It's the last day of 2009 and we're still looking back at the year... This time, we asked more than a dozen of our favorite local musicians what their favorite shows were.
(Come back tomorrow for their favorite albums.)
Hunter Curra – The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra
Let's see...The Henry Clay People's new years eve show started the year off on the right foot. Super fun show. You can't go wrong with a drunk sing-a-long!
Wilco at the Wiltern blew me away.
The Local Native's Spaceland residency was really amazing as well.
Aaron Kyle – Le Switch
Future Of The Left, The Henry Clay People (Summer Circus), Dr. Dog, Evan Way, Division Day, Tandemoro (RIP), Terry Riley, The World Record, Camera Obscura, The Cave Singers, Lambchop, Vetiver
Andy Siara – The Henry Clay People
Mike Watt and The Missing Men at Spaceland-- The man in the van with a bass in his hand.
SSPU and Metallica at Stubbs/SXSW -- not a big metallica fan, but was pretty rad to see
Bruce Springsteen at LA Sports Arena
Jason Lyttle at the Mohawk/SXSW Monolators at the Echo. Can't remember the exact date, but they played last, and everyone who was there (which was a ton of people, cuz practically everyone stuck around) was pretty much floored by them.
Of Montreal at Sasquatch
2nd night of Le Switch's Spaceland Residency when the power went out and they set up in the center of the floor and played acoustic.
Malcolm Sosa – Rademacher
Oh man. There were so many good ones. On a personal level, the shows we played with the Airborne Toxic Event and Henry Clay earlier in the year were a blast. The Glass House was especially awesome. It was my first time there. We played great. It was sold out. We jumped around and had fun.
On the other hand, last summer we played a show with Downtown Union at the Silverlake Lounge. Nobody showed up. Like nobody. And Scott Sterling from the Fold asked us never to play there again. So we got banned from an eastside club, which is pretty cool. That kinda made my year in a special way.
I also got to check out Red Cortez when they opened for TATE in Iowa City a couple of months ago. They played great and it was the third time I had seen them live in 2009. We had already played shows with them on the road in Visalia and later on at Spaceland. But I think Iowa City was the best of all three of their sets I saw in '09. Afterwards, Harley and I got to hang out on the wings of the stage while Mikel and Co. did their set. Besides seeing so many great performances, there was something awesome about seeing so many familiar faces so far from home. Plus the beer was cheap.
Because Rademacher plays out so often, I get to see a ton of shows, but the Iowa City one was especially nice because I didn't have to perform that night. I just got to hang out like a civilian and make trouble and buy CDs and T-shirts. I got a great Red Cortez shirt that night and an Airborne Toxic Event tie. I later lost the tie.
BuddyKnifeyhead, Grace Jones, and The Pixies
Jordan Huddock – Marvelous Toy & The Henry Clay People
Springsteen at the forum. Hands down.
Mary & Eli - The Monolators & The Cobra Lilies
Barry Manilow at the Hollywood Bowl. 'Nuff said.
Geoff Geis – Pizza! & Big Whup
Hecuba at Manimal Fest, Puppy Dog at Dan and Paula's House in Claremont, Voice on Tape at Vermont House for the Michael Nhat record release show, The Raincoats at Part Time Punks Fest, 60 Watt Kid at Echo Curio in February, Nicole Kidman at Girl House after the Big Whup Industries release show, Leslie and the Badgers at Pehrspace for Elaine's Hella Hipster Hoedown, Michael Nhat at Malo Funhouse in November, CalArts Balinese Gamelan recital at Redcat, Weave! at Manimal Fest, Ezra Buchla at Cochina Fest, Kid Infinity at Bananas, Philip Glass Ensemble w/ LA Philharmonic doing "Koyaanisqatsi" at the Hollywood Bowl.
Carl Jordan – The Western States Motel
band of horses at coachella, happy hollows at I think it was the lit lounge in new york.
Jason & Colleen – The Spires
The Ruby Suns at the El Rey.
Wendy Wang – The Sweet Hurt, The Californian, & more.
