As Dr. Bronner says on his soap label: We’re One! Sure, he meant something else. But in melophobe’s case, we’re celebrating our One-Year Anniversary! As part of this coverage, our humble staff and loyal contributors prepared a look back at our favorite concerts and concert reviews from the first year. Please peruse our paragraphs, and check out the linked-to reviews. You won’t regret it.
You WILL regret NOT clicking through, though. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow . . . but some day . . . . Some day . . . .
Maybe it’s cliche, but the first show melophobe covered - Menomema at the Paradise - is my choice for most memorable for a number of reasons: first, we had quite a few ‘phobe supporters in attendance (heavily saturated with the dise’s finest), second, the band hails from my hometown of Portland, OR, and third, I knew their music well...and really enjoy it (which often helps when you go to a show!). The cherry on the night was when something like 7 of us snuck backstage to bug the bands with nerdy, timid question and reminisce about life out West.
Finding the perfect marriage of opening band to headliner has always been a tricky endeavor (Jimi Hendrix and the Monkees anyone?). We’ve all bided our time through countless insufferable upstarts, and even occasionally decided that someone got the order mixed-up (Brendan Benson opening for Ben Kweller comes to mind). But rarely do we get a night of total aural satisfaction, the ingredients of which are really kind of illusory. How does a newly discovered gem compare with a setlist stacked with old favorites? Well, it turns out that my favorite show of the year, Black Mountain and Bon Iver at the Middle East Upstairs, really had two noteworthy elements. The first was that in both style and substance (and certainly volume), they couldn’t have been a whole lot more disparate. Justin Vernon’s delicate falsetto croon was only magnified by Black Mountain’s unwavering bravado. But most of all, what makes this show stand apart in my mind was that it was basically a double headliner. I really wasn’t looking forward to one set more than the other, I was anticipating the whole show. And truth be told, I probably could have watched them knit and tell ghost stories and come home to gush about it. But seeing as they did actually play music, it helped that the Middle East turned out to be the ideal setting. That tiny room just off the dining area was perfectly suited for the sparse intimacy of Bon Iver and small enough to wonder if Black Mountain’s incessant, plodding rhythms might make the roof collapse. So I guess in this case a truly great show is one that managed to live up to (and maybe even exceed) my lofty expectations. And in a year of memorable shows, that deserves some serious gratitude.
Footnote: As a read back on my review of this show, I see that I actually wasn’t anticipating the Bon Iver set quite as much as I think I was. But just the fact that the show completely altered my impression of how I felt beforehand makes me want to keep to my story even more.
Shara Worden is a true star. When she performed with My Brightest Diamond at Berklee last June, her music, so carefully written and arranged in its recording, sprung to life with her remarkable energy, charm and skill. But there was something about Worden’s performance that went beyond her talent, beyond her charismatic persona—something beautiful and truthful that transcended the evening. I couldn’t put my finger on it. A few days later, I heard a pastor preach about God as a creator and artist—how he recreates his people, sanctifying them, prompting them to respond with their own creation, with hints of his glory. I don’t know Ms. Worden’s spiritual beliefs; based on some of her past and current projects, I assume that faith is important to her. What I do know, however, is that My Brightest Diamond reaches unusual heights of beauty: an overflowing of grace, humility and awe that transcends Ms. Worden. A hint of glory. Unfortunately, I had this little spiritual/artistic "Aha!" after I submitted a rather dry and boring review of the show. My Brightest Diamond is still touring. Don’t miss a chance to see them. Opener Clare & the Reasons is, likewise, impressively charming and enjoyable.
This past year has been an amazing experience, venturing out to see all different types of bands that I wouldn’t normally see and, on the whole, being extremely impressed. So to pick a "best of" makes me feel a little bit disloyal to all the bands I covered. However, looking back, there was one show that did especially stand out. That would be Ghostland Observatory. There is no doubt that their music stands alone as it is undeniably catchy and upbeat, but their unique and seamless performance completely overwhelmed me. After seeing Aaron Behrens dodge lasers while dancing provocatively and his sidekick Thomas Turner hover over the keys in a vampire cape, I have been obsessed. That and the fact that Aaron Behrens looked awfully good in his white leisure pants will always keep me coming back for more.
