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Shows of the decade

 
The Flaming Lips at the Uptown Theater: They handed out lasers and we played with them. 

Here are a few handfuls (40 in all) of live shows from this decade that I'll never forget. (If I've forgotten something unforgettable, remind  me.) Keep in mind, it's not always about who is playing; it's about the show: the crowd, the performance, the set list, the mood, the transcendence.

No. 1: Radiohead in  St. Louis (August 2003): My favorite show ever.

Records of the decade

 
Neko Case had a pretty good decade, starting with the nearly flawless "Furnace Room Lullaby."

I'm not going to say they're the 50 best albums of the decade; they are 50 of my favorites. Tomorrow: 25 unforgettable shows of the 00s.  Lay your lists on us, if you've got some.

On the way: A Red Dirt hoedown

It'll be Jan. 15, a Friday, at the Beaumont Club. The lineup: Jack Ingram (above), Wade Bowen, Deadman Flats, Jason Boland and the Stragglers, the Deedles, Sam Sliva, Kyle Park, Sons of Bill and Mark McKinney. Doors at 7 p.m. It' s an 18-and-older show.

On the way: Everclear

They'll be at the Midland theater on Jan. 26, a Tuesday. Above, "My Sexual LIfe" (f-bomb alert). The music is all '90s but the slide show screams "Dazed and Confused."

DMB edges Celine in the race for tour gold

Pollstar has posted the Top 50 Tours for the years 2000-09, and at the top of the heap stands the Dave Matthews Band, which grossed more than $529 million after selling more than 11 million tickets in 10 years. Celine Dion finished second, $522 million, but did it the more efficient way: by making most of her fans hit the road to Las Vegas to see her. She earned her half-billion dollars on sales of 4 million tickets. Another note: Paul McCartney answered the question  'Why we do it on the road?': He grossed almost $250 million on sales of 1.4 million tix. Here's a PDF of the list.

Review: Vedera

Photos by Susan Pfannmuller/Special to The Star

If there's a band out there whose career trajectory exemplifies the rewards and vagaries of big-label existence, it's Kansas City's own Vedera, who are property of Epic Records.

Tonight: Get local

If you've seen/heard Organic Proof or any of the Quixotic live performances, you know what a dynamic drummer and spectacular performer Brandon Draper is. Tonight (12-19) he unveils his latest project, Free Band Radio, at Crosstown Station, 1522 McGee.

List-omania: The year in music, in words and photos

 
All photos by Todd Zimmer. They constitute some of his favorite live shows of 2009. Above: Cody Wyoming in the re-creation of "This Is Spinal Tap."

The end-of-year /best-music lists used to be an exercise in consensus-building: from a vast list of lists, certain albums emerged as the unofficial best records of any given year. Not any more. Not only are more records being made than ever, but more listeners have access to them, which means (a) no one has time to listen to everything and (b) even the most devout music fan can overlook some of the better music.

On the way | Doobie Brothers and Chicago

Pollstar says they're coming to Starlight this summer -- July 18, a Sunday. No official word, but it's also on the Doobs' Web site. We'll update with ticket info as we get it.

Canceled: Charlie Daniels Band

It's about time. We hadn't had one in a couple weeks: The Friday night show at the Independence Events Center is off. And if you were planning on following the bus to the next gig in Allen, Texas, on Saturday, make new plans. That one's toast, too.