My summer concert vacation of 2017 actually started off a bit early this year. But it included a couple of shows I hoped to knock off my bucket list, along with a very coincidental and nostalgic alignment of performers dating all the way back to the very foundation of my professional musical development.

After witnessing, photographing, and/or reviewing hundreds and hundreds of shows since my teen years back in the early 1970s, the most amazing thing was not only discovering a few awesome acts I was relatively or completely unfamiliar with this summer, but also enjoying how good these artists still sound, and play.

Among the concerts on my calendar going back to June 11 were Neil Diamond, the "Four Voices" mini tour featuring Joan Baez and Mary Chapin Carpenter along with Emily Saliers and Amy Ray - The Indigo Girls. I also got to check out Toto, Dead & Company at Fenway Park, Brian Setzer's Rockabilly Riot, Electric Hot Tuna, the Tedeschi Trucks Band, and the epic Classic East at Citi Field in New York.

There was an incredible three-hour extravaganza of Frank Zappa music courtesy of his son Dweezil, a conversely disappointing 62-minute set from Eagles alumnus Don Felder, and two amazing showcases of era-specific acts - the latest Happy Together tour of bands that were big when the '60s became the '70s, and Retro Futura, with a half-dozen hit makers from the '80s.

Over the course of that musical junket there were some great songs that were part of otherwise lukewarm sets, and some great sets that took me by surprise after queuing up expecting serviceable and potentially underwhelming performances.

When it came to knocking a few more shows off my professional bucket list, there was Neil Diamond, Toto, and believe it or not - The Cowsills, one of the acts on the Happy Together bill.

And when it came to coincidental and nostalgic alignments, over the course of seven days I heard material from the band that recorded the first LP album I bought with my own money (Frank Zappa's 200 Motels soundtrack), and attended performances from the band that recorded the first 45 RPM single I ever bought (The Doobie Brothers' "Jesus Is Just Alright"), the band behind the first cassette tape I ever bought (The Cowsills), and the band on the first CD I ever purchased (Fleetwood Mac's Rumors).

Stadiums & Showcases

In recent years I've limited my attendance at massive stadium shows, but after the incredible set Dead & Company turned in last year at Fenway Park in Boston, I wasn't going to pass up a chance to see if lighting could strike twice.

It did not, but the pleasant, breezy Sunday afternoon weather on June 18 - Father's Day - helped ease the discomfort one can feel when one is packed into the grandstands with a cross section of Deadheads ranging from handsomely outfitted cigar smoking Boston blue bloods to scruffy hippy types whose patchouli-scented dreadlocks flashed me back to my first few Dead shows back in the day.

As was the case in 2016, John Mayer was virtually flawless in his channeling of the late Jerry Garcia's guitar work, mixing in a few dashes of Duane Allman on a couple of the blusier tunes. Among the Dead & Company high points this time around was an acoustic medley I also heard sound checking a couple of hours earlier and featuring Dead staples "Friend of the Devil," a new and nonelectric take on "Dark Star," and the classic sing-along "Ripple."

Six weeks later, it was off to New York's Citi Field for the right coast installment of the Classic West / Classic East extravaganza that included The Doobies, Steely Dan, and The Eagles on July 29, and Earth Wind & Fire, Journey, and Fleetwood Mac the following evening. This show also had a bit of nostalgia attached to it, because it was not only rumored to possibly be the last Eagles concert, but it book ended my very first stadium show with the Eagles headlining the Yale Bowl in the summer of 1979.

While many may have pegged The Eagles or Fleetwood Mac as the stars of the two-day Classic East showcase, I have to hand it to Earth Wind & Fire, which turned in an exceptional set in the searing Sunday afternoon heat - wearing uncomfortably hot-looking outfits. After a few numbers, lead singer Philip Bailey had to put on a hat to absorb the sweat and cut the glare. And I don't know how 66-year-old Verdine White didn't keel over after more than a hour of energetic jamming and dance moves.

Opening up the whole thing on a much more balmy Saturday were the Doobies turning in a good but not great rundown of their greatest hits and a couple from the archives. Steely Dan, on the other hand, included not only the stellar Jon Herrington on lead guitar, but subbed an absent Walter Becker with Larry Carlton, who recorded with "The Dan" on four of their albums (Update: Becker, who was apparently ailing, passed away September 2).

Journey has turned into such a vehicle for co-founder and guitarist Neal Schon's narcissism that he has become tough to watch, but what the heck was happening with singer Arnel Pineda?

