In case you missed it, Charleston and the surrounding area had a very, very busy year. It was a tumultuous year as well, with the disbanding of Charleston's Community Music, some severe belt-tightening with the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra and the sale of the theater used by the Kanawha Players.
Many of the performers who came to Charleston were returning visitors, but the city also saw some new events spring up, particularly during FestivALL Charleston.
Here's a look back at some of the arts.
Charleston's 2015 started off like it does most years, with the return of old friends. Once again, the annual Contemporary Christian rock festival, "Winter Jam," kicked off their tour at the Charleston Civic Center.
January also brought back some Civic Center favorites, including country star and the future ex-Mrs. Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert and Michigan Classic rocker Bob Seger, who brought along the J. Geils Band.
In Morgantown, West Virginia native and country superstar Brad Paisley played two shows at WVU. That same weekend, "Mountain Stage" kicked off their 32nd season in Morgantown with Lee Ann Womack, before returning to Charleston at the end of the month with a show featuring Greensky Bluegrass and Hot Club of Cowtown.
The month ended with monster truck extravaganza "Monster Jam" once again roaring in at the Civic Center.
The second month of 2015 was a busy one. The Clay Center hosted controversial Chinese dissident arts and culture program Shen Yuen, as well as Patti Labelle, the touring production of "Sister Act," and classic crooner Harry Connick, Jr.
"Mountain Stage" played two shows in Charleston and one in Morgantown. The first featured Dale Watson and Ray Wylie Hubbard. Bluesman Eric Bibb and gospel group The Fairfield Four headlined the second show, while jazz guitar great John Pizzarelli and Allen Tousaint performed at the Keith-Albee Theater.
Limelight Theater in Charleston also opened "The Lion in Winter" and the Woody Hawley Series returned with singer/songwriter David Roth (no relation to David Lee Roth).
While winter lingered, the area saw a little bit of everything in March. The touring production of "Anything Goes" came to Clay Center and the arts and science center launched their new Sound Check Sessions series with Ballroom Thieves.
Charleston Ballet performed "Swan Lake" at the Municipal Auditorium, while the WVSO hosted the Celtic Tenors.
George Thorogood rocked the house at the Clay Center, while comedian Bill Cosby, in the midst of ongoing sex abuse accusations, entertained a near-capacity crowd at Charleston's Municipal Auditorium.
It was a big month across the state with ZZ Top at Big Sandy Superstore Arena, John Prine, and Leo Kotke at the Keith-Albee in Huntington, and Celtic punk band The Dropkick Murphys at Snowshoe Mountain Resort.
In the early spring, Broadway in Charleston brought "The Great Gatsby" and "Memphis" to the Clay Center. Citizen Cope, Frank Calienda, and David Wax Museum also played the arts and science center.
Comedian Rodney Carrington joked around at the Municipal Auditorium and Christian rock band Third Day returned to the Charleston Civic Center.
In local theater, the Alban Arts Center opened "Catch and Release," but the biggest show in town was "the greatest show on Earth," the return of Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus to the Civic Center.
Charleston Light Opera Guild kicked off their new season with "Into the Woods" at the Civic Center's Little Theater. The Clay Center welcomed Christian performers Matthew West and Colton Dixon, '90s pop stars Blues Traveler and Jakubi, who performed for the center's Sound Check Sessions series.
American music icon Aretha Franklin also made good on her previously canceled show and "Mountain Stage's" May show in Charleston included Pokey LaFarge, Dar Williams, Joe Pug and Jill Sobule.
The Vandalia Gathering again showcased traditional music and culture at the Capitol Complex and Live on the Levee kicked off May 22 with Stratus and Groove Heavy.
FestivALL, Charleston's nine-day arts and music festival, delivered a wide variety of entertainment opportunities for anyone willing to be entertained. Some of the highlights included Charleston Light Opera Guild's "La Cage Aux Folles," The Cashore Marionettes, and comedian John Hodgman at the Culture Center Theater.
