Live Music Highlights of 2025

I had a hard time narrowing it down to 25, so let's go with the top 30. Another solid year of music in the books!

In no particular order, but the best ones are at the top. All events are chronicled with varying degrees of details in the monthly recaps.

David Byrne at Orpheum Theatre 11.3

Oasis at Soldier Field 8.28

Paul McCartney at US Bank Stadium 10.17

Farm Aid at Huntington Bank Stadium 9.10

Alan Sparhawk and Trampled By Turtles at The Fitzgerald Theatre 12.11

Phish at United Center 7.18 - 7.20

Neil Young at Northerly Island 8.27

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival at Golden Gate Park 10.3-10.5

Billy Strings at Target Center 8.9

Sturgill Simpson at The Armory 5.6

Cymande at Varsity Theatre 2.19

Herbie Hancock at Orpheum Theater 10.22

Ziggy Marley and Burning Spear at Mystic Lake Showroom 10.9

Damian and Stephen Marley at Fillmore 9.5

Saltydog’s Residency at Hook and Ladder’s Mission Room March

String Cheese Incident with STS9 and Del McCoury Band at The Pines Music Park 8.15-8.16

AC/DC at US Bank Stadium 4.10

String Cheese Incident at Fillmore San Francisco 10.4

Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country at First Ave 10.30

Galactic with Angelica Jelly Joseph at First Ave 11.13

Disco Biscuits at The Fillmore 12.18

Mikaela Davis at Icehouse 6.28

Los Lobos at MN State Fair 8.25

Turnpike Troubadours and Old Crow Medicine Show at The Ledge Amphitheatre 7.11

Molly Tuttle at Varsity Theater 11.14

Art-A-Whirl 5.16-5.18

The Lemonheads at Fine Line 12.6

Thievery Corporation at Palace Theater 12.3

Twine at Bunker’s every Wednesday All Year

Shotgun Ragtime Band at Driftwood every Sunday All Year

Thanks to all the wonderful friends and outstanding musicians who make the scene what it is! See you at the next show.