While the band's powerhouse third round vocalist has always been in top form during previous live sets I've seen from Journey, he faltered at Citi Field - hitting few if any of the critical high notes on pitch, and making tunes including "Don't Stop Believing," "Wheel In The Sky," and "Faithfully" nearly excruciating.

One would have to expect that The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac better be good for the exorbitant ticket prices, and neither disappointed. The Eagles introduced Deacon Frey - son of the late Glenn Frey - to cover some of his dad's signature vocal parts. And he did great, seeming much more relaxed on Classic East than he did on a few of the Classic West videos I saw.

And another Eagles recruit, none other than the country star Vince Gill, was exceptional. From the opening a capella vocals of "Seven Bridges Road" to the closing jams of "Hotel California" this set delivered all that was promised and more.

Closing out Sunday was only the third time since the late 1970s that I had seen Fleetwood Mac with its full lineup including Christine McVie, and her presence made all the difference. Each individual member shined, while "Sara," "Big Love," and "Gold Dust Woman," rose to occupy the sweet spots on Mac's set list.

Getting to witness most of the original players who helped pave the musical path that transitioned between 1967's "Summer of Love" and the early 1970s seemed too good to pass up, although I had few if any expectations when I headed out to see the "Happy Together" showcase at the Ives. My only motivation was to see the aforementioned Cowsills because of the indelible impression of their biggest hit, "The Rain, The Park & Other Things."

To say that these acts were crowd pleasing is an understatement, as each of the half dozen groups - albeit in very limited sets - poured out all they had to the relatively intimate Ives audience. Chuck Negron's vocals on the Blood, Sweat & Tears hits "One," and "Joy to The World," the Box Tops jamming on "The Letter," and "Cry Like A Baby," The Association's take on "Windy," "Cherish," and "Never My Love," and even Ron Dante, the lead singer and voice of The Archies' Archie Andrews crooning "Sugar Sugar," far exceeded any expectations I had as I was heading to my seat.

Retro Futura at the Oakdale Theater August 12 brought a similarly structured showcase that included Katrina Leskanich of Kartrina and the Waves, The English Beat, Men Without Hats, Modern English, Paul Young, and Howard Jones. This show was equally entertaining and upbeat, getting the audience dancing to a plethora of radio and dance club hits from "Walking on Sunshine," "I Melt With You," and "Save It For Later," to "The Safety Dance," "Every Time You Go Away," "No One Is To Blame," and "What Is Love?"

Four Voices Soar

Another bucket list accomplishment was finally getting up to Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass. to see the "Four Voices" tour finale. This limited run of shows sprung from a one-off assembling of the Indigo Girls and Mary Chapin Carpenter to back Joan Baez for her Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction earlier this year.

While selections across the catalog of each supporting member were performed with anticipated stellar harmonies and musicianship including Dylan's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue," a gritty take on the Indigo Girls' "Go," Carpenter's soulful "This Shirt," and a brand new creation from Baez called "Nasty Man," the big thrill was the quality of the sound from the opening notes to the final strum.

Every pluck of the banjo or mandolin, every nuance of the guitar chords, and every sweetly sung note was amplified clearly and with precise balance no matter where I wandered within the shed or across the grounds. For that reason, no matter who is headlining, I'm looking forward to visiting Tanglewood again.

In contrast, perfunctory performances from Brian Setzer and Don Felder were most disappointing, probably because my expectations were so high after seeing each of these acts turning in powerful sets on previous occasions. If it's even possible, Felder made the roughly 62 minutes he spent on stage at The Ridgefield Playhouse August 8 feel even more rushed.

It appeared his guitar tech was poised to hustle onto the stage as many of the numbers were ending, so Felder could swap out instruments and launch into his next song with barely a few moments to catch his breath. As a result, most of the songs seemed stiff and mechanical, where slower pacing and a deeper setlist from Felder's previous RPH appearance stood among the best shows I covered in 2015.

Setzer's June 25 set at The Ives was not as rushed, but was similarly packaged and unexciting, versus every previous time I had seen him from the Stray Cats explosive 1982 gig at the University of Bridgeport to one of his renowned Christmas season shows with the Brian Setzer Orchestra, and a similarly energized concert last year at New York's Beacon Theater with his stripped down four-piece Rockabilly Riot.

Don't get me wrong - if you just went to marvel at Setzer's spot on rockabilly recreations and guitar contortions, then you went home satisfied. But to me, it felt like Setzer's tank was running on empty and he was looking toward the gate up until he bolted from amidst the encore cacophony, onto his bus, and away he went.

Then there was Toto - whose members I have interviewed, and whose jazz rock infused "Hold The Line," echoed through the halls cheering up the glum days of my first college dorm experience back in 1980. I always wanted to see this band live, but always missed them as they cruised through the tri-state over the years.

