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(cross-post from my facebook)

My friend Laura posted 50 shows attended, and I responded with a very quick list of 50. My friend Annie posted 50 shows with comments and mentioned that "50 is not a very big number." She's right, 50 is not that many bands/musicians, and my earlier list was kinda dumb.

As it happens I had a kind of list on my computer of my favorite live music performances ever, though it was sort of tentative and incomplete, but it even had some web citations and stuff where I found precise dates. So I dug it up and updated it a bit. Here they are, not in any particular order.

Ween (930 club, 10/28/96)
http://www.nofadz.com/vlww/review2b.htm
We were near the front of the stage, I nearly died of euphoria when I heard "The Blarney Stone" for the first time in my life. This was after their country album and before The Mollusk, some of their awesomest material. They were backed by a bunch of Nashville session players. Amazing.

Journey & Foreigner (Nissan Pavilion, 7/13/99)
http://web.archive.org/web/20001014050236/http://www.journeytheband.com/html/ontheroad/concertreviews/bristow-7-13-99.html
We were in our early 20s, everyone else there was either under 12 or over 40. Left MANY empty beer cans in the car before the show. Journey was great and we didn't even know that it was different singer from Steve Perry until like halfway through the set. Foreigner weren't so great though. Weird.

Fugazi @ Fort Reno in the rain (many summers, for example w/ Flin Flon 8/26/09)
http://web.archive.org/web/20051223002036/http://users.pandora.be/fugazi/report82.htm
Reading this review I remember how we all kind of liked Flin Flon though they only played for a couple songs -- Mark Robinson was all shifty and weird. Then Fugazi played for a little while until they stopped the show for lightning. It always rained for Fugazi and it was impressive to watch them try rocking out in the downpours. Luke has some good Fugazi-in-the-rain photos somewhere...

Lightning Bolt/Black Dice/Orthrelm/Avey Tare and Panda Bear (Black Cat, ca. 2001 or 2002)
First and only time I've seen Lightning Bolt and it was earth-shattering. Orthrelm was awesome too. A.T. & Panda Bear went on to be mildly famous with Animal Collective. The bands all played in different parts of the floor and you could just gather around them and watch. If you watch the Lightning Bolt DVD called "The Power of Salads and Milkshakes" it looks exactly like what we saw. That tour on the DVD was from around the same time, and in the credits you could see some references to Washington, DC, so I think there might be a few snippets from this show on there. Another life-changing show. It was sometime not long after this when Sonic Youth decided they would rather open up for Lightning Bolt rather than try to take the stage after them.

Wilco (930 Club, 9/26/2001)
http://www.wilcobase.com/event.php?event_key=136
Whoah thanks to researching this list, I found out you can download this show! I'll have to do it tomorrow at work. This was a great show. They were singing about the ashes of American flags a couple weeks after 9/11. It was freaky. It was awesome. This was also the first time I saw Wilco, though I'd seen Jeff Tweedy do a solo show sometime beforehand.

Mogwai (black cat, 9/1/99)
http://youngteam.co.uk/brightlight/eng/gig010999.php
another amazing show. This was the loudest thing I had ever heard, I think, yet it had quiet moments too (and flute!). I just listened to this show again recently thanks the magic of the internet! It is available for download right here http://acidpunks.blogspot.com/2009/04/mogwai-black-cat-washington-dc-09-01.html

Dead Meadow (many times ca. 1999-2001, occasionally since)
Dead Meadow was this amazing phenomenon where people we kinda knew (I knew them less well than some of my friends) turned into Led Zeppelin all of a sudden. As Annie's list mentioned, the famous naked show was not the best, but I remember it as a night of spontaneous naked dancers, drugs being passed around the crowd, heavy psychedelic music, all like a crazy time machine where we got to all experience 1971 for an hour. Everyone should get a chance to have their own Led Zeppelin-in-1971 moment at least once in a lifetime.

Ted Leo solo concerts ca. 1999/2000
Ted Leo was not a friend but around ten years ago it seemed like I saw him everywhere, playing shows in various places around DC, record stores, Fort Reno, the Black Cat, whatever. You expected him to be out playing guitar on the streets at any moment. He would play solo shows with a Fender Twin amp and a retro curly guitar cord that looked like a phone wire (I believe he still basically does the same thing today). When his first proper solo album came out (The Tyranny of Distance) I already knew all the songs. What a troubadour. I am still a big fan but miss the days when he was still a local secret.

