top 10 Concerts of 2005

Kanye West@ baltimore arena
Coldplay @ hfstival
Interpol @ Sonar
Depeche Mode @ Patriot center
Gratitude/Minus the Bear @ the ottobar
Sleater Kinney @ 930 Club
311 @ nissan
Coheed And Cambria @ 930
Warped Tour
Mos Def & TAlib Kweli@ 930 (2nd night)
The Faint/Bright Eyes @ 930 (2nd night)

I am also reserving a spot for the roots

no order, man:

-Nine Inch Nails & QOTSA at MCI (DFA was good, but was better at the BC)
-U2 at MCI (1st night)
-Interpol & Blonde Redhead at 930 (forget which night)
-Black Crowes opening for Tom Petty (who wasn't so bad himself) at Merriweather
-Paul McCartney at MCI
-Dinosaur Jr at 930
-Devo at 930 (2nd night)

I didn't really go to much this year… :confused:

Old Crow Medicine Show – 9:30
Old Crow Medicine Show – Recher
Sigur Ros – Strathmore
Eels – 9:30
Devotchka – 8X10
Pinback – Black Cat
Crooked Fingers – Black Cat
Weezer – Aragon Ballroom (Chicago)
Decemberists – 9:30
Old 97s – 9:30

Worst Show – Ryan Adams at the Myerhoff. Someone mentioned this above, but they left out the part where he walked out into the seats with no mic and played for about 45 minutes. If you were within 10 feet of him it was probably the show of a lifetime for you. For everyone else it sucked. If any of you have been to the Myerhoff you realize it's a crappy 70s era Symphony hall. I even left my balcony seats to run down there but there was no way to hear him unless you were literally right by him. I've never seen so many people pissed at a show.

Went to 32 shows this year. Have to say I think this year was a little weaker than last year, with fewer stand-out shows at the Black Cat this year. Here's my list:

1. 2005/09/27 The White Stripes/The Shins (Merriweather)
2. 2005/01/30 The Arcade Fire (9:30 Club)
3. 2005/10/05 Stellastarr* (9:30 Club)
4. 2005/02/23 and 2005/02/24 Wilco (9:30 Club) (tie)
5. 2005/01/21 Colin Meloy (Iota)
6. 2005/05/12 Kasabian/Mad Action (9:30 Club)
7. 2005/03/04 Secret Machines/Autolux/Moving Units (9:30 Club)
8. 2005/03/23 Robyn Hitchcock/Meredith Bragg (Black Cat)
9. 2005/10/02 The Decemberists/Sons and Daughters (9:30 Club)
10. 2005/06/25 Sleater-Kinney/Dead Meadow (9:30 Club)

Shows I didn't attend but really wish I had:

1. 2005/04/09 Bloc Party/The Ponys (Black Cat)
2. 2005/04/21 Garbage (9:30 Club)
3. 2005/05/12 British Sea Power (Black Cat)
4. 2005/06/28 Eels (9:30 Club)

top 5 acts i saw :

kraftwerk (1rst night) @930
rolling stones @ durham
pixies @ ritz thtr/DR, raleigh
rtx @ 506, chapel hill
stones @ mci
coldplay @ alltell pav., raleigh

really should have gone to: bauhaus, x.

3. 2005/05/12 British Sea Power (Black Cat)

this was a crap show so you didn't miss much

Originally posted by brennser:

3. 2005/05/12 British Sea Power (Black Cat)

this was a crap show so you didn't miss much

have they lost their magic?

saw them at black cat twice in 03 (04 too maybe?), opening for libertines and headlining, and they were simply insane … great shows … it would be sad if they lost their edge

Sleater-Kinney at 9:30 this year was a great show.

Sloan at the Black Cat this year was good.

Originally posted by HoyaParanoia:

Originally posted by brennser:

3. 2005/05/12 British Sea Power (Black Cat)

this was a crap show so you didn't miss much

have they lost their magic?

saw them at black cat twice in 03 (04 too maybe?), opening for libertines and headlining, and they were simply insane … great shows … it would be sad if they lost their edge

well others can feel free to weigh in on this but I was very very dissapointed - the whole thing was just listless and the new songs dont't work as well as the old ones live….

ah, the year in review…

the new pornographers at 9:30 takes the cake for me. but i'm crazy about their music, so i'm biased.

and then, in no order…
q and not u at black cat (final show)
bright eyes at 9:30
circle takes the square with hot cross at warehouse next door
ted leo at 9:30
decemberists at 9:30
magnetic fields at birchmere (that was this year, right?)

big disappointments:
modest mouse at DAR
clap your hands at black cat
wilco at 930
sufjan stevens at 930

Top of the list:

Comets on Fire -> Ottobar

all others paled to this.

The Dears/Shout Out Louds - North Star, Philly
Wilco - Merriweather
BRMC - 9:30
Ash - TLA, Philly
Josh Rouse - Rams Head
White Stripes/Shins - Merriweather
Over The Rhine - Rams Head
Patty Griffin - 9:30
Sigur Ros - Srathmore
Kasabian - 9:30

In no order

Sigur Ros at Strathmore
Arcade Fire at 930
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at 8x10
Decemberists at 930
Wilco at 930
Enon at Warehouse Next Door
Magnolia Electric Company at Ottobar
Paul McCartney at MCI
Nine Inch Nails at MCI
Chinese Stars at Ottobar

I'd like to give some praise to opening bands that stole their respective shows from the headlining acts….

Best opening bands of year (in no particular order):

2005/03/21 The Dears (9:30 Club, opening for The Soundtrack of Our Lives)
2005/10/22 We Are Scientists (Black Cat, opening for Ambulance Ltd.)

My most disappointing show of the year:

2005/06/24 Billy Corgan (9:30 Club)

Still the coolest light show ever, so that's something at least, and I really liked the encore…. But, overall, it just didn't rock.

Shows I wish I had just stayed home and saved my money:

2005/10/04 Nada Surf (Black Cat)
2005/03/26 Interpol (9:30 Club)

Actually, I got into Interpol for free, but I still wish I had stayed home.

Originally posted by Darth Ed:
I'd like to give some praise to opening bands that stole their respective shows from the headlining acts….

Best opening bands of year (in no particular order):

Shout Out Louds (1st of 3 bands at 930 club in the spring, eventual headliner was the Futureheads)

Ponys (opening for Bloc Party at Black Cat)

Stars (opening for Death Cab at 930 club)

DJ Wonder (opening with a grime DJ set for Dizzee Rascal that really set the scene well)

Originally posted by HoyaParanoia:
Stars (opening for Death Cab at 930 club)

Yeah, I'll second them!

Originally posted by Darth Ed:

Originally posted by HoyaParanoia:
Stars (opening for Death Cab at 930 club)

Yeah, I'll second them!

Agreed.

Originally posted by Darth Ed:

Originally posted by HoyaParanoia:
Stars (opening for Death Cab at 930 club)

Yeah, I'll second them!

Stars rule! I missed them in LA once for another show, but I am still very determined to get to see them live one of these days…

Originally posted by econo:
Sloan at the Black Cat this year was good.

…*JEALOUS*!

Paul Westerberg - 9:30
Social Distortion - 9:30
The White Stripes - Coney Island
Pixies - Sonar
Black Crowes - 9:30
U2 - MCI