Underground Sounds with Chad Miller: December 2023
By Chad Miller - Summit FM Music Director
Anyone who knows me well knows that I absolutely love going to concerts. It's my favorite thing to do. If we're being honest, it's really about the entire overall experience too. Everything from getting excited about seeing an artist or band you're a really big fan of or even casually curious about. Being inside the venue as the anticipation builds with all the sights and sounds and senses and history that place brings. Hanging out with a friend or several friends all evening while being surrounded by hundreds of other people all there for the same reason. Purely soaking in the atmosphere as lifetime memories of a singular moment in time are formed. Really, even just simply being entertained for the evening! So, with that, I'm sharing with you my list of the 25 best concerts I've seen this year to close out 2023. Trust me when I tell you that it was HARD narrowing this down, but these live music highlights were certainly the best I was lucky enough to see throughout the year:
#25 Neko Case - January 26th - Kent Stage in Kent, OH
First concert of 2023 and what a way to start with the otherworldly voice and songwriting skills of Neko Case in a sold-out show on that very cold winter's evening in Kent. I can’t think of a better singer whose vocals just wash over you and fill a room like hers. But at the same time, she doesn't take herself too seriously either, which is also welcome in its own right.
#24 The Lone Bellow - May 6th - Kent Stage in Kent, OH
These three are truly pure magic together. What a stunning and intimate concert from The Lone Bellow in what was a rare “acoustic trio” iteration for this particular tour. Go see this band live anytime you can as you will not regret it. Life affirming music doesn’t get much more sincere, heartfelt, and effortless than what they deliver every night on stage.
#23 Josh Ritter - March 3rd - Music Box Supper Club in Cleveland, OH
Coming off a spellbinding Studio C session earlier in the day at The Summit, Josh Ritter made his return to Cleveland for his first performance in six years where he literally didn’t stop smiling all night during his set. An absolutely charming yet nervous bundle of energy with all his great songs filled with imagery and wonder as they were performed flawlessly drawing from across his entire discography. Songwriting and storytelling excellence on display indeed.
#22 Red Wanting Blue - July 14th - House of Blues in Cleveland, OH
What a homecoming it was with one of Ohio’s favorites as Red Wanting Blue took their “Best of the Midwest” tour to a very appreciative crowd tonight as part of their Cleveland concert presented by The Summit FM. Always so great to catch up with these guys, but the coolest part for me after introducing them onstage was that I got to stay put and watch the entire performance from just past the side curtain for a very cool perspective!
#21 Angel Olsen - February 2nd - Agora Theater in Cleveland, OH
Holy smokes…an utterly stunning performance by the always shape-shifting and powerful Angel Olsen who wowed the crowd in Cleveland that night with selections leaning heavily from her last two albums. What she's able to do with her music, both orchestral and rootsy all combined with her vocal prowess, just completely commands your attention. Excellent indeed!
#20 Fleet Foxes - June 13th - Agora Theater in Cleveland. OH
Chill vibes and utterly perfect harmonies all on display with Fleet Foxes in a stellar performance that summer evening in Cleveland. Having not seen the band live since late fall of 2011, I had sort of forgotten how much lead singer Robin Pecknold's vocals can fill a room. Boy do they ever! It was so great to especially hear some of those older songs too.
#19 Slowdive - October 2nd - The Roxy at Mahall's in Lakewood, OH
The first ever event at the new Roxy's venue attached to Mahall's in Lakewood just west of Cleveland with the epic shoegaze sounds of Slowdive in a hot, sweaty, and loud sold-out concert. Yes, it was rather controversial as it was stated by many attendees after the fact that the venue was overcrowded and especially hot and stuffy inside. While that was definitely felt, the majestic wall of sound brought by Slowdive completely had my attention all night.
#18 The War and Treaty - April 23rd - Cambridge Room at House of Blues in Cleveland, OH
I can’t remember the last time being emotionally spent like that after a live music event. The War and Treaty ran through all of the feels of joy, love, tears, and music that touched the soul and had everyone clapping along during their show that Sunday night in Cleveland. The duo were also kind enough to join us the very next morning for a Studio C session for our members at The Summit during the first day of our on-air spring membership drive.
