Best of 2008: Live Art
I saw nearly 100 live performances in 2008. An astonishing number, to say the least. The live art I witnessed was diverse: theater, literary readings, performance art, and of course, concerts and festivals. I went to five this year, and worked another. Some were more exhausting than others, but all were more than worth my while. Here then, with audio and visual accompaniment (thank you, internet), is my list of the best live art of the past year.
Bon Iver, The Tallest Man on Earth
December 12, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
I was quite frustrated to see that Bon Iver had scheduled a Seattle show opposite Bumbershoot. There was just no way I was going to see that show, and so I had resigned myself to not seeing the artist responsible for my favorite album of the year. And then something miraculous happened. After selling out two shows at New York's Town Hall, a third was added in Brooklyn. I had to go. A month after getting tickets, I was there and it was everything I wanted it to be and more. The two artists that dominated my headphones and speakers in 2008 on the same stage on the same night.
Highlights:
The Tallest Man on Earth — "The Gardener" and "These Days" (Jackson Browne cover, featured below)
Bon Iver — "Re:Stacks," "Skinny Love," "Blood Bank," "Your Love" (Outfield cover) and "The Wolves (Acts I & II)" (featured below)
The National
May 24, Sasquatch, The Gorge, George, WA
The show wasn't supposed to happen. Fleet Foxes arrived on the Sasquatch mainstage after Rainn Wilson informed the crowd that The National had border troubles, followed by van troubles, and would not be making their scheduled appearance. But then word got out; the band was arriving, and would be playing the smaller Yeti Stage later in the evening, opposite tour mates Modest Mouse. It was like buying a ticket to see them at the Moore, only to have the show end up at the Showbox. With the sun setting behind them, The National put on one of the best performances I've seen in ages, by a band I wasn't even that excited about up until a few months prior.
Highlights: "Abel," "Secret Meeting" (featured below)
R.E.M.
May 24, Sasquatch, The Gorge, George, WA
As The National played the opening notes of the spectacular "Mr. November," I pulled myself away in order to secure a prime location for the night's headliner, R.E.M. My decision proved prudent; I was ten feet from the stage and managed to stay enough under cover to never get wet, despite the persistent rain that served as the backdrop for one of the best shows I've ever seen from my favorite band. The band has been rejuvenated thanks to their new record, and it was a joy to hear some old songs resurface, like "Harbourcoat," and "Auctioneer."
Highlights: "Harbourcoat," "Let Me In" (featured below)
Iron & Wine
October 5, Bimbo's 365, San Francisco, CA
By a stroke of luck, I was visiting my friend Laura in San Fran the weekend of a free festival at Golden Gate Park. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass featured Iron & Wine, Ben Kweller, Gogol Bordello and a ton of actual bluegrass stars. We didn't see Iron & Wine at the park, for we had tickets to a special benefit show at the intimate Bimbo's, some strange cross between the Triple Door and Showbox, but smaller. Sam Beam was weary yet jovial, and he treated us to an almost miraculous performance. I had in my head the entire day a song of his, and when he played it I almost cried. Well, not really, but it was that good. Listen for yourself.
Highlights: "Prison on Route 41," "Carousel"
Radiohead
August 20, White River Amphitheater, Auburn, WA
We almost didn't get there in time, which of course was my fault. But once we did, Radiohead treated us and thousands of other fans an outstanding show. I've seen them twice now, both at this venue and almost exactly five years apart. I hope it's not that long before I have the chance to see them again. Radiohead are indeed the greatest band in the world right now, taking obtuse lyrics and futuristic instrumentation and crafting accessible and deeply personal songs. It's like magic, really.
Highlights: "All I Need," "Faust Arp" (which they charmingly screwed up, proving they are in fact human), "Reckoner," and "Arpeggi/Weird Fishes" (featured below)
Joseph Arthur, Anna Ternheim
July 22, The Triple Door, Belltown
After years and years of loving his music, but never getting around to one of his shows, I finally got to see Joseph Arthur live. To have it at the intimate confines of the Triple Door proved fortuitous. The notoriously strange Arthur was in good spirits, joking with the audience, "Don't tell [my hometown] Brooklyn… Seattle's pretty great."
Highlights: "Chicago," "Honey and the Moon"
Wolf Parade, Foals, Listening Party
July 14, Neumos, Capitol Hill
I tried to get there late, as I had already seen Foals earlier in the year and been nothing but annoyed by them. Of course I got there during the first opener, which usually spells doom. Except this time it was a revelation. There was this fat bearded man singing his heart out while playing African-inspired rhythms on a drum kit of cymbals, a bucket and some plastic garbage cans. I was won over. And after the second disappointment of Foals, I was won over again. I've never loved Wolf Parade on the whole (mostly because I enjoy Dan Boeckner's stuff more than Spencer Krug's), but boy were they on fire. I cannot remember a crowd so excited for a show in this town in a long time, and the vibe was infectious.
