15. Iron Maiden and Megadeth at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, 9/8/13 The lights went down, a bunch of shit exploded, and then there was Iron Maiden ripping straight into "Moonchild" like a rollercoaster racing straight toward the sky. The energy throughout the amphitheater was incredible. It felt like a wedding party, winning the lottery and meeting Santa Claus for the first time all at once. I don't think there was a blank expression in the house. Singer Bruce Dickinson covered every inch of the stage, running back and forth like a possessed magician with his arms flailing and his tailcoat flapping in the wind. His voice sounded every bit as good as it did on 1985's Live After Death album and his stamina was beyond impressive.
14. Method Man Kicked Me in the Face While Holding My Friend's Hand A healthy-sized crowd (600 at the door, according to the promoter) showed up to the Coliseum Saturday night to see the Wu-Tang Clan's most charismatic member in action. The inimitable Mr. M-E-F performed in his trademark microphone-dominating style, climbing repeatedly off the small stage and into the crowd and interacting enthusiastically with audience members throughout the night. One such interaction hit extra close to home when I caught an accidental shoe to the head, immediately after Meth testily (and wordlessly) insisted that my good friend Adam "the Devastator" Greer hold his hand for a little while.
13. Bob Dylan and Dawes at the Peabody Opera House, 04/23/13 For Bob Dylan's visit to St. Louis in April -- his first since October 2010 and the fourteenth stop on his current tour -- the Peabody Opera House stage was backed by a full-height semicircular black curtain with four lighthouse-grade spotlights suspended in front of it that occasionally commenced to glow like so many massive moons orbiting Planet Bob.
12. Earl Sweatshirt's First Appearance in St. Louis: Review and Photos Odd Future's premiere wordsmith Earl Sweatshirt finally made an appearance in St. Louis in June. The rapper came through the Pageant alongside Mac Miller, Vince Staples, Chance the Rapper and the Internet, as part of Miller's Space Migration Tour.
11. Pokey LaFarge at Casa Loma and Third Man Records HQ, 5/31 and 6/1 Outside the Casa Loma Ballroom in early June, storm sirens echoed their eerie warning to the city: "Take shelter immediately," they cautioned. However, roughly one thousand people -- city and county residents alike -- braved sheets of torrential rain and flash-flooded streets to see Pokey LaFarge play on Friday night.
