So I’ve been counting down a dozen (or so) of my favorite shows I caught this year around the country and I decided to break this into two parts, just to make it easier to navigate.
Here I’m counting down from 6 to 1.
I’ve also decided to flip the order, and a reminder, these are numbered in chronological order.
You can check out shows No. 7 to 12 here.
This post will be active until I get down to 1 — or, as I’ve teased, one last show, completing a Baker’s Dozen — so come back or look for updates on my social media channels at Instagram and Facebook. I’m trying to rap up this countdown by the end of the year.
Dead center on the balcony at Milwaukee’s Riverside Theater was perfect.
PHOTO BY JAVIER SERNA/@jaminthestream
No. 4 Widespread Panic, Riverside Theater, Milwaukee, Oct. 26
I’ve been to the Riverside before and I’ve also seen Widespread Panic.
But it was more than “high” time I partake in the tradition that is Panic at Riverside. Thankfully, I got a last-minute nudge and invitation from a good friend and caught this finale to their annual three-night run.
On this particular Sunday, Panic gave credence to that old jam band adage, “Never miss a Sunday show.”
The music quality doesn’t ALWAYS live up to this phrase — but I’ve come to realize it’s at least as much about our convictions to this music and friends as anything.
I don’t care which show was Panic’s best this weekend, this was the show that I got. The band, venue and fans absolutely delivered a religious experience for me.
It was such a chill and kind crowd at this intimate theater. I ran into many friends from around the Midwest and beyond, even a dear second cousin.
But, back to the music.
Whether it was intentional or not (I assume the former), Panic imparted a seriousness to this setlist with songs like the opening “Airplanes,” “Up All Night,” “Fishing,” and “Jamais Vous,” and “Gimme.”
I thought the second set might end on that nine-plus-minute, clavved-up “Ride Me High,” but no, we had higher to go. They ended the set on a fiery “Fishwater.”
Then it was a three-song encore including the fourth time ever that the band covered The Doors’ “Soul Kitchen.”
But the show wasn’t over.
They came out for a second encore “Love Tractor,” and Panic had enough fuel for this.
It won’t be my last October visit to the Riverside.
Herbie Hancock still rocks his Roland keytar synthesizer like no one else in the world.
PHOTOS BY JAVIER SERNA/@jaminthestream
No. 5 Herbie Hancock, Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis, Oct. 22
I tried to be transparent about this list. It is not a ranking of what I thought were the best shows, but it is simply the shows that were most memorable for me personally, and it’s being presented in chronological order.
Herbie Hancock was backed by a high-powered jazz lineup, including trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard, bassist James Genus, guitarist Lionel Loueke, and 27-year-old phenom drummer Jaylen Petinaud.
Musicians of the stature of Hancock get to hand-pick the people they play with — and they have a knack for incredible taste and talent evaluation.
Two moments that stuck out the most: covering the late Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints” as composed by Blanchard, who I have seen perform with Hancock several times. Hancock and Shorter were friends that had the distinction of playing on Miles Davis’ “Second Great Quintet” from 1964 to 1968. I can’t speak for Herbie, but I feel confident in saying that covering his old, beloved friend’s 1967 classic is one way he’s grieved the loss and kept his spirit at heart. I can feel and hold those mixed feelings now, thinking about them.
On this October night, Hancock also played “Actual Proof,” one of the standout pieces from 1974’s Thrust LP, which happened to include the original Headhunters personnel of Bennie Maupin, Harvey Mason, Paul Jackson, Mike Clark and Bill Summers.
Guitarist Lionel Loueke and Hancock in a playful moment.
It’s classic Hancock funk, and a song that gets at why I love him so much.
For sure, he will always be my favorite keyboardist.
I really can’t overstate how much love and reverence I have for Herbie Hancock, whose impact on modern music also can’t be overstated.
Which is why this show was highly anticipated by me, even before tickets went on sale.
Thanks to my ticket acquisition skills and use of Hennepin Arts presale, I was lucky enough to score what would turn out to be one of the best seats in the house in row 1, seat 2 of the Orpheum.
Herbie MF Hancock.
It is incredible that Hancock, at age 85, still has the dexterity and mental acuity to perform at such a high level.
This show had a profound impact on me in a year where mortality and the loss of a loved one took a toll on me. It was comforting and inspiring to see this legend up close and still able to share his talents with his fans at this point in his life.
John Medeski (Medeski, Martin & Wood), Jorge Servin (A Love Electric), Todd Clouser (A Love Electric) and Mark Joseph (The Big Wu) jammed in a back yard in Saint on a perfect September evening.
PHOTOS BY JAVIER SERNA/@jaminthestream
No. 6 Medeski, Clouser, Joseph and Servin, private backyard, Saint Paul, Minn., Sept. 15
Icehouse is one of the gems of the Minneapolis music scene, in part for creating the kind of space where legendary organist John Medeski — of Medeski, Martin & Wood — has been collaborating for years with Saint Paul native Todd Clouser, a guitarist based in Mexico and drummer JT Bates, in an epic convening of experimental, jazzy minds.
This time, the performance was moved to a private backyard in the Como Park neighborhood of Saint Paul.
I published a more extensive photo gallery of the show here.
Bates was on tour with Bonny Light Horseman, which opened the door for Clouser bringing along A Love Electric bandmate and drummer Jorge Servin and adding as special guest The Big Wu’s Mark Joseph.
Joseph brought the dirty blues as the group meddled in the organ funk as dusk settled in front of no more than 70 attendees. Everyone shined as Medeski wailed on a Hammond owned by keyboardist Eddie “Hondo” Juntunen of White Iron Band.
The original trio has played Icehouse together several times, also producing one live LP, 2017’s You The Brave: Live at Icehouse, and, this year, an original LP, Flowerchild, which was released in May.
This long-time collaboration between these three amazing musicians is the gift that keeps on giving.
And, seriously, props to Bates and Icehouse for curating a venue that’s hosted top-level musicians such as Skerik’s Bandalabra, Charlie Hunter Trio, or the upcoming LaMP (Scott Lawson, Scott Metzger and Ray Paczkowski) gig on March 18 (get tickets here).