The Foo Fighters show at Sprint Center in September was a favorite in 2011.
We’re approaching year’s end, which means it’s time for our annual avalanche of end-of-year lists.
Eminem and Kanrocksas got some love in the end-of-year lists.
As has been the case for the last several years, no consensus emerges from the nearly three dozen lists here. However, a few names do appear several times, such as: the Decemberists, M83, St. Vincent, Bon Iver, PJ Harvey, Tom Waits and the Tune-Yards. Also, keep in mind that most of the albums and shows (mine included) are listed in no particular order. Please feel welcome to share your favorites.
You can hear 20 tracks from some of the artists listed below by going here.
Timothy Finn, pop music writer, The Star
Favorite albums
The Wilders, “The Wilders”
Thee Oh Sees, “Carrion Crawler/The Dream”
Tom Waits, “Bad As Me”
The Decemberists, “The King Is Dead”
David Kilgour & the Heavy Eights, “Left By Soft”
Mr. Marco’s V7, “Sparkin’ Your Mama”
Wilco, “The Whole Love”
Lykke Li, “Wounded Rhymes”
M83, “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming”
The Hearers, “In Dreamlife”
Favorite shows
Paul Simon at the Midland
Peter Gabriel at Starlight Theatre
Wild Flag at RecordBar
Wilco and Nick Lowe at the Uptown Theater
Midcoast Cares: A Benefit for Joplin at Crosstown Station
Top of the Bottoms Masquerade Ball at Crosstown Station
Arcade Fire at Starlight Theatre
Middle of the Map Fest in Westport
Foo Fighters at the Sprint Center
Kanrocksas festival
Steely Dan at Starlight Theater
Vicente Fox at Sprint Center
Katy Perry at Sprint Center
Guns 'N Roses at Sprint Center
Lily Tomlin at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Bill Brownlee, contributing reviewer, music blogger (Plastic Sax, There Stands the Glass)
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, “Race Riot Suite”
F****d Up, “David Comes to Life”
Joe Lovano & Us 5, “Bird Songs”
Shabazz Palaces, “Black Up”
Tech N9ne, “All 6’s and 7’s”
Bill Frisell & Vinicius Cantuaria, “Lagrimas Mexicanas”
Lil Wayne, “Tha Carter IV”
Ambrose Akinmusire, “When the Heart Emerges Glistening”
Jill Scott, “The Light of the Sun”
The Get Up Kids, “There Are Rules”
Noah Homola, contributing reviewer
Kanrocksas festival, first day (featuring Eminem)
Ryan Adams, “Ashes and Fire”
The Joy Formidable, “The Big Roar”
Spotify coming to the United States
Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” selling for 99 cents on Amazon (and crashing the server)
Zoa Jesus, “Conatus”
Fleet Foxes, “Helplessness Blues”
Jane’s Addiction at Livestrong Park (second half of show only)
Ryan Adams, “Lucky Now” (song)
Wilco, “The Whole Love”
Joel Francis, contributing reviewer
Black Keys, “El Camino”
The Roots, “Undun”
Hanni el Khatib, “When the Guns Come Out”
Stalley, “Lincoln Way Nights”
Big K.R.I.T, “Return of 4Eva”
M83, “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming”
Raphael Saadiq, “Stone Rollin’”
TV on the Radio, “Nine Types of Light”
Wild Flag, “Wild Flag”
Wilco, “The Whole Love”
Derek Donovan, contributing reviewer
Gary Numan, “Dead Son Rising”
The Young Professionals, “9:00 to 17:00, 17:00 to Whatever”
EMA, “Past Life Martyred Saints”
Ana Calvi, “Ana Calvi”
Human League, “Credo”
Teddybears, “Devil’s Music”
PJ Harvey, “Let England Shake”
Tune-Yards, “Whokill”
The Weekend, “House of Balloons”
Battles, “Gloss Drop”
Jeneé Osterheldt, columnist, The Star
The Weekend, “House of Balloons”
Adele, “21”
Jay-Z and Kanye West, “Watch the Throne”
Kanye West, “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”
Kendrick Lamar, “Section 80”
Mary J. Blige, “My Life II: The Journey Continues”
Ti Ron & Ayomari, “Sucker for Pumps”
The Roots, “Undun”
Stik Figa & D/Will, “Crown & Coke”
Greg Enemy, “Xtra Small”
Les Izmore, “The Granny Smith Theorem”
Chris Haghirian, Ink magazine
Bon Iver, “Bon Iver”
Beirut, “The Rip Tide”
M83, “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming”
The Low Anthem, “Smart Flesh”
Frank Turner, “England Keep My Bones”
William Elliott Whitmore, “Field Songs”
