Top Concerts of 2019
The Rolling Stones
June 21, 2019 @ Soldier Field
By Dave Miller
As the country continued to be battered by the corrupt and dangerous administration that earned the first impeachment of a first-term president, live music provided a respite for artists and concertgoers alike -- though thankfully some musicians still felt compelled to resist from concert stages. Women are rising to tell it like it is more than ever. That's a good thing, of course. Female musicians repeatedly brought up abortion, Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna talked about being raped, and women artists often spoke out against the fascist president. Perhaps it wasn't a coincidence that within a few weeks I saw "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" covered twice (by Stars at Night at Cobra Lounge and Kacey Musgraves with Liza Anne at Chicago Theatre). As the Beastie Boys said, you've got to fight for your right to party.
I saw nearly 70 full sets in 2019, including some surprising ones by legacy artists that delivered their best efforts in years. Here’s my ranking of the best concerts I saw in 2019:
1. The Rolling Stones, June 21 at Soldier Field -- In the first show of a postponed tour that was in doubt after Mick Jagger needed heart valve surgery in April, the band takes the stage with something to prove for the first time in decades. Jagger's first trip down the runway elicits smiles from visibly relieved and thrilled Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood. A renewed spirit and purpose carry through the night that shows the Stones remain, even in their 70s, the greatest rock-and-roll band in the world.
2. Le Butcherettes, Feb. 20 at Cobra Lounge -- Totally investing herself emotionally and physically in every moment, Teri Gender Bender pours out everything she has inside her. Her band, particularly drummer Alejandra Robles Luna, keeps up and elevates the show. There isn't a single moment that approaches cliche. The intense front woman not only sings her band introductions, she does so in Spanish. There is no encore and the crowd doesn't call for one. Everyone knows the band just scored a knockout.
3. Madonna, Oct. 28 at Chicago Theatre -- Putting aside some of the criticisms of the Madame X Tour (including a valid one of pushing back the show's start time by hours after already selling tickets), Madonna makes the stately theater seem like an after-hours club while delivering a compelling performance that's part concert, performance art, comedy act and political rally. The resistance is strong in this one, and her sharing of her newfound love of Portuguese music helps makes staying in the theater until nearly 2 a.m. worth it.
4. Bob Dylan, Oct. 30 at Credit Union 1 Arena -- Coming off a stint singing standards sung by Sinatra, Dylan delivers a generous setlist of his own material and sings stunningly. It's his best show in town in at least a decade. And he even picks up his guitar for an opening "Things Have Changed" before an appreciative crowd at the University of Illinois-Chicago.
5. Alejandro Escovedo, Feb. 2 at City Winery -- Touring behind The Crossing, Escovedo brings to life the concept album about two young immigrants, Diego from Mexico and and Salvo from Italy, who discover America through punk. The beauty of the spiritual searching is heightened by the backing of the Don Antonio Band from Italy.
6. Kacey Musgraves, March 25 at Chicago Theatre -- Behind the buzz of Golden Hour winning the album of the year at the Grammys and the Pazz & Jop poll, "Spacey" Kacey flies high, delivering a confident and celebratory performance which rides her country roots into pop and even disco. Ask somewhere who was there about the lyrical twist she gave to the end of her album's title track.
7. Courtney Barnett, July 10 at Taste of Chicago, Petrillo Music Shell -- As the long tour behind her album, Tell Me How You Really Feel. winds down with this third visit to Chicago, Barnett finds release on the big stage. She rocks and romps all over it with her guitar, punctuating a carefree abandon with leaps and knee drops, in between singing her killer lyrics. The set screams freedom.
8. Nikki Hill, July 4 at American Music Festival, FitzGerald's -- The fireball comes out blazing and it doesn't take long for her band to catch fire while delivering sweat-drenched R&B, soul and rock-and roll. Late in the set everyone achieves a spellbinding liftoff, prompting club owner Bill FitzGerald to grab packs of napkins from behind the bar and throw them onstage.
9. Body/Head, March 3 at Chicago Stock Exchange Trading Room, Art Institute -- Kim Gordon and partner-in-crime Bill Nace rattle the rooms of the old masters with a barrage of guitar noise in a modern exhibition of rebellion. Gordon winds up by swinging her instrument by its strap while standing atop a speaker in front of chilling projections.
10. Amanda Palmer, April 4 at Chicago Theatre -- Palmer earns her "Fucking" middle name by breaking new ground in the old building, bravely relating the stories of her abortions in detail. The remarkable solo show fights for her and the audience to hold on to their humanity in our dark times.
Honorable mention (in order): Tiger Sex, June 8 at O'Neill's Pub; Mott the Hoople, April 4 at Chicago Theatre; The Regrettes, Oct. 11 at Metro; Jamila Woods, July 21 at Rubloff Auditorium, Art Institute; L7, May 21 at Metro; Bikini Kill, Sept. 15 at Riot Fest, Douglas Park; The Coathangers, June 14 at Ribfest Chicago; Skating Polly, Sept. 15, at Riot Fest, Douglas Park; Patti Smith, Sept. 15 at Riot Fest, Douglas Park; The Beaches, Sept. 15 at Riot Fest, Douglas Park; Sunflower Bean, July 10 at Taste of Chicago, Petrillo Music Shell; The Handcuffs, Dec. 14 at Reggie's; Liza Anne, Oct. 10 at Park West; Sincere Engineer, Sept. 15 at Riot Fest, Douglas Park; and Stars at Night, Feb. 20 at Cobra Lounge.