2005: The year in shows
Yep, it’s that time again, best-of year-end lists. But I’m not going to just post a best-of list of shows, instead I’m gonna do a recap of various bands I’ve seen. Feel free to post your own best-of list, though. I tend to go see mostly very underground/unknown bands that aren’t easily accessible to many people, so I questioned whether I should post this or not, but hey, things have been slow.
I didn’t get out to as many shows this year as I wanted to, but I still managed to catch at least 24. (There may be one or two I’m forgetting that I didn’t get my camera into. I document shows with my camera so that I’ll be able to remember them.)
I was going to post a list of all the bands I’ve seen, but there’s 57 of them, and most of them no one’s ever heard of. 8 of them I saw more than once.
Biggest surprises:
How great Beck was. I was expecting him to be good, but not outstanding. And he was. You can read about the show I saw him at here.
Ariel Pink. He’s hard for me to describe–a local here in LA, he’s been described as melodic, catchy, poppy, trippy, skewed and twisted. It seems like no one’s sure what to think of him–mainly because of his very lo-fi production style–but I hear the word genius tossed around quite a bit whenever someone starts talking about him. I went to his show to shoot it for a zine and was blown away by how much I enjoyed it. He’s a trip to watch live because he’s so–well, he’s basically a kid who wrote a bunch of music in his basement and is not very experienced on a stage. And he enjoys playing with different musicians, and isn’t afraid to get on stage with people with very little experience. I’m not sure what exactly it is that I love about him, but I do. And he’s going on tour early 2006.
Here’s an article on him in the LA Weekly.
Best discoveries.
I love it I go to see a band I really love, and then discover another great band because they’re opening the show. Some discoveries I made that way this year were:
U.S.E. – a Seattle party dance band that likes to say they’ll “rock a house party like it’s a stadium, and rock a stadium like it’s a house party,” they’re pretty typical dance music. But they are just so fun. If you can see them, do.
Josh Ritter – He’s a singer/songwriter I’d heard a lot about, but never bothered checking out much. I saw him open for the Frames, one of the best live bands going right now, and he was awesome. Part of it is just his personality–he was so obviously happy, overjoyed even, to be playing, and to such a receptive crowd. The DJ who introduced him compared his songwriting to Bob Dylan’s. I’m not sure I’d go that far, but he does have a lot of intelligence in his music and lyrics.
Biggest thrills:
Seeing Hermano in Palm Springs at a little restaurant. Hermano is John Garcia’s current band. He used to be the singer for a band called Kyuss. Hugely influential in the desert rock/stoner rock scene. Hermano played with Fatso Jetson, and it was an awesome, awesome night.
Seeing Calexico w/Iron and Wine, although I would’ve wished for more Calexico and less Iron and Wine. It was an excellent show, though, and I can’t wait for Calexico’s new album and subsequent tour.
Seeing the Frames–twice. They’re a very Irish band–which means they can be melodramatic, and completely over-the-top…and they do it so well. Very passionate, emotional, soul-baring stuff. That builds and builds to awesome crescendos. And Glen Hansard, the lead singer, is a great front man, getting the audience involved in songs, and telling funny stories.
Seeing Ted Leo–twice. The second time was better because I was more familiar with more of his music. I can’t believe he can pull some of those songs off live. So frenetic and energetic.
Also deserving mention:
Low. I’ve missed seeing them before and of course was kicking myself for not going after catching them this year. It was an excellent show. Very quiet and intense. The only flaw was that Mimi, the drummer/singer, was ill and had no voice. They’re coming back in a month or two and there’s no way I’m missing it.
Pelican. They’re that new breed of metal, stuff I think of as atmospheric doom metal. OK, so Neurosis has been doing it for awhile, but I love it all–this genre includes Isis, Red Sparowes, Mono. Allmusic.com says it better than I ever could: “There’s a new style of metal rising in the early 21st century; one that is light on the vocals and heavy on the instrumentals. But this certainly isn’t your dad’s familiar metal instrumental — prog-like overindulgence has given way to sounds that alternate between dreamy soundscapes and crushing riffs.” It’s the crushing part that appeals to me. Especially in a live setting.
So, what shows did you make it to this year? Any you wanted to see but couldn’t make? I’ve got plenty on that list, and I don’t like to dwell on it.