My favorite experience covering live music for melophobe over the past year--nay, the most sublime experience anyone on the melophobe staff has ever had, excluding perhaps prom and summer camp--was crawling around Pickathon X, a two-day indie roots music festival outside Portland, Oregon in early August. The lineup was a veritable who’s who of the folk/rock/country scene, including, in order of personal preference: Loch Lomond, Crooked Still, the Cave Singers, Trampled By Turtles, the Hackensaw Boys, Justin Townes Earle, the everybodyfields, the Old Believers, and Cross-eyed Rosie. Beyond the fiddling and washboarding, there was the food: fat sausages, fried zucchini, big heaps of salad, free quesadillas for photographers, and this being the Northwest, espresso. Bring a plate of this bounty down among the children dancing in the front row at the big tent, which looks like a paper crane nesting in a meadow. Bring a glass of wine from the icebox backstage, set down your notebook and sit still for a moment listening to Crooked Still’s Aoife O’Donovan crooning through "Did you sleep well?" Yes I did, O’Donovan. And it was better than summer camp.
Over the last year melophobe has witnessed one concert every other day. And yet despite this frenetic pace, a single concert stands out as the best of the year. Seeing Radiohead in St. Louis at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater during the first leg of their North American tour rocked. It may have been the friends in attendance, the seats six rows back or the first experience with their fantastic light show—or it may be that anybody who knows me knew I’d pick this concert even before going as the best of the year. But none of that matters because it was the best for me! You can read my Radiohead review and see Radiohead concert videos on our fancy new site.
In love with all things Asthmatic Kitty, my wife pulled me along to see Cryptacize at the Middle East Upstairs. I really can’t say much stuck with me, even 6 months after the show, with the exception of the opener Spitzer Space Telescope. Listening to his radio show had been a secret pleasure, and this was a wonderfully serendipitous public embrace. I just watched Spitzer (Dan MacDonald) perform for the BU Today Sessions, and it brought back a flood of mythological memories of this concert. Watch and experience songs of fairylands with multiple moons and the river Styx, sung while flailing his guitar past three mics, to see what captures my attention. Spitzer Space Telescope is earnest music, with a panache that vanishes any touch of ironic self-awareness. Come join the merry celebration, and renew your faith in folk music: Wednesday, November 19, at the Middle East Upstairs.
The classic dilemma of new versus old raged through me as I struggled to choose a "favorite concert" of the year. But in the end, the old remained ever-dear while the new took the crown. The Bloodsugars, a band I had no previous knowledge of prior to entering the Mercury Lounge in August, captivated me with their energetic, heartfelt performance. Smiling and dancing, they embraced the audience like they would family, which, indeed, many audience members were. The ultimate testament to their talent is their ability to create music that is memorable. Despite my best efforts, for weeks after the concert I couldn’t rid myself of the song "Cinderella". On my way to work, walking the dog, at the gym, playing the guitar: the song accompanied everything I did. It became my soundtrack on constant repeat. But even more importantly, everywhere I went I was smiling, remembering the creative lyrics, mulleted head banging, and Ricky Martin dance moves.
Probably the best show I covered for melophobe was the New York Wolf Parade Show at Terminal 5 on July 30, 2008. First off, you can’t beat Terminal 5. It’s enormous, but well laid-out so views are reasonable and you never really feel too far away from the stage. Plus, the multiple floors help. Wolf Parade was everything I had hoped they’d be. They were tight, playful, confident, and had an amazing, edgy, angsty live sound that was perfect for late July in NYC. The audience was an undulating mass of Brooklyn and the LES and NYU kids, but even with the jam-packed crowd, everyone was all smiles and screams and pumping fists and cheering. And then, released into a thankfully cool evening, it took several long hours to fully recover, ears ringing, legs tired from leaning out or standing on tiptoes to catch shots, voice raw and ragged from screaming. Then it was just a glorious night in New York.
