My Top 20 Concert Moments of the Fall (That I Caught on Video)
Photo by Zach Reagan
(Follow @zachs.raws on Instagram to see all 20 videos and follow along.)
In the summer before this school year, as I ravaged every crevice of Bandsintown, scouting who I wanted to see this year, I had some worries as the list grew larger.
Should I book any three-show weeks? (Try two.)
Will I burn out? (Yup.)
Is this 15-show slate too much? (Definitely.)
Regardless, I found tremendous rewards in my first full year, truly indulging in live music, and I’ve created a list of 20 of my favorite concert moments from this fall.
I gave myself two small caveats:
The first is that I selected at least one moment from every individual show I attended, leaving five total stragglers to either include opening acts or repeats in super special cases.
The other is that I restricted myself to moments that I filmed on my phone, so people can hold me accountable if my taste is awful (It’s not.)
20. “Behelit” by Slaughter to Prevail @ Xfinity Theatre, CT
My first-ever metal show was a marathon spread, starting with Point North, then Hollywood Undead, to Slaughter to Prevail, and ending with Falling in Reverse.
While I wasn’t a fan of the other three acts, Slaughter shook something in me and immediately caught my attention. Frontman Alex Terrible has one of the most unique voices I’ve ever heard.
As I read more about him, his history captivated me. All this personality with ripping power chords and a catchy ending riff of strings made this an easy choice for my top 20 moments.
19. “Soulshine” by Gov’t Mule @ College St. Music Hall, CT
Another milestone, my first jam-band show, was taken by Gov’t Mule this year. Allman Brothers Band guitarist Warren Haynes and bassist Allen Woody joined the band in 1989, but the group stopped making original music by 1997.
Haynes and Woody formed a new band, Gov’t Mule, to play during breaks in ‘94, and by ‘97, left the Allman Brothers Band to pursue their side project full-time. Woody has since passed, but Haynes and Co. still absolutely rip.
While they were easily the most boring band I’ve photographed (still did alright by my measure), their music was filled with electric, intricate guitar riffs and heavy hooks.
Their most popular song, “Soulshine,” has a catchy chorus that feels as though it was made to be heard around the campfire. And there was just enough smoke to think there was one.
18. “Can’t Slow Down” by almost monday @ Quinnipiac University, CT
Every year, my university hosts a Fall Fest, a concert on the quad lawn that becomes packed with games, food, and other activities.
This year’s headliner was indie up-and-comers almost monday, who had more of a summery beach rock sound, but it suited the significantly earlier concert date in mid-September rather than October.
I got to talk to the band and supply quotes to one of my friends, Maddy, (who wrote this recap), who also appears in the companion video. We’re big fans of Dawson Dougherty, if you couldn’t tell.
17. “Black Tea” by Morrissey Blvd. @ Space Ballroom, CT
As an opener for another band on this list, my expectations were very neutral going into Morrissey Blvd’s set. It took little time for me to realize this trio of brothers clearly has the juice.
Despite a limited streaming catalog of just five songs, they had a magnetic stage presence. While their unreleased “Red Bear” was an instant favorite, I opted for my favorite, more accessible song: “Black Tea.” The distorted dual guitar solo outro is totally delivered, and the syncopated middle keeps me coming back every time.
If you’re on the lookout for a new niche indie favorite, take a drive down Morrissey Blvd.
16. “Closer To Fine” by Indigo Girls (with Melissa Etheridge) @ Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater
It wouldn’t be right to end 2025 without seeing my now-most-frequented band, the Indigo Girls. While Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater provided a fun outdoor environment with the Amtrak running past the Hartford stop in the background, the performance was a bit lackluster compared to the previous two shows I’ve seen.
The previous show I saw, at Garde Arts Theater, was more intimate, and while I got some good pictures of the bands this time around, a shorter setlist left a lot to be desired.
A long cover of “Midnight Train to Georgia” was an intriguing detour from the typical hits. However, it will never be an Indigo Girls show without their biggest hit, “Closer To Fine.”
They were joined on-stage by headliner Melissa Etheridge, which felt like a fitting way to honor her as well. Her own performance was much livelier and included some raunchy stories that I still think about occasionally. If you’re into softer rock and folk, give these ‘90s icons a listen.