If you want to hear something by any of these bands, just let me know, and I’ll post a song or two to the radio.blog.
i enjoyed going to ted leo w/ you susan, hopefully we can do some more shows in ’06.
Comment by mike d. — December 30, 2005 @ 8:35 pm
For sure, Mike! (Did you get me some Bob Mould tickets?)
You should come to Low.
Comment by Susan M — December 30, 2005 @ 8:52 pm
Bob Mould?? Wow, is Husker Du still playing??
Comment by tracy m — December 30, 2005 @ 10:01 pm
He’s doing a solo tour soon, he just toured with a band and I missed it.
Comment by Susan M — December 30, 2005 @ 11:41 pm
The only show I saw in 2005 was Jeff Tweedy solo. It was very country/folk. He played several Uncle Tupelo and Wilco country tunes. He folked up a few Wilco songs and played a few others straight. It was pretty cool. The crowd did a good job of spontaneously providing the backup vocals on a few of the songs (the oohs and aahs and hee-eeys. They didn’t sing along. That would be annoying).
I missed Low this summer because of the tour cancellation. I was totally bummed. But they’re coming next month. Hooray!
I also missed Wilco twice this year because they came while I was out of town. But I saw them late last year so it wasn’t a huge deal. Plus, their new live album is amazing, so I’m consoled.
I’m sure I won’t see many shows this coming year. I definitely won’t miss Low. And I’ll probably go see the Flaming Lips if they come close to Baltimore.
Comment by Tom — December 31, 2005 @ 11:05 am
Great shots, Susan!
Comment by meems — December 31, 2005 @ 11:22 am
[...] I posted over at Kulturblog about the year in shows, so I thought I’d post some of my favorite pictures I took this year here. There’s going to be a lot, even though my picture-taking has dramatically slowed down since I’ve started working fulltime again. [...]
Pingback by Strange Pulse :: The year in pictures (mine!) :: December :: 2005 — December 31, 2005 @ 12:50 pm
Susan, I loved this post. It’s great seeing and hearing about your concert-going experiences. I will have to see Beck if I get a chance. I’ve always suspected he’d be amazing. And I’ve heard several Calexico songs and liked their sound a lot (I remember especially thinking they sounded like a good live band), but don’t own any albums. What should I start with?
I haven’t been to nearly as many shows as you have this year, but what I’ve seen has been great:
Ben Folds – really amazing how much one guy and a piano can rock, not to mention how well he can keep a huge crowd in the palm of his hand the whole time.
Salim Nourallah – Dallas-based, but as they say, big in Europe! Great live, and his album (with hermit brother Ferris) the Nourallah Brothers is one of my favorites I’ve purchased this year, and on its way to becoming a classic. He talked with me and Greg at length one night after we saw him and was extremely nice.
the Foxymorons – very likeable if horrifically named indie pop band. Saw them twice.
The Deathray Davies – Saw them once, and their acoustic counterpart band, I Love Math, once this year. Super-talented, self-effacing but charismatic front man John Dufilho will make it big one of these days. I guarantee it.
Is that really it? It seems like there are at least a couple I’m forgetting, but maybe they’ll come to me. Well, there was the unfortunately bad opening act for Ben Folds (dated earnest adult contemporary band, completely bland but a bit offensive, possibly Canadian, but I can’t remember). It’s really sad when an opening act tries so very hard and just can’t get anyone behind them.
Comment by Allison — January 2, 2006 @ 6:29 pm
Allison, probably best to start with Feast of Wire or Hot Rail by Calexico, but they’re so awesome, I love everything. Drop me an email if you’d like me to make a you mix.
I’ll have to check out the Nourallah Brothers.
Comment by Susan M — January 2, 2006 @ 10:18 pm
Allison,
Does Ben Folds still rock like he did when we was with the five? What I’ve heard of his solo stuff sounds like boring conventional pop. I miss the fuzzy bass.
It’s true what you say about opening acts. I hate seeing a band giving it their all while the audience is totally disengaged, having conversations, barely applauding. I feel really bad for them. The Fiery Furnaces opened for Wilco when I saw them and it was terrible. I actually enjoyed the band (even though the audio was very hissy), but the audience was barely there. Between songs the audience just continued their conversations. It made it difficult to enjoy the performance. At the Jeff Tweedy concert the opening act was Glen Kotche (Wilco’s drummer) and it was a totally different experience. The audience was quite attentive even though the music was not super-engaging, in my opinion. Kotche kept thanking the audience for actually paying attention for a change.
