top 10 concerts of 2002

I'm going over the best concerts I've seen all year, and this is my top 10 list:<P>1) Sonic Youth @ Valle Giulia, Rome<BR>2) Queens of the Stone @ 9:30 (w/Dave Grohl)<BR>3) Belle and Sebastian w/Sleater Kinney @ Constitution Hall<BR>4) Bob Mould @ North Star, Philly<BR>5) Social Distortion @ House of Blues, Chicago<BR>6) Interpol @ 9:30<BR>7) Chemical Brothers @ Nation<BR>8) Rolling Stones @ FedEx Field<P>guilty pleasures:<BR>9) No Doubt w/the Faint @ Smith Center (hate to say, this show really rocked…it was a lot of fun)<BR>10) Goo Goo Dolls @ Riviera, Chicago (I know what most folks think of them, but I know these guys and it was a really fun show…I got to hear some stuff from "Superstar Car Wash" and that made my day)

yr last 3 picks could not suck any worse

cutting edge modern rock dude

I saw the goo goo dolls way back in the day, 12 years ago, when they were still a metal band and it was fun. They played at Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI and they opened for Steel Pole Bathtub. It was a really good show!

I personally think it's been a crappy year on the whole for concerts in DC.

I just got back into the swing of things this year after way too long. No matter what, it was a GREAT year for concerts for me and I'm totally satisfied. <P>Thanks 9:30 Club!!!!

DC could use a good national music festival ala Milwaukees Summer Fest or Seattle's Bumbershoot or Austin's Austin City Limits Fest….

I think DC tries to make up for it with it's Smithsonian on the Mall exhibit. Last summer's exhibit was really good. <P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Arial, Veranda">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Henry Dark:<BR><B> DC could use a good national music festival ala Milwaukees Summer Fest or Seattle's Bumbershoot or Austin's Austin City Limits Fest….</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>

1 andrew w.k. at recher<BR>2 andrew w.k. at recher (using my powers of looking into the future)<BR>3 andrew w.k. at black cat<BR>4 gbv at recher<BR>5 spiritualized with brmc opening at 930<BR>6 interpol at 930<BR>7 new pornographers with matt pond pa and the frames at black cat<BR>8 american analog set at black cat<BR>9 neil halsted at metro<BR>10 mogwai at ottobar<P>those are the ones off the top of my head that i liked the most this year. . .suppose if i put some thought into it i could come up with others.<P>worst show of the year: gorillaz<P>

Thanks for the insult, Larkjr…care to post your top 10 so I can tell you how much they suck as well?

I saw the American Analog Set w/Her Space Holiday as well…that was a good show, too. The other show I did enjoy a lot was the Damned. It was just too bad that the show had to be at Nation. The 9:30 or Black Cat would have probably made me include it in my top 10.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Arial, Veranda">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by bunnyman:<BR><B>Thanks for the insult, Larkjr…care to post your top 10 so I can tell you how much they suck as well? </B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>I haven't seen 10 concerts I liked this year. I liked Sleater-Kinney at the 9:30 a lot. I love Sonic Youth, but didn't see them this year. I find it a little odd that someone could like them and also rock out to No Doubt but hey, whatever that's cool man.

In no order<P>the Shins at Bumbershoot<BR>Rhett Miller at the Black Cat<BR>Wilco at Bumbershoot<BR>Norah Jones for free at Kennedy Center<BR>Arlo at Velvet Lounge, until the drummer and singer got into a slugfest<BR>Madeleine Peyroux at Iota<BR>Joe Pernice at Iota<BR>Wayne Hancock at the Half Moon Barbeque<BR>Robbie Fulks at Iota<BR>Dan Savage at Borders<P>I can't think of any shows I went to at the 9:30 that would make the list.

I went to No Doubt just to check them out. I get free tickets to some shows, and I had the same reaction with them that I had after I saw Springsteen…I don't own any of their stuff, but was surprised that I actually enjoyed the performance. You may not be a fan initially, but it's hard to deny that some bands are solid and they give it their best. I saw the Rolling Stones for free and it was the same thing…I felt like I was seeing legends, and I went in with few expectations and was surprised at how much I enjoyed the concert. Some musicians just love what they do, and it translates in the performance. It makes it enjoyable for the people at the show. What I enjoyed about the No Doubt show was that it was a bunch of different ages and races, everyone was there to have fun, and the band made it an enjoyable experience. Same with the Goo Goo Dolls, but I know they're good people that work really hard and deserve the success they have. You may argue that they suck, but it's a matter of taste. I've learned a lot about the music business through them and I'm so glad I don't work in it. It's an awful time to be a musician and if you actually have talent, it doesn't matter…it's all about how you are marketed and how you can sell your image to the masses. Some musicians are good businessmen, but in general it's a really bad time for the industry. That's part of the reason why music sucks so bad right now.

Someone in our household likes No Doubt AND Sonic Youth. Mind you, it's not me, but someone does.<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Arial, Veranda">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by larkjr:<BR><B> I haven't seen 10 concerts I liked this year. I liked Sleater-Kinney at the 9:30 a lot. I love Sonic Youth, but didn't see them this year. I find it a little odd that someone could like them and also rock out to No Doubt but hey, whatever that's cool man.</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Arial, Veranda">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by bunnyman:<BR><B>I went to No Doubt just to check them out. I get free tickets to some shows, and I had the same reaction with them that I had after I saw Springsteen…I don't own any of their stuff, but was surprised that I actually enjoyed the performance. You may not be a fan initially, but it's hard to deny that some bands are solid and they give it their best. What I enjoyed about the No Doubt show was that it was a bunch of different ages and races, everyone was there to have fun, and the band made it an enjoyable experience. </B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>I absolutely loved No Doubt at the Orena and I bragged about the show on this board. They put on a hell of a show, give a quality effort and connect with the fans and the rest of you can fuck off if you haven't seen them 'cause I ain't listening to your bitching with your closed minds.<BR>

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Arial, Veranda">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by vansmack:<BR><B> I absolutely loved No Doubt at the Orena and I bragged about the show on this board. They put on a hell of a show, give a quality effort and connect with the fans and the rest of you can fuck off if you haven't seen them 'cause I ain't listening to your bitching with your closed minds.<BR> </B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>I saw No Doubt right after they broke real big and I thought they were terrible - in particular, Gwen's voice was just hideously bad. From clips I've seen on tv, I'd say recently they're more hit or miss.<P>If 10 out of every 12 songs you write suck, I don't care how well you play them, and how hard you shake your butt on stage, I'm still going to say you suck.<P>

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Arial, Veranda">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by bunnyman:<BR><B> I saw the Rolling Stones for free </B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Why does everyone who went to the Stones say they went for free? Come on folks, admit you forked over the cash.

The flipside of course are the bands where I love their music and thought their live performance sucked rhino. The Cocteau Twins were great one time, and the next time they were abysmal. The Psychedelic Furs were just god awful, too. 808 State, the Jesus and Mary Chain, Pere Ubu, Smashing Pumpkins, Sonic Youth…I've seen them all on good nights and then on other nights maybe they did bad acid or something. Sometimes a bad band can have a good night, too. When I worked at the 9:30, I saw it happen on occasion.

Nope, Lark Jr. I only had to pay the obscene $25 for parking, but I got 2 of the $110 seats for free. All it takes is to know the right folks, that's all.