15. “Window” by Couch @ The Roadrunner, MA
I still feel so grateful that I got to photograph Couch’s biggest headline show to date, being the first ever independent act to sell out Boston’s Roadrunner.
The fusion funk-rock band has one of the most interesting sounds of most young groups I’ve heard, with staple sax (Eric Tarlin) and trumpet (Jeffrey Pinker-Smith) players who round out a sound as rich as the band’s personality.
These high school and college friends have some of the best chemistry I’ve seen from any band. They pack an even heavier punch with frontwoman Tema Siegel’s pipes, which summon comparisons to past girl-rockers like Pink or Hayley Williams (Cory Wong’s “‘Ain’t It Fun” cover, you will always be famous). And they’re put to great use on this one.
My top song from the show is one I share with a dear friend and old roommate, Nick, with whom I discovered Couch when we saw them open for Cory Wong just over a year prior.
“Window” is a much calmer song than most of Couch’s catalog, but in our intimate spot up front, it felt like Siegel put a spell on me. Combined with a silky smooth horns solo in the bridge, it made for my favorite cataloged part of the show.
14. “Ode To Bourbon” by Treaty Oak Revival @ Mohegan Sun
For my sole country show of the semester, I was able to shoot West Texas’ finest, Treaty Oak Revival. While I continue to tell people I won’t check out their newest album until the weather gets warmer, it’s safe to say they’ve earned a fan in me.
I wasn’t at all prepared for the eruption that was “Boomtown,” and unfortunately, I didn’t get the best part of the pit swallowed by a blanket of beer and plastic cups.
“Ode To Bourbon” was a very close second. Although the most recent single at the time of the concert, “Bad State of Mind,” also deserves a mention, the live atmosphere for the former was next level.
Along with being a fantastic sad rock song, the crowd was lit up by flashlights, and just about everyone in the stands and pit alike was singing when Sam Canty pointed his microphone out into the crowd.
All I know about country fans is that they make the best crowds in live music, and Treaty Oak’s might’ve been my favorite of the year.
13. “Seeing You” by hey, nothing @ The Met, PA
One of my close friends from high school, CJ, introduced me to this folk-rock duo from Atlanta, so imagine our surprise when we found out they were opening for one of our other favorite bands at home.
I got to see three shows in one weekend in Philadelphia, two of them with CJ. While I don’t think he liked this song as much as I did, I was floored by the group’s newest single at the time of the show, “Seeing You.”
Strangely, the track had a lot of shoegaze influence, through the long notes, strong harmonies, and crisp post-chorus guitar riffs. Even though the video was annoyingly ruined by people moving around in front of us, I just closed my eyes and enjoyed the song.
If you’re looking for perfect winter music, this song feels like it’s made for snowfall.
12. “Oceans” by The Format @ Beacon Theatre, NY
During my only trip to New York City this semester, my childhood best friend, Anthony, and I took a six-hour detour to the Beacon Theatre to see an early 2000s favorite of his (and mine too, just later on).
This band was Nate Reuss’s first big project, and a decade after his biggest band, fun. ended, he’s back to making new music with some old friends.
This reunion was unprecedented and highly respected in the space, with Reuss telling us that the renowned Beacon Theatre had offered him five nights to perform. He laughed when he told us he decided two was plenty.
We jammed to old favorites like “Dog Problems” and “Time Bomb” and got a glimpse of the then-unreleased single, “Holy Roller.” But the new favorite I came out of the show with was “Oceans,” a synth-heavy surf rock song that came from the same album that featured a whole string section on the first track.
This song showcases the band’s quirky versatility and holds a top-five biggest earworm of my fall in its chorus. I know I’ll be seeing them again in Philly in the spring, and with new music on the way, I urge you to do the same.
11. “Florence” by Malcolm Todd @ College St. Music Hall
This was easily a top-three favorite photo gig of the semester, but that meant I didn’t get to take as many videos as I normally would have liked to. However, I made sure to get one of my three favorite songs from Malcolm Todd’s newest, self-titled album, “Florence.”
I made sure to capture my favorite parts, too—the quiet part of the bridge—and the last chorus when the song picks back up. It was another huge earworm for my fall, and that high note is one I could only reach when it managed to fit in my shower queue.
As someone who’s been following Todd since his huge 2023 hit, to be mentioned later, it’s awesome to see an artist grow and find such a fantastic community. I was pretty worried after hearing complaints about crowd etiquette on Todd’s first tour, but it seemed like the people really had their act together in New Haven.
