It's always surreal to see your favorite bands live for the first time or even the 100th time. Throughout 2017, I was able to see and experience many veteran and up-and-coming artists all over the United States!

Here is a list of the best live bands I saw in 2017!

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Cage The Elephant

On April 15th, 2017, Cage The Elephant performed their Live and Unpeeled: The Acoustic Tour in Sacramento. As this was my third time seeing the band, my expectations were high and I was very excited to see how they would perform acoustically as they usually perform with such energy and charisma. What made the show different right off the bat was the size of the venue. Cage The Elephant played at the Crest Theatre, which is usually used as a movie theater! The venue was a lot smaller than what the band is used to, but I think the band thrived off the intimacy, especially because phones were not allowed! Yes, that's right. NO PHONES!

WIth our phones locked up, the audience was able to fully experience the performance. The band played a total of 23 songs (they added "Mess Around" for the Sacramento show), a mix of all four of their albums and three cover songs.The covers were "Instant Crush" ft. Julian Casablancas by Daft Punk, "Whole Wide World" by Wreckless Eric, and "Golden Brown" by The Stranglers.

The concert was more than I ever expected it would be! There was nothing DULL about this acoustic show and I believe this is why they are such a great live band. Cage The Elephant is able to bring their energy, their charisma, and their own style to anything they are working on. Matt Shultz danced all around the stage and frequently engage with the audience. The band even had some help with additional musicians including violinists. The most special part of the tour was the band recorded each performance and later released an album with those songs and a Vinyl with the names of each fan that attended the Live and Unpeeled Tour.

After the concert, Cage The Elephant hung out with their fans outside the venue for an hour. The band took pictures, signed albums, and had genuine conversations with each of their fans.

I was able to speak with Matt Shultz about the concert, his new tattoos, his music, and we even made jokes about the street we were on. Matt and all of the band were extremely fun and humble after their incredible performance.

Phoenix

After the release of Phoenix's new album "Ti Amo," I was able to see them live at a music festival in the Bay Area named Live 105 BFD. Phoenix was the headliner of BFD and they performed with acts like Cold War Kids, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, POWERS, and New Politics! With many good acts at this all day festival, I still could only focus on one thing: I was going to see Phoenix for the first time!

Phoenix has a reputation for going on a long hiatus post releasing an album, therefore if they are coming to your city you can't miss it! The band is also highly respected by many other bands with similar styles and they are also respected among music lovers worldwide.

The band definitely experimented with their sound on this new album. There are many new songs with alternative, rock, electronic, synth-pop, and Italo disco influences. "Ti Amo" was ranked 43 on NME's Albums of the Year 2017.

As this was my first time seeing the French indie pop band live, I did not know what to expect and to my surprise, it was my favorite concert of the year and I went to 20 concerts and 3 festivals. One of the festivals was even 3 days long!

Not only did the band have a great setlist, they sounded wonderful. Thomas Mars' voice was untouchable, the band, especially the drummer were phenomenal, and the light show was incredible. The audience danced and sang all night especially towards the end when Phoenix played their hit song "1901".I recommend seeing this band live if you are given the opportunity, especially since they do not tour often in the United States!

The 1975

Live or on record, The 1975 is a band that never disappoints! Not only does the band have a unique style, they have one of the most special fanbases. Their fans even line up for days to get a barricade spot. The 1975 have a special way of interacting with their fans. The band tours often, posts on social media frequently, and informs their fans of everything!

Every album and every June 1st, the band does something special and intriguing for their fans. The first album had themes of black and white with the infamous boxes. Once the second album came around, the band pretended to break up and changed their social media platforms from black to pink. Since the band has dropped a live record, the talks of their newest studio album has been circling. The band has since changed their platforms to white.

Every June 1st, the band announces something or does something special for their fans as the date has meaning to the name of the band. The singer, Matty Healy named the band after seeing a beat-era book with a journal entry dated "June 1st, The 1975."

As this concert was my 5th time seeing the band, I knew what to expect. I was excited to dance and sing along to The 1975's amazing collection of songs!

Before The 1975 came on stage, the band had two opening acts: Colours and Pale Waves. Pale Waves are one of The 1975's side projects as the band produces their music! If you like The 1975, I would recommend listening to Pale Waves as the two bands have very similar sounds.

Once The 1975 came on, their setlist was a great mix of their new and debut album. Matty Healy had a fantastic stage presence as he danced to every song, interacted with the audience, and spoke on political issues in the United States. Not only was Matty a great stage performer, the band was on point. Each song had energy and meaning. The band is also known for their Visuals and lights while on stage!

Overall, I would recommend seeing the band if you haven't already. I've seen them five times and haven't stopped seeing them for a reason! They are a great live band! They don't just play their hits and once you see them live you realize they are more than their hits.

My favorite songs live are "Somebody Else," "Lostmyhead," and "Sex." "Sex" is the band's infamous closing song, which is very special to a long time The 19575 fans, whereas "Lostmyhead" is a great instrumental. Lastly, "Somebody Else" is a dance song and it definitely is a different sound for the band that the audience loves.

The band is said to be putting out their third project this year and it is to be called " Music For Cars" the same name as a previous EP. Matty Healy has even announced a side project called Drive Like I Do, which is The 1975's original name. It is supposed to have members of The 1975 along with other artists.

ODESZA

ODESZA was one of the coolest performances I saw all year! I was able to see the band at Lost Lake in Phoenix, Arizona! Lost Lake is a new festival created by the makers of Bonnaroo and Outside Lands! Chance The Rapper and The Killers were the two other headline acts for the three-day festival.

The band just released their third studio album and has received praise from so many. "A Moment Apart" has even received two Grammy nominations, one for Best Dance/Electronic Album and the other for Best Dance Recording.

When I saw the band live, I was lucky enough to have a front row barricade spot! This made the performance surreal to me. Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight both came on stage and performed with the most amazing light show. Their visuals, lights, fire, and confetti made their show much more than a concert.

ODESZA played all their hit songs, new and old! It is no question that Mills and Knight know how to put on a show, but their incorporation of other musicians was remarkable! The band had a group of drummers, a saxophone player, a guitarist, and even a singer from one of their tracks!

The band's show was something every ODESZA fan needs to experience. My favorite songs were "Late Night," "Bloom," "All We Need," and "Sun Models." I would recommend seeing this band whenever you have a chance! They are fun and sound amazing, plus there isn't a bad seat in the house! No matter where you are, the visuals look amazing.

Lenny Kravitz

Lenny Kravitz has been rock legend since 19889 with the release of his debut album "Let Love Rule." Kravitz has released timeless classics such as "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over," "Fly Away," and "American Woman."

Since I grew up listening to Lenny Kravitz, he was always number one on my bucket list to see. I finally saw him live in Lake Tahoe over the summer.

I believe the most impressive thing about the show for me was how put-together his performance was. Not only did he do an outstanding job, but he had a whole band backing him up. This band went from back up singers to guitar players to saxophone players. Kravitz also made sure each member received their recognition by giving them a bit of solo time during the show.

Lenny Kravitz performed many classic songs and the crowd was very into it. My favorite song was "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over" which Kravitz began by saying, "Y'all remember that one."

I would recommend seeing Kravitz as he is a big inspiration to many artists and has many classic songs. His performance is outstanding as his voice sounds amazing and he is a great guitar player! He also has a full band supporting him!