Plus, we give out the first-ever Music Uni-y Awards
Happy New Year! It’s time to reflect on your roving reporter’s crazy year of concerts by the numbers. That’s right: It’s time for MATTIFY WRAPPED. (Ok, I don’t love myself THAT much. I just thought it was funny.)
Last year, I took the risk of embarrassing myself by sharing all the shows and artists I’d seen throughout the year. As a complete surprise, you liked it, so let’s do it again. I’ll start with the stats…Spotify-wrapped style!
Number of Live Shows: 103
Our ace photographer James Miller shot at least 52 of those shows, plus a few events for TMU that I didn’t attend.
Number of Artists Seen Performing Live: 264
Number of Songs heard Live: 2,568
Number of Cities Visited for Live Shows: 19
Number of Venues Visited in 2024: 48
Matt’s Top 5 Most Visited Venues of 2024:
5th Place TIE: Merriweather Post Pavilion -Columbia, MD / Sphere at Venetian Las Vegas / Warner Theater – Washington, DC (four shows each)
4th Place TIE: The Anthem / Capital One Arena – Washington, DC (five shows)
3rd Place: Jiffy Lube Live – Bristow, VA (six shows)
2nd Place: MGM National Harbor – National Harbor, MD (nine shows)
First Place: CFG Bank Arena – Baltimore, MD (ten shows)
Also, rather than making a Top 10 Concerts list this year, Buddy and I decided to create The Music Uni-y Award in several categories. It’s an officially unofficial award based solely on the shows we saw this year. There’s no way we could truly evaluate every concert on the circuit this year, so these are just our picks. Click the hyperlinked winner in each category to read more about why they won. And, if they’re on the road again next year, check ‘em out!
Best Production – Stage Sets – Fall Out Boy
Best Production – Lights and Pyro – Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Best Setlist – Bruce Springsteen
Best Use of the Venue – Dead & Company at Sphere Las Vegas
Tightest Band – Billy Strings & Special Guests at CFG Bank Arena
Best Music Mix in a Live Environment – Toto
Most Nostalgic Show – Billy Joel
Classiest Evening of Music – Celtic Woman with National Symphony Orchestra at Kennedy Center
Coolest Band to Chill With – Scarlet Opera
Best Male Vocalist of 2024 Live – Tom Jones
Best Female Vocalist of 2024 Live – Diana Ross
Most Fun Show of 2024 – New Kids on the Block
Best Overall of 2024 – Eagles at Sphere Las Vegas
MATTIFY WRAPPED: ARTISTS SEEN BY MATT BAILEY LIVE IN ORDER FROM JANUARY TO DECEMBER 2024:
Ricky Skaggs
The Last Second Save
Michael Wavves
Richard Marx
Rick Springfield
Brittney Spencer
Grace Potter
National Symphony Orchestra
Seth MacFarlane
Liz Gillies
Bob the Drag Queen
Madonna
Jenna Paulette
Aaron Watson
Molly Tuttle
Greensky Bluegrass
Plush
Falling in Reverse
Disturbed
Toto
Journey
Caleb Dillard
Joey Davis
Billy Contreras
Oliver Anthony
Little Big Town
Snafu
Lamb of God
Pantera
Bailey Zimmerman
Warren Zeiders
Ashley McBryde
Austin Snell
Blake Shelton
Gwen Stefani
Chase Matthew
Ella Langley
Dylan Marlowe
Josh Ross
Chayce Beckham
Lady A
Chris Stapleton
Luke Bryan
Jon Pardi
Anne Wilson
Priscilla Block
Dalton Dover
Hueston
Luke Grimes
Sam Hunt