If only I could’ve made it to the Yale frat after party he played.
10. “Ensenada” by Sublime @ Westville Music Bowl
This list begins the weekend I arrived back at Quinnipiac, and on Aug. 23, three of my friends also got to tag along while I took photos at my biggest venue to date.
The aforementioned Nick is also a big Sublime fan, and we kept our eyes peeled on the band as they reformed around Jakob Nowell, son of Sublime’s late frontman, Bradley.
By the time we were able to see them at Yale, Jakob sounded uncannily like his father, and the band had released a new single a month prior that could easily be confused for a track from their ‘90s catalog.
“Ensenada” has an absolutely infectious hook, hilarious, punchy lyrics, and that trademark Sublime West Coast surf vibe. Those vibes stayed high for the entire performance, marked by an eternal mosh pit directly in front of us for the whole show, as well as a litany of crowd surfers.
Sublime is releasing their final album as a band soon, so if you’re a fan of “Ensenada,” make sure to stick around for a triumphant end of an era.
9. “Let You Break My Heart Again” by Laufey @ Xfinity Mobile Arena, PA
The first leg of my October concert bender was Laufey on Friday, and her first arena tour did not disappoint. There was a stark comparison to be made since I had seen her at The Met in Philly just a year and a half before.
I vastly preferred that intimate atmosphere to the nosebleeds CJ and I found ourselves in, but the show gained some extra magic thanks to a surprisingly boisterous crowd.
“Goddess” and “Bored” were brand new the first time I saw Laufey on the Goddess extension of her Bewitched Tour, and rightfully knocked my socks off. This time, I found a new appreciation for the song that led me to Laufey in 2023.
“Let You Break My Heart Again” may be the best song of the titular album, but hearing the crowd sing so loudly gave me a much grander sense of ‘she made it’ than I had with Todd.
This chorus is beautiful, and Laufey’s choice just to sing behind the single piano was a perfect one. No matter how big she gets, her 2022 classic will be one I cherish forever.
8. “Breaking In Brooklyn” by Dogpark @ Space Ballroom, CT
Getting to see an emerging face of indie in Hamden’s hole-in-the-wall Space Ballroom with one of my best friends, Delilah, in the first week of school was such a gift. Upgrading from Westville Music Bowl to Space gave me a bit of whiplash as a photographer, but I think I was able to work some magic armed with a prime lens I borrowed from another friend.
“Breaking In Brooklyn” is a cheeky Strokes-esque anthem for the 2020s, with a perfect floating fastball in a pre-chorus that gets smashed over the wall when the chorus hits.
“What happened to losing control?” asked frontman Eamon Moore, as the whole venue was actively losing their shit.
This small band was a find that Delilah and I had bonded over for longer than a year, so to finally see them live (within arm’s reach!) was a surreal experience. I’m looking forward to shooting again for them in Philly within the week!
7. “Good Looking” by Suki Waterhouse @ Xfinity Mobile Center, PA
Imagine my surprise as I was sifting through this list, looking for my favorite song from the Laufey show, for it to not even be one of hers. Opener Suki Waterhouse has a whole career to show for the fact that she’s much more than just an opener, but her encore song, “Good Looking,” is the X Factor every artist looks for.
The dramatic lyrics of the chorus, paired with the swells of the synths, are amazing all on their own, but adding the live electric guitar elevated it that much more. I only listen to the live version of this song now, if you need a further vouch.
Although I haven’t done Waterhouse the justice of giving her discography a real deep dive (leave me recs!), she’ll always have earned the shout from me that “Good Looking” is a quintessential hit of the 2020s.
6. “Roommates” by Malcolm Todd @ College St. Music Hall, CT
Todd gets my first double dip with his encore song, and previously alluded-to 2023 hit, “Roommates.” The jumping at the end of the song has been a trademark of Todd’s for a while, so actually getting to experience it was such a blast.
I just turned on my phone and let it ride, making it easily the worst quality video of the whole bunch. I couldn’t care less, though.
I still hold this as a top-three song in his catalog, and with the electricity of the crowd and leaping next to my friend Becca and her high-energy little brother, I couldn’t have asked for a much better cast to share it with.
