2022: My Year In Concerts

Alyson Camus|December 27, 2022

Amyl and The Sniffers, Angel Olsen, Bjork, CAAMP, Father John Misty, Genesis Owusu, Grace Jones, Haru Nemuri, Interpol, JEHNNY BETH, Mannequin Pussy, Morrissey, Nick Cave, Orville Peck, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Peaches, Roxy Music, Sharon Van Etten, The Flaming Lips, Thom Yorke, Weyes Blood, Yeah Yeah Yeahs

2022 might have been a transition year: we aren’t really post-pandemic, the pandemic threat is not really there anymore but the future is still uncertain – look at what’s going on in China! Do we even know what’s happening over there? The future is undetermined but 2022 was nevertheless a happy year for concerts. It was the year when we really went back to shows, with masks, without masks, and with masks again, with a vaccination card, without a vaccination card… It was a bit confusing.

In 2022, I managed to see quite a list of remarkable artists. I didn’t go to as many shows as I used to pre-pandemic, but it was more a matter of quality over quantity this year. I had the chance to see a few legends: Björk, Paul Simon, Paul McCartney, Grace Jones, Roxy Music, Thom Yorke (The Smile)… some of them may not tour again anytime soon: Paul Simon has retired, it was Roxy Music’s 50th anniversary/reunion tour and Grace Jones is quite the rare performer.

I also attended a few festivals: Cruel World (with Morrissey), Just Like Heaven (with Interpol), Palomino festival (country music), and Beachlife Ranch festival. I also caught some of my favorite artists, not once but twice! I am talking about Father John Misty, Nick Cave, Weyes Blood, and Orville Peck (I actually saw Orville three times as he was also part of the Palomino festival). I discovered new artists (to me) like Genesis Owusu, Caamp, and Haru Nemuri, and went to a record number of shows fronted by fierce females: Amyl and the Sniffers, Peaches, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Jehnny Beth, Mannequin Pussy, and I would, of course, put Haru Nemuri in this category too.

Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen at the Greek were a memorable duo, and the Flaming Lips were a lot of fun as usual. 2022 was not a bad year at all. Here are the best concerts I have attended this year:

Björk At The Shrine Auditorium, Wednesday, January 26th, 2022

Gary Numan At The Fonda Theatre, Wednesday, February 23rd, 2022

Father John Misty At Walt Disney Concert Hall, Friday, February 25th, 2022

A Show For Howie Pyro Medical Fund At The Troubadour, Saturday, March 5th, 2022

Nick Cave And Warren Ellis At The Shrine and The Orpheum, Wednesday And Thursday, March 9th & 10th, 2022

Genesis Owusu At The Roxy, Monday, March 21st, 2022

Homeward Bound: A Grammy Salute To The Songs Of Paul Simon At the Pantages Theatre, Wednesday, April 6th, 2022

Valerie June At The Fonda Theatre, Friday, April 8th, 2022

Ho99o9 And N8NOFACE At The Echoplex, Friday, April 15th, 2022

Orville Peck At Las Vegas’s House of Blues, Friday, April 22nd, 2022

Amyl And The Sniffers With Diode And C.O.F.F.I.N. At The Teragram Ballroom, Wednesday, May 4th, 2022

Paul McCartney At SoFi Stadium, Friday, May 13th, 2022