Best Shows you saw in 2009

List the top shows you saw in 2009. I was lucky enough to catch quite a few of them. Cruel Hand gets really lucky on booking, because I despise that band.

Modest Mouse/Mimicking Birds - McDonald Theatre. Eugene, OR

The Murder City Devils/Past Lives/Constant Lovers - Roseland Theater. PDX, OR

Ceremony/Cruel Hand/Mind/Skin Like Iron/Ill Intent - Good Neighbor Pizza. PDX, OR

Gaslight Anthem/Vision/Communication Redlight/The Hold Outs - Wellmont Theatre. Monclair, NJ

Have Heart/Title Fight/Justice/Cruel Hand/Foundation/Crime in Stereo/End of a Year/Blacklisted - Stelton Church. Edison, NJ

Kidcrash/Jetman/My Heart to Joy/White Wards/Livingston Seagull - Some shed in Olympia, WA


Shows I wish I was at:
Paint it Black record release in Philly
Have Heart's last show ever
Gaslight/Bruce during 59 sound at Glastonbury

Only saw a few from what I remember.

- Gaslight Anthem/Frank Turner/Polar Bear Club early in february (seems a lifetime ago now)
- Green Day/Prima Donna in October
- Frank Turner/Fake Problems/Beans on Toast in October

I was slightly disspointed with Turner headlining, had his band with him and much preferred his support for Gaslight when he was playing solo. Beans on Toast was a pleasant surprise. Green Day were amazing but played too much new stuff and was dissapointed with their encore.

Gaslight Anthem at Bristol in february was the worst I had seen them (thanks to the venue and certain people) but got to meet Brian afterwards and got a signed ticket...not to mention discovering Frank Turner...was snowing when we got outside too so was a perfect end to the night.

Only had 3 all year this year, already got 2/3 lined up early next year with 30 Seconds To Mars and Lostprophets, maybe Frightened Rabbit too.

Only went to a few myself as well. I list them in order of awesomeness (all were good).

-The Gaslight Anthem/Heartless Bastards/A Death in the Family
Outstanding, really. All 3 bands were very good (love Heartless!), and TGA had so much energy and excitement. Plus, the show was only $15, which made it even better!

-Rodrigo y Gabriela
Who knew that two nylon acoustic guitarists could be so intense?? This show is by far one of the most energetic I've been too. Headbanging till my neck hurt. If you've never heard them, check out their cover of Stairway to Heaven. It doesn't disappoint, for real.

-The Swell Season
Singer-songwriters will always be at the center of my musical taste, and The Swell Season won me over right away. If you've never seen the movie Once, which they're in, you're really missing out. Their newest album was out of this world too. In concert, they exude this intensity and sincerity that just can't be explained in words.

-Colin Hay
This guy is hilarious. Former lead singer and writer for Men at Work, Hay's got some great stories. His concert is really only about half music, but the songs are out of this world and the stories he told made me get beer up my nose.

i can't remember all of them anymore, these are my top 5 out of 25 single concerts this year (no festivals)

#1: streetlight manifesto, march - vienna
#2: biffy clyro, december (also seen in june) - vienna
#3: dredg, october (also seen in july) - graz
#4: bouncing souls, june - vienna
#5: the gaslight anthem, february (also seen in june) - vienna

coming to concerts, this years been by far the best in my whole life. my top 3 concerts i've listed can also be counted as my top 3 concerts of all concerts i've been to in my whole life

streetlight manifesto: best concert of my whole life, tickets for only 12 euro, a small hall with only about 250 people, intimate athmosphere, i got to talk to the guys enjoying their "wiener schnitzel" before their gig, people have been great, in the end it rained sweat all down the ceiling, everything was perfect,