Versus (various shows including black cat, opening for yo la tengo at 930 club, at galaxy hut, others?)
I saw Versus a bunch of times and they gradually became one of my favorite bands. Way underrated! The first time I saw them ('96 or '97?) I got the song "Glitter of Love" stuck in my head and still remember how James Balayut (the lead guitarist) played the main riff. Nobody in rock and roll could smoke a cigarette the way Richard Balayut (the main singer) did -- nodding to shake the ashes off the end while playing some stylish indie-rock chord progression. And I am still kind of in love with the other singer, Fontaine Toups, after all these years. She has a rad lightning-bolt tattoo on her arm and a rad guitar strap.

Songs: Ohia (macrock, April 2002)
This was a toally memorable show in a theater at JMU. The theater got too crowded and people were sitting in the aisles, then some security people came and started kicking out the people in the aisles, so Jason Molina said something to the effect of "this sucks let's just go meet across the street" so we went outside and surrounded him as he played for a little while with a battery-powered mini-amp. Awesome rock and roll moment from somebody who might like Sabbath but is not usually too "rock and roll"

Paul Flaherty & Chris Corsano (Noise Against Fascism festival, Black Cat, 1/20/05)
This was an anti-Bush-inauguration party and was a whole day of bands mostly making random noise. But then Flaherty and Corsano came on and blew my mind completely. Corsano is a young (30-ish) drummer while Flaherty is an old (60-ish) saxophonist. They made this ungodly racket of free jazz skronk that was so intense that my jaw dropped wide open. I have never seen such a performance and may never again. This is the kind of music where you really think these dudes sold their souls to the devil. I am kind of scared to see them ever again though I will go willingly, like a moth to the flame.

Fugazi/The Ex/Lungfish (Electric Factory, 12/4/99)
http://web.archive.org/web/20050913085241/http://users.pandora.be/fugazi/report116.htm
http://web.archive.org/web/20051223005017/http://users.pandora.be/fugazi/report132.htm
Fugazi deserves to be here twice -- they were always great live -- but this show is special to me because of the other two bands. The Ex were fantastic! Lungfish were even better! I would love to go back and see this show again. A day before (or after?), I saw Fugazi and The Ex at the 930 Club, but this was the first of only two times that I've seen Lungfish and I was just getting into them at the time. Since then they've become one of my all-time favorite bands. Dan Higgs just bobbed around on stage, throwing a water bottle into the air, spitting out his bizarre lyrics. I remember The Ex had a system in a couple songs where the two guitarists would use hand signals to pick a crazy riff to play, then pause, then throw another hand signal. Awesomeness! I'd like to hear more from The Ex, I got one CD based on this set of shows but never listened to anything else by them.

Kerosene 454 w/Bluetip and Burning Airlines (Black Cat, summer or fall 1997)
This was the first-ever Burning Airlines show (and I had seen the last-ever Jawbox show too) but I was not impressed by B.A. as much as I was by Kerosene 454. Forgotten but fantastic band! But not forgotten by me ever since this show! Their CD "Came by to Kill Me" is still one of my favorites.

Cows/Reverend Horton Heat (old 930 Club, 1995 or 96)
Cows were the first band of their style I'd ever seen, aggressive noise-rock, I guess you'd call it, but with a bugel thrown in. The singer/bugel player from the Cows had a baby-doll head strapped to his crotch, a magic-marker mustache painted on, googly eyes glued to his eyelids, and was nearly naked. Intense! Noisy! Fun! The Reverend Horton Heat was great too, I saw him a few times and will see him again next month opening up for Motorhead and Nashville Pussy.

Rah Bras and Edie Sedgwick (DC9, 2007 or '06?)
Speaking of zany! Edie Sedgwick is very good -- at the time it was just Justin Moyer in drag doing crazy electro-techno songs about celebrities with film clips to match. I like it a lot but am kicking myself for missing out on Rah Bras up until this show, which I think was their last in DC. They were from Virginia and totally insane -- drums, keyboards, and keytar! They wore those "Heely" roller shoes and skated around the club. They dedicated a song to Pluto (the ex-planet -- it was just demoted that day or the day before). I can hardly explain how great they were.

Made Out of Babies (Rock and Roll Hotel, 2007)
We went to this show all bleary and drunk after some intense partying, and it was so awesome, just this chick shouting over pseudo-metal, jumping around on stage, kicking things around. After the show we all tried to talk to her and buy her drinks but she was sick and actually drinking cough syrup in between alcholic beverages. Saw them again another time and it was less awesome but I am a huge fan of Made Out of Babies. Even the name! Actually, especially the name!

