From The Editor: The 15 Best Concerts I Photographed in 2022
It would be an understatement to say that this year was nothing short of a miracle. As I sat down to start making this list, going over every single show and image I shot throughout this year, I realized that I had a major challenge ahead of me. I am fortunate to say that I didn’t see a single bad concert this year, out of the 89 that I photographed. Most were good, some were outstanding, and there were a select few that I painstakingly narrowed down as the best performances I got to witness in 2022.
Please note that list is solely coming from me, the editor and head of photography for this outlet. These are based on my personal experiences and the concerts that I found most compelling, based on a combination of the music, the showmanship, and (in some cases) the experience of photographing said show. I feel incredibly grateful that, despite some hardships along the way, Shameless SF accomplished a great deal this year, and covered some absolutely incredible performances.
For the sake of this article, I am adding two additional parameters: 1) the shows included here are ones in which we both photographed and reviewed, and 2) I’ve excluded any shows that occurred outside of Northern California. With that being said, very honorable mentions should be provided to Chicago’s Riot Fest (day 1, day 2, and day 3 recaps can be found here), along with a spellbinding performance from the Maestro of the Movies himself, John Williams, that took place at the iconic Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
I’ve been running this outlet for what will be ten years in 2023, and I’ve been photographing concerts since 2010. It’s moments like these where I am grateful for all of the opportunities I’ve been given, and glad that I never gave up on this like I had planned to a few years ago. Here’s to a great new year.
Sincerely,
Jared Stossel
Editor-In-Chief
Shameless SF
Honorable Mentions
Mammoth WVH & Dirty Honey – February 25th, 2022 at Ace of Spades in Sacramento, CA
Coheed & Cambria w/ Alkaline Trio, Holy Wars – August 14th, 2022 at UC Greek Theatre in Berkeley, CA
Panic! At The Disco w/ MARINA, Jake Wesley Rodgers – October 25th, 2022 at Chase Center in San Francisco, CA
Amon Amarth w/ Carcass, Obituary, Cattle Decapitation – December 15th, 2022 at Hard Rock Live Sacramento in Wheatland, CA
Styx and REO Speedwagon – July 15th, 2022 at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA
15. AVOID
w/ Dead Lakes, Beauty is Betrayal, Safehaven, Titvn
Café Colonial
Sacramento, CA
August 2nd, 2022
Here's a show that absolutely knocked me on my ass. Most up-and-coming acts are still getting their footing; AVOID performed to a packed house on a particularly hot day in August, grabbed the audience by the throat, and never let go. With a powerful new album titled Cult Mentality under their belt, AVOID are poised to be the next big thing in heavy music. Their show at Sacramento’s Café Colonial hasn’t left my memory, and it’s cemented itself as one of the best shows I’ve seen in years. (Fun fact: I ended up getting severe dehydration after this show because I drank nothing but coffee the day before. Drink water, kids.)
14. Machine Gun Kelly
w/ Avril Lavigne, WILLOW
Oakland Arena
Oakland, CA
July 19th, 2022
You may absolutely love Machine Gun Kelly or you may fucking hate him with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns, but he has been taking full advantage of his moment in the spotlight and sparing no expense with his live performances. On the Mainstream Sellout tour (in promotion of his album of the same name), Kelly (aka Colson Baker) is picked up by a helicopter and flown across the arena as he performs the first track of the night (no, seriously) before landing on a stage that looks like the combination of a Tim Burton nightmare and M.C. Escher masterpiece. A flurry of pyrotechnics accompany the rapper/rocker as he and a truly fantastic backing band power their way through some of the best selections of tracks throughout his career. Add in support sets from the pop-punk “mother fuckin’ princess” Avril Lavigne and an engaging opening set from WILLOW, and you have a hit show.
13. Sleeping With Sirens
w/ Don Broco, Point North, GARZI
Ace of Spades
Sacramento, CA
August 7th, 2022
I’ve watched Sleeping With Sirens since the beginning of their career, and I think I’ve seen them perform on a tour during every album cycle, at least once. Their 2019 album, How It Feels to Be Lost, found the band returning to the post-hardcore roots that once catapulted them into the stratosphere, and they’ve expanded even further upon this sound on this year’s Complete Collapse. Bar none, this is the best performance I’ve ever seen from Sleeping With Sirens. I still remember the frenzy of the crowd as “Break Me Down” ended, feedback reverberated throughout the venue, and the band looked like they were out for blood. Vocalist Kellin Quinn screams, “KICK! KICK! KICK ME WHEN I’M DOWN!”. Madness ensued. Point North and GARZI provided excellent support, but Don Broco nearly stole the entire show.
