|
User
Soundoffs 1
News Articles 8
Band Edits + Tags 1
Album Edits 49
Album Ratings 298
Objectivity 73%
Last Active 02-16-11 5:19 am
Joined 09-02-06
Review Comments 1,220
| Saw Godspeed Live This Weekend / Top 25
They were phenomenal, and I feel bad for doubting that they would be. Opening act, KGD, was...not great (it was essentially drone, which is fine if that's your thing; turns out, it's not really mine, at least not in a live setting). But Godspeed killed it, playing a decent blend of the best songs off their latest few albums, then capping things off by performing the Slow Riot for Zero Kanada EP in full, which was goddamn awesome--and even more laudable, in my opinion, for them not really promoting that side of the show, especially with so many bands now blatantly cashing in on anniversaries and nostalgia tours and the like. But hot damn, that final pairing of "Moya" and "BBF3" really nudged this into the upper echelon of live performances for me, and got me thinking about some other concert highlights culled from the better part of the past 15 years, give or take, of my concert-going career. For me, the standouts often come down more to specific songs than shows as a whole (although that's certainly not to denigrate the whole-being-greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts argument, more just to hone in on my own thought process on the matter). I've, ironically, probably (read: certainly) missed quite a few, but what follows is an extremely rough Top 25 of live performances, primarily single songs, with a few exceptions, I can call to mind as standouts. | | 25 | Florence and the Machine
Drum Song
Full disclosure: As you'll see, I have no idea of the dates for a lot of these shows, and often have only a dim recollection of the venue (doesn't help seeing several of these bands on multiple occasions). Not so with Florence. Hard to forget a blazing redhead in billowing dress that resembled more of a parade banner given her energy, only stopping her set-long careen hither, thither, and yon around a stage to play a humongous harp. She opened for U2 at M&T Bank Stadium back in 2011, which was a ticket I pretty much completely lucked into through some last minute back-outs and a family friend. Glad I did. Even not being the biggest U2 fan (more on them in a bit), this was one of the most spectacular (in the sense of it all being such a spectacle) shows I've ever attended, and Florence + The Machine (whom I was honestly more excited to see than U2) definitely did not disappoint. | | 24 | Yeasayer
Madder Red
Played one of the Virgin Festivals, after it had moved from Pimlico to Merriweather but before it was quietly taken out behind the shed and put down (obviously). Was just getting into the band at the time (which was a good time, Odd Blood still representing the peak of their powers), but something about that wordless singalong was instantly infectious, and really livened up an already quite-good set. | | 23 | Steven Wilson
Raider II
Ram's Head Live, must have been late 2011 or early 2012. This one earns its spot almost purely through its audacity. The friend I went with and I had been joking about him playing this nearly half-hour song, and were stunned when they went ahead and launched into it, then kept going and going. Pity for those who weren't familiar, but I hope at least it gained some converts. Flooring. | | 22 | Steve Earle
Way Down in the Hole
Also Ram's Head Live, no idea what year, but I'd guess around 2014 or '15. Some metatextual bias here, but Earle busting out his iconic rendition of the Tom Waits' stomper up onstage in the very city of the series it soundtracked (and my hometown), Baltimore, brought the Wire fan in me to tears. It didn't hurt he had some great (and self-deprecating) stories to tell on either side. | | 21 | Cynic
Wheels within Wheels
I'm pretty confident this was at Sonar, alongside Scale the Summit and Devin Townsend. I'd have to guess 2009, since it was before Re-Traced (and, as such, a recorded version of this song) existed. Again, Cynic's whole set was great, but this song, even being unfamiliar, stood out as a magnificent exemplar of their (even) more tuneful latter-day sound. I also remember how nifty it was that they had their drummer up towards the front of the stage. Guess that's a sore subject these days. | | 20 | Kanye West
Touch the Sky
Closed out what may well have been the final Virgin Festival at Pimlico back in 2008. In all honesty, I missed the majority of his set because he was opposite Nine Inch Nails (which, spoiler: they'll show up a bit later). But given ol' Yeezy's penchant for late starts, still managed to catch the bulk of his by-now iconic drawn-out set-ender, before it had arguably tipped over into the realm of cliche. Even from a remarkable distance, this was an excellent, enthralling end to the evening. | | 19 | The Dear Hunter
Red Hands
This I do remember, but only because it was fairly recently. Played Baltimore Soundstage last December, and this was the first in the four or five times I've seen Casey (either solo or with the gang) that he dusted off this song. Honestly, the performance itself wasn't anything special (meaning, didn't stray too far from the script), but damn if it wasn't captivating, especially with the whole crowd shouting along. Jealousy, infidelity, and heartbreak have rarely felt so anthemic. | | 18 | The National
Fake Empire
Another fairly recent addition, these folks played the Anthem (also, incidentally) last December. Their entire set was actually surprisingly energetic, but it was actually some of the lower-key cuts that had the most impact. Case in point, this relatively subdued Boxer opener, which given its D.C. setting and frequent between-song banter about Trump as context, rivaled even the likes of "Mr. November" for pointed political resonance. | | 17 | Hans Zimmer
Journey to the Line
Played Merriweather Post Pavilion Summer of 2017. I really wasn't even sure what to expect with this, had mainly gotten the tickets as a Father's Day gift for my dad, but yowza, what a show this turned out to be.
