Verses on verses | Obligatory year-end concert ranking

This year I have definitely been on my bullshit — arguably more than ever. Not only did I go a little overboard where travel & live music were involved, but I started writing about it all out of spite which is perhaps the strongest force in the universe.

But while I haven’t slowed pace in my adventures, I’ve fallen off a lot on the literary side. This year has been a year of experiences that have challenged my modest ability to write in a somewhat editorial fashion, I’ve leaned into the more deconstructive modes of writing, namely poetry, to parse what has been one of the most busy, creative & uniquely fascinating years of my life.

& I knew that this would be a hard column to write just on face value, because I rightly thought there would be some tough calls. There are old faves on this list & some new bands that immediately took over my playlists, their music not only irrevocably weaving into the weird code of association & emotion that my brain operates in, but dropping musical pins on the map of a year that I sometimes feel had no business being as bright as it was despite it all.

I already did a half-year analysis in July – ranking everything from January to June. Here’s a quick refresh on that:

1. Thrice & Holy Fawn at The Roseland, Portland, OR
2. The Sound of Animals Fighting, The Showbox, Seattle, WA
3. The Wonder Years & Hot Mulligan, McMenamins Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR
4. Spiritbox, The Neptune Theater, Seattle, WA
5. Wage War & nothing.nowhere, Showbox Sodo, Seattle, WA
6. Meute, Showbox Sodo, Seattle, WA
7. Matchbox Twenty, White River Amphitheater, Auburn, WA

& in the second half of the year I saw the following:

• Between the Buried and Me & Thank You Scientist, The Crocodile, Seattle, WA
• Between the Buried and Me & Thank You Scientist, The Roseland, Portland OR
• Hail the Sun, The Crocodile, Seattle, WA
• Sleep Token, The Showbox, Seattle, WA
• The Wonder Years, The Showbow Sodo, Seattle, WA
• nothing,nowhere., The Hawthorn, Portland, OR
• Protest the Hero, El Corazon, Seattle, WA
• The Dear Hunter, The Showbox, Seattle, WA
• The Fall of Troy, Dantes, Portland, OR
• Hot Mulligan, The Showbox Sodo, Seattle, WA

In total, that’s seventeen shows. Not only was it a lot to coordinate, it was a lot to keep track of & write about. & as I’ve picked up a handful of tickets for shows in the new year I’ve definitely been reconsidering if & how I’ll keep writing about these experiences.

But without getting too far ahead of myself, let’s look at 2023 cumulatively. I took a step back with some of these & tried to neutralize any contributing emotional factors & just consider the venues & performances:

1. The Dear Hunter, The Showbox, Seattle, WA
2. The Wonder Years, The Showbow Sodo, Seattle, WA
3. Between the Buried and Me & Thank You Scientist, The Crocodile, Seattle, WA
4. Sleep Token, The Showbox, Seattle, WA
5. Between the Buried and Me & Thank You Scientist, The Roseland, Portland OR
6. Thrice & Holy Fawn at The Roseland, Portland, OR
7. The Sound of Animals Fighting, The Showbox, Seattle, WA
8. Protest the Hero, El Corazon, Seattle, WA
9. Hot Mulligan, The Showbox Sodo, Seattle, WA
10. Hail the Sun, The Crocodile, Seattle, WA
11. The Wonder Years & Hot Mulligan, McMenamins Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR
12. Spiritbox, The Neptune Theater, Seattle, WA
13. Nothing,nowhere., The Hawthorne, Portland, OR
14. Wage War & nothing,nowhere., Showbox Sodo, Seattle, WA
15. The Fall of Troy, Dantes, Portland, OR
16. Meute, Showbox Sodo, Seattle, WA
17. Matchbox Twenty, White River Amphitheater, Auburn, WA

I will say, there’s only one show on this list where I didn’t have an absolutely fantastic time & that was Matchbox Twenty. & even then, I managed to enjoy myself.

