A Fine Showing

Top ten shows of 2009:

10) Gogol Bordello @ 4th and B (San Diego, CA) - 10/17/09

You can take the kid out of New York, but you can't take New York out of the kid. The first (and only) concert I've ever seen on the West Coast was Gogol Bordello -- a band of immigrants from the the Lower East Side. Go figure. I heard great things about Gogol Bordello's live show, and they totally lived up to the hype. They've branded themselves as "gypsy punks", but this term doesn't even do them justice. You couldn't put a finger on the kind of music they play if you tried -- an nice attribute to the band's collective diversity.

9) Sufjan Stevens @ Music Hall of Willamsburg - 10/7/09

Sujfan Stevens is perhaps the most meticulous man in indie rock. I witnessed this firsthand this fall during his MHOW/Bowery Ballroom stint. Whether it's confessional solo piano / banjo ballads or all-out opuses, Mr. Stevens is one of the few artists who is not afraid to stop mid-song if all is not right. At one point, Sufjan had 16 musicians playing different instruments on the cramped Music Hall of Williamsburg stage -- each playing his or her part in creating the masterful sounds of 2005's masterpiece, Illinois.

8) Sonic Youth @ Music Hall of Willamsburg - 11/2/09

Same venue as #9, much different show. Sonic Youth has always been one of those Bucket List groups -- the kind of band you must witness before you die or they dissolve. I got my wish last month at the Hall, where they played a blistering set of songs from The Eternal (with some other gems tossed in). The band appears to be living up to its name -- the songs have matured; the band remains, well, youthful.

7) Jay-Z @ Madison Square Garden 9/11/09

Dubbed a 9/11 benefit show, this was really a party at the Garden to celebrate Jay-Z's highly anticipated return to form. Although he was listed officially as the only man on the bill, every song he played more or less featured a special guest. Backed by a full band, surprise artists popped in an out throughout the night to contribute. You never knew who was going to come out next -- kind of like the Royal Rumble. We got appearances from Kanye West (2 days before meltdown), Beyonce, Kid Cudi, Rihanna, John Mayer, Santigold, Puff Daddy (I refuse to refer to him by anything else), and Mary J. Blige among others.

6) The Hold Steady @ Bowery Ballroom 6/8/09

Arguably my favorite current band playing at arguably the best venue in New York City. It doesn't get much better than this. The last time I saw The Hold Steady, they shared a billing with Art Brut at Terrminal 5 and the sound simply sucked. The second time around was infinitely better, as the band brought along with it a kind helping of Stay Positive songs. I have never seen a performer seem to enjoy what he does for a living more than Craig Finn. All smiles, all the time.

5) Phoenix/Passion Pit @ Hammerstein Ballroom - 12/2/09

Seeing one breakout band is a special thing. Seeing the two breakout bands of 2009 perform at the same show is epic. Who says you need guitars to rock out? This was a holiday dance fest at the Hammerstein Ballroom. The synthesizers were in full force on an evening that featured all that is exciting about rock music these days. Understandably, this show sold out in like 10 minutes. I wouldn't be surprised if either of these bands play a much larger stage the next go around.

4) Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ Angel Orensanz Synagogue - 11/6/09

Last year I saw TV On The Radio at a masonic temple in Brooklyn. This year I saw the Yeah Yeah Yeahs play at a synagogue on the Lower East Side. There's something about playing at ironic locations that just adds to the element of seeing a hipster-friendly bands play live. I knew about this show literally the afternoon of the performance. Thanks to one of my favorite co-workers (thank you, Bianca), I was able to get in WITH special access to an open bar throughout the evening. Although the YYY's only played for an hour, I heard the best of the first three albums. Karen O. reigns superior as the sexiest woman in rock.

3) The Pixies @ Hammerstein Ballroom - 11/23/09

Branded the "Doolittle Tour," The Pixies reunited for the first time in five years to play a string of shows to "celebrate" the 20th anniversary of their alt-rock masterpiece. By "celebrate," I mean cash in, of course. After warming up with some b-sides that even Kim Deal was admittedly challenged by, the sold out crowd was treated to the familiar opening chords of "Debaser". The next 14 songs were expected sequencing bliss. I heard "La La Love You" and I la la loved it. The encore included "Where Is My Mind?". My answer: anywhere, just officially blown.

