tour: Fix Your Face Tour

rec-rated: 9/10

comments: Masego knows how to put on a show and get the crowd going. He’s an excellent performer and genuinely fun to watch on stage. There was some noticeable use of auto-tune and/or a music track throughout most of the set, which was a little eh, but you could still hear him singing over it, so it didn’t take away too much from the experience. One of my favorite moments was his performance of “Mystery Lady,” especially when he started throwing roses into the crowd—definitely a vibe. I just wish he had performed some of his songs in full. A few, including “Navajo,” were cut short, which was a little disappointing. Overall, Masego is worth seeing live. That said, I paid almost $60 for the show at House of Blues, which felt a bit steep, especially since the venue wasn’t even full. I usually don’t pay more than around $40 for a show there, so I think slightly lower ticket prices could have helped bring in a bigger crowd. Either way, Masego put on a fun show, and the whole night was definitely a vibe.

tour: The Fall Off Tour

rec-rated: 10/10

comments: Definitely one of my top concert experiences! I bought my ticket last minute and somehow ended up with a great seat for a great price—$80 for a seat that originally retailed for $120—and I could not have asked for a better group of people around me. The girls next to me were so much fun, recording themselves and rapping along the whole night, and the guy to my right, who also came solo, looked like he was having the time of his life. I’m really glad I got to chat with them before the show because it honestly added to the whole experience. J. Cole came on around 9:20pm and played a full set until about 11:15pm, and what I loved most was how genuine and live the performance felt. He had an actual band behind the scenes, was incredibly interactive with the crowd, and seemed genuinely grateful that everyone was there. He even made a point of saying that he appreciates everyone—from the people who know every song bar for bar to those who might only know one or none—which I thought was such a humble and refreshing thing to hear. I knew a good amount of his songs, but definitely not every lyric (with the exception of “No Role Modelz” lol), so hearing him say that made me feel even more comfortable just enjoying the experience without feeling like I had to know every word. One of the songs I especially loved hearing live was “Life Sentence.” Before performing it, he talked about how it was some of the realest shit he’s written, basically about doing life with a special someone. He said he hopes everyone is able to find their person, even if they haven’t found them yet, and that if you already have your person, you should appreciate them, be grateful for them, and make it work—even in a world where it can feel so easy to cheat or move on. That really stuck with me. I think that’s one of the things I appreciate most about J. Cole: it’s refreshing to hear a rapper talk about love, relationships, growth, reflection, and real life instead of everything always being about getting with multiple women, doing drugs, getting money, or buying material things. During the concert, I found myself paying much closer attention to his lyrics than I normally do, and hearing the songs live made me realize just how much meaning and substance there is behind his music. His songs actually have something to say. He also just seems like a genuinely good person, which made the whole experience even better. The towel with the tour name printed on it was such a fun bonus, too. Everyone in the venue got one and started spinning them around during his performance, which was such a vibe. I’ve never experienced an artist giving everyone free merch like that before. I also got the red shirt and absolutely love it. Overall, such an incredible concert experience—great seat, great people, amazing performance, meaningful music, and an artist who seemed genuinely grateful to be there. I’d see him again in a heartbeat.

tour: Way Down We Go Tour

rec-rated: 8/10

comments: I had a great time seeing KALEO live (again). Their music translates incredibly well to a live setting, and Jökull's vocals are just as powerful in person as they are on their recordings. From a purely musical standpoint, they sounded fantastic. That said, I was hoping for a little more from the overall live experience. Their songs are full of energy and emotion, but the stage presence felt surprisingly restrained. The lighting was decent, but it never really elevated the performance or matched the intensity of the music. It felt like the show had all the ingredients to be something unforgettable, but it never quite reached that level. The crowd may have played a role, too. It was a Tuesday night, and the venue felt a bit too large for the turnout. The main floor looked only about 60% full, while the balcony was mostly empty, which made the atmosphere feel less energetic than it could have been. For comparison, I saw KALEO at House of Blues Boston in 2022, and that performance felt much more electric. The venue was packed, the crowd was fully engaged, and they even had a few singers and dancers join them on stage, which added another layer of excitement. This show felt like a more stripped-back, toned-down version of that experience. Even so, KALEO remains an outstanding live band. Their musicianship is exceptional, and they sound every bit as good live as they do in the studio. I just think they have the potential to create an even bigger, more immersive concert experience with a little more stage energy and production. 

