30 yr Old Feather Hits 10K
With my 30th birthday today, I am naturally thinking about the insane pace of time. It is wild to think I have spent nearly half my life as a member of this strange community. I would have hit 10K comments a bit sooner had I not been affected by the great comment wipe of 2023, but I have finally hit this prestigious milestone. Thank you to everyone for fostering my love of music over the years. I have few friend IRL who listen share this passion and without you all I wouldn’t be able to discover and discuss nearly as much incredible music that makes my life so much richer. I keep a running log of every show I have been to (currently at 211 with 13 more coming up so far this year), so here is a highlight list of some of my favorite concerts I’ve attended: |
| 1 |  | Escape the Fate
Dying Is Your Latest Fashion
Supported by Attack Attack! And Black Tide. This was my first ‘real’ concert. At the time ETF was my favorite band and the live experience was all new to me. Waiting out in the cold to get in at doors, checking out bands I had never listened to open and seeing my (at the time) favorite band perform kicked open the doors to my love of live shows. |
| 2 |  | Neutral Milk Hotel
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Going away to school in a new state brought with it a newfound sense of freedom. I connected with a new friend in the dorms over Neutral Milk Hotel just as Jeff Mangum was announcing his re-emergence for a tour. This concert was more like being at a religious service than any other show I can think of, taking place in an old church, everyone had assigned seats and it was just Jeff and his guitar playing through the album. The man literally appeared to have just crawled out of the woods. |
| 3 |  | Modern Baseball
You’re Gonna Miss It All
Headlined by The Wonder Years. Bonding over the chaos of breaching into adulthood with new friends, this concert comes to mind. Getting the opportunity to see Modern Baseball during this time of my life was truly wonderful. Such messy years, but also some of the best that I wouldn’t trade for anything. |
| 4 |  | The Wonder Years
No Closer to Heaven
Ahead of the release for No Closer to Heaven, The Wonder Years played a short series of acoustic shows at local record shops in select cities for the first 100 customers who pre-ordered the album. While at this point I have seen The Wonder Years over 10 times (not counting Aaron West), this show is by far my favorite. The 5 song set culminated in the unreleased Cigarettes & Saints with the vocalist visibly in tears shouting his protest to death at the end of the song. |
| 5 |  | Foxing
The Albatross
Supported by The World is a Beautiful Place and TTNG. After going to more and more shows, I grew comfortable with the idea going to shows solo. I find it very freeing being at a show alone. I am there for the music after all and taking part in the energy/comradery of the crowd is plenty enough. This show took place in a basement of a normal bar/venue lovingly named ‘The Basement’. |
| 6 |  | The Smith Street Band
Throw Me in the River
Still in college, I had an internship that required extensive travel mostly to major cities. I made a habit of looking up what concerts were happening in the area ahead of trips. By far my favorite find was getting the opportunity to catch The Smith Street Band in Brooklyn. Hoping the band makes a reappearance soon in the states as their last album was great. |
| 7 |  | Guns N' Roses
Appetite for Destruction
Supported by Alice in Chains. While my dad doesn’t share the intense love for music that I do, we have always listened to 80’s rock driving. My favorite musical memory with my dad was when I was 15 on a learner permit, driving across the country for vacation. We must have spun this GNR CD at least 5 times straight through. For a Father’s Day I bought him tickets to see them on their comeback tour when they got the band back together. |
| 8 |  | Sigur Ros
( )
Boston Calling Music Festival along with Bon Iver. Sigur Ros is one of those acts that I certainly would not have found without this site. While at a music festival with friends I managed to convince one person to join me for Sigur Ros instead of joining everyone else to see Migos (…lol). The show was incredible and unique. The festival stage at night with blue lighting accentuated the emotional rollercoaster and soaring highs of their performance. |
| 9 |  | Sorority Noise
You're Not As ____ As You Think
Graduating college and stumbling my way through the real world, I took my first ‘real’ job that I absolutely loathed. Again on the rode traveling for a first year training, I happened to meet a couple coworkers who shared similar music taste. We drove out one night to catch Sorority Noise perform at a small bar venue. Another band that I would love to get the chance to see again. |
| 10 |  | Better Oblivion Community Center
Better Oblivion Community Center
