aforementioned blog. still in my head.
but sudden inspiration struck on the way home from the limbeck show just now and i just couldn’t wait ‘til morning.
BEST SHOWS OF 2008* **
*that i attended
**in chronological order
january 17 :: umbrellas @ meacham auditorium, norman
this one might have been awesome simply because of the fact that it was the most awkward show i’ve ever been to. it was SILENT in between sets. and not because no one liked the band. because i know for a fact that most of the people there were umbrellas fans/friends. but it was still the only time i saw umbrellas all year. that makes me a little sad.
march 8 :: wilco @ cain’s, tulsa
sadly i’ve tried to block part of this show from my memory, but what i can and do allow myself to focus on is the brilliance of the song “impossible germany” and how it was 10,000 times better live. jeff tweedy seemed geniunely impressed at the turnout and enthusiasm of the tulsa crowd, which always makes me a little proud of tulsa. and his coat was FABULOUS.
march 21 :: admiral twin @ los cabos, broken arrow
the first outdoor show of the season always puts me in good spirits. and i love going to see admiral twin. it feels like family.
march 22 :: phantom planet @ diamond ballroom, okc
the bravery played too. and, going in, i was more excited to see them. but phantom planet absolutely stole the show. they know how to interact with the crowd and make you feel like you’re at a private show (though, to be honest, there weren’t that many people at this show). i hate that they’re breaking up.
march 25 :: dave cook - “billie jean”
ok, so i’m totally cheating on this one since i wasn’t actually in LA or hollywood or wherever they film the show. but come on, this was one of the best, most goosebump-inducing performances of the year. and it was on fucking american idol. i’m sorry, but i’m cheating and putting it on my list. after he sang that, i knew he was never coming back here.
may 18 :: black rebel motorcycle club @ the granada, dallas
the. best. show. of. the. year. period. it was a “private” jack daniels promo. no support, just BRMC. amazing sound. perfect view. not crowded. just….i can’t put into words how incredible this show was. they are absolutely amazing and i’m DYING to see them again.
july 17 :: oso closo @ exit 6c, tulsa
this is the night that oso won the hearts of pretty much everyone in tulsa. i remember being absolutely blown the fuck away by how GOOD they were (and by “GOOD” i mean, superlatives just don’t cut it, so i’ll just revert back to “good” but type it in all-caps for added emphasis). seriously. i’d heard a track and thought it was good (lowercase good) but oso’s forte is the live show. so much energy and talent and passion. i remember shawn from swampfox turning to me after oso’s set and saying, “well fuck. i don’t want to go on now!”
july 26 :: taddy porter @ dfest (mcnellie’s), tulsa
they rock. they packed the room. they gave away their music. they know what they’re doing.
july 26 :: jonathan tyler and the northern lights @ dfest (dirty’s tavern), tulsa
probably my favorite discovery of 2008. it’s close between them and oso closo. this band, jonathan tyler and the northern lights, stopped time at dfest. i planned to hear a few songs and move on. i was rooted to the spot for their entire set. there needs to be more bands like them in the world. take the best parts of kings of leon, the allman brothers… any of the good blues-rooted rock bands from the early ’70s. just…captivating.
august 2 :: oso closo, the feds, & fair to midland @ house of blues, dallas
i didn’t know how oso would fit with the feds and FTM, but they killed it. the feds made a shoutout to tulsa since there were a TON of us in town for the show and well, we were more awesome than that majority of the texans in the room. unfortunately i don’t remember much of FTM. we had a rule, no shots after fair to midland starts. or maybe it was the feds. either way, the rule was broken.
august 28 :: the feds @ belle isle brewery, okc
kind of an all-around awesome show. they sounded good (especially for belle isle). the crowd was such that the show was pretty much all-request. and afterward i got to hang with all the boys. i’ll admit i like being with “the guys” more than “the girls.” Conversation’s almost always better.
august 29 :: ludo @ the marquee, tulsa
the feds & my solstice (yes?) played too. i hadn’t seen ludo in AGES. i’d forgotten the lyrics to “good will hunting.” i love going to see bands like ludo. bands who spent a lot of time in tulsa and then scored some radio success or what have you. i love when they come back and the crowd is bigger and more into it and they get to turn more people on. love it love it love it.
september 23 :: the parlor mob @ diamond ballroom, okc
…should go here, but i suffer from chronic tardiness and missed all but two and a half of their songs.
october 24 :: dredg @ the marquee, tulsa
second best show of the year. dredg falls under the same category as blue october for me. blue october’s music/shows have always been extremely theraputic for me. there’s something about justin furstenfeld’s lyrics and/or writing style that just pulls me in. regardless of whether i’m listening to the cd or to him live, it’s like you’re sitting down with a good friend and having a one-on-one conversation. it’s just…music as it should be. but i digress. though not as much lyrically, dredg also makes me feel like that. it’s always been there on the cd, but i didn’t really notice that peaceful calm until i saw them live.
november 14 :: the feds @ dan’s silver leaf, denton
the feds are on here a lot. probably because they’re breaking up and i’m making up for the years that i kind of shrugged them off and didn’t go see them all that much. but this was a FANTASTIC show. not as good as tulsa will be, i’m sure, but the tulsa show isn’t for another month, so. the feds last texas show ever. on the list.
november 16 :: coldplay @ ford center, okc
better than the 2006 show. kind of peaked early at “fix you” but that’s ok. i hate going to arena shows, there’s no intimacy, but somehow coldplay seems to get to you.
december 6 :: taddy porter & jonathan tyler and the northern lights @ the colony, tulsa
i’ve already told you about these two. and they played TOGETHER. musical orgasm! of note: the northern lights covered “crosstown traffic,” making them even more awesome in my book.
and that’s all kiddos. i’m exhausted. this took longer than expected. it’s now 2:30am and i have to be at work in a few hours.
stay tuned for my (now) annual best albums of the year list very soon.
