It’s been a hell of a 2026 for live music. I’m sure we’ve all made memories for a lifetime throughout another trippy revolution clinging to the Pale Blue Dot, but the ones I’d harvested over the first half of the year heading into July felt particularly vibrant.
Here are some highlights:
-An absolutely frigid trek to catch moe. In Burlington for my first show at the iconic Higher Ground in February yielded a wet dream setlist (sets 1 and 2 being bookended by Timmy Tucker and Meat is a Best Case Scenario) pushed to the max of its potential by inspired playing. The sound, I’ll note, was incredible; the crowd was edgy and absolutely melted, which this reporter must admit was less dank.
-Continuing my moe.-maxxing, a full weekend run at Town Ballroom in their beloved hometown of Buffalo that same month was a dream. Three nights of fat jams at one of the best designed venues I’ve ever camped out at was accompanied by culture (touring FLW’s Martin House, big recommend), a visit to the stellar Out There Records, and a survey of Buffalo’s intense and delectable food scene (like Quixote tilting at windmills, I did Southern Junction and Adolf’s on the same day and thought I was going to die, albeit very happily).
-In March, I acquainted myself with the wonderful Spafford over three killer shows around the Northeast, as I have detailed previously on Shakedown Beat.
-May introduced me to the live Eggy experience over two shows — a blockbuster night in Hartford that peaked with a 38-minute version of “Shatter” and a transcendent set at the fully sober Music On The Mountain festival in Ludlow, Vermont, that was about as good as life gets (barefoot in the grass at ski resort with my wife and absolutely zero wastoids to upset the serenity of a sunny New England day with gorgeous music). I’m an Eggy fan for life now. The boys have something special going, and the ceiling seems breathtakingly high.
-I finally caught Wet Tuna at The Drake in Amherst, and their otherworldly melt abilities left me floating in a blissful, drippy dream over a far too short set that blessedly has been released in glorious spectrasound. I’ve long been a fan of Matt Valentine and Erika Elder’s sonic conjurings, but bassist Jim Bliss’s ability to hold down the fort with style as the walls dissolved around him was the cherry on the sundae. A very special show.
-June went into overdrive with a Goose doubleheader at Madison Square Garden. The highs and lows of the shows reflected my general experience with NYC, where dizzying peaks are reliably accompanied by shattering depths. The performances are stuffed with must hear playing (6/19’s Into The Myst>Good2B>Elmeg The Wise sequence is as good as it gets, to say nothing of catching my first Borne and Peach, which both had fascinating jams; 6/20’s Wysteria Lane bliss jam and sprawling Arrow were amazing), but the tragic death of a fan on the second night will forever shroud the weekend. I will say that discovering the magic of the Sky Bridge on my first trip back to the Garden since Dead & Co’s Halloween weekend in 2019 was transformative, and I know where I’ll be heading to should I ever return to the increasingly bleak energy of the Garden. Taking the MTA into the city from Wassaic and the Berkshire Flyer all the way back to Pittsfield from Penn Station fulfilled an itch in my brain that I will savor for some time.
-Shakedown Beat vets will surely recall my review of the sold out String Cheese Incident show from later that month at Tree House that felt cleansing and celebratory.
So, suffice to say, my cup runneth over fam! It had been a great year of discovery, boogieing, friendship, and Fat Jams! If I’d clocked out on shows for the latter half of ‘26, there would be plenty to regale only vague interested friends, loved ones, co-workers, and strangers about for years to come!
July looked on all of that and laughed cruelly before punching me in the gut and stealing my fanny pack (complimentary). Let’s unpack the crown jewel of my 2026 concert calendar!
7/4/26 - Goose / moe. @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
As I grey into the Jam Band Guy identity that’s given me so much joy in my 30s, these two bands have done yeoman’s work to fill the Dead & Co Summer Tour sized hole in my heart. Watching Goose grow and evolve over the last five years continues to be a delight. Their ability to transmogrify the indie rock zone of my youth into the thrilling dynamism of improvisational rock makes them a generational torchbearer that I am happy to embrace. On the other end of the spectrum, moe.’s lasting brotherhood, resilience, and commitment to full band jamming has been a special wavelength to finally get on. Seeing the two Northeastern institutions join forces at the region’s jam mecca was one of the easiest tickets to pull the trigger on in recent memory. It was my joy to bring a recently converted Goose fanatic pal to his first major jam band gig to boot. We did it all, folks- chilled in the lot, politely declined the unavoidable ‘molly, ketamine, doses’ offer on Shakedown, and danced in the balcony in a sweaty fervor for hours. The moe. Set was joyous and only picked up momentum as it went on. Guitarist Chuck Garvey was in particularly fine form on songs like “Wind it Up,” “Three Eyed Serpent,” and “Ups and Downs.” The whole affair peaked with a very special “Happy Hour Hero” that saw Rick and Peter join the band for a particularly heartwarming union of jammers across the ages. It was capped off with the greatest jam band song ever written: the epic adventure of “Rebubula,” which sets a New York State audience on fire like nothing else.
