WITH CONCERTS happening almost every night of the week, a look back at the last year in music is quite the blur, but there were certainly some shows that are etched into our memory. Take a look at the 2015 music calendar with us, and let’s raise a glass to more fantastic shows in 2016!

January

King Tuff, Ex Hex, Creepoid

2015 started with a bang at Hang Fire with sleazy rock ‘n’ roll god King Tuff, Mary Timony’s Ex Hex, and Creepoid, who spent some time in Savannah recording their critically-acclaimed album Cemetery High Rise Slum at Dollhouse Productions.

February

Blind Boys of Alabama

The legendary A-Town Get Down headliners made a diverse crowd rise to its feet in a powerful performance of spiritual music.

March

March Madness!

Okay, it’s cheating, but with Savannah Music Festival, Savannah Stopover, and spring tours, March is the month for music in Savannah—we couldn’t pick just one!

Natalie Prass lit up Hang Fire on the verge of her big break: the Nashville songstress’s name is ever-present the year-end lists of music critics. She finished her Hang Fire set climbing all over the stage and floor, belting out a Supremes cover—if we hadn’t fallen in love with her yet, we sure did right then.

Savannah Music Festival highlights included Grammy Lifetime Achievement winner Mavis Staples, Lucinda Williams, Heritage Blues Orchestra, Dianne Reeves, Dawes, Shovels & Rope, Roseanne Cash, a co-production of Carmen with Savannah VOICE Festival, and, perhaps the biggest surprise of the fest, DakhaBrakha, an intense Ukrainian folk quartet that absolutely brought the house down on closing night.

Stopover had another wild year: blistering Spanish trio Capsula destroyed at The Jinx, Southern Culture on the Skids welcomed everyone at Charles Morris Center with flying fried chicken, Parlour Tricks brought their gleaming pop to Trinity United Methodist Church, and Terror Pigeon! created an interactive dance-party-love-fest at Club One.

April

Kittenfest

April showers brought in Kittenfest, an all-ages music festival right over the bridge. While the festival, which highlighted prog, folk, rock, hip-hop, electronic, punk, metal, and more, may not be back in 2016, it was a fun weekend among the swamp and trees while it lasted.

May

Dr. Ralph Stanley

88-year-old bluegrass legend Dr. Ralph Stanley came to Springfield to share his legacy.

June

Man Man

Weird, wild, and unexpected, the fabulous bizarro world of Man Man came to Savannah for the first time, courtesy of MusicFile Productions.

July

Fucked Up

The prolific (and super-nice) Canadian punks played an impassioned set at Southern Pine Company for an all-ages crowd.

August

Hang Fire’s Last Hurrah

While word got around at the end of the night that the beloved downtown bar was granted an extension on their lease, Hang Fire’s big closing party was unlike anything the venue’s seen before, with a line wrapped all the way down Congress Street. From late afternoon to early morning, Superhorse, Triathalon, House of Gunt, Carpet Coats, and more bid farewell to the little stage. While they won’t be at their Whitaker Street spot in 2016, word is the bar’s moving to a new location and big things are on the horizon.

September

Revival Fest

The down-home fest at Georgia State Railroad Museum boasted great food, good brews, and tunes from the likes of Fruit Bats, Southern Culture on the Skids, Those Darlins, and more.

October

Blues Trinity

Savannah’s sharpest players, including Eric Culberson, Laiken Love, Eric Dunn, Ray Lundy, Anders Thomsen, and more united for a tribute to Albert, Freddie, and B.B. King and blew the roof off the place.

November

Cusses

It was a bittersweet evening at The Jinx as Cusses played their final-for-now show. Between heartfelt memories, hits, deep cuts, and a loving candle vigil tribute for Robyn Reeder, it was a night to remember.

December

Savannah Children’s Choir

Annual Christmas Concert

The holiday tradition was made even more special this year as the Children’s Choir celebrates ten years of beautiful singing.

This article appears in Dec 30, 2015 – Jan 5, 2016.