With everything that’s been going on in my life this year, graduating college, getting married, starting a new job, I didn’t make it out to as many concerts as I have in the past. The shows I did see this year though, stand among the music experiences I’ve ever had. These are the 15 performances I loved the most in 2008. Make to sure to follow the read more… link to see the whole list, and visit Pictures For Kids Who Can’t Read Good to check out all my concert pictures from this year. Have a very festive Christmas season!
15. Caribou Courtyard Café (Urbana)
Caribou completely jammed the Courtyard Cafe with their bright, psychedelic sound and trippy lights. Sinkane, who now plays for Of Montreal, made a special guest appearance on the drums at this show.
14. British Sea Power / 1900’s Canopy Club: Void Room (Urbana)
British Sea Power tore up the stage at the Canopy Club Void Room with some wonderful opening support from folk-collective 1990s.
MP3 British Sea Power – Waving Flags
13. Kanye West Lollapalooza (Chicago)
Kanye West’s homecoming performance at Lollapalooza was an extremely enjoyable and memorable show. He performed all his greatest hits and had a spectacular stage presence. We even got a speech that compared his music to making an iPhones.
12. The Roots Summer Camp (Chillicothe)
The Roots are talented performers and fantastic musicians. ?uestlove’s drum solo during their 10 minute version of “Masters of War” was unforgettable.
11. Yo La Tengo Krannert Center (Urbana)
Yo La Tengo headlined Pygmalion Festival with a performance at the Krannert Museum Theatre. From classics like “Autumn Sweater” and “Tom Courtenay” to the extended jamming sessions of their latest album, they put on an awesome show.
MP3 Yo La Tengo – Autumn Sweater
Click the below link to see my top ten!
10. Islands The IMC (Bloomington)
We didn’t get face paint, but nonetheless, Islands played a fabulous set and really gave me a new appreciation for their latest album, Arm’s Way.
MP3 Islands – I Feel Evil (Creeping In)
9. Broken Social Scene Lollapalooza (Chicago)
Broken Social Scene gave a completely epic performance at Lolla with 10 members on stage (including Amy Milan) and outstanding performances of “7/4 Shoreline” and “It’s All Gonna Break”.
MP3 Broken Social Scene – 7/4 Shoreline
8. The Ms / Headlights / Asobi Seksu Canopy Club (Urbana)
The Polyvinyl Showcase closed out Pygmalion Festival and I got to see three great indie pop bands do their thing, of which Asobi Seksu was the biggest highlight. Yuki’s dazzling vocal presence and the band’s huge, hazey sound were absolutely spectacular.
7. Explosions in the Sky Lollapalooza (Chicago)
Explosions in the Sky’s show was the biggest surprise of Lollapalooza for me, and was easily one of my favories of the weekend. After the show, I overhead people at the festival talking nonstop about heir breathtaking, impassioned performance.
6. Cloud Cult Schubas (Chicago)
Matching their gorgeous, expressive songs with a visual feat including live painters on stage, seeing Cloud Cult live was everything I hoped it would be.
MP3 Cloud Cult – When Water Comes To Life
5. Girl Talk / Dan Deacon The Metro (Chicago)
I saw Girl Talk twice this year, both of which included sweaty dance-fests and samples ranging from Soulja Boy to Sinead O’Connor to Journey. This show opened with the crazy antics of electronica maestro Dan Deacon, and was one of the funnest times I had all year.
4. Wilco Lollapalooza (Chicago)
I can’t imagine a better atmosphere for seeing Wilco than in Chicago on a beautiful summer night. Their performance was superb and Nels guitar shredding was in full force on tracks like “Spiders (Kidsmoke)”. The band played an extremely varied set with a number of songs from all their albums and even a new song, “One Wing”. The band even sewed together homemade Nudie suits for the performance. Awesome.
3. Hold Steady / Drive-By Truckers The Riviera (Chicago)
Photo by Joe Isaacs
Everything about this concert was phenomenal. Theyprovide the very definition of an amazing, life-affirming rock show full of massive riffs and sing-a-long songs. The Hold Steady almost killed me.
MP3 The Hold Steady – Constructive Summer
2. The Flaming Lips Summer Camp (Chillicothe)
One of the most crazy, visually spectacular, musically overwhelming performance I’ve ever seen. From Wayne Coyne surfing the crowd inside his giant space bubble hamster ball to a transcendent and beautiful encore of “Do You Realize?”, The Flaming Lips put on an unbelievably great show.
MP3 The Flaming Lips – She Don’t Use Jelly
1. Radiohead Lollapalooza (Chicago)
This was my first time seeing Radiohead and I camped myself at their stage the majority of the day to get as close possible to the legendary band. Needless to say, they exceeded every expectation I had of them providing perhaps the best single show I’ve seen. They provided awesome performances of tracks like “The Bends”, “No Surprises”, “National Anthem”, and “Paranoid Android” and gave me perhaps my favorite concert moment ever with “Fake Plastic Trees” (which is still replaying in my head). A completely mindblowing show. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the first time I saw Radiohead.
MP3 Radiohead – Fake Plastic Trees
***
Unfortunately it’s taking me a bit longer to get my favorite albums post up due to holiday and work stuff taking up most of my time. I am working on it though and will have it up soon.
Music For Kids Who Can't Read Good 
best show of the year: Rage Against the Machine at Lolla
second best was Radiohead, definitely, and then Wolf Parade
hey, i just started a blog, you should check out my favorite songs of the year cause we have a few in common: http://theonlyproof.wordpress.com/
Another good list man – keep it up! Of these, I’ve only seen the flaming lips, drive-by truckers, wilco, cloud cult, explosions in the sky, and yo la tengo. I hadn’t seen Cloud Cult before this year — I own you one for bringing them to my attention. They put on an excellent show. Explosions in the Sky is always incredible.
Some other ‘noteworthies’ for my year are probably Okkervil River, The Mountain Goats, Band of Horses, Anathallo, and Fleet Foxes. Biggest ‘missed opportunities’ were Radiohead and Frightened Rabbit — gah, what was i thinking not making it to those?
Oh god Im so pissed I decided I didnt have money to go to Lolla, I should have made myself. All hail Radiohead. (And Explosions…..)
Nice list! I just posted mine as well. My impression of Radiohead at Lolla was tainted because I’d seen them 4 times before, and this was by far their worst show of the 5. It was probably better than I’m giving them credit for.
From what I hear where you were standing made a big difference. I was second row center and the show sounded, looked, and felt amazing. People viewing from a distance from what I hear got a completely different experience.
congrats on graduating and getting married! and lucky you for getting to see Radiohead…I was supposed to see them at SF Outside lands fest but I couldn’t make it =(
I saw Radiohead in Vancouver and the best show I have seen
Oh god Im so pissed I decided I didnt have money to go to Lolla, I should have made myself. All hail Radiohead. (And Explosions…..)