Your top concerts of 2009!

[remphish1]

List your favorite live shows of the year..big Bruce Springsteen year in NJ area so he is dominating my 2009 list

 

1. Bruce Springsteen 11/8/09 Madison Square Garden- The River in its entirety..the only time ever! What a great show with many rare live songs...show clocked in at 3 1/2 hours and was amazing start to finish!

2. Bruce Springsteen 10/9/09 Giants Stadium *Last show ever at Giants Stadium!...also featured Born in the USA from start to finish...good night!

3. Wilco 7/13/09 Keyspan Park Brooklyn..good show and only time I saw Wilco in 09 ..Wilco and baseball parks go well together

4. Phish 6/2/09 Jones Beach..Phish are back and are better than ever! Great show..not a lot of noodling...just how I like it!

5. Paul MCCartney 7/21/09- Citi Field 3 and half hours 40+ songs....first time I heard Paul do Paperback Writter and Day Tripper...sweet!

6. Pet Shop Boys 9/1/09- Music was just ok but the staging was incredible! Second best visual concert I have ever seen after U2

7. Jeff Tweedy 3/28/09 Beacon High School-very intimate, great show but waaaay to short!!!

8. Soundtrack of our Lives 3/12/09 Bowery Ballroom-This band keeps getting better and better!!!

9. Son Volt 9/17/09 Fillmore NYC-New stuff sounds great live also amazing version of 10 Second News!!!

10. Bruce Springsteen 10/2/09 Giants Stadium- Darkness on the Edge of Town in its entirety....whats not to like!!!

 

Honorable mention

Walkmen 8/16/09 Central Park

Fran Healy/Andy Dunlop 11/7/09 Joes Pub

Travis 4/25/09 Webster Hall

Cracker 6/25/09 Highline Ballroom

[sureshot]

1. Shellac at Pritzker Pavillion. One of the most surreal experiences of my life: seeing Shellac play a free show before 10,000 people in a public park. Even more surreal: most of those people stuck around until the end (families with kids and out of town tourists included). The band was ON, sound was some of the best I've ever witnessed, and it was truly a historic evening in the annals of Chicago underground rock I won't soon forget. Three cheers for the city having the balls to book this show.

 

2. The Jesus Lizard at Metro. Yow was injured for this show, and it was still one of the most visceral concert experiences of my life. I will be seeing them again on NYE, and I fully expect a healed Yow (complete with antics) will propel that show into this spot.

 

3. The Juan Maclean/ The Field at Double Door. Some of the most fun I've had at a show, ever. A complete cross section of Chicago dance lovers getting together and just having a fucking ball. Also felt privileged to witness Jerry Fuchs on drums (damn could he hold a groove), who tragically died in an elevator shaft fall a couple months back.

 

4. GAS at the Chicago Cultural Center. The first North American performance by Wolfgang Voight under the GAS alias. Free show, and an overflow crowd. Got to witness the godfather of ambient techno dish out some of the most luxuriously hypnotic soundscapes ever composed. Also incredible visuals provided by video artist Petra Hollenbach.

 

5. Fucked Up at Pitchfork Music Fest. Hipsters and white belts were a-flying. These guys are the real deal.

 

6. Monotonix at Logan Square Auditorium. Sweaty, ungodly hairy Tel Aviv madmen (banned in every venue in Israel) pushing their brand of balls-to-the-walls rock upon a receptive audience of substance abusers. Beer slip 'n slides and a the possibility you will carry a half naked Borat look-alike on your shoulders is par for the course. Who needs drugs when there are bands like this out there.

 

7. Throbbing Gristle at Logan Square Auditorium. Its not often you get to witness a group which spawned an entire genre of music. Its even rarer that they still sound as relevant and envelope-pushing as they did 30 years ago.

 

8. Acid Mothers Temple at The Empty Bottle. Japanese hippies and psychedelic rock. How can you go wrong?

 

9. Hum at the Double Door. I never thought I would ever get to see this band live. Sounded as if they never had broken up....just pure energy.

 

10. Sunn O))) at The Empty Bottle. The atmosphere was unreal: so much dry ice you couldnt see your hand in front of your face, the entire band dressed in monk robes, and of course the most overpowering low-end you will likely ever experience. The record title holds true: "Maximum Volume Yields Maximum Results." I think its almost impossible to fully appreciate this band until you see them live.

