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It’s been another epic year for live music in the Bay Area, with each new month bringing a bevy of great performances. Here are my picks for the best concerts of 2018. Click on the links below to read my concert reviews and see photos and video of each artist.
1, Lorde, March 13, Oracle Arena, Oakland
Theoretically speaking, there might have been a flaw – maybe even two – that occurred during this show. But we didn’t pick up on any as the New Zealand star turned in one of the most triumphant musical performances we’ve seen in quite some time. Lorde was a confident, captivating force throughout the show, thrilling the crowd at each turn. Of course, it doesn’t hurt when your catalog consists solely of two albums, both masterpieces.
2, Jeff Lynne’s ELO, Aug. 2, Oracle Arena
It was an evening of “Strange Magic” and pure genius as Lynne and his legendary crew kicked off their first North American tour in more than 35 years in Oakland. The visionary front man quickly made up for lost time as he led his fellow musicians through a glorious set of Electric Light Orchestra classics (plus one Traveling Wilburys tune). The music – so adventurous and forward-thinking for its time – still sounds light years ahead of most of what’s played on Top 40 radio today.
3, Taylor Swift, April 11, Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara
It was the best pure pop-music spectacle of the year – two hours’ worth of razzle-dazzle, star power and hit songs, delivered by a woman with seemingly so little left to prove and yet an intense desire to prove so much. The set opened with a chorus of recorded voices played over the speakers, with the haters all agreeing that T-Swift has damaged her reputation in recent years. Then the star took the stage and showed that she’s at her best with a chip on her shoulder.
4, U2, April 7, SAP Center, San Jose
Having celebrated the 30th anniversary of “Joshua Tree” with its 2017 tour, U2 went a very different direction with this year’s road show and decided to cut all the material from that mega-platinum album out of the set list. It was a huge gamble to leave so many of its best-known songs behind, but one that truly paid off. This was the most refreshing, energetic and downright enjoyable U2 show we’ve seen in years.
5, Miranda Lambert, Feb. 8, Golden 1 Center, Sacramento
The country star didn’t come to the Bay Area on this trek, so we went to her. And, wow, was it worth the extra miles on the Lamborghini. (Ahem. It was really a KIA.) Lambert was fierce, feisty and fully in command, holding fans spellbound as she mined all six of her studio albums. Many of the highlights came off the 2016 breakup album, “The Weight of These Wings,” a moving two-disc set recorded in the aftermath of her split with Blake Shelton.
6, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Sept. 29, Levi’s Stadium
They were performing in a football stadium, in front of a crowd of nearly 50,000, and yet, amazingly, there were still moments in this mega-concert that managed to feel so intimate and personal. It was like we were getting an inside view into the lives of Bey and Jay — and the message ringing loud and clear was that they’re still “Crazy in Love.”
7, Phish, July 24, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco
The world’s greatest jam band opened a two-night stand at its West Coast venue of choice with a wonderfully eclectic mix of originals and covers, longtime concert staples and relative rarities. The quartet — guitarist/lead vocalist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon, drummer Jon Fishman and keyboardist Page McConnell — never really lost an ounce of steam as it ran through the four-hour show.
8, Acoustic-4-A-Cure, May 15, Fillmore, San Francisco
Blues legend Taj Mahal was the big highlight of Sammy Hagar’s fifth annual Acoustic-4-A-Cure benefit concert, which supports the Pediatric Cancer Program at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. But it was also great to see such artists as REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin, the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir, Van Halen’s Michael Anthony, rocker Eddie Money, guitar hero Joe Satriani and, of course, the Red Rocker himself.
9, Lindsey Buckingham, Oct. 9, Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, San Francisco
The show was full of excellent musicianship, powerful and passionate performances and exquisite song craft. In all, it was a good summary of what Fleetwood Mac lost by kicking Buckingham out of the band. (Another good summary of that loss came when Fleetwood Mac – sans Buckingham – performed in November in San Jose.)
10, Khalid, May 5, Bill Graham Civic
The 20-year-old R&B star showed why he’s one of the most promising young stars in the business, as he delivered a show that was full of playful personality, excellent vocal work and charisma.
Other top shows (organized by date):
First Aid Kit, Jan. 28, Masonic, San Francisco
Banarama, Feb. 21, Warfield, San Francsico
Judas Priest, April 19, Warfield
My Bloody Valentine, July 19, Fox Theater, Oakland
Phil Wickham, Aug. 30, Calvary Chapel, San Jose
Eagles, Sept. 20, AT&T Park, San Francisco
Ice Cube, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Oct. 13, Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View
Trey Anastasio, Dec. 8, Paramount Theatre, Oakland