tour: All The Feelings Tour

rec-rated: 9/10

comments: Fantastic show! This lineup brought together three great Canadian indie bands: Metric, Broken Social Scene, and Stars. I’d been wanting to see Broken Social Scene live for a while, and they absolutely delivered. The vocals and energy were 10/10. One of the coolest moments was seeing Emily Haines (lead singer of Metric) join Broken Social Scene for a few songs before Metric’s set, along with members of Stars, highlighting the close bond between these bands. With so many musicians sharing the stage, it created a warm, communal feeling that was truly special. Broken Social Scene’s set was easily the best part of the night. Metric was amazing as well. I only knew one of their songs before the concert, but their performance pulled me in right away. The light show was incredible, the vocals were outstanding, and the band’s energy was electric from start to finish. It was the kind of rock show that makes you want to dive deeper into a band’s catalog afterward, and I definitely added a few of their songs to my playlist when I got home. Overall, it was an awesome night. Even though I missed Stars’ set (they went on early), Broken Social Scene and Metric made it an unforgettable show. Broken Social Scene brought a comforting, joyful energy, while Metric delivered an energetic, visually stunning performance.

tour: Don’t Be Dumb Tour

rec-rated: 7/10

comments: A$AP Rocky's show was honestly a pretty mixed experience. The production was incredible. There were tons of dancers, great visuals, and he even flew around the arena in a fake helicopter, which was genuinely one of the coolest moments of the night. He also performed a good number of songs, so it never felt like one of those rap shows where the artist barely comes out or only does snippets. That said, I had pretty mixed feelings by the end of the night. The crowd made me feel old as a 24-year-old because it seemed like it was mostly high schoolers, and there were even kids there with their moms (which was cute, although A$AP Rocky is definitely not the most family-friendly artist). He also came on really late; we were all waiting for what felt like forever before he finally got on. What made it worse was that he spent the first 20 minutes in the GA floor dancing around with fans and his dancers instead of performing on the main stage. I'm sure it was a blast for everyone on the floor, but if you were sitting in the upper sections like I was, you were basically watching the video screens wondering if this was going to be the whole show. My biggest issue, though, was that he barely seemed to perform live. It felt like he lip-synced about 98% of the concert. There were so many moments where his mic was down by his side while his vocals were still blasting through the speakers. The volume was also unbearably loud. I don't think he performed a single full song completely live, and that's what really took me out of it. If I wanted to hear the studio recordings, I could've just stayed home and listened to him on my speakers. Overall, visually it was a really cool show, and it was nice to listen to a bunch of songs I've had saved for years, but I'm not sure I would go out of my way to see A$AP Rocky perform live again.

tour: The Wourld Tour

rec-rated: 8/10

comments: I was looking forward to this show for months, but bought the tickets the day of (was hoping the price would drop, but honestly should’ve bought them a week or two earlier). The last time I saw them was in 2018 at Terminal 5 in NYC, and it was an amazing show. Jesse crowd-surfed and fully embraced the rockstar energy then. Eight years later, they definitely did not disappoint: the visuals, sound, and vocals were all great, though it felt like it was missing a bit of the carefree spark they had back then. Still, the vibe was strong, and I was singing my heart out to almost every song. I wish I had gotten a photo pass (one day). I was a bit annoyed that they reposted a story on their Instagram with the Boston set times and then came on 15 minutes early; I barely made it to my spot after waiting in a long line just to have my canned beer poured into a plastic cup (was very unnecessary, sipping my beer with a straw was something new). It was also my first time at TD Garden, and the venue felt oddly confining for a rock show, so I am not in a rush to be back. Overall: great show, questionable venue, would absolutely see them again.

tour: 30th Anniversary Tour

rec-rated: 8/10

comments: Thievery Corporation is such a unique band; effortlessly blending electronic, bossa nova, psychedelic, jazz, reggae, hip-hop, and more into smooth, addictive grooves, while keeping a sound entirely their own. I knew a fair amount of songs going in (“The Time We Lost Our Way” is my favorite, and I wish they performed it live, but sadly, they did not). The only song I recognized live was “Lebanese Blonde,” which was a total vibe and got the whole place moving. The highlight for me was “The Heart’s a Lonely Hunter.” Super groovy, and the performer flinging a light around while singing, “Welcome to my spaceship,” made it unforgettable. The band also came together for a stripped-down acoustic moment, which was a cute and refreshing change. The only downside was the lighting and set design, which felt underwhelming and could have taken the show to another level. Overall, Thievery Corporation put on a fantastic performance, and with Boston being their last stop on tour, you could tell they wanted to make it special.