Blonde Redhead (2000-ish?)
saw them a few times but the best was around 2000 or so, at the Black Cat, before they became super popular but they were on their way there. They played this song called "Futurism vs. Passeism Part 2" where, on the album version, Guy Picciotto recites some lines in French, so at this show he jumped up on stage and did the same. very cool! This was the last time I saw and liked Blonde Redhead -- later they seemed to get too heavy into just playing along to backing tracks.

Dismemberment Plan & Death Cab for Cutie & Cex (2001 or '02)
The Dismemberment Plan grew on me over the course of seeing them live lots of times, and Death Cab made only a mild impression on me at the time, I didn't know them too well (still don't really), but the highlight here is Baltimore's Cex. I saw Cex open for the Dismemberment Plan at least one other time and he was so awesome! Freestylin' about the Baltimore Ravens, singing his lame rap song about bikes. Dude was talented and I'm not sure whatever happened to him.

Luna (farewell tour @ 930 club, December 2004)
My only time seeing Luna and I was amazed out how great it was! Also -- Britta Phillips! Hot! She played bass and sang backups and I couldn't stop staring at her. Luna were a great band, sort of like a Rolling Stones of indie rock, just great basic rock and roll. Glad I saw them.

The Fucking Champs w/Cherry Valence and Drunk Horse (Metro Cafe, 5/4/2001)
http://metrocafe.home.att.net/schedule/calender/200105.html
Saw the Fucking Champs a few times and they were absolutely great; this show is memorable because of how much I liked the other bands. I still like the Cherry Valence and have one of their CDs.

Pearl Jam (merriweather post pavilion, with the Fastbacks, 1996)
first time I saw Pearl Jam and really enjoyed it. also I liked the Fastbacks a lot and still do. we got lost on the way back to DC (and could it be any easier??) and ended up going the long way around the Beltway which added on like an hour to the return trip. still worth it, though. by the next time I saw Pearl Jam I had lost a little of my interest in them and didn't even mind standing in line for the bathroom during "Alive." the fist time though I was still mostly a true believer.

Sleater-Kinney's last local show, at the 930 club, August 2006
So Sleater-Kinney were going on hiatus and announce a few final dates, including one here, and we went and there was an electrical problem outside the 930 Club during the opening act, with smoke pouring out of the grates, so they had to evacuate the club, and nobody knew what would happen to the show. But they came back two days later! and played a great farewell show. the awesome French Toast got the call to be a last-second opener for the second show.

The Raveonettes "Electric Duo" show (Rock and Roll Hotel, 2007? or 08?)
This was the first time I saw the Raveonettes and I've been going back to see them since, each time they come to town, but nothing has been as good as this first show. It was stripped down, just the two of them, switching among bass, guitar, drums, and vocals. They did some good covers including Sonic Youth's "100%" and I loved it. The hippest thing ever.

Drive-By Truckers (930 Club, July 2007)
I was a little late to the DBT party but this alcohol-fueled show certainly won me over. Glad I saw this incarnation of the band, with Jason Isbell as third singer/guitarist/songwriter -- I think he contributed a lot to the band. A boozy blast.

RANDOM METAL BANDS (at JAXX on my birthday, 2002? or 01?)
I don't even remember who these bands were but they were one of the best surprise presents I've ever received.

Wilco is terug met een nieuw album, vernoemd naar zichzelf en voor het eerst in zijn vijftienjarige bestaan in dezelfde bezetting als op de vorige studioplaat. Uit alles spreekt dat de band, en met name zanger en liedjesschrijver Jeff Tweedy, een punt heeft gezet achter de stressvolle jaren van wild experimenteren en onderling ruzie maken en eindelijk in rustig vaarwater is beland. En iedereen mag het weten. In de openingstrack zingt Tweedy met open armen: 'Wilco will love you, baby'. Maar houden de Subs nog wel van Wilco? Gerard en Thijs denken er ieder het zijne van; een duorecensie.

Lees de volledige duorecensie van Wilco's Wilco (The Album) bij De Subjectivisten: http://www.subjectivisten.nl/de_subjectivisten/2009/07/duorecensie-wilco-the-album.html

The following is about The Wilco and Yo La Tengo show at Brooklyn's Keyspan Park on Monday, July 13th. Check out the original version on my blog, Animal Noises.

