ACM’s concert photographer, Carrie Z. shares the concerts she photographed and/or reviewed for us in 2023 that made the biggest impressions on her (we’re pretty sure there weren’t any she didn’t like).
G. Love and Donavon Frankenreiter* kicked off their Flying Embers tour at The Pageant on January 12, 2023, and “jelled together like bread and butter or chips with a spicy dip.”
Special guests included Devon Allman, The River Kittens, and opener Nat Meyers.
March 25 saw The Church at Delmar Hall for a solid, hypnotic 2.5-hour sold-out performance.
The Mavericks on April 13 at The Pageant
“One of the fans at Thursday night’s The Mavericks’ sold-out concert at The Pageant in St. Louis sidled up to our concert photographer during a lull of snapping photos and said, ‘Be sure and tell everyone how underexposed this band is.’
Will do. The Mavericks are wonderful. And fun. And bring a huge amount of energy and drive to all their shows.”
The Struts with opener Mac Saturn at The Pageant on June 25 
“The Struts keep rising to new heights. What has to be one of Britain’s hardest-working rock ’n’ roll bands today, The Struts knows how to put on a concert. The undeniable showmanship and charisma exuding from each band member leave swaths of swooning fans in their wake. The glitz and glam of lead singer Luke Spiller (aka Luke Struts) is electrifying as is his genuine smile. Seeing them perform brings an entirely new dimension to their music. Bands like these have to be one of the reasons
why kids want to be rock stars when they grow up.”
The Blue Monsters co-headling tour of Blues Traveler and Big Head Todd and the Monsters
Seeing them under the starry, soft summer night at Chesterfield Amphitheater on August 18 was the perfect setting for these two iconic late ‘80s/early ‘90s jam bands.
Amyl and the Sniffers on October 25 at The Pageant 
Holy cow. The energy was off the charts. “What makes this band stand out amongst other current acts with similar years of tenure is their high-octane live performances.”
Heilung* on November 1 at The Factory
Seeing Heilung perform its ritual is an experience like none other. And this veteran concert photographer has been to her share of concerts.
*For some reason we’re not able to hyperlink to all the concerts so if you want to see G. Love and Donavon Frankenreiter or Heilung do a search on our site.
In my work life, I help nonprofits and small businesses with media and public relations. In my what I love to do life, you can typically find me photographing either wild horses or concerts.