Trombone Shorty played the Mayor's Concert at the Clay Center. Janiva Magness performed during Wine & All That Jazz, while the No BS! Brass Band headlined Blues, Brews and BBQ, both on the lawn at the University of Charleston.
FestivALL also saluted The Empty Glass during Live on the Levee with performances by Zach Deputy with the Spurgie Hankins Band and Red Wanting Blue with The Carpenter Ants.
"Mountain Stage" closed out FestivALL with country singer and multi-2015 CMA winner Chris Stapleton.
Besides FestivALL, comedian Kathy Griffin performed at the Clay Center and Molly Hatchet played the Capitol City Biker Bash.
Things slowed down considerably after FestivALL, with Charleston taking a deep breath, but there was still plenty going on. The '70s rock band Heart performed to a sold-out audience at the Clay Center, while the city got a new low-watt radio station, 88.1 The Status Quo.
Still, a lot of people traveled out of town for shows in July, including making the four-hour journey to the newly returned All Good Music Festival, now located at Summit Point in Jefferson County.
Garrison Keillor, the retiring host of NPR's "A Prairie Home Companion" arrived at the Clay Center in August, the day after Kanawha County students got their books.
The West Virginia State Fair was held in Fairlea mid-month and featured performances by Alabama, Three Doors Down and Third Day, among others.
The month closed out with Lady Antebellum at the Civic Center.
Live on the Levee closed out in September with Ronnie Baker Brooks and Blackwater Mojo.
Year five of the sci-fi/horror convention Shocka-Con came to the Beni Kedem Shrine Center with guests from "The Walking Dead" and "American Horror Story."
The Clay Center saw comedian Martin Short and singer/songwriter Pierce Pettis, who played the Woody Hawley Series, and Willie Nelson seemingly drove straight from Farm-Aid to do another show at the arts center.
It only got busier in October.
In Huntington, the Marshall Artist Series was in full swing, with performances by comedian Anthony Jeselnik, country singer Kacey Musgraves, and rocker Boz Scaggs.
Charleston Light Opera Guild opened "Mary Poppins" at the Clay Center, while the Alban Arts Center presented Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
The CharCon gaming convention and the recently reinvigorated West Virginia Book Festival returned to the Civic Center and Charleston saw its first "Sushi Fun Run."
Charleston Main Street welcomed back OktoberWest, featuring craft beers and music by Damon Almann, and HallowEast, which included the ever-popular zombie walk and a special presentation of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" at Laidley Field.
"Mountain Stage" presented two shows in October and The West Virginia Music Hall of Fame inducted a new class of performers with ties to West Virginia.
Soon-to-be inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Steve Miller finished out the month with a show Halloween night at the Clay Center.
In November, the Clay Center presented Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Broadway in Charleston's "The Producers," Kate Campbell at the Woody Hawley Series and Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds for their Sound Check Sessions.
Chris Tomlin performed at the Civic Center, along with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, who visited Charleston as an early stop on their annual Christmas tour.
Langhorne Slim and Craig Finn headlined November's only "Mountain Stage" at the Culture Center and Thanksgiving weekend, Contemporary Youth Arts Company opened their yearly production of "Mary."
With the holidays very much underway, shows turned to Christmas themed-productions.
The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra presented their much loved "Home for the Holidays" show with vocalist William Wolfram filling in for opera singer turned WV Division of Culture and History commissioner Randall Reid-Smith.
Bob Thompson's "Joy to The World" brought in DC-based jazz singer Lena Seikaly for their annual show and the Charleston Ballet performed "The Nutcracker" with the WVSO.
The Clay Center was a holiday tour stop for B.E. Taylor, Jim Brickman and the Annie Moses Band, while "Mountain Stage" closed out 2015 with cookies, punch, Josh Ritter and the announcement that Wilco would be coming to play the radio show Valentine's Day weekend in 2016.
Tickets went on sale to the general public the next day and sold out within an hour or so.
Reach Bill Lynch at lynch@wvgazette.com, 304-348-5195 or follow @LostHwys on Twitter.