Last night, my brother and I went to go see Wilco and Yo La Tengo (but mostly Wilco) at Keyspan Park in Brooklyn. For those who don't know, it's the home of my New York Mets' Single-A affiliate, the Brooklyn Cyclones. Never really thought of the ballpark as a concert venue, but let me tell you, after last night's show I'm convinced. Both bands brought some serious energy to their live sets, especially Wilco, who lit it up for a 26-song (27 if you count the crowd-led rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame") extravaganza that easily ranks as one of the best shows I've ever seen. They played songs from all over the catalogue, but stressed the two most recent releases, and even gave some nods to Mermaid Avenue. The biggest surprise was seeing Grizzly Bear's Ed Droste, and Leslie Feist make appearances for several songs during the very lengthy encore portion. Droste was more just playing the shakers, and providing some subtle backup vocals, but Feist provided a terrific counterbalance to Wilco leadsinger Jeff Tweedy's gruff voice, especially on You And I, which she is featured on on Wilco (The Album).

On top of their short, noisy and brash set, Yo La Tengo also came back for a ridiculous and raucous rendition of Wilco's Spiders (Kidsmoke). The noise was almost deafening at points, but a truly fun and entertaining collaboration which really highlighted how much the bands enjoy their craft. Also of note, Wilco gave out these really awesome programs for the show, which even included a "scoresheet" of sorts for all of their shows on this summer tour. Very cool-- just wish they had had equally as interesting merchandise (damn you, goofy t-shirts and $25 posters). Still, fantastic experience overall. Below is the setlist from Wilco's portion of the show. I didn't get to take pictures, but for photos besides the one up top, see Kurt Christensen's, Caryn Rose's and DW Hartwig's respective Flickr streams. Credit for the lead photo goes to Christensen.

SETLIST
1. Wilco (The Song)
2. I'm Trying to Break Your Heart
3. Shot in the Arm
4. At Least That's What You Said
5. Bull Black Nova
6. You Are My Face
7. One Wing
8. Handshake Drugs
9. Deeper Down
10. Impossible Germany
11. Take Me Out to the Ballgame (crowd)
12. Jesus, Etc.
13. Sonny Feeling
14. Always In Love
15. Can't Stand It
16. Hate It Here
17. Walken
18. I'm the Man Who Loves You
19. Hummingbird
ENCORE
20. Heavy Metal Drummer
21. You and I (Feat. Leslie Fiest)
22. California Stars (Feat. Leslie Fiest & Ed Droste)
23. You Never Know (Feat. Feist & Droste)
24. Misunderstood
25. Spiders (Kidsmoke) (Feat. Yo La Tengo)
ENCORE 2
26. The Late Greats
27. Hoodoo Voodoo (Feat. Feist & Droste)

The following appears on my blog, Animal Noises- feel free to check it out.

It's the moment you've all been waiting for. Below are the top 15 albums of the year thus far, as of July 1st. For the albums that have been reviewed at Animal Noises already, we've also included a link to the original review. Some things have changed. Others have not. Either way, all original reviews were left as they were.

15. Wilco (The Album), Wilco
Just reviewed last week, Wilco's latest effort squeaks in to the top 15 of the year thus far. It shows a proud and happy Jeff Tweedy- one who, maybe, is finally comfortable with both the life that exists inside, and one outside of the music. Not their best ever, but in no way their worst, Wilco (The Album) is definitely one fans of the band can embrace.

14. God Help the Girl, God Help the Girl
I'm just going to face facts that I'll probably take some heat for this. I'm a sucker for nostalgia, and a fan of Belle and Sebastian, so when I saw Stuart Murdoch put together a pseudo- 60s concept album, I needed a listen. Quaint, fun and playful, God Help The Girl does all I could have asked of it.

13. Here We Go Magic, Here We Go Magic
Every year there are a couple of debuts that blow me away. Here We Go Magic would fit that bill. Luke Temple's new project isn't jaw-dropping, as much as it's simply thought-provoking. A fresh gust of air in an increasingly crowded indie and folk scene. Plus, I'm pretty sure one of the underlying themes is an alien abduction, which is fun.

12. Bromst, Dan Deacon
I'm still hooked on the first description I ever read of Dan Deacon- "electro-terrorist". Never has an artist been described so ridiculously, yet so aptly in the same breath. Bromst is a tribute to positive noise, and the outcomes you can create when literally mixing the hell out of an effects board. Not for the faint of ear, but if you enjoy an album with a lot going on, here it is.

11. Mean Everything To Nothing, Manchester Orchestra
As I mentioned when it came out, Manchester Orchestra's Mean Everything To Nothing surprised the hell out of me. Positive steps, and real, natural progression and maturity in music. Plus the powerful vocal pipes of one Andy Hull, and you've got yourself quite an album. The band has taken their formula to the next level, hopefully with more to come.

