Jahfin Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 I'm pretty sure there's already a thread for this but I haven't quite mastered the Search feature for the new board so I was unable to find it. Here's my top 10 favorite shows of 2007 followed by a list of honorable mentions. And then, just for shits n' grins I listed all of the shows I attended in 2007. R.I.P. to Raleigh's Hideaway BBQ which will be closing it's doors in the weeks to come. 1. The Police w/ Fiction Plane Thursday, November 15th Bobcats Arena Charlotte, NC There was no chance in hell that I was going to see Led Zeppelin at the 02 in London and I'd already seen Van Halen way back in 1979 with Dave so this was my big reunion show for the year. $90 for seats in the nosebleed section, was it worth it? Well, not really as the band were mere specs from way up there but from a historical standpoint it was the show of the year, hands down. There was a last minute scare as Sting came down with the flu a few days before prompting them to cancel a show in Philly. Thankfully he was well on the mend when they took the stage in Charlotte, singing and playing his heart out. The real star of the show? Stewart Copeland, but they all seemed to be at their best. After a missed opportunity back in 1989 when the Synchronicity Tour hit Greensboro, I can now go to my grave saying I finally saw The Police. 2. The Allman Brothers Band w/ Mofro & the Drive-By Truckers Saturday, August 11th Walnut Creek Amphitheatre Raleigh, NC It wasn't on purpose that I hadn't seen the Allmans since the 90s when Dickey was still with them but I'm glad I attended this show. Yes, the Truckers were the deciding factor but I'd also never seen the Allmans with Derek Trucks (save for a guest spot at my last ABB show). Boy, was I in for a treat. This is one band that keeps on reinventing itself live and never gives off an air of nostalgia as several aging touring bands do. Guest spots during the show from members of the opening bands also didn't hurt matters any. Unfortunately I missed Mofro but arrived in plenty of time to see the Truckers. This was only my second time seeing them after Jason's departure and let me just say they were on fire, especially compared to their HOB performance in Myrtle Beach earlier in the summer. Their rendition of Angels and Fuselage to close the set was one of the best versions I've heard of that song and believe you me, I've heard plenty. 3. John Prine w/ Patty Griffin Friday, August 17th Koka Booth Amphitheatre Cary, NC The keyword on this summer evening was HOT. As in sweltering, miserable-ass hot, with nary a breeze in sight. Handheld fans were fluttering everywhere and beer/cold beverage consumption had to be at an all time high. Despite a few sound issues, Patty Griffin and band turned in a great set. Strange thing was, at the end of her set she received the type of applause normally reserved for headliners. The applause was so much I'm sure she would have been allowed back out for an encore if only there had been time and it had been less hot. Soon, Prine and band took to the stage dressed to the nines. How they could stand it up there in those suits under the hot lights with the already insufferable heat is anybody's guess. Nevertheless, they soldiered on like the troopers they are, turning in a solid set of Prine favorites both old and new. Patty Griffin was welcomed back to the stage for a couple of tunes, one of which was In Spite of Ourselves. It must have been the heat as she blew more than a couple of lines as did Prine during one of his tunes just a few moments earlier. Still, the heat didn't stop either from putting on one of the best shows I had the pleasure of seeing all summer long. 4. Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3 Friday, March 23rd Cat's Cradle Carrboro, NC I'm admittedly largely unfamilar with Robyn Hitchock's output other than the odd song or two I remember from MTV's 120 Minutes and PostModern MTV but that didn't stop me attending this show. Being the R.E.M. fan I am I have no problem saying it was mostly for the Venus 3 factor as Robyn's backing band includes Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey and Bill Rieflin (also the core of the Minus Five, minus John Ramberg [The Tripwires/Model Rockets). The thing is, I walked away a Robyn Hitchcock fan. If nothing else, he had me from the get-go with his inbetween song rambles. I can't say I followed everything he said or that any of it made any sense but I damn sure laughed a lot. It also didn't hurt that they threw in the Minus Five's "Aw Shit Man" that had the entire audience chiming in on the irresistible chorus. 