Concert

2025 Year in Review

Katie January 22, 2026 No Comments

Most expensive show:
Back to the Island, The Lawrence Brothers VIP, Non-VIP was Jonas Brothers

Least (not free) expensive show:
Jason Arendt, but I didn’t end up going. Least expensive I actually went to was Aly & AJ.

Free shows:
90s Con, Hanson Day, Hanson at Mystic Lake, the Banana Ball performances, Johnnyswim

# artists seen: 64
# unique artists seen: 19
# shows seen in CT: 14
# of shows out of state: 28

Show farthest away: Jamaica out of the US, Snoqualmie in the US
Closest show: Fairfield CT
$$ spent on tickets: $5,728
Miles traveled: ?? I didn’t keep track of that this year

Top 5 shows of the year?
1. 
2.
3. 
4. 
5.

Total number of shows in 2025? 42

First show of the year? Hanson

First show with actual tickets:  Matt Nathanson

Last show of the year? Tartan Terrors

Most surprising show? Skylar Astin

Most disappointing? The number I ended up skipping

Farthest traveled? Seattle!

States attended shows in? NY CT PA OK RI WA MN MA ME IL MI GA NJ MD

Venue most visited? Everything was pretty spread out this year. Just a few a couple of times.

Band seen the most? Hanson

Best new discovery?  Not really sure

Bands seen this year that also broke up this year? Hanson? :/

Friends made at shows? I wasn’t very social, yet again

Band members met? Hanson, Chris Kirpatrick, Jeff Timmons, Erik Estrada, BBMak, Greg and Matt of Dreamstreet, The Lawrence Brothers, Skylar Astin

Best souvenir from a show? Setlists

Longest time in line? Longest waiting was to meet Skylar after the show 

Shows seen from the barricade [front row]– Wilson Phillips, OTown, Skylar Astin, BBMak, OTown, Hanson (a few times), Stephen Kellogg, Lawrence Bros, Ruben, Casey Abrams, Tartan Terrors

Most shows in one month? 

January – 5
February – 2
March – 1
April – 1
May – 4
June – 4
July – 3
August – 6
September – 7
October – 6
November – 1
December – 2

Most shows in one week? September I did 4 shows in 4 states in 4 days… 

Biggest crowd?  Jonas Brothers at Mohegan or Hanson at the Rib Fest

Any drunk encounters? None I can remember, but there was the jerk face who stole from the ribfest cash register

Missed shows: Eric Hutchinson, Barenaked Ladies, DJO, Jason Arendt, Billy Rafoul, Natalie Merchant x2, Jon McLaughlin

Tartan Terrors at The Kate

Katie December 10, 2025 No Comments

Sunday’s Celtic Christmas concert by the Tartan Terrors was a joyous two-set celebration of music, memory, and merriment, wrapped in plaid and powered by pipes, drums, and soaring melodies. The evening unfolded in two energetic 45-minute sets with a brief intermission, opening with the stirring “Awakening” and gliding seamlessly into holiday favorites and Celtic standards like “I Saw Three Ships,” “Whiskey Before Breakfast,” “Heave Away,” and a rousing Christmas medley. Highlights from the first set included the emotional “Christmas in the Trenches,” the lively “Glasgow Reels,” and the always-electric “Quad Piper,” reminding everyone why the Terrors are known as much for their spectacle as for their musicianship.

Between songs, front man Ian charmed the crowd with a series of hilarious and heartfelt childhood Christmas stories that quickly became as much a part of the show as the music itself. Tales of the infamous “Round John Virgin,” interpreting “Noel” as “No El” in honor of his sister Ellen, accidentally singing “incest owns a deity nigh” instead of “incense” during church, and the legendary misread “apply glue” that sent his father on a wild glue hunt had the audience laughing nonstop. Throughout the night, Ian and the band lovingly kept his sister Ellen’s memory alive, giving the concert an added emotional depth beneath the humor and high-spirited performance.

The second set soared with powerful selections like “Freedom ’14,” a beautiful take on “Pachelbel’s Canon,” and a spirited “Fairytale of New York,” followed by beloved holiday staples including “Christmas in Killarney,” “Carol of the Bells,” and “Little Drummer Boy.” (The latter not without a hilarious take from Ian on how no mother would want a drummer next to her sleeping newborn baby!)  “Sailing Home” and “High Road” carried the crowd toward the emotional finish before an encore of “Auld Lang Syne” and “Bonnie Dundee” sent everyone home glowing with holiday cheer. Personally, hearing “Carol of the Bells” live brought an extra layer of magic, as it’s my favorite Christmas carol and a moment I’ll be replaying in my head all season long. The Tartan Terrors’ Celtic Christmas was equal parts laughter, memory, and musical brilliance. A perfect way to welcome the holiday spirit.

Ezra Ray Hart at Foxwoods

Katie December 7, 2025 No Comments

Last night at the Foxwood’s Great Cedar Showroom, Ezra Ray Hart delivered exactly what their tour promises: “90s Hits and Christmas Riffs”—a joyful collision of nostalgia, holiday cheer, and pure sing-along energy. The “supergroup” combines the unmistakable voices of Kevin Griffin (Better Than Ezra), Connecticut’s own Mark McGrath (Sugar Ray), and Emerson Hart (Tonic), creating a powerhouse lineup that feels like a living, breathing playlist of the decade. From the first notes of “Every Morning” through the final encore, it was nonstop throwback magic.