Darius Rucker
Kassi Ashton
Tyler Hubbard
Brothers Osborne
Parker McCollum
Keith Urban
John Morgan
Scooter Carouse
Brent Anderson
Elvie Shane
Haven Madison
Hunter Girl
Parmalee
Tim Montana
Austin and Colin
Frank Ray
Blanco Brown
Brooke Eden
The Frontmen
Color Me Badd
Dierks Bentley
Chris Janson
Mackenzie Carpenter
Greylan James
Jackson Dean
Brian Kelley
Carly Pearce
Riley Green
Garth Brooks with Ronnie Dunn
Corey Kent
George Birge
Conner Smith
Dillon Carmichael
Meghan Moroney
Hardy
Nickelback
Games We Play
Hot Mulligan
Jimmy Eat World
Fall Out Boy
Jon Batiste
Trombone Shorty
Drake Milligan
Justin Moore
Cody Johnson
Colby Acuff
49 Winchester
Bobby Rush
Buddy Guy
Megan Moroney
Melissa Etheridge
Kelsea Ballerini
Jordan Davis
NeedToBreathe
Lainey Wilson
Sammy Hagar
Trisha Yearwood
Dasha
Sugarland
Jelly Roll
Steve Vai
Joe Satriani
Smokey Robinson
Lee Greenwood
Alabama
Fan Halen
Child’s Play
Aldo Nova
Doro
Lynch Mob
Quiet Riot
Steve Pearcy
Queensryche
Pretty Boy Floyd
Cold Sweat
Faster Pussycat
Night Ranger
Bret Michaels
Dee Snider
Shania Twain
Lindsay Ell
The Pretty Reckless
The Rolling Stones
Levi Foster
Jeff Goldblum
Mildred Snitzer Orchestra
Landon Parker
The Mavericks
Dwight Yoakam
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Cast
Hayes Warner
The Scarlet Opera
Sheppard
Kids That Fly
Stone Temple Pilots
Ernest
David Lee Murphy
Brooks & Dunn
Asleep at the Wheel
Carter Winter
Charles Esten
JD McPherson
Robert Plant
Alison Krauss
Goldie Boutilier
The War and Treaty
Orville Peck
Justin Timberlake
Vindys
Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo
Mary Millben
Kid Rock
PinkPantheress
Olivia Rodrigo
The Pretenders
Amyl and the Sniffers
The Hives
Foo Fighters
John Waite
Foreigner
Styx
Steve Miller Band
Def Leppard
Hailey Whitters
Charles Wesley Godwin
The Avett Brothers
Luke Combs
The Linda Lindas
Rancid
The Smashing Pumpkinks
Green Day
Dead and Company
DJ Jazzy Jeff
Paula Abdul
New Kids on the Block
Edwin McCain
Collective Soul
Hootie and the Blowfish
Dylan Wheeler
Treaty Oak Revival
Koe Wetzel
Willow
Childish Gambino
Jason Aldean
Simple Plan
Avril Lavigne
Girlfriend
Glen Hansard
Pearl Jam
Michigander
Crowded House
Outlaws
ZZ Top
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Tom Jones
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
Chris Olsen
Paul Russell
Ryan Trainor
Meghan Trainor
Daryl Sabara
Rooney
Jeff Lynne’s ELO
Sara Hells
Trace Adkins
Bird Dog and the Road Kings
Brad Paisley
Stevie Wonder
Shelea Melody McDonald
Morgan State Choir
Elew
Sting
Diana Ross
Rhonda Ross Kendrick
Amanda Shires
Cyndi Lauper
Duran Duran
The B-52s
Billy Strings
Jerry Douglas
Chris Thomas King
Rachel Davis
Sierra Hull
Cris Jacobs
Duane Trucks
Lindsay Lou
Tim Blake Nelson
Vince Herman
Jackie Evancho
Lisa Heller
Echosmith
The Hu
Iron Maiden
Lorrie Morgan
Bill Maher
Pentatonix
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Mammoth WVH
3 Doors Down
Creed
Straight No Chaser
Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening
Don McLean
GMCW
Celtic Woman
Leslie Odom, Jr.
Isabel Larosa
Jason Derulo
P1Harmony
Kesha
The Kid Laroi
Gracie Abrams
Teddy Swims
Tate McRae