biffy clyro: seen the guys for the third time now, they get better with every concert, entry about 50 minutes delayed, about 300 people - many from czech rep. slovakia hungary and even italy, simon regained his masterpiece of beard, very loud, lots of screaming parts, for those saying biffy have been selling out after release of puzzle > get to see them and listen to their songs live and you will stop saying that, simons a total beast on stage, best supporting act for a very long time!!!
minus: to few songs from bk, vob and il

dredg: hayes' voice is one of the most amazing i know, concert was 1 1/2 hours pure goosebumps, even enough songs from leitmotif and el cielo, about 500 people, great merchandise shirts,
minus: thoo short, missing of the room and matroshka

other bands i've seen this year:
volbeat, flogging molly, frank turner, oceansize, porcupine tree, peter fox, from monuments to masses, screenager, russkaja, the generators

bands i've already seen but that i missed this year:
rise against, february - vienna
ska-p, february - vienna
mad caddies, august - klagenfurt

bands i've never seen yet and that i would die for:
explosions in the sky!!!
rishloo
fair to midland
the mayan factor

1. The Fest
2. Gaslight/Heartless Bastards/A Death in the Family
3. Fake Problems

G. Love & Special Sauce

Was the only one though. But it was great.

Grazer wrote:

bands i've never seen yet and that i would die for:
explosions in the sky!!!
r

Saw them twice this year...so freaking good. Changed the setlists up completely.

definitely gaslight at the wellmont. brian fallon <3

THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM
ALKALINE TRIO
SAVES THE DAY

<3

so fucking good!

@ colmillionaire
omg, that's awesome =)

their music is what i listen to when i just need to come down for a while, it's simply touching and very positive music.

and i love to wake up very early in the morning and to watch the sun rise while listening to "the only moment we were alone"

Oh, man...trying to come up with a list and I'm realizing the majority of shows I saw this year were Gaslight, sadly I didn't go to many shows this year-

* Top of the list is definitely all eight Gaslight shows, probably Phoenix (first time seeing them ever), Albuquerque(awesome venue, met all the guys there), Atlanta, and North Carolina at the top of the list...those are all the first tour though, and I have to say the last four had better opening acts- Loved Ones/Murder By Death/Frank Turner.

* Girl in a Coma, twice

* Rise Against with Billy Talent, Rancid, etc. Amazing show, and I was about to miss it because no one wanted to go and I didn't feel like going alone. I'm so glad I didn't stupidly decide to skip it, because it was a great show!

* Chuck Ragan/Frank Turner/etc., the Revival Tour

Pretty sure that's it, except for some small shows at hole in the wall joints, old friends playing, that kind of thing
It's weird thinking about "best of the year" moments...I haven't really thought about that much yet!

colmillionaire wrote:

List the top shows you saw in 2009. I was lucky enough to catch quite a few of them. Cruel Hand gets really lucky on booking, because I despise that band.

Modest Mouse/Mimicking Birds - McDonald Theatre. Eugene, OR

The Murder City Devils/Past Lives/Constant Lovers - Roseland Theater. PDX, OR

I thought The Murder City Devils were broken up- or am I just retarded?

contende wrote:

THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM
ALKALINE TRIO
SAVES THE DAY

<3

so fucking good!

Saves the Day is still playing??

Great thread... Wow... Where do I begin? I have several that couldn't be topped, but then WERE topped.

1) Bruce Springsteen's October 18 (ish?). Philadelphia (Last Show he ever did at the Spectrum)... Incredible, 3 1/2 hours, 32 songs, amazing.

2) Pearl Jam: (Philadelphia) Last Shows EVER at the Spectrum (October 27-31st). The show that stands out was the Halloween show, the final show ever at the Spectrum. 41 songs were played, 3 1/2 hours. Show began at 9, ended at 12:30. Amazing.

3) The Gaslight Anthem: (Montclair)... Incredible energy, hometown crowd for the most part... 22 songs, 8 song encore, brand new song performed. GREAT.

4) Lollapalooza: (3 days in August)... Saw Gaslight Anthem and Kings of Leon (among many) on Friday, Snoop Dogg and The Killers (among many others) on Sunday.