Toto provided one of the tightest and most technically proficient performances of the year so far during a June 20 stop at Torrington's Warner Theater, mixing complex jams like "Only The Children," with a delectable acoustic numbers like "The Muse," and popular hits like "Rosanna," "I'll Be Over You," and "Africa."

Trucks And Tuna

The Tedeschi Trucks band and Electric Hot Tuna sets at Simsbury Meadows July 9 were a study in contrasts, punctuated by The Wood Brothers who played the middle spot on the "Wheels of Soul Summer Tour." Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Jack Cassidy and Jorma Kaukonen rolled out a relatively brief but rousing selection in a three-piece configuration with drummer Justin Guip. Opening with Jefferson Airplane's "Trial By Fire," which they co-wrote as founding members, Jorma also shined on the introspective "Bar Room Crystal Ball," and Muddy Waters' sultry "I Can't Be Satisfied."

TTB on the other hand was at or over the top for their entire headline segment - delivering their unique horn-driven R&B to the massive Simsbury audience that numbered in the thousands.

Susan Tedeschi and husband Derek Trucks got fans grooving early-on opening with "Laugh About It," before hitting the gas pedal to get the crowd jumping to a powerful uptempo "Right On Time" showcasing their incomparable horn and vocal assets: singers Mike Mattison, Mark Rivers, Alecia Chakour along with Kebbi Williams (Saxophone), Ephraim Owens (Trumpet), and Elizabeth Lea (Trombone).

They even made it a family affair bringing the Wood brothers back out for a rousing cover of The Rolling Stones "Sweet Virginia." It is very cool to have witnessed a subtle shift that has occurred in TTB over the years as they have gone from a vehicle spotlighting their talented husband and wife founders surrounded by a great backing band, to a more homogeneous unit where Trucks and Tedeschi provide much more flavor than flash as more integrated members of the full ensemble.

Having spoiled any surprises in store by viewing an earlier concert video of Dweezil Zappa's latest tour, I could only hope for at least as good as he brought his zany and ridiculously talented band to the Ridgefiled Playhouse August 1. And BOOM - three hours later I emerged a more die-hard Frank and Dweezil Zappa fan than I was when I arrived.

The diverse rhythmic and tonal directions, the sometimes naughty and always witty lyrical wordsmithing, and the vicious Frank-like adherence to detail were all there, along with shockingly good vocal harmonies and strategic injections of Dweezil fun. (Think samples of Kansas and AC/DC grafted into "It Can't Happen Here," from Frank Zappa's now 50-year-old debut Freak Out.)

And I guess it's becoming a thing, so queue the exit music to this retrospective and lets send up a little Neil Diamond. His June 11 Mohegan Sun show was one I had literally been waiting for since my dad brought me home a bootleg 8-track of Hot August Night back in 1973.

That same year I became one of those near fanatics who immersed himself into Diamond's work on the film soundtrack of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, nearly playing the grooves off the album. Unfortunately, that relegated what I hoped would be a series of JLS songs, into the eclipsed medley of "Be," "Lonely Looking Sky," and "Skybird," waahhh.

Fortunately for the fans, they were able to experience many of the 38 songs Diamond catapulted into Billboard's Adult Contemporary Top 10 over the course of his career.

Across the board, Diamond had the best "show" of this summer's concert junket featuring effective video projections at the rear of a tiered, wide open stage free of amps and clutter. This open staging not only comfortably accommodated a huge backing band even by Neil Diamond standards, but was effective in making the surrounding audience feel like they were part of an intimate musical experience instead of just watching a group incongruously jammed into one end of a sports arena.

From his entrance to thunderous applause, Diamond was all there with breathtaking renditions of "I Am...I Said," and "If You Know What I Mean," positioned between bouncy note-perfect numbers like "Forever In Blue Jeans," and of course, "Sweet Caroline" during which the house lights came up to reveal a sea of singing, smiling faces.

It was a great way to jump-start the summer concert season, and a reminder of how a really good concert any day of the year - or even a few good live songs - can make you forget your troubles and get lost in the music, even if it is just for a little while.

Travel to "Africa" with Toto in this video from Torrington's Warner Theater earlier this summer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNSsYT4t4U8

Check out the few opening minutes of Neil Diamond's 2017 set at Connecticut's Mohegan Sun Arena:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHRkO1GkYsU

The Tedeschi Trucks Band (TTB) fired up the Simsbury Meadows Concert Park July 9 with "Comin' Home:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkDIlymPrUQ