[Listmas 2008]: The Top 5 Concerts Of The Year

I don't go to nearly enough shows. It's not without want or lack of trying, but mostly because of my insane schedule. Let me just say that working a job with no real vacation time and very little pay doesn't help matters in the least. Nevertheless, I did find time to see a good 15 or so concerts this calendar year in addition to the marathon of almost 30 shows that Lollapalooza provides me the comfort of, so I thought that reminiscing on a few of my favorite shows would be a nice touch for Listmas. Normally my lists are at least 10 items long, but considering the general number of overall shows I witnessed in 2008 I thought that including a whole 10 concerts wouldn't be narrowing things down very much. So a Top 5 will suffice in this case, and thankfully they were all really great shows I can wholeheartedly vouch for. If you so desire, I've also included links to the pages where you can read my initial reviews of the shows listed below, along with set lists for most of them. Enjoy!

5. M83 + School of Seven Bells at Bottom Lounge (11/21/08)
This show marked the last concert I'll be attending in 2008, and though it happened a mere couple weeks ago, it's left a strangely great impression on me. I still recall that evening with fondness, and a grand smile approaches my face upon thinking back about the electric atmosphere along with the overly great performances by both bands. School of Seven Bells kept my ears happy with shockingly faithful renditions of their recorded songs, even though one gets the impression it'd be quite difficult to actually recreate the experience outside of a studio. They reinforced my initial thoughts that they are most definitely a band to keep a close eye on in the coming years. Having witnessed one M83 performance prior to this one, the smaller club setting served Anthony Gonzales and his band of misfits extremely well. It was a hit-heavy set, but nothing could prepare for the rave up experience that was the encore of "Couleurs." Outside the weather was below freezing, but in that small room bodies were dancing and sweating and writhing in a glorious celebration where inhibitions were thrown to the wind and the only thing we understood was the beat at that very moment.
School of Seven Bells- Chain
M83- Run Into Flowers

4. Nine Inch Nails at Lollapalooza (8/3/08)
Let's face it: in starting their second leg of a North American tour, Radiohead was slightly off on their performance at Lollapalooza 2008. That was my first time seeing them, and I couldn't help but get the impression that they've played better and more inspiring shows. So while Radiohead did a pretty solid job and steadfastly held my love and attention, their performance couldn't quite match one other headliner I saw that weekend. I've always known Trent Reznor to be a world class performer, and having seen Nine Inch Nails one time previous I thought I'd be prepared for the onslaught of noise and energy. That was there, but smacked in the middle of that sandwich was a side order of jaw-dropping visual imagery that left me drooling most of the time. Sparing no expense, Reznor has upped the ante for a live show using his mind-blowing laser technology that's impossible to fully describe in less than a few paragraphs. There was great word of mouth going on surrounding this new NIN stage configuration, but you needed to have seen it to have believed it. Add that to the visceral and always-strong musical performances and you've got the best thing about Lollapalooza 2008 in my opinion (and yes, I saw the dance party of Girl Talk too). The only real reason this isn't ranked higher is because of the festival nature of the show, combined with the shortened set length- essentially cutting back on the full NIN experience.
Nine Inch Nails- Burn (Live 2007)

3. Andrew Bird at Millennium Park (9/3/08)
While any shows that are labeled as free are delights unto themselves for the amounts of money you save, it's a whole other thing when a free show is also really, really great. And despite having his violin "blow up" on him in the midst of his free performance at Millennium Park this past September, Andrew Bird still delivered what I consider to be a flawless set. Pulling from all over his vast musical catalogue along with previewing some new songs off the forthcoming "Noble Beast," hearing Bird in such a pristine outdoor setting such as Millennium Park was a treat in and of itself. You could hear the crickets chirping and see the fireflies skittering by in the park amid the crystal clear sound of the venue. The crowd was both massive and intimately respectful of what was happening on stage. It's the sort of performance that gives you the warm fuzzies while watching. The also-great news is that I was able to obtain a stellar sounding soundboard recording from that very show. It is still available for your own personal downloading pleasure by clicking here. That should give you a little bit of an idea of what I'm talking about.

2. My Bloody Valentine at Aragon Ballroom (9/27/08)
The grand finger of blame is pointed squarely at the Aragon Ballroom, but when is it not? Yes, the Aragon is often criticized for its shoddy sound quality, and I've been to more than a few performances that were less than stellar because of that reason. But not My Bloody Valentine. Maybe it was the earplugs I was wearing which were given out at the door, but there was so much white noise coming out of those speakers as MBV was playing that I strongly doubt anybody could really tell how lacking the venue's sound system was that night. Everything was cranked up to 11, and that's exactly how Kevin Shields & Co. like it. The Chicago date being one of the small handful of U.S. dates the band has played since coming back together earlier this year, merely being in the presence of such legendary musicians was thrilling enough- but the sonic assault was truly second to none. I wasn't nearly old enough to have seen the band during the early 90s when they inspired crowds across the world to call them one of the greatest live bands at that time, but knowing MBV songs like I do and hearing them performed live was a spiritual experience for me in 2008. From opening with "I Only Said" to closing with the rocket-launch level of white noise that is "You Made Me Realise," I was pounded by sound and assaulted visually by flashing white lights that eventually kept my eyes glued to my feet. They call it shoegaze for a reason, and for those 2 hours this past September, I fully embraced the ideals behind it. If only we were still in 1993.
My Bloody Valentine- Blown A Wish

1. Sigur Ros at Chicago Theatre (9/24/08)
Easily among my favorite bands of all time, my excitement over seeing Sigur Ros for the first time could hardly be contained. Having heard rave reviews about the band's previous North American shows on the tour for their latest album, I knew this would be a memorable experience provided that nothing went dramatically wrong. Thankfully absolutely nothing did. Set in the pristine palace-like atmosphere of the Chicago Theatre, it marked the perfect setting for such an event (though perhaps an open field in Iceland might've been better). Though it would've been nice had the band actually brought their strings section with them, they chose instead for this tour to return to their roots and perform as a four piece. The lack of orchestral accompaniment prevented the band from playing a couple of my Sigur Ros favorites, but when you've got a general liking of every song they've ever done there's not too much to be picky about. Perhaps the biggest and best testament to how truly incredible this performance was comes in the form of crowd reaction. One of the songs the band played features a few seconds of silence in the middle of the song. The band decided to hold that silence for about twice as long as it is on the album version, and when they did it you could've heard a pin drop. No yelling and no applause- just pure silence caused by an audience completely wrapped up in the miracle of that moment in time. It was immesurably beautiful, and combined with the joyous confetti celebration that launched during "Gobbledigook," it made for the finest live show I paid witness to in 2008. In fact, it may rank among my favorite shows ever. Go see this band if you have the opportunity and you won't be disappointed.
Sigur Ros- Staralfur (Acoustic Love)

Labels: andrew bird, best shows 2008, concert, listmas, listmas 2008, m83, my bloody valentine, NIN, school of seven bells, sigur ros