", "Bad Romance", "Just Dance", "Edge of Glory"
 
Between her performance at the Super Bowl halftime show in February lady-gaga-killed-it-last-night.html, and latest album "Joanne", one thing I've realized recently is how much I truly enjoy Gaga's music. While I'm not the biggest fan in the sense of knowing her entire catalog, I fuck with her hits heavy. 

I've spoken about how groundbreaking her album "The Fame" was, every single was a smash. One of the biggest albums of my high school years, those songs just make me think about parties in people's basements. Didn't realize it then, but that album was the soundtrack to our lives at the time.

I think seeing her perform live would be an incredible experience, and one that I'll have to wait until I have a big boy job, since her tickets are pricey AF (hire me BSS), her shows look like something all music fans need to experience before it's all said and done. No matter what you think about her music or persona, there's no denying that Gaga pulls out all the stops to put on a memorable performance. I need to see that sheer emotion live. I feel like Lady Gaga is the type of performer who could make someone who doesn't know a single one of her songs cry.  The actual experience of going to one of her shows to see her perform and does on stage is almost as intriguing as the music itself.
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Hall and Oates

Song(s) I Want To Hear Live The Most: "She's Gone", "Private Eyes", "One on One"

Fun fact: I am a HUGE Hall and Oates guy.

For someone who was born after they had the majority of their commercial success (they haven't had a top 04 hit or an album go gold or platinum in my lifetime) I fucking love these guys. Their sound evolves over the course of their career, they started as a folky, bluesy duo, and by the 80's had adapted to the times including syns in their sound. As a music guy, I have to see these guys and pay my respect to the great career they've had.  I don't understand how there's people who dislike these guys as a duo, they are one of the most successful duos in music history with decades of hits. 

Also John Oates should be legally required to have a mustache until the day he dies.

Darius Rucker

Song(s) I Want To Hear Live The Most:  "Wagon Wheel", "Time", "Only Wanna Be With You", "Comeback Song", " Don't Think I Don't Think About It"

This one is kind of a loophole.

While I like a lot of his country hits, to me Darius Rucker will always be Hootie. I'm pretty sure he hates when people say that, but if you're being honest it's okay to make people upset, and that's how I feel.

As much as I'd like (don't really care) the original members of Hootie and the Blowfish to be there performing "Let Her Cry" or "Hold My Hand", I really just need Darius and some studio musicians. I couldn't name the other members/blowfish if you gave me the rest of my life and all the money in the world as a reward.

So the way I see it, at a Darius Rucker show you're getting the best of both worlds: country Darius, and the best of Hootie and the Blowfish. As one of my favorite voices in all of music, I gotta see Darius perform someday. 

Glass Animals

Song(s) I Want To Hear Live The Most:  "Pork Soda", "Gooey", "Youth", 'Life Itself", "Season 2 Episode 3", "Hazey"

​This British indie rock band has been in my daily rotation since their 2nd record "How to be a Human Being" came out. Their shows look like a blast from what I've seen on youtube and their live performances on talk shows. To put it simply, I fucking love this group, and as one of the few acts on this list who is in the "we're still trying to make a name for ourselves" part of their career, it feels like I'll have plenty of time to see these guys. Their sound is infectious, hard to listen to Glass Animals and be in a bad mood. So many unique sounds in their music that you don't hear a ton in most music. They have songs you can just vibe out to, and songs you can get fired TF up to. If you haven't heard them yet, get out from underneath the rock you're living under and give them a whirl. 
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Blink 182 **(with Tom Delonge)

Song(s) I Want To Hear Live The Most: "What's My Age Again", "Josie",  "Going Away To College", "Every Time I Look For You"

​I know I said earlier that the band still had to be performing, and in a way I'm breaking my own rules, but since this is MY blog, I'm going to let it slide. Not going to throw the cuffs on myself here.

Everybody loves Blink-182, even if you aren't really into rock. I haven't met someone who hates Blink-182, and I have, fuck that person, they're obviously not smart.

