Favorite Live Shows of 2006

December 13, 2006

I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to attend a huge number of live shows this year and most of them were spectacular. There are a few that stand out though, these are my top 15 shows of the year. Make to sure to follow the read more… link to see the whole list. Enjoy!

15. Nada Surf / Rogue Wave / Inara George The Metro (Chicago)

Inara George was the surprise of this night. Very great performance. Rogue Wave and Nada Surf were solid as expected.

14. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah / Architecture in Helsinki The Vic (Chicago)

Not a huge fan of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah but Architecture in Helsinki made this performance a memorable one.

13. Silversun Pickups / Viva Voce / Headlights Courtyard Cafe (Urbana)

This could have been higher if the sound wasn’t a bit messed up. Silversun Pickups still gave an amazingly energetic performance, Viva Voce were fun to watch although I hadn’t heard their music before and Headlights are always good.

12. Sigur Ros Civic Opera House (Chicago)

I was too far away to see very much but I could listen to the sounds of Sigur Ros filling an opera house forever.

11. The Format / Rainer Maria The Metro (Chicago)

Great show all around. The Format really exceeded expectations and hearing “Dog Problems” live is something I won’t forget.

Click the link to see my top ten!

10. Shearwater / Arrah & the Ferns Courtyard Cafe (Urbana)

Weird pairing, I know. Arrah and the Ferns were very fun and Shearwater gave me shivers during their entire set.

9. Andrew Bird / Martin Dosh Canopy Club (Urbana)

You have to see Andrew Bird. That guy does things with his instruments that no one should be able to.

8. Mates of State / Maria Taylor Canopy Club (Urbana)

Such a fun danceable concert. Mates of State played an amazing set and ended with their cover of These Days. Maria Taylor rocked out a lot harder than I expected.

7. Murder By Death / Margot & The Nuclear So & So’s Canopy Club (Pygmalion Fest)

Both very good live bands. Margot… set the tone with a ton of energy and good musicianship and then Murder By Death’s celloist set the stage on fire.

6. Anathallo / Page France Schuba’s (Chicago)

Page France and Anathallo are an amazing pairing. The venue, the music, new songs by both bands, everything about the night was awesome.

5. Of Montreal / Headlights / Somebody Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin Canopy Club (Pygmalion Fest)

This was the Polyvinyl’s 10th anniversary party and party is the only way to explain it. Headlights had a show of a lifetime (so far) and Of Montreal made this the most danceable night of the year. The new songs of Hissing Fauna… were so amazing live.

4. Beirut / A Hack and a Hacksaw The IMC (Urbana)

Such a huge example of a band exceeding expectations. They gave it everything they had on every song (probably why Zach’s in a hospital for exhaustion now). The whole night felt surreal.
3. The Decemberists Riviera Theatre (Chicago)

The Decemberists put on one of the best shows I think I’ll ever see. The setlist was amazing, and Colin Meloy is such an entertainer. I also got to do my first semi-official show review for Filter’s Tourzine!

2. Pitchfork Fest Union Park (Chicago)

I met so many people, saw so many good bands. Best weekend for music of the year as far as I’m concerned. Highlights include Mountain Goats, Devendra Banhart, Jens Lekmen, Band of Horses and the Futureheads.

1. Belle & Sebastian / New Pornographers Riviera Theatre (Chicago)

Pretty much everyone who saw this show agrees that for Belle & Sebastian it was of their best shows of all time. They played so many classics I wanted to hear (including Lazy Line Painter Jane, Sleep The Clock Around, The State I’m In) and the new songs were unbelievably good live. Nearly every day of the year I’ve been reliving this show in my head, it was just that good. There’s something that’s hard to put into words about it, but this was definitely my favorite night of the year.

Selected MP3’s

MP3 Belle & Sebastian – Dress Up In You
MP3 The Mountain Goats – Woke Up New
MP3 Silversun Pickups – Lazy Eye
MP3 The Format – Dog Problems
MP3 Margot and the Nuclear So & So’s – Skeleton Key
MP3 The Decemberists – The Sporting Life
MP3 Anathallo – Hanaskajijii (Four: A Great Wind, More Ash)
MP3 Beirut – Postcards from Italy
MP3 Headlights – Put Us Back Together
MP3 Shearwater – Seventy-Four, Seventy-Five

Go to Pictures For Kids Who Can’t Read Good for more pictures. I turned 21 yesterday! Yay for me!

Posted by Taylor in Lists, Live