I love live music.
I love all music, really, but live music is especially fun for me. In the summer of 2012, I wrote a blog post about concerts and live music, and talked about how many of my trips to new places started with a concert in that place. In that post, I listed every band I had seen up until that point. Since then, I’ve moved it to this page and I’ve been regularly updating the list whenever I see a new band.
What follows is that list – every concert I’ve seen (that I can recall), including some well-known comedians. I’m not including musicals, broadway or otherwise, but that would add a few dozen more names to the list. An asterisk (*) means I’ve seen them more than once. And I’ve left off a great many hyperlocal bands and opening acts who were tremendously talented in their own right.
I’ve always thought you can tell a lot about a person by the music they listen to. Judging by this list, I either have really good taste or a deep and fulfilling psychosis.
Anyway, here’s the list.
- 100 Gecs
- A Flock of Seagulls*
- A Place To Bury Strangers
- a-ha
- The Aces
- ACTORS*
- Bryan Adams
- Age of Madness (featuring Jeremy Jordan)
- Air
- Air Supply
- The Alan Parsons Live Project
- Brooke Alexx
- Al1ce
- All Hail The Silence
- Jimmie Allen
- Ambrosia
- America
- Tori Amos*
- And One
- Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull (with Alan Parsons Live Project)
- Angels & Agony
- Adam Ant
- Apoptygma Berzerk
- Fiona Apple
- Aqua
- Arcade Fire
- Ariana and the Rose
- Armors
- Astari Night
- Rick Astley
- Atlas Genius
- Augustana
- Aurora*
- Ausgang
- Ayria
- The B-52s
- Bad Company
- Tom Bailey (of the Thompson Twins)
- Kelsea Ballerini
- Julien Baker*
- BANKS
- Sara Bareilles*
- Barenaked Ladies
- Nessa Barrett
- Bastille
- Bauhaus
- The Beaches*
- Bear Hands
- The Beat (a.k.a. The English Beat)*
- Beborn Beton
- Em Beihold*
- Bell Biv DeVoe
- Ben Folds Five
- Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo
- Benee
- Donny Benet
- The Beths
- Betty Who
- Big Electric Cat
- Big Time Rush
- Wallis Bird
- The Birthday Massacre
- Lewis Black*
- Rebecca Black
- Black Eyed Peas
- Black Pumas
- Black Rose Burning*
- Black Tape For A Blue Girl
- Bleachers
- Bloc Party
- Blondie
- Blood Red Shoes
- Rachel Bloom
- BLÜ EYES
- The Blue Man Group*
- Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
- Book of Love*
- BOOTBLACKS
- Clare Bowen and Brandon Robert Young
- Boy Harsher
- Boyz II Men
- Phoebe Bridgers
- Bishop Briggs*
- Brit Floyd
- Marc Broussard
- Bobby Brown
- Allie Crow Buckley
- Jimmy Buffett
- The Buggles
- Busta Rhymes
- Butthole Surfers
- Victoria Canal
- Lewis Capaldi
- Capitol Steps*
- Brandi Carlile
- George Carlin*
- Vanessa Carlton
- Carrot Top
- Nick Cave and Warren Ellis
- Peter Cetera
- The Chameleons*
- Charli XCX
- Cheap Trick
- Eagle-Eye Cherry
- Chicago
- Children On Stun
- Christian Death
- Chromeo
- CHVRCHES*
- Ciara
- Peter Cincotti
- Cinema Hearts
- Gary Clark, Jr.