​If you're around my age and were/are into the pop-punk/alt-rock scene than you probably were raised on Blink-182. I know I was. I can remember the summer of 1999 when I'd be at my friend Kevin's house that Enema of The State would always be in the mix. One of the earliest memories I have of music was that album. So many classic hits, and of course that classic album cover.

I know Tom has since been replaced with Matt Skiba, and that Blink has made another album since he left the band, but there have been rumors that maybe, someday things will be able to go back to the way they were. I sure as hell hope so because I really want to be singing along to the pop-punk of my youth with a bunch of people like me who were raised on Blink-182 someday. Nothing against Matt Skiba, but those songs just aren't the same without Tom. How the hell are you going to perform "All The Small Things" without Tom Delonge?

Bastille

Song(s) I Want To Hear Live The Most: "Flaws", "Bad Blood", "Pompeii" "Good Grief", "The Currents", "Blame", "Warmth"

Dan Smith's voice makes me believe that someday there can be world peace.  The vocals in this group's music separates them from others in rock today. Cannot emphasize enough how incredible Dan Smith's voice is. He could sing a cookbook and I'd buy it. The raw emotion in their songs make it very easy to become a fan of them. Bastille despite being in the middle of this list on the blog, are much closer to the top of acts I need to see. I can listen to "Wild World" front to back without skipping a song, they're all v good.

Paramore

Song(s) I Want To Hear Live The Most:  "Misery Business", Ain't It Fun", "Hard Times", "Pool"

Another band that I rediscovered thanks to new music, Paramore has been a fixture in the alt rock scene for a decade now. I don't know their whole backstory like other bands I'm into, I know they've had some turnover recently. But to put it simply; I really enjoy their music and would love to see them live. So much so that they went from off my radar, to on my concert bucket list. Life moves quickly. As a band who has a history of doing cross-genre/era covers I'd love to be in attendance for one. Their "new" 80's sound is fucking incredible, and also great to listen to at the gym.

Coldplay

Song(s) I Want To Hear Live The Most:  "The Scientist", "Clocks", "Viva La Vida", "Fix You", "Yellow", "Trouble"

You know how I know you're gay?


I've gone through phases with Coldplay. They're not a band I listen to all the time, but as a music fan, they're a band I greatly respect. Chris Martin and the rest of the group have been doing it for over 20 years. To me the event of going to a Coldplay show, with all the lights, colors, and interaction is what makes the prospect of seeing them live so appealing. You start thinking about their career, and it's just hit, after hit. You can make fun of Coldplay all you want, but there's no denying the positive impact they've had on music and the world. 

Fleetwood Mac

Song(s) I Want To Hear Live The Most: "Dreams", "Landslide", Go Your Own Way", "Don't Stop"

I've been learning more about Fleetwood Mac from HBO's The Defiant Ones. I don't know a ton about Fleetwood Mac and am not going to try and act like I do. Although as a wannabe hipster, maybe I should?

​My memories of Lindsey Buckingham are those of Bill Hader playing him on SNL's "What's Up With That?". One of my favorite running gags of recent SNL was Keenan never getting to Lindsey during the sketch.

But what I will say about Fleetwood Mac is that they are one of the most important and influential acts in music history. Rumours changed music forever. They're all getting up there in age, the still sexy Stevie Nicks is 69 years old (nice). Her influences on music, style and fashion are well documented. As a historian I'd love to see these guys perform. To me being able to say I saw them perform live would be pretty cool.

Eagles

Song(s) I Want To Hear Live The Most: "Lyin Eyes", "Take It Easy", "Hotel California", "Desperado", "Already Gone" (and pretty much every song they've ever made)

Originally I wasn't going to put them on my list, because I had heard Don Henley say before that with the death of Glenn Frey that the Eagles were done performing. Now with his son, Deacon the show goes on.

Last summer I was on a HUGE Eagles kick, and really have never came out of it. Obviously I had heard them growing up, but never really dug deep into their catalog until last summer. I watched their documentary History of the Eagles on netflix (multiple times) as well. They are one of the most successful and important American rock acts of all time. They are the sound of summer, and make me wish I was my parent's age so I could've seen them live in the their hayday. Now I just have to see them before more start passing away.