Earlier this year the Boredoms streaked across pop music’s fetid pools, over cynical critics like myself, past the crumbled towers of the Greats, resting in psychedelic pseudo-solemnity, and flashed for one tiny instant in Seattle, causing me to see sun spots for the rest of the year. Although there are still a lot of people around who don’t believe this crap, seeing the Boredoms on their journey into the sun cemented them in my mind as both imposibly mythic and intensely human. As eYe said, "Boredoms are like a moon on a lake. Only there is no moon and no lake. Only Boredoms." Frankly, it set the bar too high for the rest of the year.
While the Reverend Horton Heat put on a psychotic performance which rocked and riled the Showbox SoDo to near institutionalization, and while the Rock the Bells festival took me on a 10% nostalgic, 90% thug-life adventure through 20 years of real hip-hop, I would still have to pass them over for "best show of the year." They were good, yes. They were great even. But for 2008, the gem that is lodged firmly in the palm of my hand is the performance NOMO put on at Nectar. The Afro-beat stylings of Ann Arbor–based front man Elliott Bergman, were reminiscent of Fela Kuti and his progeny, Seun and Femi. NOMO was by far the most mentally engrossing show this year. If you get a chance to see them, don’t pass it up.
After weeks of trying to secure passes to the ultra-sold-out Yeasayer/MGMT show at Great Scott, I had succeeded: Adam Hawkins and I were on the guestlist and ready to rock! My work wasn’t done though. Due to a last minute list change, Adam’s name didn’t quite make it on. After haggling with the doormen, we both made it inside Great Scott’s cramped confines. And boy was it worth it. Hearing tracks from Yeasayer’s All Hour Symbals performed live made me absolutely giddy, and Chris Keating’s frenetic, emotional stage presence was exciting and infectious. MGMT couldn’t match Yeasayer’s energy, but their set was tight and fun, adding depth to an album I’d quite enjoyed. They capped the show with positively silly stage antics whist performing the ultra-catchy "Kids."
he is amazing bro his style can not be touched....some people dont know what he is talking about caz u dont do what he does he is sickkk bra
by dylyn on Thu Mar 18, 2010 at 11.59 am from the entry: Wiz Khalifa: Burn After Rolling (Mixtape)
Wow,Great post.Thanks for sharing with us. land wi
by wisconsin land on Thu Mar 18, 2010 at 09.53 am from the entry: of Montreal + Gang Gang Dance - Orpheum Theatre (Boston, MA; Oct. 30, 2008)
Ugh. Paste’s profile of Free Energy made me kind of hate them. So does your review. It’s this unctuous defense of good-time rock-and-roll ("we’re just here to party, and we’re awesome!") that seems more self-serving than fun-loving.
by beth on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 09.41 pm from the entry: Foreign Born + Free Energy - The Knitting Factory (Brooklyn, NY; Mar. 12, 2010)
that inescapable feeling you are referring to, is that like when you hear something and you could have sworn you heard it before because of the nostalgic catchy quality? or is is like when you’ve heard a band exactly like said band?
great post by the way!
by paul on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 03.15 pm from the entry: The Novel Ideas - "The Sky Is A Field" - Borrow It
Whoa! I had no idea she was enegaged. You would never know with the way she behaves! Wow!
by art on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 09.48 am from the entry: Nikki Darlin and John McCauley: 1+1=1
This comment stream is so meta. Great review Kelly.
by chris on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 07.50 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
no prob. The whole album is excellent, combining some of the harder sonics of Los Angeles with the meat of his debut and obviously difficult to summarize in only 50 words… 
I’d say it’s on par with the debut, but better than Los Angeles.
by kelly on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.23 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
what a year it was! Here’s to many more…