 

 

11. The Pink Mountaintops at Empty Bottle. Stephen McBean can do no wrong.

 

Honorable Mentions:

Isis at The Bottom Lounge

Yo La Tengo at The Vic

Mountains at The Empty Bottle

Polvo at The Bottom Lounge

Ghost at The Empty Bottle

[Winston Legthigh]

I had a great couple of weeks in Spring:

Two Wilco shows, back to back

Then a trip to Vegas to see The Killers (shrooms helped) and then Sir Paul at the Lounge in the Hard Rock.

Then back home to see Neko Case.

 

I think I also saw David Byrne this year, but maybe that was last year...

 

3rd row seats to see No Doubt was fun.

 

Saw Willie Nelson for the first time.

[augurus]

•headline: Animal Collective

•support: Grouper

2009, May 18th

08:00PM

Royal Oak, Michigan

Royal Oak Music Theatre

Open up your open up your open up your open up your open up your open up your open up your open up your throat!

 

•on the ticket: Yo La Tengo

2009, July 18th

Detroit, Michigan

Max M. Fisher Music Center

17th Concert Of Colors

Meijer Main Stage

I need to see this band live much more often. They played a pretty blistering set starting from Here To Fall (before Popular Songs came out) all the way to the ecstatic frustratingly manic and frenetic I Heard You Looking. Man.

 

•headline: Wilco

2009, July 21st

Royal Oak, Michigan

Royal Oak Music Theater

Best concert I attended this year. 2.5+ hours of awesome musicianship, stamina, and anthemic energy.

Go look at the setlist.

 

•headline: Grizzly Bear

•support: Beach House

2009, September 26th

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Michigan Theater

This is where I discovered Beach House will have an awesome new album in 2010.

This is where I also learned that Grizzly Bear ticket prices rose from $10 to $44.

Maybe it's not such a good thing (for me) that they broke into the mainstream.

 

•headline: Fiery Furnaces, The

•support: Cryptacize

•support: Dent May

venue: The Magic Stick

city: Detroit, MI

It's been quite a while since I've seen a Fiery Furnaces show, but they still get on that stage and give 100% of their effort, and we walk away confused and amazed at the amount of work they put forth to transform all their songs from Chris Michaels to Drive To Dallas.

[Guest Runaway Jim]

1. Phish - 6/21/09

2. Phish - 8/11/09

3. Tweedy - 2/13/09

 

Only 3 concerts I saw all year, but loved them all.

[uncool2pillow]

Hmmm...

 

1. I saw Grant Hart w/ a crowd of about a dozen. His voice is amazing. The Husker Du recordings just doesn't do it justice.

 

2. A family festival with Dan Zanes and Justin Roberts. It was incredible fun to watch my kids enjoy some really good music and meet the artists the love afterwards.

 

3. Ralph's World. Another cool family musician.

 

Someday I'll go to another grown up concert.

[mountain bed]

1. Judas Priest - The Murat Theatre, Indy 6/29 - my first metal show in 27 years, and I was not disappointed. Small room, first night of the tour, no opening act, British Steel in its entirety.

 

2. Phish - Deer Creek, 6/19 - yes, they are BACK. The Fluffhead from this show was perfection.

 

3. Gov't Mule - Murat Egyptian Roon, Indy 10/23 - Jackie Greene sits in for the last set of tunes - Soulshine, Sugaree, and a mammoth Cortez the Killer.

 

I can't claim the Wilco show I saw in Bloomington in April to the one of the best. In fact, it was kinda tame.

[ThisIsNowhere]

Phish 6/12 and 6/14.

[lamradio]

 

 

9. Hum at the Double Door. I never thought I would ever get to see this band live. Sounded as if they never had broken up....just pure energy.

 

 

 

You LUCKY SOB...

[Scalzunfield]

While I loved the Wilco shows I saw and they've been my top for about 6 years running, this year they were unseated simply because I got to see the first ever Them Crooked Vultures show at Metro in Chicago. After seeing that, nothing else could come close.

[stooka]

1) M Ward & Shelley Short @ The Dallas Museum Of Art

2) Monsters of Folk @ Oakland Fox Theatre

3) Ben Kweller @ The Golden Light Cantina - Amarillo, TX

4) Robert Randolph Family band & Dr. John @ The Fraze - Dayton, Ohio

5) Zappa Plays Zappa @ HOB - Las Vegas

 

honorable mention : Charlie Hunter Duo @ Yoshi's San Francisco

[jff]

Dungen, The Earl, Atlanta, August 19

 

Richard Lloyd, The Earl, Atlanta, June(?)

