As a result of certain life events due to transpire next year, I may not be going to concerts / festivals at the same rate I used to, so it’s a good thing that I went all out this year. This was my first year I went to Bonnaroo in addition to my usual Pitchfork Fest / Pygmalion coverage, and I got to see some of all-time favorite, bucket list artists for the first time like New Order, Jeff Mangum and the Beach Boys. Below are my 20 favorite live shows of the year. You can visit the musicforants.com flickr page to view all my concert pictures.
20. Santigold @ Bonnaroo (Manchester, TN)
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19. Wild Flag @ Pitchfork Festival (Chicago)
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18. The Head and the Heart @ Canopy Club (Urbana)
MP3 The Head and the Heart – Sounds Like Hallelujah
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17. Alabama Shakes @ Bonnaroo (Manchester, TN)
MP3 Alabama Shakes – Hold On
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16. Lord Huron @ Pygmalion Festival (Champaign/Urbana)
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15. tUnE-yArDs @ Bonnaroo (Manchester, TN)
MP3 tUnE-yArDs – My Country
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14. Hundred Waters @ Pygmalion Festival (Champaign / Urbana)
MP3 Hundred Waters – Me & Anodyne
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13. Sleigh Bells @ Pitchfork Festival (Chicago)
MP3 Sleigh Bells – Crown on the Ground
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12. Dirty Projectors @ Pitchfork Festival (Chicago) & Pygmalion Festival (Champaign/Urbana)
MP3 Dirty Projectors – Gun Has No Trigger
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11. Hot Chip @ Pitchfork Festival (Chicago)
MP3 Hot Chip – And I Was A Boy From School
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10. Dinosaur Jr. @ Pygmalion Festival (Champaign/Urbana)
MP3 Dinosaur Jr. – Feel The Pain
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9. The Roots + Questlove Superjam ft. D’angelo @ Bonnaroo (Manchester, TN)
MP3 The Roots – The Next Movement
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8. Cloud Nothings @ Pichfork Festival (Chicago) & Pygmalion Festival (Champaign/Urbana)
MP3 Cloud Nothings – Stay Useless
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7. Bon Iver @ Bonnaroo (Manchester, TN)
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6. M83 / I Break Horses @ The Pageant (St. Louis)
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5. Grizzly Bear @ Pygmalion Festival (Champaign/Urbana)
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4. Beach Boys @ Bonnaroo (Manchester, TN)
MP3 Beach Boys – Good Vibrations
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3. New Order @ Aragon Ballroom (Chicago)
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2. Jeff Mangum @ Athaneum Theater (Chicago)
MP3 Neutral Milk Hotel – In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
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1. Radiohead @ Allstate Arena (St. Louis) & Bonnaroo (Manchester, TN)
Music For Kids Who Can't Read Good 
Hey Taylor, sorry to hear you’re not going to many shows next year. Hopefully everything is okay. This is a damn impressive list for 2012!
Thanks man, it’s actually a good thing though! I won’t have as much time for shows since I’m going to be a dad.
And Monsters Calling Home ….aka Run River North!
Hey, congratulations! My wife is actually due with our first child in late January, so I know what you mean. We actually picked our baby’s name while at a show this summer.
Hey Taylor,
My Miette turned 7 in October. I was pregnant with her when I started reading your blog in 2005. We haven’t read your blog as much this year, due, to Miette being diagnosed with a terminal brainstem tumour. But, as Woodford Folk Festival approaches in ten days, she is so excited to go back to the music festival, she loves music and live music and especially excited to see a little pixie like singer, Emma Louise who she so she seems to love the most at the moment.
I just wanted to congratulate you both, it is such wonderful news, life will run at a different pace but it’s worthwhile.
You will go to less concerts for sure, but make sure you never stop listening to music, it blossoms in them and when they are ten they will tell their friends, “One Direction sucks why don’t you listen you real music?” like my eldest Xander.
Hold on to the memories. List is wonderful, we have lots of music to catch up on this year. It’s been weird living in a house that has been silent. Normally music plays day and night. This last six months, it’s been absent, until a couple of weeks ago when we realised a whole year has gone by and Woodford is upon us again.
Enjoy fatherhood, I’m sure you and Celeste will make wonderful parents.
haha, that’s a cute way of letting people know you’re expecting a baby! congratulations 🙂
Thanks for the kind words Natalie, I’m so heartbroken to hear about Miette. I read through your journal and she seems like a very special girl. I hope you have a wonderful time at Woodford Folk Festival. I’m looking forward to bringing my son or daughter to their first music festival someday, and I hoping they have the same excited reaction as Miette does.
Thanks for reading and commenting throughout the years! I’m hoping to make it back to Australia soon, my parents just moved to Perth last month. It’s always good to hear from you and your family will be in our prayers!