Best Live Shows of 2008

[lagas]

my turn...

rob zombie at verizon center
black mountain at rnr hotel
mstrkrft at 930
lou reed at 930
the cure at patriot center
erykah badu at dar
rem at merriweather
peter murphy at rams head
david byrne at lyric opera house
james at 930

[sweetcell]

Shows I had to miss, but would have been up there as well: Pearl Jam - VC, MGMT - 9:30

PJ is debatable (i certainly enjoyed that show), but you definitely didn't miss much at MGMT.  the blogosphere and/or other hype machines crowned MGMT before they were ready for the big leagues.  they don't have much stage presence or even a stage show for that matter.  songs didn't sound better live.  i liked the album but walked away rather unimpressed with their live show.  you'll note that no one has MGMT on their list in this thread.

[Thousand Made-Up Loves]

To each their own. I heard from a couple friends they were pretty good, but as a new and still relatively young band, I understand your viewpoint. They're arguably my #1 band right now, so short of them not showing up, being too drunk to play, missing all their notes or cutting the show short, I'd have enjoyed them. I know they don't play anything from their demo (which REALLY sucks) and I heard they sometimes don't play Kids (REALLY, REALLY sucks), but other than that, I would have liked it. I've got a few bootlegs of theirs, so I know what to expect.

If I knew PJ was going to play Who You Are and Why Go here, I probably would have bit the bullet and went.

[azaghal1981]

I've never heard them...I just can't believe you didn't see the crude joke opportunities.  I didn't, of course, because I'm a lady.

Hahahahahaha holy shit!

I did completely miss that.



DMBQ barely missed the cut for me. And both Awesome Color's and Pit Er Pat's sets were solid that night, too.

Wish I could've stuck around for Little Howlin' Wolf at Snailhook's but that show went so damn late. I left way after 1 and he still hadn't went on.

[Thousand Made-Up Loves]

I can't believe I forgot this, but seeing the Black Kids at BC was pretty fucking epic as well.

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

Is that what passes for epic these days?

I can't believe I forgot this, but seeing the Black Kids at BC was pretty fucking epic as well.

[eltee]

Geez, I guess too much work does zap ones memory of good times?! Totally forgot:
Bruce Springsteen - RDS Arena
Jens Lekman - The Village
Gemma Hayes - (Upstairs @) Whelan's - HM
(All Dublin, Ire)
Radiohead - Malahide Castle, Malahide, Ire (you can see it on YouTube)

A venue behind my B&B is an Irish version of 930 (I thought of anyway). Many shows that week, including, Widespread Panic. I didn't go, but did exchange pleasantries when we passed on the street (that sounds odd). I missed Evan Dando @ Vicar Street. Although I tried to hold out, jet lag took over in the eve, and I had to collapse for an hour.

I thought Nada Surf at 930 was pretty solid.

Wish I had seen more than a few shows this year...forgot about Colin Meloy. There are also a few regrets for missing certain 6th & I shows.

Oh well, if gas prices stay down, there is always next year!

[azaghal1981]

That reminds me; I did catch Colin Meloy at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee which was pretty good. Venue is one of the best I've been to.

[Darth Ed]

I almost put Jens Lekman on my list, but his show at the Black Cat this year paled in comparison to his 2007 show, which is easily one of the most magical, perfect concerts I've ever attended. Not that his 2008 show was bad, by any means. It just couldn't live up to 2007.

[azaghal1981]

^Completely agree.

[eros]

Winner:
Elbow @ 6th & I

Honorable Mention:
Radiohead @ Lollapalooza
Editors @ 930
Mark Ronson @ Lollapalooza
PJ @ Verizon
Stereophonics @ 930 (the first 3/4 of the show until the dickheads pushed their way in front of us)

[helicon1]

1. Elbow at 6th & I -- 4/27
2. The Swell Season at Brown Theater, Louisville -- 5/12
3. Coldplay at Verizon Center -- 10/31
4. The Silver Beats at 9:30 Club -- 1/11
5. Yeasayer at Black Cat -- 4/10
6. Mogwai at 9:30 Club -- 9/17
7. Mark Knopfler at Wolf Trap -- 7/22
8. M83 at Black Cat -- 6/7
9. DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist at 9:30 Club -- 3/21
10. Fleet Foxes at Black Cat -- 10/3

Radiohead at Nissan could have made this list if not for the weather debacle...

