Monika’s Top 10 Concerts of 2018

Looking back at Monika’s top ten most memorable concerts of 2018.

There were plenty of concerts in 2018 but only ten concerts made my list. I based my choices on the level of energy from the musicians to the audience reaction and finally how memorable it was even after the show ended.

Let’s take a look at my top ten concerts of 2018:

Chicago

This was my first time seeing Chicago live and it was such a party watching everyone dancing and singing along to every song that you just couldn’t help but jump in and have fun too. If you haven’t seen Chicago live then you best be getting tickets to see them this year when they return on February 26, 2019, to the Plaza Theatre. Get your tickets HERE.

Vance Joy & Lovely The Band

Vance Joy was one of the sweetest guys whose music just transports you to an awesome headspace, it just puts you in a great mood. Lovely the Band was just as amazing and when the band has loads of good energy on stage, it just naturally permeates into the crowd. Check out my exclusive interviews with both bands HERE.

Neon Desert

The annual music fest had some cool acts this year sans Cardi B who was slated to perform but had to cancel due to her pregnancy. 2018’s lineup included Lil’ Wayne, Café Tacvba, Bomba Esterio, At The Drive-In, Third Eye Blind, LANY, Cults, Little Jesus and many more. With so many bomb acts in one night, I was literally beaming with excitement the whole night.

MainMan

This was one of my favorite shows because I had no idea that actor, Christopher Mintz-Plasse aka McLovin was the bassist in the band MainMan. After the show, I had a chance to interview the guys and they were so chill and hungry after the show we all went out to eat at El Cometa. Check out my exclusive interview HERE.

Khalid

El Paso got a huge dose of Khalid mid-September last year when he announced that he would be performing for two nights at the Don Haskins Center. We knew this would be the concert(s) of the year when news broke that Khalid sold out both nights in less than 6 hours. Concert-goers, young and old, sang to every single tune and the crowd went berserk when Khalid brought out Billie Eilish as a special guest – definitely a most memorable concert.

Blue October

What can I tell you, I have a weak spot for Blue October and having them perform hits from their latest album I Hope You’re Happy filled my heart to no end. This concert was most memorable because not only did Justin manage to find Joe Dorgan (Club 101) in the crowd and give him props for being the first promoter to have them play in El Paso, he also gave me a shout out and I managed to miss it because I was busy doing who knows what. Check out my interview with Justin HERE.

Fallout Boy

Pete Wentz and the rest of the gang in Fallout Boy gave a heck of a performance, everything from the pyrotechnics to Stumps’ vocal range. Fallout Boy impressed and it was also very cool of Wentz to close the show revealing a UTEP jersey to a cheering and ear-piercing crowd.

Shawn Mendes

Shawn Mendes blew me away because he is one of those singers who sounds so incredible live and on the night he performed in El Paso he brought Khalid on stage to sing their tune Youth. You can just imagine how crazy things got at the Don Haskins Center, my ears are still ringing from that night lol.

Sparta

It had been a couple of years since I saw Sparta live and in October they performed a free show to support the El Paso Community Foundation to get computers in the classroom in our area. They performed an outdoor concert and even though the weather was cold, they gave an impressive and high energy show which included their new single, Cat Scream. I also got a chance to sit down with both Jim Ward and Gabe Gonzalez for an impromptu interview to talk music, Khalid, the holidays and some silliness in between including pelican pie. Check out my exclusive interview HERE.

Jason Mraz

I’m deeming the Jason Mraz, Toca Rivera, and Gregory Page concert the funniest show of 2018. I saw Jason Mraz back in 2011 and it was great, but this particular show was sincerely so funny. This was a concert and comedy show wrapped into one, it had me laughing so hard, my face hurt even after I got home from all the smiles and laughter.