If you’re anything like me, then you know that the hardest part about quarantine was not being able to go to concerts. For nearly two years, I had to blast music in my headphones with my eyes closed and imagine what it would be like to be at a live performance again. But, my friends, no longer will we have to exist in that dark time, because all our favorite artists are back and better than ever with new music and new tour dates.
10) King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard
Their newest album, “Butterfly 3000,” dropped back in June and the psych-rock community has been waiting patiently since the summer for King Giz to announce a tour, which they did on an instagram post on Nov. 16. They’re going to be spending most of the 2022 spring and summer in Europe, but will be making their way back to the states for the fall. On Friday, Oct. 21, they will be jamming out at Forest Hills Stadium, one of the best and most comfortable venues in New York. Floor tickets are starting at $60, so you better get your tickets fast, because it’s definitely going to sell out.
9) Courtney Barnett
With her second-to-last studio album, “Tell Me How You Really Feel” having been released back in 2018 with a tour to follow, Ms. Barnett has awoken from her three-year long hiatus to bless her fans with a brand new album, “Things Take Time, Take Time” (yes they do Courtney, you tease), which was released on all streaming platforms on Nov. 12. She will be making her way over to Radio City Music Hall on Feb. 5, but due to how popular she has gotten over the past few years, the cheapest seats are starting at $94, but totally worth it to sing “Nameless, Faceless” live and in-person.
8) Peach Pit
Ah yes, the indie band whose claim to fame just so happened to be their self-titled song. Evolving from the Two Door Cinema Club’s designated opener in 2019, to a now highly sought-after headliner, the band has been slowly releasing singles following their 2020 album, “You and Your Friends,” to keep fans interested and excited for their future projects. These Canadian lads will be hanging out at two different New York venues in April: Brooklyn Steel on the fourth and Town Ballroom in Buffalo on the ninth. Tickets are starting at $60 and $40, respectively.
7) Greta Van Fleet
I can personally attest to how amazing Greta Van Fleet is live (I’ve seen them four times)! Seeing them in person is a religious experience, resembling what I can only imagine audiences of Led Zeppelin felt like. Their newest album, “The Battle at Garden’s Gate,” shows strong progression from their last in both melodies and lyrics. Though they won’t be stopping in New York, they will be stopping at the Hard Rock Hotel (fitting) in Atlantic City, New Jersey on April 1 and 2. The tickets may be starting at around $100, but the memories you will make at this concert will be priceless.
6) Beach Bunny
Though the band has been releasing music EP style since 2016, technically their first album was released right at the beginning of quarantine in 2020. Finding fame among the Tik Tok community, their niche sound is becoming more and more popular these days, so you know they will be giving it their all to keep the attention deficit, Gen-Z kids impressed. They will be making an appearance at Empire Live in Albany on May 9, and with tickets starting at $39, it’ll be the perfect, end-of-spring semester reward for breaking your psyche studying and writing papers; concerts are rejuvenating, I promise.
5) Alt-J, Portugal. The Man, & Cherry Glazerr
There’s no way that this lineup is real; it’s too good. Alt-J and Portugal. The Man have been in hibernation since 2018, when each of them released their last albums, but they awoke in 2021 along with the rest of the post COVID-19 world to bless their fans with new music. Although they only released singles, they’ve both been building their fan bases for over a decade, so a single is all we really needed to stay hype about their sound. Cherry Glazerr, who is newer to the indie music scene, has been releasing singles all throughout quarantine, but her newest two songs with Portugal. The Man showcases her talent and progression as a musician. These three superstars will be (casually) making an appearance at Madison Square Garden on April 11, and with tickets starting at $49, there is actually no excuse to miss this historical lineup.
4) Vundabar
Similarly to other niche indie bands, it took Vundabar a minute to find their footing within their respective community. As soon as they did, however, they took off; their ability to encompass audiences with a full-bodied, raw sound became apparent to the DIY and punk kids alike, who found comfort in the honest words and chord-progressions of the band’s lyricist/guitarman, Brandon Hagen. This up-and-coming group is headlining at Brooklyn Made on March 26 and 27, with tickets staying at a stagnant $24. If there is any band you want to be able to tell your children you “saw them when,” it’s Vundabar. No questions asked.
3) girl in red
See, if I could go back in time to go see a concert, I would want to see a Doors concert or a Beatles concert in the beginning of their careers; not at the height of their fame. They were artists that were able to perfectly embody the artistic values and general vibes of their generations, and Marie Ulven Ringheim, a.k.a. girl in red, does the same exact thing for her peers. Opening up and getting real about her queerness and struggles with mental health has allowed her to become an advoacte for her generation. We have definitely not seen the peak of her work yet; she is still on the rise. She will be playing at the Brooklyn Steel on March 14 and 15 with an entry fee of only $30, perfect for a half-broke college kid looking for a different kind of night out, since we’re all over going to the bars and frat houses at this point.
2) Soccer Mommy
Sophie Allison, affectionately known as Soccer Mommy amongst fans, has already had an reputable yet novel career. Previously opening for popular artists like Vampire Weekend, Wilco, Paramore and Kacey Musgraves, Allison had access to a wide audience; with that incredible opportunity at hand, she did not disappoint. Her 2020 album, “color theory” quickly became the anthem of the emotionally-intuitive, indie kid scene, allowing her 2021 EP drop to be the appropriate kick off for her next tour. She will be debuting her headlining career in New York on March 28 at Colony, a farm-to-table restaurant by day, concert venue by night, located in Woodstock. With tickets starting at $30, and the ability to order a mouth watering, fried chicken sandwich after dancing for hours right at your fingertips, I’m sure that I’ll be seeing a lot of you there. I already bought tickets.
1) Lorde & Remi Wolf
There is not a single song on either of these women’s newly released, 2021 albums that wouldn’t be a dream to see in concert; they used the excessive, quarantine down-time to enhance their already unique, individual style. Lorde, the headliner, has kept her loyal fanbase early waiting since her last album, “Melodrama,” was dropped in 2017. She has also refrained from releasing singles, so her listeners know that she has been putting all her time and energy into her latest album, “Solar Power.” On the other hand, Remi Wolf has been a music-making machine. Releasing her first two albums in 2021 alone, with only EPs and singles for her fans to obsess over prior, the fact that she is opening for Lorde so early in her career is testament to her natural stage presence and producing capabilities alike. These two beautiful ladies will be appearing together in New York for one night, and one night only, on April 18 at Radio City Music Hall. Although the base price for cheap seats is $180, the way these two will be able to hold your gaze and blow your mind for the entirety of their set will be worth the money.
