The 13th Floor’s Top Concerts of 2017!!

Its been another busy year on the concert scene here at The 13^th Floor. Looking back, we’ve reviewed close to 200 shows, so first of all, thanks to everyone who contributed to the excellent coverage.

I’ve distilled a list of the top 10 concerts I personally attended over the past 12 months…sadly I find I still haven’t figured out how to be in two places at once, so I missed a few that I would have liked to have seen.

If there have been any noticeable trends on the live music scene, I would say they include the proliferation of “tribute” bands, or acts that feature offspring or other folks closely related to classic rock acts that no longer are able to tour themselves. As shows by the likes of Springsteen, McCartney, Cat Stevens and Alice Cooper prove, there is still a huge desire by concertgoers to hear the music of the 60s and 70s in a live setting.

The other trend seems to be nostalgia for the 90s. This is not surprising since that decade is now 20+ years away and music lovers who came of age then and now anxious to re-live their misspent youth.

The biggest concern for Auckland-based concert-goers for the upcoming year is the loss of two key venues. The Kings Arms will close its doors at the end of February and The Golden Dawn will follow suit a month later. Let’s hope someone will come along and pick up the slack, and let’s hope that the city’s politicians understand how important it is for Auckland to have a vibrant live music scene and they keep that in mind when dealing with building developers.

Having said that, 2018 looks to be a bumper year for live music. So, before we dive into the new year, let’s look back on 2017. I’ll begin with a list of 10 notable shows in no particular order, then run down the 10 ten concerts of 2017 from 10 to 1.

See you at the next gig!

Marty Duda

Queens Of The Stone Age – Logan Campbell Centre (July 13)

Cat Stevens – Spark Arena (Dec 16)

Marlon Williams – Pt Chev RSA (Nov 9)

Alice Cooper – Trusts Stadium (Oct 27)

Adele – Mt Smart Stadium (Mar 23)

Kirin J Callinan – Kings Arms (July 20)

Son Volt – Tuning Fork (Oct 13)

The Chills – Kings Arms (May 13)

Mavis Staples – Aotea Centre (Apr 19)

The Eastern & The Bads – Tuning Fork (Oct 8)

Now, here are Marty Duda’s Top 10 Concerts of 2017:

10. The Miltones – Tuning Fork (July 22): Celebrating the release of their debut album, The Miltones sold out the Tuning Fork and treated their fans with one heck of a show. Yes, Milly Tabak is a dynamic front person with tonnes of personality, but don’t underestimate the rest of the band. Guitarist Liam Pratt and keyboard player/trumpeter Guy Harrison showed off their estimable chops, while simultaneously being totally entertaining. Oh, and they have a few good tunes as well! Click here to read the review.

9. Sun Kil Moon – Tuning Fork (May 28): Former Red House Painter Mark Kozelek has a reputation for being an artist who can get a little testy with his audience. Fortunately everyone was on their best behaviour this May evening as Kozelek mesmerized the crowd with stories and song. To put the icing on the cake, Neil Finn showed up to play guitar and sing along for a couple of tunes. Magical! Click here to read the review.

8. Justin Townes Earle & The Sadies – Tuning Fork (Oct 11): As you can see, the Tuning Fork was a hotbed of great shows this past year. As always, their American Fest was a high-point of the year. Justin Townes Earle was in fine form, but the most pleasant surprise was catching Canadian retro-rockers The Sadies. Not only did they play their own fantastic 45 minute set, but the backed up JTE for his show as well. Two great acts for the price of one! Click here to read the review.

7. Feist – The Powerstation (Nov 25): More great music from Canada…this time it was Feist, who treated Auckland fans with a full run-through of her latest album, Pleasure. With Feist and her excellent band, the performance was all about the song, and she gave them the treatment they deserved. When she was finished with Pleasure, there was still plenty more music to come. Just pure musical excellence from beginning to end. Click here to read the review. 

6. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – Mt Smart Stadium (Feb 25): What can you say about The Boss? He and his E Street Band have been tearing it up on stage since the 1970s, and they show no signs of aging here. Not only were the energy levels up for three hours, but at age 67, I believe Springsteen has evolved be a better vocalist than ever, making his lyric cut through to the heart like never before. Click here to read the review.  

5. Aldous Harding – Pah Homestead (July 1): From the grandiose to the intimate. This was Harding’s second of three shows I saw of hers in 2017. All were stunning, but this one stands out because of the unique venue. The room in the Pah Homestead was smaller than my living room. Fans crammed in to witness something that was as music performance art as musical concert. Aldous was riveting and those songs from her album Party sound even better live. What a treat! Click here to read the review.

4. Marky Ramone – The Studio (Dec 1): Hey ho, let’s go! There have been other former Ramones to pass through Auckland, but Marky’s show was by far the best. The former Marc Bell led his band through 36 punk classics with nary time to catch your breath between them. Hands down, this was the most fun I had at a show all year. Even the often vilified Studio seemed like the perfect venue for this night of Blitzkrieg Bopping. Click here to read the review.

3. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Vector Arena (Jan 18): The year definitely began on a high note, with a slew of fine shows coming to town in January and February. This was just the 4th show of Nick Cave’s first tour since the death of his teenage son. And while that tragedy hung over the proceedings like a dark cloud, the show itself was full of emotional highlights. The closing two songs of the encore…Stagger Lee into Push The Sky Away proved that this is a band that can do anything. Stunning. Click here to read the review.

2. PJ Harvey – Logan Campbell Centre (Jan 24): Less than a week after Nick Cave and co stopped into town, PJ Harvey brought her show to the Logan Campbell Centre. Former Bad Seed Mick Harvey was part of the 9-piece band that concentrated on Polly Jean’s excellent album, The Hope Six Demolition Project. Personally, I love the album and so was thrilled to hear those songs live. PJ herself proved to be a magnetic presence on stage. Many fans were at both the Nick Cave and PJ Harvey shows, debating which was the better experience. With the aid of 11 months to think about it, I’ll give it to PJ. But really, what better way to start the year! Click here to read the review.

1. Paul McCartney – Mt Smart Stadium (Dec 16): And what better way to end it than with Paul McCartney! The 75 year old ex-Beatle left 40,000 fans singing along to 40 fantastic tunes, almost every song a classic. Even better was Paul’s obvious enthusiasm for playing these songs. It was clear that the man still loves to rock and roll. This was no time to be cynical or hip. Just let yourself have a great time singing along to some of the greatest songs ever written. For many, this would have been a once-in-lifetime event. It turned out to be even better than I think anyone expected. Click here to read the review.   

And to wrap thing up…here are a few shows that I found disappointing, in no particular order:

Guns ‘n Roses – Western Springs (Feb 3)

Ian Anderson – Aotea Centre (Apr 22)

Sigor Ros – Spark Arena (July 21)

Stevie Nicks & The Pretenders – Spark Arena (Nov 21)

Glan Matlock – Tuning Fork (Nov 24)