Best Live Art of 2007
I saw some amazing performances in 2007, more than 30 in all. That may not sound like much, but when you’re seeing movies, watching tv, listening to music, reading books and playing games, time fills up. I used to just list my favorite concerts of the year, but I thought that was short-changing all the other forms of live art: theatre, comedy, spoken word, dance, and so on. So this year’s list is about the best in live art of all kinds.
- Neil Young, Peggy Young
WaMu Theater, October 23
The evening was split into two sets, with the first half a solo acoustic look back at the greats of Young's catalog and the second an electric, full-band recreation of his new album, Chrome Dreams. The contrast between the two was stark. Seated throughout his solo set, Young looked like an old man: confused, quiet, slow. His singing and playing was impeccable, but watching it you felt he was exuding all his energy just to get the songs out. When he returned from his set break with the rest of his band en tow, everything changed. It was the musical equivalent—if you'll pardon the geek in me for a moment—of seeing Yoda fight Count Dooku in Episode II. He was a man transformed. Electric guitar in hand, this was Neil Young in full-on rockstar mode. The acoustic set alone would have topped my list for the year, but to see Young earn his legend status during every moment of his thrilling, dichotomous performance was something I won't soon forget. - This American Life Live
Ira Glass, David Rakoff, Sarah Vowell, Dan Savage
Paramount Theatre, March 7
Having seen so many shows over the years, the one hallmark I tend to latch onto in order to declare a show great is a somewhat intangible one: uniqueness. In an age where we know setlists of every band, where we can download bootlegs that reveal spontaneity to be carefully rehearsed lines, uniqueness is a bit of a fallacy. Despite that, and despite the fact that most of this show came from previously used sources (TAL host Glass was clearly scripted, the other writers read straight from their essays), the entire evening had an air of authenticity. Maybe it was the fact that being there, you felt like you were part of some special club, but experiencing a live radio show with an audience of more than 2,000 was special. - A Drink for the Kids Finale
Greg Dulli with Shawn Smith, Tim Seely
The Triple Door, October 4
There might be no more intimate venue in Seattle than the Triple Door, which is weird considering you're probably eating your dinner while you watch the show. Yet somehow highly personal performances emerge from this new-age twist on dinner theater. Greg Dulli's show, a benefit for the Vera Project, was no exception. The lineup, which featured not only Shawn Smith, but also Petra Haden and Jeff Klein, was exceptional. The normally angst-y Dulli was a little more subdued in this setting, but no less imposing. Opening the show was local favorite (and friend of my sister's) Tim Seely, which provided the occasion for his mom to come up and awkwardly compliment me on my speech at my sister's wedding. All in all, a very memorable evening. - Mike Doughty's Question Jar Show
The Triple Door, December 3
No show that I saw throughout 2007 could so clearly be defined as unique as Mike Doughty's at (once again) the Triple Door. Part of a special "small rock" tour, Mike asked the audience to drop off questions prior to the show into a jar to the side of the stage. During the show, either he or his bassist Andrew "Scrap" Livingston would answer various questions (and ignore plenty of others) in between songs. In addition to a highly entertaining acoustic set featuring old favorites, live requests and early previews of songs from his upcoming album, the questions proved to be more than a gimmick.
My friends and I threw four questions into the big jar, and actually had three of them answered. This is quite the feat when you consider there were hundreds stuffed into the jar. Question 1: What would your role be in a bank robbery? Scrap: Driver. Question 2: Do you call it soda, pop, or coke? Mike: I call it soda. Question 3 was a stroke of genius invented by my friend Andy, and it may have just been the highlight of the evening. The question: Can you imagine a world without ducks? Scrap, after much laughter which he had to subdue to simply read the question aloud, answered. "Yes, I can. And it would be bleak and sad." And the crowd roared with laughter. - Ben Lee
Neumos, November 5
There's something about intimacy. Small clubs make it easier for this, but I think it goes even further. Some of my favorite shows throughout the years, and a lot of the ones on this list, feature only one or two performers on the stage. I'm not sure what it is, but that sort of one-to-many connection of a solo artist (or, in this case, a solo artist plus one) is what I love most about live music. The last time I saw Ben at Neumos, he came out in a sparkly gold suit and played what was probably my least favorite show of his I've ever attended. Undeterred, I went back again and was treated with a brilliant show by just Ben and his buddy Nick. They played songs from a "setlist" of over 75 choices, featuring covers, new songs, old songs, all featuring Ben's trademark openness and wide-eyed optimism. Even the songs I didn't like too much on his new record _Ripe_ came alive in this stripped-down setting. If you ever go see Ben live, make sure it's like this. - The Craft: Ben Kweller
