Let’s drop the temperature a little bit. I haven’t done a list in a while. Y’all like lists, right? I like lists. So, instead of life-changing illnesses (get yourself checked and get vaccinated) or lost friends, let’s just do a fun post instead.
I was watching this video the other day because I like music and Michael Palmisano’s channel is one of the best. He hits the sweet spot between player, music teacher, and fan, and he’s a lot of fun. He did this video that names the “Top Five (5) Rock Concert Closing Song Of All Time.” I’m going to defer to his “All Time” designation on account of not having seen nearly enough shows to have an opinion on that scale. But, what about my favorites among the shows I’ve seen in person? That I can do.
So, that’s what I did. This took longer to come up with than I expected it to, but in the end? It was pretty easy to identify the five most-memorable closers I’ve seen. Job 1 was: Figure out if I even remembered the final song at a particular show. That’s probably removed 90% of the concerts I’ve seen. I may have loved the show, but if I had to look up what the final song was? Nope.
That’s enough of an intro. You get the idea. Here we go! Oh, and I’ll link live versions where possible.
“Rim Shak” – Letters to Cleo
This was at EdgeFest in Dallas back in 1995. Letters to Cleo were touring on Aurora Gory Alice and their biggest hit, “Here and Now.” It was a really miserable late April day, chilly and grey and damp. As often happens, the festival was off-schedule from the start which meant the mid-tier bands got squeezed.
Such was the case for LtC. Kay Hanley, the singer, announced the band had been told they had five more minutes, so they launched into the hit single and, while the crowd were still cheering, went straight into “Rim Shak,” a ten-minute Led Zep-esque dirge. They went well over the five minutes they’d (supposedly) been given. A huge “rock and roll” moment with their most “rock and roll” song.
“Yoga Means Union” – Ambulance, LTD
This was at Red-Eyed Fly in Austin during SxSW. I was there to see Stellastarr* (who were really, really good!) and got there early enough to catch the band on the bill before them. I had no clue who they were as it wasn’t posted anywhere in the club, or at least, not accurately.
So, there was this band playing just absolutely immaculate indie guitar pop. It’s not really my favourite genre, but this was best-of-breed stuff. Great vocals, great songwriting, great performance. Just loved it. They said their thank yous and goodbyes, and they went into their last song: A huge instrumental that builds from a simple riff, and it was a terrific way to end a fantastic set. The only bad part was trying to figure out who the #$^$%$^ they were.
“Rappaport’s Testament” – Ted Leo + Pharmacists
This was at Fun Fun Fun Fest at Waterloo Park in Austin in…I think it was 2009, but I could be wrong. Anyway, it was a typical Ted Leo set: Fiery, energetic, a little angry, a little silly, and really, really tight. I’m pretty sure this was the first time I saw him when his Echoplex didn’t break mid-show, but other than that? Very Ted.
However, as the set was closing, he announced that one of his friends, an old-school punk from Austin, had recently passed. This last song, a Chumbawamba cover, was dedicated to his friend. Leo’s voice was breaking as he was talking to the crowd. Fittingly, the sky turned dark and ominous in the east directly behind the stage. Ted’s version of this song was absolutely thunderous, full of spite, fury, and defiance. It was absolutely chilling.
“Frankenstein” – They Might Be Giants
The first time I saw TMBG was on the Flood tour when it was just the two Johns and a tape machine (which was on stage with them). This time, at the Majestic in Dallas (with Frank Black opening!), they had a full band including a horn section.
The show was spectacular, which seems obvious since they were actually able to play all the parts of the songs live (not to mention, they could loosen up and get a little more improvisational with them). Frank Black came out to play “Spy” during the encore. After that, they intoned that they were going to play the one song that “…no rock show would be complete without.” They then launched into an accordion-driven cover of Edgar Winter’s “Frankenstein” which, yeah. It was exactly what you’d expect from TMBG covering Edgar Winter.
“Afterglow” – Genesis
This one’s a bit of a cheat as it isn’t a single performance; they closed with “Afterglow” every time I saw them. That said, it was also great every time I saw them. It’s probably Tony Banks’ greatest composition, a romantic album-ender from Wind and Wuthering that starts quiet and builds to the kind of climax that stadiums were made for.
Genesis always led into it with an instrumental medley that changed slightly from tour to tour. My favourite version is the one from Three Sides Live, but honestly? They’re all great. The light show was always built for “Afterglow” first and the rest of the set after that and it really showed. Enjoy.
That’s my take. How about y’all? Any particularly memorable closing songs? Let me know.
Cheers,
-RK