 

Wilco, Tennessee Theater, Knoxville, April 18

[myboyblue]

1) Dan Auerbach - Metro - Blew away my expectations of the show. Hacienda opened and killed.

2) Avett Brothers - House of Blues - hung with some fellow VCers great energy and great set despite girls screaming like they were seeing the Beatles in the 60's. Did lack some banjo though.

3) The Evening Rig - Turf Club - one of the few roadtrips I took this year. Still confused as to why these guys aren't a bigger deal outside of MN.

4) Jason Isbell/Justin Townes Earle - Double Door - JTE's voice can't be topped and Jason has truly grown into a lead man.

5) Wilco - UIC - Went last minute after not having seen Wilco in a few years. Hate large venues but the boys blew me away. Sound wasn't great but the band has truly translated from small club to arena band. Not an easy thing to do. Glenn is a monster on drums.

[Killer Whales]

Bonnaroo - Can't really split this one up, but Phish, Bruce Springsteen, David Byrne, Bon Iver, Neko Case, Dirty Projectors, and Okkervil River all rank as some of the best shows I saw this year.

Wilco in Lowell, MA - Great set, unfortunately cut short due to rain. However, the versions of Spiders and I'm the Man Who Loves You in the pouring rain were a lot of fun.

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy at the Wilbur Theater in Boston - Played New Partner, A Minor Place, Hard Life, I See a Darkness, and You Want That Picture. What more could I ask for?

[mjpuczko]

dan auerbach at first ave is near the top

justin townes earle opening for isbell at hte turf in st paul. isbell was good but JTE blew him away

hold steady - basillica block party, minneapolis. hold steady, hometown show = awesomeness

black crowes - basillica block party. night before THS.

 

i saw some more but can't remember right now.

[tinnitus photography]

since i saw over 220 band sets this year (the most this year was Mastodon, w/ 3) it's hard to trim the list down...here's a top 20, with no particular order other than the top 5, w/ some honorable mentions tossed in.

 

1 - Mark Burgess @ Hennessey's

incredible show, coming together most improbably. mark pressed local band curtain society into service as his backing band and played a ton of old chameleon songs, along with a couple of covers. to make the evening even more improbably, marty willson-piper of the church drove up from NYC and took the stage to join in for 'splitting in two.' amazing night...it was so good to see these songs come alive, as i never did get to see the chameleons play.

 

 

2 - The Jesus Lizard @ The Paradise

i caught Yow and company a couple months prior when they headlined the first night of ATP/NY, and i knew they were as tight and manic as ever, but when playing a packed room filled w/ people who want to see the band and join in the mayhem, it took on an entirely new amount of energy. fantastic, and great set list. this band gives it all they've got (yow would later break a rib in chicago, in addition to the myriad bruises and bleeding cuts he suffered along the way).

 

3 - Boris@ ATP/NY

this would the 5th time seeing Boris, and 2nd this year but it was clearly the best of them all, mainly because they played their epic _Feedbacker_ as one piece, and holy christ did it rip open new holes in my head. such a complete statement from start to finish, and they played it brilliantly.

 

4 - The Damned @ the Paradise

it had been 20 years since seeing the band (i saw 'em when original guitarist Brian James toured and played on the first set, w/ Captain Sensible switching over from bass to gtr for the 2nd) and not only did they sound great, but the new material from _So Who's Paranoid_ was strong. great stage banter from the Captain, and Vanian sounded fantastic. essential band.

 

 

5 - Sir Richard Bishop w/ Oaxacan @ the Middle East

it's always a true pleasure to see and hear Rick play, but this tour was special in that he'd brought a full band along (opener Oaxacan) to flesh out the excellent material from this year's _Freak of Araby_ as well as to play a couple of key Sun City Girls songs.

 

 

the rest of the top 20 in no particular order, with links to photo galleries:

Mogwai@ Pearl St - 2nd consecutive night of seeing the band, and they killed. better setlist and venue as compared to the Wilbur the night before

Van der Graaf Generator - i wasn't too familiar w/ these prog giants but they sounded so great and brought real fire to the performance in an unprecedented tour of the US

Sunburned Hand of the Man - sometimes these guys (and gal) can lost in endless noodling and sputtering clatter, but for their slot on the Homegrown Psych Fest they were a tightly wound ball of psych power. best set i've seen them play

Major Stars - also playing the Homegrown Psych Fest, and as a local band i tend to take them for granted. however, each time i do see them i'm filled with joy and the new material sounded great.

Dean and Britta/Warhol Screen Tests - playing their interpretations and some covers to projected clips of Warhol's screen tests. this was a lot better than i was expecting, not being a huge Luna or D&B fan to start with, but the spirit of warhol and the velvets shone through.

Heaven and Hell - i was astounded at how good Dio's voice sounded, and wish him a speedy recovery from the stomach cancer he's been diagnosed with. Iommi is also a living legend and had a blast playing the non-Ozzy material.

Motorhead - another ageless legend, Lemmy simply stated 'hello, we're Motorhead, and we play rock and roll.' then the band took the top third of my head off.

the Dirty Three - i saw them on back to back nights, and they were both uniformly excellent. the 2nd night gets the nod solely due to the presence of Nick Cave on piano as they played _Ocean Songs_ in whole.

Boss Hog - this was the most fun set of ATP/NY for me, a bump and grind shimmy shake of raw blues and rock as only Jon Spencer can unleash. Christina brought a lot of energy and was clearly having fun.

Melvins (25th anniversary/Houdini) - first time i've seen Buzzo and Dale w/o Big Business, and while those sets are great, this was something different. original drummer Mike Dillard sat in for the early stuff while Dale played Matt Lukin's part on bass, then Mike left and the duo banged out some great stuff before being joined by Mr Bungle/Fantomas bass player Trevor Dunn. power.

High On Fire - their set @ Scion was good, but as the opener on a 4 band bill (Metalocalypse), i think Pike had something to prove and basically blasted the other bands away (Dethklok, Mastodon, and Converge). he's a true metal beast, and i'm looking forward to seeing Sleep next year.

Boadrum 9 - even though i saw the 3 drummer Boredoms in '08, nothing could prepare me for the cathartic and religious experience that they brought to the stage to open the 3rd and final day of ATP/NY. 9 drummers, in unison bringing the sky to the floor, and the ground to the cosmos. one of the most powerful musical moments i've ever witnessed.

The Feelies - their set @ ATP/NY playing their debut LP was a bit sloppier than their opening slot for Sonic Youth a couple of months later, but it was a true testament to the savage strumming of a six stringer.

Om - their new record is a subtle and excellent move forward, and having Rob Lowe from Lichens as the secret ingredient was key to bring texture to the bass and drums bedrock that Al and Emil provide.

Throbbing Gristle - pioneering sonic terrorists regroup for a very short US tour, and it was highly effective.

 

 

honorable mention:

Roots/Antibalas Red Bull Sound Clash - great concept, loads of fun

Kylesa (criminal records in-store prior to the Scion Rock Fest) - never seen 'em before, came away impressed

Converge @ Scion Rock Fest - had the crowd in a frenzy, notable even among other sets at Scion

Tindersticks - understated calm and cool; fans of the National need to know about this band

Secret Chiefs 3 - Trey Spruance plays three different sets as one whole organism...Sufi Surf Music?

The Church - veterans return to stake their claim as one of Australia's best ever bands

Wilco - first show i saw w/ my kids; rain-shortened but still very good. wilco is a great live band

Future of the Left - welsh fury and comedy in one spiky package

Oneida's Ocropolis - i wish was able to see more of this idea that had the core Oneida threesome playing pretty much non-stop for 10 hours w/ different people sitting in throughout the day and doing live improvisation. the parts i did see were great

Caribou Vibration Ensemble if i thought i was through w/ drums after Boadrum 9 i was not...full horn section featuring Marshall Allen of Sun Ra's Arkestra was a strong element.

Roger Daltrey - the voice has faded but the spirit and the songs remain. daltrey was clearly enjoying himself, and petes's brother simon was the secret weapon

The Outlaws - nostalgic look back at one of Southern Rock's finest.

Sonic Youth - any SY performance is a good one, after seeing close to a dozen

The Renderers - special in-home performance from NZ's twosome of Rose and Brian, great to see them again.

[Guest Runaway Jim]

I can't believe I didn't even know Hum was playing again. Was it a one time thing or are they back? You'd Prefer An Astronaut gets a lot of play on my ipod.

[cryptique]

The J. Geils Band, Fillmore Detroit, 4/24/09

 

Enough said.

