I saw A LOT of shows this year. There are almost 70 sets of concert photos on my Flickr page, and that’s only counting the shows I took photos at. And 3 days of Coachella and Outside Lands, all lumped into 6 sets. A bit ridiculous, eh?
You’d think that with all that concert-going, I’d be a little tired of live music. However, that is very much not the case. I saw some incredible shows this year, and I look forward to many more in 2009.
What follows is a list, in no particular order, of my top 10 shows of 2008.
Spiritualized @ Street Scene
“Everything was perfect. Loud, but perfect. The wall of sound came rolling out of the speakers, and on their second song (“Shine a Light”) I almost started crying. In the photo pit. While shooting.”
My Morning Jacket @ Coachella
“This was the set that absolutely blew me away this year – one of those perfect moments in time, with the sun setting and the air getting (a smidgen) cooler, great music floating through the air, knowing that I was entering the homestretch.”
“This was the set that absolutely blew me away this year – one of those perfect moments in time, with the sun setting and the air getting (a smidgen) cooler, great music floating through the air, knowing that I was entering the homestretch.”
Radiohead @ Outside Lands
“And it was awesome. I think I had an emotional melt-down during “Fake Plastic Trees.” No tears, but shaking all over…Thom Yorke’s voice is absolutely amazing and ethereal floating across a crowd like that. I managed to lose myself in both the crowd and the music for a good part of their set.”
“And it was awesome. I think I had an emotional melt-down during “Fake Plastic Trees.” No tears, but shaking all over…Thom Yorke’s voice is absolutely amazing and ethereal floating across a crowd like that. I managed to lose myself in both the crowd and the music for a good part of their set.”
Okkervil River @ Belly Up
“”Black,” in particular, was killer. I remember turning around afterwards, a huge grin on my face (few things in life are as cathartic as yelling out, “You should wreck his life/the way that he wrecked yours”) only to see P, looking shell-shocked and blown away by it all.”
“”Black,” in particular, was killer. I remember turning around afterwards, a huge grin on my face (few things in life are as cathartic as yelling out, “You should wreck his life/the way that he wrecked yours”) only to see P, looking shell-shocked and blown away by it all.”
Frightened Rabbit @ Casbah
“Maybe it was because I was feeling angsty anyway, maybe it was the Scottish accents, I dunno. The most obvious answer is that the music is just that good.”
“Maybe it was because I was feeling angsty anyway, maybe it was the Scottish accents, I dunno. The most obvious answer is that the music is just that good.”
Nada Surf @ HOB
“I loved every minute of it, singing along and rocking out with a huge grin on my face, even when I was taking photos during the first three songs.”
“I loved every minute of it, singing along and rocking out with a huge grin on my face, even when I was taking photos during the first three songs.”
Sigur Ros @ Copley Symphony Hall
“Maybe it’s because they manage to produce this crazy, ethereal, almost spooky sound that always explodes into massive relief. Whatever it is, it was just what I needed that night. I can’t think of another band that could have properly put a cap on my crazy 7-shows-in-8-nights week.”
“Maybe it’s because they manage to produce this crazy, ethereal, almost spooky sound that always explodes into massive relief. Whatever it is, it was just what I needed that night. I can’t think of another band that could have properly put a cap on my crazy 7-shows-in-8-nights week.”
Mountain Goats @ The Independent
“It quickly became evident that Darnielle was absolutely thrilled to be there – I’ve rarely seen a performer have such a huge grin on his face during most of the show. The sound, lighting, and entire atmosphere of the place was perfect – the rapt audience singing along to all the songs and soaking up every syllable of Darnielle’s stage banter.”
“It quickly became evident that Darnielle was absolutely thrilled to be there – I’ve rarely seen a performer have such a huge grin on his face during most of the show. The sound, lighting, and entire atmosphere of the place was perfect – the rapt audience singing along to all the songs and soaking up every syllable of Darnielle’s stage banter.”
Bon Iver @ Che Cafe
“It’s really nice to walk into a show having an idea of what the night’s going to be like, and then to have that idea blown completely out of the water. After breaking a string on one of those ridiculous guitar solos, Justin decided to end the set a song or two early – by bringing the whole band out into the middle of the seated crowd to play my favorite song off of the album, “Skinny Love.””
“It’s really nice to walk into a show having an idea of what the night’s going to be like, and then to have that idea blown completely out of the water. After breaking a string on one of those ridiculous guitar solos, Justin decided to end the set a song or two early – by bringing the whole band out into the middle of the seated crowd to play my favorite song off of the album, “Skinny Love.””
The Hold Steady @ Casbah
“I was drunk, much of the audience was drunk, and we were all bouncing up and down, belting out the words. Or at least I was. Thankfully the front of the Casbah’s stage is padded, but even so, my knees are completely bruised over from banging into it. The Hold Steady is the only band that has ever made me feel the urge to mosh.”
(thanks, Casbah stage)
“I was drunk, much of the audience was drunk, and we were all bouncing up and down, belting out the words. Or at least I was. Thankfully the front of the Casbah’s stage is padded, but even so, my knees are completely bruised over from banging into it. The Hold Steady is the only band that has ever made me feel the urge to mosh.”
(thanks, Casbah stage)