Favorite Sets of 2013

I decided to make a list of my 20 favorite live music sets of the year.  I used one picture of each from my Instagram account, and listed them chronologically.

1/29 - Quicksand at Black Cat


2/9 - the Evens at 2640 Space


4/18 - Dead Mellotron at Club K


4/25 - GOAT at Black Cat Backstage


5/22 - Future Islands (mainly unreleased songs 90 minute set) at Metro Gallery


5/29 - Roomrunner (record release show) at Metro Gallery


6/7 - Celebration at Metro Gallery


6/30 - Locrian at Metro Gallery


7/27 - Potty Mouth at La Casa


9/1 - the Art Department (surprise set) at ScapeScape Festival


9/5 - Pharmakon at Hopscotch


9/5 - Merzbow and Wolf Eyes (surprise collab set) at Hopscotch


9/6 - Magik Markers (improv set) Three Lobed Records Day Party at Hopscotch


9/7 - Wing Dam SPAZZSCOTCH Day Party at Hopscotch


9/7 - BAMBARA DAY-DREAM Day Party at Hopscotch


9/7 - Matmos at Hopscotch


10/2 - Dan Deacon (brand new songs set) at the Crown


10/11 - Neutral Milk Hotel at 2640 Space


11/13 - Chelsea Light Moving at the Ottobar


12/1 - Animal Collective at 930 Club

so easy

night one



night two



night three

I think that 2013 was an excellent year for live shows.
I saw performers who started in the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, auguts, and the teens.

Ok this was exactly one year ago and well worth mentioning
Janes at the club



Christopher Owens at the club


Breeders at the club


The Thermals at The Black Cat



John Hammond @ the state theater


Two Gallants @ the rock and roll hotel


Buddy Guy @ the state theater


The Specials @ the Fillmore


FLAG @ Balt Soundstage


Frank Turner @ the Fillmore


The Cult @ the Fillmore


Alt-J @ the 930 club


King Khan and the Shrines @ the black Cat


John fogerty @ the DAR




The Sat. Nite Duets @ the Crown


The Smith westerns @ the 9:30


Sky Ferreira @ 9:30



King Kruel @ rock and roll hotel


The hives @ the 9:30 



yes this was 80% of the shows I saw….but wholeheartly loved everyone of these shows

Something like this :

Low @ Amsterdam 05/09
Godspeed You Black Emperor @ Leipzig 08/05, 08/06
Kraftwerk @ Düsseldorf 01/11, 01/12, 01/13 playing "Autobahn", "Radioacktivität" and "Trans Europa Express"
Leonard Cohen @ Paris 06/18
Flaming Lips @ Paris 05/24
Tindersticks @ Darmstadt 07/21
Yo La Tengo @ Schorndorf 03/15
Jorge Ben @ Washington 11/16
Mick Harvey @ Oslo 05/07
Dinosaur Jr @ Baltimore 12/12

emmanuel wrote:
Something like this :

Low @ Amsterdam 05/09
Godspeed You Black Emperor @ Leipzig 08/05, 08/06
Kraftwerk @ Düsseldorf 01/11, 01/12, 01/13 playing "Autobahn", "Radioacktivität" and "Trans Europa Express"
Leonard Cohen @ Paris 06/18
Flaming Lips @ Paris 05/24
Tindersticks @ Darmstadt 07/21
Yo La Tengo @ Schorndorf 03/15
Jorge Ben @ Washington 11/16
Mick Harvey @ Oslo 05/07
Dinosaur Jr @ Baltimore 12/12

wow..nice work if you can get it..

I probably haven't gone to as few shows as this year since 2006 or so…particularly the past 4 months…. but these were my favorites that i'm remembering…  these are the ones that pushed it to another level:

bob dylan at the mosque

bob dylan at merriweather: this was crazy.. i was second row center in the pit for most of it…after like 20 dylan shows i was amazed to get that close

jane's addiction at nissan: i was kind of down going in..t he openers were so awful…part of some horrible festival… a friend's misfortune led to me getting his ticket…ended up about fifth row center in the pit and they delivered.. i was kind of amazed at how good they were even though i had a dvd of the 930 show so i knew they could cut it

heart at nissan: the zeppelin set at the end with jason bonham on drums was UN FUCKIN BELIEVABLE…such a streat… ann wilson is the best period.

the feelies at the ottobar: they just kept playing on and on and on until the crowd had to go….i think this show went about three and a half hours or something..it was great meeting them after the show..such down to earth guys.. and stanley with his luna connection..what a treat to talk to him.

new order at merriweather: couldn't believe it but they more than lived up to the hype which considering i think joy division-new order is the most important act of the past 35 years was a lot of hype… sumner sounded really good…the joy division tribute set was a nice touch..everything's gone green was a highlight

franz ferdinand at strathmore: well what can i say.. they just get better

nick cave and the bad seeds at strathmore: best show of the year… jubilee street was goosebumpage causing.. cave is a whirling dervish, a force of nature, a man possessed and the bigger stage played to these strengths..

