What’s up friends, welcome to list season. I don’t know how many of these I’m going to do but it’s getting to the point where it’s now or never on these lists so let’s kick it off with a fun one!
Before I started an official position writing and taking pictures for this station, I went to a handful of concerts and maybe one fest a year. Now, this job has ruined my life. I’m always running the city or around the state taking pictures, writing, and trying my best to still be a fan. I saw 131 sets of live music this year and because of that, these lists get harder and harder to make each year. That’s why I’m splitting these two lists up. So today, I’m here to talk about the 10 best stand-alone concerts I saw in 2022, even though there’s a Cotton Fest set on here and there’s a pick very high that was billed as a fest even though I wouldn’t consider it that. Regardless, I’m just rambling at this point. Here are the 10 best concerts I went to in 2022.
10: Giovannie & The Hired Guns – Cotton Fest
I remember first listening to Giovannie & the Hired Guns while getting prepared for Cotton Fest and saying, “What am I listening to?” And I didn’t mean that in a positive light. I was confused at why a band that’s making grunge and alternative rock was being played on country stations and playing this country festival but I stayed open-minded as their set grew closer. The next 60 minutes were the equivalent of a tornado blowing through the venue. Beer was flying in every direction, frontman Giovannie Yanez was taking every chance he could to walk to the edge of the stage, jump backwards, and scream, and the band as a whole was incredible. While their brand of “country” might not always be great on record, seeing them live made their style click for me.
9. Whiskey Myers – Concrete Street Amphitheater
Performing at Concrete Street Amphitheater the day their album, Tornillo released, East Texas Southern Rock outfit Whiskey Myers celebrated the best way they knew how, playing a two-hour rock and roll show. I had seen the band in March in Lubbock at the Buddy Holly Hall and while the show had sold out, the crowd energy seemed like it was at an all-time low. Thankfully, this show was leaps and bounds better both with the crowd and by the band’s performance. Songs like Gasoline, The Wolf, and Frogman are already great songs but they take on a new energy when they’re played live, especially The Wolf with the band including an extended outro for guitarists Cody Tate and John Jeffers to solo. The songs Broken Window Serenade and Bury My Bones led huge sing-alongs and were early set highlights while Ballad of a Southern Man and Stone at the end of the show were a great way to help cap off the evening. I had been dying to see Whiskey Myers coming into 2022 and I’m so happy to have been able to have done it twice.
8. LCD Soundsystem – Brooklyn Steel
Speaking of bands I’d been dying to see, I finally got to cross LCD Soundsystem off my bucket list last month in their home state and a river away from their home city. This show was pure bliss and just about everything I wanted it to be. Opening the show Us v. Them from the album Sound of Silver (the band’s best in my opinion), the crowd was grooving, frontman James Murphy was full of charisma and energy, and the disco ball being lit up for the first of many times was the cherry on top. The band touched upon their entire catalog including their new song new body rhumba for the movie White Noise. I wasn’t crazy about the song when I first heard it but it was incredible live. The performance of Movement is one of the best live performances I’ve heard of any song this year. Between Murphy’s almost screamed delivery of the lyrics, the pulsating synths and bass, guitarist Al Doyle jumping up and down while still staying in time with the blaring power chords, and strobe lights going off in every direction, it was absolute insanity. Of course, I can’t finish this paragraph without mentioning that I got to hear Dance Yrself Clean and All My Friends live, both of which were fantastic. The drop in Dance Yrself Clean was absolute magic and everyone in the club lost their mind as it happened and getting to scream “WHERE ARE YOUR FRIENDS TONIGHT! WHERE ARE YOUR FRIENDS TONIGHT! WHERE ARE YOUR FRIENDS TONIIIIIIGHT!” at the end of All My Friends was equally as great. I could keep babbling on about this show for a while but I’ll just end this by saying if the band continues doing a residency at Brooklyn Steel every year and you just happen to be in New York, you won’t regret seeing them.
7. Cody Johnson – Cook’s Garage
Cody Johnson has been having a mammoth past two years. He finally started getting mainstream success, something that I’ve been wanting to happen for the past few years, he put out an incredible double album called Human, and his shows have been getting bigger and selling quicker. There have been so many shows that he’s announced in that window that I’ve said, “Oh, that seems really ambitious for him” and then, not only will the show sell well, it’ll sell out. While I don’t think Cook’s Garage was an ambitious booking for him, he did sell it out, something I’ve only seen happen on the outdoor stage one other time. This show was my 4th time seeing him and he just keeps on getting better. Each time I leave one of his shows, I leave wondering, “How does he keep upping his game?” Across nearly two hours and 20 songs, Johnson and his band fired on all cylinders. There wasn’t an aspect of this show that I wasn’t impressed with from the setlist to Johnson’s stage presence to his band to the lighting to how easily Johnson can rile up a crowd. Johnson is embarking on a nationwide arena tour in 2023 and with the amount of showmanship he continues to bring night after night, it’s upsetting that he’s just barely starting to tour arenas when he should be years deep into it at this point.
