Yeah. We’re all like: "Memories… Light the corn-ners of my mind…" It was just the other day when we reminisced about our favorite albums of the year. Now it’s time to cover the shows.
Joe Fielder
Again, I’ll keep it to top three to keep things snappy:
Under Covered at All-Star Lanes
It seems a bit, I dunno, self-aggrandizing to mention a show that you helped put on as one of the best of the year, but I can’t take any credit at all for how well it turned out. The folks from The Eagle Rock Bowling and Drinking Club and RFSL held this night at All-Star Lanes where four great local acts (Marvelous Toy, Radars to the Sky, Death to Anders, and The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra) performed sets comprised of covers of songs by currently active LA bands. The idea was to celebrate the local music scene, but it was also the site’s third birthday.
The bands came, performed, and conquered. It was fun. If you weren’t there, you missed out, but you can still find MP3s and videos of all the covers right here.
And yes, we’re working on putting together another one like this early next year.
The Happy Hollows CD Release Show at Spaceland
LA’s current best live act playing their hearts out to commemorate the long overdue release of their first album? For a packed house of fans, friends, and family? How could you not make it out? Read Brad’s review of it here.
Leonard Cohen at The Wang Theatre
It’s been over a dozen years since the singer/songwriter/poet toured the United States, so I made sure to go twice and get the best seats humanly possible. I’m still paying that off, but it was worth it -- his sets were nearly three hours long... His songs from the 60s still seem ahead of their time... Here's the full write-up.
Brad Roberts
15 Top Concerts in Chronological Order
This is tough. I've been to 144 shows this year at the time of this writing.
Red Cortez The Echo Jan 12 (at Robert Francis residency, Evan Way)
This was the show that nailed this band for me and I became an obsessive fan from this moment on.
Devotchka The Viper Room Feb. 2
Smashing concert and I was right up front. Incredible skill on display.
Chad Van Gaalen Spaceland Mar. 28
Great to hear songs from '08's Soft Airplane and to watch the way he makes his music...again up close.
The World Record Spaceland Apr. 13 (at The Henry Clay People residency)
This offshoot of The Parson Red Heads came on after midnight and completely made me feel like it was 7 o'clock all over again. Invigorating, dancable indie pop of a very high quality.
Iron and Wine Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery May 8
A solo show by Sam Beam that was electrifying from the first note till the last. One of the finest voices I have ever heard singing some of the best folk rock around.
Grizzly Bear The Wiltern June 19
This was a beautiful concert, perfectly miked and vastly superior to their Hollywood Palladium show later in the year. I was perfectly positioned in the pit.
Andrew Bird The Greek July 10
Another show that just lifted me out of my seat for the entire duration of his set. This was the only time I've ever been in the first row of The Greek and it REALLY makes a difference. Gifted artist is a phrase that could have been invented for him, yet his music, for all it's plucking and whistling, is instantly accessible.
Elbow The Wiltern July 22
I've been lucky enough to have seen this band three times and every time is a highlight of its year. Perhaps the most polished and professional of any band I've seen, they put on the most beautifully planned and executed shows, from the visuals to the sound quality, that I've seen. And Guy Garvey's rapport with an audience is like a warm hug.
Mew The Troubadour Sep. 1
A band I'd not payed much attention to in the last couple of years came roaring back into my consciousness with this amazing show that made the whole Troubadour vibrate with their overwhelming sound and gorgeous songs.
The Swell Season Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sep. 20
Another band that are an annual highlight every time they play, this was a magical acoustic set with only Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova on stage in an informal set.
Blitzen Trapper El Rey Sep. 28
The third time was the charm. I'd seen them at The Echo and seem them swamped by the Hollywood Bowl, but this show was amazing. They covered the best of Furr, but it was the newest songs from this year's EP, Black River Killer,Italic that show off this band at it's best. Another great band from the fertile Northwest.
his Orchestra Spaceland Oct 19
This was the first time I saw an entire set by this L.A. band that has so overwhelmed me this year with the best CD of the year and a live sound that is the perfect representation of their music. Tightly focused, disciplined, yet lots of fun, there's nothing like it when all their violins are sawing away furiously.
Le Loup The Echo Oct. 28
Another of my favorite albums of the year was Family and their live shows are infectious displays of the passion of performance, boundlessly enthusiastic and irresistible.
