This was the first time I had ever flown anywhere to see a show. In actuality, it was something of a leap of faith as I had never even seen MONO live before. I was told from a friend who had seen MONO several times, “MONO is the only band whom I actually want an encore from when they complete. If they are going to play with a 24-piece orchestra, this could be the best show of a lifetime.” Good thing I listened because this was in fact, the best show of my life.
MONO played at the New York Society for Ethical Culture Concert Hall. That’s basically a whole bunch of words to say that it was a glorious cathedral. It was the perfect setting because this concert experience was spiritual. The audience sat in silent awe during every song. The acoustics in this room were incredible. Even though symphony etiquette seemed most appropriate for this sit down event, as the sound came roaring through the room people began to move–almost involuntarily. Spines began to move from front to back, shoulders, necks, heads … thrash. Sounds roared again as bodies jerked, shoulders, necks, heads … bang. Each sound was more astounding than the one before. It ended with a standing ovation, gratitude, and tears.
This show was amazing for lots of reasons. First, it was outdoors at the Bumbershoot Fisher Green stage; that in itself isn’t so amazing, but the fact that there were over a thousand people there and it was pouring rain, made it pretty epic. Macklemore didn’t disappoint the sopping, wet masses–he performed his butt off.
Debuting new materiel, Macklemore connected with the audience on a personal level. Macklemore’s lyrics expose his humanity with humility and elegance. He announced in the introduction to “Otherside,” “This song is about addiction. I just celebrated a year long of sobriety.” The audience roared. As Macklemore rapped the intimate details of his life, each member of the audience had their eyes locked on him as if he were speaking directly to them. As the rain continued to fall, it seemed as if the heavens were crying tears of joy for Macklemore’s triumph. It was a beautiful experience. I was honored to see it.
Haaay! Party weekend! Blue freaking Scholars are the freaking bomb. Blue Scholars were actually scheduled to play a three day event in December, 2008 but it was canceled due to snow. This three day event was sold out–this audience had been waiting for months for this party.
Blue Scholars have been playing shows for a very long time, and they know how to keep the audience entertained for hours on end. With Geologic’s smart lyrics and Sabzi’s unique beats, their songs could have been about social politics or strait up partying and the crowd lapped it up. Blue Scholars also debuted their “HI-808” video on Neumos’ gigantic backdrop, and those boys were looking phoine! “808 808 808 808.” There were some fan collage videos that were thrown in, and the crowed went wild. This was the first time I ever felt the Neumos floor move from people jumping up and down. Holler, Blue Scholars. “808 808 808 808!”
This was my first experience seeing Gary Jules, and frankly, I only knew him as the amazing talent who covered “Mad World” for the Donnie Darko soundtrack. Instead of being entertained by melodrama, Gary Jules was one of the most charismatic acts I’ve ever seen–it was nothing short of amazing. Jules told stories, played his acoustic guitar, and laughed and joked with the audience as if they were family. As far as singer/songwriters go, he’s someone to look up to and aspire to be like. He had the audience wrapped around his finger, and he didn’t have to struggle to be heard.
The experience of seeing Jules perform “Mad World,” is difficult to describe. In the interview we did following the show, he spoke about how people connect during somber moments. I’m sure millions of people grew up singing “Mad World” as if it was written for them. I was one of those people, and being able to see this song performed live was a landmark experience. Expectations for such a song being performed live would naturally be unrealistic, but lucky for everyone in the room that night, Gary Jules performed that song as if it were a dream. The room got so quiet you could hear every shudder in his voice. It was amazing, and Gary Jules is one of the most amazing artists I’ve ever met.
Being able to see Peter Broderick live was a gift. Broderick is one of the most naturally talented artists I’ve ever seen. He comes from a rich family line of musicians, and the ease of which his musical genius translated into song is astounding. Broderick doesn’t play show-off fancy music, but rather, he plays music as it flows through him. His vernacular ranges from the simplicity of a finger-picked acoustic song, to multi-instrumental songs that are beyond a dozen layers thick. I would venture a guess that no set is ever exactly the same, but the audience can count on a unique experience, as personal as family, every time they go to a Peter Broderick show. The below clip is from one such event. Enjoy.