6. Grouplove – Raider Alley
When Grouplove first got announced to play Raider Alley, Zach and I made jokes about how people would only show up to hear Tounge Tied, how we would open up a mosh pit for the song, how everyone would stand around bored until they played it. I expected the band to draw an okay crowd and be a just fine, nothing to write home about live band. What I was not expecting was how incredible the band was going to be live and to recognize as many songs as I did. The song Deleter was the first one that knocked me off my feet. The energy was palpable in the crowd that stretched back way farther than I expected it to and they delivered banger after banger after banger. Their show closed with an insane run of Tounge Tied -> Just What You Want -> Ways to Go -> Colours and even though it was the first of the season, I knew instantly that no other Raider Alley show would top this one for the rest of the year. I’ve never been more thrilled to be proved wrong about a band’s live performance but Grouplove absolutely floored me. I hope I’m able to see them again very soon.
5. American Aquarium – Tannahill’s Tavern
This is gonna be one of two very biased picks on this list. If you know me personally or if you’ve been keeping up with some of the articles I’ve written over this past year, you’ll know that American Aquarium is one of my favorite bands on the planet. This was my fourth time seeing the band live and my second time this year and they deliver every single time. BJ Barham leaves every ounce of sweat and energy on the stage. He has this signature move where he’ll slam his foot down while also trying his hardest to rip his acoustic guitar off its strap. The band played for two hours nearly straight through and I don’t think Barham even stopped to drink water at any point. The setlist relied mainly on their new album, Chicamacomico (say that five times fast) and their breakout 2012 album, Burn.Flicker.Die. The songs from Burn.Flicker.Die have not aged a day, I think Casualties is an all-time great live song and the title track still blows the roof off of any venue they play. I also finally got to hear a few songs I’d been wanting to hear for a while, those being Starts With You and Family Problems. The outro of Family Problems live is incredible and is really a testament to how solid the band Barham has behind him is. And the signature performance of every night is their biggest hit, I Hope He Breaks Your Heart which always has the crowd yelling the chorus back at the band louder than they are. I could go on much longer but I’ll finish this writeup by saying I could see American Aquarium 100 times a year and not get tired of it.
4. The Wilder Blue – Cook’s Garage
I’ve been a fan of Zane Williams for a very long time but when he ditched his solo career to form his band, Hill Country, I unintentionally stopped paying attention to him. Then, earlier this year, I was watching a video from a Youtuber I love named Grady Smith and he included their second self-titled album as one of his favorites of the year and my curiosity got the best of me so I checked it out and was floored at how great the album was (more on that later on another list, maybe). The band opened for Midland at Cook’s Garage in August and I can’t imagine a more perfect opener for this show as their styles complement each other so well. Everyone in the band is a seasoned pro and for a band that’s still pretty new, they have insane chemistry together. From the speedy Ghost of Lincoln and Shadows and Moonlight to the blissful harmonies of Picket Fences, Palomino Gold, and especially Feelin’ the Miles, the punch the band packed into this opening set was mighty. Before their set started, JR from the Red Dirt Rebel came on stage to introduce them by saying, “If this isn’t already your favorite band, they will be soon.” I think they won a ton of people over with this set and if they didn’t then I guess I didn’t watch the same set as everyone else in attendance. If you haven’t checked The Wilder Blue out yet, you should do that very soon.
Before the top 3 picks, I’d like to include a few quick honorable mentions. Flatland Cavalry‘s homecoming show at Cook’s Garage was an absolute blast and Cleto Cordero is an absolute sweetheart. I saw Parker McCollum twice in 2022 and both times were fantastic, he’s another in the league with Cody Johnson where they’ve been having monster years that have been awesome to watch as someone who’s been a fan for a while. Slade Coulter‘s album release party at The Blue Light was an incredible school night rock show as was The Goo Goo Dolls show the next evening at Buddy Holly Hall. Last but not least, getting to see Cypress Hill open for the artist at #1 made for a wild evening and holy moly they are so great live.
3. Shane Smith & the Saints – Cook’s Garage
This is the other very biased pick on this list. Over my summer break, I got an Instagram notification on my phone from Cook’s announcing that Parker McCollum would be returning to the venue in September which was cool, I was happy to be able to see him again. Then I got sucker punched with the announcement that Shane Smith and the Saints were opening the show and I knew that I would need to be at this show whether I was taking pictures or standing a mile away from the stage. In the days and weeks leading up to the show and even before the band’s set started, I would tell friends and people along the barricade, “Yeah Parker is good live but Shane Smith is on another level.” So yeah, maybe I finally went to a show more excited to see the opener than the headliner.
Regardless, I’m so happy that they delivered because if I had hyped them up so much and then they sucked I would’ve looked like a fool to all the new friends I made along the barricade and the friends I already had at the show. Smith is another frontman like BJ Barham where at any point, he could tackle one of his band members just from how much he’s feeling the music. The amount of energy the band puts out is insane and it also helps that all of their songs are fantastic too. From the anthemic Hail Mary and Hurricane to the moody but powerful Fire in the Ocean and Heaven Knows to their breakout hit All I See Is You which was prominently featured in Yellowstone, I don’t think the band is capable of making a bad song. I also have to add that fiddle player Bennett Brown is one of the best in the scene and he was mesmerizing to watch. I hope I don’t have to wait another 2 and a half years to see the band again because I don’t know if I’ll be able to wait that long.
