What did you get out and see this year?

1. Animal Collective @ La Tulipe, Montreal QC
2. Bardo Pond @ La Sala Rossa, Montreal QC
3. Spank Rock @ Emos, Austin TX
4. Residual Echoes, Mammatus @ 751, Toronto, ON
5. Nihilist Spasm Band, AIDS Wolf @ La Sala Rossa, Montreal
6. Mouthus @ Casa del Popolo, Montreal, QC
7. Charlemagne Palestine @ L'Eglise Saint-Jean Baptiste, Montreal, QC
8. Comets On Fire @ La Sala Rossa, Montreal QC
9. Jack Rose @ La Sala Rossa, Montreal QC
10. Pop Levi @ Main Hall, Montreal QC

All in Saskatoon:

1. Stars @ Louie's Pub
2. The Stills @ Louie's Pub
3. Ben Lee @ Louie's Pub
4. Wolf Parade @ Amigo's Tavern
5. Sloan @ Odeon Event Centre
6. Frank Black @ Louie's Pub

EDIT: These were actually the only shows I saw, and the last two were the best.

3/9 - The Boy Least Likely To, The Bon Savants @ Great Scott
3/13 - The Sword @ The Middle East
3/15 - Wolfmother @ Eternal
3/16 - This Moment In Black History, Short Film @ Plush
3/18 - The Ark, The Giraffes, The Gossip, Sam Champion, Panther, n0 things @ Emo's IV
3/18 - The Spits, Tokyo Electron, DC Snipers, Busy Signals @ The Jackalope
4/5 - Blowfly @ Bill's Bar
4/13 - Ghostface Killah @ The Paradise
4/24 - Jamie Lidell @ Great Scott
5/13 - The Mighty Go-Go Players, Turpentine Brothers, Tunnel Of Love @ PA's
5/29 - The Riverboat Gamblers @ Middle East
6/1 - Boris @ Middle East
6/4 - Radiohead @ Bank Of America Pavilion
6/17 - Slayer @ Tsongas Arena
7/10 - Percee P @ Great Scott
8/10 - Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV On The Radio @ City Hall Plaza
10/1 - The Nice Boys, The Stalkers @ Abbey Lounge
10/16 - Art Brut @ Middle East
11/1 - Peanut Butter Wolf, Guilty Simpson, MED, Percee P, Aloe Blacc, J Rocc @ The Paradise
11/4 - Hot Chip @ The Paradise
11/16 - Kid Koala @ The Paradise

1. Flaming Lips/De La Soul/Big Star@Centennial Park, Atlanta GA
-getting to be on stage with the flaming lips, one of my favorite live bands, in front of so many people was so completely mindblowing. Qualifies as a top 10 life moment...easily.
2. Boris@The Earl, Atlanta GA
-"jet engine"
3. Broken Social Scene@Variety Playouse, Atlanta, GA
4. My Morning Jacket@Tabernacle, Atlanta GA
5. Pitchfork Festival In Chicago...Day 2 specifically.
6. Trail Of Dead/Blood Brothers/Celebration/Brothers & Sisters@The Masquerade, Atlanta GA
7. Jamie Lidell@The Earl, Atlanta GA
8. Neko Case@The Variety Playhouse, Atlanta GA
9. Islands@Eyedrum Gallery-Atlanta GA
10. Art Brut@Drunken Unicorn, Atlanta
11. Cold War Kids (opening for Tapes N' Tapes who weren't really that great)@ Drunken Unicorn Atlanta GA
12. Sufjan Stevens@Fox Theatre, Atlanta GA

FIRST = LAST =

the decemberists @ the paramount in Denver, CO.

The show was good despite Colin being a little hoarse and calling the show short.

Insubordination Fest, Baltimore

Mopes
Beatnik Termites
Ergs
Zoinks
Unlovables
Steinways
AV Club
A Study In Her
Delay
Sick Sick Birds
Team Stray
Charlie Brown Gets A Valentine
Tattletales
John Stamos Project
Apers

Two that stick out are:

Boredoms/Lightning Bolt
Comets on Fire/Ex Models/and others

Probably the first year in my adult life that I didn't go to any shows.

Last year I at least managed one.

Lack of cash and increasing dislocation from society to blame.

These were the top 5 shows I saw this year:

06/17 Neko Case/Eric Bachmann---Suede (Park City)
07/13 Built To Spill---The Depot (SLC)
07/27 Ween---In The Venue (SLC)
08/02 Hot Chip---Troubadour (LA)
09/17 Andrew Bird---In The Venue (SLC)

I saw more than 10, but I'll just rank the best.

02/15 Andrew Bird @ The Pageant
10/14 Gomez @ Mississippi Nights
04/18 Ours @ The Metro (Chicago)
09/27 Eric Bachmann @ Blueberry Hill (Wish it was that Neko Case twin bill!)
05/12 The M's @ Hi-Pointe
09/29 Deadboy & the Elephantmen @ Blueberry Hill
08/11 Frank Black @ Blueberry Hill
04/08 The Strokes w/ Eagles of Death Metal @ The Pageant
12/07 Ray LaMontagne @ The Pageant
11/07 Joanna Newsom @ Blueberry Hill

i saw the spits this year...crazy effin show...

yeah me and colin were wasted at that show. good times.

i saw very few shows

1. new york dolls/supersuckers at berbati
2. neko case at crystal ballroom

i went to the decemberists as well but not 100% sure it was this year or last year.