10. Brother's Blood, Kevin Devine
Just like my commentary on Manchester Orchestra, I was impressed by Kevin Devine's progress and maturity as an artist here on Brother's Blood. He shed many of things that made his music either too raw or too naive, and the result was a colorful and dynamic effort I'm still pleasantly surprised by.

9. Heavy Ghost, DM Stith
I told you that you'd be hearing about this album again this week. Moving, and sometimes even a bit haunting, Heavy Ghost is a coming-out party of sorts for DM Stith, and I'm honestly surprised we haven't heard more about it. Hopefully some more blogs pick up on this one before the end of the year, because it's definitely a must-hear album.

8. Bitte Orca, Dirty Projectors
Calm down. It's still in the top 10. On top of that, Dirty Projectors' Bitte Orca is an album that grows on you quite a bit with each listen, so who knows, maybe it'll continue to rise from the 8 out of 10 I originally gave it upon its release. Everyone's talked about this one, but I'll just say that it is one of the more unique and graceful records of the year, and one you need if you don't already have.

7. Person to Person, Foreign Born
Another one that people have seemingly slept on so far this year. Foreign Born's second effort, [album]Person to Person[/album], is rife with bright spots and memorable tracks as it utilizes an infectious energy and brilliant sense of the moment to hook you, quite easily, into a record I can discover more about with each listen.

6. Hold Time, M. Ward
As M. Ward's newest collaboration suggests, he now truly is a "Monster of Folk". Building on all of the goodwill generated last year by She & Him, he puts together an album that has some impeccable flow to it, as well as a charming demeanor that feels more warm and inviting every time. To me, Hold Time is definitely his best effort to-date.

5. Manners, Passion Pit
The highest ranking debut on this list, Passion Pit's Manners burst onto the scene this year with a brand of electronic pop not seen since the 80s. The band's boyish enthusiasm, almost-corny disposition and overall disregard for what's "in" is probably what appeals to me the most. Make sure to listen for the ever-present kid vocals.

4. Noble Beast, Andrew Bird
Noble is probably the best way to describe Andrew Bird's latest. Taking his classical training to a new level, the crooner makes less of a rock album and more of a scenic instrumental composition with Noble Beast, that just happens to have words. Plus, he's a world-class whistler, so that's another reason to like it.

3. Farm, Dinosaur Jr.
J Mascis, you're just too good. Who would've thought that this many years into their career, Dinosaur Jr. would put in one of their most powerful efforts to-date? Up-beat, energetic and jovial, Farm seems to exude a positive attitude that one wouldn't expect at this point in their lengthy catalogue. Quite an achievement, and quite a record.

2. Merriweather Post Pavillion, Animal Collective
I held out for as long as I could with Merriweather Post Pavillion as the number one album, I really did. Sadly, it just wasn't meant to be. Still, Animal Collective comes in with one of their best releases, and easily the most pop-influenced. It's an infectious wall of sound that has been stuck in peoples' heads since the Christmas leak, and probably won't be leaving anytime soon. A true watershed moment for the band.

1. Veckatimest, Grizzly Bear
I was all set to go with MPP in this slot, and then I looked at the play counts I had racked up for each of these two albums. Grizzly Bear'sVeckatimest won in a landslide (I think I've listened to the album no less than 45 times all the way through). With its shear pop attributes, as well as its beautiful, albeit haunting, melodies, it's very hard to shake the fact that this is a chamber-pop masterpiece. It's going to be very hard to shake this one in the second half.

Shows that I have attended. This is basically just for me to keep track, but feel free to comment, ridicule, love, etc.



American English [2]
Andrew Bird
Animal Collective
Annuals
Basement Jaxx
Bat for Lashes
Ben Folds
Black Moth Super Rainbow
Bloc Party
Blitzen Trapper
Boys Noize
Built to Spill
Chairlift
Chromeo
Cory Chisel And The Wandering Sons
Crookers
Crystal Castles [2]
Dan Deacon
dark wave disco
Deadmau5
Demi Lovato
Delta Spirit
DJ Bald Eagle
DJ Mel
The Dutchess And The Duke
The Elms
Ezra Furman & The Harpoons
The Faint
Fever Ray
The Flaming Lips
Fleet Foxes
Frightened Rabbit
Gang Gang Dance
Glasvegas
The Go! Team
Great Lake Swimmers
Hey Champ
Haley Bonar
The Hood Internet
The Hush Sound
Jeff Tweedy
John Mayer
Jonas Brothers [2]
Josh Ritter
Junior Boys
Ke$ha
Kid Color
Kid Cudi
The Kills
The Knux
Ladytron
Lindstrøm
Livvi Franc
Los Campesinos!
Lymbyc System
Margot & the Nuclear So and So's
Mates of State
Mat Kearney
Matt & Kim
M83
Metro Station
Miley Cyrus
Modeselektor
Modest Mouse
Moneypenny
MSTRKRFT [2]
The National
of Montreal
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Passion Pit [2]
The Phenomenal Handclap Band
Phoenix
Plain White T's
Radiohead
Rogue Wave
Rooney
Sheryl Crow
Simian Mobile Disco
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
Telepathe
The Thermals
Tortoise
Vuk
Wavves
Wilco
William Elliott Whitman
william sides atari party
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Yo La Tengo