2) U2/Muse @ Giants Stadium - 9/24/09

You know a show is BIG when a band that sells out arenas is OPENING for the headliner. I was admittedly as excited to lose my Muse virginity as I was for U2, and would have been just as happy if the night ended when the "openers" left the stage. The production of this show left me in awe. 50% of the credit goes to the stage designers and 50% goes to the talent itself. U2 played a strategic mix of the old and the new, rendering the 85,000+ in attendance speechless -- suggesting that just maybe Bono can save the world some day after all.

1) Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band @ Giants Stadium - 10/8/09

No openers needed for the Boss. U2 might have taken the top spot, had it not been for some Springsteen circumstances:

1) The show was in New Jersey
2) The show was the 2nd to last show at Giants Stadium
3) Born To Run was played in sequence, in its entirety

I don't think anything else needs to be said.

The List (Part 9)

For 100-91 (Part 1), click HERE.
For 90-81 (Part 2), click HERE.
For 80-71 (Part 3), click HERE.
For 70-61 (Part 4), click HERE.
For 60-51 (Part 5), click HERE.
For 50-41 (Part 6), click HERE.
For 40-31 (Part 7), click HERE.
For 30-21 (Part 8), click HERE.

20) Outkast - Stankonia (2000)
Put quite simply, Stankonia is the album that transformed this Atlanta hip-hop duo into one of greatest acts of all time. This record got the ball rolling for Andre 3000 and Big Boi, who followed up with the near perfect Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. In an time when Southern rap oozed mediocrity (Juvenile, B.G., Hot Boys), this band was a breath of fresh air. And who would have thought these guys were clairvoyant? Three years before the Iraq debacle, Outkast rocked our world with the jarring anthem "Bombs Over Baghdad". But it didn't stop there. Follow-up R&B-inspired singles "Ms. Jackson" and "So Fresh, So Clean" occupied some pretty prime real estate on the Billboard charts a year later. Stankonia never got even one bad review -- chalking up an unheard of 95 score on Metacritic.


19) Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (2008)
Seattle's Fleet Foxes are perhaps the most exciting new band of the year (yes, more so than Vampire Weekend). And sure, it might be a little bold to throw these guys in the top 20, but I have this much faith that we are going to be hearing great things from this band for years to come. If you take a listen to their self-titled debut, you'll discover that this band is mature beyond their years. They've definitely done all their homework in Neil Young 101, and have already learned to perfect a country/folk sound that rivals even the mighty My Morning Jacket. Combine this with the songwriting sincerity of Mark Kozelek, and you get a band that's pretty difficult to criticize.


18) Queens of The Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf (2002)
When Queens of The Stone Age's Rated R was released in 2000, I remember reading in numerous publications that this was a band to watch. And although these guys scored some radio credentials with "The Lost Art of Keeping A Secret," their breakout album went largely unnoticed by the general public. But this must have only fueled the band's creative fire. Josh Homme and gang went on a tear with their follow-up magnum opus, Songs For Deaf. Recruiting Dave Grohl for drumming duties, the band put on a rock and roll clinic that spawned several smash singles that included "No One Know," "Go With The Flow," and "First It Giveth". Unfortunately all this success couldn't prevent the internal drama. The only other original member, bassist Nick Oliveri, was kicked out of the band shortly after Songs For The Deaf hit it big.


17) The Hold Steady - Stay Positive (2008)
I think I've made my sentiments abundantly clear about this album. Stay Positive is my undisputed pick for record of the year. There, I went ahead and said it. I don't care if some critics claim that this one's awfully similar-sounding to their last record; if you've got a great thing going on, why mess around with it? The Hold Steady are everything that's good about music -- excellent songwriting, top-notch musicianship, infectious charisma, zero pretentiousness, and a great attitude. For my (comprehensive) review of Stay Positive click HERE. Nuff said.


16) Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (2007)
If Stay Positive is this year's pick for record of the year, then Spoon's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is 2007's tour de force. This band's consistency is something that should be applauded, and any mainstream exposure they've achieved as of late is definitely well-deserved (the record debuted at #10 on the charts). If you haven't caught these guys on the Letterman or Saturday Night Live circuit, then you've more than likely heard "The Underdog" on the radio or during some obscure movie trailer. And yes, you have heard it before -- the horn section in this song is just too infectious to resist. In case you were wondering, the album's title used to be the temporary name of one of their songs, "The Ghost of You Lingers". They scrapped the nonsensical song title, and instead opted to make it a nonsensical album title.


15) Fountains of Wayne - Welcome Interstate Managers (2003)
It's a shame that the commoner will always associate Fountains of Wayne with that song about Stacey's mom (no thanks to those Sunny D commercials). And while there's no denying that this song is as catchy as it is corny, this really doesn't do justice to the album or the band. In all its glory, Welcome Interstate Managers is a loose concept album that follows the doldrums of suburbanites placed in less than ideal situations. Whether it's North Jersey-dwelling contractors, alcoholic sales executives, or recently fired United Airlines employees, Managers perfectly juxtaposes FOW's shimmering power pop with the dark nature of everyday living. We haven't heard three-and-a-half minutes storytelling this perfect since "Eleanor Rigby" or "Oh-Bla-Di, Oh-Bla-Da". By the way, "interstate manager" is a nice way of saying toll taker.


14) Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism (2003)
Although I may have originally had some reservations about Death Cab's most recent offering, this was hardly the case for this band's 2003 breakout, Transatlanticism. It's no wonder why Ben Gibbard and crew were finally able to break the mold of anonymity from their first three disappointing efforts. Transtlanticism is much more emotionally charged than some of Death Cab's earlier work and this allows the band to soar, as evidenced on standout songs "The New Year", "Title and Registration," and "The Sound of Settling". This album soon became a cult smash thanks in part to its content's inclusion on countless movie and television soundtracks. Before long, it would go gold. Their 2005 follow-up, Plans, is not a particularly bad record, but certainly doesn't have the same consistency as Transatlanticism.


13) Sufjan Stevens - Illinois (2005)
You've got artists who come out with concept albums, and then you've got Sufjan Stevens. After releasing a record entirely dedicated to the people, places, and things from his home state of Michigan in 2003, Stevens decided it would be a good idea to keep the state thing going. In 2005, he released Illinois to unanimously positive acclaim. In fact, if you look at its score on Metacritic, you'll see it's the best-rated album of that year. And quite frankly, it's not too difficult to see why. This album is a musical explosion -- frequently utilizing strings, horns, and harmonized vocals. Illinois was so well-received, that a year later, Sufjan released an album of songs that just didn't quite make the cut. There's no resting on laurels, however. Stevens has made the bold assertion that he plans on releasing an album dedicated to each of the 50 states. He better get back to work.


12) Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004)
The Arcade Fire are a really strange band for me. When I first heard this record back in college, it didn't really do anything for me. I thought, "eh". But after it was received as the best thing since sliced bread, I gave it another shot and then gradually became hooked. It goes without saying that I expected big things for last year's follow-up, "Neon Bible". And despite critics' overflowing positive feedback a second time around, I didn't think it was anything special. But then again, I guess one out of two ain't bad. I've never seen this army of a band in concert, but supposedly it is quite the spectacle. Hey, if Springsteen thinks highly of the Arcade Fire, maybe there's something I'm missing.


11) Elliott Smith - Figure 8 (2000)
Although From A Basement On The Hill was nearly completed at the time of his death, many consider Figure 8 to be Elliott Smith's last official album. After releasing several amazingly stripped down, simplistic records, this was definitely the most ambitious effort of Smith's tragically short career. Unlike most of Smith's catalog, Figure 8 features complex instrumentation and detailed arrangements as evidenced on the remarkable "Son of Sam". While this one garnered some mixed reviews at first, Figure 8 has aged like a fine wine. Like most of rock's legends, Elliott left us way too soon.