My 2023 Concert Lineup So Far

By Xavier Aldana
Music Journalist

Surely, I can’t be the only one who has spent the last few weeks waking up to social media posts announcing new tour dates for my favorite artists. In the past 2 months alone, I’ve counted at least 15 artists, ranging from thrash metal pioneers Kreator to new wave icons, Duran Duran, that I’ve decided I must see. To avoid breaking the bank, however, I’ve had to narrow down my choices, as I’m sure many other people have too. There is no doubt in my mind that there are many more tour announcements to come, but here are some of the concerts I’ll be attending in 2023.

Although it’s still a way to come, I’ll be kicking off the year with heavy metal behemoths Gojira and Mastodon on April 29^th at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. The two bands announced on January 17^th that they will be co-headlining the Mega-Monsters Tour, inviting special guest Lorna Shore. I’ve seen Gojira only once before in 2022, as they opened for Deftones on their majorly postponed summer tour that was scheduled to take place in 2020. When the show finally arrived, I was absolutely blown away by the sheer talent that is possessed by these four men from Ondres, France. The show was charged with sharp riffs, heavy and distorted guitar tones, breathtaking drum chops and absolutely crushing vocals by frontman Joe Duplantier. Needless to say, I’ll be looking forward to experiencing this again, but with a massive Mastodon set to support this time around.

Exactly one week later, I’ll be making the trip back up to Austin to party with hyperpop stars 100 Gecs for a night on their 10,000 Gecs tour. To new listeners, 100 Gecs’ music may come off as a bit jarring. A lot of their songs are heavily distorted with elements of hip-hop, dubstep, metal and punk mixed in. This will be my second time seeing 100 Gecs, as I was first introduced to them at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. Laura Les and Dylan Brady put on an amazing show riddled with intense flashing lights, crazy but stylish costumes and hilarious but suiting song visuals. The 10,000 Gecs tour is being supported by another electronic duo called Machine Girl. I haven’t listened to much of this project, but I’m interested!

The party won’t stop there, because just under a month later, I will be attending the Klash of the Titans North America tour at the Aztec theater in San Antonio, Texas. Similarly, this is also a co-headlined tour, this time involving two legendary heavy metal bands Sepultura and Kreator. Sepultura, which was founded in Brazil by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera, hit the ground running with their debut in 1985. They released three heavy-hitting albums in their first four years of being signed to a record label. Each of those albums, as well as all the ones after, are packed with thrashy riffs and gritty vocals. Their fifth album and my favorite from their discography, “Chaos A.D.”, is widely regarded as one of the greatest heavy metal albums of all time. I’ll be hoping to hear some of these tracks live, as well as some of Kreator’s devilish tunes.

Lastly, I’ll travel back up the I-35 to see new wave rock icon Duran Duran on their Future Past tour in Austin, Texas. Formed in Birmingham, England by Stephen Duffy, John Taylor and Nick Rhodes in 1978, Duran Duran uses elements of synth-pop and dance-rock to create energetic and catchy sounds, which you may know from some of their hits like “Hungry Like the Wolf”, “Notorious” and “Girls on Film”. The five-piece was constantly seen on MTV throughout the 80s and gathered a massive following. Princess Diana even declared Duran Duran her favorite band. I’ve never had the chance to see them before so this will be a first for me, but I won’t be alone. My mom, Duran Duran superfan, will be tagging along with me to see her all-time favorite band for the first time, and to sing along to all of their amazing songs.

Hopefully, my 2023 concert lineup won’t stop there. As the year goes on, my eyes will be peeled for more tours and shows as they’re announced. It’s no understatement to say that this year will be jam-packed with so many great artists releasing new music and hitting the road. All in all, I’m eager to start attending shows again and experiencing live music in the Live Music Capital of the world.

Featured Image from Xavier Aldana