Zimmer's globe-spanning assemblage of musicians made a meal out his surprisingly (to me, at least) storied filmography, ping-ponging from the jaunty lilt of Driving Miss Daisy to the iconic, fittingly crowd-pleasing Pirates of the Caribbean suite to the percussive assault of Dark Knight Rises (I know Zimmer gets some flack, much of it justified, for his scores' saminess, but it's interesting to think about the fact that he legitimately made a percussive motif the most recognizable score for a superhero movie). But incidentally, the song that resonated the most was one of his less recognizable. This slow-building cut from the underrated Thin Red Line is a great distillation of what Zimmer does best, trading in simplicity for hard-hitting catharsis. | | 16 | Opeth
Hours of Wealth
Another Ram's Head joint, I want to say this was 2008 or 2009, since they were touring around Watershed. But, as fate would have it, it was a song from their previous record, the justly classic Ghost Reveries, that stole the show for me. It may well have just been the change of pace for the largely pummeling show, but the fantastic showcase for Akerfeldt's clean vocals and guitar that this song dealt up in spades was amazing, and made those harsher moments like "Demon of the Fall" and "Heir Apparent" all the more powerful for the counterpoint provided. | | 15 | Andrew Bird
Anonanimal
Played Virgin Festival in what Google tells me was 2008, which is odd, since I could've sworn it was this cut from 2009's "Anonimal" that won me over. Maybe an early draft? Or I could just be misremembering wholesale. Either way, this was the first I'd seen Bird in a live setting (and hadn't really delved into much of him outside of local college radio prior), and boy was he impressive. Didn't know there were some many things you could do with a violin, from strumming to plucking to, y'know, playing it the normal way. He covered the gamut, and it all came to head here. | | 14 | Cursive
A Gentleman Caller / Staying Alive
Played the Black Cat in D.C. in 2015. One of the anniversary tours I bemoaned in the description, but The Ugly Organ merits it. And beyond that, some songs are just unfairly advantaged when it comes to having an emotional impact. "A Gentleman Caller," a classic in its own right, sets things up impeccably, and the reprise of its homestretch that closes out album-/set-ender "Staying Alive," with the audience "doo-doo-doo"ing along in a daze almost made up the for the mad dash through the snow to the metro that invariably accompanies D.C. shows. | | 13 | Silversun Pickups
The Royal We
Played Firefly Festival in 2016. It was, bafflingly enough, an acoustic set, but one that ended up revealing a pretty interesting new side to the band. It's curious, I feel like one of the biggest drawbacks of festival settings is that you sacrifice personality for variety, almost by necessity. They still brought the thunder on favorites like "Lazy Eye" and (of course) "Panic Switch," but the biggest revelation in the new setting was this song, which landed hard even without the underpinning of propulsive strings that highlight the album version. | | 12 | Thrice
The Earth Will Shake
Played the Recher Theater back when that was still a thing, must have been back in 2011 or 2012, since it was their final tour before the pre-TBEITBN hiatus. This is a fantastic song, regardless, but with its reliance on stomping and gang vocals during the bridge, the live context truly elevates things to another level. | | 11 | John Mayer
Slow Dancing in a Burning Room
Another half-whim of a show, a buddy of mine got tickets for like $20 for the lawn at Jiffy Lube Live. Mayer may be kind of a douche in real life, but I'd be lying if I said he couldn't play some damn fine guitar, and Continuum as a whole--and this song in particular--have always hit a sweet spot for me. The easily twice-as-long live rendition (also, incidentally, the song we left after, in order to beat the traffic) did not disappoint. | | 10 | Manchester Orchestra
Where Have You Been?