Given the darkness of my Goose MSG weekend, seeing the lads in Saratoga Springs felt like a total vibe reset. I’m forever a shed guy over an indoor arena, and if the Goosers want to claim July 4th at SPAC as a yearly throw down, I’m as down as down can be. The first set saw the ol’ reliable duo of “Seekers On The Ridge” parts I and II continue their reign as crowd favorites - seriously, Goose can play them at every show and I’ll sing my heart out every time - but the real gems came in the form of a massive “All I Need” replete with the long benched second jam and a set closing “Animal” that was about as feral as I’ve seen the bird band get in a half decade. Set two opening with a uniquely placed and jammed “Dripfield” was icing on the cake, and finally getting my first “Tumble” directly into my first “Don’t Leave Me This Way” ruled. The inevitable “US Blues” (with moe.’s Al Schnier joining the fray) encore produced one of the loudest singalongs I’ve ever heard at SPAC. A rare and different show that I will treasure for the rest of my life.
7/9/26 - Spafford @ Sanctuary Cultural Arts Center, Maynard, MA
Sneaking in a cheeky weeknight show is always a great feeling. This was a spur of the moment call given my hunger for More Spafford after the March run, and boy am I happy I made the two hour drive east with a good buddy for this one. A sold out show in a former church with a wild light show and the perfect wooden floor for dancing? Yes please! Rolling up to the spot to find a tie dye vendor, a hyped up crowd, and even a lone “doses” guy out front only compounded the charm factor. Spafford’s elastic ability to push and pull their playing as an ensemble is pure pleasure to experience, and their commitment to diving deep into gooey jams deserves fanfare. I was hoping for a “Fake The Fate,” so imagine how happy my tiny brain was when they opened with a big ol’ version of that very song. The whole night raged from note one, with the half-hour plus “Windmill” serving as the tentpole to an exemplary throwdown. I can’t stop revisiting the soundboards, and if you’re looking to set your soul free to romp through patient, detailed, and explosive improvisation, then throw this sucker on.
7/11/26 - Eggy / Tom Hamilton / Ross Bogan @ Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts, Westport, CT
Another weekend, another adventure with friends and loved ones in search of Summer Lawn Magic. This jaunt down to posh Westport introduced our crew to the wonderful Levitt Pavilion, a gem tucked into Connecticut’s Gold Coast that boasts excellent sound, easy entrance and exit, beautiful views, and a crowd that resembled extras from Succession talking as loudly as possible about business throughout the entire show. Westport is so fancy the two buskers I saw in their mall-like downtown were playing the accordion and clarinet! You know you’re around money when you see that! Anyways, Eggy blew the roof off for their home state audience and we all left grinning. Following the version they dropped at Goose’s festival in Mexico with the sit-in GOAT Stuart Bogie back in May, I was very happy to get a long and exploratory “Subterranean Homesick Alien” cover with Ross Bogan adding modular synth to the mix. I’ll note Jude Bellingham scored the go ahead goal for England against Norway during Eggy’s take on a modern English classic, for fans of cosmic synchronicity. The second set was captivating, and I recommend you peep the “Beaming” for the dankest playing of the night. Great setting, great company, great band that continues to win me over. We drove back north and a bit to the west feeling victorious and exhausted.
7/19/26 - Bob Dylan / Jimmy Vaughan & the Tilt-A-Whirl Band @ Hartford Healthcare Amphitheatre, Bridgeport, CT
Another predictable step in my journey as a White Guy from New England in my Thirties™ has been immersing myself in Bob. Every opportunity to see this little guy feels like a gift from on high, and this was no exception. With a car full of fellow Dylan Freaks, this was a pilgrimage. I last saw Bob in Bridgeport back in 2007, with Elvis Costello opening. I was an incredibly stoned teenager, and remember little from the experience other than someone confronting my friend’s sister, fairly, for chomping during the show. Wow! The newest iteration of Bob’s band amid a choppy chapter of the Never Ending Tour pairs Julian Lage and Joel Paterson on the guitar front, and with the rock solid Tony Garnier and Anton Fig holding down the rhythm section, Bob put on a smokey, club-like performance that was refreshingly different from last summer’s stunning cryptic radio transmission zone. I’ve been on an “Oh Mercy” kick lately, so “Man in the Long Black Coat” hit like a ton of bricks.
The subsequent “It Ain’t Me, Babe” felt like a mission statement and sent shivers down my spine. Julian and Joel’s ability to weave so quickly into their tenure was jaw dropping, and was best exemplified by the unexpectedly trippy portal they opened up during an instrumental break on “Black Rider.” There’s nothing like taking in a Bobber with friends. For those whose deepest inner reflections on life have been so impacted by his singular voice, Dylan concerts have a meditative, reverential air. Watching my friends soak in Bob in person felt intimate and almost voyeuristic, like listening in on a confessional or peeking into a diary. The whole thing ruled, but the closing “Grains Of Sand” with Bob on harp was a Sunday service for the ages. The commuter trains rattling by throughout the show only complemented the proceedings. The American river continued to flow uninterrupted, mirrored perfectly by the hooded man on stage working his magic trick at yet another stop on an endless sojourn.