Highlights:
Wolf Parade — "Shine a Light," "You Are a Runner"
Listening Party — "Little Tender Hearts"
Langhorne Slim & The War Eagles
September 1, Bumbershoot, Seattle Center
There are many kinds of great performances. Some are defined by the joy of the crowd. Some are defined by the quality of the music. Others, like Langhorne Slim's Bumbershoot set, are defined by the charisma of the artist. It's hard not to like a performance when you see such unbridled joy on the face of the singer. I've been really diving into Slim's music all year long, so this was one of my most anticipated performances of the year, and it did not disappoint. The dapperly dressed man smiled his way to greatness, and when he sang "I Love You, But Goodbye," a song I had never heard before, it was like greeting an old friend.
Highlights: "Electric Love Letter," "I Love You, But Goodbye" (featured below)
The Avett Brothers
April 12, Neumos, Capitol Hill
This might be a lot higher had we arrived in time to see the full show, and maybe more importantly, secure a spot that wasn't squished up against the wall. But those things cannot dampen the power of North Carolina's own soggy bottom boys. The Avetts are bringing back a kind of musicianship I thought would've been sadly lost by now, but thankfully is not. Appalachian country rock is back and made new and fresh and possibly even better than it ever was thanks to this family affair.
Highlights: "Go to Sleep," "Shame" (featured below)
The Whigs
May 24, Saquatch, The Gorge, George, WA
This Athens, Georgia trio knows how to rock. With an infectious energy and anthem-heavy songwriting, The Whigs put a solid show together every time out. They seemed to follow me around this year, performing at three of my festival stops. Not that it mattered, for I enjoyed their set every time. First impressions stick in your mind though, so this one is the big winner.
Highlights: "Need You Need You," "Right Hand on My Heart" (featured below)
Nada Surf, Port O'Brien
January 30, The Triple Door, Belltown
I've seen Nada a handful of times now, but this was a special treat: an acoustic show in advance of their new album. Ira sat playing a box, and the audience sat enraptured at the quiet beauty of the songs, new and old alike. Opener Port O'Brien I had no knowledge of at the time, but walked out humming a couple tracks. Many months later, the apprentice upstaged the master, for Port O'Brien made my Best Albums list and old favorite Nada Surf did not.
Highlights:
Nada Surf — "See These Bones," "Weightless"
Port O'Brien — "Don't Take My Advice"Cut Copy, The Presets
October 8, The Showbox, Belltown
I was sick, and don't really care for the Presets all that much. If neither of those elements were involved, this show would be a lot higher. Cut Copy on record is a great band, but in person, their anthemic songwriting is even more apparent. Wolf Parade show got the crowd moving at Neumos, but those Montreal boys are no match for Australian dance-pop.
Highlights: "Feel the Love," "Lights & Music" (featured below)
Sondre Lerche
September 1, Bumbershoot, Seattle Center
The final calm before the storm that is Bumbershoot load-out, I had the good fortune to stop and catch the tail end of Sondre's performance at a packed Northwest Court. The ever-charming Norwegian captivated the audience with just a guitar and that inimitable voice, which veers so fluidly between jazzy pop and quirky rock that you hardly notice his endless talent.
Highlights: "Modern Nature," "To Be Surprised" (featured below)
The Flaming Lips
May 26, Sasquatch, The Gorge, George, WA
It's almost unfair to put the Lips on this list. I didn't see the full show, and it didn't matter. I've seen them do the same schtick for years now, and it doesn't matter. Every time they start the show, with Wayne rolling out into the crowd in his giant hamster bubble (this time with the added splendor of emerging from a space ship suspended from the rafters), excitement takes hold. And when the band plays the opening notes of "Race for the Prize," and the confetti starts exploding, it is the highlight of any concert-going year. And really, you can never go wrong with a little public nudity.
Highlights: "Mountainside," "Race for the Prize" (featured below)
Two Gallants
August 31, Bumbershoot Music Lounge, Seattle Center
I went in not knowing what to expect; I didn't even know they were a duo. I just knew I'd probably like it. I walked out loving what I saw. Heartfelt roots rock with blackened edges, told via epic tales of love and loss.
Highlight: "Waves of Grain" (featured below)
Nada Surf, Sea Wolf
March 27, The Showbox, Belltown
Seeing Nada again all electrified was great, and the new songs sounded grander than on the somewhat lackluster Lucky. The real story though was Sea Wolf, a band who I really only knew one song from prior to this show. In fact, I recall listening to their album once and not liking it. But through the power of live music, I've since changed my tune. In a year where my longstanding belief that openers suck was continually proven wrong, Sea Wolf was a fine example of why you shouldn't walk through the door late, or you might miss out on something amazing.
Highlights:
Nada Surf — "Always Love"
Sea Wolf — "You're a Wolf"White Rabbits
May 25, Sasquatch, The Gorge, George, WA
Highlight: "The Plot" (featured below)
Beck
August 30, Bumbershoot, Seattle Center
Highlights: "Gamma Ray," "Hell Yes" (featured below)