- Claud
- John Cleese and Eric Idle
- George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic/The P-Funk All-Stars*
- Cece Coakley
- Leonard Cohen and the Webb Sisters
- Marc Cohn
- Cold Cave*
- Shawn Colvin
- Paula Cole*
- The Commodores
- Common (At Rock Hall Induction 2023)
- Alice Cooper*
- David Copperfield
- Jonathan Coulton
- Covenant
- Counting Crows
- The Cranberries
- Christopher Cross
- Crosses (†††)
- Sheryl Crow*
- The Crüxshadows
- Alan Cumming
- Madison Cunningham (with the NSO)
- The Cure*
- The Cybertronic Spree*
- Noah Cyrus
- Lucy Dacus
- Dixie D’Amelio
- The Damned
- The Dandy Warhols
- Sarah Darling with Julie Lavery
- Das Ich
- Mikaela Davis
- Morris Day and the Time
- Deadstar Assembly
- El DeBarge*
- Def Leppard
- Blu DeTiger
- Depeche Mode*
- Des Rocs
- De/Vision*
- Devo
- Dennis DeYoung (without Styx)*
- Neil Diamond
- Ani DiFranco
- Dodie
- Dogstar (The band with Keanu Reeves on bass)
- Thomas Dolby*
- The Dollyrots
- The Doobie Brothers*
- Dragonette
- DSTR (formerly known as Destroid)
- Duran Duran
- Earth, Wind, and Fire
- Echo & The Bunnymen
- Echosmith
- Madeline Edwards
- Eels*
- Ego Likeness
- Billie Eilish
- Electric Hellfire Club
- Electric Six
- Missy Elliott*
- Emancipator
- Empathy Test
- En Vogue
- Enter The Haggis
- Erasure*
- Cynthia Erivo
- Gloria Estefan
- Jackie Evancho
- EXTC (XTC’s Terry Chambers & Friends)
- Faith & The Muse*
- Fever Ray
- Tina Fey (with Amy Poehler)
- Lee Fields with the Expressions
- Firefall
- Samantha Fish
- Fishbone*
- Fitz and the Tantrums
- The Fixx
- The Flaming Lips*
- Fletcher
- Flobots
- Florence + The Machine*
- Flo Rida
- Ben Folds (with the NSO)
- Miya Folick
- Foo Fighters
- Foreigner (with no original members)
- David Foster*
- Franc Moody
- Freezepop*
- Daði Freyr*
- Front 242*
- Allie Frost
- Funker Vogt*
- Peter Gabriel
- Garbage
- Gatlin
- GAYLE
- Genesis
- Boy George & Culture Club
- Ghost Funk Orchestra
- Debbie Gibson*
- Rhiannon Giddens
- Liz Gillies (with Seth MacFarlane)
- Gin Blossoms
- Ginuwine
- Glasperlenspiel
- Glass Apple Bonzai
- Cherry Glazerr
- Mindy Gledhill
- Ciel Gloss
- Glove*
- Golden Apes
- The Gothsicles
- Dana Gould
- Ellie Goulding*
- Andy Grammer
- Green Day
- Greensky Bluegrass
- Griefcat
- Griff*
- Guy
- Buddy Guy*
- Haim
- Half Waif
- Daryl Hall & John Oates
- Hallowed Hearts
- Herbie Hancock*
- Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová (The Swell Season)*
- Juliana Hatfield
- Sophie B. Hawkins
- Colin Hay*
- Hayseed Dixie
- Justin Hayward (of the Moody Blues)
- The Head and the Heart
- Heather Headley
- HEALTH
- Lisa Heller
- Amy Helm
- Don Henley (with the NSO)
- Joshua Henry
- H.E.R.*
- Here Come The Mummies
- Herman’s Hermits with Peter Noone
- Hotel Fiction
- Jennifer Hudson
- Sarah Hubbard (with Flobots)
- Holly Humberstone*
- IAMX
- Ichor
- Icon of Coil
- Billy Idol
- Imagine Dragons
- Imperative Reaction
- Indigo Girls*
- Information Society*
- Christone “Kingfish” Ingram*
- Inhouse*
- Eddie Izzard*
- Hugh Jackman
- Joe Jackson
- James
- Japanese Breakfast
- Sarah Jarosz
- Jars Of Clay
- Jax
- DJ Jazzy Jeff
- Jeff Lynne’s ELO
- Jelly Roll
- Carly Rae Jepsen*
- Jesus and Mary Chain
- Jesus Jones
- Jethro Tull
- Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
- Eilen Jewell
- Jimmy Eat World
- Billy Joel
- John 5
- Sir Elton John*
- Eric Johnson
- Jonas Brothers*
- Howard Jones*
- Tom Jones*
- Journey*
- Jungle
- Kælan Mikla
- Kanga
- Kansas
- Kelsy Karter
- Zoë Keating
- Dermot Kennedy
- Kesha
- K.Flay
- Khalid
- Chaka Khan (At Rock Hall Induction 2023)
- Praga Khan
- Amythyst Kiah*
- The Killers
- The Kills
- B.B. King