Comment by Tom — January 2, 2006 @ 10:53 pm
Thanks for the reviews, Susan, and others.
I have to be very selective these days. This year I caught Wilco, Ted Leo, The Mountain Goats (twice) and Sleater-Kinney. All of ‘em were terrific. I’m still kicking myself for missing Lucinda Williams when she came through over the summer. Low will probably be my first show of 2006.
Comment by Greg — January 3, 2006 @ 2:15 am
Does Ben Folds still rock like he did when we was with the five? What I’ve heard of his solo stuff sounds like boring conventional pop. I miss the fuzzy bass
Folds’ line up was exactly like it was with BF5: drums, bass and piano. Although they didn’t actually play a ton of BF5 stuff, the effect was the same. It made me appreciate the new stuff better, too.
Comment by BTD Greg — January 3, 2006 @ 8:42 am
Tom, I haven’t listened to all that much Ben Folds recently. I was a fan when he was with the Five, but kind of lost interest after that. Greg really liked his subsequent solo stuff, though, so I took him to the concert for his birthday. I was really surprised by just how good he was. And although he had a drummer and bass on stage with him for parts, for a good chunk of the time he was alone with his piano. I definitely appreciate his new stuff more than I did.
Comment by Allison — January 3, 2006 @ 9:11 am
I also managed to get out and see Ted Leo live. He certainly doesn’t disappoint. I too am amazed that he can pull those songs off live. There was actually somebody in the audience named Mia who requested you know what. Ted was visibly sick that night, but still played with amazing energy.
My favorite show was the Decemberists/Okkervil River, especially when they played The Mariner’s Revenge Song. A great tune for audience participation – they ask you to scream like you’re going down in a ship being swallowed by a whale and the whole crowd gets really into it.
In second place was the Drive-By-Truckers show. They are great live and with the three guitars they kick up a mighty sound.
Also saw M. Ward in a very intimate setting (perfect for him).
Comment by Dallin I — January 3, 2006 @ 12:26 pm
I just realized that I haven’t seen any shows this year (did BNL come to SLC this year?) but I saw two great live shows last year:
Even Lower : I worked with the guy who does part vocals and bass guitar for this punk band. They stood out from the other offerings with some really nice harmonies. The show was in this little, tiny place in Provo called (I think) Starry Nights. If you turned sideways, one hand could touch the back wall while the other could touch the microphone.
King’s X : My favorite band EVER (screen name taken from my favorite album of theirs) I think people are calling them prog rock now, although I’ve always thought of them as Hard Rock, semi-Metal. They put on an amazing show, lots of energy, incredible guitar playing, and the occasional shriek from Doug.
I really should go see more local bands – it’s a pity that most of them play in bars in Salt Lake. I usually enjoy myself.
Comment by FaithHopeLove — January 3, 2006 @ 9:21 pm
I wish I’d caught the Decemberists Dallin.
King’s X are still around? I’d love to catch them.
Comment by Susan M — January 3, 2006 @ 10:59 pm
I went to a few all day festivals this year (Live 105 BFD, Inland Invasion, Download Festival) so I saw a lot of bands. I agree with Susan about Beck – I am really kicking myself about not seeing him play an 800 seat house in Santa Barbara earlier this year.
But.
My favorite find of the year was Ozomatli.
Hands down, one of the best, if not the best live performance by a band that I have ever seen. They really rock live – a lot of passion and fun. My husband was dancing, and he never moves during concerts.
The best part? It was a free show at the Mid State Fair.
Comment by Jennifer — January 4, 2006 @ 11:54 am
This year I saw Green Day, Ben Kweller, and John Vanderslice. I had not planned on Green Day. We were in Poland, in a city called Katowice, on the night they happened to be playing there. Ben Kweller was a free show at the University of Utah. A lot of fun. John Vanderslice was also great. I would’ve liked to have seen Calexico/Iron & Wine and maybe Tori Amos. I was wanting to try to go to Sigur Ros in Denver next month, but it’s already sold out.
Comment by Heather P. — January 6, 2006 @ 5:21 pm