Played Firefly 2015. I'd been a fan of the band for a while at this point, but hadn't managed to catch them live, at least not as a full band. You know that thing I said about festivals diminishing personality? Here's the counterargument. Their whole set was a livewire, and maybe it's partially attributable to combination of beer, sun exposure, and finally encountering a band whose setlist I by and large recognized, but this extended take on "Where Have You Been?" complete with extended bridge and altered lyrics at the coda, was a tear-jerker. | | 9 | Between the Buried and Me
White Walls
Played Sonar around the Great Misdirect, so it must have been 2009 or 2010. I've since seen them play Colors in full (there's that hypocrisy again, but man, they haven't lost a step), but what made this more special was that it was pretty unexpected. Even with a fan favorite song like this, it's tough to gauge whether a 15-minute piece can smoothly fit naturally into a set that isn't necessarily tailored around it. But, having been on a renewed Colors kick at the time, the stars aligned for me here, and the blasted that honestly pretty tiny venue to the rafters with this one. | | 8 | Wilco
Impossible Germany
I've honestly not really gotten too deep into Wilco either before or after seeing them perform at Virgin Festival back in 2008. Wow. That was ten years ago. Feeling old. But their song-ending jam session on this cut from Sky Blue Sky (to date, one of the whopping grand total of three Wilco albums I even own) was pretty captivating stuff, even for an ignorant novice like myself. | | 7 | Pianos Become the Teeth
Liquid Courage / Spine
By now, I've probably seen these guys half a dozen times (with another on-deck at WTMD studios next month), but if memory serves, this was at the Ottobar back in 2012 or '13. Especially in the wake of their shift in sound, and the consequential largely phasing-out of older cuts like this from setlists, this memory looms larger and larger as time goes by, even for a convert to the new style like myself. Even more so than fellow Lack Long After cut and compelling shout-along "I'll Get By," this one-two punch of the former track's post-rock-stylized build-up and the latter's shattering, pit-starting catharsis, it's tough to imagine Pianos ever replicating the pure unfettered kinetic impact of this pairing. Still get shivers. | | 6 | U2
Where the Streets Have No Name
M&T Bank in 2011. 360 tour. In spite of myself, I was won over and went along for the ride on this one, even lesser-known songs like "Moment of Surrender" proved stirring. But the best was no doubt this shimmering, mesmerizing classic. They played it pretty straight, but I mean, there's a reason even people who dislike U2 end up tapping their toes to this one, and if ever there were a song befitting booking a goddamned football stadium, this'd be among the topmost ranks. | | 5 | Nine Inch Nails
Echoplex
Playing opposite Kanye at that fateful Virgin Festival, Nine Inch Nails had one of the most visually arresting shows I'd seen up to that point, resplendent with rotating musicians and vibes (literally--they had a vibraphone up there when they busted out some Ghosts cuts on the immediate heels of "March of the Pigs," which, if you want a severe case of musical whiplash, look no further. But what stood out the most was, honestly, not even one of Nine Inch Nails' best songs, but one they turned into an absolute banger, thanks in no small part to building the beat live on-stage (or at least presenting the illusion of doing so) using a stage-wide Wheel of Fortune-esque touchscreen to program the music. Maybe you had to be there. That's fine. I'm sure as hell glad I was. | | 4 | Coheed and Cambria
The Willing Well Suite
A definite cheat here, but it's a tooth-and-nails fight between this and any number of renditions of "In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3," and this stands out for the aplomb and dexterity this career highlight requires. Played it, naturally, as part of the Good Apollo anniversary--sorry, "Neverender" show (again, I'm nothing if not hypocritical), but that show in May 2016 was stem-to-stern incredible, and probably the most I've sweat during and the raspiest my voice has been after a show in years. And the proper set-closing suite brought the thunder, truly epic. | | 3 | Foo Fighters