5. The Gourds Sunday, July 15th Hideaway BBQ Raleigh, NC This was a special evening as there was no opening act, it was an early show and it was devoted entirely to the Gourds. This left options open for one of their rare marathon shows but that just wasn't to be on this night. Still, they rocked their asses off for well over two hours. Considering the breadth of their catalog these days, it was still a damn fine show. Over the last few albums they've kinda been tinkering with their sound, adding a bit more electric guitar here and there. Well, this evening they took the stage like ZZ Top just back from the island where they disappeared to grow their beards (well, except for Frank Beard), rockin' and rollickin', much to the crowds' delight. Just like their records, there's enough variety there to draw from so that even the most staid audience member isn't going to get bored, unless they don't have a pulse. I don't know how many Gourds shows I've seen at this point but one thing is for certain, everyone is going to have a good time, not least of which is the band themselves. Hell, I'd be content just to watch Jimmy Smith grimace as he wails away on the bass all night. 6. Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit w/ Justin Townes Earle Thursday, July 12th Hideaway BBQ Raleigh, NC I'm a Jason fan but at this point I still hadn't purchased his newly released album just yet. Let me say without question he sold me on it during the very first song (Brand New Kind of Actress). This was my first time seeing Jason outside of the Drive-By Truckers and it was evident from the moment he and the 400 Unit took the stage that they were playing like they had something to prove. Not cocky, not showy, just playing their asses off as though their very lives depended on it. That's rock n' roll and sadly, it's not something you see very often anymore especially among even rock's most seasoned performers who oftentimes seem content just to go through the motions. At this time Jason's split from the Truckers was still fairly fresh and he and the 400 Unit came out of the gate with full force, slowly reducing the confines of the Hideaway BBQ to mere rubble by night's end. Whether it be cuts from his debut, Sirens of the Ditch, his Truckers classics or covers such as the Talking Heads' Psycho Killer or their wall shakin' take on Thin Lizzy's Jailbreak, Jason and the 400 Unit meant business. A few hundred of us stumbled outside the venue afterwards with ringin' ears and sweat soaked clothing to prove it. On this night, he and his band gave his former bandmates in the Drive-By Truckers a serious run for their money. When I saw them the previous month at the HOB in Myrtle Beach it was more than evident they were still smarting from his departure. 7. Fiery Furnaces w/ Dios Friday, July 6th Lincoln Theatre Raleigh, NC Their frenetic, all over the place style is not easy to digest but once you give it a chance it pays off in spades. Having never seen them live, I wondered just how they would pull off the sound of their records in concert. With much aplomb is how. Comparisons to The Who in concert were lost on me until I had the pleasure of seeing the Fierys live (think "A Quick One While He's Away"). Like their records, there is no break between songs so it made finding an appropriate time to applaud a newfound but welcoming challenge. The first set consisted entirely of cuts from Bitter Tea, performed without interruption, the second was cuts from Blueberry Boat as well as some of their other records (including the then unreleased Widow City). I have never had a concert experience quite like it and I'm not sure I will again, not until their next performance at least. The only thing missing was Matt Friedberger's vocals, which were totally absent. No matter, sister Eleanor managed quite well on her own. Definitely a must see if ever they breeze through your town. 8. Ryan Adams & the Cardinals Saturday, October 13th North Charleston Performing Arts Center North Charleston, SC This show came not long after Ryan's much publicized "meltdown" in MN just a few weeks prior (though I'm aware of much worse so I'm still a bit baffled as to why this particlar show warranted so much publicity) so there was an obvious amount of apprehension going in. Not long into the show Ryan began cutting up, mocking the MN incident and telling the audience to loosen up. These were the first indicators that we may be in for a full, drama-free performance. Still, when the houselights went up after the