Zola Jesus, “Conatus”
Spirit Is the Spirit, “Mother Mountain”
Florence & the Machine, “Ceremonials”
Wye Oak, “Civilian”
Jenny Kratz, contributing reviewer
Washed Out, “Within and Without”
PJ Harvey, “Let England Shake”
Girls, “Father, Son, Holy Ghost”
St. Vincent, “Strange Mercy”
Fleet Foxes, “Helplessness Blues”
Wye Oak, “Civilian”
Tune-Yards, “Whokill”
Yuck, “Yuck”
Lykke Li, “Wounded Rhymes”
Bon Iver, “Bon Iver”
Steve Wilson, Kief’s Music in Lawrence and contributing reviewer
Lykke Li, “Wounded Rhymes”
EMA, “Past Life Martyred Saints”
Wire, “Red Barked Tree”
New York Dolls, “Dancing Backward in High Heels”
Eleanor Friedberger, “Last Summer”
White Flag, “White Flag”
PJ Harvey, “Let England Shake”
Raphael Saadiq, “Stone Rollin’”
Vaccines, “What Did You Expect From the Vaccines”
Jack Oblivian, “Rat City”
Mike Dillon, musician (Dead Kenny Gs, Mike Dillon’s Go-Go Jungle)
Flaming Lips and Primus at Red Rocks
Aloke Dutta, solo tabla at Blue Nile in New Orleans
Fishbone at Voodoo Festival, New Orleans
Mike Watt, “Hyphenated Man”
Battles, “Gloss Drop”
Tune-Yards, “Bizness” (song)
Odd Future, “Golf Wang Kill Them All”
James Brown, “Motherlode”
Bad Brains, “My favorite all-night YouTube binge”
The Allison Miller Quartet at Jazzfestival Saalfelden
Shannon Schlappi, co-founder, Locker Partner and Rockdex
Bon Iver, “Bon Iver”
Doomtree, “No Kings”
M83, “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming”
Yuck, “Yuck”
James Blake, “James Blake”
F*****d Up, “David Comes to Life”
TV on the Radio, “Nine Types of Light”
Lana Del Ray, “Video Games”
Digitalism, “I Love You Dude”
Little Dragon, “Ritual Union”
John Velghe, songwriter/musician
Glen Campbell, “Ghost on the Canvas”
Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, “Rare Bird Alert”
Raphael Saadiq, “Stone Rollin’”
Wilco, “The Whole Love”
The Feelies, “Here Before”
Steve Earle, “I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive”
The Hearers, “In Dreamlife”
Buffalo Tom, “Skins”
Krystle Warren, singer/songwriter
Lisa Hannigan, “Passenger”
Scott Matthews, “What the Night Delivers”
Joan As Police Woman, “The Deep Field”
Teddy Thompson, “Bella”
Cassorla, “Plastic EP”
Lana Del Rey, “Video Games”
Kliph Scurlock, drummer, Flaming Lips
Gruff Rhys, “Hotel Shampoo”
Deerhoof, “Deerhoof vs. Evil”
H. Hawkline, “The Strange Uses of Ox Gall”
Euros Child, “Ends”
Boris (trilogy), “Attention Please” / “Heavy Rocks” / “New Album”
The Hearers, “In Dreamlife”
St. Vincent, “Strange Mercy”
Jonny, “Jonny”
Grouper, “Dream Loss”/“Alien Observer”
Red Fang, “Murder in the Mountains”
Jim Kilroy, music promoter
Kanrocksas festival
VooDoo Lounge
Celebrating 25 years in Kansas City music scene
The Battle for Freakers Ball
The Elvis Birthday Bash
Brian McKnight at Uptown Theater
Guns N’ Roses at the Sprint Center
The band Red Line Chemistry
Terrence Moore, musician (American Catastrophe, the Silver Maggies)
Other Lives, “Tamer Animals”
Tom Waits, “Bad As Me”
Bright Eyes, “The People’s Key”
The Roots, “Undun”
Radiohead, “The King of Limbs”
Wilco, “The Whole Love”
Wye Oak, “Civilian”
Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi, “Rome”
Mary Fortune, “Mary Fortune”
Hermon Mehari, musician (Diverse)
Jay-Z and Kanye West at the Sprint Center
Eminem at Kanrocksas
“Diverse Plays Michael Jackson” at RecordBar
Top of the Bottoms Masquerade Ball at Crosstown Station
Les Izmore, “The Granny Smith Theorem”
Ambrose Akinmusire, “When the Heart Emerges Glistening”
Jay-Z and Kanye West, “Watch the Throne”
Frank Ocean, “Novacane” (song)
Gretchen Parlato, “The Lost and Found”
Jay-Z and Kanye West, “**** in Paris” (song)
Troy Van Horn, musician (the Depth and Whisper)
The Decemberists, “The King Is Dead”
Opeth, “Heritage”
Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, “Scandalous”
The Cyrillic Typewriter, “The Cyrillic Typewriter”
King Krule, “King Krule”
The Rosebuds, “Loud Planes Fly Low”
K.D. Lang and the Siss Boom Bang, “Sing It Loud”
Boston Spaceships, “Let It Beard”
Unknown Mortal Orchestra, “Unknown Mortal Orchestra”