Bob Dylan "Pressing On" (Saved_Sony)
PD GIG 25. FEB Chuck Prophet "Let's Do Something Wrong (live)" (Live In San Francisco 2009)
Findlay Brown "Nobody Cared" (Love Will Find You_This Is Music)
Kings Go Forth "Now We're Gone" (7"_MRC)
Nancy Holloway "Hurt So Bad" (Hello Dolly_Concert Hall)
Binky Griptite "Yuo're Gonna Cry" (7"_Daptone)
Chuck Prophet "Heart Beat" (Soap & Water_Yep Roc)
Joe Henry "You Can't Fail Me Now (Live)" (20071106_NPR_WFUV_bootleg)
Justine Townes Earle "Can't Hardly Wait" (Midnight At The Movies_Bloodshot)
Elliott Smith "If I Fell" ("Basement" Tapes Unfinished/Suppressed_bootleg)
Sholi "Sprout and the Bean" (Hejrat EP_Holocene)
Neko Case "Prison Girls" (Middle Cyclone_Anti)
The Watson Twins "Only You (live)" (Live At Fingerprints_Vanguard)
Marissa Nadler "The Hole Is Wide" (Little Hells_Kemado)
Jeff Tweedyand Jay Bennett "The Lonely 1" (old town school of folk music fest, 7.25.99_bootleg)
Bill Withers "Hope She'll Be Happier" (Just As I Am_Sussex)
PD FAVOURITE Madeleine Peyroux "I Must Be Saved" (Bare Bones_Rounder)
Chuck Prophet "That's How Much I Need Your Love" (No Other Love_New West Records)
Beck "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat" (War Child: Heroes_Parlaphone)
Little Willie John "Country Girl aka Home At Last" (Nineteen Sixty Six_Kent)
Myron and E with The Soul Investigators "Cold Game" (Cold game 7"_Timmion)
buff1 "There's Only One (feat. Mayer Hawthorne)" (There's Only One_A Side Worldwide)
Exile "The Sound Is God" (Radio_Plug Research)
Popnoname "The Movement" (Surrounded By Weather_Italic)
Amadou & Mariam "Tambara" (Welcome To Mali bonus_Because)
Arthur Lee & Band-Aid "Evrybody's Gotta Live" (Vindicator_A&M/Beat Goes On)
Chuck Prophet "Too Tired To Come" (Feast Of Hearts_China/Edsel)

It can take years for a singer’s career to build and grow before they become a major, chart-topping sensation. The end of that phase of a singer’s career can happen almost instantaneously. Sometimes it’s in the choice of albums they make. Patty Loveless was still producing Top 20 hits when she went into bluegrass mode. Since then, her singles have gone unplayed, and she’s now doing her own thing on an independent label. Sometimes it’s the fact that they refused to stay young. Dwight Yoakam’s career as a top-charting country singer essentially ended when he turned 40 years old, and I’m convinced that the two events are related. The Dixie Chicks (Saddam’s Angels) and Garth Brooks (Chris Gaines) require no further explanation. I suspect that in some sub-basement of a media empire headquarters, there are two lists of artists, “Relevant” and “Irrelevant.” Make one wrong move–put your artistic ambitions ahead of commercial demands, say something dumb, age another year–and you may find yourself on the wrong list and off the airwaves in a heartbeat.

Alan Jackson, this week’s top artist with 21 listeners, has managed to avoid these career killers. Not only has he had the audacity to be 50 years old in the Taylor Swift Era, but he’s also dared to record a covers album and a gospel album midway through a viable career instead of waiting until he got dropped from his major label record deal like you’re supposed to do. He even had an album produced by Alison Krauss in an era when country radio likes to pretend she doesn’t exist outside of Brad Paisley duets.

Just check out some of our other Top 10 singers who are Jackson’s contemporaries: Loveless (20 listeners), Trisha Yearwood (19), Yoakam (17) and Brooks (17). He outlasted them all, radio-wise. It’s not that he’s more talented, though maybe he’s been more consistent in what he’s recorded over the last 20 years. Whatever he’s done, there is a very short list of modern singers who’ve had the kind of career he’s had and a lot of up-and-comers who’d love to know his secrets.

