2004 Concert in Review
So it occurred to me that these end of year summations of everything I saw/attended are sort of masturbatory. As in, "look at me, I did tons of cool stuff and you did not! Neener Neener!" But, be that as it may, I have been reviewing gigs all year so it seems right to sort of sum up.
Stats
Total Gigs: 47
Total Bands: 103 - includes every band I saw part of, but no bands that were on bills that I missed.
Total Venues: 25 - Grog led the way with 10, followed by the Beachland Ballroom with 6 and the Odeon with 5.
Best Road Trips
1. Both days of the Falls Festival in Lorne, Australia, obviously.
2. Josh Ritter w/Sarah Harmer at the Fine Line Music Club in St. Paul, MN. I love this club.
3. Sarah Harmer w/Hayden at the Magic Bag in Ferndale, MI. I *really* love this club. Well worth driving there and back in one night by myself. Too bad Hayden sucks compared to Josh Ritter. Actually, he compares to a lot of people.
4. The Cramps w/The Gore Gore Girls at Mr. Smalls in Millvale, PA. It used to be a cathedral, but it was still quite welcoming when Faith & I went there.
Best Festivals
1. Again, both days of the Falls Festival. See how easy making this list is? :-)
2. Studio-A-Rama 2004. Good bands, good friends, good radio. And free.
3. Curiosa 2004 at Blossom. Should have been better than it was, but none of the second stage bands were any good and only two of the main stage bands were really good - Interpol & the Rapture. The Cure was merely so-so, sadly.
4. Wingfest 2004 at Nautica. It was ok.
Best Bands I Had Seen Before
1. The Black Keys - the gig in Australia.
2. The Waifs - at Finney Chapel in Oberlin.
3. Reel Big Fish - still a great pit. Who cares if they sold out?
4. Jason White - hey, the second time I saw I had seen him before, right?
5. The Black Keys - the Beachland gig.
6. Martin Sexton - much much better than the first time I saw him. Glad I gave him another chance.
7. Sarah Harmer - at the Magic Bag in Ferndale.
8. Ben Folds - More fun ways to destroy a piano than anyone else.
9. Mike Doughty's Band - Ok, so I had never seen Mike Doughty's Band. But I had seen Mike Doughty and Soul Coughing, so this counts.
10. Great Big Sea - I dragged gieves to a show.
11. Antibalas - watching Franklin get down is always worth the price of admission.
Top Opening Acts, Excluding Festivals
1. Push Stars - opened for Martin Sexton. I even bought a CD.
2. Lords of the Highway - opened for the Derailers. Should have been the other way around.
3. Sarah Harmer - Yay! Opened for Josh Ritter.
4. Bonfire Madigan - Pyscho hippie feminist chick with electric fiddle. Weird and fun. Imagine Bitch & Animal with half the people twice the talent. Ok, 10 times the talent. Opened for Laibach.
5. Kiddo - Local favorites. Opened for the Beatnik Termites.
6. The Datsuns - New Zealand 70s rock & roll. Opened for the Pixies.
7. Smash the Windows - Local Irish. Opened for the Young Dubliners.
Bands I Will Recommend To Anyone
Gee, this looks like last years...
1. The Black Keys
2. Jason White
3. The Waifs
4. Weakerthans
5. Great Big Sea
Bands I Really Liked, But Which Appeal Only to Certain Audiences
1. Laibach
2. Stiff Little Fingers - Only one original member? No problem!
3. Antibalas
4. Liquid Soul
5. Stone Coyotes
Cut the bollocks, let's hear some Rock & Roll!