I only saw 11 shows this year. These were great:

1. Man Man @ The Drunken Unicorn
2. Tom Waits @ The Tabernacle
3. Fonotone Release Party feat. The Roan Mountain Hilltoppers @ The Earl
4. Silver Jews, Spiritual Family Reunion @ The Earl
5. Shellac, Uzeda @ The 40 Watt

And then there's the Racebannon/Gospel house show that got broken up by the cops...

I had a chance to see them live this year, I can't remember why I missed it. Probably just worn out from work.

Oh wait, I know. The place they were gonna play at went out of business like the week before.

Top 5:

Massive Attack // TV On the Radio // Hollywood Bowl // Los Angeles, Ca.
Junior Boys // Ensemble // Doug Fir // Portland, Or.
Alexi Murdoch // Winterpills (duo) // Iron Horse // Northampton, Ma.
Andrew Bird // Aladdin Theatre // Portland, Or.
Ted Leo // Pearl Street // Northampton, Ma.

Only saw five this year:

Belle And Sebastian, The New Pornographers
Jenny Lewis With The Watson Twins, Johnathan Rice, Whispertown 2000
Wintersleep, Contrived, Land Of Talk
Rogue Wave, The Grates, Foreign Born
Joanna Newsom, Ohbijou


The Grates put on the best show. Jenny Lewis was really good too.

The rest were decent, but disappointing.

Best Show - Mogwai

Worst Show - Animal Collective

I stopped keeping track of shows but off the top of my head I saw Ray Davies, Wanda Jackson, The Pogues, the Fall, Stiff Little Fingers, the Damned, Jay Farrar X2, the DBT's, Gob Iron, Johnny Dowd, Seu Jorge, Marisa Monte, Salif Keita, Forrocana, Manu Chao, Os Mutantes, Flaming Lips, Theivery Corporation, Mavis Staples, World Party, Lee Scratch Perry, Echo & The Bunnymen, Frank Black, Cibelle, Juana Molina, Bebel Gilberto, The Iguanas, The Bats, Twilight Singers & Robyn Hitchcock

Best: Marisa Monte
Worst: Flaming Lips
Biggest Off the Checklist: Ray Davies
Most Surprisingly Great: The Damned

Mine is probably Man Man too.

i don't really remember too many show i went to, somehow.

1. matt & kim
2. nine inch nails
3. cadence weapon
4. the elected


i think i saw a lot of awesome shows, but i don't remember

Probably...

1) Viva Voce & Silversun Pickups at Emo's, Austin (10/3/06)

2) Serena Maneesh & Woven Hand at Emo's, Austin (9/29/06)

3) Fiona Apple & Damien Rice at The Backyard, Austin (7/8/06)


Honorable mentions...

Cracker & The Elms at The Meridian, Houston (6/15/06)

The Choir at The Woodlands UMC, The Woodlands (2/11/06)

Kings of Leon at ACL, Austin (9/16/06)

Ween at ACL, Austin (9/17/06)

Muse at ACL, Austin (9/17/06)

The New Pornographers at ACL, Austin (9/17/06)

Massive Attack at ACL, Austin (9/16/06)

The Faint and Ratatat at La Zona Rosa, Austin (12/12/06)

Ridiculous. I hate you.

Tough to say but I'd rate these up there:

Marah - Smiths Old Bar - Atlanta ( maybe the best all year)
The Strokes- The Tabernacle - Atlanta
My Morning Jacket- The Tabernacle - Atlanta
Flaming Lips - Free Outdoor festival - Downtown Atlanta

Biggest Surprises:

Guster - Chastain Ampthitheater -Atl.:

I'd heard maybe couple dozen songs the week before the show but they are so talented. Won me the fuck over. So complicated yet simple and melodic as fuck. For me, their records have about 3-4 songs of brilliance and filler but live they showcase the best stuff.


The Rolling Stones - Philips Arena - Atlanta

2nd time I saw them was on their 2nd lap through the South. Much less fucked up the 2nd time around and I found their sound to be awesome. Strange audience as usual but sooooooo fun. They can't play a bad song in my eyes.


I take that back. They did do Keith's "Infamy". Open Garbage.


Last but certainly will get me slammed:



Bon Jovi:


Got free tickets to sit in a suite at Philips Arena and it and Marah rank up there as the best and most fun shows I went to all year.

They know who they are and who their audience is and they certainly play to it.

For me, there's something about singing "Wanted Dead of Alive" completely shitfaced (as I am know) with about 30,000 people that will always work for me.

You wouldn't believe the make out sessions I saw during "Bed of Roses".


I think that's it, then again.............

1. Sleater-Kinney/The Grates (Gaelic Club)
2. New Pornographers (Gaelic Club) - supported by Laura Imbruglia, as in Natalie's sister
3. The Grates (The Metro)
4. Bluebottle Kiss/Pivot (Manning Bar)
5. The Gossip (St Jerome's Laneway Festival)
6. Les Savy Fav (St Jerome's)
7. The Stooges (Big Day Out)
8. Snowman (Annandale Hotel)
9. Tapes 'n Tapes/redsunband/SubAudible Hum (Gaelic Club)
10. Dungen/Damn Arms (@Newtown)
11. Yeah Yeah Yeahs/Van She (Enmore Theatre)

Marah - Smith's Old Bar
Ryan Adams - The Tabernacle
Guster/Ray LaMontagne - Chastain Park Ampitheatre

Dammit, this was supposed to be the year I started going to more shows again.