I’m only going to go over the shows I’ve not yet covered below, several of which I haven’t really written about yet (or published). The rest are covered in the column I published in July.

The Fall of Troy at Dante’s in Portland, OR

This was an alright throwback show to the OG The Fall of Troy album. The band was together, the vibe was great, they hit the stage early, & Dante’s had the doors thrown open for maximum ventilation because of course it was an absolute miasma swimming pool in that room. But despite their best efforts, the room still felt too small & the sound was a little uneven depending on where you stood.

I was actually late in — arriving at the door in the middle of Rockstar Nailbomb — because they had two openers & we thought we’d have at least an hour or so after doors, not the case.

Overall, I would say this was a good show with classic songs that I absolutely love. The last time I heard What Sound Does a Mastodon Make?, Ryann Donnelly was likely on stage with them. & it ended early enough that I was able to spend a couple hours at Ground Kontrol before catching a late bus back to my hotel. It was a good time, just not the best time I had this year.

Nothing,nowhere. at The Hawthorne Theater, Portland, OR

The lineup to this show was interesting. Support included Seeyouspacecowboy, Static Dress, & UnityTX — of the four bands, only SYSC & Static Dress really had similar vibes. All four put on a fantastic show that made cohesive sense despite the stylistic divide & part of that is on nothing,nowhere. & the flexible emo/metal-rap sound he’s cultivated.

The Hawthorne is admittedly not my favorite venue, though the neighborhood is a whole experience in the pre-game hours. But the more crowded it is, the less fun it is & this was a CROWDED show. There was practically nowhere to be, especially after I had to give up my seat by my friends in the bar to use the restroom (there’s no restroom upstairs & no holding a spot in the balcony & once it reaches capacity there’s no re-entry). Luckily I found a spot along the bar boundary by the beginning of n,n’s set.

Overall though, the show itself was solid & the group of friends I went with all had a great time, even if we were ultimately divided by who had a stronger bladder.

Hail the Sun at The Crocodile, Seattle, WA

This isn’t the first time I’ve seen Hail the Sun & they’ve been consistently good every time & it felt a little lucky to be the “Album Release Party” date on the tour.

However, there was a certain magic to the array of their openers that sorta stole the show. The crowd-work I saw at this show was another level. Origami Button had a sweet-voiced, engaging set that seemed to get everyone moving even in the depths of the room — I was standing at the bar rail (in the middle of the room) & there were people on all sides of me dancing & bopping along to the music. Kaonashi seemed to command the crowd, invoking an ever-expanding pit of hardcore-dancers that brought me back to the old days of punk shows at the local grange. But Being as an Ocean must have been watching from the back because in pure “Hold My Beer” style the band would disappear into the back of the room & suddenly tap one of us at the rail on the shoulder so they could climb up & play an instrument over our faces as they taunted the pit in front of them.

I admittedly went into the show a little angsty, & came out with the morale boost I needed in the moment. I also appreciated that the show ran really early since I had to drive over the pass afterwards. I got home at a very reasonable hour for once.

Hot Mulligan at The Showbox Sodo, Seattle, WA

This was the last show of the year & highlighted exactly how many times I’ve been back to Sodo this year. I showed up a little early, warm from pre-gaming at the dedicated gluten-free Ghostfish Brewery down the street (I love them so much), but not early enough & at first there was no seating in the bar. I hung around the table riser like a lost puppy for awhile until the merch booths opened & people started filtering forward. Eventually, I found a table in the very back & drank Shilling Ciders & yelled weird shit that only the people around me could hear until halfway through Hot Mulligan’s set. & in that it was a perfect evening.

