(Live Review) THE BEARD'S TOP 40 LIVE SETS OF 2024 (#40-#31)
Greetings friends, fans, and followers. Here we are looking back on another big year of covering metal and classic rock acts for The Mighty Decibel. With #77 shows and #243 bands this season, once again picking a top forty is extremely difficult for your furry host and old hat reviewer.
It is even more so for my partner Little Johnny who, (when I told him it was time to do the end of year countdown once again), chucked an orange at my head and immediately started bitching about it. Eventually after a while he calmed down, (especially after I threw in a case of IPAs as his “study guide” tools.)
As the years have gone by, Little Johnny and I have grown apart in musical tastes. Sure, we agree on a handful, but while the Beard heartily embraces the classic rock end of things, Johnny, (like our boss), tends to prefer material that is a little more “aggressive.” So, this year, our lists look quite different.
Once again, we have divided this project into eight parts and will be running a new part every Wednesday & Thursday throughout the month of January. After that, we will be heading to a brand-new site for 2025. You will be able to find us on www.thebeardandlittlejohnnyreviews.com where we will be posting both metal and non-metal reviews of anything and everything. Our TikTok site will remain the same @ thebeard0728, (at least unless the government shuts it down that is.) But for right now, here is part one of our “Best of 2024” list beginning with The Beards picks for bands #40-31.
Just like in the past, the Beard used a weighted averaging system that included grading the sound, the lights and effects, the crowd response, the set list, and various intangibles. I tried to pick irrespective of particular genres or sub-genres of music and the “Icon Status” rule was again in effect. There were quite a few repeat visitors to the top forty list, but many brand-new bands as well. The biggest seller was how much I “still” remember the set even now. So, without further ado, here were my selections for #40-31 of 2024.
Top 40 live sets of 2024
#40: Traveler: 3-23-24 Hells Heroes White Oak Music Hall Houston
This was my very first time seeing this Canadian speed metal band, and they did not disappoint. Opening day three of the best festival of 2024, (the gigantic Hells Heroes), Traveler hit the stage hard and did not waste a minute of their half hour time slot. Good vocals and guitar work, plus one of the few bass solos I enjoyed this year. I believe Traveler is going to be a band on an upward trajectory in 2025.
#39: Wayfarer: 5-21-24 Reggie’s Chicago
The wilds of Colorado brought us this fusion of black metal & almost-country folk music. Dressing in simple blue jeans and black shirts, Wayfarer kept the lights dim and low as they mostly performed songs from their American Gothic album in murky shadow. This was an unexpected fusion of styles that on paper does not seem to work, but when you think about it, folk, country, AND black metal all tell dark and sorrowful stories of mistakes made and paths gone wrong. These guys grabbed me unexpectedly and held my attention through their set. The Beard enjoys being surprised sometimes and this was one of those occasions.
#38: Dawnbringer 5-4-24 Reggie’s Legions of Metal Chicago
One of THE most overlooked festivals of metal music was this little two-day affair run on the south-side of Chicago. The Legions of Metal Festival brought a plethora of styles under one umbrella. Over two days, an attendee could see and hear a dozen different sub-genres of metal music, so the phrase “something for everyone” was quite apt here.
Dawnbringer was an act that had produced a lot of albums but seldom played live so this was a treat to watch as well as listen to. A traditional metal sound with a lot of progressive artistry, Dawnbringer brought a kind of Rush-meets-Dungeons and Dragons feel to the set. Very unique and stylistic music and well worth checking them out on CD or streaming.
#37: Nervosa 10-13-24 Reggie’s Chicago
Although I did get the opportunity to see these death metal ladies of South America and Europe twice this year, the Chicago show easily eclipsed their one in Madison. This was primarily because the Madison one was the tour’s first night while the Chicago show was its final night.
A female foursome led by amazonian vocalist/guitarist Prika Amarel, this quartet took no prisoners in a stiff and aggressive hour long set of death and thrash metal. On their final night of the tour, the ladies held nothing back and clearly were having a good time up there (given the receptive enthusiastic Chicago crowd.) As a bonus, your reviewing host got to meet and spend a bit of time with Prika Amarel and I can say that while I certainly would not cross her stage persona, off-stage she is quite an engaging and friendly lady. This show let me really see the Yin/Yang of what Nervosa was about, and although I cannot prove it, I strongly suspect Little Johnny has something going on with one of these girls.