Neil Young and Fleet Foxes at Hyde Park, London Calling Peaches at Fuji Rock De La Soul - Pori Jazz Festival
Riaz – The French Semester
Mogwai at the Orpheum John Parish/PJ Harvey at the El Rey Dum Dum Girls at Spaceland Eagle Rock Music Festival (all) Manhattan Murder Mystery feat. members of Seasons and The Health Club at Echo Curio
Aaron Embry – Amnion
3 nights of the Brian Blade Fellowship at Catalina Bar & Grill in June
Deep Sea Diver at Spaceland sometime in Feb?
Avi Buffalo, Bobb Bruno, The WildBunch at the Echo Nov 5th
Our daughter Mayla was born on 1/7 this year. Fave! Show! Of! All! Time!
John Graney – The Californian
I saw THE FLAMING LIPS from side stage in Tokyo at Summer Sonic, I know it's kind of cheating, but it changed things in my brain.
THE MINIATURE TIGERS at The Independent in San Francisco - I fell in love with those boys that night.
ANDY CLOCKWISE at Spaceland - always a mind boggling thrill.
Oh man - how could I forget - THERESA ANDERSSON at Antone's for SXSW. I snuck some friends in the back entrance and we all had our minds blown by one of the most talented and skilled musicians alive today, and easily easily one of the best singers to have been heard.
Signal HillBrian: All India Radio "CD release party" in Melbourne, AU / Radiant City, Art and Craft, the fuzes and Signal Hill in Melbourne, AU / Sleep Makes Waves, Collar Bones and Signal Hill in Sydney, AU
Rishi: This Town Needs Guns - Glasgow; Algernon Cadwallader - the 13th Note, Glasgow; Graham Coxon - Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, No Knife, the Casbah, San Diego, 1/29/09, Jimmy Eat World / No Knife, House of Blues, San Diego, 3/6/09
Tim: Seu Jorge - Lisbon, The Bad Plus - Lisbon, Elbow - Dublin, Signal Hill - Melbourne, Jimmy Eat World - Clarity Tour, LA
Dave: iron and wine at the abrons art center in NYC, Tristeza at the Bordello bar and our album release party with good friends timonium and beware of safety, Jimmy Eat World - Clarity Tour, LA
Drew Denny -- Big Whup
Emily Lacy in the Japanese Pavilion at LACMA, CalArts North Indian ensemble at the Roy O. Disney Music Hall, Joey Arias' "Arias With a Twist", Nicole Kidman at Porchfest II, Julia Holter at the Dublab/Linda Perhacs show "Parallelograms", Daniel Johnston at the Fonda, Gamelan Burat Wangi's "Ramayana", Reclamation sing-a-long in the Planetarium, Hecuba at Manimal Fest, Os Mutantes at the Echoplex, The Raincoats at PTP Fest, Jennifer the Leopard at REDCAT, Liars and My Bloody Valentine at Coachella, Pizza! at Porchfest I... Everybody at the LA Record Illegal-generator-on-a-skateboard-under-a-fuckin-bridge-on-Lake-Austin show during South by Southwest!!
Eric “Cashew” Harding – Eagle-Winged Palace
F Yeah Fest
Josiah Mazzaschi – Light FM
Glasvegas, Danananakroyd, We were Promised Jetpacks, Happy Hollows, Sleepover Disaster, Aaron Espinoza, Jason Lytle, Primal Scream, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Eulogies, Dappled Cities -SXSW 2009 Kav, Obi Best, Tigers Can Bite You, Nightmare Air, Modern Time Machines, Parade of Lights, Wrong Way Driver, Queen Kwong, The Meeting Places, His Orchestra, Lost Lake, We Barbarians -Light FM Spaceland residency TV on the Radio, Silversun Pickups, Band of Horses, My Bloody Valentine, MIA, Superchunk - Coachella 2009 The Pity Party, Happy Hollows - Eagle Rock Music Festival M83, School of Seven Bells-Henry Fonda Theater
Diana Salier – The Ross Sea Party & Automatic Drawing
Local Natives - May residency @ Spaceland
Castledoor - June residency @ Spaceland
Bon Iver/Megafaun @ the Wiltern
Noah and the Whale/Robert Francis @ The Roxy
Kenny – Radars to the Sky
The Abbott Kinney Festival (Dios killed it).
Timothy Jordan – WALK
Everything at Echo Curio's been great. We really love that place.
Photo by Laurie Scavo.
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