1. The Black Keys
2. The Pixies
3. The Cramps
4. The Beatnik Termites
5. Nashville Pussy
6. The Donnas
The Full Line-up
Eddie From Ohio - Beachland - 1/9
Carbon Leaf - Grog - 1/29
DJ Sandra Collins - Moda - 1/31
Stiff Little Fingers w/Brain Failure, Tokyo Storm Warning - Peabodys - 2/3
The Toasters w/Big D & the Kids Table - Odeon - 2/13
The Klezmatics - Grog - 2/20
Freekbass w/Flo White & the Cash Explosion - Grog - 3/5
Blue Number 9 @ Fat Fish Blue - 3/20
Great Big Sea @ the Odeon - 3/24
Roomful of Blues w/Blue Lunch @ Wilberts - 3/31
Sarah Harmer w/Hayden @ Magic Bag - 4/13
The Waifs w/Jug Free America @ Finney Chapel - 4/17
Drums & Tuba w/Soul Samba @ Grog - 5/3
Nashville Pussy w/Artemis Pyledriver @ Grog - 5/12
Waybacks w/J.P. & the Chatfield Boys @ Winchester 6/2
Antibalas @ Beachland Ballroom 6/8
Mike Doughty's Band @ Odeon 6/9
The Aquabats @ Agora Ballroom 6/14
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Gin Blossoms, Better Than Ezra @ Nautica 6/18
Rockapella @ Cain Park - Evans 6/23
Guster, Ben Folds, Rufus Wainwright @ Tower City 6/27
Reel Big Fish w/Catch 22, Rx Bandits @ Agroa Theater 7/2
Jason White w/Will Bowen @ Wilberts 7/16
Curiosa 2004 - Mogwai, Auf Der Maur, The Rapture, Thursday, Interpol, Muse,
The Cure @ Blossom - 8/4
Derailers w/Lords of the Highway @ Beachland Ballroom - 8/6
Audrey Auld @ Barking Spider - 8/11
Studio-A-Rama 2004: I Sing the Body Electric, Sputnik, BJ O'Malley, JJ Magazine, Kid Tested, Kroch, J. Scott Franklin, Smokin' Fez Monkeys, The New Lou Reeds - 9/11/2004
Young Dubliners w/Smash the Windows @ Grog Shop - 9/14
Deke Dickerson & the Ecco-Phonics @ Beachland Tavern - 9/17
Liquid Soul @ Peabodys - 9/18
Martin Sexton w/The Push Stars @ Grog Shop - 9/23
Josh Ritter w/Sarah Harmer @ Fine Line Music Club Minneapolis - 10/1
The Black Keys w/The Cuts @ Beachland Ballroom - 10/9
The Cramps w/Gore Gore Girls @ Mr. Small's Millvale PA - 10/12
The Stone Coyotes w/Saul Glennon Trio @ Beachland Tavern - 10/16
Dolly Parton w/The Grascals @ Gund Arena - 10/19
Jamie Cullum @ Odeon - 10/22
Laibach w/Bonfire Madigan @ Beachland - 11/11
Freekbass @ Peabodys - 11/12
Beatnik Termites w/Kiddo @ Grog - 11/13
Weakerthans w/High Strung, Despistado @ Grog - 11/14
Pixies w/The Datsuns @ Rhodes Arena - 11/21
Jason White w/Will Bowen @ Grog - 11/27
The Donnas @ Odeon - 11/29
Karl Denson's Tiny Universe - House of Blues Cleveland 12/7
Reverend Horton Heat - Beachland 12/15
Falls Festival: Missy Higgins, Billy Bragg, The Cat Empire, Veruca Salt, You Am I, The John Butler Trio - Lorne 12/30
Falls Festival: Donavon Frankenreiter, The Thrills, Xavier Rudd, Spiderbait, De La Soul, The Black Keys - Lorne 12/31
Yeah, told you it was a pointless exercise.
Stats
Total Gigs: 47
Total Bands: 103 - includes every band I saw part of, but no bands that were on bills that I missed.
Total Venues: 25 - Grog led the way with 10, followed by the Beachland Ballroom with 6 and the Odeon with 5.
Best Road Trips
1. Both days of the Falls Festival in Lorne, Australia, obviously.
2. Josh Ritter w/Sarah Harmer at the Fine Line Music Club in St. Paul, MN. I love this club.
3. Sarah Harmer w/Hayden at the Magic Bag in Ferndale, MI. I *really* love this club. Well worth driving there and back in one night by myself. Too bad Hayden sucks compared to Josh Ritter. Actually, he compares to a lot of people.
4. The Cramps w/The Gore Gore Girls at Mr. Smalls in Millvale, PA. It used to be a cathedral, but it was still quite welcoming when Faith & I went there.
Best Festivals
1. Again, both days of the Falls Festival. See how easy making this list is? :-)
2. Studio-A-Rama 2004. Good bands, good friends, good radio. And free.
3. Curiosa 2004 at Blossom. Should have been better than it was, but none of the second stage bands were any good and only two of the main stage bands were really good - Interpol & the Rapture. The Cure was merely so-so, sadly.
4. Wingfest 2004 at Nautica. It was ok.
Best Bands I Had Seen Before
1. The Black Keys - the gig in Australia.
2. The Waifs - at Finney Chapel in Oberlin.
3. Reel Big Fish - still a great pit. Who cares if they sold out?
4. Jason White - hey, the second time I saw I had seen him before, right?
5. The Black Keys - the Beachland gig.
6. Martin Sexton - much much better than the first time I saw him. Glad I gave him another chance.
7. Sarah Harmer - at the Magic Bag in Ferndale.
8. Ben Folds - More fun ways to destroy a piano than anyone else.
9. Mike Doughty's Band - Ok, so I had never seen Mike Doughty's Band. But I had seen Mike Doughty and Soul Coughing, so this counts.
10. Great Big Sea - I dragged gieves to a show.
11. Antibalas - watching Franklin get down is always worth the price of admission.
Top Opening Acts, Excluding Festivals
1. Push Stars - opened for Martin Sexton. I even bought a CD.
2. Lords of the Highway - opened for the Derailers. Should have been the other way around.
3. Sarah Harmer - Yay! Opened for Josh Ritter.
4. Bonfire Madigan - Pyscho hippie feminist chick with electric fiddle. Weird and fun. Imagine Bitch & Animal with half the people twice the talent. Ok, 10 times the talent. Opened for Laibach.