Blotted Science, “The Animation of Entomology”
Rick Willoughby, musician (Barclay Martin Ensemble, Quixotic Fusion)
Paul Simon at the Midland
The Civil Wars, “Barton Hollow”
Mumford and Sons at Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival
Rebolution at Wakarusa
Buckethead at Wakarusa
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings at Wakarusa
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals at Wakarusa
Thievery Corporation at Wakarusa
Ghostland Observatory at Wakarusa
Marching Fourth Marching Band at the Pageant, St. Louis
Mike Myers, musician (the Olivetti Letter, String and Return)
Low, “C’mon”
St. Vincent, “Strange Mercy”
Baby Teardrops, “ X Is for Love”
Cut Copy, “Zonoscope”
Earth, “Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light”
The Field, “Looping State of Mind”
Toro y Moi, “Underneath the Pine”
Sufjan Stevens, “The Age of Adz”
Talib Kweli, “Gutter Rainbows”
Washed Out, “Within and Without”
Blake Young, Hunt Industries (promoter)
Rival Schools, “Pedals”
Foo Fighters, “Wasting Light”
Maritime, “Human Hearts”
The Lonely Forest, “Arrows”
Scorpios, “Scorpios”
Mastodon, “The Hunter”
Samiam, “Trips”
Blink 182, “Neighborhoods”
The Joy Formidable, “The Big Roar”
Face to Face, “Laugh Now, Laugh Later”
Steve Tulipana, musician, co-owner of RecordBar
David Lynch, “Crazy Clown Time”
Tinariwen, “Tassili”
Lykke Li, “Wounded Rhymes”
M83, “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming”
Various, “Music From Saharan Cellphones (Kickstarter project)
Gotye, “Somebody That I Used to Know (feat. Kimbra)” (song)
Milagres, “Glowing Mouth” (song)
Minden, “Gold Standard” (video)
Hammerlord, “Tombstone Piledriver” (video)
Sade at the Sprint Center
Kenn Jankowski, musician (Republic Tigers)
Hooray for Earth, “True Loves”
Bombay Bicycle Club, “A Different Kind of Fix”
Other Lives, “Tamer Animals”
Diego Garcia, “Laura”
Wild Beats, “Smother”
“Drive” (soundtrack)
When Saints Go Machine, “Konkylie”
The Ladybug Transistor, “Clutching Stems”
Violens, “Nine Songs”
Metronomy, “The English Riviera”
Mike McCoy, musician (Cher UK)
Moonlight Towers, “Day Is the New Night”
Dale Watson, “The Sun Sessions”
Megafauna, “Larger Than Human”
My Morning Jacket, “Circuital”
Nikki Lane, “Walk of Shame”
Nick Lowe, “The Old Magic”
Girl in a Coma “Exits and All the Rest”
The Goondas, “Chud” (7-inch EP)
The Limousines, “Get Sharp”
The Magnolias, “Pop the Lock”
Kasey Rausch, singer/songwriter
Howard Iceberg & the Titanics, “Welcome Aboard”
Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, “The Harrow and the Harvest”
Big Smith, “Kin”
The Wilders, “The Wilders”
Loretta Lynn at the Ameristar casino
Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson at the Music Hall
Howard Iceberg tribute at Crosstown Station
A Tribute to “Exile on Main St.” at Crosstown Station
Hot Tuna Blues at Johnson County Community College
Taylor Swift at Arrowhead Stadium
“Quitting my day job to make music”
Michael Edmondson, co-owner Crossroads KC
Elvis Costello at Crossroads KC
Tedeschi Trucks Band at Crossroads KC
Snoop Dogg with Hearts of Darkness at Crossroads KC
My Morning Jacket at the Uptown Theater
Wilco with Nick Lowe at the Uptown
Jay-Z/Kanye West at the Sprint Center
Guns N’ Roses at the Sprint Center
Def Leppard/Heart at the Sprint Center
Eminem at the Kanrocksas festival
Cherokee Rock Rifle at the Mercy Seat Alley Stage, Crossroads Music Fest
Thee Water Moccasins (and everyone else) at the Crosstown Station finale
Mark Davis, sound engineer
Steven Wilson, “Grace for Drowning”
Black Country Communion, “2”
Peter Gabriel, “New Blood”
Coldplay, “Myloto Xyloto”
Russian Circles, “Empros”
Radiohead, “The King of Limbs”
Yes, “Fly From Here”
Other Lives, “Tamer Animals”
Cave In, “White Silence”
Rush, “Time Machine” (DVD)
Mark Manning, host of “Wednesday Midday Medley” on KKFI (90.1 FM)
Howard Iceberg & the Titanics, “Welcome Aboard”
The Wilders, “The Wilders”
Hidden Pictures, “Hidden Pictures”
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, “Race Riot Suite”
Everyday/Everynight, “Etc.”
