Over the course of 2025, we saw more than 600 live sets, including openers, support acts, club shows, and festival performances. Some weeks we caught 2-3 shows around town. Other times we were marathoning through 30+ sets in a festival weekend.
This generally isn’t a ranking of the “best” concerts of 2025, although we do name our two absolute favorites of the year. If you want to jump to those, you can do it here. This is a collection of the memories that first come to mind when someone asks us who we saw last year.
The list isn’t simply based on the performers themselves. It’s shaped by the experience: crowd energy, setting, timing, and the emotions of being there. It’s also not genre-specific. We admittedly cover a lot of ground.
Without further ado, and in no particular order, join us as we look back on how 2025 felt from the crowd!
Poppy — Brooklyn Bowl (Nashville)
Poppy’s Brooklyn Bowl show was early proof in 2025 that rock music isn’t dead. Moving seamlessly between control and chaos, distortion and clarity, the set was a hard-rock force. And then there were her vocals; even when in full scream, Poppy had the control to keep it musical instead of falling into the trap of simply producing rock noise. You can see our full review of Poppy at Brooklyn Bowl Nashville here.
Girl Tones — Brooklyn Bowl (Nashville)
Girl Tones turned a packed Brooklyn Bowl into controlled chaos, pulling enormous sound and momentum from a two-person setup that recalls The White Stripes’ raw punch crossed with the swagger of Cage the Elephant. The confidence onstage made the performance feel less like a band on the rise and more like a statement. With 2025 shaping up as a clear breakthrough year and major festival bookings already in place for 2026 — including Bonnaroo — this set felt like an early chapter in a much larger story. You can see our full review ofGirl Tones at Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville.
Die Spitz — The Blue Room (Night 2)
Some bands sound heavy. Die Spitz feel heavy. Not just in volume, but in lyricism and delivery. They brought us the most active, physically engaged show we’ve ever witnessed at The Blue Room. They transformed a venue known for its listening-room tendencies into a full-scale rock concert. The crowd didn’t just react; it participated. In turn, that energy fed directly back into the band. The result was both communal and delightfully volatile. You can see our full review of Die Spitz at The Blue Room.
Kashena Sampson — Eastside Bowl (Nashville)
Kashena Sampson’s set unfolded with patience and control as she showcased her latest album. Her voice, always memorable, carried the room with force, delivering the emotional charge of her songwriting. By the time she closed with a cover of “Because the Night,” the room was fully locked in. That encore performance gave us a lasting memory thanks to her vocal range and reverent delivery. It was a performance strong enough that people exiting a separate show on the venue’s second stage stopped to listen. You can see our full review of Kashena Sampson at Eastside Bowl.
Lauren Anderson & Friends — 3rd & Lindsley
We’ll admit that as a multi-artist showcase, this one might bend the “set” rules a bit. But when a night gathers this much talent on one stage, it deserves being mentioned. Hosted by Lauren Anderson, the show highlighted each artist yet felt connected. Contributions from Aaron Nichols, Aubrey Nicole, Liam Von Elbe, Kam Bugger, Kirbi, and others moved between emotionally precise covers, unreleased originals, and first Nashville co-writes. The evening came to a close with a collaborative encore that brought the full lineup back to the stage for a shared performance of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.” It was the kind of moment that reminded us that Nashville is not only a vast pool of musical talent, but also a community of artists. You can see our full recap of Lauren Anderson & Friends at 3rd and Lindsley.
Ron Pope — AmericanaFest 2025 (At City Winery Nashville)
As longtime fans of Ron Pope, we’ve always appreciated his genuine wordsmithing and melancholic reflection, even as some of his more recent music has shifted toward a gentler, more optimistic tone. That evolution carried into AmericanaFest, where Pope appeared at ease, joking with the crowd and moving thoughtfully through his catalog. There seemed to be a level of personal satisfaction in Pope’s performance that just felt different. The depth in his songwriting remains intact, the voice is just as emotive. But the balance on display gave the darker moments of the set additional weight.
MOLLYWATER — The Office
One might ask why MOLLYWATER’s set at The Office stood out compared to the other times we saw her in 2025 at Deep Tropics and Breakaway Alabama. The easiest answer was that she just had “it” that night. An energy that seemed to drive the set. However, the full reason this set is on the list is the promise of what MOLLYWATER can do in the future.