north mississippi allstars at the state theatre: luther is just an amazing slide player and the dickinson brothers are rock and roll royalty…jim raised them right and passed along all the secrets..

jon spencer blues explosion at the jefferson theatre: every show of theirs is amazing…this show will always be bittersweet for me though…but it was such a good time and well worth the drive….i am stoked i have a dvd of most of this show that is professional quality…

frank turner at the fillmore… a nice surprise to discover something new thats actually worthy..i loved the first half of this a little more than the second but it still sneaks in …even if it was a corporate shill show

I don't have photos but these stand out:

Belle and Sebastian @ MPP
QOTSA @ The National
Texas Is The Reason @ black cat
National @ National
Future Islands @ The Camel
Way Shape Or Form @ House Show
Neutral Milk Hotel @ The NTional
Postal Service @ Time Warner Pavilion

hutch wrote:

new order at merriweather:

nick cave and the bad seeds at strathmore:

Two shows I so wanted to attend but couldn't
Looking forward to Nick at DAR and don't think I'll get a chance at NO again…but since their last tour was so successful…maybe they'll keep touring

hm, this is tough…

pissed jeans/white lung @ black cat
graveyard @ black cat
diarrhea planet @ casa fiesta
goat @ black cat backstage
james blake @ 930
haim @ neumos
bosnian raindbows @ usmh
toro y moi & classixx @ showbox

was really bummed i was at 930 for the blackout anco show, surely that would have made the list.

I thought this thread was going to be about breasts. Oh well.

James wrote:
I thought this thread was going to be about breasts. Oh well.

You forgot to log into the Vansmack account.

GOAT
Bonnie Prince Billy at 6th & I
Diarrhea Planet
was Pig Destroyer @ BC this year?

strange but true, for me I think the Soundgarden set at that chili cookoff thing on 5/4 was the best set I saw all year. They just delivered with a bunch of awesome tunes old and new. Pure rock joy had by all.

Runner-ups (in chronological order):

Sigur Ros at the Pat Ctr 3/24 … Floyd for the '10s, absolutely great.
Carolina Chocolate Drops 4/3 at the Birchmere … something completely different and wonderful
Johnny Marr at the 930 4/29 … totally redeemed himself from the 2003 tour. Excellent all-around.
Postal Service at MPP 6/18. Gibbard transforms into a pop star
McCartney at RFK 7/12. "Juniors Farm" and "Another Day" this time. Way OK with me.
Savages at RR Hotel 7/13. Intense, loud, beautiful, awesome.
New Order at MPP 7/28. First time ever for me, danced my fool head off.
Muse at VCtr 9/10. Big rock, delivered bigly.
Robin Thicke at FreeFest 9/21. Surprisingly great, supertight band and super-slick front guy.
Atoms for Peace 9/30 at PatCtr. WAY better live than on record.
Waterboys at 9/30 10/22. As great as ever and weird as fuck with that crazy 3-faced mask Mike Scott wore towards the end.

No pics but….

Ceremony @ Asbury Lanes
Favorite sets from SXSW: Cloud Nothings, Japandroids, Parquet Courts, Metz, Fidlar, etc…
QOTSA @ Brooklyn Masonic
Diarrhea Planet @ rnrh
Mikal Cronin @ Comet Pizza (and earlier at sxsw)
Ty Segall @ Black Cat
Evens @ Ft Reno
Double Negative @ St Stephens
Weekend Nachos @ Chef Tony's

most recent and back:
sparks @ 9:30
janelle monae @ lincoln
quiverd @ fort reno
john grant @ u st.
swans @ rex theatre pittsburgh
nick cave @ strathmore

regrettably had to miss:
deerhunter @ 9:30
bill callahan @ 6th & i

The Joy Formidable at the National in May
Harry Connick, Jr at Wolf Trap in July
Janelle Monae at the Lincoln in October

"DC Punk-Funk Throwback Jam" (Black Market Baby, Scream, Trouble Funk, etc.) @930
Patti Smith - Toronto, CAN
Joy Formidable/Blood Red Shoes @930
BRMC/Bass Drum of Death @930
Macy Gray @Birchmere
Stones @Verizon
McCartney @Nats Park
Adam Ant @930
Pearl Jam @Baltimore Arena
Elton John @Verizon
Elvis Costello @Lisner

Zero Boys @ Voltage Lounge
Chelsea Wolfe/ True Widow @ Union Transfer
Flag/ TSOL @ Trocadero
No Joy @ Mercury Lounge
Frankie Rose @ Bowery Ballroom
Breeders @ Webster Hall
Mazzy Star @ Union Transfer
Parquet Courts @ Death By Audio
My Bloody Valentine @ Hammerstein Ballroom
Bob Mould @ Bowery Ballroom
Subhumans/ Adolescents @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

Zero Boys played velvet lounge? DC?  ::)

Vas wrote:
Zero Boys played velvet lounge? DC?  ::)

woops, voltage lounge in philly.  corrected.