Neumos, November 28
More Nuemos, more Bens! I had the good fortune to win tickets to this special show, taped for "The Craft," a joint venture from MGD and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The result is an event somewhere between Storytellers and Morning Becomes Eclectic. It was a great insight into Ben's past, his songwriting, and his personality. We also had the good fortune to see him play the kinds of things you'd never otherwise hear, like the first song he wrote as a child. Surprise! It was actually pretty good. If you don't believe me, you can see it for yourself. While you're there, you can look for me (or at least the back of my head) in the front row. - Kings of Leon
Moore Theatre, May 2
The first time I saw this band was on a very, very hot summer day at Easy Street. They were loose, dressed in rags, and had very little stage presence. The songs carried them through. Fast forward a couple years later, and they're a tight, focused, well-dressed quartet, their stage presence as mature as their songwriting. I enjoyed Youth & Young Manhood, and absolutely loved Aha Shake Heartbreak. It took a while to come around to Because of the Times, but there is no doubt that both live and on record this is one of my favorite bands in the business right now. They tear it up. - Gomez, Ben Kweller
The Showbox, February 15
This show was memorable for its contrasts. It was my first (finally!) time seeing Ben Kweller, and my fourth Gomez viewing (all in the previous 16 months). It was also a chance for my Ben Kweller friends to finally meet my Gomez friends. As a huge fan of both acts, I was the one in between. BK put together a great but ultimately too short set (luckily I caught him again later in the year), highlighted by a cover of Roger Miller's "Chug-a-lug," possibly a stylistic preview of what's to come from Ben's forthcoming "country album." Gomez, as they always do, put on a killer show, the pinnacle of which was the long-awaited (for me, at least) first live experience of the sublime "Black Eyed Dog/Free to Run" medley. Those eight minutes are right up there with any song I saw live all year. - The Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem
Hec Edmunson Pavilion, September 24
I'm of the mind that the Arcade Fire simply cannot put on a bad show. Their trademark, the unbridled enthusiasm and anything-goes mentality of everyone from lead singer Win Butler all the way down to the auxiliary percussionists is more than a gimmick. I've seen the band three times now in person, and countless times on television, but every time seems like a revelation. Opening act LCD Soundsystem was good enough with their indie-meets-dance-via-punk stylings to put me to sleep, literally. I don't want to slam on them, because they're a fine band, and maybe it was because I was seated so far away from the action, but those beats were prime for sleep inducement. The Arcade Fire brought me back to life though, even before the anthemic, powerful "Wake Up." - Wilco
Marymoor Park, August 21
I'd seen Wilco once before, opening for R.E.M. at Bumbershoot 2003, but at that time I didn't fully appreciate the band. I loved Yankee Hotel Foxtrot but was only vaguely familiar with their back catalog. Since that time, they have become one of my all-time favorite bands, so I was truly excited to see them in a headlining show. While not as majestic as the Gorge, concerts at Marymoor Park have this nice backyard vibe to them—if your backyard could accommodate a few thousand people, that is. Tweedy & co. put on a fantastic, tight show with an expansive setlist featuring tracks from most of their albums, and, for good measure, a few other gems thrown in. The highlights for me were a Bill Frisell-enhanced "California Stars," from the Billy Bragg collaboration Mermaid Avenue, and near-perfect version of "Airline to Heaven," my favorite song from the sequel, Mermaid Avenue Vol.2. - Andrew Bird
Starbucks Stage, Bumbershoot, September 2
I knew of Andrew Bird before this past year, but never got into him. I wasn't ready I guess. It was a slow evolution, even after I figured out how good he was. If you were to track my play counts of his tracks over the year, it would be a parabolic curve… but there's still room to grow. Bird's Bumbershoot performance will do a lot to help that. Of everything I saw last year, this one tends to stay with me the most. I keep coming back to it not because it was the best, but because it was the most revelatory. In that moment, that perfect moment when I took a break from a hectic day (for me, at least), I got it, and Andrew Bird made sense for me for the first time. - John Legend
Maingstage, Bumbershoot, September 3
I never really find myself going to hip-hop or soul shows, so it was quite a treat to catch John Legend at Bumbershoot. Though I've never seen the classic soul artists like Al Green & James Brown, I got the feeling that John Legend was carrying on their lineage quite well during his, well, soulful performance. Engaging as a singer, he made use of the full bag of tricks, pulling a nearly faint young lady up onstage to dance with him during a particularly sultry number. It was also great to see a diverse audience in a place where you normally find indie rock kids and old record store hounds. - The Police
Key Arena, June 6
