The Best Concerts Of 2013, According To 8 Designers

8 designers' favorite concerts of 2013.
Photo: Getty Images

In 2013, music and fashion were more intertwined than ever. There was a ton of collaborative energy between the two worlds, from designers creating custom tour wardrobes for musicians (see Givenchy x Rihanna, Calvin Klein x Drake, Maison Martin Margiela x Kanye, Tom Ford x Justin Timberlake—the list goes on) to artists designing for brands (Nicki Minaj x Kmart, Rihanna x River Island, Kanye x A.P.C., Drake x Nike, Alison Mosshart x Surface to Air, etc.). There was also a bevy of fashion
week musical performances—and in, a few cases, musicians even subbed for models. Which is all to say, there was A LOT to keep us busy at MTV Style over the past 365 days. To celebrate the year music and fashion became even better friends, we asked some of our favorite designers to share with us the best concerts they saw in 2013.
CREATURES OF THE WIND
We saw Goat at the Empty Bottle in Chicago. We first heard about them from our friend Sheba, the queen of Chicago indie. They have an insane stage presence, and the show was a fully psychedelic experience. A real, full-on rock show in a tiny venue. The whole band wore full face masks throughout the entire show, from start to finish.
STEVEN TAI
It would have to be The Postal Service's last ever concert at Lollapalooza. I have loved the band since it first came out when I still lived in Canada. And it reminded me of being a teenager singing ridiculously badly in the car. The fact that it was their last concert kinda symbolized a real official end to that part of my life.
AMMERMAN SCHLÖSBERG
Eric Schlösberg: Our favorite concert this year was Placebo. We both grew up watching Placebo videos on MTV. My boyfriend, Liz, and I saw them in October, and it was totally amazing. It was so cool seeing Brian Molko perform "Teenage Angst." He's always been such a style icon to the both of us. He's still so cute and feminine! The most surprising element of the show was when Brian Molko looked at us and for sure smiled! We had on our freakiest Placebo looks, and he definitely appreciated it.
PUBLIC SCHOOL
Dao-Yi Chow: Diplo show with Major Lazer at Coachella. Energy was insane, and they did the human gopher running balls on top of the crowd.
Max Osborne: Twin Shadow last winter here in NYC Webster Hall. Show was hands down amazing. We have been watching him for sometime now, but there was a clear shift for me in his performance. From the way it was sequenced, down to the sound and lighting, it was elevated and exciting to see more to come.
RACHEL ANTONOFF
Tegan and Sara at The Greek in L.A. They are just amazing, and there is truly not a single dull moment in their show.
WALTER VAN BEIRENDONCK
The concert I enjoyed the most this year was from TRUST, the Canadian band.
BELLAVANCE
Nolan Bellavance: It has to be a tie between Solange at Webster Hall or a recent Midnight Magic show. I hate seeing shows where no one moves, and both of these were crazy. Everyone was going nuts. Solange did a Selena cover of "I Could Fall In Love" that blew my mind. Midnight Magic was just pure energy. I haven't danced like that in a long time.
MDMFLOW
I was helping my friend (Kid Vanilla) move into an Airbnb apartment in Williamsburg when I got a text from another Brooklyn-based friend that Solange Knowles would be performing at Northside in 10 minutes. We got a taxi straight to McCarren Park and talked our way in using my poshest English accent. We got there just before she began performing, and it was an incredible show as she is such an amazing performer and really interacts well with her fans. Everyone sang along to "Losing You." She also brought her beautiful son Julez on stage, and her band was incredible! I've been a fan of Solange for years so to see her perform for free in Brooklyn from an impromptu text was kind of surreal.