7/21/26 - Weird Al Yankovic / Puddles Pity Party @ Tanglewood, Lenox/Stockbridge, MA
From one great American songwriter to another! Weird Al’s “Running With Scissors” hit me and my brothers and cousin and friends like a nuke in 1999, and finally seeing his boundless and undying youthful energy on stage almost 30 years later at the Berkshire’s premiere concert venue was an emotional homecoming. The Weird Al crowd goes all in on the wacky 90s maximalism style wise, with an ocean of Hawaiian shirts making the often staid Tanglewood grounds erupt in color. The relaxed, genial energy was notable- sort of the spiritual sibling of last summer’s explosive Nas set, which saw the rap legend whip the crowd into an unforgettable frenzy. Seeing classics like “Amish Paradise” and “It’s All About The Pentiums” crush was amazing, but I was delighted to be equally charmed by numbers I wasn’t familiar with like “Stop Forwarding That Crap To Me” and “Cell Phones.” The encore ending with “The Saga Begins” and “Yoda” was a dominant display of sheer power that most performers will never know. The number of costume changes, high kicks, and full belly laughs was the stuff of legends. A major bucket list item checked off. We only caught a bit of Puddles Pity Party, but I found the 7-foot-tall clown extremely disquieting, as I suspect is the intent.
7/24/26 - Gillian Welch & David Rawlings @ The Pines Theater, Northampton, MA
The gentle cradle of the Pines Theater is the idyllic way to take in the intricate, timeless sound of two American folk legends. From the top of the grassy bowl surrounding the stage sitting beneath the mantle of the venue’s titular trees below, right in front of the sound booth, the music poured out from the stage and settled in like the dusk, filling every inch of the space. Not since seeing Joanna Newsom at El Museo del Barrio in Manhattan back in September 2019 have I been in an audience dedicated to a performance. You could have heard a pin drop as everyone leaned in to soak up every note, except for the two boomer ding dongs sitting next to me who I had to shush as they loudly opined on Joe Bonamassa during the show. I’m not enough of a Welch/Rawlings head to fully unpack their wonderful originals, but the “Bird Song” cover in the second set - a holdover from their Grateful Dead songbook reviews this year - was incredible, and included a full-on jam into the cosmos before settling back to earth. The final encore’s “This Land Is Your Land” was some real American medicine, and the closing “I’ll Fly Away” was white hot, with a sea of voices joining together to enthuse about how awesome dying is going to be. A replenishing night. There’s something foundational, essential to taking in an acoustic performance of two voices over spare arrangements, and I don’t think there’s a better duo doing that in 2026 than Gillian and David.
7/27/26 - Metric / Broken Social Scene / Stars @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway, Boston, MA
What if I told you this package tour of Canadian indie legends of the 00s almost completely avoided leaning on the nostalgic crutch? On paper, you could be forgiven for assuming each of the three acts would just dip into their 20+ year old catalogues for the easy crowd pop. This night, thank god, was anything but. Both Metric and Broken Social Scene loomed large over my teens. I’ll never forget listening to “You Forgot It In People” on a night drive home from New York City with my dad back in 2002, or the countless spins “Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?” got on long, stoned drives around Pittsfield in high school. Would I have minded just hearing those start to finish? Not at all! Was it much cooler to hear both bands mostly play tunes off their excellent new albums? Yes! Sprinkles of the Good Old Days Classics only underscored how good Metric and Broken Social Scene continue to be, a far more potent experience than a trip down memory lane would have offered. It was my first time seeing either act despite years of fandom. BSS was everything I could have hoped for - an all-hands-on-deck community band with a shaggy honesty that made every song feel weighty and alive. The opening “Cause = Time” with a four guitar attack and Metric’s Emily Haines coming out later on to sing “Anthems For A 17-year-old Girl” were impossibly rewarding, and I lapped up the more recent material eagerly. For their part, Metric’s lean, sexy, angular anthems rolled out like a juggernaut over 90 minutes of stadium-sized showmanship. They crushed, folks! The band sounded massive, Haines is a true rock star, and the light show was spectacular. Who could possibly be pining for days past when an entire scene is aging as well as this? The happiness of the tour was apparent the entire show, with Canadian camaraderie oozing off the stage and saturating their American fans packed into the MGM Music Hall. They hadn’t succeeded in reconstituting a golden age - they succeeded in reminding us that it never ended.
And thus concludes my July 2026 recap. Thanks for reading, and please, let me know your recent live music highlights by emailing me at jlandes@wamc.org! I’d love to hear from you. Stay safe out there!