The bands were all great but the show ran so late & the trip over the pass that night was snowy & brutal. I feel like maybe the organization could have taken a cue from Hail the Sun. But where Hail the Sun is in their 30’s like I am & possibly aware that if you’re going to have 3 openers you’ve gotta move shit up for the old guys in the audience (me), Hot Mully are gen z kids & likely can’t be bothered with old man bullshit just yet. Halfway through Heart Attack Man I was ready for bed (admittedly, if I’d have been home I’d be up for another four hours or so but cozy & not thinking of the 3-hour mountain pass drive ahead) but my second wind hit halfway through Hot Mulligan’s set & I spent the rest of the evening in the pit — which wasn’t bad.

I did notice that the ceiling was leaking near the stage, it was a drizzly day & I assume it was rain. I just hope the venue handles that because convenience-wise you can’t beat Showbox Sodo (mostly clean, large-ish bathrooms, right off of I-90 & I-5, lots to do in the neighborhood, plenty of parking) but it’s right on that edge of the this could be a gross drive venue line.

Protest the Hero at El Corazon, Seattle, WA

I’m just going to say it, I fucking hate going to shows at El Corazon — which is definitely well over the gross dive venue line. The main room is awkwardly shaped & if the show is sold out or close to sold out it’s unbearable in there. Not to mention the absolute horror of needing to use the half-stall restrooms that definitely place among in the grossest in the Pacific Northwest.

But Protest the Hero are my all-time faves (I’ve loved them since seeing them in San Francisco & L.A. opening for DragonForce in 2006) & I always leave their shows both incredibly grateful I got a chance to see them yet again & reflective, not only on their incredible music but on its place in my life. & this time was no exception. There was a moment here where I saw Tim Millar on stage & realized holy shit we’re old. I went to the show with a large group of friends (including one who went out to those 2006 shows with me) & we had a long drive back to NCW immediately after the show. The talk in the car on the way back was pretty fucking heavy. & with this column, my ranking is based upon my connection to the show, the experience, & I can’t untangle it.

So, though these guys are my all-time faves & I’ll never not go out to see them when they’re in my area, this was an admittedly rough fucking show for me.

Between the Buried and Me & Thank You Scientist at The Roseland, Portland, OR

I didn’t get to see most of BTBAM this time & maybe I low key nodded off a few times during Rivers of Nihil (Sorry! I was anxious & buzzed & the seat was comfortable), but nonetheless this show ranks high because what I saw of BTBAM was, of course, amazing & everyone knows I’m ridiculously pro Thank You Scientist. Also, the Roseland is a great venue, perhaps my fave in Portland.

Real talk: I can’t really untangle the personal stuff surrounding this tour, which is why I haven’t & probably won’t write about it. But I ranked the shows where I feel I would have put them if my best friend hadn’t flown up from Florida to go with me & she wasn’t influencing me to fuck around & find out (we’ll see if I ever show my face at a TYS show again). Regardless, this one was a blast.

Sleep Token at The Showbox, Seattle, WA

I have to hand it to The Showbox in this case – based on what I read from earlier tour stops I was expecting a bit of a shitshow – but the overall experience was pretty chill.

I love Sleep Token’s music & would guess that all of their albums, but especially “This Place Will Become Your Tomb” will feature solidly on my Spotify Wrapped for the year (later edit: good guess, bitch). & I felt incredibly lucky that I was at the right place at the right time to pick up presale tickets.

However, as I look back over that day, there were a few things that fell flat. The music is incredibly emotional & has a lot of really well-built, fascinating lore around it but to sum up the vibe in the bar around me I’ll quote the lady that talked over most of A.A. Williams: “I want Vessel to impregnate me.” Listen, I’m all for bands making money however they need to & am glad that any fan is there connecting to the music but the weird feral shit is a lot funnier online than it is in person. I felt contact embarrassment several times.

When I think about it in context with some of the other shows I went to this year, it just overall wasn’t as great of a time as I expected it to be. It was a good time & I would do it again but I feel like the really popular bands I saw this year – these guys & Spiritbox – were good but had me longing for the smaller crowds & more intimate shows.

