Wide view from the center balcony of the stage at the Met Philly. You're not missing much, there are multiple musicians playing various instruments while Sarah is playing a grand piano.

13th Concert Day: 17 NOV

Sarah McLachlan at the Met Philly. I first saw her on a whim in 2024, as in I thought her music was okay but she was never a fav. Turns out she's an incredibly gifted performer, and I'll never miss another show if I can help it. She's so much more than the sad animal ads.

And there you have it, my Twelve Days of Concerts for the year 2025. For someone like me who frequently ruminates on the past or daydreams about the future, live music allows me to experience the present in a way few things can. Thank you for indulging me on this journey.

But wait, there's more!

The Fillmore Philadelphia in Fishtown. The stage is empty, there is a drum kit on a platform with magenta spotlights behind it. There are three crystal chandeliers and a mirror ball hanging from an open ceiling. There are hundreds of people standing on the floor, many with blue hair. My sick ass is thankful I'm not one of them. I mean, blue hair is fine, standing not so much lol.

12th Concert Day: 29 OCT

Halsey at the Fillmore Philadelphia. First time visiting this lovely venue, first time seeing this amazing artist. However, I caught the crud at the Billie Eilish show the week before, so I had to drag myself here drugged and masked. Good thing I had a seat in the balcony.

We have a center-stage setup here at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. The arena is jam-packed, and there is confetti exploding from the ceiling. You can barely see Billie on the stage, but there is a video projection above. She's wearing a red jersey, singing into a microphone. There is a silhouette of someone's arm sticking straight up in front of me, and I guess I just wanted to convey that sort of vibe at this show.

11th Concert Day: 23 OCT

Billie Eilish with Young Miko at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Y'all don't even wanna know how much overtime I put in to see this show and the one the following week. She was here just a year ago, but I obviously couldn't afford a ticket then. I am full of good vibes and gratitude.

Lorde on stage at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. It's a crappy photo from the nosebleed section, as is tradition. Anyway, she's singing with one arm in the air, and she's wearing a teal-colored bra-like top. I'd be showing my abs too if I looked that good, let's face it. Anyway, she's being projected onto the backdrop, mirror images on both sides of the stage. There are thin lights in the center of the stage projecting upward and outward, and it looks like clouds or sum.

10th Concert Day: 30 SEP

Lorde/The Japanese House/Blood Orange at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Lorde knows how long I've waited to see her live for the first time. Wasn't a fan of Solar Power, but her newest record slaps. She is an extremely energetic performer, and now I feel inspired to get my reps in.

I am so very sorry. Rest well, dear Poo. ❤️

The stage at Franklin Music Hall in Philadelphia. Marina is singing into a microphone, she has long, dark, wavy hair and is wearing a jumpsuit that's magenta on top and black on the bottom, and there are two large blue stars on her thighs. She is wearing black heels, and there is a mic stand in front of her featuring a long, pink ribbon wrapped around it. There are two women musicians behind her, one playing guitar, the other playing keys. There is a round magenta platform behind Marina, and a video screen showing a colorful galaxy. The stage floor is a black and white checkerboard pattern, and there are blue spotlights. There is a drummer out of view, this shot was taken from the right side of the balcony where I managed to snag the last of the coveted bar stools. Listen, I am too old to stand for hours, please cut me some slack.

9th Concert Day: 24 SEP

MARINA with Mallrat at Franklin Music Hall in Philly. I knew her as Marina and the Diamonds, but she has since rebranded. She has a lovely stage presence, and her fans are wonderful and kind. Many were dripped out, and yet they still complimented my plain Lady Gaga T-shirt.

The stage at the Lincoln Theatre in Washington, D.C. Six musicians are present, two on guitar, one on base, one on drums, one on keys, and the lead singer is manipulating some sort of synthesizer. There are multiple spotlights in purple and teal. Wanna know something crazy? This place offered general admission tickets even though there are seats in this theater, meaning you did not have an assigned seat. I was nervous about this idea, but after I left the art museum I Metroed up here to wait in line and there were only a couple people ahead of me. And so when doors opened, I was able to purchase my souvenir tour shirt and use the restroom quickly before running upstairs and securing this fantastic seat in one of the balcony boxes. Nice to have a bit of good luck for a change.

8th Concert Day: 17 SEP

TV on the Radio at the Lincoln Theatre in DC. First time in DC since the Weezer/Flaming Lips/Dinosaur Jr show a year ago, and so I spent the day at the National Art Gallery. A criminally underrated group, I was glad to catch them this year since I couldn't make it last time.

That shirt is amazing! 😻

The stage at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. A large video backdrop shows Trent Reznor grasping both hands around a microphone while singing into it. He's on the B stage, a small square set up in the middle of the pit, flooded with magenta-colored lights. This is the same show where a crowd-surfing Santa caused Trent to laugh in the middle of "Head Like a Hole."

7th Concert Day: 27 AUG

Nine Inch Nails with Boys Noize at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philly, formerly known as Wells Fargo Center. My rankings change depending on the day, but NIN has been solidly in my top 10 favs for 30+ years now. 4th time in concert, and I'll be seeing them again in February.

