08 Year in Review

Aught-eight was a surprisingly good year for live music both in quantity and quality. I knew a move from Boston to Rochester would diminish my musical choices quite a bit, but I did have a hopeful feeling that there would still be enough to sate my live music addiction. My feeling was indeed correct. The choices were fewer, but all that did was make it easier to decide which shows to see, and even got me out to see some great bands I definitely would have missed in a more saturated environment. Anyway, here is my list for the best 8 shows of 08, with a mix of the second half of the year thrown in at the end. Click the links for original reviews.

8. El Ten Eleven @ Bug Jar
I had never heard of El Ten Eleven but after reading a brief preview of the show in the paper, I thought it might be something I'd like to check out. And I was right! Hot damn! It was a Monday night, and a long freaking wait inside the small club for their headlining set, but well worth it. Probably the only time I have ever walked out of a show and bought 2 albums from the same band.

7. My Morning Jacket @ Radio City Music Hall
6. David Byrne @ Landmark Theatre
5. Wilco @ Auditorium Theatre
The only thing these 3 had going against them were high expectations. Met and exceeded for all 3. Also they happened to be the 3 longest encores of the year. MMJ did it all in one break, Wilco and Byrne forced 2 and 3 standing O's respectively from their audiences.

4. Apollo Sunshine @ Beat Kitchen
So happy to get to see Apollo Sunshine this year, what with their outstanding new album and all. I had to go all the way to Chicago to do it, and stay out way late on a weekend work night, but completely worth it. Not the best AS show I have ever seen, but I have a hard time ever missing an opportunity to catch these guys.

3. Phil Lesh/Levon Helm @ Highland Bowl
Best venue I attended this year, helped tremendously by the gorgeous summer afternoon, but also just a great spot right in the city with a super-chill outdoor party atmosphere both on stage and in the crowd. Seeing Levon was a great treat, and I really loved the new version of Phil's band, a lot more than others seem to. The song selection was great and the playing even better.

2. Fiery Furnaces @ Bug Jar
When it popped up on the calendar that the Fiery Furnaces would be playing the teeny tiny Bug Jar I was floored. When I popped up at the venue and the Fiery Furncaces were actually on stage at the teeny tiny Bug Jar, well I was just floored. Just a crazy crazy show in a crazy crazy atmosphere. I had to remind myself I was in Rochester.

1. Akron/Family @ Boulder Festival
These guys got inside my head and just turned up the happy juice, I was in heaven. Mindblowing.

Biggest disappointments: Mike Gordon @ Thursdays in the Park. I never got around to reviewing this one, but let's just say, booooooring. Way too jammy with a way underpar band.
Other than that, having to miss Dr. Dog the day after Akron/Family at the Boulder Festival, missing not one but two local MMW shows, arriving too late for Earl Greyhound, and getting sold out from the Felice Brothers.

Best new discoveries: El Ten Eleven, Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band, Syme, Wax Fang, Le Loup, Cornmeal

Download my 2nd half mix here. My first half mix can be found here.
1. Sympathy for the Devil (w/ Jerry Joseph) Widespread Panic 8 July 2008 Rochester
2. Hey Jude Derek Trucks Band 11 July 2008 Rochester
3. The Other One > Phil Lesh & Friends 12 July 2008 Rochester
4. Another Reason to Go Vetiver 6 December 2008 Detroit
5. Raising the Sparks Akron/Family 21 February 2007 Edgar's Club Clemson, SC
6. Wonderwall Ryan Adams & The Cardinals 27 September 2008 Rochester
7. Dirty Black Nag Cornmeal 9 October 2008 Syracuse
8. The Doctor Will See You Now Wax Fang 2007-11-17 - Headliners Music Hall
9. Better Change Your Mind Apollo Sunshine Daytrotter Session
10. k10 El Ten Eleven Sunset Tavern 5 June 2008 Seattle
11. Impossible Germany Wilco 6 December 2008 Rochester, NY

All-Star Break: Live Mix

Half of aught-eight is in the books. Time to reflect mix style. Here are samples from most of the bands I've seen so far, some from the exact show I saw, some from the same time period, some not even close. Enjoy...

Benton Harbor Blues - Fiery Furnaces - 30 June 2006
KD REVIEW
Krdish - Syme - 5 March 2008
KD REVIEW
I Had a Dream I Died - Le Loup - 15 October 2007
KD REVIEW
Unknown - Charlie Hunter Trio - 19 February 2008
KD REVIEW
Something for Rockets - Benevento/Russo - 1 March 2008
KD REVIEW
Dondante - My Morning Jacket - 13 June 2008
KD REVIEW
Battle of Evermore - Alison Krauss and Robert Plant - 15 June 2008
KD REVIEW
Power Lord - Campbell Brothers - 13 November 2004
KD REVIEW
Ain't Got Nothing to Go Wrong - Dead Meadow - 29 March 2006
KD REVIEW
Can You Tell - Ra Ra Riot - 30 January 2008
KD REVIEW
Spine of a Dog - moe. - 12 June 2008
KD REVIEW

DOWNLOAD MIX

Fiery Furnaces @ The Bug Jar - 21 January

Things often come unexpected. Some recent examples: the New York Football Giants' improbable run to the Championship Game of The National Football League, the Syracuse Orange's near victory over Georgetown (which I took in right before the night's concert), this here blog post for sure (who saw it coming?), and everything that is the Fiery Furnaces. Everything they do comes at you with a twist. The fact that they debuted in my new home of Rochester Monday night was definitely unexpected when announced. And the bar they played, the Bug Jar, is definitely unexpected. The decor of the place includes enough kitsch and decorating ideas to fill 5 like-sized bars. What with the huge bugs "flying" around and around on the overhead fan, the psychedelic colored waves running down the walls, or howabout the 50s/60s/70s studio apartment permanently planted upside down on the ceiling? So it was the perfect venue to witness the sold out show put on by the siblings Friedberger. Their music with the multiple mashed-in mashed-up influences, lyrics out of left field, crazy time and key changes. They mixed the setlist up nicely between all of their recorded material which was great...and unexpected. The stage became a "ballot box" for their unique brand of Democ-Rock or De-Rock-macy or whatever you want to call it. The crowd was encouraged to scribble out requests and bring them up to the stage. And also to bring up any random pieces of paper with words that they could use for lyrics to upcoming songs. Unexpected. I wouldn't particularly describe their music as toe-tapping, but live they recreate their tunes into absolute pure and fun rockers, funkers, thrashers etc, sometimes all at once. Obviously with unexpected and jarring stops and changes and unique vocal stylings of Eleanor. Their touring rhythm section of Jason Loewenstein on bass and Bob D'Amico on drums was simply put, SICK. Best rhythm section I've seen at an indie-rock show outside of the latest Jicks outfit. That is of course unless you consider MMJ indie-rock, then you can just throw that last statement out the window. Loewenstein's bass playing ignited the furnace on multiple occasions. The Furnaces music is challenging to say the least, so to put it out there live on the stage is risky and a potential trainwreck. But not only did this band pull the music off, they outdid the music beyond where I thought it could be taken. Then, when they brought out the Democ-Rock portion of the show and started playing requests I just thought they were crazy. And some of it did kind of fall apart, like the song they had to cut short because Eleanor forgot the lyrics. But other tunes that clearly were unrehearsed and possibly completely unknown by the touring band, were pulled off quite well. Not as tight or as vibrant as the planned portion of the set, but still damn good. Here are a couple of preview articles from local pubs I found interesting enough: City Newspaper D&C and a bit of video from the night... Enjoy!