Lady Gaga JOANNE Tour

We were concerned all year, and especially after seeing the documentary, that her fibromyalgia would flare up and she'd have to cancel, but Gaga pushed through and put on the best arena show I've ever seen.  It is still weird that we have a superempath pop star from Juilliard making art for us. The Cure did finish as the song of the year, btw, and it was just as effervescent and restorative in person, like Coke with the original coke in it.

Ron Funches FUNCH-A-MANIA Tour

He and opener Ramon Rivas II were such on-point, technically precise wordsmiths and crafty stand-ups it is hard to believe they're really stoners.  They had gentle, goofy, generous spirits so I think if they could hotbox with Jeff Sessions for an hour it would be like a baptism in the Jordan and he might come out no longer an elf of hate. That is the movie America needs.

Slowdive SLOWDIVE (2017)

I don't think I've ever had as broad a heart for as much art as I did in 2017.  Suddenly, the persistence of artists seemed magical, the effects more than metaphorical.  Slowdive coming out of a twenty-two year retirement with this generous slice of shoegaze grace was unexpected and comforting and encouraging. Start from the end: Falling Ashes is as dreamy, magnetic and propulsive as anything I've heard all year.  Like leaving vespers just as the rain cleared up and the clouds ran off. You'll be humming the chord changes and cheery for the rest of the day.

Bell Witch MIRROR REAPER (2017)

1 song on 4 sides of vinyl. Doom metal and hope metal.  The griever and the grieved have space to be heard.  If you need to clear your unfinished business with two thousand seventeen, ritual this.

Mike Birbiglia THE NEW ONE Tour

His funniest work yet, comedians age better than rock stars imo.