I had a pretty good year seeing live shows, even without the benefit of being compared to past dire, pandemic times. I saw three of my all-time favorite bands in one 6 day period – Pavement, Spoon, and Wilco. I discovered new favorite performers like Yard Act and Liam Kazar by seeing them perform live first. I saw indie-rock stalwarts Wolf Parade and The New Pornographers. I saw standard bearers of the alt-country/Americana scene Sarah Shook and the Disarmers, Sean Rowe, Benjamin Todd and the Lost Dog Street Band. I was able to share the amazing live concert experiences of The Roots, Low Cut Connie, and Moon Hooch with great friends. And I even saw a true icon of the punk ethos, Henry Rollins (on a spoken word tour – powerful and hilarious as always). But there were two performers (three concerts in total) that were my highlights of the year, for very different reasons – creating emotional bookends for my 2022 experience.
Arooj Aftab (The Old Church, Aladdin Theater)
After putting out my favorite album of 2021, I was excited to see Arooj Aftab was coming to Portland early in 2022. It got better when she came back a second time in the fall. The first show was exceptional. The second show was spellbinding. Aftab was accompanied by amazing musicians during each show who were a joy to see on their own – particularly the harpist Maeve Gilchrist, who proves that a harp can be as intense and captivating as any guitar. But just like in her recordings, it is Aftab’s voice that overwhelms you. I’ve had a handful of great live music experiences that gave me literal goosebumps. Arooj Aftab was the first musician I remember bringing literal tears to my eyes.
Gogol Bordello (Revolution Hall)
This band’s live performances have a reputation and I’ve tried for several years to see them. While they tour a lot, they don’t come to the PNW very often and I’ve never been able to catch them until this December. I was not disappointed. Part punk show (replete with the largest mosh pit I’ve seen in decades), part social protest, part folk music jamboree, all combined into a party that always feels on the edge of chaos. I don’t remember seeing a performance with more energy and non-stop intensity, propelled by every member of the band and amplified by a positively ecstatic crowd. The encore of the show reached its crazed peak when Ukrainian front man, Eugene Hutz, is carried over the crowd on top of a drum while hoisting the flag of his home country in protest to the ongoing war.
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