Macklemore is humbly standing front row center in the hip-hop community right now. The love that he has earned in the hearts of Seattleites will not prove to be fickle; each fan that he has amassed will be a fan for life.
Macklemore is at the top of my list for a number of reasons. First and foremost is the quality of his lyrics. I’m not talking about, “And We Danced,” although that song is clever in it’s own right, I’m talking about songs like “Otherside” and “The Town” or even when he’s featured in the remix of “Something New” by Fresh Espresso. Macklemore never shirks an opportunity to speak from his heart, and what comes out is some of the most poetically moving material to be heard across all genres. Macklemore is touching, honest, spiritual, and humble. Through hard work, good support, and being one of the most driven artists in 2009, everything he has touched, turned to gold.
Another reason why Macklemore is at the top of my list is the quality of his shows. From drinking tea and Odwalla super-food before his sets, to having wigs and costume changes on standby, Macklemore puts everything that he has into his shows—every show, every venue, every time. He has a gaggle of support waiting in the trenches. Champagne Champagne, Grynch, and Xperience, usually frequent his shows as guest performers. He also has a big community investment in making his shows all ages whenever possible.
Macklemore is just an all-around good guy. He has what it takes, and he doesn’t take it for granted.
Grynch held it down in 2009. What do The Seattle Times, Seattle Weekly, The Stranger, and Billboard magazine have in common? I’m sure a bunch of things, but for the sake of this blurb, they were all lovin’ up on Grynch in 2009. He has earned every bit of their admiration. Grynch is one of the sickest rappers in Seattle right now. His combination of street and party rap is on point. His style has him in the company of rappers that cater more towards the old school, street style of hip-hop, and his lyrics and charming flavor keep the kids who just want to dance extremely happy.
We’ve all heard Grynch’s hit “My Volvo,” and have loved it. I look forward to seeing how far Grynch breaks out in 2010, and what good things he’ll keep on reserve for the locals.
Blue Scholars got Oofy in 2009! Being one of the pillars in Seattle hip-hop, all these guys have to do is step out of the house to be named favorites on everyone’s yearly lists. That being said, Blue Scholars did tear it up this year in more ways than one. They represented Seattle well at SXSW, they were heavily involved in the community with workshops at schools and secret shows for charities, and they tore it up when they released their most recent E.P. OOF! Showing community love, Blue Scholars played free shows at local venues that weren’t even designed for live music such as Caffe Vita, and Ohana’s. That’s pretty cool considering that they sell out three night events at $20 a ticket. Geologic is also very invested in others within the hip-hop community. He has shown his support but hosting shows on numerous occasions throughout the year.
D.Black is the bomb. This young rapper stands for strength, growth, love, honor, the community, and the children. D.Black took a stand this year that people who have voices need to be accountable for what comes out of their mouths. Many people think, “I wouldn’t want my kid listening to that!” but they don’t do anything about it. D. Black did something about it. He created an entire album, Ali’yah, in dedication to spirituality, growth, and family. He spoke out about his beliefs to anyone who showed that they were interested. Fortunately, people who showed interest were outlets like KUBE 93 and King 5, as well as all the local, independent support he has received. His shows were amazing, and with the help of his family at Sportin’ Life, D.Black made his mark in indelible ink in 2009.
I couldn’t complete the top 5 2009 list of hip-hop without including Mad Rad. This has been the band that only grew stronger with opposition. The more trouble they got into in the top half of the year, the more people were paying attention. Things quickly calmed down as far as their infamous ruckus was concerned, but Seattleites were far from finished with Mad Rad.
Mad Rad’s show at Sasquatch 2009 was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. P Smoov came out with his arms flexed, smiling, as if he were on top of the world. They roused the crowd to dance and scream their overheated heads off. Buffalo Madona, in his never-ending attempts to outdo his own tom-foolery, climbed on top of the freaking Yeti stage roof. He had to have been at least 75 feet in the air. “He’s going to kill himself!” someone in the audience screamed. Buffalo Madona singing “Quest Que Cest,” was pretty freaking epic. He stood atop of the Yeti stage, lurching, looking into the crowd with an avid warning on his lips as he sang, “We are sheep among wolves. All flesh is grass today. Be weary where you lay. Be strategic where you stray. This warning is for you. You can not look away. You see I leave a trail of blood. I’m talking to your DNA… Run away, run away, RUN away, RUN AWAY…” It was legendary.
