Unforgettable live Monterey County shows of 2014, from Beck to Pixies to Puddles.

A lot of things changed when I became a father. Sleeping in became a phenomenon as rare as Halley’s Comet. Dinner transformed into a get-it-when-you-can activity rather than a relaxing occasion for wining and dining. Poopy tushies have been ingrained into my daily repertoire.

I also don’t get out into the world as much as I did pre-fatherhood, which has translated into less opportunities to see live music. Don’t mistake this statement for disappointment or regret – I wouldn’t trade a second of the time I’ve spent with my daughter, even if Jerry Garcia returned from the grave to play East Village Coffee Lounge. This just explains why some significant shows aren’t included, like Merle Haggard at Sunset Center or TV on the Radio at Henry Miller Library.

Willie Nelson and Family

at Sunset Center (April 10):

Following a blues-tinged southern rock set from Willie Nelson’s youngest son Lukas – featuring songs about skunky green stuff and some guitar soloing with teeth – the country music icon unleashed more than two dozen hits: “On the Road Again,” “Whiskey River,” “Me and Paul,” “Down Yonder” and “Crazy” representing a small sample. Joined by his legendary Family Band, which includes Lukas on guitar, older son Micah on percussion and killer harpist Mickey Rafael, Willie looked out to the sold out audience with friendly eyes, as if he was reconnecting with an old buddy. The 81-year-old impressively brought 90 minutes of uninterrupted music, while the title track of Willie’s new record Band of Brothers proves that the good songs keep coming. The Red-Headed Stranger also delivered a variety of classic covers, including Waylon Jennings’ “Good Hearted Woman,” Hoagy Carmichael’s “Georgia on My Mind” and Hank Williams’ “Hey Good Lookin’.” But the energy didn’t peak until Willie broke into his sing-a-long fave “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die.”

The Pixies

at Henry Miller Library (April 15):

The Pixies broke up. The Pixies reunited. Co-founding bassist Kim Deal quit the group. These are the headlines that have been attached to the adored alt-rock outfit over the past decade or so. Fortunately, 2014 leaned more towards the music-playing/positive side for The Pixies. In addition to releasing their first record since 1991, Indie Cindy, the New England band hit the road hard, and fans came out in big numbers wondering, “Will this be the last time I get to see The Pixies?” When their Big Sur show was announced, sandwiched in between a pair of weekend shows at Coachella, I asked a slightly modified question: “When will there be another opportunity to see The Pixies perform for only 300 people?”

The large, illuminated Pixies lettering hanging above the stage, under the redwoods, signaled this rock and roll fantasy was real. Paz Lenchantin (Entrance Band, A Perfect Circle) enthusiastically filled Kim Deal’s role without attempting to replace her. Frontman Black Francis looked like he stood 8 feet tall as the band roared through more than 20 songs, including “Bone Machine,” “Head On,” “Ed is Dead,” “Vamos” and “Where Is My Mind?” The mostly 40-something crowd gave off a thick scent of nostalgia as it rocked out to the irreplaceable soundtrack of its youth.

Darlene Love

at Golden State Theatre (June 29):

“Every time I’m on stage, my desire is to make you happy,” Love told the nearly-sold out historic Monterey venue. The 72-year-old delivered a pair of 45-minute sets, featuring Roberta Flack’s “Killing Her Softly,” Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and The Crystals’ early-’60s gem, “Da Doo Ron Ron.”

When Love says she gives 150 percent, she’s not exaggerating. The singer – who was recently catapulted into the limelight thanks to the Oscar-winning documentary 20 Feet From Stardom – never stood still. As far as booty-shaking, Love kept that going nonstop. In between songs she left barely any time to rest her voice; she filled those gaps with rock and roll lore and Phil Spector stories. I don’t even recall seeing Love take a single sip of water throughout the show. She says her secret to remaining so energetic in her 70s isn’t rocket science: “After the show, I may have a glass of wine, but then I go straight home [or my hotel] and don’t do a lot of talking so I can rest my throat,” Love told the Weekly prior to the show. “It’s what they call ‘vocal rest’ and it’s the reason I can still do this after all these years.”