I was invited to celebrate a friend’s birthday in Costa Rica with a large group of ~30 people, most of which I didn’t know. I flew out and upon walking into the airbnb instantly fell in love with a girl in the group. Within a couple days we pinky promised that we would get married one day. On the day I left the trip I shared a playlist with her that included Dylan Thomas off this album. Upon returning, we quickly started a long distance relationship. This was our first concert together. Phoebe Bridgers screaming Easy. Lucky. Free. was incredible and was a prelude to the yelling that would be part of her massive assent into fame with the song I Know the End. |
| 11 |  | pup
Morbid Stuff
I slowly worked to infect this girls taste in music. The first pit that she ever was a part of occurred at a Pup show. As I was pushing around in the center a guy apparently informed her that “she didn’t look like she belonged there”. She proudly grabbed me and said that this was why she was there. While The Dream Is Over is likely my favorite pup album, the breadth of Scorpion Hill in a live setting is captivating a likely my favorite track to see them jam live. |
| 12 |  | Touche Amore
Stage Four
Supported by La Dispute. An accident claimed the life of a close friend of mine that I had known since we were kids. While I had experienced death before, this was the first time I had experienced the death of someone so young. I hesitantly ended up going to the Touche Amore show that I had a ticket to that week solo. The concert ended up being the most cathartic show I have ever been too, the raw emotion was overwhelming but fit home. I still tend to tear up listening to this album. |
| 13 |  | Deafheaven
Infinite Granite
Supported by Holy Fawn and Midwife. My girlfriend (still the same one from before) was sick and unable to join me so I went solo to finally check out Deafheaven. In the process, I ended up discovering two other new amazing acts that I am now a huge fan of. Show up for the openers! You might find new favorites. Also, Deafheaven’s new album provides MUCH needed variety to their live sets. |
| 14 |  | pup
The Unraveling of PUPTheBand
Coachella music festival. The lineup at Coachella STUNK. Rage Against the Machine was supposed to be there, but dropped out. This left Pup as basically the only remaining band I was excited for. Regardless of the music, the fest was a great time with a group of great friends. The atmosphere really does make a difference. The crowd for Pup was SMALL. It was an intimate show, especially given that it was Coachella. My girlfriend stage dove for the first time ever.. who would have thought you could stage dive at Coachella? |
| 15 |  | Kevin Devine
Nothing's Real, So Nothing's Wrong
A good friend of mine doesn’t necessarily listen to the same type of music as I, but shares a general love for live shows. As a result, we started doing what we call ‘Mystery Concerts’. When him or I find a show we think the other may enjoy, we make sure the other is free that day and buy them a ticket. The mystery is that we can’t look up who we are seeing ahead of time, Ideally finding out who it is once they take the stage. Kevin Devine puts on a great performance and he was not disappointed. Every album has 2-3 jaw dropping songs. |
| 16 |  | Fall Out Boy
From Under the Cork Tree
From Under the Cork Tree was the first album I ever bought and was my first favorite band. Yet somehow, I had never seen them live. When this album was announced they simultaneously announced a small 1,000 capacity hometown show that was near impossible to get tickets to. Somehow my girlfriend managed to secure us tickets. Getting the opportunity to see my favorite childhood band live in such a small venue was an experience I never thought I would get. Their setlist on this recent tour has been phenomenal. |
| 17 |  | Manchester Orchestra
The Million Masks of God
Supported by Microwave, Hovvdy and Pool Kids at Night Moves Festival in Pensacola. One of the best things about having a significant other who shares the same taste in music is that they are down to plan vacations specifically for shows. We got to meet Microwave because they were staying at the same hotel as us. The band was pretty awkward and definitely not used to having big fans (let alone fans who would travel across the country for them). Both Microwave and Manchester played great sets. During the Manchester set, a man tapped me on the shoulder and asked what album a certain track playing was on… it was the singer of Microwave. |
| 18 |  | Fall Out Boy
So Much (For) Stardust
Supported by Jimmy Eat World and Hot Mulligan. My fiancé (after 5 years, I finally proposed a month back) asked what I wanted to do to celebrate my 30th birthday … I told her I wanted to fly out to Columbus for this show. It did not disappoint. We were so proud to see Hot Mulligan play such a large venue after seeing them play larger and larger venues over the years. Fall Out Boy and Jimmy were perfect as expected. What a way to bring in 30. |
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