2. Koe Wetzel – Concrete Street Amphitheater
At 10 PM on July 23, 2022 at Concrete Street Amphitheater, the lights went dark and the PA began blaring Splash by Tyga which samples We Want Some P***y by Two Live Crew. From there, the song faded out as bassist Mason Marris started playing the main bass line to Fuss & Fight which opened the show. Fireworks went off on stage as the full band kicked in and Koe walked out and it was off to the races from there. Before the chorus, the main riff kicked in again and the stage was engulfed in pyro and CO2 cannons as well as beer and beer cans flying in every direction in the crowd. For the next 90 minutes, Koe put on the best show I’ve seen him put on until the next time I see him and I’ll probably change my mind. It’s been wild to watch his ascent in the state. He’s gone from being a rowdy party act playing tiny bars to selling out arenas, giant amphitheaters, and doing shows with Snoop Dogg all within about 5 years. Even at this show, Koe made mention that the first time he ever played in Corpus, he played at the Executive Surf Club for about 25 people. This show, on the other hand, was sold out with 10,000 tickets sold. Even cooler to see is how much bigger his stage show gets each time I’ve seen him. In 2016, he was the second person of four to play a Spring Break show at this same venue and his production was literally nothing. Just him, his band, and their gear, and they absolutely killed it. I saw him in 2021 in Lubbock and it was already an upgrade with a few LED screens, CO2 cannons, and pyro. Now, 6 months after that, he had double the amount of screens, double the amount of CO2, double the pyro, and he had added lasers to the arsenal. Of course, none of this matters if he’s not good live but luckily, he is.
Something needs to be said before I go much further, Koe Wetzel makes rock music and plays rock shows. Don’t believe me? Just watch literally any video of him performing live and your mind will probably be changed. Songs like Kuntry & Wistern and Something to Talk About are absolutely blistering live and make the studio versions feel like demos. The live versions of songs like Forever, Ragweed, and Austin take somewhat slower songs and make them absolute barnburners. And as always, closer February 28 provides a rowdy finish that will leave you full of energy or drenched in beer…or both. I can’t recommend seeing Koe enough. Take it from me, I’ve said this a million times but I’ve never been crazy over his studio material as most of it feels too overproduced and blown out for me but I’ll never skip his show when he comes to town because he is always incredible.
And now, last but certainly not least…
1. Ice Cube – Cook’s Garage
I still have no idea how Ice Cube ended up on a stage in Lubbock, Texas but he did. When this show first got announced, I figured it would be way too big of a show for Zach and I to be able to cover but with a little bit of luck and persistent emailing (sorry Mistie), we got in. Opening sets from Bone Thugs n Harmony and Cypress Hill were already great, then Ice Cube was relentlessly incredible for 90 minutes. After his opening song, he stopped and said, “Alright, I know what you were thinking when you bought your tickets. Ice Cube? The guy from the movies? Can he still get it on the mic and do what we like?” The answer is yes. Like a very loud and resounding yes. If I screamed “YES” in your ear it wouldn’t be more clear that he absolutely can still get on the mic and do what people like. He played one of those shows where I forgot how insane his catalog was and so every song was me being reminded that he’s an absolute legend with so many bangers under his belt.
I’m always very cautiously optimistic going to rap shows because it tends to be the most hit-or-miss genre for live performances. Sometimes you’ll go to a good show where the artist is in a good mood, rapping over most of their tracks, and they’ll hopefully have a decent DJ or hype man. Other times you’ll go to horrible ones where the artist seems like they’d rather be anywhere else, they rap a few words to every song, and the DJ makes you wish you didn’t have ears. It’s those shows that make the ones like this so much better. For starters, Cube rapped over instrumentals, a huge plus in its own right. This next part is unfortunately a huge compliment but Cube didn’t miss a single word in any of his verses and still rapped with incredible breath control and enthusiasm. Also, his interactions with the crowd and with hype man WC were just as great as the performance. I think my favorite is still him saying, “It’s so great to be playing on a Friday night!” WC quickly corrected him and said, “Cube, it’s a Saturday,” to which Cube said, “When Ice Cube is in town, it’s always a Friday night!” before they launched into Friday. I also loved his bit before Straight Outta Compton where he would point at people in the crowd and say, “If I take it back, you a witness homeboy, you a witness homegirl, don’t snitch on me.” WC saw this and said, “Cube, what are they ’bout to witness,” with the legendary Dr. Dre intro starting right after. The show closed, fittingly, with Today Was A Good Day. As the crowd of seven thousand plus waved their arms to the beat, Ice Cube waved goodbye and disappeared backstage. I don’t know if I’ll get the chance to see Ice Cube again but I will not pass on the opportunity to do it again if it comes. At 53 years old, Cube is performing at a higher level than most current rappers in their prime and there is no doubt in my mind that he performed the best concert I saw in 2022.
All photos by Andrew Watters except where otherwise noted. Thank you so much to Cook’s Garage for letting us come cover shows at their venue this year, we can’t wait for another full year of fun in 2023!
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