Curious what notable personalities in the scene think was great this year? So is TGEFM! So we reached out to some of our favorite luminaries ranging from musicians, label personnel, and more for their “Best of 2025” lists. Now, listen: TGEFM is not a taskmistress. Contributors can write these out however they want. So if it doesn’t actually look or read like a list… and sometimes it really is just a list with no other observations! Who cares?
Bobby Mahoney’s Best of 2025 reads like a personal checkpoint in a year defined by contrast. Turning 30 while navigating change, growth, health scares and moments of real joy, his list moves easily between movies music live shows and the people that helped keep things grounded. It’s a grateful reflective snapshot of a year that felt heavy and hopeful at the same time capped by the pride of releasing new music on Little Steven’s Wicked Cool Records.
2025 was a bizarre year.
Like for many/most others- a spectrum – from wildly good to terrible and scary.
Changes, growth, turning 30, medical stuff, new places, old places, new music, new people, new-old music, new-old people. Ultimately, I am very grateful and fortunate.
I love my family and friends. Here’s to making the best of every moment.
Here are some things I enjoyed this year:
“One Battle After Another” – movie
“Weapons” – movie
“The Giver” Chappell Roan
Brian Newman’s Monday “Secret Shows” NYC
“Wake Up Deadman” – movie
“Superman” – movie
The DT’s “Sun Shines Down“
“Manchild” (Album) Sabrina Carpenter
“Black Rabbit“- show
Defuntland “Disney’s Living Characters: A Broken Promise” -YouTube
Jesse Malin “Silver Manhattan” @ Gramercy Theater NYC
AC/DC @ Gillette Stadium
Good Things Are Happening Fest ’25 Scranton, PA
Light of Day Foundation ’25 @ Count Basie Theater NJ
Steve Conte trio @ Transparent Clinch Gallery NJ
Electric Nebraska Demos – Bruce Springsteen
The Dirty Nil
The Hives
Amyl and The Sniffers
I am also very proud that we released “Smoke and Drive” b/w “Machine Gun Blues” on Little Steven’s Wicked Cool Records this year!
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed’s musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he’s self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/