[tugmoose]

Not much of a show year for the Tugger - new sked has me working nights wed-sunday, if that's an excuse. Only made it to the Beachland Ballroom once, I think (Hold Steady). Bruce left everyone happy at The Q. Neko 3 times - best in Columbus. A couple good Wilco shows not real memorable (Jeff was down on the Columbus crowd on Jesus etc., but that's not really a great singalong song). I'll try to do better in 2010 - I think Alejandro's at the Beachland in Jan. - would be a good start.

[brianjeremy]

Is corny to say all of them? I didn't go to all that many but I enjoyed each one quite a bit. I'll rank them anyway

 

1. Ryan Adams and the Cardinals 3/12/09, Columbia, SC

Great show. First time we got to see Ryan. It was an early anniversary gift to ourselves (the 15th) and the first part of our mini-vacation.

 

2. Wilco - 4/21/09, Asheville, NC

My Wife's first Wilco show and my fourth. Great show.

 

3. Son Volt - 9/12/09(Charlotte, NC), 11/20/09 (Greenville, SC)

Both shows were pretty much identical but it looks like Jay has found his groove and more importantly, the right band. Best I've seen Jay.

 

4. Springsteen and the E Street Band - 9/16/09, Greenville, SC

First time seeing the Boss and was not disappointed.

 

5. Jason Isbell - 2/19/09 (Greenville, Acoustic show) and 5/??/09 (Greenville w/ band)

Both were great shows. I loved seeing him with the band a bit better but it was special seeing him in the intimate setting.

 

6. The Music Tapes, Nana Grizol, Brian Dewan and god knows who else - 3/6/09 (Asheville)

Seriously was an f-ed up show. Very much like an art happening. Very hippie and insane.

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

I saw the Roots at the 9:30 Club last night. Needless to say there's a new number one show of the year for me. Seriously, those guys might be the best live band out there, bar none. Great records, but you can hate them all and still love them in concert.

 

Number two would be Them Crooked Vultures at 9:30. Seeing Dave Grohl drum in a club. 'Nuff said.

 

Number three would be Super Furry Animals (and Real Estate, who I had no idea was so big in the indie community these days) at the Highline Ballroom in NYC. I took a bus 8 hours each way for this, and it was worth it. I know their ATP set got bad reviews, but they were on for this one.

 

I think the only other show I saw was Wilco/Conor at Wolf Trap, so it'll take number four by default.

 

My biggest concert regret would be not seeing Leonard Cohen at Merriweather Post pavilion. What the fuck I was thinking, I couldn't say.

[Rusty Shackleford]

1. Drive-By Truckers at the 9:30 club, 2/21/09. The second of a 2-night stand in DC minus Patterson Hood. I missed seeing Patterson there, but getting a show full of Mike Cooley tunes was pretty awesome. That, plus a cover of "Rockin in the Free World" that featured about 7 guitars.

 

2. Son Volt at the 9:30. My first time seeing Jay, and I was blown away. A much better show (and showman) than I'd expected from others' reports. The new album has really grown on me.

 

3. Jason Isbell at the Birchmere. Great band, great songs, great venue, good crowd.

 

4. Patterson Hood at the Black Cat. Very tight band for a so-called side project. Having Will Johnson as a sideman is pretty cool.

 

5. Wilco at Wolf Trap, 7/8/09. I liked the new stuff, plus I got to hear ALTWYS and Misunderstood for the first time. Conor Oberst was pretty good as an opener, too. This was a great show, but the traffic jam afterward earns it a spot at the bottom of my list.

[Guest Runaway Jim]

This was a great show, but the traffic jam afterward earns it a spot at the bottom of my list.

 

That's funny. After my first Wilco show, I got overheated while crammed on the very crowded L, had to get off after just a few stops, and promptly threw up all over myself. But I don't hold anything against the show itself!

[sureshot]

I can't believe I didn't even know Hum was playing again. Was it a one time thing or are they back? You'd Prefer An Astronaut gets a lot of play on my ipod.

 

It was a one time thing as far as I know. 2 sold out shows at the Double Door for New Years Eve/ New Years Day.

 

[Beltmann]

Didn't see too much in 2009, but April's back-to-back Wilco shows at Milwaukee's Pabst Theatre would be at the top. I also very much enjoyed Neko Case, and a Gaslight Anthem/Heartless Bastards show, among others.

 

Biggest disappointment? The National in July. One of my all-time favorite shows was The National in 2007, but this time around they felt lackluster--the band was off their game, for whatever reason.