I don't really believe in the teachings of The Secret or the process of self-actualization or that notion of floating an idea into the universe so that it can manifest itself later. But I also realize that it doesn't hurt to do any of those things, because hey, crazy stuff happens all the time!
As we head into a new year and a new decade, I'm thinking ahead to all the live music that will be headed our way, and keeping my fingers crossed for artists I'd love to see. Some of these are outlandish. Others are totally within the realm of possibility. Consider this a musical vision board.
Bruce Springsteen
Surely Bruce would be right at home in a blue-collar, hardscrabble town like Spokane. The Boss didn't tour at all with his excellent 2019 album Western Stars, and following his successful Broadway residency, maybe he'll opt for some smaller shows at more intimate venues. The odds of it happening? Incredibly low. But a guy can dream, can't he?
Green Day
I know — this pop-punk trio hasn't had any real edge since the days of Dookie. But if Green Day came through town, I wouldn't miss hearing all those mid-'90s classics in person, and since they've got a new LP coming out this year, maybe it'll happen.
Missy Elliott
The legendary rapper and producer hasn't headlined a tour in nearly a decade, so 2020 seems the ideal time for her to get back on the road again. Hopefully, that tour bus points this way. Following last year's Iconology EP and collabs with Lizzo and Ariana Grande, Misdemeanor is primed for a full-on comeback.
Rihanna
She may have hinted at dropping that long-awaited new album in 2019, but Rihanna spent most of the year out of the spotlight. It's totally likely, then, that she'll finally end that hiatus and release her follow-up to the acclaimed Anti sometime in 2020, and what an ideal time for her to take on her first-ever Spokane gig.
The Strokes
With a new album supposedly on the way, these New York retro-rockers are just enough of a legacy act to appeal to the nostalgia-hungry Spokane market. Are they still good in a live setting? Only one way to find out.
Alanis Morissette
I'll admit it: Any time one of those massive singles from Jagged Little Pill comes on the radio, I crank it up. The Canadian singer-songwriter is embarking on a summertime tour that actually begins in Western Washington, so it's totally possible that it'll swing back around here on a second leg. ♦