12. Mount Westmore (E-40, Too Short, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg)
w/ Warren G
Oakland Arena
Oakland, CA
May 27th, 2022
One of my most memorable moments of 2022 was standing in a photo pit and watching four of the greatest rappers to ever do it rise from beneath a massive stage at Oakland Arena, sitting upon gold thrones. This photography shoot was a bit more challenging given that everyone was positioned further towards the back of the stage, but I was thrilled with what I got. Other than another show on this list, I have never seen Oakland Arena as packed as I did on this night. It really felt like the entire Bay Area showed up to see Northern California’s own E-40 and Too Short join forces with Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube to create a powerful supergroup (their debut album is out now). For nearly three hours, the four superstars brought out all the stops and put on one of the most entertaining shows I’ve seen all year. There has been no hip-hop performance that’s topped it for me. It was a good day.
11. Simple Plan
Sum 41
w/ Magnolia Park
Ace of Spades
Sacramento, CA
August 10th, 2022
I need to start this by saying that Simple Plan put on an excellent performance, and Magonlia Park are indeed one of the most promising new bands in rock. But my god did Sum 41 steal the show. In a far more intimate setting than San Francisco’s Masonic Center (which the tour played the night before), the Canadian pop-punk-bordering-on-heavy-metal-at-times act had to condense their rather large stage setup, and it was fucking excellent. As much as I love hearing songs like “Fat Lip”, “The Hell Song”, and “Over My Head” in a large arena setting, the Northern California crowd witnessed something very special that evening, as Deryck Whibley (sans guitar) commanded the crowd to move during an hour of power. Combine that with a hit-filled set from Canadian brethren Simple Plan, and you have the best pop-punk show of the year.
10. Tenacious D
w/ Puddles Pity Party
The Warfield
San Francisco, CA
June 24th, 2022
I love music, but my other love is film (movies, cinema, whatever you want to call it). There’s always a rather special feeling I get when a movie star steps in front of the camera lens, almost as if I’m getting allowed to do something that I really shouldn’t. I’ve grown up watching Jack Black’s films (I’m pretty sure I have nearly every word to School of Rock memorized), so to get a chance to photograph the legendary Tenacious D was nothing short of a dream come true. The comedy-rock duo is comprised of Black and guitarist/songwriter Kyle Gass. For ninety minutes (along with an astoundingopening performance from Puddles Pity Party), the power of rock and comedy captivated a packed San Francisco theater.
9. Underoath
w/ Spiritbox, Bad Omens, Stray From The Path
The Warfield
San Francisco, CA
February 26th, 2022
If I really think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Underoath put on a bad performance. They could be playing midday at a large festival or headlining a theater and put on a tightly constructed performance that borders on controlled chaos. There’s something incredible about watching six metalcore musicians run across the stage, unleashing the fury on their respective instruments. From the second they hit the opening note on Voyeurist’s kickoff track “Damn Excuses”, the band wasted no time and the crowd erupted into a frenzy. I’ve seen Underoath and photographed them at this venue several times before, including on their highly coveted reunion tour, where they played They’re Only Chasing Safety AND Define The Great Line from front to back. Part of me is debating whether this show beats that one out in my ranking; this may have been the best Underoath performance I’ve witnessed, not to mention opening sets from Spiritbox, Bad Omens, and Stray From the Path, all acts that are poised to dominate the scene in the coming years.
8. OneRepublic
w/ Needtobreathe, Amy Allen
Shoreline Amphitheatre
Mountain View, CA
August 17th, 2022
Given that I’ve mainly listed rock artists over the course of this article, choosing OneRepublic, particularly this high on the list, might seem a bit out of left field. But I will absolutely give credit where credit is due. Ryan Tedder and company hosted an extravagant pop show, entertaining the Mountain View crowd down to the very last note of “If I Lose Myself”. I was amazed at how many of these songs I actually did know, and I went in thinking that I knew maybe two songs from the pop band. One of this show’s best moments? A twenty-minute section where Tedder showcased a selection of songs he’s cowritten over the years, along with stories about their conception. It doubled as both a look behind the curtain and a humble brag.
7. Second Sky Festival
Porter Robinson, RL Grime, Virtual Riot b2b G Jones, Skrillex, and more
Oakland Arena Grounds
Oakland, CA
October 29th, 2022
Porter Robinson has carved out his own niche in the electronic dance music community, and there is no festival I’ve attended this year that had a more eclectic lineup than the annual Second Sky Festival. Before closing the night with a spectacular headlining performance, Robinson invites his favorite artists to entertain the crowd throughout the day, whether it’s indie pop (Magdalena Bay), J-pop (Kyary Pamyu Pamyu), or trap and bass (RL Grime). A last-minute addition came in the form of a midday set from the legendary Skrillex, who dropped a ton of new songs and the bass-rattling hits that launched him to superstardom in the early 2000s. Capped off by a display of fireworks that cascaded overhead as fans stood around an anime-inspired castle centerpiece, this was one of year’s best festivals.
