Friday, December 21, 2007

Top 5 Concert Lists!

bloggers
Here they are folks the top 5 shows of 07. You've decided what the best 5 shows were and the one worst show of 2007. Let's see what you've brought to the table. I tried to do guy/girl every other top 5.

Craig M (The Godfather)

1. Arctic Monkeys - May 7th - First Avenue
From The Kinks to The Jam to Blur/Oasis the crown is passed on - wear it well.
2. Jamie T and The Pacemakers - September 19 - Seventh Street Entry
Young, enthusiastic UK singer/songwriter and 2007 Mercury Prize nominee has all of the talent to challenge Alex Turner of the Monkeys. Watch out!
3. Klaxons - April 17 - Seventh Street Entry
2007 UK Mercury Prize winners played a superior and energized set compared to their later and weary (due to heavy touring) show in September at The Varsity Theater.
4. Kaiser Chiefs - April 22 - Trocaderos
Classic Brit-pop champs did not disappoint and Ricky Wilson put on a fun, enthusiastic, and memorable set. The gold-plated bathroom faucets and intelligent wine selection were a nice touch at this venue.
5. Great Northern/Robbers on High Street - November 17 - Seventh Street Entry
Pure pop bliss in the Entry. Great Northern from California played a brilliant set with echoes of the late, departed Delgados reverberating around the walls. The Robbers version of "Dead End Street" was the single best cover of any Kinks song I have heard any band perform live.
WORST SHOW
1. Amy Winehouse - May 2 - The Varsity Theater
Standing front and center in the first row at the Twin Cities best music venue, it was soon painfully and crystal clear to me that one of this decades most talented UK singers was bored and counting down the minutes when she and her boyfriend (now husband) could take off together to enjoy the Minneapolis nightlife. After the show while ten of her most fervent fans waited for over an hour and a half for the chance of an autograph, Amy and her boyfriend walked briskly through the main floor and out the door to her waiting car. Not stopping, eyes downcast, not smiling and not acknowledging anyone. Not even a head nob -pretty sad. It's really too bad but this is an artist that does not appear to enjoy performing live.



Ms. Jen Crushtaxi

1. damien rice (9/4 state theater, minneapolis)
2. manchester orchestra (11/7 varsity theater, minneapolis)
3. butch walker (11/23 maxwell's, hoboken NJ : 4/15 fineline, minneapolis : 3/30 TLA philadelphia PA)
4. tokyo police club/white rabbits/the virgins (10/9 7th street entry, minneapolis)
5. the editors (9/12 fineline, minneapolis)
6. muse (8/4 lollapalooza, chicago)

honorable mentions:
- augustana (1/22 fineline, minneapolis)
- film school/land of talk (11/3 400 bar, minneapolis)
- lovedrug/straylight run/sparta (6/12 station 4, st. paul)

favorite local show of the year:
- white light riot/this world fair/the alarmists/ari herstand - unknown order show (11/16 varsity theater, minneapolis)

biggest let downs of the year:
- bright eyes (4/25 state theater, minneapolis)
- peter, bjorn and john (8/5 lollapalooza, chicago)


Erik T (The Legend)

1.Arcade Fire w/St. Vincent-Chicago Theatre, May 18th
One of my favorite bands, playing a beautiful theatre in one of my
favorite cities, on my birthday. It doesn’t get much better than
that- and in 2007, it didn’t. A brilliant show (and the next two nights
weren’t bad, either.)




2.The National w/Shapes and Sizes & Talkdemonic-400 Bar,June 8th
Touring behind my favorite release of 2007, ‘Boxer,’ The National
filled the 400 Bar with their grand tales of loneliness, liquor and
love. Probably the last time I’ll see them in such a tiny club-their fanbase keeps growing, and deservedly so.




3.Ryan Adams & The Cardinals-Cedar Cultural Center, June 18th

An intimate, stripped down show that really was all about Ryan’s voice- which never sounded better. A nice intro to ‘Easy Tiger,’ which came out the following week. On this night, Ryan was just a singer (his recent skateboarding accident kept
him from playing guitar) not a prima-donna (see below).


4.Bright Eyes w/ Oakley Hall-State Theatre, April 25th
From the flowery revival-like stage set, to the art projections on
the backdrop, to the crisp white suits worn by the band, this show
was a true spectacle from start to finish. Conor was engaging,
entertaining, and he sang his heart out to an adoring audience.

5.Battles-Triple Rock, July 11th I seem to really enjoy shows that start after midnight, I don’t knowwhy (yeah, I do.) But these guys brought the ruckus that evening,making noises I’ve never heard a band make. It was the sound of music
from the future blending with jazz fusion from the past. Unlike
anything I’ve ever heard before or since (until I saw them again at
the Fine Line.)




Worst Show of 2007

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals-State Theatre, September 27th
A sold out theatre was ‘treated’ to barely over an hour of music
with no encore and way too much complaining about the sound from the temperamental frontman. A real shame, considering how superb the Cedar show was. Considering I paid $40+ per ticket for the show,I and everyone else there, felt cheated. One of the only low points to an otherwise stellar year of live music.




Kristen NYC DJ

1. Band of Horses - Terminal 5
2. Interpol - Coachella & Rochester
3. Jim James (MMJ)- Revenge of the bookeaters concert - Beacon Theater.
4. Ra Ra Riot (opener for Tokyo Police Club) - The Bowery Ballroom
5. Yonder String Mountain Band - The Filmore at Irving Plaza


Worst: Bob Dylan Jones Beach Theater



Pat 0.

1. Peter, Bjorn and John with Fujiya & Miyagi and Au Revoir, Simone, First Avenue (5/9/2007)
2. Fujiya & Miyagi w/Dirty on Purpose, 7th Street Entry (October)
3. The National w/St. Vincent, Fine Line (October)
4. Lunch Show 5: STNNNG, Signal To Trust and FT (The Shadow Government), and lunch of course. 7th Street Entry (11/17/2007)
5. The Black Keys, Fine Line (July)




Brody (The Founder)

1. Peter Bjorn and John/The Clientele @ 1st ave

2. The Cribs @ The Turf Club

3. Arctic Monkeys @ First Ave

4. Razorlight @ The Varsity

5. Editors @ The Fineline




Worst Show

Emily Haines @ The Varsity

Thanks to all that sent their lists in. Check the concert calender to see what events are coming up over the holidays and into 2008.