It me, I'm standing in front of a backdrop at a selfie kiosk. The backdrop is shades of gold and features a honeycomb with bees. There's a banner at the bottom that says Wu-Tang with Run the Jewels. It also shows The Final Chamber logo and the Wells Fargo Center logo. I have long blonde hair, and I'm wearing a black T-shirt that says Rage Against the Machine because I first saw Run the Jewels when they opened for them. My hands are attempting to do the "W" shape, palms facing the camera with intertwined thumbs, but the photo cut off the bottom. Eh, you didn't really want to look at another crappy stage photo from the nosebleed section, did you? Don't worry, I have plenty more of those to share soon.

6th Concert Day: 18 JUL

Wu-Tang with Run the Jewels at Wells Fargo Center. I first saw RTJ when they opened for Rage Against the Machine a while ago, so it was fun seeing them again. Wu had some surprise guests, LL Cool J and Lauryn Hill. The final show of the Final Chamber Tour was special indeed.

Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, home of the Eagles (go birds lol). This is a center-stage setup, like a big donut in the middle of the field. There are multiple video screens placed around the stage like giant lampposts showing the musicians and prerecorded video.

5th Concert Day: 23 MAY

Metallica, Limp Bizkit, Ice Nine Kills at Lincoln Financial Field in Philly. This was Night 1 of a 2-night gig, but I could only get the one night off despite what I just said in the previous post. It rained hard for a bit, my nachos got *limp* but at least I had my poncho.

You’re not giving up on him, you’re letting him go. Poo will let you know when he’s ready even though we never will be.

Please be gentle with yourself. You will know when it’s time, meaning your body will go through the motions while your heart tears into a million pieces. Believe me, I get it. I’m sobbing as I say this, and it’s been over 6 years. She was 14, and her name is Pele.

He has a wonderful stage presence. I hope you get to experience it for yourself one day.

I am so, so sorry. Yes, it is the right thing to do, but you will second-guess yourself. It was a grief I bore alone, so please find comfort in your loved ones if possible. None of this is easy, but you will carry him in your heart forever. ❤️

The empty stage at the Met Philly. I didn't have a great view of this show due to the people in front of me standing at times, so enjoy this lovely chandelier that looks like a fancy sea urchin in a backdrop of hot pink lighting.

4th Concert Day: 5 MAY

Arcade Fire at the Met Philly. 2nd time I've seen AF live. One thing I have learned from my recent challenges is that I am no longer bound to experience life only if my work schedule allows it. Take the night off (YOLO), but it certainly helps if you can make up the hours.

The stage at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. There is a large screen focused on Nick Cave singing, and there are multiple musicians playing along with a small choir.

3rd Concert Day: 17 APR

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds with St. Vincent at Barclays Center. Celebrated my birthday in NYC with a walk in Central Park before the show in Brooklyn. Saw him a couple years ago on his solo piano tour with Colin Greenwood of Radiohead, 4th time seeing St. Vincent.

The stage at Wells Fargo Center, the view from the very top row of the nosebleed section on the right side. You can see the rigging more clearly than you can see the musicians. There is a video playing in the background, I can't even tell what it is, but there are shades of blue. There is a thing in the shape of an "X" hanging over the middle of the stage like a ceiling fan, and it looks purple.

2nd Concert Day: 4 APR

Deftones & The Mars Volta at Wells Fargo Center. Training at my new job that day, I had just enough time to go home before running up to Philly. It was a last-minute ticket, and I bought a bootleg shirt after the show because it still felt weird to spend money on luxuries.

The stage at the Met Philly. Beth Gibbons, the lead singer, is front and center. There are seven other musicians on stage playing various instruments. There is a lavender backdrop, and there are teal-colored spotlights on the musicians. This photo is of course taken from the balcony, so the quality is ass as usual.

1st Concert Day: 29 MAR

Beth Gibbons at the Met Philly. You may know her as the lead singer of Portishead. It had been nearly 6 months to the day since I’d been to a live show. The month before I couldn’t even pay my power bill, but things are starting to look up at this point.

Merry Christmas, y’all! It’s been a minute, so why not fill you in by doing a fun thread called “The Twelve Days of Concerts.”

A year ago I was facing multiple challenges, and it took everything I had just to get by. While I’m still in recovery mode, at least I can indulge in live music again. 🎄🎶

I love her!

A very naughty house panther lying on his back with his front legs in the air, pretending to be all cute and innocent after having wrought utter destruction. In the foreground is a broken Christmas ornament out of focus, and in the background a blurry Christmas tree featuring displaced garland. There are myriad ornaments laying on the carpet behind the kitty, thankfully those ones are still intact. The War on Christmas is real, y'all.

Meowy Christmas and Happy Holidays! 😹🎄

TFW you finally get to close 87 Chrome tabs after three straight days of troubleshooting a bug. 😎

Today's unfortunate typo: "shart fresh".

Good thing I caught it before I made that commit. 😅

Errybody got turkey today! 😋

Thank you! 😻

I'm having the same problem, but it's not going away. 🤷‍♀️

JorDan definitely deserve it! ALL HAIL CELINE. 🙌