Everlong
Played Firefly 2014, my first venture up to the Dover Woodlands, so definitely a heavy nostalgia factor at work here. Sort of similar to U2 in a sense, although I'm definitely a bigger fan of Grohl and the boys than Bono and company. But Foo Fighters really made the most out of their set, at one point towards the end leaving the stage and reemerging as a classic rock cover band The Holy Shits, which was pretty amusing in and of itself, but capped off by the final entry into their Stones and Zeppelin featuring mini-stint being "Everlong." Another song that even non-fans have to cop to at least a begrudging affinity for, and it's a testament to Grohl's on-stage presence and charisma that calling one of his own songs "classic rock" felt more authentic than self-aggrandizing. | | 2 | Ben Folds
Not the Same
Audience participation can work wonders. Saw Ben Folds peform with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in, I want to say it was 2008 or 2009, my freshman year of college. At the time, did not know that this is apparently one of Folds' most routine tricks on this song, dividing the crowd into three separate parts for the "choir" piece during the refrain. Honestly, even the song itself hadn't made that much of an impression on me in its studio form. But chalk it up to the setting, the communal aspect of it, or the newly ironic foregrounding of the story's lyrics in conjunction with the literal chorus buttressing them, but this was one of the dual 1) all-too-rare cases where hearing the live version engendered a new appreciation of the album cut and 2) all-too-common cases making me wish I'd known that version better coming in the gate. But hey, it made up for the lack of "Magic" on the setlist, a seemingly pretty evident shoe-in for the orchestral backdrop setting. | | 1 | Andy Hull
Pyotr
Topping things off is actually a lower-key cut, but one that made a profound impact on me. Andy Hull was playing solo acoustic at the Ottobar in 2010, mainly Right Away, Great Captain! tunes and some choice Manchester reinterpretations, with the occasional cover or non-album oddity thrown in. This song, which would eventually end up on Bad Books' second album, was brand new, and an amazing highlight. Musically, it's nothing outstanding, truthfully pretty simplistic. But Andy set the story up thusly, "A conversation between Peter the Great and the disembodied head of the dude he caught messing around with his wife, which he kept in a jar in his study." As it turns out, that's sort of a goofily simplistic summary that doesn't do the emotional impact of this mournful ballad any justice. To this day, one of the most unexpectedly moving concert-going experiences I can recall, one that I hunted down religiously on Youtube for what felt like years before it saw a proper album release. | |
thecheatisnotdead
03.26.18 | Proving just how slapdash this list is, others that came to mind almost instantly after posting it:
-Justin Townes Earle (Steve's son!) playing "Mama's Eyes" at Ram's Head Live years ago, I would guess 2012 or 2013
-Tame Impala blowing the roof off of Firefly 2016 with a one-two punch opener of "Nangs" and "Let It Happen," and continuing to kill it from there
-Mastodon playing "Blood & Thunder" + Clutch playing "Burning Beard" on a double-bill show at Pier Six Pavilion in 2015
-Explosions in the Sky playing "Six Days at the Bottom of the Ocean" at Ram's Head Live Spring 2017
-Thursday playing "Sugar in the Sacrament" at 9:30 Club back in 2010 | oneups
03.27.18 | Solid taste, man. Glad to see a lot of groups who's live performances I've never looked into much seem to throw a great show. Surprised to see Andrew Bird so high and it makes me interested in catching him at some point.
Man I need to get out to some more shows, I've never been able to catch a set I was really into. | thecheatisnotdead
03.27.18 | Yeah, Bird would be worth the trip. I haven't seen him headline anything, but I imagine if he brings the same energy and versatility he did to that festival set to a full-blown show, it'd be well worth it. |
|
