PANCAKES AND WHISKEY'S FAVORITE PHOTOS OF 2018

Let’s be real; it’s tough to sum up a whole year in a few tidy sentences, these days – particularly when there’s awful stuff happening in the news and awesome stuff happening in the genres of music we love. But that seems to be the essence of 2018, as we look back: how the world of artists and creators responded to reality with their music, and helped so many other people make sense of it all; how in the face of darkness and uncertainty, once more, there was light. That’s what we feel these photos have captured for the history books: the jaw-dropping concert experiences witnessed by our team this past year as we simply followed the musicians we love and felt their work brighten our lives.

In bad weather and weird weather, from NYC to Brooklyn to Jersey City to Boston to Philly to Chicago and even further away, from festivals we were eager to attend to the shows we were proud to present around the big apple (with even more to come next year), the Pancakes & Whiskey team is thrilled to bring you our favorite photos of 2018. We hope you enjoy reflecting on these amazing moments as much as we have – note: whiskey recommended for best viewing experience – and look forward to capturing more badassery in 2019. – Olivia Isenhart

Lesley Keller (Lead Photographer)– Favorite album: S. Carey – Hundred Acres – Easily Carey’s best album, with songwriting as lush as the instrumentation, new details are reveals with subsequent listens, especially with some really good headphones. If you close your eyes, you can tune out all your problems, and descend into the most beautiful landscapes, which I tend to do on my commute to and from work.

Theo Katzman@ MHoW

High Waisted @ MHoW

Black Thought Live Mixtape @ Roots Picnic

Lil Uzi Vert @ Roots Picnic

Sun Ra Arkerstra @ Roots Picnic

Francis and The Lights @ Eaux Claires

Phoebe Bridgers @ Eaux Claires

Velvet Negroni Eaux Claires

Unknown Mortal Orchestra – house of vans Chicago

Young Fathers @ Elsewhere

Bryan Lasky

Amyl and the Sniffers @ Brooklyn Steel

Arctic Monkeys @ Brooklyn Steel

Bill Murray/ Jan Vogler & Friends @ Proctor, NY

Gorillaz @ TD Garden, Boston

Lilly Allen @ Paradise Rock Club, Boston

St. Vincent @ Newport Folk Fest

Lucius @ Newport Folk Fest

Jen Cloher @ Newport Folk Fest

Lone Bellow @ Newport Folk Fest

Newport Folk Fest

Tenacious D @ House of Blues Boston

Michael Digiovanni

Action Bronson @ House of Vans

Basement @ White Eagle Hall

Citizen @ White Eagle Hall

Darnell Williams @ House of Vans

Lena Hall @ Public Hotel

Nikka Costa @ Apollo (Otis Redding tribute)

Warren Haynes @ Apollo (Otis Redding tribute)

Merissa Blitz – Favorite Album: Take Me to the Disco – Meg Myers – It’s so easy to get lost in the depths of Myer’s dark world. Her words bite, hard. Her songs are ones that can be used to amplify any extreme emotions you may be feeling, shaking that wall you need to break down. Her newest release, Take Me to the Disco, is on a whole other level of dark and emotional. These songs bring attention to how twisted love, lust and life can be and her poetically written lyrics make my heart hurt. Standout songs are “Numb,” “Little Black Death,” and “Tear Me to Pieces.”

Yungblood @ Warped

Meg Myers @ MHOW

Lawrence @ Brooklyn Steel

Iceage @ Elsewhere

A Place To Bury Strangers @ Elsewhere

Billie Eilish @ Bowery

Dorothy @ Bowery

Every Time I Die @ Warped

Great Good Fine Ok @ Irving Plaza

Dean Keim Favorite Album – Parquet Courts – Wide Awake! – Parquet Courts’ latest album has quickly become my favorites and one of my most played discs of the year…This album may very well be the best fit for our modern turbulent times ready to go off the rails and loving every minute of it.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra @ Brooklyn Steel

Oh Sees @ Boston Calling

Liam Gallagher @ Summerstage

Perfume Genius @ Boston Calling

Shopping @ Market Hotel

Black Angels @ Brooklyn Steel

Royal Blood @ Boston Calling

Pussy Riot @ Boston Calling

St. Vincent @ Boston Calling

Black Angels @ Brooklyn Steel

Melvins @ Warsaw

The Kills @ House of Vans

Howard Shiau

Hinds @ Warsaw

Børns @ T5

Sunflower Bean @ Bowery

Kitten @ soho house

Bananarama @ PlayStation Theater

Kitten @ soho house

Chase Atlantic @ Irving Plaza

Lights @ Irving Plaza

Vivian Wang

Cold War Kids @ Brooklyn Steel

Dr. Dog @ Brooklyn Steel

Gary Numan @ Irving Plaza

Lord Huron @ LPR

Moose Blood @ Irving Plaza

Murphy’s Law @ Coney Island Baby

Nightmare Air @ Irving Plaza

Overcoats @ Brooklyn Steel

Rhett-Miller/ Old 97’s @ Irving Plaza

Tennis @ Brooklyn Steel

The Rubens @ Baby’s All Right

THICK @ Baby’s All Right

Anthony Mulcahy

Broken Social Scene @ Summerstage

The National @ Forest Hills

Cigarettes After Sex @ Barclays

Dermot Kennedy @ Irving Plaza

Janelle Kroll @ Irving Plaza

Nick Cave @ Barclays @ Barclays

Nick Cave @ Barclays

Wood Brothers @ Irving Plaza

Adia Victoria @ Forest Hills

Barr Brothers @ Brooklyn Steel

Death Cab For Cutie @ Kings

Matt Hobulowski @ Mercury

Milk Carton Kids @ Brooklyn Steel

Alx Bear

Christine and The Queens @ Brooklyn Steel

Dead-Sara @ Pianos

Franz-Ferdinand @ Brooklyn Steel

K. Flay @ Irving Plaza

LP @ Brooklyn Steel

Maggie Rogers @ All Things Go

Taylor-Swift @ Met Life

Billie-Eilish @ All Things Go

PSquared Media

Moby @ Rough Trade

Phoebe Bridgers @ MHOW

Soccer Mommy @ MHOW

Starcrawler @ Rough Trade

Shayne Hanley (Editor In Chief) Favorite Album – Idles Joy As An Act Of Resistance – The perfect album to accompany this fucked up year goes to the punks from Bristol, England and their inspiring message of hope, love and unity. It’s the perfect remedy for the narcissistic, entitled, toxic-masculinity filled rhetoric, we are fed on a daily basis.