Mad Rad also created the hip-hop community’s showcase GO Machine. I could go on and on about Mad Rad’s triumph over 2009, but I’ll just leave it at: They killed it.
Naming someone as “most influential” has got to have people rolling their eyes if for no other reason than the fact that it just sounds pretentious. In truth, I almost didn’t even do this category, but when I thought about why I wanted to do this post in the first place, I had to.
This post is to honor Larry Mizell Jr. He was born in the hip-hop community, raised in it, lives is, breathes it, and will most definitely live out his years in it. Larry hasn’t taken his roots or background for granted; rather, he is an ambassador for hip-hop on a local and national level. He has been the voice of hip-hop at The Stranger since 2004, he helps run 206Proof, and he is in various hip-hop groups such as They Live! and Cancer Rising. Recently, he has taken over the radio show “Street Sounds” on KEXP; you can hear him every Sunday starting at 6pm.
Larry Mizell Jr. is kindred to me because he is all about the local scene. He could be using his voice to seek his own glory, but rather, he is looking for the hidden gems wherever he can find them and spurring the community forward. He always has his ear to the street, and he is always paying attention. You’ll see him at numerous local events either hosting or just showing up to support. Keep your eye on this one in 2010, I hear he is going to have some good stuff to share with us.
Below is a phone interview (my first… desperate times…) with Larry Mizell Jr. Listen in to see which of Larry’s outlets are his favorite, the worst thing he’s admitting to saying in print on 2009, his top 5 list for the year, and what he’s looking forward to in 2010.
So the first thing that I need to address with this post is that I’m not naming my choice for best Seattle post-rock in 2009, I’m declaring my choice for favorite Seattle post-rock in 2009. If I were naming the best Seattle post-rock by merit, this post would be Sleepy Eyes of Death-centric. Instead, I would like to give Sleepy Eyes of Death an honorable mention for being one of the best shows I saw at Bumbershoot 2009, being the only local band worthy of support for MONO on October 9th, and being the long standing hope that post-rock is still thriving and evolving in Seattle. I am looking forward to seeing what you come up with in 2010.
This post is to honor Joy Wants Eternity(JWE). In actuality, my admiration for JWE might spill over from their 2008 album release, local shows, and national tour, but this band has something that’s impossible to give up on. They played a show on January 23, 2009 at Chop Suey as part of a three day Cumulus Festival. Although they weren’t headlining, they blew the doors off Chop Suey. This show was by far their best show of the year. Before the set, I got a message from someone in the band letting me know that it was going to be epic, and that was no understatement.
Joy Wants Eternity put their foot into this show. They had an orchestrated back drop, all songs were perfectly played, and the mood in the room was so desolate, you could hear the sound of bones drying. Long, ascending introductions were followed by booming crescendos, heart breaking melody, and bleeding, defeated conclusions. Inside each defeat was triumph, for the designed emotion was evoked. I brought a friend to that show who had never heard Joy Wants Eternity before. At the end of a 14 minute song, he came over to share joyous words with me. I could see his mouth moving, I could see his hands moving in wild gestures, but I could not understand him; I was too affected by what had just happened to take anything else in. When it was over, it was over. The crowed roared in gratitude, anxious for their next opportunity to see this beloved band.
If Joy Wants Eternity continued in this stride, they could have been America’s best post-rock of 2009, but they fell into their modus operandi of broken promises and disappointments. As 2009 drug on for Joy Wants Eternity, deadlines for their new album got pushed back, and old materiel was re-released.They soon fell from being the Seattle post-rock spartan, to the “Oooh, x-band is going to be in town and they asked us to host their show. When we toured in their town they hosted our show guys… do we really have to practice? ahhh… we can wing it… sh**!” band.