Atlantic Fadeout, “Better Run of Luck”
Mr. Marco’s V7, “Sparkin’ Your Mama”
Sara Swenson & the Pearl Snaps, “Never Left My Mind”
Greg Brown, “Freak Flag”
The I’ms, “Second Mixes”
Robert Moore, host of “Sonic Spectrum” on KRBZ (96.5 FM)
Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat, “Everything’s Getting Older”
PJ Harvey, “Let England Shake”
Wire, “Red Barked Tree”
David Kilgour & the Heavy Eights, “Left By Soft”
The Sea & Cake, “The Moonlight Butterfly”
Wu Lyf, “Go Tell Fire to the Mountain”
Tom Waits, “Bad As Me”
Thee Oh Sees, “Carrion Crawler/The Dream”
Destroyer, “Kaputt”
Austra, “Feel It Break”
Delay Trees, “Delay Trees”
Bob McWilliams, host “Jazz in the Night” and “Trail Mix,” Kansas Public Radio (91.5 FM)
Sarah Jarosz, “Follow Me Down”
Ellis Paul, “The Day After Everything Changed”
Rene Marie, “Voice of My Beautiful Country”
Ambrose Akinmusire, “When the Heart Emerges Glistening”
Warren Wolf, “Warren Wolf”
Tom Russell, “Musabi”
Civil Wars at the Bottleneck
Darrell Scott at the Unity Church of Lawrence
Mike LeDonne and Bobby Watson at the Blue Room
Rhythm & Ribs after-show jam at 1911 Main, with Wolf, Watson, Jaleel Shaw, Matt Otto, Hermon Mehari and others
Barry Lee, host of “Signal to Noise” on KKFI (90.1FM)
The Decemberists, “The King Is Dead”
Richard Thompson, “At the BBC”
Steve Reich/Kronos Quartet, “WTC 9/11”
Tom Waits, “Bad As Me”
Beach Boys, “Smile” box set
Howard Iceberg & the Titanics, “Welcome Aboard”
Jonathon Wilson, “Gentle Spirit”
Tinariwan, “Tassili”
Dave Alvin, “Eleven Eleven”
Gene Clark, “Roadmaster”
Laurie Arbore, on-air host at WDAF (106.5 FM)
Zac Brown Band, “Keep Me in Mind”
Brad Paisley, “Old Alabama”
Billy Currington, “Let Me Down Easy”
Miranda Lambert, “Baggage Claim”
Darius Rucker, “This”
Keith Urban, “Without You”
Martina McBride, “I’m Gonna Love You Through It”
Trace Adkins, “Just Fishin’”
Kenny Chesney, “Somewhere With You”
Rascal Flatts, “I Won’t Let Go”
Ray Velasquez, DJ (former Kansas Citian)
Ricardo Villalobos, “Re: ECM”
Roman Flugel, “Fatty Folders”
Hauschka & Hildur Guonadottir, “Pan Tone”
Murcof, “La Sangre Iluminada”
Robag Wruhme, “Thora Vukk”
The Field, “Looping State of Mind”
Gui Boratto, “III”
Mike Dehnert, “Framework”
Brian Eno, “Drums Between the Bells”
John Foxx, “Torn Sunset”
Robert Holland, production manager, the Beaumont Club
The Horrible Crowes, “Elsie”
R.E.M., “Collapse Into Now”
J. Mascis, “Several Shades of Why”
Stockholm Syndrome, “Apollo”
Chuck Ragan, “Covering Ground”
Stockholm Syndrome at the JamCruise
The Smoking Popes at the Riot Room
Foo Fighters at the Sprint Center
Frank Turner at RecordBar
Explosions in the Sky at the Uptown Theater
Christian LaBeau, Vinyl Renaissance and Audio in Kansas City
Dirty Projectors and Bjork, “Mount Wittenburg”
Charles Bradley, “No Time for Dreaming”
Various artists, “Bollywood Bloodbath”
Retox, “Ugly Animals”
Dengue Fever, “Cannibal Courtship”
Ad Astra Arkestra, “Ad Astra Arkestra”
Various artists, “Pakistan: Folk and Pop Instrumentals, 1966-1976”
Battles, “Gloss Drop”
Clams Casino, “Rainforest”
Melt Banana at the RecordBar
Les Izmore, musician/performer (Hearts of Darkness, BeardKCrazy)
Stik Figa & D/Will, “Crown & Coke”
Shabazz Palaces, “Please Back It Up”
Danny Brown, “XXX”
Stalley, “Lincoln Way Nights”
Elzhi, “Elmatic”
Jean Grae, “Cookies or Comas”
Killer Mike, “Pl3dge”
Kendrick Lamar, “Section 80”
D/Will, producer/MC
Jay-Z and Kanye West, “Watch the Throne”
Kendrick Lamar, “Section 80”
MED, “Classic”
Madlib, “Medicine Show No. 12: Low-Budget Hi-Fi Music”
Evidence, “Cats and Dogs”
Danny Brown and Black Milk, “Black and Brown”
Yelawolf, “Radioactive”
B.B. King, “My Roots”
Fresh Daily, “The Quiet Life”
Eminem & Royce da 59, “Bad Meets Evil”
Love Garden Sounds, Lawrence music store (most played albums of 2011)
Real Estate, “Days”
Kurt Vile, “Smoke Rings for My Halo”
Curren$y, “Weekend at Burnies”
Blu, “Her Favorite Colour”
Charles Bradley, “No Time for Dreaming”
Wu Lyf, “Tell Fire to the Mountain”
SBTRKT, “SBTRKT”
Washed Out, “Within and Without”
Ty Segall, Goodbye Bread”
Major Games, “Major Games”
Laura Lorson, Kansas Public Radio
M83, “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming”
St. Vincent, “Strange Mercy”
Black Keys, “El Camino”
Future Islands, “On the Water
Andy Stott, “Passed Me By”
Charles Bradley, “No Time for Dreaming”
Tech N9ne, “All 6’s and 7’s”
Smith Westerns, “Dye It Blonde”
Broncho, “Can’t Get Past the Lips”
Toro Y Moi, “Underneath the Pine”
“Diverse Plays Michael Jackson” at RecordBar
That show was a lotta fun. I wish that they would've done it again for Halloween.