#17 The Revivalists & Band of Horses w/ The Heavy Heavy - August 6th - Jacobs Pavilion in Cleveland, OH
A sudden early evening pop up mini torrential downpour delayed the start almost an hour but once it got going, it was a perfect hot sweaty outdoor summer concert night with The Revivalists & Band of Horses w/ The Heavy Heavy that did not disappoint. The Revivalists were terrific as usual with all their hit songs in our world of music, but for me the night was made by seeing Band of Horses again who have been huge favorites of mine since their start in 2006.
#16 Noah Kahan - June 22nd - Jacobs Pavilion in Cleveland, OH
It was really quite astonishing seeing a young singer-songwriter in the middle of becoming a true phenomenon. Like I’d heard from everyone who had been telling me, Noah Kahan had an entire sold-out audience not just singing, but literally screaming along with every single word during this packed Cleveland concert. After selling out pretty much every gig in 2023, much bigger things await next year for him including a tour date at Blossom Music Center in May.
#15 Caroline Polachek - April 14th - Newport Music Hall in Columbus, OH
An utterly captivating and magnetic performance from art-pop singer Caroline Polachek with this concert in which you couldn't even move inside that historic venue in Columbus with a sold out crowd like I've not seen in quite some time there. Combining an unbelievable vocal range, meticulously flowing choreography, and sheer confidence and fearlessness on stage, she is truly a superstar!!
#14 The Breeders - September 7th - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH
Well… sudden rain cut things short, but it was still way too much fun watching this band themselves having way too much fun onstage. The Breeders brought all sorts of peak ‘90s alt-rock nostalgia with this outdoor gig at the Rock Hall celebrating the 30th anniversary of their classic album “Last Splash”. It's just too bad the torrential downpour kept them from finishing playing that classic album in full. But they almost got through it anyway!
#13 Nation of Language - October 14th - Grog Shop in Cleveland Heights, OH
As the singles from this band's album were being dropped well in advance of the actual album release, it made me very excited to finally see for the first time this outstanding young band play live and boy did that wait sure pay off. Truly one of the great synth-rock bands out there in the world today for real, Nation of Language were utterly outstanding with so much energy on that mid-autumn evening at the Grog Shop in Cleveland Heights.
#12 The Smile - July 11th - Agora Theater in Cleveland, OH
This new project, The Smile, is so special. Terrific sounding art rock and how lucky are we all to be able to see Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead performing together like this in such a small non-arena/stadium setting? This was SO mesmerizing and again, to see Thom and Jonny doing Thom and Jonny things in a venue this comparatively small when their day job as Radiohead routinely sells out arenas? Like I said...VERY special!
#11 Rubblebucket - February 19th - Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland, OH
Way way way WAYYYY too much fun!!! Rubblebucket and their charming silliness and endearing weirdness and unstoppable stage presence turned The Beachland Ballroom into an instant party that winter night. Not to mention a horn section that was completely on point as well. I've always heard that their live show was magical and irreverent, but even so, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. As a result, I will never NOT see them live again!
#10 15-60-75 The Numbers Band - February 18th - Kent Stage in Kent, OH
It was truly a privilege to see these all-time greats of our local music scene still goin’ strong and completely in their element, especially on their home turf in Kent. 15 60 75 The Numbers Band, now in their 53rd(!) year together, totally blew away this crowd at the venerable Kent Stage, a venue now in its 20th year as well. Seriously, see these fellas whenever they're around performing. We're truly lucky they're still doing what they do for as long as they have.
#9 Jenny Lewis - July 13th - House of Blues in Cleveland, OH
She is the ultimate performer and showman with her charm, subtle moves, and constant smiles. Jenny Lewis is SO much fun to see live and absolutely did not disappoint with her Cleveland gig. Her always confident stage presence and the tight band backing her up made for a super fun night of live music form one of this century's absolutely coolest rockstars. Her new album "Joy'All" is easily one of my favorite albums of 2023.
#8 Altin Gun - July 12th - Thunderbird Music Hall in Pittsburgh, PA
Such a blast seeing Altin Gun in a sold-out concert with their insanely fun blend of Turkish funk, psych rock, and disco jams all rolled into one big party! INCREDIBLE. A Dutch group that plays what is known in their native Turkey as Anatolian rock music, it was all a blend of fuzzed out psychedelic sounds that had everyone moving with their big-time grooves. Their albums sound fantastic, but they don't compare to the exhilaration that is seeing them perform live.