- Elle King
- Emily King*
- King Princess*
- Kite
- Jordan Klepper (with Roy Wood Jr)
- Gladys Knight
- Kool & The Gang*
- Korine*
- Marielle Kraft*
- Kraftwerk*
- Chantal Kreviaczuk
- Lauv
- Lady Antebellum
- Lady Gaga
- Ladytron
- Larkin Poe
- The Last Dinner Party
- Maude Latour*
- Latto
- Cyndi Lauper*
- Avril Lavigne
- Lawrence
- Leathers
- Leaether Strip
- Fran Lebowitz
- Legendary Pink Dots*
- The Lemonheads
- Let’s Eat Grandma
- Adam Levine (At Rock Hall Induction 2023)
- Levitation Room
- Toby Lightman
- Lightning Bug*
- Lights
- Lil Nas X
- Dua Lipa
- Lissie
- Lizzo
- LL Cool J
- Juliet Lloyd
- Annabella Lwin (of Bow Wow Wow)
- Lisa Loeb*
- Rebecca Loebe*
- Kenny Loggins
- Lonestar
- The Long Losts*
- Lorde
- Lords of Acid with Praga Khan
- Demi Lovato
- Monie Love
- Love and Rockets
- Patti LuPone
- Yo Yo Ma
- Mac Sabbath
- Margot MacDonald*
- Seth MacFarlane (with Liz Gillies)
- Ashley MacIsaac
- Machine Gun Kelly
- Madness
- Madonna
- Bill Maher
- Malign
- MALINDA*
- Måneskin
- Manic Street Preachers
- The Manhattan Transfer
- Barry Manilow*
- Aimee Mann
- Mannheim Steamroller
- Marian Hill
- Marilyn Manson
- Marina
- Johnny Marr*
- Charlotte Martin
- Steve Martin (with Martin Short)*
- Melanie Martinez
- Richard Marx*
- Dave Matthews (At Rock Hall Induction 2023)
- Ava Max
- Lauren Mayberry
- Lizzy McAlpine*
- Audra McDonald
- Declan McKenna
- Erin McKeown
- Sarah McLachlan
- Andrew McMahon
- Katharine McPhee (with David Foster)*
- Tate McRae*
- The Main Squeeze
- Meat Loaf
- Madilyn Mei
- Megan Thee Stallion
- Melotron
- Men Without Hats*
- Idina Menzel
- Natalie Merchant
- Alice Merton*
- Mesh
- Seth Meyers
- Mia X Ally (Mia Asano and Ally The Piper)
- The Midnight*
- Midnight Oil
- Miguel (At Rock Hall Induction 2023)
- The Mighty, Mighty Bosstones
- Mika
- Tim Minchin
- Ministry
- Donna Missal
- The Mission UK*
- Misterwives
- Anaïs Mitchell
- John Cameron Mitchell (with the NSO)
- Mø
- Janelle Monáe
- Monsta X
- Monophonics
- Kailee Morgue
- Alanis Morissette*
- Eddie Muñoz (of the Plimsouls)
- Jessie Murph (with Jelly Roll)
- Muse
- Kacey Musgraves
- My Chemical Romance
- My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult
- My Morning Jacket
- Meg Myers
- Mystery Skulls
- Aparna Nancherla
- Nation of Language*
- The National*
- Naughty By Nature
- Meshell Ndegeocello
- Willie Nelson (At Rock Hall Induction 2023)
- Neon Kross
- New Edition*
- New Kids on the Block
- New Order
- Wayne Newton
- Stevie Nicks (At Rock Hall Induction 2023)
- Night Club*
- Night Ranger*
- Nine Inch Nails
- Ninja Sex Party
- Nite*
- Lizzie No*
- Tig Notaro
- Nox Novacula
- Gary Numan*
- Nuovo Testamento
- The Nylons
- Winona Oak
- Paul Oakenfold
- Billy Ocean*
- Oh Wonder
- The O’Jays*
- Joy Oladokun
- John Oliver
- Angel Olsen
- onerepublic
- The Orchestra (feat. former members of ELO)
- Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
- Jeffrey Osborne
- Joan Osborne
- Donny Osmond
- Patton Oswalt
- Owl City*
- Alan Palomo
- Mandy Patinkin
- Luciano Pavarotti
- Orville Peck
- Penn & Teller
- Katy Perry
- Pet Shop Boys*
- Bernadette Peters
- Maisie Peters
- Kim Petras (with Sam Smith)
- Emo Phillips*
- Pinback
- P!nk
- Pink Martini featuring China Forbes and special guest the von Trapps
- Pitbull
- Pixel Grip
- Pixies
- Placebo
- Planet Booty
- Ben Platt (with Cynthia Erivo)
- Amy Poehler (with Tina Fey)
- Poguetry (Spider Stacy and Cait O’Riordan of the Pogues) with the Lost Bayou Ramblers
- The Pointer Sisters
- Poison
- Caroline Polachek
- Ana Popovic
- Gregory Porter (with the NSO)
- Portion Control
- Post Malone
- Postmodern Jukebox*
