Today I'm going to continue my 'Best of 2010' stuff by listing the best concerts I went to this year. While I didn't get to go see everyone I wanted to (i.e. Mastodon and Baroness), I still managed to catch some sweet shows.
Before I begin, I'll go ahead and confirm my suspicions from yesterday. I did indeed see Black Swan last night and it was phenomenal to say the least. The story was incredibly written and Natalie Portman's performance was fantastic. I bought every second of it. I was surprised about how downright creepy the movie was. Horror movies generally don't phase me, but this one had me jumping out of my seat numerous times. I think it's cus you can run away from Jason or Mike Myers (debatably) but you can't run away from your own mind. Freaky, right? Anyway, I'm not sure if it clenched my number one spot away from Toy Story 3, but it's damn close to say the least.
Now back to our feature presentation.
Runner Up: Punch Brothers at the IU Auditorium
5. Dave Matthews Band - Verizon Music Center
Ok, so technically I am not a Dave Matthews band fan. I only attended this concert because a group of my friends were going and I was essentially pressured into going. That being said, I had a great time at this concert for two reasons. First was because there was a massive thunder storm before/during the show that absolutely drenched everyone not under the pavilion. Which included me. My leather belt from that concert is still warped beyond repair. Second reason was because everyone in the band is an extremely talented musician. I spent the majority of the show marveling at the band's drummer. DMB definitely knows how to put on a show. Still not a fan of their music though.
4. Best Coast - Culture Shock
This concert served as my introduction to Best Coast. I had heard the name before but always figured they were too hipster for me. (Don't get me started on hipsters.) But I heard they were coming to Culture Shock this year so I thought I'd check them out since the festival is free. I was delightfully surprised by the band, who instantly made me a fan.
3. Chiche Libre, Khaira Arby, Funkadesi - Lotus Festival
Lotus is always a blast. There's always a great diversity of artists that bring all sorts of sounds and styles that I have never before. Kinda makes me feel like I'm listening to the Mars Volta. Failed attempts at humor aside, 2010's lineup was no different. Chiche Libre kicked off the show with a huge band. Khaira Arby's desert rock blew me away. They had a phenomenal guitarist that played it unlike anything I have heard before. Funkadesi was just one big party. Needless to say, I can't wait for next year's Lotus.
Ok, I'm kinda cheating with this entry as I didn't technically attend the show. Or rather, I wasn't allowed in. But me and my friends did everything we could to experience these bands as much as possible. We have been getting really into sludge metal this year, so we had to at least give it a shot. Since we aren't allowed into bars yet, we had to improvise. We were able to partially see the Torche and Kylesa from the front window and door and at one point we went around back where we could hear the bands very well. When High on Fire was taking the stage, me and one of my buddies decided to go for it and try to sneak in. High on Fire has become one of my favorite bands over this year and we had to take the chance. We entered the Bluebird's side door while Kylesa was taking their gear out and walked into the crowd casually. We had officially snuck into the Bluebird. ...for about 10 seconds. To our dismay, a bouncer asked us where our tickets were, and we promptly replied "Outside" and left. Hey, at least we tried. Nevertheless, we could still hear High on Fire's performance and it was brutal as always. Despite our defeat, we met Matt Pike, HoF's frontman and guitarist. He was hanging outside during the other bands and had a chance to listen to him for a bit. Awesome.
1. Them Crooked Vultures - Murat Theatre
What is there to say about this band that hasn't been said already. Them Crooked Vultures brings together the absolute best of all the members' original bands. What blew me away is how well these guys mesh together. On their album, there's some pretty complex stuff, and I wasn't sure if they would pull it off live or just play something simpler instead. But they played the hell out of it. Dave Grohl earned some cred in my book for how awesome his performance was (I knew he was a good drummer, but not that good, yeesh) and also for not being as much of a pompous showman as he is when I saw him with the Foo Fighters (I love you Dave, but stay behind the drumkit). John Paul Jones can still rock it even though Led Zeppelin hasn't been around for 40ish years. Last but not least, Josh Homme continues to blow me away with his guitar work and just being a badass frontman.
Well, there you have it. Stay tuned for my next year-in-review installment. It'll most likely be my favorite songs of the year, cus I still can decide on the order for my top albums of the year.
Until then, stay fresh.
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