First, we had already seen MOLLYWATER twice just the weekend before. The first time on the main stage at Breakaway Alabama and then again at the festival’s after party. It was natural for us to wonder if we might simply see a repeat performance. Instead, the show at The Office felt like a distinctly new set, with the artist carefully reworking her hallmark sounds into new musical thoughts.
Second, she was direct support for SIPPY, an artist whose influence is easy to hear in MOLLYWATER’s style. This set makes the list because MOLLYWATER made nuanced adjustments, leaning into darker and more bass-heavy dubstep, shaping a different sound without losing her own identity. It was a showcase of her true range withing the EDM genre.
As one fan said to us afterward, “She just keeps getting better every time I hear her.” We absolutely agree.
Tyler, the Creator — Hinterland Music Festival
We walked into Tyler, the Creator’s headlining set without deep familiarity with his catalog but well aware of his huge fanbase. You can now count us among it. The set was one of the most personal performances we saw in 2025 as Tyler spoke candidly about exhaustion from touring, doubt, and connection. As he tore through a high octane setlist, there was immense energy in the crowd. Yet thanks to his genuineness, it felt unexpectedly intimate. You can see our full recap of Friday at Hinterlands 2025.
Sierra Ferrell — Hinterland Music Festival
Playing Hinterland on her birthday, Sierra Ferrell delivered a set that felt genuinely special from the start. Her vocals were perhaps the best they have been, and even songs we’ve heard many times before just sounded…ok we’ll say it…amazing! (We try not to be over the top here, but there it is.) One notable moment was “Fox Hunt,” when Ferrell led the rhythm on a huge bass drum. The connection between Ferrell and the crowd clapping along is easily one of the most memorable moments we experienced in 2025. You can see our full recap of Sunday at Hinterlands 2025 here.
Luke Combs — Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
The announcement of Luke Combs as a Bonnaroo Headliner came as a bit of a surprise for a festival that has traditionally had a limited top 40 country presence. It felt like he was going to need to do something special to win over the Bonnaroo crowd. From start to finish, Combs was on a mission to put on a show. In turn, the crowd sang along with surprising force, making the scene more of a party than a set.
Surprise guests helped with that connection, with Miranda Lambert joining for “Outrunnin’ Your Memory” and her own “Kerosene,” Jon Bellion stepping in for “WHY” and “Good Things Fall Apart,” and Marcus King adding grit to “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma.” The range of collaborators made it clear Combs understood the scale of the moment. You can see our full recap of Thursday at Bonnaroo 2025 here.
Dom Dolla — Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival (The Other Stage)
Dom Dolla’s late-night set kept The Other Stage in constant motion, driven by a darker, bass-heavy take on house. While the production was straightforward by festival standards (strong lighting, sharp lasers, nothing overbuilt) it worked because the focus stayed on the well-crafted flow of music. He simply knew how to make a massive festival crowd dance! We’ll never know how the rest of Bonnaroo 2025 might have unfolded, but we’re confident this set would have stood out regardless. You can see our full recap of Thursday at Bonnaroo 2025 here.
Alison Wonderland — Deep Tropics Music Festival
Built around unreleased material from Ghost World, Alison Wonderland’s headlining set at Deep Tropics invited the crowd to see the duality of her music. Going into the weekend, we’d hoped a Whyte Fang set might get added to the lineup, and this felt like the next best thing. It was a set where her heavier instincts blended naturally with her more melodic festival core. It was a preview of Ghost World, an album high among our favorite releases of 2025. Therefore, it’s only natural for this set to make the list. You can see our full recap of Friday at Deep Tropics 2025 here.
Witching Hour — Wicked Oaks Music Festival
Witching Hour, the collaborative project of Jeanie and Vampa, delivered one of the most physically intense sets we experienced all year. The crowd stayed in near-constant motion, with moshing breaking out again and again. Paired with an overwhelming light show, the beats and drops were relentless. At the same time, they never felt like “just beats and drops.” Instead, each transition pushed the set forward. Somehow it always felt like the momentum was perpetually escalating. It was heavy. It was exhausting. All in the best way possible!
Level Up — Breakaway Alabama
Individual, recorded tracks only tell part of the story for EDM artists. Level UP is an artist you must hear live to experience the sonic shapes she builds in real time. Nearly the entire performance leaned into new and unreleased material, featuring a deep roster of collaborators from across the EDM scene. To say that it was well-received would be an understatement. The crowd never stopped moving. Afterwards, someone summed it up perfectly as “pure cardio.” What made it stand out, though, was how complete it felt. The flow of the beats, the timing of the drops, and the vibe of the graphics all felt intentional and connected.
