Yaz “Reconnected” at the 9:30 Club in D.C.
In 2008, 25 years after they split up, Alison Moyet and Vince Clarke reunited for a short tour. Yaz made just two albums, “Upstairs at Eric’s” and “You and Me Both,” and had never performed the second one live. Moyet has one of the most exquisite voices in music, and hearing her perform “Only You” live with Clarke was unforgettable. I saw her again solo in 2017 at the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue in the District. Her voice was just as magical then.
Special Beat at the 9:30 Club
Of the many amazing shows I saw at the 9:30 Club, none was better than two-tone ska supergroup Special Beat — an incredible mash-up of the Specials and the English Beat. The Beat split up in 1983, and I’ve seen Dave Wakeling’s U.S. lineup many times. But this was the only time I saw their other frontman and “toaster,” Ranking Roger, before he died in 2019. Bouncing up and down with him to the reggae beat while he sang “Ranking Full Stop” was an indelible experience.
Squeeze acoustic at the Birchmere in Alexandria, Va.
I’ve seen Squeeze’s full lineup many times, but in 2015, Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook performed acoustic versions of all their Squeeze hits at small venues while telling stories and taking questions from the audience. Hearing “Black Coffee in Bed” with just piano and guitar was awfully “Cool for Cats.”
Donald Fagen performing “The Nightfly” at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston
One of my all-time favorite albums is Fagen’s 1982 solo debut, “The Nightfly.” On a trip to Boston in 2019, I bought a ticket to see Steely Dan, only to discover that Fagen was playing “The Nightfly” from start to finish. What luck! He later released recordings from that tour, which means now I can relive the experience whenever I like.
Stevie Wonder’s Song Party at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md.
In 2018, Wonder did a brief Song Party tour, in which he led the crowd in sing-alongs of his many hits — from “Superstition” to “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” — teaching us parts to perform and then playfully mocking our disharmonies. Singing the chorus of “Sir Duke” (“You can feel it all over, You can feel it all over, people!”) while Wonder tickled the keyboards was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Al Green at Radio City Music Hall in New York
At the height of his success in the 1970s, soul legend Al Green effectively quit popular music and became a Baptist minister. He rarely performed his R&B hits after that. But in 2019, he announced a handful of shows. I drove up to New York to see the 73-year-old. The backup singers did a lot of the work, but it still gives me chills to think about his mesmerizing performance of “Let’s Stay Together.”
Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Va.
At some shows, you have to listen to a lot of obscure tracks to get to the hits. At this show in 2019, every song was a hit. Ringo was joined by an ensemble of legends: Colin Hay of Men at Work played “Down Under”; Steve Lukather of Toto performed “Africa”; Gregg Rolie of Santana grooved on “Black Magic Woman”; Hamish Stuart of Average White Band delivered “Pick Up The Pieces.” And of course, Ringo sang his Beatles hits, including, fittingly, “With a Little Help From My Friends.”
Cruel World Festival at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.
Okay, this one’s not a moment so much as an immersion experience. There’s nothing better than spending an entire day in the Southern California sunshine watching band after band you love. I’ve been to two Cruel Worlds and am heading to my third in May. I’ve seen Blondie, Morrissey, Public Image Ltd, Missing Persons, Berlin, ABC, Devo, the English Beat, the Psychedelic Furs, Violent Femmes, the Human League, Billy Idol, Echo & the Bunnymen and Modern English. This year’s lineup includes Duran Duran, General Public, Simple Minds and Adam Ant. Best ’80s music festival ever!
What moment from a live music performance will you remember for the rest of your life? Submit your response.