The setlist pulled generously from all three catalogs—“Open Up Your Eyes,” “Good,” “You Wanted More,” “A Lifetime,” “Desperately Wanting,” “If You Could Only See,” “Juicy”, “When It’s Over” and “Fly” —while also leaning into the fun of the holidays with “Little Saint Nick,” “Must Be Christmas,” and a crowd-pleasing “Last Christmas.” For those attempting Whamageddon, fear not: covers don’t count—only the original Wham version can send you to Whamhalla. The night also featured plenty of surprises, including Kevin Griffin’s hilarious holiday rewrite “Sacks of Candy,” inspired by his niece’s childhood mishearing of “Sex and Candy,” and a cheeky cover of “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” with Emerson Hart rocking a kilt.

The band fully leaned into the party atmosphere with high-energy covers like INXS’s “Never Tear Us Apart,” Chumbawamba’s “Tubthumping. Ironically, the loudest reaction of the night didn’t go to one of the guys’ original hits—it went to “Tubthumping,” which absolutely exploded the room. Even the encore doubled down on the chaos with Blur’s “Song 2” and the Beastie Boys’ “Fight for Your Right,” sending the crowd out buzzing.

There was a slight delay to crowd entering at the start of the show—possibly due to Jessica Simpson lighting the casino’s tree on the other side of the property—and Mark McGrath could be seen mouthing “what the f—” toward the crowd, leaving everyone to guess whether it was impressed disbelief or playful frustration. Either way, once the music started, none of that mattered. Ezra Ray Hart transformed Foxwoods into a full-scale ’90s sing-along, proving that these songs—and this era—are still deeply loved. It was equal parts throwback, holiday party, and pure fun – even if Mark was the only one still rocking the frosted tips!

Johnnyswim at Infinity Hall

Katie October 16, 2025 No Comments

Opening the night at Infinity Hall in Hartford, SHUA set the tone with a tender, introspective 30 minute set that blended melancholy and warm. His stage banter was a bit awkward, but in a way that made you smile instead of cringe. He mentioned that he’d been feeling sad about D’Angelo’s passing and that sense of loss wove its way through his set.  He threw in a heartfelt cover of The Beatles’ Yesterday which landed beautifully in the intimate setting.  (Also, kudos to the crowd for being so attentive, there was very minimal crowd chatter during his set, which was quite a surprise to me.)  By the end of the set, SHUA prepared the crowd to be the “Johnnyswim choir”. SHUA’s performance was very sincere and I hope we cross paths again in the future!

It’s hard to write about a headliner set that leaves you speechless, but Johnnyswim’s set just about did.  The duo (and real life couple!) filled Infinity Hall with amazing harmonies that makes you start to believe that maybe, just maybe, soulmates are real.  They performed their newest album in FULL, explaining that they didn’t want to “tear it apart” though they treated the crowd to a few beloved older tunes too.  Amanda reminisced about her Connecticut childhood – she spent her adolescents in Westport but on a trip in fourth grade she came to Hartford to look at the buildings.  Amanda introduced “Psilocybin” with “It’s Tuesday and we’re gonna vibe! But this next song is about depression.”  During I’m Alright the show paused briefly when someone in the crowd looked like they needed help.  Abner noticed instantly, checking in twice mid-song to make sure things were ok – proof that the band’s heart is just as strong as their vocals.  In true throwback fashion, they were recording the show to cassette which would be available at the merch booth.  Talk about a 90s throwback.  Abner also decided to throw in some D’Angelo in the set which Amanda said he decided to do about 30 seconds before they stepped on stage.  Johnnyswim didn’t just play Hartford, they belonged there.

Edit this setlist | More Johnnyswim setlists

JOHNNYSWIM in Hartford October 14th

Katie October 1, 2025 No Comments

There are concerts you go to just for the music, and then there are concerts that feel like you’ve been invited into someone’s living room for an evening of stories, laughter, and soul-shaking songs. That’s what it’s like seeing JOHNNYSWIM. Lucky for us, they’re bringing that magic to Hartford on October 14th at Infinity Hall.

The husband-and-wife duo, Amanda Sudano Ramirez and Abner Ramirez, are the heartbeat of JOHNNYSWIM. They’ve been making waves for years, blending pop, folk, soul, and a spark of storytelling that makes you feel every lyric. Their new album, When The War Is Over, is their most personal yet, exploring healing, resilience, and growth through seasons of change. It’s an album you don’t just listen to, you live in it.

If you caught them recently on the Today Show performing their song “I’m Alright” or saw their electric collaboration with Tobe Nwigwe on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, you already know this is a show that will stay with you long after the last note. Their latest single “Sweet Tangerine” and the deluxe edition of the album are proof that this duo is at the top of their game.  They’ve also been hard at work on the upcoming musical, One Day (based on the novel of the same name by David Nicholls), premiering next year in Edinburgh.

What makes JOHNNYSWIM extra special is the richness behind their artistry. Amanda, daughter of disco legend Donna Summer and acclaimed songwriter Bruce Sudano, carries musical history in her DNA. Abner, the son of Cuban refugees who came to the U.S. during the Mariel Boatlift, brings a perspective shaped by resilience, family, and storytelling. Together, their voices don’t just harmonize, they collide in a way that feels both intimate and cinematic.

Infinity Hall is one of the coziest, most intimate venues in Hartford, which makes it the perfect place to see JOHNNYSWIM. It’s not an arena show—it’s a night where every lyric feels like it’s sung just for you.

So, if you’re free on October 14th, come join me! Grab a friend (or a few), and let’s make it a night of great music, connection, and maybe even a little catharsis. Because with JOHNNYSWIM, it’s never just a concert—it’s a conversation.