#7 Boygenius - June 20th - Stage AE in Pittsburgh, PA
What a phenomenon and truly what a year for Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker. I’ve never seen more people in line for a concert four hours before doors open, but… that’s what happens when Boygenius brings a sold-out concert to town. The packed concert was great but what made the night truly special was getting to hang with a handful of radio friends all throughout the late afternoon up to and during the actual concert itself. Such a fun night.
#6 Big Thief - July 23rd - Nelsonville Music Festival in Nelsonville, OH
Indie rock greats Big Thief are many things: raw, intense, charming, serene, chaotic, calming, and sometimes all of those things at once. But my god, do they put on a fascinating and killer live show as evidenced by their headlining slot on the Sunday evening of the annual Nelsonville Music Festival in southeast Ohio. Capping off a perfect weekend at NMF, watching them from afar during golden hour was truly one of the live music high points of 2023.
#5 The Walkmen - May 2nd - Union Transfer in Philadelphia, PA
Sigh...I snuck out for a moment during a radio conference in Philly to see The Walkmen live on a Tuesday night. But when one of my most beloved bands ever reunites for a tour for the first time in over a decade, and it's right there in town, you go! As an obsessed fan of their album "You & Me," and losing hope that they'd ever get back together, this opportunity was a gift. Let’s hope they stick around again for a while now that their big 2023 reunion is complete.
#4 Brandi Carlile - September 16th - Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, OH
The American treasure that is Brandi Carlile held strong with a love fest of charming togetherness and musicianship on full display in the beautiful confines of Blossom with killer renditions of songs from across her career. At several moments during this show Brandi paused onstage to acknowledge and allow the overwhelming and enthusiastic roar of applause from the crowd sit with her and just simply wash over her. Her near tearful reactions were some of the most genuine moments I saw from any live performer all year (maybe ever) and it was quite emotional to see firsthand.
#3 Depeche Mode - November 10th - Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, OH
Pure greatness on display as the mighty Depeche Mode had themselves a career victory lap of an evening with a stellar and quite energetic concert playing new songs from their latest album "Memento Mori", old classics, radio hits, and of course the mega-hits too. All with an understated yet special tribute that they included to their bandmate Andy 'Fletch' Fletcher who'd recently passed away a year ago. Spectacle is a huge part of any arena-rock concert, and lead singer Dave Gahan brought that effortlessly all throughout the evening with a full array of preening and posing rockstar moves. A truly unforgettable night.
#2 My Morning Jacket - June 24th - MegaCorp Pavilion in Newport, KY (Cincinnati)
This was an unexpected solo trip but even still, upon arriving It was really cool to talk with and meet so many other MMJ fans there in attendance. But once things got going, I had to pick my jaw up off the floor on several occasions during My Morning Jacket concert #17 for me in Newport, KY just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. An encore stretch run of “Cobra”(!!!) followed by a nowadays rare full version of “Run Thru” and capping it off with of course “One Big Holiday”?!?! As they say... if you know, you know. I've seen them live a lot, but this truly was one of the absolute best that I've ever ever seen them. All was right in my world after this epic performance by MMJ.
#1 The Flaming Lips - June 11th - Agora Theater in Cleveland, OH
BEST CONCERT OF THE YEAR!!! There is no band on Earth, or in the intergalactic universe for that matter, like The Flaming Lips. This tour found them celebrating the 20th anniversary of their classic album “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” along with other great songs from their discography. Their brand of music which blends together love, death, life, jubilation, weirdness, and the reminders to feel every single moment you can… along with copious amounts of confetti, streamers, and balloons…is truly an event to behold for any live music fan. Lead singer Wayne Coyne is the BEST, and everyone should go see this band at least once before they die. I'm totally gushing here, but for real... I was literally buzzing about this concert for two full days afterwards as it was all I could think about! The concert poster I bought at the merch table that night, even got immediately framed and hung up on the wall in my office. So often too, great concerts are made even greater by the friends you're with. Getting to experience that evening's spectacle with lifelong concert going friends as well as longtime Flaming Lips fans Melanie, Deanna, and Bryan made for an incredibly special moment to be remembered forever.
What were the best and most memorable concerts YOU attended in 2023 this year? Please email me at chad@thesummit.fm, and let me know what you were able to go see.