Additionally, as further proof that our group’s collective memory dates to well before 1989 or so, Merle Haggard (18 listeners) tied with the likes of Miranda Lambert, Paisley and Lee Ann Womack for 4th on the list.

Over on the Top Albums chart, Sounds So Good by Ashton Shepherd is #1 with 13 listeners. According to Billboard, the last time this album was on its Top Country Albums chart was March 28 of this year. It spent 54 weeks on the chart and peaked at #16. Is The 9513 group better than Billboard? Well, we’ve also got three Sugarland albums and Taylor Swift’s Fearless in the Top 5, so the answer is probably, “Not yet.” But the combination of those albums and things like the Dixie Chicks’ Taking the Long Way Home (#8 with 9 listeners) and Joey + Rory’s The Life Of A Song (#15 with 8) is a nicely balanced selection.

The singles chart is dominated by Lambert’s Dead Flowers, with nine listeners. I believe this is the first time that a song that’s currently unavailable on Last.fm has been at the top of the charts, so people must not mind the fact that downloading this song (legally) costs 30 cents more than most songs. George Jones‘ White Lightning and Martina McBride’s Independence Day are tied for #2 with six listeners each. Who says country music fans only care about positive, socially acceptable music these days? Ashley Monroe’s album, Satisfied, came out last week after a long debacle that you only find with a major label, and a couple of her songs, Pain Pain and That’s Why We Call Each Other Baby, were part of the #4 logjam with five listeners. We’ve got three Lambert songs, three Sugarland songs and two Swift songs in there also, along with Jackson’s Everything I Love, Jamey Johnson’s High Cost Of Living and Keith Whitley’s Don’t Close Your Eyes.

For the second week in a row, I’m writing about something Wilco related. I had the chance to see Jeff Tweedy and Jay Bennett perform as a duo at a Chicago festival a few years ago. They mostly focused on the Woodie Guthrie Mermaid Avenue songs, as well as a couple from the Summerteeth album. Knowing some of the behind the scenes drama that was taking place at the time, it’s a wonder that they shared the same stage together, but they were thoroughly professional. Tweedy did all of the talking, cracked a few jokes and played the worst harmonica solo I have ever heard from a professional musician. Bennett played what seemed like a different instrument for each song, and he played every single one of them like an ace. As someone who’s tried to play a guitar and struggled to get one chord to sound like it should, I’ve come to realize that there’s skill you can learn and talent you’re just born with, and Jay Bennett was blessed with God-given talent.

Just before I started writing this piece, I read his obituary online. He died over the weekend at the age of 45. So for the freebie of the week, here’s a Jay Bennett album, Whatever Happened I Apologize. I’ve only just downloaded it myself, so all I know about this album is what’s on Rock Proper’s Web site. The album was apparently written, arranged and performed by Bennett himself, with a few exceptions. Of the songs I heard, “The Engines Are Idle” starts off with a weird electronic percussion track, but Bennett’s guitar and vocals come in and turn it into a lovely and sad folk song. “Hank” is apparently his mandatory Hank Williams ode and is better than most iterations. He’s also got a couple of free tracks on his Last.fm page.

Thanks for reading.

Sat 23 May – Joel Plaskett Emergency, Ana Egge, Rose Cousins, Bill Plaskett

Massey Hall is arguably the most famous stage in Toronto. The acoustics are spectacular, and the majority of the seats have excellent site lines. Opened in 1894, and designated as a Heritage Property in 1975, Massey Hall has hosted such venerable performers and dignitaries such as King George V and his wife Queen Mary, Winston Churchill, the Dalai Lama, Luciano Pavarotti, George Gershwin, Oscar Peterson, and Bob Dylan among many, many others. Many famous live albums have been recorded there, including Charlie Parker-Dizzy Gillespie Complete Jazz at Massey Hall (1953), Rush’s 1976 live album All The World's A Stage, and more recently Neil Young’s Live At Massey Hall 1971 release in 2007. Massey Hall is also where Jeff Tweedy of Wilco infamously called the staid Toronto crowd “motherfuckers” for not dancing during their rock show. In the crowd’s defense (I was at that Wilco show too) Massey Hall isn’t exactly conducive to rockin’ out, but that didn’t stop Joel Plaskett from bringing the house down on Saturday, May 23.

