(Original image of Vasily Petrenko and Isata Kanneh-Mason at Helzberg Hall by There Stands the Glass.)
Just because I’m no longer paid to review concerts doesn’t mean I stopped going out. The 157 music performances I’ve attended so far in 2024 represent an unprecedented financial outlay. The out-of-pocket figure would have been even more breathtaking had I been able to bring myself to acquire exorbitantly priced tickets to sold-out appearances in the Kansas City area by Bad Bunny, J. Cole and Grupo Frontera. Visiting the bucket list venues Wigmore Hall, Wiener Hofmusikkapelle and Wiener Staatsoper and catching the Jesus and Mary Chain, Makaya McCraven, Negativland and Jah Wobble for the first time was worth the expense. Unless I live longer than anticipated, the investment will have been worth it.
1. Militarie Gun, Pool Kids, Spiritual Cramp and Spacing at recordBar
My review.
2. Peter Schlamb, Matt Otto, Matt Villinger, Sebastian Arias and Zach Morrow at the Ship
My review.
3. Véronique Gens and Susan Manoff at Wigmore Hall (London)
My Instagram snapshot.
4. Jeffrey Osborne at Ameristar Casino
My Instagram clip.
5. Nick Shoulders at Third Place Lounge
My review.
6. Mike, 454, Niontay and El Cousteau at recordBar
My Instagram clip.
7. Wiener Staatsoper’s “Carmen” (Vienna)
My Instagram snapshot.
8. Flatland Cavalry at Grinders KC
My Instagram clip.
9. Makaya McCraven at Liberty Hall
My review.
10. Peter Schipka, Choralschola der Wiener Hofburgkapelle, Wiener Sängerknaben and Wiener Staatsoper at Wiener Hofmusikkapelle (Vienna)
My Instagram clip.
11. Rev. Dwight Frizzell’s Heliophonie at Charlotte Street Foundation
My review.
12. Rev. Dwight Frizzell’s Bridge at Charlotte Street Foundation
My Instagram clip.
13. Ema Nikolovska at the Folly Theater
My review.
14. Childish Gambino and Willow at the T-Mobile Center
My review.
15. Lawrence Brownlee at the Lied Center
My review.
16. Joe Lovano, Marilyn Crispell and Carmen Castaldi at Wigmore Hall (London)
My review.
17. Sandbox Percussion, Soowin Kim and Gloria Chen at Lincoln Performance Hall (Portland)
My review.
18. Isata Kanneh-Mason with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Helzberg Hall
My review.
19. Rod Fleeman Trio at Green Lady Lounge
My Instagram clip.
20. UMKC Opera’s “Marriage of Figaro” at White Theater
My review.
21. Yo-Yo Ma and the Harmony Project at Parade Park
My Instagram clip.
22. David Lord, V. Vecker and the Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society at Farewell
My review.
23. Jah Wobble’s Invaders of the Heart at Mississippi Studios
My review.
24. Nick Shoulders and Chris Acker at Knuckleheads
My Instagram clip.
25. Lionel Richie and Earth Wind & Fire at the T-Mobile Center
My review.
26. Khatia Buniatishvili at Helzberg Hall
My Instagram snapshot.
27. Willi Carlisle at the Folk Alliance Conference
My Instagram clip.
28. UMKC Opera’s Puccini’ Suor Angelica at the James C. Olson Performing Arts Center
My Instagram snapshot.
29. Negativland at recordBar
My Instagram clip.
30. Isidore String Quartet at Zhou B Art Center
My Instagram snapshot.
31. Joyce DiDonato with the Kansas City Symphony at Helzberg Hall
My review.
32. Adam Larson Quartet at the Blue Room
My review.
33. Kansas City Symphony’s “Matthias Pintscher conducts Symphony Dances: West Side Story and Rachmaninoff” at Helzberg Hall
My review.
34. Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore at the Aladdin Theater (Portland)
My Instagram clip.
35. The Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s “Roméo et Juliette” at Muriel Kauffman Theatre
My review.
36. Rick Bartlett at Ricky B’s (Louisville)
My Instagram clip.
37. Drug Church at recordBar
My Instagram clip.
38. Steve Hackett’s “Genesis Revisited” at the Uptown Theater
My Instagram clip.
39. Steve Cardenas, Forest Stewart and Brian Steever at Westport Coffee House
My review.
40. Alber’s “By the Sea” at Charlotte Street Foundation
My Instagram snaphot.
41. Jackie Myers, Matt Otto and Bob Bowman at the Market at Meadowbrook
My Instagram clip.
42. Dunedin Consort’s “St. John Passion” at Atonement Lutheran Church
My Instagram snapshot.
43. Jeremy Denk at the Folly Theater
My review.
44. Bachathon XLV at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral
My Instagram snapshot.
45. The Psychedelic Furs, the Jesus and Mary Chain and Frankie Rose at the Uptown Theater
My Instagram snapshot.
46. Beppe Gambetta at the 1900 Building
My Instagram snapshot.
47. Seth A Davis, Kwan Leung Ling, Aaron Osborne and Evan Verploegh at 7th Heaven
My Instagram clip.
48. Danielle Nicole at Records with Merritt
My Instagram snapshot.
49. Ernest Melton, Parker Woolworth, Jordan Faught and Jalen Ward at In the Lowest Ferns
My review.
50. Sleater-Kinney and Palehound at the Truman
My Instagram clip.
Last year’s concert ranking is here.
