Warhorses roared through area concert arenas this past year, rekindling memories for some and touching a new generation of fans.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band rolled their Wrecking Ball World Tour into the XL Center.
Warhorses roared through area concert arenas this past year, rekindling memories for some and touching a new generation of fans.
But along with impressive shows from Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, there were head-turning performances from younger artists, like Grace Potter and the Nocturnes.
Here are 10 of the best shows reviewed by The Republican, along with several other notable shows.
Van Halen, March 3, Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn.
Depending on who you believe, petty squabbles or exhaustion prompted Van Halen to scuttle their reunion tour early, but no before David Lee Roth, and Eddie, Alex and Wolfgang Van Halen delivered a powerhouse set at the Mohegan Sun Arena. The concert was heavy on songs from the band’s first six albums with Roth, as well as a sprinkling of rockin’ numbers from the recent “A Different Kind of Truth,” their first studio album with him since 1984. There was not an echo of the 40 or so tracks from the four albums they recorded with singer Sammy Hagar or a whisper from “Van Halen III,” which featured Gary Cherone on lead vocals. Instead, Eddie, Alex and Wolfgang Van Halen reconnected with the best part of their past.
The Beach Boys, May 12, Mohegan Sun Arena
The odds of the Beach Boys’ 50th anniversary tour being anything but a train wreck were pretty darn good when it was announced back in 2011. After all, advanced age, years of legal squabbles, and the death of two founding members should have shut the door on a successful reunion of the 1960s surf band. But Brian Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine took the stage, alongside veteran members Bruce Johnston and David Marks, for a 2 hour and 20 minute performance. Unlike Van Halen, they made it through their world tour, but a recent disagreement between Love and Wilson and Jardine has dimmed hopes of further Beach Boys outings.
Craig Morgan & Friends featuring Aaron Lewis – June 13, MassMutual Center, Springfield.
As part of the annual Concert for Kids to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, local country station WRNX-FM, KIX 100.9, brought in local hero Aaron Lewis who owned the night with a 50 minute set of solo-acoustic, country music in the Exhibition Hall at the MassMutual Center. It was a rare hometown appearance for Lewis as his solo shows usually bring him to places like Mohegan Sun Arena. He offered up his country hit “Country Boy,” and also delivered classic songs from his band Staind like “Outside” and “It’s Been Awhile.” As a bonus, headliner Craig Morgan didn’t get lost in the Lewis buzz. He turned in a sterling set of his own to cap off the night. The evening also included opening sets by The Farm and Jana Kramer.
Bob Dylan, Sept 7, Mountain Park, Holyoke
Take a music legend and place them at a beautiful outdoor venue on a perfect late-summer evening and it’s pretty hard not to have a great night. When that legend happens to be Bob Dylan and he turns in a classic performance the formula is pretty much flawless. Dylan rolled out rock’s greatest catalog from “Tangled Up In Blue,” to “Highway 61 Revisited,” and “Shelter from the Storm.” He closed out the show with “Like at Rolling Stone,” and “All Along the Watchtower,” returning to encore with “Blowing in the Wind.”
KISS and Motley Crue, Sept. 23, Comcast Theatre, Hartford
While critics have been trying to write off these bands for years, the hard-partying rock fans won’t let them go. At least until some viable alternatives rise up to replace them. KISS and Motley Crue teamed up for a wild ride in Hartford with this show at the outdoor shed, bringing in all the bells and whistles, ropes and pulleys, fireballs, and water hoses. KISS has always been about three chords and an absolute spectacle and the band delivered on both fronts. Motely Crue’s own side show was anchored by Tommy Lee’s extended drum solo while levitating and rotating in some carnival ride contraption that hovered above the stage.
Alan Jackson, Sept. 30, The Big E, West Springfield
The Big E’s big stage continues to be home for country’s biggest stars and Alan Jackson’s 60 million albums sold places him at the top of that list. Jackson’s appearance on the Comcast Arena stage on the last night of the fair was truly a grand finale of a musical lineup that already had seen the likes of Hot Chelle Rae, Billy Currington, and Rodney Atkins. Jackson rolled out hit after hit, linking a string of songs that all landed in country’s Top Ten including “Who’s Cheatin’ Who?” “Little Bitty” and “Drive.” His heartfelt ode to 9/11 “Where Were You? (When the World Stopped Turning)” brought the crowd to its feet.
Heart, Oct. 6, MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods, Mashantucket, Conn.
Have we forgotten about Heart? The fact that the band did not get into the Rock Hall of Fame last year is an absolute crime. Thankfully, the Hall voters inducted them earlier this month to redeem themselves. Ann and Nancy Wilson, now 35 years into a successful rock career, seemed as vibrant as ever during their 90 minute set at the MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods. “Crazy on You,” “Magic Man,” “Barracuda,” and “Straight On,” were all show-stopping moments, not to mention their thrashing cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Misty Mountain Hop.”
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Oct. 25, XL Center, Hartford
This is one that long time Springsteen fans will long remember. The show was typical in the sense that Springsteen played for more than three hours and exuded an energy and commitment of spirit that is almost impossible for mere rock mortals to comprehend. It was atypical in the sense that Springsteen and the E Street Band performed songs that few have heard live in decades, and in some instances, ever. He opened with “Held Up Without A Gun” the B-side to the single “Hungry Heart,” and played the rarely-played “Jackson Cage,” as a follow-up. There was also a solo piano version of “For You,” and a beautifully-rendered “Incident on 57th Street.” Springsteen made several treks out into the crowd, including one that landed him on the lap of drummer Max Weinberg’s 97-year-old mother.
Brandi Carlile, Oct. 25, Calvin Theatre, Northampton
Although Carlile would have made this list even on her own, it was the addition of opening act Blitzen Trapper that pushed her higher on the list. The support act almost eclipsed Carlisle, but then she came out with guns blazing and put on a dynamic and stellar performance. Both acts were the epitome of authenticity, clarity and emotion that night.
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Dec. 2, Calvin Theatre
The venues that fall under the auspices of Iron Horse Entertainment Group have become the proving ground for many a rising star. Local fans might remember seeing Jewel at the Iron Horse or the Dave Matthews Band at Pearl Street. Add Grace Potter and the Nocturnals to that list. The group started by playing both of those venues and graduated to the crown jewel of the IHEG properties with this memorable show at the Calvin Theater. Potter featured her hit “Stars” alongside a cover of the Stones’ “Wild Horses” performed as a duet with the Valley’s own Martin Sexton.
Runners up:
Winterpills, Feb. 25 at Iron Horse Music Hall; The Saw Doctors, March 11 at Calvin Theatre; Adam Lambert, May 26 at Six Flags New England, Agawam; Earth Wind and Fire, June 14 at Mohegan Sun; Jennifer Lopez and Enrique Iglesias, July 26 at Mohegan Sun. Â
Donnie Moorhouse, George Lenker, Ray Kelly and Keith O’Connor contributed to this report. Â