Heheheheheheh. Ah, 2014: another year where I tell myself 'this is the year my obsessive show-going addiction ends;' another year where I see more shows than anyone I know who isn't employed at a performance space / venue. WHEEEEEEEEE!!!!
A quick list of locations where I've seen shows this year:
--NYC (natch)
--Brooklyn (double natch)
--Minneapolis
--Washington, DC
--Saratoga Springs
--Philly
--Columbia, MD
--Charlotte
--on a boat circling Manhattan
--Huntington, LI
--Commerce City, CO
--Santa Barbara
--LA
--Chula Vista
--San Fran
--Vegas (baby)
--Patchogue, LI
--Miami (in 7 days!)
As of this very moment, I've seen 93 concerts this year, and I've got at least three more coming up - Uncle Ebenezer at Knitting Factory Saturday night, Television (first time seeing them) at Irving Plaza on 12/28, and a little up-and-coming rock band who I think are called Assface in Miami on New Year's. The following is my totally subjective, largely meaningless, and wholly amusing (to me) recap of the best stuff I saw in '14.
Oh, and Happy Holidays to all!
The Ten Best Phish Shows I Saw All Year:
1.) Phish, 10/31/14 MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas
2.) Phish, 7/13/14 Randall's Island, NYC
3.) Phish, 7/27/14 Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
4.) Phish, 8/29/14 Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO
5.) Phish, 11/2/14 MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas
6.) Phish, 10/22/14 Santa Barbara Bowl, Santa Barbara
7.) Phish, 7/26/14 Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
8.) Phish, 10/28/14 Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Fran
9.) Phish, 7/11/14 Randall's Island, NYC
10.) Phish, 8/31/14 Dicks Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO
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Best Jams of 2014:
1.) Dick's Simple
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2.) Vegas "Sand"
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3.) Randall's "Light"
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4.) Forum "Disease"
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5.) Northerly "Wedge"
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6.) Vegas "Crosseyed" > "Light" > "Dogs" > "Lengthwise" > "Twist" > "Lengthwise" > "Twist" > "Manteca" > "Twist" (yup, this is cheating)
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7.) Randall's "Chalkdust"
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8.) Orange Beach "Disease"
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9.) BGCA "Twist"
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10.) Vegas "YEM"
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11.) Randall's "Ghost"
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12.) Vegas "Chalkdust" > "Piper"
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13.) Randall's "Bathtub"
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14.) BGCA "Hood"
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15.) Santa Barbara Bowl "Drowned" > "Theme"
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Best Club Shows of 2014:
1.) Guided by Voices, 5/24/14 at Black Cat, Washington DC
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[Jeff Mangum requested that no videos be taken at this show.]
2.) Neutral Milk Hotel at Webster Hall, 1/28/14
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3.) Sleep at Stage 48, 8/25/14
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4.) Bobby Bare, Jr. at Mercury Lounge, 4/19/14
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5.) Guided by Voices at The Paramount, Huntington LI, 8/22/14
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6.) White Denim at Music Hall of Williamsburg, 9/12/14
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7.) The Raveonettes at Music Hall of Williamsburg, 9/30/14
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8.) White Denim at Webster Hall, 2/28/14
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9.) Slint at Music Hall of Williamsburg, 5/6/14
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10.) Russian Circles / Mutoid Man at Music Hall of Williamsburg, 12/11/14
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11.) Built to Spill at Brooklyn Bowl, 5/19/14
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12.) White Denim at Music Hall of Williamsburg, 9/11/14
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13.) Deafheaven / No Joy / Indian Handcrafts at Music Hall of Williamsburg, 9/14/14
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14.) Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats / Danava at Bowery Ballroom, 9/26/14
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15.) Bobby Bare, Jr. at The Bell House, 11/21/14
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