Hipster Hoedown Gallery 2023 Nov. 12
Elaine Layabout put together what may have been my favorite show of the year. It was Telegraph Canyon, Monahans, Tommy Santee Klaws and Restavrant. Amazing sets by each band that individually would have been a highlight, but the four altogether left the audience dazed and ecstatic. Tommy Santee Klaws I've been raving about for a year, and people are really starting to catch on, Restavrant and Monahans each blew me away, but it is Telegraph Canyon that is one of my favorite new bands this year.
Pinback El Rey Nov 14
Another great Pinback show, but this time playing a compendium of their whole 11 year career in a dizzying display of their extraordinary songwriting covering almost 25 songs in a 90 minute set.
This list comes out very top heavy with national and international bands. Can't help it. So I also have to mention:
Under Covered
The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra, Death to Anders, Radars To the Sky and Marvelous Toy cover other L.A. bands at All Star Lanes Feb. 15. Great Fun.
Rock and Roll Summer Circus Echoplex Aug 14
This was the night music exploded all over the Echoplex, inside, outside, on stage and throughout the club. About 15 bands competed for attention and the crowd was huge and in a party mood. Guest-laden, chaotic, party-sets by The Henry Clay People, Fol Chen, The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra and Marvelous Toy among many others contributed mightily to the festivities.
Abbot Kinney Festival in Santa Monica Sep. 27
Amazing line up and top sets by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Eskimo Hunter, Soko, The Parson Red Heads and Dios. Nice street fair, and lots of music.
Halloween Show at The Echo Oct. 27 with The Karabal Nightlife covering T-Rex, The Monolators channeling ABBA, Voyeurs as Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Fleetwood Mac possessing The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra. All bands amazed me.
Marion Hodges
These are the ones that are most present in my memory:
Dum Dum Girls/The Tartans at Spaceland:
This was the best show I've seen by far from my friends the Tartans. Dum Dum Girls far exceeded my expectations. They were so tight, and the songs were so well constructed that at times they gave me chills (usually during the moments with the most intricate harmonies).
A Place to Bury Strangers at the Echoplex:
As I said about the record, Oliver Ackerman can seriously manipulate sound. Imagine that sound at deafening volumes with visuals that give you the perspective of speeding down a highway, and you probably get the idea that this show is quite an experience. I've genuinely never seen anything like it. Not even...
My Bloody Valentine at the El Rey:
Though this was loud and amazing as well. It was kind of surreal to stand at the El Rey and hear so many classic songs, and know that even though you were wearing ear plugs your hearing would be shot for the rest of the week. During the noise "holocaust" section at the end we were actually being propelled away from the speaker by sheer force of sound. And you could feel the bass resonating in your chest.
Crocodiles/PENS at Spaceland:
PENS were charming. Crocodiles were seriously impressive. I don't even know how to describe it properly, but they were great at this show as a two piece, and even better when I saw them a few months later as a full band. I really hope that 2010 has a lot of nice things in store for them. Almost every show I saw during New York and San Francisco Popfests. You can look up my highlight posts for more on both of those.
Honorable mention goes to Mayer Hawthorne at the Fox Hills Mall in Culver City:
KCRW put this show together on a Saturday afternoon, and it was great. This happened to take place the day after I saw A Place to Bury Strangers at the Echoplex. I loved both for totally different reasons, and yet like A Place to Bury Strangers Mayer Hawthorne's show was so good because he provides his audience with a full experience. He is as great a performer as his songs would seem to demand, and his band was incredibly sharp. Though, honestly, I would have expected no less.
Jed
Favorite 2009 Shows
Emiliana Torrini, El Rey, 8/19
!!! - Troubadour 9/27
Fever Ray - Henry Fonda 10/7
Indigo Girls - El Rey 5/14
They Might be Giants - Royce Hall 11/14
Happy Hollows Record Release - Spaceland 9/4
Flying Tourbillion Orchestra, Voyeurs, Karabal Nightlife, Monolators Halloween Show - Echo 10/27
Afternoons/Sea Wolf - Troubadour 9/17
Deep Sea Diver, Spaceland 6/15
Coachella 4/2009: Leonard Cohen, Thievery Corporation, My Bloody Valentine
Seamus Simpson
Best Shows:
Jesus Lizard @ The Henry Fonda
Cursive at Spaceland
King Khan and the Shrines at The Echo
Henry Clay People at Spaceland NYE (the shows hasn’t happened but I know I will remember it)
ATE, Henry Clay People, Rademacher at Henry Fonda
Photo by Zoe-Ruth Erwin.
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