I Went To Five Shows In Five Days And Now I Will Sleep Forever

If you've been following me on Instagram (which you can do @radio_mike_sandwich, if you're so inclined), you'll know that I've been embarking on a challenge I set out for myself that I dubbed #Concertpalooza. The idea: go to a different show every day for a full work week, and still, you know, go to work and host a radio show and all those good things.

This was not the original plan! I bought tickets for my Wednesday show months ago, and assumed that would be it. But then the Monday and Tuesday shows were announced just a few weeks ago, and then I ended up tagging along with some people for the Thursday show. Before I knew it, one of the most exhausting (but awesome) weeks of my life was about to take hold. Here's a quick recap.

Monday - Manchester Orchestra at the Orange County Fair

Concerts are back in a big way at the Orange County Fair, and that was very clear when Manchester Orchestra took the stage for a show both intimate and massive. We met a couple that drove all the way from Canada for this show. You could call them Fan-chester Orchestra, right? Right?

Tuesday - AJR and Big Data at the Orange County Fair

The rain could not stop Day 2 of the Orange County Fair. Big Data had a great set, and then AJR played straight through a power outage for a very memorable performance.

Wednesday - Weezer and The Pixies at Jones Beach

This is the one I was most excited about, and it did not disappoint. The Pixies proved they can still rock just as hard as they did in the '80s, and Weezer (one of my all-time favorite bands) had a varied, career-spanning set that even placed emphasis on some deeper cuts from Blue and Pinkerton. At one point Rivers Cuomo put on a sailor suit, got in a small boat which sailed into the middle of the audience, and sang an acoustic version of "Island in the Sun." It was magical.

Thursday - Beck and Jenny Lewis at Madison Square Garden

I had seen Jenny Lewis at Mountain Jam last month, where she was great, and she was just as good here. And Beck, man. He played a lot of stuff from the new album, but all the classic songs like "Loser," "Devil's Haircut," "E-Pro," and more made the set. The encore, an extended version of "Where It's At" which also paid tribute to several bands from New York, was a definite highlight.

Friday - LovelyTheBand at Newburgh Brewing Company

By Friday, I was basically dead, so it's good that the last concert was so close to home. WRRV Sessions with LovelyTheBand was a very cool, acoustic performance with a very enthusiastic crowd.

And that was #Concertpalooza! Would I do it again? Yeah, probably. But I'll need a good solid week of sleep before I can think about it.