Feature / Music
Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (July 2025)

July 6, 2025

Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (July 2025)
Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (July 2025)

Matt's Top 5 Improbable Hopes For Concerts In 2025

Look, we're only halfway through the year and we've already seen the guys with the most famous eyebrows in entertainment reunite (not Bert & Ernie, I mean Liam and Noel) and the god-damned Prince of Darkness playing a final-ever concert with Black Sabbath, when the best medical advice in all of LA advised against it. 2025 seems to be the year of shows we didn't think would ever happen.

So in an effort to manifest the changes I want to see in the world, here are five more improbable concerts I'd like to see before I—or they—die:

1

The Beatles

The Beatles

Look, let me finish—

Okay, okay, half of the band has been dead for decades. I realise that a band solely comprising the rhythm section is only interesting to fans of Death from Above 1979, but I think there's something we can do here.

George Harrison, for example, went to his grave as a believer in transcendental meditation. What if—unbeknownst to Beatles fans—he was able to reincarnate himself at will, ideally into the body of someone who was really good at playing heartfelt slide guitar licks and singing in a nasal Liverpool accent? We have to at least consider the possibility.

As for John Lennon: surely Peter Jackson, with all his Tolkien-inspired wizardry, is able to reconstitute John, Gollum-like, from the hours of footage still locked in the vault from the ill-fated Let It Be sessions? They could probably rope in a lookalike to crawl around a soundstage in a onesie while the cameras convert their movement into the rhythm guitar and yowls of Lennon at his prime?

Once those minor spiritual/technical hurdles are overcome, it's simply a matter of persuading Paul McCartney to stop performing Hey Jude for minor celebrations of the British aristocracy, and for someone to tell Ringo that if holds up a quick peace sign and pretends to drum for 20 minutes, he'll make a billion dollars. And me? I'll be on the front of the barriers, loving every stupid minute of it.

On the other hand: we could just persuade some of their sons (pictured) to get together and play a tribute concert, which would in no way insult the memories of their more talented/handsome fathers.

2

Fugazi

Fugazi

I am a patient boy...

I'm bold enough to have asked Ian MacKaye himself about the possibility of a Fugazi reunion, so don't tell me the odds (or the Evens): I already know it's basically never going to happen.

And yet: maybe it could? There's almost no evidence to support this except for the fact that all four band members are still around and making art/music of some kind. And there's an argument that the state of politics, society, technology and the environment are all factors that are crying out for an informed, barbed criticism by the DC pioneers. But again... it's a pipe dream.

Nobody is going to be dumb enough to offer Ian, Guy, Joe and Brendan money to reunite, because that would be gross. But maybe circumstance could lead to a one-off tribute performance, perhaps for some important fundraising goal or other landmark event? A punk can hope. 

3

Weezer

Weezer

It's not what you think

I love Weezer. The Blue album is on constant rotation and some of the later albums occasionally make the cut too. But this is a band who do not know when to quit. So let me tell them: now.

Take Black Sabbath's recent example: do a final show, ideally soon, and then... stop making new music. We've got it from here, guys. There's more than enough out there, including a Toto tribute album, probably, some kind of guest spot with Lil Wayne and—I imagine—a version of Pinkerton where every song is played on a kazoo or something. Always leave 'em wanting less, right?

Skip to page View as a single page

Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (July 2025)
Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (July 2025)

Pages in this feature

  1. Opening page
  2. Chuck Coffey's Top 5 Of 2025 So Far
  3. Dennis's Top 5 of 2025 So Far
  4. Jiffy Marx’s Top 5 Of 2025 So Far
  5. Loren's Top 5 Of 2025 So Far
  6. Matt's Top 5 Improbable Hopes For Concerts In 2025
  7. Spyros Stasis's Top 5 of 2025 So Far

Related features

Little Low

One Question Interviews • August 6, 2025

Christine Atturio (Little Low) SPB: What is your favorite Disney soundtrack? Atturio: Aladdin, hands down. Robin Williams singing "Friend Like Me" is fire! The soundtrack as a whole goes from hopeful to scary to funny and back again, sometimes even sounding like the music from Indiana Jones when he's exploring … Read more

Normal Park

One Question Interviews • August 5, 2025

McKinnon (Normal Park) SPB: Your bio references math rock, [my opinion] one of the sillier genre names. Is there a music term you hear often that seems like it could have been phrased better? Tyler: I don’t mind math rock as a genre term because it’s simple and descriptive, plus … Read more

Foolsmate

One Question Interviews • August 4, 2025

Alex Gilliam (Foolsmate) SPB: What does the term “Midwest emo” mean to you? Gilliam: After getting this question, I immediately asked the other guys in Foolsmate for their input. Though their answers varied drastically, they all touched upon inclusion. Midwest emo has always been about being vulnerable about yourself and … Read more

Sell The Heart Records – History 101

Music / History 101 • August 3, 2025

Like most independent labels, Sell The Heart started to document a scene without really asking themselves “Where do you see yourself in 15 years?” In 2010, founder Andy Pohl was barely even thinking about vinyl. In “History 101” tradition, Scene Point Blank picked out some of the label's notable releases … Read more

The Planet Smashers

One Question Interviews • July 23, 2025

Matt Smasher (The Planet Smashers) SPB: How did the collabs on the new album come to be? Did you reach out to the artist with a specific idea, or just ask “hey is there something you want to do here?” Matt: It started out super simple, just a “would you … Read more

More from this section

Sell The Heart Records – History 101

Music / History 101 • August 3, 2025

Like most independent labels, Sell The Heart started to document a scene without really asking themselves “Where do you see yourself in 15 years?” In 2010, founder Andy Pohl was barely even thinking about vinyl. In “History 101” tradition, Scene Point Blank picked out some of the label's notable releases … Read more

Shane Herrell: A Tribute

Music • July 6, 2025

Shane Herrell: Rest In Power(pop) (1980-2025) The Rocker I try to live my life with as few regrets as possible. Sadly I never got the chance to hear my friend Shane Herrell karaoke Thin Lizzy’s "The Rocker." As a singing bass player we don’t have enough heroes. It might just … Read more

Caterwaul 2025

Music • May 13, 2025

Each year in late May, the 4-day party and noise-rock festival Caterwaul takes over multiple venues in Minneapolis. It’s a stacked lineup this year, to put it mildly, with each night’s headliners FACS, Young Widows, Naw, Pissed Jeans, and Uniform -- and that’s leaving a ton of other great bands … Read more