Enjoy!
#10 - Reba McEntire: The queen of country delivered a great performance and despite the blistering heat that day, a sold out crowd welcomed her with open, sweaty arms. On of country music's true pioneers, she still has a great voice and I loved her ability to talk about all her long years in the business. I quickly realized you don't have to like country music to like Reba, you just need ears.
#9 - John Fogerty and ZZ Top: There may not have been a cooler moment this season then when Billy Gibbons and John Fogerty traded licks during "Green River". These two artists may be on the other side of 65 but they played like the seasoned rock stars they are and they have more than enough hits to go around.
#8 - Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me: Trump sucks (oops am I allowed to say that?) but at least with this show, we can laugh about it. Having James Comey answer questions about loyalty programs is something only Peter Sagal and company can conjure up and regardless of your political feelings, "Bluff the Listener"will get a laugh every time.
#7 - Steven Tyler and the Loving Mary Band: If you're a rock fan, there's nothing better than to hear Steven Tyler sing "Dream On" as good as he did 45 years ago. While he didn't have Joe Perry backing him this time, Tyler happily went back to his Aerosmith days and those tunes really elevated this show to a new level. I mean "Sweet Emotion"? Come on.
#6 - Barenaked Ladies: I wonder if they wrote "If I had $1,000,000" thinking that one day, they most certainly would. The Canadian rock band might seem lightweight sometimes, but they pack a punch and gave a great performance filled with jokes, feel-good music, and a happy audience . Now if only they ended on time...
#5 - Slightly Stoopid: The show that spurned me to create a reggae playlist on Spotify, I not only discovered a band but a whole new genre. Sure there was a lot of pot and drinking, but it's only a little illegal in a national park right? Stick Figure also gave an awesome performance and leave it to reggae to make you forget about the heat and that green smell.
#4 - Alison Krauss and David Crosby - I will totally shame myself for not knowing how good Alison Krauss is. Having seen David Crosby three times now, he might be the only person I know who kicks more ass as he progresses through his 70's. Krauss has the voice of an angel and not only represents the pinnacle of bluegrass, but of heartfelt artistry.
#3 - Juanes: At the end of this show, one happy patron questioned why we don't bring more latin artists to Wolf Trap. I've been asking that since I first got here because no one had a better time this season than Juanes fans. This show might have reminded me of my futility with the spanish language, but is also showed me the amazing power of a cultural icon and a strong latin beat. Ths show was so good that no one wanted to leave: indeed it took an hour to clear the lawn and when I was walking back to my car, I could hear the party didn't stop, it just moved.
#2 - Fitz and the Tantrums - Contrary to popular belief, I didn't put this show this high simply because it was also the night the Caps won the Stanley Cup. That was just the sugar on top a high-energy pop concert that featured two of my favorite bands. I had seen X Ambassadors before but they had a few more great songs this time around and they could fill a 50,000 capacity arena, much less a 7000 capacity one. Fitz and the Tantrums are just so fun to watch and they were the band I was looking forward to all season long. Luckily, they went the way of Ovechkin and didn't disappoint.
#1 - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - It may seem strange putting a band I had never even heard of before the show at #1 but that's exactly what I'm doing! The best part of Wolf Trap for me is gaining a little more appreciation for every artist and listening to their music in the fullest form: on stage. Jason Isbell is an incredible singer-songwriter because he has lived through all the emotions that he conveys. His band helps out by being awesomely talented and what really made them stick out was that this was a band at the top of their game. Their opener, Hiss Golden Messenger were also very good and that was also what put this show on top. It had top talent throughout the night and reminded me of why I like rock music above all else. It just brings a unique feeling to me that nothing else can. So thanks Jason for giving me the whole audience a great night. You deserve it.
Honorable Mentions
Charlie Puth - Screaming teenage girls aside, Charlie has more talent than your average Youtube singer and the Berklee educated star lived up to his hype with a great show. I could've done without the shirt removal but if that's my only complaint other than partial hearing loss, I guess it was a pretty good night.
Roger Daltrey Performs the Who's Tommy - He may be a little more restrained now than at Woodstock, but the music is what carried this show and the album was performed as it should be: as a piece of art. Only one thing was missing from this Tommy performance, the guy who wrote it.
Ludovico Einaudi - Perhaps the weirdest show I've ever seen, it also turned out be one of the best and as a musician, I was awe struck. His 20 minute piano solo was great, but it was when the ensemble came together that Einaudi really worked his magic. Using instruments I don't even know the name for, he entranced the audience like few others can while bringing a relaxing mood bereft of hype and show. The music is all he needs.
Thanks for reading everyone!
DC
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