Inspired by Stu's list of top shows of 2009

1. Pearl Jam :: The Spectrum Philadelphia, Pa 10/31/09
2. Pearl Jam :: The Spectrum Philadelphia, Pa 10/30/09
3. DBT/Bloodkin :: 9:30 Club Washington DC 2/20/09
4. U2/Muse :: FedEx Field Landover, MD 9/29/09
5. Wilco/Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band :: Frawley Stadium Wilmington, DE 7/10/09
6. Lambchop :: Black Cat Washington DC 2/11/09
7. Patterson Hood/Will Johnson :: Black Cat Washington DC 6/25/09
8. Dino Jr/Mike Watt :: Ottobar Baltimore, MD 5/2/09
9. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy :: The Birchmere Alexandria, Va 5/23/09
10. Sonic Youth/Kurt Vile/Entrance Band :: Electric Factory Philly, PA 7/2/09

#5 was notable even though we had a mild medical emergency about 5 songs in.
#3 was Day 1 of their 2-night stand (we attended both) in which Patterson was sick. The band played both nights w/o him. Night 1 everyone was so sloppily drunk by the end.
#1 & #2 for obvious reasons. Last shows at the Spec, and also that the band was playing songs they have never played live, nor will never again play live. Also, they were in such amazingly peak live shape.
#6 was notable because they played the backroom at the Black Cat, which is usually reserved for local or small-following bands. Lambchop played it to maybe 50 people. Amazing space to be in.

I would've liked to have seen your number 10.

Sonic Youth and Kurt Vile were great. Vile, of course, was playing for a hometown crowd. Not the best SY show I've attended, but it was great to hear The Eternal live. Plus, they had some new toys, and Mark Ibold was playing with them. I've now seen 3 incarnations of SY live:

SY alone x 2
SY w/Jim O'Rourke x 2
SY w/Mark Ibold x 1

For a band that molded my music taste nearly as much as hearing R.E.M in my early childhood, I've only seen them ONCE.

Aug.6, 2002 - SY w/ Jim O'Rourke @ 40 Watt - Athens, GA

That's probably around the time I saw them with O'R. They were the biggest band in my life from probably 94-03.