- Cat Power
- Mary Prankster
- Priest*
- Primitive Radio Gods
- Prince (as “The Artist”)
- Faith Prince
- Princess Goes To The Butterfly Museum*
- The Prize Fighter Inferno
- Project Pitchfork*
- The Psychedelic Furs*
- Puscifer
- PVRIS
- Queen + Adam Lambert*
- Queen Latifah
- Queensrÿche
- Max Raabe and Palast Orchester
- Joshua Radin
- Josh Radnor
- Randy Rainbow
- Reneé Rapp
- Rasputina
- Rebirth Brass Band
- Reed & Caroline
- Rein
- REO Speedwagon
- Revolting Cocks
- Lionel Richie
- Roddy Ricch
- Riki
- Chappell Roan
- Smokey Robinson
- Nile Rodgers & Chic
- Olivia Rodrigo*
- Krysta Rodriguez
- Jake Wesley Rogers
- Maggie Rogers
- The Roots
- Maggie Rose
- Rosegarden Funeral Party
- Claire Rosincranz
- Diana Ross
- Roxy Music
- Royal & the Serpent*
- Rubblebucket
- Amber Ruffin (singing cabaret)
- Allison Russell
- Phoebe Ryan
- Bob Saget
- Lea Salonga
- Salt ‘N Pepa
- Lauren Sanderson
- Charlotte Sands
- Rina Sawayama
- Saweetie
- Sawyer
- JP Saxe
- Boz Scaggs
- Sculpture Club
- Seabound
- Anson Seabra
- Seal
- Jerry Seinfeld
- Seraphim Shock
- Paul Shaffer
- Shanice
- She Wants Revenge
- Vonda Shepard
- Sheppard
- Ships in the Night
- Martin Short (with Steve Martin)*
- Sia*
- Sigrid*
- Sigur Ros
- Sarah Silverman
- Silversun Pickups
- Ashlee Simpson
- Sisters Of Mercy
- Sasha Alex Sloan*
- The Smile
- Lauren Spencer Smith
- Meg Smith
- Sam Smith*
- Soccer Mommy
- Soft Kill
- The Soft Moon
- Solar Fake
- Soul Survivors
- Sparks*
- Jordin Sparks
- Regina Spektor
- The Spinners (with no original members)
- Spoon
- Rick Springfield*
- Squeeze
- Squirrel Flower
- St. Lucia
- St. Paul and the Broken Bones
- St. Vincent*
- Mavis Staples
- Chris Stapleton (At Rock Hall Induction 2023)
- Ringo Starr (and his All Starr Band)
- Starship featuring Mickey Thomas
- The Steep Canyon Rangers (with Steve Martin)*
- Steve Miller Band
- Dave Stewart (with Eurythmics Songbook)
- Sting
- Lindsey Stirling*
- Stomp*
- Joss Stone
- Straight No Chaser*
- Strutman Lane
- The Struts
- Tove Styrke
- Styx* (both with and without Dennis DeYoung and Tommy Shaw)
- Sub-Radio
- Suede (a.k.a. The London Suede)
- Joe Sumner
- Sunshine Blind
- Keith Sweat
- Taylor Swift
- Switchblade Symphony*
- Sylvan Esso
- Tag Team
- TALK*
- James Taylor
- Tchotchke
- Susan Tedeschi (with the NSO)
- Tegan & Sara
- Vienna Teng
- The The
- Then Comes Silence
- They Might Be Giants*
- Thievery Corporation*
- Richard Thompson
- Thumpasaurus
- Tiffany
- Timbaland
- Topographies
- Pia Toscano (with David Foster)
- Toto*
- Tenille Townes
- Meghan Trainor
- Traitrs
- Trans-Siberian Orchestra
- Transviolet*
- Derek Trucks (with the NSO)
- The Tubes
- KT Tunstall
- Turnover
- Shania Twain
- Twin Tribes
- U2
- Umphrey’s McGee
- Carrie Underwood*
- Upsahl
- Urban Heat*
- Midge Ure*
- U.S. Girls
- Vampires Everywhere
- Sharon Van Etten
- Suzanne Vega
- Jackie Venson
- Tai Verdes
- VÉRITÉ
- The Veronicas
- Adia Victoria
- Video Age
- The Village People*
- Violent Femmes
- Vision Video*
- VNV Nation*
- Aurelio Voltaire*
- Morgan Wade
- The Wailers
- John Waite
- Sarah Walk
- Walk The Moon
- Wallflowers
- Wang Chung*
- The War and Treaty
- Jessie Ware
- Waterparks
- John Waters
- Roger Waters
- Weezer
- Welle:Erdball
- Paul Weller
- The Wellermen
- The Whispers
- Jack White
- The Who
- Mark Wills
- Charlie Wilson
- Winger
- WINGTIPS
- Steve Winwood
- Roy Wood Jr (with Jordan Klepper)
- Xeno & Oaklander
- Yam Haus
- Weird Al Yankovic*
- Yard Act
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
- Trisha Yearwood (with the NSO)
- Yes
- Young Gun Silver Fox
- Brett Young
- Nicky Youre
- Maddie Zahm*
- Zolita
- Rob Zombie