5. Kiddo - Local favorites. Opened for the Beatnik Termites.
6. The Datsuns - New Zealand 70s rock & roll. Opened for the Pixies.
7. Smash the Windows - Local Irish. Opened for the Young Dubliners.
Bands I Will Recommend To Anyone
Gee, this looks like last years...
1. The Black Keys
2. Jason White
3. The Waifs
4. Weakerthans
5. Great Big Sea
Bands I Really Liked, But Which Appeal Only to Certain Audiences
1. Laibach
2. Stiff Little Fingers - Only one original member? No problem!
3. Antibalas
4. Liquid Soul
5. Stone Coyotes
Cut the bollocks, let's hear some Rock & Roll!
1. The Black Keys
2. The Pixies
3. The Cramps
4. The Beatnik Termites
5. Nashville Pussy
6. The Donnas
The Full Line-up
Eddie From Ohio - Beachland - 1/9
Carbon Leaf - Grog - 1/29
DJ Sandra Collins - Moda - 1/31
Stiff Little Fingers w/Brain Failure, Tokyo Storm Warning - Peabodys - 2/3
The Toasters w/Big D & the Kids Table - Odeon - 2/13
The Klezmatics - Grog - 2/20
Freekbass w/Flo White & the Cash Explosion - Grog - 3/5
Blue Number 9 @ Fat Fish Blue - 3/20
Great Big Sea @ the Odeon - 3/24
Roomful of Blues w/Blue Lunch @ Wilberts - 3/31
Sarah Harmer w/Hayden @ Magic Bag - 4/13
The Waifs w/Jug Free America @ Finney Chapel - 4/17
Drums & Tuba w/Soul Samba @ Grog - 5/3
Nashville Pussy w/Artemis Pyledriver @ Grog - 5/12
Waybacks w/J.P. & the Chatfield Boys @ Winchester 6/2
Antibalas @ Beachland Ballroom 6/8
Mike Doughty's Band @ Odeon 6/9
The Aquabats @ Agora Ballroom 6/14
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Gin Blossoms, Better Than Ezra @ Nautica 6/18
Rockapella @ Cain Park - Evans 6/23
Guster, Ben Folds, Rufus Wainwright @ Tower City 6/27
Reel Big Fish w/Catch 22, Rx Bandits @ Agroa Theater 7/2
Jason White w/Will Bowen @ Wilberts 7/16
Curiosa 2004 - Mogwai, Auf Der Maur, The Rapture, Thursday, Interpol, Muse,
The Cure @ Blossom - 8/4
Derailers w/Lords of the Highway @ Beachland Ballroom - 8/6
Audrey Auld @ Barking Spider - 8/11
Studio-A-Rama 2004: I Sing the Body Electric, Sputnik, BJ O'Malley, JJ Magazine, Kid Tested, Kroch, J. Scott Franklin, Smokin' Fez Monkeys, The New Lou Reeds - 9/11/2004
Young Dubliners w/Smash the Windows @ Grog Shop - 9/14
Deke Dickerson & the Ecco-Phonics @ Beachland Tavern - 9/17
Liquid Soul @ Peabodys - 9/18
Martin Sexton w/The Push Stars @ Grog Shop - 9/23
Josh Ritter w/Sarah Harmer @ Fine Line Music Club Minneapolis - 10/1
The Black Keys w/The Cuts @ Beachland Ballroom - 10/9
The Cramps w/Gore Gore Girls @ Mr. Small's Millvale PA - 10/12
The Stone Coyotes w/Saul Glennon Trio @ Beachland Tavern - 10/16
Dolly Parton w/The Grascals @ Gund Arena - 10/19
Jamie Cullum @ Odeon - 10/22
Laibach w/Bonfire Madigan @ Beachland - 11/11
Freekbass @ Peabodys - 11/12
Beatnik Termites w/Kiddo @ Grog - 11/13
Weakerthans w/High Strung, Despistado @ Grog - 11/14
Pixies w/The Datsuns @ Rhodes Arena - 11/21
Jason White w/Will Bowen @ Grog - 11/27
The Donnas @ Odeon - 11/29
Karl Denson's Tiny Universe - House of Blues Cleveland 12/7
Reverend Horton Heat - Beachland 12/15
Falls Festival: Missy Higgins, Billy Bragg, The Cat Empire, Veruca Salt, You Am I, The John Butler Trio - Lorne 12/30
Falls Festival: Donavon Frankenreiter, The Thrills, Xavier Rudd, Spiderbait, De La Soul, The Black Keys - Lorne 12/31
Yeah, told you it was a pointless exercise.