TOP 20 LIVE SHOWS 2025 - Little Johnny Part 1
- Little Johnny
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
Well, here we are at the worst time of the year for me, homework time.
I don’t know why Beard makes me do this stupid list every year. I always tell him “You’re the writer. I’m just the social center of our team.” You break it down to agonizing minutia and I just enjoy the shows. But Beard's boss likes hearing my picks for best shows of the year because he thinks Beard is a bit of an old man. Joke is the boss is older than Beard. (Ed: Full head of hair Johnny, full head of hair!) End result, I got to think about all the shows we saw and rank them somehow. So, like always, I just try and remember the ones where I had a rocking time. Here are my picks for 20-11 of the 2025 season.
#20 Dragonforce 9/23/25 Eagles Club
Okay, I am starting off with this one for three reasons. One, the band rocks. The two guitar players play their asses off, man. They are always running around, climbing on stuff and jamming fast solos. I like that cause it gets me pumped. Second reason, Beard had to stand that whole show. I am telling you, that old man gets pissed when he has to stand. I am not even sure why he has legs, he hates standing so much. I find that #@&* funny. Final reason that this one rocked, Dragonforce has a giant stuffed chicken that they throw into the crowd, and we toss that thing around all night. I whipped that thing all the way up into the balcony and everybody cheered me. Good times. (Ed: Surprised The Beard didn't bring it home with him to prepare one of his (many) gourmet meals!)
#19 DEF LEPPARD 6/19/25 Summerfest
Beard has taken me to see these guys from the 1980’s a few times. At first, I wasn’t sure they were heavy enough for me, but I have started digging them a lot more. At Summerfest they put on a really good arena-sized show. I know a bunch of the songs now, and when you start dancing at a Def Leppard show, lots of chick’s dance with you. I am talking hot chicks. You know, the kind that dress sort of slutty and man they really get into it. I had a good time at that set. Beard was all busy writing notes and just rocking in his seat. I’ll tell ya, LJ was getting busy AND rocking some seat. Horns up to the Lep.
#18 QUEENSRHYCHE 8/3/25 Wi. State Fair
Okay, this one rocked for a bunch of reasons. First it was a state fair. That place was huge and there were so many cool things to eat there. Man, I had creme puffs, deep fried Oreos, corn dogs, pizza puffs. That day was awesome. Plus, Beard had top notch tickets for that one. We were only a few rows from the bands. That guy singing for Queensryche really wails man. I know Beard said a bunch of people don’t like him cause he ain’t the original singer, but all I know is that dude rocked his ass off that night. Yep, when we get great food, great beer and a great show that HAS to make the year-end list.
#17 IMMORTAL BIRD 5/4/25 Reggie’s
Now this act was pure Little Johnny. Part sludge, part grindcore with black and death metal mixed in. I could tell right away Beard wasn’t into it, but man, I thought it was great. The singer was hot as hell too, man. She started out all nice and sweet and then once she started singing it was pure evil demon lady stuff. Beard usually digs old chick singers from back before I was even born, but this babe was a full on Little Johnny kind of broad. We got together after the set, (while Beard was getting off on that emo depression filled Pallbearer band.), and we hit it off really well. So, it was memorable for me and fun music to get wild too.
#16 HIRAX 3/20/25 Hell's Heroes
So, we went back to Houston for that big four-day metal festival Hell's Heroes. Man, Beard spends the whole weekend in his balcony seat. Boring ass old man. There was so much to do there, watching bands, checking out babes, eating and drinking and just partying with other cool people. Anyway, this band Hirax was a lot older than me having started back before I was born, but that old black dude who sings for them was crazy. That guy had more energy than me and he was in his sixties. He ran around that stage nonstop, singing and partying with the crowd. We slammed, circled and surfed and that was a great set.
#15 D.R.I. 3/20/25 Hell's Heroes
Same day, same stage. This time it was another band from before my time, but I loved them. Beard wasn’t into this act at all, but that’s cause Beard needs like ten-minute songs with all sorts of movements to them. This band did songs that were like short punches to your face. Just get in the pit and thrash for a few minutes then pick yourself back up and do it again. This band was what going to metal shows is supposed to be about, just letting it all out. Great act and day no matter what Beard says. (Ed: You tell him, Johnny!)
#14 MICHAEL SCHENKER 9/27/25 Arcada Theater
Now, sometimes I do admit Beard's old man acts are pretty good. This was one of them. I think that dude Michel Schenker is like I don’t know like 80 or something, but he sure don’t play guitar like it. He looked old and had on a wild fur hat, but once he started soloing, I got to admit I ain’t seen many who could hang with him. He was impressive enough to make my list.
#13 GREAT WHITE 8/3/25 Wi State Fair
That day at the fair was so awesome I am putting both bands on my list. Great White wasn’t as heavy as Queensryche, but man that band brought the chicks. Chicks love me when I dance with them and on that song "Save all your Love for Me", they damn near started whipping their clothes off up there. I know Beard says a lot of people only want the old singer from this band too, but that young guy sang his ass off up there and I thought he was pretty damn good. Man, I want to go back to the fair next year too. Beard needs to book that one again.
#12 ABBATH 3/20/25 Hell's Heroes
As you can see, I had my best day at this fest. This black metal guy was the headliner on night one and we tore up that front of stage area jamming to him. He was one of those guys who has that evil ass voice and they just looked like warriors of the horned one up there jamming away. Don’t mistake me, I learned all about religious stuff from the orphanage growing up, but you also learn some hard lessons there too, like God may be watching ... but he sure ain’t doing much to stop the kind of stuff that goes on there. Sometimes you used your Bible as a defensive club if stuff got too weird at night. Point is, I ain’t saying there’s no Satan, I just ain’t sweating him neither cause there’s enough bad %$^& to deal with right here with so called regular people. Anyway, that Abbath guy and his band were heavy fast and rocked hard.
#11 HALESTORM 8/22/25 Credit Union Arena
We have seen these guys a few times. Beard always likes them and I agree. The singer and drummer are brother and sister and that is really cool to me cause I didn’t ever have no brothers or sisters, and I would have loved getting to travel and party and play music with one of them like this band gets to.
The chick singer is intense and wild and I dig her voice, but her brother was the coolest drummer I saw this year. I love his outfits and his solos and just the fun energy he plays with all the time. I guess Beard is wearing on me sometimes and I dig his bands for the same reasons he does, but mostly I just like these guys cause I never had a family of my own and they make me think how much fun it would have been.
So, there you go. That’s my first part of this list. Man, I am almost as long winded as the old man this time. He really IS rubbing off on me. Guess I will wrap it up now and write the other part later.
Remember to keep supporting us, read our stuff and hey, drink Espolon Tequila, that stuff is the best. Until we rock some more, this was your favorite reprobate Little Johnny saying peace out #$%ches.
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