Posted by: live music fan | December 22, 2011 at 12:49 PM
I'm glad someone finally mentioned Major Games. Great stuff.
Posted by: David | December 22, 2011 at 01:00 PM
Another great year of live music! And here is my list...
Most note perfect performance: Steely Dan, Starlight
Best raise the hair on your neck moment: Paul Simon solo, ‘The Sound of Silence’, The Midland
Best Las Vegas revue style performance: Chris Isaak, Uptown Theater
Best groove: JJ Grey & Mofro, Crossroads
Most impressive performance by a band hearing for the first time: Band of Heathens, Knuckleheads
Best overall crowd vibe: North Mississippi All Stars, Knuckleheads
Best performance that should have been in a bar: Dave Alvin and the Guilty Ones, Folly Theater
Best opener: Nick Lowe, Uptown
Best honky tonk show: Billy Joe Shaver, Knuckleheads
Most intense performance: Justin Townes Earle, ‘Halfway To Jackson’, The Bottleneck
Best time at a show: Paul Thorn, Knuckleheads
Best light show with a song: Wilco, 'Heavy Metal Drummer', The Uptown
********************************
Happy Holidays to all my fellow posters and readers of B2R!
Posted by: onthemark | December 22, 2011 at 01:31 PM
Top ten albums of 2011:
1) LOW -- C'mon (Came out early in 2011 and for me, was never topped. Best album from a band that has quietly been putting out great stuff for almost two decades)
2) RON SEXSMITH -- Long Player Late Bloomer
3) FLEET FOXES -- Helplessness Blues (On a ton of best of 2011 lists and rightly so.)
4) JESSICA LEA MAYFIELD -- Tell Me
5) FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE -- Sky Full Of Holes (Power Pop will never die when bands like this are making albums full of fun, melodic songs that have more hooks than your Grandpa's tackle box....I'm guessing)
6) AMY LAVERE -- Stranger Me
7) DAWES -- Nothing is Wrong (Would have been the best album of 1974, had it not been recorded in 2011)
8) SOCIAL DISTORTION -- Hard Times And Nursery Rhymes
9) SARAH LEE GUTHRIE & JOHNNY IRION -- Bright Examples (Lovely stuff. Yet another album that takes us back to Laurel Canyon in the mid-70's. Jayhawks Gary Louris and Mark Olson contributed.)
10) KURT VILE -- Smoke Ring For My Halo
Honorable mentions:
THE FLESHTONES hooked up with Lenny Kaye this year to produce "Brooklyn Sound Solution." Even at their age, the band is still one of the planet's better live bands and can still make good records. ANNA CALVI put out a wonderful, self-titled debut record in 2011 and her performance of "Desire" on Letterman (on YouTube) gave me chills. Remember her name......Big ups to KC's own SAMANTHA FISH, who put out a solo album this year, as well as teaming up with Cassie Taylor and Dani Wilde on the rockin' "Girls With Guitars" album. Also, THE CARS (!) put out a darn good album, "Move Like This," that was better than I thought it would be. They sold a ton of records back in the 80's ("Panorama" being my personal fave), but don't get the respect these days that other bands from the era do. That band always sounded good blaring out of your speakers while driving around looking for fun back in the day, and I was fortunate to have seen them a few times live back in their prime.