5) Kings of Leon/The Killers: (Maryland, 1 week apart).... 2 Great show in the same venue, separated by 8 days. Both equally awesome.

I saw 15 shows in 2009, including Gaslight 3 times... Incredible year musically for me.

steph wrote:

I thought The Murder City Devils were broken up- or am I just retarded?

You def aren't, they just had a west coast reunion tour. and then played coachella and sasquatch right after. seeing them makes me wish I saw them back in the day.

saves the day are still together. under the boards was a really dreadful record, hopefully their latest is good. they are opening up for new found glory next year

The only show I went to this year was Springsteen in Atlanta. Went with my dad, and it was amazing as always.

I'm determined to see TGA next year. And (although I doubt it) it would be awesome if they came to my college town, Statesboro. Otherwise, I'm sure they'll turn up in Atlanta eventually.

colmillionaire wrote:

steph wrote:

I thought The Murder City Devils were broken up- or am I just retarded?

You def aren't, they just had a west coast reunion tour. and then played coachella and sasquatch right after. seeing them makes me wish I saw them back in the day.

saves the day are still together. under the boards was a really dreadful record, hopefully their latest is good. they are opening up for new found glory next year

I thought under the boards was good. i like it better than sound the alarm. Then again I have liked everything they have put out. And the NFG/STD should be amazing.

I really tried to like under the boards, but i just can't get into it. at least the songs sound good live though. so stoked for that tour

Most of my highlights have been festivals this year.

Dinosaur Jr. where so good and they churned out hit after hit and the sound was incredible.

Springsteen at Hyde park and sharing the experience with my dad

Reading Festival - Lock up stage had a great two days watching some of the best punk bands who always stand above the bigger acts playing at the festival for me.

Southsea fest a local music festival run for charity that sees a whole road overtaken by independent British bands saw a lot of new stuff and was a good laugh.

Bestival I can not sum up how great this festival it is. Second year I have been the atmosphere is realxed and fun but still one massive party highlight was Kraftwerk, Soulwax, 2manydjs and Fleet Foxes. uch a great expereience and I got to take my girlfriend who also fell in love with the place.

Flaming lips all I can say is what a live show! simply amazing.

Butlins ATP saw many bands I never thought I would see (Swervedriver, Sonic Youth, Múm) and got to see My Bloody Valentine two more times brining the total to four. The set it is great all the fun of staying at butlins with bands in the middle.

I only went to 4 shows this year (compared to 2008 where I went to a billion), so in order...

1. Gaslight Anthem / Murder By Death in Charlotte (took the wife, we danced the entire set!)
2. Gaslight Anthem in DC (man they sounded great! I consider the live recording of that show to be the best bootleg out there)
3. Against Me! in Cary (there is no band that rocks with as much intensity as AM!)
4. Gaslight Anthem in Carrboro (good show, I got to choose what they played for the encore and got a great photo with a unicorn)

1. Gaslight Anthem/Murder by Death/Jesse Malin/Broadway Calls
2. Tragically Hip
3. Metric/The Stills
4. City and Colour/Attack in Black

All were in Toronto. I feel like there must have been more, but I can't think of any right now.

according to Uncut magazine's review of 2009, the Gaslight Anthem's gig at the Latitude Festival in July was the 10th best UK gig of 2009

(Springsteen's Hyde Park gig comes in at no. 19, the Hold Steady's Islington gig at no. 15, and the top spot is taken by Blur's two day Hyde Park show)

Saw Against Me! with O Pioneers!!! last night. Best show of the year, easily.

lucky sob

I don't know. saw a lot of shows in 2009. 4x frank turner, 3x gaslight anthem, 2x bouncing souls, dead to me, broadway calls, millencolin, 2x propagandhi, less than jake + some more I can't recall right now.

I think the best show was the gaslight anthem at the flex (vienna) on Feb. 22nd