first half of the show there was a bit of alarm but we were assured it was only the intermission. The band was soon to return to play, albeit was a much shorter set. Some still left dissatisfied saying the show was not "edgy" enough or that the Cardinals were simply going through the motions. That may be true but I was just happy to have driven so far without having to experience one of his infamous temper tantrums. To me, the show was very solid and I was completely satisifed with it. Have I seen better out of Ryan and the Cardinals? Most definitely but what I experienced was hardly one of his more shitty shows. That may be a screwed up way of looking at it but that's pretty much the case when dealing with Ryan Adams these days. 9. Just One More: A Musical Tribute To Larry Brown The Tim Lee 3 w/ Brent Best Saturday, September 1st Hideaway BBQ Raleigh, NC Unfortunately this was one of the more poorly attended shows at the Hideaway, perhaps because of it being Labor Day weekend, perhaps because two of the scheduled performers (Bo Ramsay & Pieta Brown) had to cancel, either way I'm glad the 14 or so of us that were in attendance were able to make it that night. While I hate that Bo and Pieta were unable to play it enabled the Tim Lee 3 and Brent Best to be able to play longer. This was my introduction to the Tim Lee 3 and I was mightly impressed. I wasn't sure what to expect but I was pretty much floored right away, especially when they broke into that Junior Kimbrough number (who's title escapes me). As for Brent, I'd never seen him solo but I had the good fortune to see Slobberbone a few times and have a much cherished Brent/Patterson Hood acoustic show I revisit often. On this night we got some stripped down versions of some Slobberbone and Drams songs, some new stuff and a very moving rendition of Brent's Robert Cole from the Just One More tribute album. I admit to not being very familiar with Larry Brown's work but after hearing Tim and Brent's stories I felt like I got to know a little something about the guy and why he meant so much to so many. 10. Chris Knight Saturday, March 31st Hideaway BBQ Raleigh, NC This was one of those packed to the gills shows at the Hideaway and even though I've been a fan for a while, it was also my first Chris Knight show. While it's always good to see one of your favorites play to a full house those type of shows can also come with a downside, especially when it's an acoustic performance which requires some cooperation (read: silence) from the audience. As I had been forewarned the crowd was a bit rowdy at times but also seemed to quiet down somewhat when Chris began to introduce a song. Well, except for some lady up front, directly in front of Chris who insisted upon yelling at the top of her lungs at every given opportunity: CHRIS KNIGHT, YOU ROOOOOOCCCCCCCCCCK!!!!! After several incidences of this he said, "lady, I heard you the first seven times" (or something to that effect). This finally silenced her. As for the show itself, it was very good and I was tickled to death to see one of my favorite artists of recent years perform live. I can't wait to see him when he rolls through town again. Honorable Mentions 11. The Drams Friday, May 11th Hideaway BBQ Raleigh, NC 12. Sarah Borges & the Broken Singles w/ Ray Wylie Hubbard Friday, October 12th Hideaway BBQ Raleigh, NC 13. Mary Gauthier w/ Lucy Wainwright Roche Saturday, October 20th Cat's Cradle Carrboro, NC 14. Blue Mountain w/ The Tim Lee 3 Friday, October 5th Hideaway BBQ Raleigh, NC 15. Marah w/ Willis Breeding Thursday, July 26th Local 506 Chapel Hill, NC 16. Walter Salas-Humara & Drew Glackin of the Silos w/ Caitlin Cary & Lynn Blakey of Tres Chicas Friday, November 9th Slim's Downtown Distillery Raleigh, NC 17. The Bottle Rockets w/ Otis Gibbs Saturday, January 27th Hideaway BBQ Raleigh, NC 18. Son Volt Saturday, May 19th Band Together Benefit Lincoln Theatre Raleigh, NC 19. Carrie Rodriguez w/ Tim Easton Saturday, June 9th ArtsCenter Carrboro, NC 20. Tres Chicas Saturday, November 24th Pour House Music Hall Raleigh, NC 21. The Backsliders w/ Jeffery Dean Foster and the Birds of Prey Friday, December 7th Pour House Music Hall Raleigh, NC 22. Terry Anderson and the Olympic Ass Kickin' Team Terry's Birthday Bash / David Enloe Tribute Tuesday, December 25th Pour House Music Hall Raleigh, NC -------------------------------------------------- The Entire Shebang Don Dixon and the Jump Rabbits w/ Sally Spring Saturday, January 6th Hideaway BBQ Raleigh, NC The Bottle Rockets w/ Otis Gibbs Saturday, January 27th Hideaway BBQ Raleigh, NC