Horseshoe Tavern owner/president “JC” introduced Plaskett and called him a musical “genius” and his “favorite singer and songwriter in the whole world.” Having never seen Plaskett perform before, I could only think, “Whoa. The owner of the Horseshoe, who has seen hundreds, if not thousands, of amazing musicians, is calling Joel Plaskett a ‘genius.’ I am in for a treat.”

Plaskett performed his first set mostly acoustically. He was joined on stage with his father Bill, and fellow musicians Ana Egge and rose cousins, all three of whom back him on his outstanding new triple album Three. Bill Plaskett and Cousins played acoustic guitar, while Egge rocked the mandolin, and Joel Plaskett flipped between acoustic and electric guitars, his “$7 Value Village” mini keyboard, and even percussion instruments. Joel backed each of the ladies as they performed original solo pieces. The vocal harmonies were spectacular, especially between Bill and Joel in the song Nothing More to Say. Joel Plaskett assured the crowd that the lyrics of this song had nothing to do with his relationship with his father while on the road, and the entire time I was thinking, “Wow. What an amazing relationship. If I traveled or worked with either of my parents, blood would be shed.”

Joel Plaskett in person comes off as such a normal nerdy dude, but at the same time cool as hell. He frequently showed off his slick dancing moves, and played to and with the crowd. A recurring joke through the night came at the expense of his father. While Bill was taking a while to tune his guitar, Joel quipped, “This is my secret B-side called ‘Tuning, Tuning, Tuning.’” And later on he joked that he registered “Tuning, Tuning, Tuning” with SOCAN so that he “gets paid every time someone tunes on stage.” Can you imagine the poor bastard in a bar trying to tune a 12-string and having to pay Plaskett for the privilege of “Tuning, Tuning, Tuning.” Hysterical!

For the second set Plaskett brought out his band The Emergency, drummer Dave Marsh, bassist player Chris Pennell, with Peter Elkas joining in on backup guitar and keyboards. They blasted Massey Hall into next week opening with Work Out Fine, and kept the rock intensity soaring for the rest of the show. Egge and Cousins soon joined in for backup vocals. And, unlike the aforementioned Wilco show, fans were freaking out in their seats, dancing in the aisles, and charging the stage. Fans ages 7 to 70 were having an awesome time, and it was great to see entire families together at the show. From my seat in the upper right gallery I could see Horseshoe owner “JC” freaking out backstage, dancing and clapping up a storm.

Plaskett cooled it down just slightly for the solo acoustic track Spinning For You, available as a password-protected download on his website (you probably can guess the password). Then he lead the audience with his 12-string in a sing-along to his hit Nowhere With You. The Emergency and the other musicians rejoined Plaskett for a rousing version of A Million Dollars and Wishful Thinking. The crowd went crazy. For the encore, Plaskett surprised the audience with the old Thrush Hermit song, Before You Leave, then rocked the crowd with the fan-favorites Love this Town and Fashionable People.

Plaskett started Thrush Hermit in 1992, and has been playing solo and with The Emergency since 1999. Seventeen years is huge longevity in the music business. At one point in the show Plaskett said, “I still can’t believe I’m in this room!” in reference to the legendary Massey Hall. After 17 years, you earned it buddy. Such a great performance. I can’t believe I waited this long to see Plaskett live.

First Set
1. Happen Now - La De Da (2005)
2. Deny, Deny, Deny - Three (2009)
3.Pine, Pine, Pine - Three
4. In The Blue Moonlight - Three
5. Farmer's Daughter, Ana Egge solo - Road To My Love (2009)
6. Nothing More to Say - Ashtray Rock (2007)
7. Heartless, Heartless, Heartless - Three
8. Rewind, Rewind, Rewind - Three
9. lost in the valley, rose cousins solo- If you were me (2006)
10. Rollin', Rollin', Rollin' - Three

Second Set
1. Work Out Fine- Truthfully Truthfully (2003)
2. Extraordinary - Truthfully Truthfully
3. Through & Through & Through - Three
4. Gone, Gone, Gone - Three
5. Sailors Eyes - Three
6. You Let Me Down - Three
7. Precious, Precious, Precious - Three
8. Ashtray Rock - Ashtray Rock
9. Run, Run, Run - Three
10. True Patriot Love - Down at the Khyber (2001)
11. Spinning For You - website download
12. Nowhere With You - Make a Little Noise EP (2006)
13. Lazy Bones - Three
14. A Million Dollars - Make a Little Noise EP
15. Wishful Thinking - Three

Encore
16. Before You Leave, Thrush Hermit - Clayton Park (1999)
17. Love This Town - La De Da
18. Fashionable People - Ashtray Rock
19. On & On & On - Three