best concerts of 2012
first, a relevant clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI73NFINsyo#t=03m19s
2012 had some pretty memorable shows! here’s a list of my top 10 favorite performances this year:
10. neon indian
there was a blinking robot on stage. the show was kind of ruined by the presence of too many fan girls. come on, the guy is like 5 feet tall.
9. wild nothing
a pretty good show that didn’t quite live up to my high expectations. I had seen videos of wild nothing’s live performances and thought Jack would sound great live. overall, the sound was not very balanced, and it was hard to hear the vocals. also, they played too many songs off their last album, which I didn’t like as much as gemini. I’m realizing this review is not sounding very good, but they’re a great band, and I’m rooting for them to improve their live performance and sound.
8. the walkmen
they busted out the upright piano. extremely well put together and performed show. you know a band is big when they have a giant backdrop. not sure about the ballerinas though. also, here’s a tip: the cushioned benches on the second floor @ royale give you the best (and safest) view.
7. real estate
[sadly no photo for this show as my phone ran out of batteries]
overall an enjoyable show, albeit with some unnecessarily long solos. still, the guitarist gets really into it. nice to see someone that really enjoys what he does.
6. cass mccombs
the blinking lights were beautiful (which you unfortunately can’t tell from my crappy phone photo), and some songs were particularly memorable. Cass makes no eye contact with anyone, and you kind of feel like you snuck into their band practice and shouldn’t be there. some ridiculously long musical interludes; you can only hear county line so many times.
5. john k samson
this concert was so great because it was really a weakerthans show, not a john k samson show. it was a flashback to the early 00s where people would sing along at indie shows. nowadays, everyone’s too cool for school.
4. father john misty
surprisingly good show. the guy can really sing (glad he transitioned from being just a drummer for fleet foxes). also, he’s kind of crazy and has a lot of quirky stories to tell.
3. tame impala
awesome show in support of an awesome record (the best this year, in my opinion). the crowd was really into it. our experience was a bit dampened by crowd surfers (Kevin: “just remember, guys, some people are here to have a good time and not have their f-ing skulls crushed”). nice oscilloscope visualizations; kind of reminded me of being in lab but much louder.
2. youth lagoon
did you know you can sit on the stage at the middle east? there’s something about having just two guys performing on stage that makes for a very intimate show. I like when bands make an effort to make their live performances sound different than their recorded tracks; it makes shows actually worth going to, and this one certainly was.
…and before we get to #1, here are the concerts that I should have passed on…
braid
I listened to a lot of braid in high school, but I’m just too old for this now. I don’t think my body can really handle this kind of crowd anymore. I never understood why people love owen so much either; he opened for braid, and I thought it was super boring. also, some dude spilled beer on me, and my shoes smelled for weeks.
dan deacon
creepily cultish and insanely loud.
1. destroyer
sometimes the best shows are the most unexpected. I wasn’t a particularly big fan of destroyer until I went to this show. Dan Behar’s mellowness was balanced out by the rich sound of the “orchestra” supporting him. there was a great mix of old and new songs, and I left wanting to hear destroyer’s entire discography. overall, the show was incredible.
honorable mentions:
la sera
I’ve never been to a show with so many girls, and I think Katy (of the vivian girls) is to blame. she has a great voice, though, and overall, the band was really fun live.
twin sister
some standout keyboard solos and transitioning between songs; I love when songs blend into one another.
here’s a playlist of the most memorable songs I heard at the shows:
some shows to look forward to in 2013: christopher owens, yo la tengo, toro y moi, strfkr, shout out louds, and I’m sure many more… ( :
I will leave you with a cute video of kids singing tame impala’s “feels like we only go backwards.” have a great holiday and happy new year!
