raise your hand if you remember 2011
I do. I hope the window hasn’t quite closed on 2011 retrospectives. If so, feel free to ignore. I’m going to try to also get the album lists posted today. The clock is ticking!
CONCERTS 2011
(There are probably no surprises here.)
Top 5 shows of the year:
1. Neil Young, 4/19. Obviously. After the Neil Young tribute show in February, my longing to see the real deal reached new heights, and this show, two months later, was even better than expected. Seeing people like the modern Bob Dylan (I love you, Bobby, but…) has trained me to lower my expectations for living legends, but Neil Young is still full-strength rockin’.
2. (TIE) Wilco, 6/24 (aka The One When It Was Raining) and 6/25 (aka The One When It Wasn’t Raining). It’s clear that the rainy one was more memorable. At the time, I didn’t think that would ever be the case. It also had a (slightly) better setlist. But the non-rainy one was, by definition, more enjoyable at the time. In short, they both delivered and reminded me why this band is in my top five artists.
3. Roger McGuinn (of The Byrds, people!). Also in the living legend category. Loved the mix of full solo acoustic classic songs, snippets of songs, and stories that let us in on his long, impressive history in the music business and gave new meanings to the songs. Also, the venue was tiny and excellent, and we had perfect seats.
4. Rhett Miller, 2/11. Another at Infinity Music Hall. Despite the lack of the usual whiskey in him, he was on — perhaps more so than at any other solo show. The stories were hilarious and nerdy, and the songs were played with that contagious energy and passion. And perfect seats again thanks to a stroke of luck.
5. Josh Ritter, 7/13. Not even technically a concert. Advertised as a book reading but also included several solo acoustic songs. Gorgeous, intimate setting (a little room maybe 20x20 and floor-to-ceiling windows looking out on surprisingly sunny San Francisco Bay) and heartwarming meet-and-greet afterward. Plus, free.
Total number of shows:
— I never know how/whether to count partial shows seen at festivals. Without those, it’s 14. With all of them (even the ones when I only saw one or two songs), it’s 25.
First show of the year:
— The Music of Neil Young (various artists, including Jakob Dylan), 2/10. It was snowing pretty much every day in 2011 before then, which made concert attendance impossible.
Last show of the year:
— Josh Ritter, 12/31. Doesn’t get more “last show” than a New Year’s Eve show.
Most surprising show:
— I can’t say I expected to see Rainn Wilson and John Krasinski make an appearance on stage at Josh Ritter’s show on 2/12. That was pretty cool.
Most disappointing:
— Elton John, 3/12. Huge venue, zero view, weak audio quality, too many people. I know seeing Elton John in a small club isn’t exactly likely to ever happen, but the mega-stadium setting wasn’t fun. Plus, Billy Joel wasn’t there.
Farthest traveled:
— The book reading/mini-concert combo in San Francisco, though I was already there for work. Farthest traveled just for concert(s) was Solid Sound Festival.
States attended shows in:
— NY, CT, MA, CA. Possibly TX. I know Phil Vassar played at a work event. I’m just not sure which one he was. There were a lot of Possible Phil Vassars around. It was Dallas.
Venue most visited:
— Wound up at Infinity Music Hall (aka The Middle of Nowhere) twice. Only venue I visited twice. Also kind of my new favorite venue.
Worst injury:
— No. I go to, like, the tamest, non-moshiest shows ever.
Most expensive ticket:
— I’ve tried to block that out. Either Neil Young or Solid Sound Festival.
Band seen the most:
— Wound up seeing Josh Ritter (aka The Joshy) four times. In four states, actually.
Best new discovery:
— None at shows.
Bands seen this year that also broke up this year:
None. I think. I hope not!
Friends made at shows:
No. Almost everyone was very friendly, though.
Band members met:
I finally met both Rhett Miller and Josh Ritter after years of going to their respective shows. Both as friendly and gracious as can be. There were also some Wilco members lurking about at various festival events, but I was too scared to approach them.
Best souvenir from a show:
Wilco photo pass.
Longest time in line:
Lines? Who does that?
Shows seen from the barricade:
Most were way too small, theatre-y, and/or low-key to have barricades.
Most shows in one month:
June, with four full shows. Unless the partial festival ones also count? Then it’s a lot more.
Most shows in one week:
Feb. 10–12, with three.
Biggest crowd:
Elton John.
Any drunk encounters?
Not that I can recall.
Top 5 CDs of the year:
That’s another survey.
Top 5 worst 2011 concert moments:
— When I got in a standing-territory argument with a guy at a show that shall remain unnamed. Fortunately, everyone around me jumped to my defense.
— When someone had to be rushed away in an ambulance at that same show and I had weird anxiety flashbacks.
— When I left the Sondre Lerche show in Williamsburg to find that the parking garage where my car was parked was closed. And then they lost my keys. Okay, post-concert moment.
— When I got stuck in the parking garage for over an hour as no one left, for unknown reasons, after the Elton John show. I had a problem with parking garages this year, I guess.
— 9:00 p.m. start times with two openers.
Hey, look, none were actually related to the music! Way to go, artists.
Top 5 best 2011 concert moments:
— When Neil Young first took the stage. And then when he first started to sing. Etc., etc.
— When the sound cut out during “Radio Cure” at the rainy Wilco show and everyone in the crowd filled in the missing words without missing a beat.
— When Roger McGuinn did that “may the road rise up to meet you” Irish blessing song at the end of his show. Wait. I almost cried then, too.
— When two dudes gave up their front-row seats at the Rhett Miller show in Norfolk and told us to take them. Okay!
— Maybe too recent a memory to count, but we’re going to go with surprise “Auld Lang Syne” on violin at Saturday’s New Year’s Eve show.