5. “September” by Dogpark @ Space Ballroom, CT
Getting the opportunity to hear this song on the first date of Dogpark’s first headline tour three weeks before it was released is a concert experience I’ll always hold dear.
I must have listened to this video at least 40 times in the 21 days until this song was released late in the month of its namesake, and I still didn’t manage to overplay it enough. When it dropped on Spotify, it still managed to crack my top 100 songs of the year, according to my stats.fm.
The chord progression is incredible: it’s quick and snappy, and the worst part is that the live version totally washes the studio one, even more of a miracle it landed in my 2025 centurion.
4. “Cry For Me” by Magdalena Bay @ The Fillmore, PA
The last stop on my concert bender was the most important part of the trip. I was a top 0.3% listener of Magdalena Bay on my Spotify Wrapped, saw them twice in the past calendar year, and finally got to photograph them.
This gig was definitely the most meaningful of my whole year.
I first saw them at College St. Music Hall in April 2025 and really familiarized myself with their music afterward. I only knew the hits of Imaginal Disk; “Image,” “Killing Time,” and “Death and Romance” were early favorites.
Out of that show, I found a new favorite I’ve held onto since, “Cry For Me.” It has such an unorthodox construction, but it aids its evolution from a song to an epic. The costume change for this song is absolutely gorgeous, and I’m thankful that my iPhone camera can do the cape any sense of justice.
While my favorite part of the song comes toward the end, it took an even crazier concert to teach me when to put the phone down.
3. “Cigarette Daydreams” by Cage The Elephant @ The Met, PA
In the midst of my concert bender was Cage the Elephant, one of my biggest bands from middle and high school. They were a foundational band when I was first actively looking for rock bands, and Melophobia was one of the first albums I owned on vinyl.
I had an awful switch conflict the last time they toured (they were in CT while I was in PA and vice versa the next week), so getting to them on a non-Neon Pill tour was the best way it could’ve worked out.
While I knew from the onset that my favorite song, “Cover Me Again,” wouldn’t get played, the prospect of getting to hear this song alone would’ve been worth the $50. I picked the outro specifically because it’s definitely when the track hits an emotional peak.
CJ and I agreed it was a good decision for them to end on “Come A Little Closer,” opting for a more upbeat conclusion, but I’d be lying if I said anything but “Cigarette Daydreams” was my favorite performance.
2. “Home” by LCD Soundsystem @ College St. Music Hall, CT
I already wrote 1600 words for Songbird about my (only slightly) inebriated solo adventure at College St. Music Hall in mid-September. It was the closest feeling I could compare to a religious experience, and I go into way too personal detail there if you’re interested in delving into my psyche.
But if you’re interested in LCD Soundsystem, then you’re still in luck. The bridge of “Home” has quickly become one of my favorite moments in music, period. My phone was at under 5% and would later die in the middle of the show, which should prove to you how important getting this specific video was to me.
Everything about it is perfect, from the punchy, cutting lyrics to the incredibly complex harmonies and the backing track that pushes the song along like a bullet train.
“Home” is a tour de force, and I unabashedly praise it as LCD Soundsystem’s best song despite titans like “Dance Yrself Clean” and “All My Friends” in their arsenal.
All this to say that James Murphy is a genius, and even getting to confirm the fact that he was a real person would’ve been enough for me.
1. “Tonguetwister” by Magdalena Bay @ The Fillmore, PA
Even after seeing their final Imaginal Disk Tour stop, I have shamefully not dived into Magdalena Bay’s Mini Mixes. However, aside from “Top Dog,” which did take a couple of listens before it really clicked, “Tonguetwister” was a song that took me by great surprise.
I’m especially proud of the video I took, though. I think it has my best cinematography, and every time I go back to watch it, I thank my past self for hitting the wide lens in the few seconds before the song ends. It’s also easily my most rewatched concert video of the year, let alone the fall.
Similarly to “Home,” I think everything about this sequence is perfect, but similarly to “September,” the studio version does it no justice whatsoever.
The way Matt Lewin just goes in on guitar, to Mica Tenenbaum shredding on her signature keytar, meeting in the middle and harmonizing perfectly, is an incredibly intimate moment. Easily the most intimate I felt I experienced all year.
As corny as it sounds, the truth is in the proof here. To look across the stage at a person you not only love, but you also know, is a feeling I can only describe by showing someone this electrifying exchange.