Between the Buried and Me & Thank You Scientist at The Crocodile, Seattle, WA

This show ranks higher than the PDX one simply because I was able to see all of BTBAM’s set even if I was being a thirsty bitch dming the whole time. I also got shoved hard to the side & caught off guard because I was looking at my phone & I deserved that & should have been checked.

But all three bands were absolutely amazing & The Crocodile is tied with Showbox Sodo for my favorite Seattle venue. I also want to take a moment here to say The Hotel Crocodile was an incredibly nice place to stay — the venue has a handful of really nice rooms on the second floor. The vibe is really artsy/cool & each room is done up by local artists. & the staff I interacted with were wonderful even though I had a monster bag they had to help me get to the second floor (I was on an 8-day trip, camping, shows, clubs, & I always travel with books, so my bag was a backbreaker).

The Wonder Years at The Showbox Sodo, Seattle, WA

I walked out of this show with this final year-end ranking in my head & a sense of dread because as much as I love Sleep Token & as lucky as I felt snagging those tickets, I knew I was going to end up ranking this show higher.

While “The Greatest Generation” isn’t my favorite release of theirs, the experience of hearing the whole album along with the banter, the context of what the different songs meant to the band was an unmatched experience. & the second set had all of my faves from “The Hum Goes on Forever” save for “Songs About Death.”

Another thing I experienced at both Wonder Years shows I caught this year, was the crowd’s absolute reverence for the band, their music & lyrics. There is an emotional resonance that is unmatched. You can feel it in the room, see it in the faces of the people around you. It’s like church but less toxic — these things that we feel are big & hard to carry, but we’re all carrying them together by just being human. It’s a pervading sense of empathy that doesn’t just compel you to understand other people but understand that you are never really alone in anything you feel.

The Wonder Years, along with Thrice, are a band I just discovered this year & I’ve been heavily into them since. I really don’t see that changing,

The Dear Hunter at The Showbox, Seattle, WA

I first saw The Dear Hunter years ago at Neumos with The Fall of Troy & as a former choir nerd, I was amazed at how the whole band seemed to be singing, harmonizing with each other to paint these rich musical landscapes, telling a story — at the time they would have probably been touring on Act III. It’s been nearly 15 years since that show & unfortunately that was the last time I saw them live but they truly were wielding the same magic on this night at The Showbox.

& while I don’t know anything about the band members aside from Casey Crescenzo or what lineup changes occurred, I listened along over the years. The Dear Hunter’s live show is phenomenal, Crescenzo’s vocal ability is unmatched & his songs feel timeless, comfortable.

At some point the band relocated from Rhode Island to Washington which put Crescenzo’s wife & mother — the band’s guest vocalists — in our neighborhood & we were lucky enough to get a unique setlist that included “Girl” & “Like Crazy.” & I bitched about “Like Crazy” not being on the setlist for weeks before the show, as setlists from previous shows on the tour started rolling in. So when the band explained that the song they were about to play they’d never even played live before, before breaking into THE VERY SONG I WANTED SO BADLY TO HEAR — it felt like magic.

Hearing that song live made my entire year & I knew in that moment that I was watching the show that would top this list.

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I’m incredibly grateful to have had the resources (mostly friends & family that split gas costs & let me stay with them) to go to so many shows this year. Every one of these was a priceless experience for me but I am constrained by reality & circumstance, & there were actually several more shows I would have loved to see if my time & money were infinite.

But there’s always next year, new tours are being announced every day. So I’m sure I’ll see you out there sometime.

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Verses on Verses is a biweekly music column from the perspective of a poet. Inquiries can be directed to LE Francis, lefrancis@sagecigarettes.com.

LE Francis (she/her) is the managing editor of Sage Cigarettes Magazine; a columnist & staff artist for Cream Scene Carnival Magazine; co-host & staff editor of A Ghost in the Magazine & The Annegirls Podcast; & the author of THIS SPELL OF SONG & STAR available through Bottlecap Press. She is a writer, musician, & visual artist living in the rainshadow of the Washington Cascades. Find her online at nocturnical.com.