Concerts. I've been to a few. Ok, more than a few. More like 50-ish. There's that 50 number again; I'm OCD for evenly-numbered large groups even when I'm not trying to be. I'm just that good. But not good enough to come up with a top 10, which is really a rather sad state of affairs. However, concerts are influenced by a number of outside factors such as what kind of day the performer was having, what kind of day I was having, the weather, the venue, etc. So it's not to say that artists whose concerts didn't make the cut are bad performers or otherwise suck in some way, it's just that that particular show won't be one that will still be with me in old age when I need a "when I was your age story." Herewith, the top 5 shows I attended this year, along with some runners-up, because I don't want to be stingy with the love just because I can't come up with a round number.
1. Calvin Harris, Bowery Ballroom, 4/28. Calvin may be the one artist who I would love seeing live every time no matter what. He's 6'5". He's Scottish. He can't really sing. He puts on a hell of a show. I was right up against the stage and just to the side of center for this one and I jumped myself silly. Burns was the opening DJ, and he was great. I danced to his set while there were like 15 people in the whole venue. Calvin's beats are tight. He needs to come stateside more often. As cool as it was to see him open for the Chemical Brothers in Trafalgar Square, being about 5 feet from him was way better.
2. Jamie Lidell, Bowery Ballroom, 6/9. I was already digging his CD, but seeing Jamie Lidell live solidified him as one of my favorite artists of the year. He had a live band. He had a huge mixing board. He has a fantastic voice. And he parodied Daft Punk and Cher while using Autotune. The freestyle bit of the show using the mixing board was the best. He is excellent at constructing beats on the fly. It was mesmerizing to watch and even better to listen to.
3. Hercules & Love Affair, Studio B, 5/17. This show had disaster written all over it. The friend who was supposed to go with me bailed at the last minute, and shockingly there was not really anyone else I could go to Greenpoint to see a disco band on a rainy Saturday night at the last minute. I managed to find the venue, found a good place to stand, and then stood for a really long time. I think I got there at 11. The band went on at 1. Granted, the opening DJs, Horsemeat Disco (from London!) were awesome, and the people watching was tops, but really: starting at 1? Clearly it was all worth it. It was H&LA's first live performance ever and they rocked. I got the feeling that I was privileged enough to be witnessing the start of something big. Now that Studio B will probably be closing, it even seems a bit more special.
And did I mention the people watching? I think my favorite moment of the evening was when some guy tried to walk on to the sunken dance floor through the metal bar that I was standing in front of. The venue was dark, but not dark enough to mask the fact that the people on the other side of me were about 3 feet shorter. This was made more humorous by the fact that several other people tried the same feat. C'mon people, how much did you drink? Or are hipsters just that dumb?
4. The Subways, Blender Theater, 7/25. Perhaps this show was enhanced by the thrills of a young romance, but it was also just a good old-fashioned rock show. My friend Ben, who produces films in the UK (Woking and London, to be exact), had produced some live concert videos for The Subways, so I was vaguely familiar with them. When I saw they were coming through New York, I figured I might as well check them out so I could send a report across the pond. They are a really fun three-piece. The lead singer is very British (i.e. quite wild due to too much beer -- lots of jumping around and screaming), and the fact that they've got a female bass player who also chimes in on vocals is quite cool. The crowd was very into the show, which is always a plus. Also, they sound British -- the accent comes through in the singing, which seems rare these days. The lighting for this show was awesome as well. It was one of those shows that made me wish I had minored in lighting so that set/stage design would be a viable career option. The openers were a NYC band called The Postelles. They were decent enough for me to buy their EP.
5. The Sweet Divines, Joe's Pub, 12/18. I got into the Divine's when they opened for Eli "Paperboy" Reed & The True Loves at Union Hall in February. Since then, I saw them a few more times, and even ran into their bandleader, JB Flatt, at the James Hunter show (Blender Theater, 6/11) . This performance at Joe's Pub was definitely the girls at their best. Even their outfits were semi-flattering. Of course it didn't hurt that Eli was there to DJ old soul 45s beforehand and then joined the girls for two songs during their set. When the girls were done with their stuff, they were joined by Howard Tate, whom I had never heard of. But apparently he sang soul music back in the day. He was decent, but I'll take Eli any day. Seeing the Divines open for Eli was my second show in the city this year, and seeing them headline at Joe's was my last. There's a nice symmetry in that.
Runners-up:
The Police, MSG, 8/7. The Police live for the last time ever. Supporting public television. Enough said.
Eli "Paperboy" Reed & The True Loves, Madison Square Park, 6/9. All 5 times I saw these boys they were fab. They get me dancing every time. Who cares that I nearly passed out at this show due to the extreme heat, Eli seemed to be the happiest and most comfortable I had ever seem him up to this point. And they did my favorite song, which they haven't even recorded yet. And I had just seen them the night before opening for The Slackers, which really made no sense as a bill for that evening.
Huey Lewis & The News, Seaside Park, 8/21. The man is a legend. How could I pass up an opportunity to see these folks for 5 bucks? Clearly I couldn't. Well worth the trip to Conney Island.
Ted Leo, Market Hotel, 12/15. [Insert "I Survived Bushwick" bumper sticker here]. Walking 3-4 poorly lit blocks to a coffee shop to buy a ticket. Hanging out in KFC to kill time. An interesting loft space with an unmarked door. Somebody's iPod with an awesome playlist instead of a warm up DJ. A 1.5 to 2 hour set with lots of great stories and covers from Ted Leo. Priceless.