6. Trinity of Terror Tour
Ice Nine Kills
Black Veil Brides
Motionless In White
w/ Lilith Czar
San Jose Civic
San Jose, CA
March 19th, 2022
I was weary of a tri-headlining tour, as I felt like it could be too much of a good thing, but this far exceeded my expectations. Motionless In White, Black Veil Brides, and Ice Nine Kills, three of the biggest acts in metalcore, played host to one of the biggest genre performances of the year, and it made me happy to see this kind of music packing rooms like the Civic again. Motionless In White put on one of the heaviest performances of their career, and Black Veil Brides put on the best set I’ve ever seen them play. It was a big surprise to see them play material from their debut, We Stitch These Wounds, and it easily elicited the best reaction from the crowd. Ice Nine Kills did what I always hoped they would do after listening repeatedly to Welcome To Horrorwood: The Silver Scream 2; they turned the stage into a cinematic masterpiece and paid tribute to some of the bloodiest and best offerings in horror films. Theatrical until the very end.
5. Yungblud
w/ UPSAHL, poutyface
Ace of Spades
Sacramento, CA
March 15th, 2022
I’ve seen Yungblud three times this year. His showmanship made such a lasting impression on me at that Sacramento show that I made it a point to see him any time I was in the area. Yungblud (aka Dominic Harrison) is a natural showman, a born performer and the next big rock star. For an hour and a half, Yungblud proved why he deserved the crowd’s attention, overflowing with charisma and bitingly catchy songs like “The Funeral”. I guarantee that in the next few years, Harrison will be headlining arenas.
4. Beartooth
w/ Silverstein, The Devil Wears Prada
San Jose Civic
San Jose, CA
April 3rd, 2022
On one of the final years of the Vans Warped Tour, I saw Beartooth close out the main stage. I knew that they would be good, but I did not expect them to top every other band I saw that day. Caleb Shomo has an intensity about him that is unmatched by any other frontman in heavy music today, and he bares his entire soul to the audience with every performance I’ve seen from Beartooth. The band’s show at San Jose Civic, while sparsely attended, was one of the best sets I’ve seen from any band in years. On top of that, both The Devil Wears Prada and Silverstein provided pitch perfect sets that show why they’re still miles ahead of any other band in the scene today. Armed with one of the best songs of their career, “Riptide”, Beartooth are poised for world domination.
3. The Weeknd
w/ Snoh Allegra, Mike Dean
Levi’s Stadium
Santa Clara, CA
August 27th, 2022
Cinematic is the only word I can use to describe the feeling I got when I walked into the photo pit at Levi’s Stadium and looked up at the towering Blade Runner-esque city set that covered the sprawling stage. The Weeknd’s performance on the “After Hours Til Dawn” Tour surprised me more than any other show I saw this year. From the droning atmospheric notes that filled the stadium pre-show to the theatricality that was employed to bring his biggest pop songs to life in the loudest setting possible, this show was immaculate from start to finish.
2. Paul McCartney
Oakland Arena
Oakland, CA
May 8th, 2022
There is no musician out there like Paul McCartney, and there’s a reason that at the age of 80, he’s still putting out records and drawing crowds to sold-out shows every year. For two songs, I got to hold up my camera at the soundboard and photograph the legendary Beatle, before watching Sir Paul seamlessly play a three hour set. It doesn’t even look like he broke a sweat. This show was one of the biggest highlights of my career as a photographer, and one of the best performances I’ve ever seen. No matter how many artists I photograph from here on out, there will be very few that will top this.
My Chemical Romance
w/ Taking Back Sunday, Surfbort
Oakland Arena
Oakland, CA
October 5th, 2022
If you’ve followed me or any of my work with Shameless SF for any period of time, you probably know that there is no band out there that means as much to me as My Chemical Romance. Well, except Green Day. But I digress. I knew when I started my outlet years ago that this band was most likely never getting back together, and to my shock, they did. Upon storing my camera, I returned to my seat and promptly sang every single word of the set until the show reached its (sadly) eventual conclusion. The piece I wrote explains more of the reason why photographing this band at this venue meant so much to me, and you can read it here. This was, hands down, my favorite and best show of the year.