Considering I was ten years old when the Police called it quits, I never once thought I'd get the chance to see them live. My seat was miles away from the stage, their set design was barren and lackluster, and Sting's voice can't quite scream like it used to. That can't take away the joy of hearing "Truth Hits Everybody," "Next to You," and "So Lonely" live and in person. - Urinetown
Nathan Hale High School, May 5
I don't really like musical theater, but this show was undeniable for the sheer joy the kids brought to their performances. The set design and direction were well above my expectations for a high school production, and the audience was so swept up in these kids really going for it. I went in with no expectations and came out excited about my decision to go and support my friend (the director). You can't ask for better entertainment than that. - Rufus Wainwright
Moore Theatre, July 29
The entire night I was thinking "Why am I not at Daft Punk right now?" but it was hard not to enjoy the showy, exuberant Rufus as he pranced around the stage dressed to the nines, doing his best Judy Garland (right down to the heels). I saw Rufus a couple summers ago at Chateau Ste. Michele, but to me his music is always best suited for the theater, where his showy qualities are allowed to shine as bright as his songwriting and impeccable vocals. - Patty Griffin
Woodland Park Zoo, July 18
The weather was less than stellar, especially for a mid-July evening, but Patty was spot on the whole night. I had never seen her live before, and actually am not super-familiar with her whole catalog, but I've been a huge fan of her voice and songwriting for the last half decade or so. Sounding frail and worn yet hopeful and resolute, Patty Griffin has one of those "old country" voices that just cuts straight to the heart. - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
KEXP Music Lounge, Bumbershoot, September 2
This is how I like my BRMC. I've been aware of them for years, but only really became a fan with HOWL, so the acoustic setting of the tiny Music Lounge suited me well. Their excellent set featured some quieter versions of tracks from their new Baby 81, but thankfully touched on some of their previous work too, which was a perfect companion to their show earlier that day in Memorial Stadium. - Ryan Adams & the Cardinals
Moore Theatre, July 27
An idiosyncratic performer with an erratic stage persona, Ryan Adams is like a time bomb without the onscreen timer. You're just waiting for him to go off, but in the meantime, you are totally mesmerized by him. Touring with the Cardinals, Adams is a little less fidgety than normal, but his songs are stronger than ever. Every tune was so warm and immediate, like the wonderfully rich cover of Alice in Chain's "Down in a Hole." Now, if only Ryan's fans would just shut up and let him play the show he wants to play. - David Sedaris
Benaroya Hall, October 26
I had the good fortune of getting a third row seat to see the tiny, wry Sedaris read/speak at the cavernous Benaroya Hall, a venue not especially suited for a single "performer." Being my favorite writer, it doesn't take too much for Sedaris to impress me or make me laugh, but he was in fine form on this night as he read some stories from his upcoming book, previously published articles, and old NPR material. My favorite story—possibly because it occurred on my birthday—may have been about his decision to eat cheeseburger soup somewhere in Ohio. Yes, I said cheeseburger soup. - New Pornographers
The Showbox, September 15
The last time I saw the New Pornographers, Neko Case wasn't touring with them, which kind of dampens the spirit of the show. The first time I saw them 5 years ago, all I really knew of them was the single "The Laws Have Changed," which of course I loved. So this time around, having now been a fan for years (especially of the transcendant Twin Cinema), it was like seeing an old friend. Neko and Carl Newman carried their harmonies brilliantly, Dan Bejar showed up for his strange but catchy songs, and everyone else in the band lived up to the promise of those big three. I can't wait to see them again. - Menomena
Sound Transit Stage, Bumbershoot, September 1
I discovered Menomena earlier this year after hearing "Wet and Rusting" and have never looked back. That was my most played song of the year (with "Muscle 'n Flo" not too far behind), but I missed their show at Neumos during the summer. As it turned out, that was quite alright, because they brought along a choir for a special Bumbershoot performance. Menomena make dense, intricate pop music that you might think wouldn't translate well to a live show. You would be wrong. See them if and when you can.
The rest, in chronological order:
My Morning Jacket (KEXP 500 Club, Moore Theatre, January 8)
Holly O'Reilly (The Triple Door, March 20)
Inherit the Wind (Redmond Civic Theatre, April 5)
Fridays at the Frye (Frye Art Museum, April 13)
Trapped in the Closet Live (Re-Bar, April 25)
!!! (Neumos, May 3)
Ravens & Chimes (The Crocodile Cafe, May 30)
Tim Seely, Mooncalf (Tractor Tavern, July 6)
The Cave Singers, Grand Archives (Nectar, August 6)
Modest Mouse, Incubus, Nada Surf (Download Festival, Gorge Amphitheatre, August 25)
The Shins, Gym Class Heroes, Gogol Bordello (Bumbershoot, September 1)
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Kings of Leon, Ian Ball, Todd Barry, Michael Ian Black (Bumbershoot, September 2)
Fleet Foxes (Bumbershoot, September 3)
Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter (Neumos, October 9)
Rogue Wave (Neumos, October 16)
The Women (ACT Theatre, November 6)