Top 10 Favorite 2024 Concerts

I enjoyed a lot of shows in 2024. These are the 10 that really stood out...

In 2023 I pushed the envelope. It might go down as my most epic concert year ever, but I am not about to slow down just yet. Being at a show watching a band you love — oftentimes with people you love — is a moment of euphoric zen that you just want to repeat. I was able to achieve many of those moments at 43 or so shows in 2024, which was just one shy of my epic 2023 count.

While the lion’s share of the shows I attended were local, traveling for shows makes them even more special, especially if it’s an experience you can’t achieve without getting on a plane or taking a road trip. From the middle of Iowa to the middle of the ocean, those travels took me to some amazing shows. Boiling that many shows down to 10 favorites is both a privilege and a challenge, but in the end, these were the standouts…

10. Skid Row x Lzzy Hale • Riverside Casino & Golf Resort • Riverside, Iowa

I adore Skid Row. Baz is my favorite singer, but if he can’t be there, Erik Grönwall was a worthy frontman for the band. When he left, the question of who could fill those shoes was a big one. Temporarily, however, Lzzy Hale of Halestorm took the reins for a few shows, and I had to see one. I headed to the middle of Iowa and met a few other hardcore rock ’n rollers for an epic show in a casino ballroom. Lzzy was on fire and the band played off her energy. She sang the songs with passion, and it was a great combination, but I am glad it isn’t a permanent arrangement. It will go down as a really interesting moment in the band’s history, and it was well worth the trip.

9. Butch Walker • Third & Lindsley • Nashville, Tennessee

There are a few artists that I would follow through almost any path they follow with their sound, and Butch Walker is one of them. From Southgang to solo, his songs always speak to me, and it had been a couple of years since I saw a solo show. He celebrated his second solo album, Letters, for two nights in Nashville, and I wasn’t going to miss that! Though it was an acoustic show, rather than a full band, it was still two magical nights of songs that I love, including one of my all-time faves, ”Best Thing You Never Had.”

8. Winger/ProgPower USA • Center Stage • Atlanta, Georgia

Winger is likely the most unfairly maligned hard rock band on the planet. They are mega-talented, write great songs, and perform them at a high level. Among the band’s output, the Pull album is my favorite. At ProgPower USA, the band performed that album from front to back. It wasn’t perfect, but it was magical. Kip brought in his brother to help with the vocals rather than cheating with a track, and the band went to crazy lengths to dial in their sound mix for the festival. A show like this might never happen again, so I was thankful to soak it all in.

7. Palaye Royale • House of Blues • Orlando, Florida

This band brings a high-energy show every time, which did not change on the first run of dates of the Death or Glory tour. Sadly, drummer Emerson Barrett couldn’t make this show, which hurt the vibe and limited the performance. Despite that, it was great to hear a few of the new songs live, and meeting Remington and Sebastian before the show was a treat. I do look forward to seeing the full band again soon, however, as this has quickly become a can’t-miss band for me.

6. Sammy Hagar • Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort • Las Vegas, Nevada

A boy's weekend in Vegas always seems like a good idea, especially when it just happens to coincide with Sammy Hagar’s Birthday Bash, which kicked off in Vegas for the first time in 2024. As great as the Best of All Worlds shows are, it was wonderful to get a varied solo-band set chock full of Sammy classics and a few Van Halen tunes. Apparently, Vic Johnson used his downtime to do some woodshedding, as he handled the VH stuff better than I have ever heard him do them at this show. Moreover, Sammy might seem ageless, but these shows should be savored while we still have them.

5. Sammy Hagar • MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater • Tampa, Florida

It’s rare for one artist to earn multiple slots on this list, but it was a big year for Sammy Hagar. The Best of All Worlds tour, which leaned heavily on the Hagar era of Van Halen was easily one of my most anticipated shows of the year — and it lived up to the hype. It was great getting to see the show while Jason Bonham was still in the band, and seeing Satch on guitar is always a highlight. While it wasn’t a carbon-copy cover show, it was a fun, high-energy celebration of an amazing catalog of songs, including some deep cuts like “Seventh Seal,” that left me wanting more.

4. Hardcore Superstar • Bohus Fästning • Kungälv, Sweden

Did you say that the mighty Hardcore Superstar would play in an ancient fortress just outside their hometown? You don’t have to say that twice for me to say I am in. Traveling to Gothenburg, Sweden, to meet up with some of the most, well, hardcore fans from around the world, did not disappoint. Though I don’t know how many of these shows I can survive on the rail when the other bands on the bill are super heavy and their fans are violent. Though I was threatened with bodily harm, I persevered and soaked up another amazing show from one of the best live bands on the planet in an unforgettable setting.

3. Marvelous 3 • The Tabernacle • Atlanta, Georgia

Last year another dream came true when another band I love reunited for the first time in years and played a series of shows in Atlanta. I couldn’t believe it happened and now it is an annual thing that I consider a pilgrimage to celebrate the music of a band that deserved so much more success than the achieved. What’s impressive is this is no late-career cash grab where the band is a shell of itself. The Marvelous 3 still sound amazing and deliver high-energy shows with a passion that many younger bands could only hope to mirror. Seeing these shows with so many like-minded friends takes them to a new level, and this year the band made up for my only disappointment from last year by playing the uptempo heartbreaker, “Jackie & Tina.” I already can’t wait for this year’s shows.

2. Eclipse/The Cruel Intentions • Slaktkyrkan • Stockholm, Stockholm

I spent one of the most fun 72 hours in Sweden hanging with friends and catching two shows. Being able to catch these two bands together was something special, and seeing a full-production headline show from Eclipse in their hometown was flat-out amazing. It was even better doing it from the middle of the rail, thanks to the kindness of two friends (Thanks Pilar and Rob!). The Cruel Intentions kicked off the night with another high-energy show. It set the stage for another stellar show from Eclipse, in which I got to hear some of the Meglomanium tunes for the first time. It was also the first time I saw them with the aforementioned full production and lights, which took things to a new level.

1. Monsters of Rock Cruise • Independence of the Seas • Atlantic Ocean

It’s not fair to include festivals in these lists, nor is it usually possible to single out just one performance from a flurry of shows at a multi-day event. That said, the Monsters of Rock Cruise became the nexus for most of my musical interests by creating lineups that fuse my ’80s heroes with the modern torch-bearers from across the pond. Over the years, more of those international acts have earned slots on the cruise, and in 2024 the band that reaffirmed my faith in new music back in 2005 — Crashdïet — finally made it onboard for their first shows with new singer John Elliot of Confess fame. That would have been enough for me to love it, but adding in shows from Crazy Lixx, Hardcore Superstar, H.e.a.t, and The Darkness made it another amazing year for this unique experience.

There is nothing quite like the live music experience. You might not agree with these selections, but I hope this list inspires you to get out and see 10 favorite shows of your own this year!