What Joy Wants Eternity might or might not know, is that the music that they produce can’t be ascertained from any other source. Their die-hard fans, myself included, will continue to show up when they post shows, and hold their breath for desolate greatness. At their last show, Salo said to me with a giggle in his tone, “I don’t know why you’re so obsessed with ['Yet Onward We Marched.']” What I told him was, “I don’t know… that song just describes who I am.” I’ve heard that some great things are in the works for 2010 including new albums, and sit down shows with light constellations. Hopefully those rumors are true.
Here are some videos of Joy Wants Eternity that were captured in 2009.
This is a video I captured when I saw that at The Holy Mountain. This video has never been been made public, nor has any review of this show ever been written by me. I think I might have actually cried at this show. They played my two favorite JWE songs, “Above the Clouds Lies Eternal Sun” and “Yet Onward We Marched” in a row. It was my first time hearing these songs live.
This video was captured at Joy Wants Eternity’s most recent show at The Sunset Tavern. This video has never been made public, nor has any review of this show been written by me.
This is a personal project I did in the spring of 2009. The song is entitled “Yet Onward We Marched.” This video has also been marked as private until now. The short thesis for this project is: We all have demons. We are haunted by them, blossom from them, we’re pursued by them, and overtaken by them–yet onward we march. Just to be perfectly clear, Joy Wants Eternity did not request that I make this video. This is merely an example of the type of effect that Joy Wants Eternity can have on their fans.
Of all the indie-rock bands that are tearing it up this year, Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band were on the top of my list. For someone to be named dominant in any genre, they would need to have the full package. Does Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band fit that bill?
In 2009, Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band completed three full U.S. tours. They have graced Sasquatch 2009, SXSW, Noise Pop, Pop Montreal, Bonnaroo, and Bumbershoot just to mention a few major festivals, and they came out with a new album, An Eskimo’s Christmas. Even if Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band did nothing but sit at home with their thumbs up their butts, they still have some of the most unique, catchy indie-rock of 2009. Mixing elements of lo-fi, math, dance, thrash, lead singing and choral vocals, and a pinch of psychedelia to create signature story-land songs–each of them unique.
With all of that going on, their shows could be a disaster, but they never disappoint. Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band have even created instruments for theatrical entertainment. Traci Verdoes has two large wooden staffs that are adorned with sleigh-bells; they’re called “jumbo jangle sticks.” Her usual move is to smash the bases of them on the ground, lift, and shake. However, when doing this, it doesn’t appear like she is shaking the sticks, it looks like the jumbo jangle sticks are shaking her. Will they ever get away from you, Traci? The entire band has put on an amazing stage show all four times I’ve seen them this year.
If all of this isn’t enough to glorify them as Seattle’s Best Indie-Rock of 2009, they are also amazing people. Their bio on MySpace reads, in it’s entirety, “we’re people.” The aforementioned two words are actually a very telling bio. Although they have all the ammunition to be cocky sons of female dogs, they are not in it for the glory. They’re people who play music, and are very grateful to be able to make a career out of it.
I keep an actual paper planner of all the shows I have been to. Writing this brought back some great memories of the past year, and I also got a look at how empty the next year currently is. Here in no particular order are my Top 5 Shows of 2009.
As Suzi pointed out, I have a thing for Visqueen. I have seen them several times, at Bumbershoot, some at REVERB and quickly at their CD release, but that night at the Tractor Tavern was amazing. The opening band was the now defunct Connecticut Four, which is actually made up of only three people. The bassist, Cristina Bautista, is also in Visqueen, and she is adorable fronting the band. Visqueen has been getting endless praise from numerous outlets, and they couldn’t be more deserving. Rachel Flotard is one of the nicest people in the world, and is currently returning to Laos to do humanitarian work. Reviewing Shonen Knife the same evening as the show discussed was not just an excuse to see Visqueen, I am a fan of them too, and despite my somewhat negative review, they were a lot of fun to see. It was a sold out show that was packed the entire night. That is not easy for a band that has had relatively little presence in the US for 15+ years.
Twenty years ago, They Might Be Giants released their best selling album, Flood. It contains some of their best-known songs, such as “Birdhouse in Your Soul” and “Istanbul (Not Constantinople).” On Nov. 10 at the Showbox Sodo, they played Flood in its entirety in addition to some of their newer songs. There are many reasons to dismiss the band now, mainly it’s focus on children’s albums, teaching the alphabet, and counting, but their classic album always has a special place in my heart. Seeing them at SoDo, a venue I normally hate, was made bearable knowing that there would be no parents taking their kids there. They Might Be Giants can put on an incredible stage show complete with great banter and puppet shows. The only downside was that there was an extreme no camera policy.
