2011 is almost over! This year I definitely didn’t go to as many rock concerts as 2010 (with generally fewer of my favourite bands that came here to play).
I only went to 6 shows in all of 2011… The Black Angels, The Black Keys, Soundgarden, Iron & Wine, Ben Harper, and The Sheepdogs.
I have always liked concerts; since I got my first fix in high school I haven’t been able to kick it. There’s something about a big room of people all there singing and dancing and having a good time that is infectious.
My favourite show of 2011 was The Black Keys that came in the summertime. The Black Keys came the year prior, but due to a ticket-buying-mix-up, I couldn’t get a ticket. Unless of course I wanted to get one from Ebay for $500… So I had been looking forward to seeing them for a long time.
They were incredible. The hype for this band is huge, so they couldn’t disappoint. Considering how minimalist their band is, they have huge sound and huge spirit. Cage the Elephant opened for them but didn’t tickle my fancy. In fact I was let down by their performance… it seemed amateur and immature. Especially compared to the Black Keys. The Black Keys are a must see!
Iron & Wine was another superb show. Mr. Beam is such an amazing entertainer. I think there were probably 8 people on stage with him, and they all showed super enthusiasm for playing with him. The saxophonist was especially groovy.
They played singles and fan favourites, but with every single song they changed the pacing/length/intensity of the song. Many of the songs were hardly recognizable apart from the lyrics – they switched it up immensely – to the pleasure of the audience.
It was a very female-dominated audience. Lots of girls in the venue, not too many males. Definitely go see Iron & Wine if you get a chance. Don’t be deceived by some of the slower radio ballads, there’s some intense heavy stuff on their discography!
Ben Harper was another really good show I went to. I’ve seen Ben Harper before so I know how excellent he is in person. He’s got such an awesome selection of slow/intense love/angry songs, and also lots of rock and groove songs. It was another summer show so it was perfect for the outdoors, and it’s always nice to see everyone dressed in summer clothes.
Ben Harper has some of the most emotional music I’ve heard in ages – he can go from heartbreaking to delighted – in just a song or two. He can belt it out with the best of them… and he isn’t getting any younger. Go check out Ben Harper and be blown away.
I’ll mention Soundgarden as a favourite as well, although my friend gave me a ticket and I probably would not have purchased one for myself (they were over $100 for most good seats). I have always liked Soundgarden, but I didn’t think I’d ever see them play. There were definitely a lot of 70s and 80s babies in the crowd, and not too many younger people. My friend and I saw the show from the floor and got pretty close (always trying to get the full experience) and it was very impressive up close. It was definitely a show for fans… and many of the singles were stretched out to 15minutes in length or more.
I have heard many complaints about the Soundgarden show from other friends who went, and a major complaint was that it all sounded very… soundboarded/digitized/technologically meddled with. I would agree that the guitars were VERY high on distortion, but I don’t really think that necessary made it unpleasant.
The most unpleasant part of the show was their encore (after a few encore songs) they broke out into a highly distorted guitar wail that lasted a good 10minutes, and then they left the stage. I saw many people surrounding me with their hands clapped over their ears and most people left.
For classic rock bands like this, definitely see them… even if you don’t think they’d be any good anymore (I’d go see Bob Dylan if he came and if I could afford tickets), it’s more for the experience anyway.
The Black Angels were good too, but they wouldn't make my favourite list.
I already have a concert review of the Sheepdogs show that I went to in December, so there’s no need going into how good they are… but not every show can be a favourite!
I am super grateful that I am lucky enough to live in a city where major bands frequent. Hopefully there’ll be even more shows next year! I already bought my ticket for Band of Skulls, so I’m already itching for more shows…
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