tour: Fibonacci Tour

rec-rated: 9/10

comments: Electric energy! The crowd was completely into it, and the lights and overall vibe stayed high all night. The openers were perfect picks; they really matched Subtronics’ style and got everyone ready for his set. The lyrics in some of Subtronics’ tracks definitely threw me off a bit. For example, “I just blew my dick clean off,” and then a beat drop made me question things. Not really what I am used to, but the show as a whole was insane. Great experience, and I would go again. At one point, I honestly felt like I was on something just from the visuals, the energy of the crowd, and the music hitting so hard. I wasn’t, but maybe the IPA was extra strong that day. One of the best parts was what he said toward the end of his set. He talked about getting home safe, looking out for each other, and wanting his crowd to be known as kind-hearted people. You could actually feel that too. I talked to at least four different people there, and every single one of them was super kind, letting me through to get my shot (photo). Great experience!

tour: The King of Possibilities Tour

rec-rated: 10/10

comments: Incredible show! Goldie is such a great performer. The venue was packed, and her stage presence was amazing the whole time. She is so good live and honestly deserves bigger venues. The whole performance felt very artistic; she has such a distinct brand and style, and she used a bunch of props that made her performance very entertaining. She also talked to the crowd for the perfect amount of time in between songs. Not too much, but enough to really connect. You could tell she was genuinely thankful for the audience. Can’t wait to see her play bigger venues!

tour: The Infamous (30th Anniversary) Tour

rec-rated: 7/10

comments: Great vibes and a solid performance of their hits. Even with one less member, it was a strong Mobb Deep performance, especially with Raekwon joining the stage. Minimal stage presence, but they sounded great, and the crowd was enjoying them. Really wished they performed “Hey Luv” though. It was great to see them live. The performance was low-key, but it was a vibe.

tour: Here Comes The Cowboy Tour

rec-rated: 10/10

comments: Absolutely loved this show! It was so weird and chaotic, which made it all so exciting. Felt like a fever dream. Mac DeMarco had random characters on stage (e.g., shirtless guitarist, a guy in a cowboy hat and undies doing stretches, lmao). Solid set; he played mostly songs from his new album, Here Comes the Cowboy. Mosh pit and crowd surfing were in effect. The highlight was him climbing up the venue walls and jumping off the balcony onto the crowd. I don’t know how he climbed up there, but it was probably not his first time. He truly was having the time of his life, and the audience was too!

tour: Sparkle Hard Tour

rec-rated: 8/10

comments: Great show! I was getting into Pavement at the time, and since Stephen Malkmus is a member, my friend and I decided to see him with the Jicks. Sparkle Hard is a fantastic album, and I especially enjoyed their performance of the song “Shiggy.” The vibes were excellent, and they delivered a fantastic show. The crowd skewed older (we stood out a bit as 16-year-olds), but the music and vibes were great.

tour: Hard To Imagine The Neighbourhood Ever Changing Tour

rec-rated: 9/10

comments: Insane show! The crowd was definitely intense, but in a good way. Jesse crowd-surfed and seemed to be having the time of his life. He even made it all the way to my friend and me in the middle of the venue. The space was a bit small for them. When they came on, the crowd merged like a wave all the way to the front. Overall, it was an amazing show with incredible vibes, though the venue was definitely a bit tight.

tour: I See You Tour

rec-rated: 10/10

comments: Amazing concert! One of the most special shows I've ever attended, especially because I got to experience it with my mom. It was the first concert I truly wanted to see, and it sparked my love for concerts and live music. I still remember my mom picking me up early from school for the show (major mom win). We got there pretty early, so we spent some time waiting for The xx. Their set wasn't very long, but the atmosphere they created was unforgettable. My mom also bought me my first piece of band merch—a T-shirt I still wear eight years later. Sampha opened the show and was absolutely incredible. It was such a meaningful experience, and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing The xx again.