Like Suzi, I was also at this show. If I said They Might Be Giants put on an incredible stage show, then The Flaming Lips have turned it into something else–something more than a show. Wayne Coyne walking through the crowd in his hamster ball, massive amounts of confetti and balloons constantly being fired into the crowd, people in sheep costumes dancing on the side of the stage. There was so much going on that it was mind-blowing trying to take it all in. They stuck mainly to the standard and safe play list of things like “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” and “She Don’t Use Jelly”, but did play two songs off their latest album, Emryonic. During the concert, a friend of mine was getting off work a few miles away and said he could clearly hear the band as he drove away. Everyone should see The Flaming Lips once, just to know that experience. The good news is relatively little has changed in their show, so there is no major rush to see them now. The band also included a live recording of that night for everyone that bought a ticket, which is a great bonus, and I will occasionally lay down and just listen to that night again.
I am a huge Tullycraft fan. My room is practically a shrine to them, and when I heard they were breaking up, it was a huge shock to me. When I found out that I would be out of town during their final show in Seattle, I was devastated. They then announced that their final show would be in San Francisco for Popfest, I had to book a flight down there. It was an amazing experience to see my favorite indie pop bands in one weekend, but the highlight was Tullycraft. The entire crowd was positive for the band, and with the sing-alongs and dancing, it was a very upbeat sendoff for one of the largest bands in twee. I filled up 8+ GB of memory sticks for pictures of that night alone. The band even used some of my pictures in a collage they posted to the website several days after.
This is another band’s final show. They may have had only one hit song, “Flagpole Sitta,”and it is an amazing song, but the band’s influence on the music scene is still felt. Sean Nelson has a finger in almost everything, from writing for The Stranger to co-founding The Long Winters. The first half of the night was a strict setlist, with Nelson commenting, “Thank God this is the last time I have to ever play that song” at the end of “Flagpole Sitta.” The second half was a Q&A with the band and requests. I am not a huge Harvey Danger fan, but that night I was able to see why so many people are. A band that great will forever be defined by that one song, and it is a testament to how much they enjoy playing that they have continued to perform and create, instead of resting on their laurels.
Picking out a measly 5 shows is a pretty difficult task and I could add at least another 20 to the list. Actually it’s next to impossible….so before I get started, here are a few honorable mentions. And let’s be clear, these are shows that moved ME in particular. These are shows I loved.
Champagne Champagne@ EMP during Bumbershoot was a fantastic spectacle to behold. The Show was tight, Pearl was pulling some Iggy shit by walking on the hands of the audience, and it was absolutely full beyond capacity.
Fucked Up@ Neumos. They played to about 50 people total, but you never would have known it. The intensity of Fucked Up permeated the room, and he eventually got the crowd to participate in his raucous antics. An amazing punk show!
The Gossip@ The Capitol Hill Block Party. Ditto and friends played an amazing show before Sonic Youth. Since they had been booed the last time they opened for them, they were out with something to prove. The show was out of control. Beth’s voice was amazing, and the new songs had the crowd jumping. Overall, it was a great time.
The Heavy @ The Crocodile. I begrudgingly went, and this band simply blew my mind. Genre after genre of musical styles, and they worked the crowd into a lather….it was spot on, and I was thrilled I got to see it.
Peaches@ The Showbox (Round 1). If you have never seen Peaches live, it’s well worth every dollar. It is entertainment from beginning to end, and some good shock value to boot. Peaches gets down and dirty while the crowd dances their butt’s off.
Yep this is all about me, and I don’t care. I was on stage while they played, and it was mind blowing. Seeing Trent work his magic over the crowd was surreal … seeing the crowd respond gave me goosebumps. It was awesome to see how this brilliantly lit show worked from the other side of things, and to be in close confines to this master of music was pretty F*’in cool. I took a bunch of pics and video. What do you know? Here is one.