Finally, three music DVDs worth mentioning from 2011 (I bought them all in the past month) are "MARK KOZELEK-ON TOUR." He is hands-down my favorite songwriter of the past 20 years, whether he's recorded music with his bands, Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon, or solo, and this Black & White Documentary of him playing solo all over the globe shows what beautiful, criminally-overlooked music this guy is making. Then there's "THE BALLAD OF MOTT THE HOOPLE." Ian Hunter has always been a Rock Hero of mine and this documentary is a fine primer on one of the UK's better bands in the early 70's. It also includes footage from their 2009 UK reunion gigs. Very cool. But the best of the bunch is "THE ROLLING STONES: SOME GIRLS - LIVE ON TEXAS '78. I loved the album when it came out and this show from that tour is really good. But the disc is worth it alone for including the feral, 3-song set they performed on 'Saturday Night Live' in 1978. It seems that the tandem of Jagger/Richards/Woods may have been a bit coked-up (ahem, Allegedly) as they were on fire for their performance of "Beast Of Burden", "Respectable", and "Shattered." Back when they were being called "The best Rock & Roll band in the world", the band set out to prove it that night and succeeded. I saw it when it aired in 1978 and it remains to this day, the best musical performance in the show's history.
Posted by: Geordan | December 22, 2011 at 01:54 PM
A mix of 2011 musical highlights for me...
Favorite album/show "combos":
"Eleven Eleven" and @ Folly Theatre - Dave Alvin
"Keys To The Kingdom" and @ Knuckleheads - North Mississippi Allstars
"Here We Rest" and @ Knuckleheads - Jason Isbell & 400 Unit
"Man In Motion" and @ Uptown Theatre - Warren Haynes Band
Top unexpected enjoyment concert - Jay Z/Kanye West "Watch The Throne" @ Sprint Center
Top music weekend - Seeing three longtime favorites...Steely Dan (Starlight), Return To Forever (Midland) and Tower of Power (Roots Festival, Paola) all for the first time live over three consecutive days this past August. And all three outstanding!
Favorite Just Ridiculously Fun show - The Fleshtones @ Knuckleheads
Favorite DVD - Troubadour Blues (a film about Peter Case, Chris Smither, Said Cleaves and some others)
Favorite Song - "Midnight In Harlem" - Tedeschi-Trucks Band - Just so damn tasty.
Oh and to Geordan, thanks for the lowdown on that Mott/Ian Hunter DVD. Big fan as well. I will have to grab that one.
Posted by: pellboy | December 22, 2011 at 02:59 PM
Only one mention but in my opinion nothing tops The Horrible Crowes, “Elsie” this year. Incredible and unexpected from Brian Fallon of Gaslight Anthem
Posted by: Mizzou PJ Fan | December 22, 2011 at 05:02 PM
nobody cares what SEC scum has to say.
Posted by: Tex | December 22, 2011 at 07:23 PM
Best concert I went to this you: U2 in St. Louis (I actually got to escort them from their dressing room to the stage). Made me become a big fan of them, unbelievable show
Posted by: troy | December 22, 2011 at 09:02 PM
In no order:
Bilitzen Trapper American Goldwing
Wilco Whole Love
Jason Isbell Here We Rest
Social D Hard Times
NMAS Keys To The Kingdom
Todd Snider Live: The Storyteller
Dawes Nothing is Wrong
Black Keys El Camino
DBT Govo Boots
Tedeschi Trucks
Shows:
DBT Missouri Theater
Wilco Uptown
NMAS Knuckleheads
Tedeschi Trucks Crossroads
Posted by: Mike A | December 23, 2011 at 08:32 AM
"Conditions of My Parole" by Puscifer and "Build a Rocket Boys" by Elbow were both amazing albums in 2011.
Favorite shows this year:
Guns N' Roses at Sprint Center
Peter Gabriel at Starlight
Queens of the Stone Age at Beaumont
Perfect Circle at Kanrocksas
Questlove w/ the Funky Meters at Brooklyn Bowl (NY)
Posted by: Tori | December 23, 2011 at 09:58 AM
my favourite live shows in 2011
guns n roses @ s****t center
queens of the stone age @ beaumont
metallica @ yankee stadium
peter gabriel @ starlight
enimem/muse/flaming lips/a perfect circle @ kanrocksas
Posted by: layne_says | December 23, 2011 at 09:58 AM
In no order these are my favorite shows from the past year.
Black Angels - Bottleneck
Larry and His Flask - Riot Room
The Urge - The Pageant
Wilco - Uptown
Foo Fighters - Sprint
Smith Westerns - Record Bar
Dawns, Deer, Mid Bro - Granada
Fleet Foxes - Uptown
Titus Andronicus - Riot Room
J Roddy Watson - Record Bar
Janelle Monae - Indep Event Center
Posted by: Green | December 23, 2011 at 05:16 PM
my fave live shows of 2011 that I attended
1 U2 Saint Louis Busch stadium
2 The Avalanche tour Hartman Arena Wichita
3 the uproar Tour sandstone Ampitheater
4 Avenged Sevenfold Intrust Bank Arena wichita
5 Trans Siberian Orchestra Sprint Center
Posted by: Tony Cheray | December 24, 2011 at 09:24 AM
Saw over 100 shows this year. Here's my list.
