2009 - The Music Was Fine

Thanks to this transition into a new decade, I've been thinking a lot about the shows I attended in 2009. I've read a lot of Best of the Decade and Best of 2009 lists online and in magazines, and all of them seem pretty well compiled. Apparently you are not a person if you don't love Kid A. That was the thing I've noticed most consistently in every list. BUT ANYWAY, I'm not writing a Best Albums of the Year/Decade. I think it's been covered and yes, I would have a few more to add, but most of them would be local music and the best way, I feel, to address this is by making a BEST SHOWS I ATTENDED IN 2009. So that's what I'm doing.
Let me start by saying that when we get to the top ten or so shows, it really becomes impossible for me to say which beat which for the best. So I'm ordering this from life altering to least exciting, and I want to be clear that even the least exciting shows were still wonderful in their ways. I just never regret live music. HOWEVER, sometimes shit got weird.
And then the other thing is that when it gets to the top ten, I'm not going to order them. I really can't choose the best among certain shows. My love is as deep for Jenny as it is for Jack.
The other thing is that this is a long list. I wrote out all the shows I attended in 2009 and it came out to about 30, which is basically to say that I spent the equivalent of a month out of the year going to live music. It's a tough life, but what can you do? Also, there are a lot of different shows for the same band, and I might condense a few of them, but for the most part I'm gonna address each show separately.
Okay, ready? Here goes.

TOP TEN SHOWS OF 2009
- in no particular order (allegedly) -

1. Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band (surprise cameo by Jenny Lewis) – Outside Lands
-This one because it was so electrifying to see Conor, from the second row, and to spot Jenny Lewis backstage before she came on, and to anticipate her arrival on stage because I had seen her sitting in the back. And it was the most gorgeous day and the sun was going down behind the trees and I kept glancing at the clock that was posted on the side of the stage, trying to stop the minute hand from moving so that he could just play forever. Didn't work. But oh, this show.






2. Cold War Kids – The Fillmore
- You have not seen a band perform until you've seen Cold War Kids live. I can't explain it, but their songs just hit you right behind the heart. They're really powerful and synchronized and the music just pulls you in. Seriously. Buy your ticket for their next show NOW.

3. The Dead Weather – Outside Lands
- Um. Jack White. Alison Mosshart. And then Dean Fertita (total babe) and Little (creepy) Jack Lawrence. I think this was a little less than a month after they released Horehound, but Britt and I knew every song (except the new ones) and we were in the second row and Jack White Jack White Jack White. When he and Alison got really close to sing together at the mic for "Will There Be Enough Water" the wind started blowing, and it was this really gray day, and their raven hair was whipping around their faces, and it looked like they were about to make out, and it was all voodoo magic.





4. Jenny Lewis (with Jonathon Rice), The Sadies – The Rio Theater
- Oh Jenny. This woman has the most amazing voice and lyrics. I am also not so secretly envious of her hair. But anyway, oh this show. I had already seen her in October of 2008, so I knew the value of my ticket before I got to the show. I knew that she would sing for two hours, drinking Red Stripe and her voice never once showing signs of any strain. She sang the fun songs ("See Fernando") and the sweet ballads ("Sing A Song For Them" - although halfway through she forgot the lyrics and we had to shout them at her - "Shitballs," she said. "You guys don't know how weird this feels."). She did an acoustic version of "Silver Lining" without her band, and everyone in the crowd sang along, making it sound so achey and haunting. The band played "Handle With Care" (I love that cover!) and for the encore they all gathered around one mic, arms around each others' shoulders, and sang "Acid Tongue." And it was perfect.




5. Blind Pilot – Great American Music Hall/The Rio Theater
- I already wrote a review here for these shows, so I won't repeat myself. I'll just say that this band was better live than on the album, and the album is beautiful enough that that statement really has some meaning. They just released an EP with five of their songs performed live, and if you value good things, you should go download it.



6. Scissors for Lefty – The Crepe Place / The Uptown
- So I couldn't pick which of these two shows was better. The Crepe Place was a wonderfully small show, we were right in front of the Garza and Krimmel boys' faces, and we couldn't stop dancing and EVERYONE from work showed up for the show. By the second half of their set, Bittersweet employees outnumbered all the casual Crepe Place attendees. And of course it was the first time I had seen them live, so when Bryan came out into the crowd and stroked my hair and sang right into my eyes, it was a magical experience (it still is, mostly, but it's also expected, which kills the amazement just a little).
But then at The Uptown Bryan took his pants off. So it's really a toss up.




7. Monsters of Folk – The Fox Theater
- Conor Oberst. Jim James. Mike Mogis. M. Ward. Playing their songs for two and a half hours. In a beautiful venue that even had little floor vents to keep the audience cool. Did I mention it was Conor, Jim, Mike, AND Matt? Is that not enough to convince you?



8. Audrye Sessions, Hottub, The Soft White Sixties, Manatee – The Uptown
- I only saw Audrye Sessions a few times this year, mostly because they just didn't play as many shows as they have in years past. I'm kind of cheating by counting this one as 2009, because they actually came on right after the year changed to 2010. But I'm going to count it. The best thing about this show was that they played for so long, and The Soft White Sixties were openers, and I was DD so I didn't have a drop of alcohol but I still danced and loved every instant of it. Hottub was weird. But everything else was pretty much perfect.







9. Dave Smallen, The Soft White Sixties – The Rickshaw Stop
- SUCH a good night. I wasn't driving, but I was drinking, and when The Soft White Sixties came on I didn't know them at all but I was drunk and dancing and even through the alcohol I could tell that I was enjoying them because they were talented, not just because of the buzz. And then Dave played, and I think it was his first show since he'd started releasing the song a month deals. I remember singing along to "Waiting for the Pills," and him smiling at the end of the song, saying "That was the first time I've ever heard people singing along to that song. It feels really great," with his Dave smile. It felt great from the audience, too.


10.
Band of Skulls, White Rabbits – Bimbo’s
- This show was too short but Band of Skulls killed it live. White Rabbits did a tight, long set. We were right up front. I had new boots on. Things were good.


THE REST OF THE SHOWS I ATTENDED IN 2009
- which were also pretty awesome -

* Dizzy Balloon, The Jakes – The Crepe Place
* Audrye Sessions – Bottom of the Hill
* Scissors for Lefty – Bottom of the Hill
* Scissors for Lefty, The Lovemakers – The Catalyst Atrium
* The Expendables – The Catalyst
* Dizzy Balloon, The Cataracs – The Catalyst Atrium
* Donovon Frankenreiter – The Catalyst
* Dizzy Balloon, The Jakes – The Parish Publick House
* BFD – Audrye Sessions (~), The Limousines, Glasvegas, Mute Math, Metric, DJ Steve Aoki, Dizzy Balloon, Dead Confederate, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Shorline Amphitheater
* The Morning Benders, John Vanderslice – The Rickshaw Stop
* Dave Smallen, Dizzy Balloon – The Nickel Arcade
* MIA, The Black Eyed Peas, Modest Mouse – Outside Lands
* Zion I – Outside Lands
* Portugal. The Man, The Morning Benders, Atmosphere – Outside Lands
* Band of Horses – Outside Lands
* The Cave Singers – The Crepe Place
* The Matches, Judgement Day, Dizzy Balloon, Dave Smallen – The Fillmore
* Dizzy Balloon – The Catalyst Atrium
* White Rabbits – Slim’s
* Dave Smallen, The Soft White Sixties, Lite Brite – Bottom of the Hill

... and that covers it. I probably forgot a couple, actually. But still.

GOOD YEAR for live music. And you know what? I think it's getting better.