Patty Hurst Shifter w/ The Accelerators Saturday, March 3rd Pour House Music Hall Raleigh, NC Olympic Ass Kickin' Team w/ The T's Saturday, March 17th Pour House Music Hall Raleigh, NC Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3 Friday, March 23rd Cat's Cradle Carrboro, NC Chris Knight Saturday, March 31st Hideaway BBQ Raleigh, NC Tres Chicas Saturday, March 31st Pour House Music Hall Raleigh, NC Patty Hurst Shifter w/ The Fustics Friday, May 4th Bella Festa Wilmington, NC The Drams Friday, May 11th Hideaway BBQ Raleigh, NC The ViBeKiLLeRs w/ The Cartridge Family and The Bleeding Hearts Friday, May 18th Pour House Music Hall Raleigh, NC Son Volt Saturday, May 19th Band Together Benefit Lincoln Theatre Raleigh, NC Hank Sinatra Saturday, May 19th Band Together Benefit After Party Lincoln Theatre Raleigh, NC Rob Watson Saturday, May 19th Pour House Music Hall Raleigh, NC Bill Kirchen & Too Much Fun Saturday, June 2nd Hideaway BBQ Raleigh, NC Patty Hurst Shifter w/ The T's Friday, June 8th Pour House Music Hall Raleigh, NC Carrie Rodriguez w/ Tim Easton Saturday, June 9th ArtsCenter Carrboro, NC Drive-By Truckers w/ Patty Hurst Shifter Saturday, June 23rd House of Blues Myrtle Beach, SC Southern Culture on the Skids Saturday, June 30th Museum of Art Raleigh, NC Fiery Furnaces w/ Dios Friday, July 6th Lincoln Theatre Raleigh, NC Patty Hurst Shifter w/ Left Outlet Friday, July 6th Pour House Music Hall Raleigh, NC Ian McLagan & the Bump Band w/ The Way-Goners Saturday, July 7th Hideaway BBQ Raleigh, NC Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit w/ Justin Townes Earle Thursday, July 12th Hideaway BBQ Raleigh, NC The Gourds Sunday, July 15th Hideaway BBQ Raleigh, NC Marah w/ Willis Breeding Thursday, July 26th Local 506 Chapel Hill, NC Needham's Neighbor Friday, July 27th Sadlack's Heroes Raleigh, NC The Backsliders Friday, July 27th Slim's Downtown Distillery Raleigh, NC The ViBeKiLLeRs Saturday, July 28th Pour House Music Hall Raleigh, NC Patty Hurst Shifter w/ Terry Anderson & the Olympic Ass Kickin' Team Tres Chicas Sunday, July 29th Pour House Music Hall Raleigh, NC John Prine w/ Patty Griffin Friday, August 17th Koka Booth Amphitheatre Cary, NC Just One More: A Musical Tribute To Larry Brown The Tim Lee 3 w/ Brent Best Saturday, September 1st Hideaway BBQ Raleigh, NC Tift Merritt & the NC Symphony Sunday, September 2nd Koka Booth Amphitheatre Cary, NC Joe Swank & the Zen Pirates Saturday, September 15th Hideaway BBQ Raleigh, NC Terry Anderson & the Olympic Ass Kickin' Team w/ The T's Saturday, September 15th Pour House Music Hall Raleigh, NC Tres Chicas w/ Great Big Gone & The $2 Pistols Saturday, September 29th Cat's Cradle Carrboro, NC Blue Mountain w/ The Tim Lee 3 Friday, October 5th Hideaway BBQ Raleigh, NC Scott Miller & the Commonwealth w/ Corb Lund & The Hurtin' Albertans Saturday, October 6th Hideaway BBQ Raleigh, NC Sarah Borges & the Broken Singles w/ Ray Wylie Hubbard Friday, October 12th Hideaway BBQ Raleigh, NC Ryan Adams & the Cardinals Saturday, October 13th North Charleston Performing Arts Center North Charleston, SC Mary Gauthier w/ Lucy Wainwright Roche Saturday, October 20th Cat's Cradle Carrboro, NC Walter Salas-Humara & Drew Glackin of the Silos w/ Caitlin Cary & Lynn Blakey of Tres Chicas Friday, November 9th Slim's Downtown Distillery Raleigh, NC The Police w/ Fiction Plane Thursday, November 15th Bobcats Arena Charlotte, NC Tres Chicas Saturday, November 24th Pour House Music Hall Raleigh, NC Joe Swank & the Zen Pirates Saturday, November 24th Slim's Downtown Distillery Raleigh, NC Needham's Neighbor Friday, December 7th Sadlack's Heroes Raleigh, NC Chris & Marc Smith of Patty Hurst Shifter Friday, December 7th Slim's Downtown Distillery Raleigh, NC The Backsliders w/ Jeffery Dean Foster and the Birds of Prey Friday, December 7th Pour House Music Hall Raleigh, NC The ViBeKiLLeRs Sunday, December 9th Slim's Downtown Distillery Raleigh, NC Terry Anderson and the Olympic Ass Kickin' Team Terry's Birthday Bash / David Enloe Tribute Tuesday, December 25th Pour House Music Hall Raleigh, NC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JethroTull Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 Damn you are a stud. I was on strike in 2007, only went to two shows. Two Springsteen and the E Street Band shows at the Verizon Center in DC. Both shows were great, but hearing an 11 minute version of "Kitty's Back" on night one was all I needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 (edited) Ooh, cool thread. Radio 1's Big Weekend, 19th May. Kula Shaker, 12th