1. SADE at Sprint
2. Joe Bonamassa at the Midland
3. Farm Aid at LiveStrong Park
4. Rod Stewart/Stevie Nicks at Sprint
5. Jonathan Butler-The Gem
6. Dianne Reeves-The Gem
7. Nutcracker and the Mouse King-H&R Block Stage Union Station
8. Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen at Knuckleheads
9. Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings at Liberty Hall
10. The Architects(Return to KC)Record Bar
11. Wanda Jackson at Liberty Hall
12. Jean Yves Thibaudet-The Folly
13. Chuck Berry at the Pageant
14. Rainmakers and Hidden Pictures at Renaissance Vinyl
15. Brewer and Shipley-Some park in OP. Can't tell cuz they were "One Toke over the Line".
Have a Rock'n Christmas! Get off your duffs and rock your bottom in 2012! It's gonna be a fabulous New Year of music and entertainment. I just know it! Chicka Chicka Bow Wow......
Posted by: jestsher | December 24, 2011 at 10:48 AM
Hey Finn? Where is Jesus's list?
Posted by: jestsher | December 24, 2011 at 10:52 AM
My post is gone ... why was it removed?
Posted by: Green | December 27, 2011 at 03:49 PM
Saw 202 concerts including 13 Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, 3 Country Western Hall of Famers and 8 guitarists on Rolling Stones top 100 guitarist list. 33 at Knuckleheads, 19 at Record Bar, 16 at Midland, 14 at Davey’s, 10 at Crossroads, 10 at Sprint, just to name a few.
Damn sorry I missed Fishbone (watched the new movie though), Bill Cosby, Queens of the Stone Age, Rollins at Record Bar, No Bunny at Replay, Haggard & Kristopherson, Los Lobos, Mavis Staples, Pat Metheny, Mastadon, Human League, Frank Black at Knuckleheads, Del McCoury/Preservation Hall Jazz Band at Lied Center
Most surreal moment of the year was Perry Ferrell at Buzz Beach Ball in Livestrong Park going on and on about being in Missouri…NOT Kansas….what an annoying SOB. His whole life he has tried to incite crowds Jim Morrison style. Perry, you’re no Jim Morrison. Your band will never go beyond selling out the Uptown.
Most dissatisfying moments of the year was watching Willie Nelson at Farm Aid when I should have been at the Nashville Pussy/Dwarves show. It seems to me that the KC version of Farm Aid got the least amount of line-up talent as compared to past Farm Aids. I’d go again though…but will skip Willie for the finale. Willie should play around noon.
Coolest rock star move – was the Foo Fighters rolling up on and serenading the Westboro Baptist Church. You can see my fat head on the You Tube video.
Coolest event of the year – Yonder Mountain Music Festival – 72 degrees, sunny, 100’s of Chinese sky lanterns, and not too crowded. Cool vibes and great music.
Here were my favorites of 2011.
1. Sade – Sprint Center – 7/26/11 –The truth is, Sade is not the beautiful, sultry, classy English/Nigerian vocalist. Sade is a Grammy winning band that has been together for 28 years. Their lead singer is Helen Folasade Adu, aka Sade. I had no compelling motivation to go to this show other than there was nothing to do on a Tuesday night and Sade comes to town about once every 15 or 20 years. And I’d never think I’d see the day when the best concert that I saw over the course of a year would be a smooth jazz act. But this was a perfect combination of stage show and performer presence. If you missed this too bad. If you google best show of 2011 this show is on almost every list for every major city.
2. Mike Ferris and the McCrary Sisters – Knuckleheads – 7/3/11 – This was another low expectation show. Ferris is the former lead singer of the Screaming Cheetah Wheelies. Apparently he’s cleaned up his bad habits, found God, and front an all-out gospel soul revival backed by the McCray Sisters and a horn section. Similar to a modern day version of Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs and Englishmen.
3. The Rainmakers – Knuckleheads – 5/15/11 & The Record Bar 11/26/11 – Both shows were great put their November show was magical. Probably because I stood within arms-length distance from Rich’s side of the stage. They opened the show with Downstream, Missouri Girl, Width of a Line, and Long Gone Long. One of the best rock n roll moments of 2011. These guys are as good as they’ve ever been. Bob said “We used play music and want people to dance. Then we got more serious about our careers and wanted people to listen. Now we just want people to dance again”…classic!
4. The Fleshtones – Knuckleheads – 3/13/11 – They've been around in various line-ups since 1976. I think there were no more than 100 people there.
5. The Heroine & Federation of Horsepower – The Brick – 5/13/11 –These guys are my favorite new discovery – a combination of AC/DC and a less theatrical version of Valient Thorr. Thanks to FOH for bringing them to town.