You can’t possibly put into words the depth of his music. Its some of the most hauntingly beautiful music on the planet, and seeing him live leaves you speechless. Antony … has to be one of the most prolific singer songwriters alive. His music wraps me in the warmest blanket,and let’s me emotionally be me. Its heavy.
Veils latest release Sun Gangs, has to be one of the best CD’s of 2009. Live, this masterpiece is played out as beautifully as you hear on the CD- Scary huh? They had the crowd mesmerized, and I was front and center (actually to the right) caught up in the beauty of it all.
The journey this band takes their audience on is almost indescribable. Their sounds seem to lift you gently by the back of the shirt, and effortlessly leave you hovering above your body while taking in their music. Mono’s show is an experience, and nothing less.
This intellectual band created quite a buzz, and the show at Chop Suey left me reeling and chatting about it for days afterward. Musically I was completely blown away. The sync of the band coupled with their musical layering and transitions floored me. They are incredible live.
I went to more shows in 2009 than I have in many years–possibly since I was a teenager in Miami, going to hardcore shows twice a week. Things have changed. I don’t think I made it to more than two or three punk shows this year. Everything’s varied now and it makes me feel grown up if not a little sad for the loud passion of the past. For my top five, I won’t use numbers. I don’t have the one show that comes immediately to mind. It’s been a good year for music though and a good bit of that is due to my involvement with SSG. So thanks.
Laura Gibson opened. She was all by herself, standing on that big stage with an acoustic guitar. She was funny and pretty and played her heart out. I think she was nervous, too. I was so captivated with her set that I bought two of her CDs right then. I felt funny getting them signed, but that’s what she was doing with everyone else. I saw her later this year at The Crocodile and it wasn’t the same. The audience was overpoweringly rude and loud. They ruined it. She even asked for them to calm down, but nothing changed.
Juana Molina was also funny, and she spoke to the audience in english and spanish. We ate it up, too. Everyone was excited to see her. I remember someone yelling “I love you!” from the back of the room. Talent and charm both ooze off of this woman. She played through songs from her last two albums with her band and they even lit the background with the image of a night sky, with stars everywhere. It was lovely. Her music is kaleidoscopic and methodical and brilliant and it really is all her, despite the presence of a backing band for this tour.
The Tractor Tavern is a fantastic venue. Regardless of the band, one could really get close enough to smell them, should they want to. It truly is a beautiful thing. Kate Maki was the opener and she put on a hell of a show. She’s something of a bluesy guitar virtuoso and she looked so comfortable on stage that she just sat down on a chair and bantered with the audience for a good portion of her show. She rocked.
Great Lake Swimmers, however, were the softest music that could come from having that many people on stage. My girlfriend and I were right up front where we could see Tony Dekker’s signature snarl as he belted out what turned out to be a pretty long set. I think she fell in love with him, a little. Seattle ate it up, too. In such an intimate space, the audience made the noise of an enormous crowd. They played through a greatest hits selection from the last three albums and I was left feeling like they picked the perfect amount of songs and played for just the right amount of time. Everybody in the band was on point, too. I’ve been known to fault bands for just getting up there and playing their songs exactly like they’re played on the albums, and Great Lake Swimmers did just that, but so much louder and passionately.
Kid Koala’s The Slew at the Nectar Lounge – 09/24/09
What a killer show. Kid Koala, DJ Dynomite D, six turntables, and a couple of dudes from Wolfmother on drums and bass. They made so much noise and the audience went nuts for it. Not only was it great, but it was made better by the fact that The Slew, the album, isn’t all that memorable. It plays okay but live it really adds up to an entirely different experience. The bassist and drummer were thrashing around and Kid Koala scratched his records up as crazily as I’ve ever seen him do it. Still though, he didn’t miss a beat and he brought that trademark Kid Koala excited smile to the show. This was one of the ones I had to leave early because of an early shift I was working the next day, and it broke my heart to do that. I was right up at the front, too.
Om were deadly serious all night. Bassist and vocalist Al Cisneros didn’t crack a smile when he introduced the band, and didn’t say much else all evening. They played a quiet-then-loud-then-quiet again set of maybe 5 very long songs, exploring each song with extended jams. They brought Lichens, the opener, on stage with them and he played the keyboard for almost the entire set. They brought enormous ourange amps with them that made their entire set boom loudly. A band like Om deserves credit for being able to bring what they do to the table with only two/three musicians at a time. Stoner metal done the way it should be– slowly and with epic songwriting.