Unknown Mortal Orchestra

at Monterey County Fairgrounds First City Festival (Aug. 23):

I watched the trio’s late-afternoon performance at the Fairgrounds convert many festivalgoers – one dude proudly sported spandex animated with Disney princesses – into fans just quickly as I was signed on the moment I discovered UMO’s masterful 2013 release II. Part Auckland, New Zealand, part Portland, Oregon, the multi-continental group’s sometimes-chaotic brand of garage rock shot to an elevated level with the Al Green-flavored “So Good at Being in Trouble.” When the bassist and drummer erupted into irresistible R&B-saturated sexiness alongside frontman Ruban Nielson’s falsetto, everyone in the arena was feeling good.

Beck

at Monterey County Fairgrounds First City Festival (Aug. 23):

I’ve seen Beck about half a dozen times now, and his First City headlining performance was the most high-energy of his shows that I’ve seen. There were effects galore: synchronized lights, laser beams, a giant background screen playing high-def imagery. About 10,000 people were packed into the Fairgrounds’ main stage arena by the time Beck closed out his raucous opener, “Devil’s Haircut.” Most of the audience sang along – word-for-word – to all 19 songs performed. While Beck does high-energy well, he’s a no-frills singer-songwriter at heart, so I would have felt cheated if there weren’t any unplugged moments. In between “The New Pollution” and “Beercan,” Beck unleashed a mini acoustic set, featuring a few songs off his outstanding 2014 Morning Phase – including the intricately-orchestrated “Wave” – and his Sea Change favorite “Lost Cause.”

Beck’s large backing band featured longtime collaborator and guitar virtuoso Smokey Hormel. I initially felt that all the accompaniment was excessive, but everyone was well-utilized, participating in synchronized dancing, playfully rehearsed moments involving yellow danger tape and bandmembers dropping to the ground at times, playing dead.

Highlights other than the unplugged set: Beck’s classic acapella harmonica-and-foot-stomping suburban blues freestyle “One Foot in the Grave.” But getting to finally experience Beck’s 10-minute-plus R&B/soul slow-jam “Debra” live made me feel like I was driving through Glendale with Beck in a ’89 Hyundai.

Puddles Pity Party

at Monterey County Fairgrounds First City Festival (Aug. 23-24):

Puddles Pity Party, “the sad clown with a golden voice,” has some serious endurance. The nearly 7-foot unnerving incarnation of Pagliacci’s tragic clown would not break character. When he wasn’t entrancing a crowd with his shows scattered throughout the two-day fest, Puddles just meandered the Fairgrounds in costume, carrying his prop hobo suitcase. Occasionally, someone would stop him and try to strike up a conversation (he’s mute when he’s not singing) or initiate an awkwardly-long hugs. Puddles’ 15-minute interactive shows – some onlookers got serenaded whether they liked it or not – would quickly grow from a few curious people to a crowd of a couple hundred. Puddles’ most memorable headtrip: seamlessly transitioning from a heartfelt rendition of Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” into Metallica’s “One,” as if the two songs belonged together.

Old Crow Medicine Show

at Golden State Theatre (Sept. 17):

A little less than a month before my daughter turned 1, I took her to her first concert, which made the already-stellar, sold-out show glow even more brightly. The Baby Bjorn and protective baby earmuffs must have been overwhelmingly relaxing – before Old Crow finished the prison-themed opener, “Brushy Mountain Conjugal Trailer,” I had a passed out baby dangling off my chest. The Nashville outfit gave Monterey more than 25 songs spanning two hours. Ketch Secor seriously shredded on fiddle as the seven-piece outfit weaved in deep cuts like “Caroline,” “Take ’Em Away,” “Bootleggers” and an inspirational cover of the Dead’s “Dire Wolf.” The slew of favorites, the traditional “CC Rider,” Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land” and their mega-hit, “Wagon Wheel,” added up to a rowdy, sweaty hoedown. The four-song encore concluded with the Traveling Wilburys’ “End of the Line” (joined by openers The Deslondes). Even unconscious, my baby had a smile on her face all night. Also, she kindly saved her poop for the very end of the show.