[xneverwherex]

well i thought i was done with my list - but id have to add of montreal at the music hall of williamsburg.

solid performance - about 2 hours long. some of the theatrics were still there, but in a much smaller venue it also meant no horse. kevin was as entertaining as always and sounded awesome. had a brilliant set list and topped it off with tom petty's american girl. the crowd was really into it - even tho it consisted of mostly cooler than thou hipsters who tried to tell me that it was ok for them to shove me out of the way since they clearly go to more shows than me and really young kids. ah how i love the holidays. i could only take so much of hearing about brooklyn vegan and how they listened to kevin way back when. aside from that - the show rocked.

the earliest song they played was off of satanic panic - eros entropic
and a number of songs from sunlandic twins - wraith pinned, october is eternal, knight rider, so begins our alabee
and also some from hissing fauna - she's a rejecter, heimdalsgate, konsvinger

and nearly the entire album of their latest - skeletal lamping (minus death is not a parallel move)

[gaaaaaaaaah]

well i thought i was done with my list - but id have to add of montreal at the music hall of williamsburg.

solid performance - about 2 hours long. some of the theatrics were still there, but in a much smaller venue it also meant no horse. kevin was as entertaining as always and sounded awesome. had a brilliant set list and topped it off with tom petty's american girl. the crowd was really into it - even tho it consisted of mostly cooler than thou hipsters who tried to tell me that it was ok for them to shove me out of the way since they clearly go to more shows than me and really young kids. ah how i love the holidays. i could only take so much of hearing about brooklyn vegan and how they listened to kevin way back when. aside from that - the show rocked.

the earliest song they played was off of satanic panic - eros entropic
and a number of songs from sunlandic twins - wraith pinned, october is eternal, knight rider, so begins our alabee
and also some from hissing fauna - she's a rejecter, heimdalsgate, konsvinger

and nearly the entire album of their latest - skeletal lamping (minus death is not a parallel move)

I caught them in Richmond on November 1st, and I had pretty much the same impressions.  A good show, at times a bit heavy on the theatrics, especially during songs that already felt like they had too much going on.  But Kevin is an incredible frontman, and the rest of the band can play instruments.  They ended that show with an intense cover of "Smells Like Teen Spirit."  It was a good time.

And I second the hipster kids complaint.  After my last few shows being hipster-filled, I was glad to see Wilco this past Sunday in a theater filled mostly with 40 year old married couples.

[xneverwherex]

well i thought i was done with my list - but id have to add of montreal at the music hall of williamsburg.

solid performance - about 2 hours long. some of the theatrics were still there, but in a much smaller venue it also meant no horse. kevin was as entertaining as always and sounded awesome. had a brilliant set list and topped it off with tom petty's american girl. the crowd was really into it - even tho it consisted of mostly cooler than thou hipsters who tried to tell me that it was ok for them to shove me out of the way since they clearly go to more shows than me and really young kids. ah how i love the holidays. i could only take so much of hearing about brooklyn vegan and how they listened to kevin way back when. aside from that - the show rocked.

the earliest song they played was off of satanic panic - eros entropic
and a number of songs from sunlandic twins - wraith pinned, october is eternal, knight rider, so begins our alabee
and also some from hissing fauna - she's a rejecter, heimdalsgate, konsvinger

and nearly the entire album of their latest - skeletal lamping (minus death is not a parallel move)

I caught them in Richmond on November 1st, and I had pretty much the same impressions.  A good show, at times a bit heavy on the theatrics, especially during songs that already felt like they had too much going on.  But Kevin is an incredible frontman, and the rest of the band can play instruments.  They ended that show with an intense cover of "Smells Like Teen Spirit."  It was a good time.

And I second the hipster kids complaint.  After my last few shows being hipster-filled, I was glad to see Wilco this past Sunday in a theater filled mostly with 40 year old married couples.

i could use a show like that. when i saw of montreal in sept they ended their set with 'smells like teen spirit'. and i think this show was real toned down from the rest of their tour. it was a one-off show in brooklyn and kevin is dj'ing at union hall in the next few days as well. so this was the sedated version of the theatrics. for the most part - it worked even moreso this time around. im just glad i didnt get covered in glitter and shaving cream, but i did get paint on my face and hair. ah well its of montreal. i expect nothing less. and kevin is an incredible front-man.