Albums are wonderful things. They bring music to the otherwise silent, monotone moments of a music lover’s day-to-day life. But even the greatest album is only a representation of the band behind it—a souvenir, a portrait of the artists at particular moments in their careers. Any artist worth its salt realizes the importance of the live show, an opportunity to connect on a basic, primal level with those in attendance. Live shows are a chance to convert the uninitiated, reward ardent supporters, and, above all else, communally celebrate life, beauty, and art.
As you can probably tell, the live show is my single favorite part of being a music fan, and I go to an obscene amount of them. Here are some thoughts on the best shows I saw in 2006. The list is by no means meant to be definitive, only the musings of an impressionable fan devoted to the atmosphere of live music at its best.
Best Live Band You’ve Never Heard Of:
Marah—Seen In Milwaukee
I first found out about these guys through a friend of a friend, but I’ve been in love ever since. Check out their last album, If You Didn’t Laugh You’d Cry: country rock by way of Philly, with all the grimy heart the description implies. They even took the stage to the theme from Rocky, making it very easy to root for them. Three encores and several post-show rounds of drinks later, they made fans of everyone in the building.
Best Reminder Of What All The Fuss Was About:
The Strokes—Seen In Milwaukee
On a Monday night in April, a rabid crowd jump-started the Strokes: the band members surprised even themselves with how well they played. “Whoa, Milwaukee, you guys rock!” lead singer Julian Casablancas said with a start at one point. An amazing light show and a deft extracurricular touch went a long way for these art-rockers, whose songs are as good as anyone’s. This show was something like what I imagine the Rolling Stones were capable of before retreating to their millionaire rock star poses and mansions.
Most Teeth Shattered During One Concert:
Wolfmother—Seen In Milwaukee
A small section of my face actually melted off during this show. Not for the faint of heart, nor those who don’t appreciate being crashed into on all sides by sweaty, angry, testosterone-overloaded mosh pit beasts. If you can buy into fighting for your life over the course of a show, you’ll be duly rewarded with a prime example of what, exactly, it means to rock hard.
Best “Thank You” To The Audience:
Ryan Adams—Seen At Lollapalooza
After mumbling about wanting to eat eggs whenever he feels like it and not appreciating restaurants telling him when he can do so, Adams’ bass player deadpanned, “This is Ryan’s way of saying ‘Thanks for coming.’” Adams’ response? “Man, they’re not here for the music…they’re just here to see the freak-out.” Plenty of nervous laughter ensued, both in the crowd and on-stage.
Cutest, Most Polite Home-Wrecker:
Jenny Lewis—Seen In Nashville
Lewis is positively precious, strumming her guitar, cooing into the microphone, her bangs covering one eye just so. It’s not hard to understand why there’s a trail of broken-hearted indie rockers in her wake. Alternately flirting with everyone and liquefying hearts, sipping water and gulping beer, she’s quite the show-woman, and her timeless alt-country is equal parts bad-ass and sugar sweet. She can wreck my home anytime, so long as she wears a cute dress and asks me nicely first.
Best American Band, Senior Division:
Wilco—Seen In Milwaukee
Somehow, someway, somewhere along the line, Wilco became the elder statesmen of American rock. Last year’s summer tour was something of a celebration for the band, or this show felt like one, anyway. Meaty versions of “Misunderstood” and “Spiders (Kidsmoke)”highlighted a career-spanning set that confirmed the place Jeff Tweedy and his bandmates have ascended to in the American music pantheon.
Best American Band, Period:
My Morning Jacket—Seen In Nashville
Jim James is a superhero, and My Morning Jacket is the best American band going. There isn’t a single thing this band does half-heartedly, lackluster, or even average. If you find an opportunity to check these guys out, you owe it to yourself to go and see what time it is.
Best Reason To Not Take Mind-Altering Substances Before A Show:
Of Montreal—Seen At Lollapalooza
When the guitar player strolled out on stage ahead of the band, sporting a bright orange Dutch dress and a blue demon mask obscuring his facial features, to growl incoherently into the microphone, we felt the world as we knew it evaporating all around us. During the show, the band’s lead singer broke out a samurai sword, shattered an effects pedal, changed costumes three times, and revealed the band was actually from Georgia, not Quebec. I always wondered what Alice felt like on her journey in Wonderland: Now, thanks to Of Montreal, I kind of know what she was going through.
Worst Live Show:
Deftones—Seen In Milwaukee
In all the shows I’ve been to, I’ve never experienced the openly contemptuous vibe, both for the venue and the increasingly anxious crowd, fostered by the Deftones. There seemed to be equipment problems and the band looked more than road-weary, but when the lead singer leaves the stage mid-show to use the bathroom without the slightest hint of remorse, something has gone horribly wrong.
Best Audience Smackdown
Gnarls Barkley—Seen At Lollapalooza
“Crazy” was the biggest song in America in 2006, and the crowd was suitably packed when Gnarls performed it at Lollapalooza. Once the song ended, not surprisingly, a mass exodus ensued. Those that left, however, missed out on a slower, soulful, almost Gospel take on “Transformer.” Said Cee-Lo afterward, “Yeah, you would’ve had to actually listen to our motherf***ing album to know that one.”
All You Can Possibly Ask Of A Concert:
The Flaming Lips—Seen In Twin Lakes, WI.
A Flaming Lips show is two hours of cosmic bliss. Confetti canons, roadies in comic-book superhero costumes, lucky fans dressed up as Santas and aliens dancing on stage, a million or so balloons, Wayne Coyne’s conviction, and the band’s cinematic, almost operatic sensibility combined to take me to a place I’d never been before but would love to visit again. There isn’t a group more committed to each individual fan’s live experience, and they’ve got it down to a science by this point. It’s something everyone needs to get involved with, at least once. Almost religious in nature, going to a Flaming Lips show will shake up a thing or two, but only for the better.
Other 2006 Highlights:
Best Cover:
The Raconteurs, “Crazy,” Lollapalooza
Just about every band at Lollapalooza covered Gnarls Barkley’s hit, but none came with it quite like the Raconteurs—with Jack White screaming at the top of his lungs while the band rocked out.
Most Fun In The Truest Sense Of The Word—Totally Unbridled Joy:
Belle and Sebastian, Milwaukee
Try to have more fun at a concert. I dare you.
Best Reason To Learn The Glockenspiel:
Sufjan Stevens
An 11-piece string and horn orchestra, silk-screened butterfly wings and plenty of awkward charisma backing up Stevens’ transcendent chamber pop make for an unbelievable show.
Best Reason To Drink Whiskey And Fondly Remember Grandpa:
Drive-By Truckers
Hot licks, three guitarists/singers, a Jack Daniels-chugging female bass player, and plenty of songs about good ol’ god-fearing country folk prove that kick-ass southern rock did not die with Ronnie Van Zant.
Other Great Live Shows Worth Checking Out:
Broken Social Scene, Andrew Bird, Kings of Leon, We Are Scientists, M. Ward, Wolf Parade
Final Words: With so many great bands scheduled to drop new material in the coming year, here’s to a face-melting, Earth-shattering 2007. Cheers!
January 10th, 2007 at 15:22
Love the descriptively off-beat, original headings. This Gorman kids sure sees some fun shows. Was he not at Pitchfork Festival in Chicago though? I would have liked to read what he thought of Destroyer and The National.