Dillinger Four and Riverboat Gamblers played to a packed house that night. Drunken moshers sang along, putting their stinky arms around everyone near them and forcing them to join in. Riverboat Gamblers played a solid set, singer jumping around like a cartoon character and swinging off the rafters. He was funny and told stories and jokes between songs and made fun of anyone who might have missed that show to be at that night’s Get Up Kids show. Dillinger Four were just… blazing-ly fast. The singer/bassist, Patrick, was funny throughout the set. Made jokes between every song, and eventually, as expected, his pants came down. He played the last couple of songs with his bare butt to the audience and everyone had a great time.
Before I unveil my list of top 5 live music shows that I attended in 2009, I want to make a couple things clear. First, I need to point out that I am a relatively new SSG writer, having joined the staff in October 2009, and thus I have attended many more shows in the latter half of the year than the beginning. Second, the main criteria I used for ranking shows was my overall judgment of how the band/artist was being received by the audience. Of course, playing music that sounds good is always a plus, but I think that in terms of making my top five live music list, stage presence and the ability to engage a crowd is vital. With that being said, here are my top five shows of 2009.
Flaming Lips live at Marymoor Park on August 21, 2009
In terms of ranking a show, this is my 10/10 gold standard. Wayne Coyne rolled out into the crowd in a giant, human-sized hamster ball. There were costumed animals dancing onstage. Wayne Coyne rode onstage on the back of a man dressed as a gorilla. There was confetti flying out into the crowd who was dancing and singing along with the band. Need I say more? This show was like a huge party that you never wanted to end.
Girl Talk live on the Wookie Stage at Sasquatch 2009 on May 28, 2009
Mashup master Greg Gillis is known for putting on wild shows where he’ll often spend as much time dancing around the stage or crowd surfing as he does behind the turntables. The man loves to have a crowd, and boy does he know how to get them going. He’s known for bringing a chunk of his audience onstage with him, using their energy to fuel his own, and at this particular show, I had the honors of 1) seeing Girl Talk live for the first time, and 2) being onstage with him throughout the entire show. What an experience that was…there’s nothing more exhilarating than being in front of thousands of people.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of arguably one of their best albums, Doolittle, the Pixies put on two stellar sold out shows that had the audience on their feet both singing and rocking along to classic hits including “Here Comes Your Man,” “Tame,” and “Monkey Gone to Heaven,” among many others. It was an honor and a pleasure to see such an influential grunge rock band live. My review of the show can be found here.
Raphael Saadiq at the Bumbershoot Music Lounge on September 9, 2009
When I was a kid, I loved Tony! Toni! Toné!, and today, I am delighted that the former front-man of the group, Raphael Saadiq, continues his solo music career. Recently, he has collaborated with some of my other favorite artists including Joss Stone, Mary J. Blige, and John Legend, and he performed live in Seattle twice this fall. I caught him at the Bumbershoot Music Lounge where he and his band put on a lively show that had the whole audience clapping and dancing along in their seats.
For those of you unfamiliar with the largely popular Seattle salsa dancing scene, this is likely going to be a wild-card band. Children of the Revolution is a seven member local Seattle band fronted by Vassilli, who is originally from Greece. The band has an international flavor in terms of its members and its music, which will often feature lyrics in a mixture of English, Spanish, and sometimes Greek. Perhaps one of the highlights to the band’s rare live shows is the dancing. The band will not only play flamenco and salsa music, but they will dance it for you too. Catch them the next time they play live, or take a salsa lesson from Vassilli through Salsa Con Todo.
Seattle Show Gal is in hot pursuit of undiscovered talent! How many great bands are out there that are slipping through the cracks? Seattle is saturated with so much music, it would be nearly impossible to sift through it all to find the good stuff. The Seattle Show Gal staff is not so proud to think that we can bring you all of it, but we are actively pursuing all different types of acts to give you a pulse on what is going on--right here in Seattle! (See more in "About")