June. Kasabian, 27th July. Manic Street Preachers, 5th December. And of course: Ahmet Tribute, 10th December. All my gig blogs of the year are here. If anyone has many spare hours to read them. Edited January 10, 2008 by Chicken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swede Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 (edited) Nice thread.. Don't know if I remember all of them (not as many as Jahfin though!!!!), but here's my top 5 shows I attended (in no particular order): Tift Merritt with her band at Debaser, Stockholm. Thunder Express at Mosebacke, Stockholm. Lucinda Williams at Berns, Stockholm. Roky Erickson at Nalen, Stockholm. The Maharajas, in Oslo, Norway. (Our band was the opening act, great night!) aah.. what the heck, here's the two second best show as well: Timbuk2 with Damn! at Debaser Medis, Stockholm. Rufus Wainwright at Accelerator, Stockholm. Edited January 10, 2008 by Swede Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 Black Francis[Frank Black,Chuck Thompson] Richard's on Richard's Vancouver Canada He played quite a few Pixies songs .Great evening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alwizard03 Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 (edited) I also did not go to many but I did attend a few Two were Country shows Girl Friend at the time was a Country Fan and I was forced to go.This is the Show Tim Mcgraw got his Ring Stolen and His Crotch Grabbed.Faith was not to happy. Also went to the Biloxi Mississippi show the night before this one but My ticket has not been scanned. Lynyrd Skynyrd and Hank Willams Jr Front Row and Backstage Passes Charlie Daniels Front Row and Backstage passes Greg Allman General Admission had My Arms and Beer resting on the Stage Allman Brothers , Cowboy Mouth , Henry Butler , John Mayer Jazzfest New Orleans 2007 only saw a few songs with John as He was on a different stage from the ABB and We caught a little of his show. Also attended a Sevendust,TenYears , Neverset , Black Light Burns Show at the House of Blues in New Orleans Edited April 16, 2008 by alwizard03 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmie ray Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Our town has started giving free summer concerts, at a park that is right on the bay. I setup a couple of lawn chairs a few hours ahead of time, right in front of the stage - then arrive with a packed cooler and whoever wants to join me later. So far they've had: Kansas - 3 original members, but they played tight together and the sound was good. Felix Cavalari's Rascals - fun show, especially the Wilson Pickett numbers. Marshall Tucker - Doug Gray is the only original member, and he has throat problems. Strawberry Fields - Beatlemania members, supposedly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jahfin Posted April 16, 2008 Author Share Posted April 16, 2008 Marshall Tucker - Doug Gray is the only original member, and he has throat problems. They recently played in my area and were charging $30 a ticket to see 'em. I love the Marshall Tucker Band but there's no way in hell I'm paying that much to see a facsimile of what once was. Same thing for Blackfoot (there is no Blackfoot without Rickey Medlocke) and Molly Hatchet (who toured for the longest time with no original members, I think they have one now). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmie ray Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 I would say Marshall Tucker is not worth paying any amount to see these days. They keep replacing members, the flute player wasn't too bad but didn't know some of the songs, nothing special about the other musicians, and they had horrible sound level problems. I feel bad for Doug, I think he had throat cancer surgery. They played a 45 minute version of Ramblin', to save his voice, but people started leaving at that point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alwizard03 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 I would say Marshall Tucker is not worth paying any amount to see these days. They keep replacing members, the flute player wasn't too bad but didn't know some of the songs, nothing special about the other musicians, and they had horrible sound level problems. I feel bad for Doug, I think he had throat cancer surgery. They played a 45 minute version of Ramblin', to save his voice, but people started leaving at that point. Yeah its pretty over the Caldwell boys are both Dead I believe that ended it for Me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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