6. Wild Flag – The Record Bar – 10/5/11
7. Raul Malo – Knuckleheads – 12/16/11 – They walked off stage on their final encore while the crowd sang “Dream Baby”.
8. Sebadoh/Quasi – The Record Bar - 2/15/11
9. Lyle Lovett & John Hiatt – Uptown Theater – 6/22/11
10. Wanda Jackson – Granada Theater – 5/18/11
11. The Architects/Cherokee Rock Rifle – The Record Bar – 6/10/11
12. Cyndi Lauper/The Bo-Keys – Midland Theater – 10/31/11
13. Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band – Sprint Center – 5/5/11
14. Yonder Mountain Harvest Music Festival (Yonder Mtn. String Band, Bela Fleck, Dirtfoot, Mountain Sprout, The Trishas, The Wilders– Mulberry Mountain AR – 10/15/11
15. Thee Oh Sees/The Spooklights/The Mouthbreathers – Granada Theater – 11/25/11
16.Reigning Sound/Mouthbreathers – Lovegarden Sounds – 2/5/11
17.Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives – Santa Cali Gon – 9/2/11
18.Los Lonely Boys – Granada Theater – 4/13/11
19.Foo Fighters/El Mariachi Bronx/Rise Against – Sprint Center – 9/16/11
20.Jayhawks/Jolie Holland – Beaumont Club – 11/12/11
21.Charlie Hunter – Blue Room – 10/11/11
22.Elvis Costello & the Imposters – Crossroads – 6/30/11
23.Big Bad Voodoo Daddy – Corporate Woods Jazz Festival – 6/25/11
24.North Mississippi All-Stars/Buffalo Killers – Knuckleheads – 11/10/11
25.They Might Be Giants/Gold Motel – Beaumont Club -11/2/11
26.Paul Simon/The Punch Bros. – Midland Theater – 11/8/11
27.Roger Daltry – Midland Theater – 11/14/11
28.Peter Frampton – Carlson Center 10/1/11
29.Steely Dan – Starlight Theater – 8/25/11
30.Meat Puppets – Record Bar – 6/30/11
31.Brian Setzer – Uptown Theater – 12/7/11
32.Peter Gabriel – Starlight Theater – 6/18/11
33.Honky/Karma to Burn – Davey’s - 4/9/11
34.Julian Lage – Blue Room – 2/21/11
35.Peter Murphy/She Wants Revenge/Hussle Club – 11/27/11
36.Joe Bonamassa – Midland Theater – 3/3/11
37.Janet Jackson – Starlight Theater – 8/22/11
38.Cowboy Mouth/Dash Rip Rock – Knuckleheads – 1/2/11
39.American Catastrophe/Cadillac Flambe/Snakebite Orphans – Davey’s – 11/24/11
40.Dex Romweber Duo – Davey’s – 3/28/11
Posted by: Cuntry Jesus | January 05, 2012 at 11:26 PM
Since this thread was stirred back up again (great list, Jesus!), I was remiss in not including the Wishbone Ash show @ Knuckleheads. Played 'Argus' in its entirety, the band was stellar and the enthusiasm of the crowd was infectious. GREAT show.
Posted by: pellboy | January 06, 2012 at 07:53 AM
Hey Pellboy, I asked Finn where Jesus's list was on Christmas Eve. I guess Jesus is busy at Christmas time and he said he wasn't done seeing his 200+ for the year thus his 1/5 posting. What he doesn't mention here is that he was seeing two and sometimes three shows a day. He is not retired, btw. Congrats Jesus. You surpassed your mark and you learned something from it. I am proud to call you my concert buddy. Thanks for (sherring) your soul for Rock'n Roll, Jesus. And the band played on...pass the ear plugs.
Posted by: jestsher | January 06, 2012 at 10:27 AM
Thanks Sher - yeah I forgot to mention that the best rock n roll day of the year was Nov. 12th catching the Jolie Holland/Jayhawks show at the Beaumont Club then hustling over to the Sprint Center to just in time for the opening song of G n' R's set. That was a top 40 worthy show but I'll always remember it as Axl's oxygen tent show - not quite as good as the Arrowhead boobyfest back in the day. This also alludes back to Tim's article on starting times. Had GnR not gone on late, I wouldn't have been able to pull this off. I think as long as the fans know what time the bands go on, they can adjust their schedules accordingly. The problem is that a lot of the club shows are so inconsistent with their starting times that it isn't worth the effort of attending.
Also, Pellboy, I saw Wishbone Ash the last time they were at the Grand Emporium several years back and thought they were awful. Either I was having a bad night or they were. Just goes to show you that bands have off nights as do the audience. Maybe I'll have to give them another chance.
By my count Sher we teamed up on 46 shows this year including 15 of my top 40. Thanks for rocking out with me, I couldn't have done it without you.
Posted by: Country Jesus | January 07, 2012 at 11:54 AM