Mumford and Sons

Song(s) I Want To Hear Live The Most: "Little Lion Man", "The Cave", "Dustbowl Dance", "Rollaway Your Stone", "Babel", "I Will Wait", "Lover of the Light", "Hopeless Wanderer", "Below My Feet", "The Wolf", "Believe"

Mumford and Sons are one of my all time favorite bands. The final 3 spots of this list are the top 3 groups on my bucket list.

I've been really into Mumford and Sons since 2012 when I went to Montreal with 5 of my friends and we heard some cover band playing "Little Lion Man". It became the song of the trip, and whenever I hear it it brings back memories. It was a song I knew from the radio, but never really knew about the band. That trip caused me to research them more and more and I became hooked. Later that year they came out with their 2nd album "Babel" which went on to win the 2013 Grammy for Album of the Year. 

Their sound has evolved from the banjo heavy folk sound of their first two albums, to 2015's "Wilder Mind" which saw the band have a more traditional rock sound. Since they broke onto the scene in 2009 they've been one of the most popular acts in all of music selling out arenas around the world. 

Tame Impala

Song(s) I Want To Hear Live The Most: "Feels Like We Only Go Backward", "The Moment", "New Person, Same Old Mistakes", "Be Above It", "Elephant", "The Less I Know The Better", "Eventually", "Let It Happen", "Yes I'm Changing"

Tame Impala is one of my favorite acts in all of music right now, and I hate that it took me so long to fall in love with their music. I feel like I'd be a better man (foreshadowing the final artist on my list) had I known about them earlier. 

Last year, one of my best friends in the world (you know who you are) recommended them to me, and it's one of the greatest gifts I've ever received. The work of Kevin Parker has changed my life, for the better.

This psychedelic band from Australia is the brainchild of Kevin Parker. Who writes, performs and produces all their music, then has the band perform it live. Very similar to what Brian Wilson did with Pet Sounds in the mid 60's, except Parker has done this with all of Tame's work (I think). Currents helped me deal with so many issues that had been haunting me for years. It's an album that is so good that I bought the actual CD, and have never taken it out of my car. Tame Impala is probably the most unfamiliar act on this list to the average person I know. I highly recommend them.
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Pearl Jam

Song(s) I Want To Hear Live The Most: "Better Man", "Alive", "Last Kiss", "Dissident", "Even Flow", "Black", "Daughter", "Sirens", "Elderly Woman Behind a Counter in a Small Town", "Yellow Ledbetter", "Once", "Animal" 

They've been doing it for literally my entire life.

I was born on December 15th, 1991 and Pearl Jam's legendary debut album "Ten" came out a few months earlier in late August. Ever since they've taken on Ticketmaster and said fuck you to regular marketing strategies. Pearl Jam has been making truly important music for a quarter century and counting. So many stories throughout the lyrics of one Edward Louis Severson III.

IMO, Eddie Vedder has the greatest voice in rock history. He could give me goosebump singing a receipt. There is nothing quite like him, and between the vocals, the emotion, and passion displayed by him it's easy to become a fan. Plus if you mix in all the good Pearl Jam has done for the world with their platform it's not hard to root for these guys.

Recently I kind of had an epiphany and realized how big of a fan of theirs I am. Kind of like in a romantic comedy when the girl realizes she's been in love with the guy all along. I've been in love with Pearl Jam since the first time I heard them, I just didn't realize it at the time. I guess just because so much of their great music is older, that I kind of overlooked it. Like it's always been there for me, and at times I've listened, but I never truly realized how many masterpieces this group has created. Songs like Even Flow and Jeremy I've listened to since as long as I can remember. When I first started to learn about music and the culture, they were one of the first bands I learned about because of the impact they and other grunge groups had on an entire generation. They've stood the test of time, unlike their "competition" at the time.

If I do not get to see Pearl Jam and Eddie Vedder perform at some point during my lifetime I will be very upset. 

That pretty much wraps up the Official DOL Summer Concert Bucket List. While honestly it doesn't matter what time of year I eventually see all these acts, all that matters is being their to hear their music. Who is on your Concert Bucket List? Feel free to share! Thanks for reading!