Clockwise: Jawbox, Winter Wolf/The Dilators, Julien Baker, Man or Astro-Man? (photos by Kate Hoos)

 

What an incredible summer we just had…well if you don’t factor in that we’re still in a global pandemic, the stripping of reproductive rights, the climate crisis, police brutality, the war in Ukraine, the water crisis in Mississippi…alas, not to downplay any of that because it all totally sucks, but musically speaking, what an incredible summer we just had. I feel excited every day that live music is back in full force and that so many incredible shows have been going on. I am also beyond lucky to not only run this blog and get to see a lot of music because of that, but that I also work in live music so I’m at shows most nights of the week, getting paid to take all of this beauty in. Even when I’m not actively going out of my way to see a show—which I often am anyway—there I am and loving it. It especially always feels like I’ve won the lottery when I’m working shows of artists I love.

 

I was reflecting back over the last few months and thought it would be fun to have a highlight reel of sorts of the summer and the many shows I was at June through the “cultural end of summer” aka Labor Day and the week attached to it (mainly so I could squeeze a few shows I knew I was shooting or working this week under the deadline). I got to see a lot of incredible music either because I was there as a fan or I was selling their merch or handing out credentials in the box office and I think a playlist is the perfect way to relive some of it.

 

There were the big weeks—seeing Rage Against the Machine, Man or Astro-Man? and Julien Baker (twice) in the span of seven days—and the seemingly head scratching moments that are actually totally on brand for me aka skipping a free ticket to Phoebe Bridgers to go to a house show and saw my friends play adjacent to a kitchen instead. (I worked her two BRIC shows so I did in fact get to see most of her set BUT even without that still would have chosen the house show because you know I would have.) The surreal—the Union Pool fire happening mere hours after seeing friends play there. And the legendary and emotional—seeing The Messthetics, spending three powerful nights with Jawbox, and being at Sons of Kemet’s last NYC show.

 

From death metal shows in Quebec to reggae in Central Park to Punk Island in the 100 degree heat, and shows at the edge of The Atlantic Ocean in Rockaway Beach, from living rooms to arenas to parks and patios and everywhere in between, I had a grand summer of amazing music.

 

I was getting very excited to share some songs from these artists that I loved and then I thought why not include some of the shows the other contributors brought to FTA too? Because they brought a ton of great stuff to the table! Shows I wish I could have been at myself if only I could split myself into two—sometimes three—people a night. The hard part of this list too was picking only one song by all of these artists, the eternal struggle really. But all of these artists are deserving of your time so whether it’s a new artist to you, or a familiar song you’ve heard before, let them all serve as a gateway to some great musical exploration.

 

This playlist encompasses a very wide array of genres/styles and has plenty to dig into. So listen in order, skip around or put it on shuffle and see where it takes you. Most importantly, enjoy!

 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7jZSjnhtgjrmphGgpi5ZkV?si=V_YjlBghQEGiFn1lbBEZSw

 

Scroll down for pics from the summer:

 

7 Seconds (photo by Stephanie Augello)

95 Bulls (photo by Kate Hoos)

Amigo the Devil (photo by Kevin McGann)

Angel Olsen (photo by Kate Hoos)

Anysia Kym (photo by Juliette Boulay)

Avail (photo by Ray Rusinak)

Bass Drum of Death (photo by Kate Hoos)

Bat House (photo by Juliette Boulay)

The Beths (photo by Ray Rusinak)

Big Girl (photo by Juliette Boulay)

Bikini Kill (photo by Kate Hoos)

black midi (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)

Bodega (photo by Kate Hoos)

Boris (photo by Kate Hoos)

Burning Spear (photo by Stephanie Augello)

Camp Cope (photo by Ray Rusinak)

Circle Jerks (photo by Stephanie Augello)

Creek and Kills (photo by Kate Hoos)

cumgirl8 (photo by Kate Hoos)

Dead Tooth (photo by Kate Hoos)

Death Valley Girls (photo by Kate Hoos)

Debbie Dopamine (photo by Kate Hoos)

Depresión Tropical (photo by Kate Hoos)

Desert Sharks (photo by Jeanette D. Moses)

Dog Date (photo by Kate Hoos)

El Ten Eleven (photo by Kate Hoos)

Elway (photo by Ray Rusinak)

Flexi (photo by Kate Hoos)

Frankie and the Witch Fingers (photo by Kevin McGann)

Frank Turner (photo by Ray Rusinak)

Gun (photo by Kate Hoos)

Haybaby (photo by Jeanette D. Moses)

Horse Jumper of Love (photo by Juliette Boulay)

Introtyl (photo by Kate Hoos)

Jawbox (photo by Kate Hoos)

JessX (photo by Kate Hoos)

Jim Andralis and the Syntonics (photo by Kate Hoos)

Julien Baker (photo by Kate Hoos)

Kartel (photo by Kate Hoos)

Katy Kirby (photo by Edwina Hay)

The Kills (photo by Kate Hoos)

Kissed by an Animal (photo by Kate Hoos)

The Linda Lindas (photo by Ray Rusinak)

The Loneliers (photo by Kate Hoos)

Los Bitchos (photo by Kate Hoos)

Maafa (photo by Kate Hoos)

Man or Astro-Man? (photo by Kate Hoos)

The Messthetics (photo by Kate Hoos)

Motel Portrait (photo by Kate Hoos)

The Mountain Goats (photo by Edwina Hay)

Murder By Death (photo by Kevin McGann)

Negative Approach (photo by Stephanie Augello)

Nevva (photo by Kate Hoos)

Nihiloceros (photo by Kate Hoos)

Non Residents (photo by Kate Hoos)

Pancho Villa’s Skull (photo by Kate Hoos)

Pons (photo by Kevin McGann)

Posterboy 2000 (photo by Juliette Boulay)

Rage Against The Machine (photo by Kate Hoos)

Ratas En Zelo (photo by Kate Hoos)

Rebelmatic (photo by Kate Hoos)

Sadurn (photo by Juliette Boulay)

Sasami (photo by Kate Hoos)

Savak (photo by Kate Hoos)

Shadow Monster (photo by Kate Hoos)

Sharon Van Etten (photo by Kate Hoos)

Shilpa Ray (photo by Kate Hoos)

Shut Up (photo by Kate Hoos)

Sons of Kemet (photo by Kate Hoos)

Spite FuXXX (photo by Kate Hoos)

Spoon (photo by Kevin McGann)

Stuyedeyed (photo by Kevin McGann)

Sun Ra Arkestra (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)

Ted Leo (photo by Kate Hoos)

They Are Gutting a Body of Water (photo by Juliette Boulay)

Thus Love (photo by Juliette Boulay)

TVOD (photo by Kate Hoos)

Vacant Company (photo by Kate Hoos)

Venus Twins (photo by Kate Hoos)

Versus (photo by Kate Hoos)

The Wailers (photo by Stephanie Augello)

Weeping Icon (photo by Kevin McGann)

White Hills (photo by Kevin McGann)

Winter Wolf (photo by Kate Hoos)

World Sucks (photo by Kate Hoos)