HVDES — The Pinnacle
HVDES wasn’t on our radar going into the night, but opening for SVDDEN DEATH gave us a reason to arrive early and stay put. What stood out immediately was the clarity of vision. Driving moments balanced with melody and familiar elements reworked into something darker. The sound was pulsing, but there was a completeness rather than pure bass pressure. The set was decidedly ominous without feeling heavy. Just as important, there was a sense of genuine enjoyment in the performance on the part of HVDES, the kind that brings out the best in a crowd instead of trying to manufacture a moment.
Kaskade — Breakaway Alabama
Everyone knows Kaskade. Everyone has probably seen Kaskade live. We even saw him multiple times in 2025. Which is what makes it so hard for us to define what it was about this particular set to make it on our list. But, something about this performance felt different. Maybe it was the slightly lighter-than-expected festival crowd and the sense that he was putting more into the moment because of it. Maybe it was the crowd itself, locking into a shared rhythm and turning the pit into a sea of movement. Whatever the reason, we walked away knowing that this set alone made the drive to Huntsville worth the effort.
Metallica — Nissan Stadium
Metallica’s two-night, no-repeat stand at Nissan Stadium was massive even by their standards. We’ve seen them before, but this run felt special. The concert was built around two distinct setlists. The first night leaned into a mix of staples and deep cuts. It was easy to spot the most devoted fans by how loudly they reacted to songs like “Leper Messiah,” “Orion,” and “The Day That Never Comes.” Night two flipped the script into a near-perfect radio-era set. It was a night packed with crowd-wide singalongs and even a lightning delay couldn’t stop the momentum.
Our Favorite Sets of 2025
There were two performances this year that stood apart — not because everything else fell short, but because these moments felt singular. The kind of shows that instantly come to mind when someone asks what the best show of 2025 was. (And yes, we are cheating again by naming two.)
My Chemical Romance — Shaky Knees Music Festival
My Chemical Romance at Shaky Knees was one of those moments that felt larger than a single set. This was a complete show, not just a concert. It was planned and choreographed where it mattered and delivered full, unrestrained rock energy when the music hit. The performance felt intentional and relevant. We’ve since heard from fellow journalists around the country who’ve caught this version of MCR’s tour, and it’s repeatedly landed among their most memorable sets as well. (Our grainy cell phone video wouldn’t do it justice, so we just used their tour photo.)
Justice — The Pinnacle (Bonnaroo Makeup Show)
Originally booked for Bonnaroo before the festival’s cancellation, Justice‘s show was announced as a last-minute makeup date, giving it an immediacy that carried straight into the room. We just happened to open Instagram right as The Pinnacle posted the show announcement, allowing us to be one of the fortunate few to see one of electronic music’s most influential live acts in such an intimate setting. (Yes, we really did turn down an offer to buy our one ticket for $600!)
What followed was overwhelming in the best way. The set was relentlessly precise, forceful yet controlled. The lighting seemed otherworldly. We’ve seen thousands of concerts, and we still can’t quite explain to people how the lighting for this show just felt…different.
But…perhaps it was the people that made it the best. The Bonnaroo faithful. Rained out, yet having this one communal moment to radiate as much positivity as possible. It was the “that moment” many of us didn’t get to have this year on The Farm.
And… 2 More Bonus Sets Because We Can’t Stop Ourselves:
The Two Sides of Rebecca Black — Hinterland Music Festival
Rebecca Black (yes that Rebecca Black) didn’t just play Hinterland, she framed our Friday. An early, tightly choreographed hyperpop set opened the day with confidence and clarity. Hours later, after a hike to the Campfire Stage, Black returned as a DJ, closing the night with smart transitions, creative use of familiar tracks, and a crowd that clearly wasn’t ready to stop. She joked about her “two personalities,” but together, we got a complete artist experience. You can see our full recap of Friday at Hinterlands 2025 here.
DJ Diesel (Shaquille O’Neal)— Breakaway Alabama
Sometimes the most memorable moments are the ones you don’t overthink. DJ Diesel’s Breakaway set was loud, chaotic, and joyfully unpretentious. The kind of performance where the crowd feeds off sheer momentum. It may not have fit neatly into any category, but it didn’t need to. It was fun, physical, and like the DJ himself, impossible to ignore. We will never miss an opportunity to hear him yell “where’s my moshpit!!!” IYKYK.
Leave a Reply