#36: Vicious Rumors: 4-14-24 Reggie’s Chicago
By now I realize almost every show so far has resonated from Chicago’s south side home for metal, Reggie’s Rockhouse, but I assure you that is complete coincidence. The Beard has no affiliation or connection. This is just where most of the metal shows in Chicago were at.
As the semi-headliner, forty-year stalwarts Vicious Rumors had never been of particular excitement to me. With only one of their thirteen albums ever charting, this was a band destined to always fill the support slot on tours. Vicious Rumors is the band that is always the Mistress but never the Wife. That said, on this evening in this venue, they rose above the headliners and gave the show of the night and a strong enough set to get all the way to the top 20% of all the ones we reviewed this year. I guess it is true, sometimes the mistress can be the most fun after all.
#35: Bloodstar: 3-23-24 Hells Heros White Oak Music Hall Houston
Bloodstar brought the occult rock sub-genre with a female lead singer that looked like Stevie Nicks (if after her and Lindsey Buckingham broke up had gone feral and mean). Belting out songs from their debut release First Sighting (Ed: Which is still in rotation here at The Mighty Decibel Central) this was a band that had a lot to offer and far eclipsed their early day festival slot. Heavy, dark, and spooky.
#34: The Ocean: 2-17-24 Reggie’s Chicago
Like their namesake, this post metal German band took a while to get going but once they did, look out. For the first several numbers I detected prog, sludge, and Avante Gard material coming from behind all back lighting (rendering the band near indistinguishable), before singer Loic Ressetti suddenly came flying off the stage in a full dive onto the crowd who then surfed him around and back onto the stage. From that point until the end of the set The Ocean raged like a hurricane was blowing over it. That set grabbed my attention and I have held it in my memory ever since meaning what they did stuck with me all year and that is worth an end of year mention and ranking.
#33: WASP: 11-9-24 The Arcada St. Charles, IL
My first time seeing Blackie Lawless and his bane of the PMRC’s existence back in the 1980’s band. (Ed: You're lucky. I ran into them twice in their heyday.) Now I grant you in 2024 WASP is mostly smoke and mirrors, (and lights and backing tracks) but there is just something about hearing the songs of your rebellious high school days belted out by the living example of 1980’s horror movie facsimile Sammi Curr (from Trick or Treat). Despite myself I had a good time at this show and, since it is me evaluating, that has to count right?
#32: The Pretenders 7-29-24 The Pabst Theater Milwaukee, WI
The Beard had a “first” live concert once. It was August 17, 1984, and it was The Pretenders and here in 2024, (almost 40-years to the day later), I got to see punkstress Chrissie Hynde a second time. Still as surly as ever, Hynde now looked like Steven Tyler on an extended diet with a bad haircut, but she also still growled her way through many of the same songs I first heard her do four decades earlier. The Beard is a sucker for nostalgia (Ed: And female lead vocalists) and once again I enjoyed the low-key pseudo-1980’s punk meets traditional rock aesthetic this band produced.
#31: Pallbearer: 6-26-24 Thalia Hall Chicago, IL
My second year in a row seeing these guys and their angst ridden, slow, depressing take on doom. Pallbearer “are” the band every Emo band wishes they had enough balls to be. I always enjoy these guys, and they always pull a solid crowd, unfortunately, they just never get the national love. I did not rank them as highly this year as in the past, but it is hard to think of any band that does what they do any better.
Okay, that wraps up part one of the Beards top forty list for 2024. Tune in tomorrow same place, same channel and get an entirely different outlook on the year as the rapscallion of rock Little Johnny unveils his #40-31 right here on The Mighty Decibel. Until then remember to Live Life, Stay Heavy & Horns Up.
Since Pallbearer was 1 of your top 5 albums, was expecting to see them higher in your reviews. Also expecting to see Ocean high in Johnny’s.
Always a great read!