Life is Music™

I am a great believer in quality over quantity, therefore 2009 was a good year for me musically.  I hope the new decade is filled with more great music for everyone.  Here are my top nine concerts of 2009.  Minnesota ROCKS!

1. The Hold Steady at Basilica Block Party – Minneapolis, MN 7.11.09- Wow, wow, wow!  This show was a musical riot.  It was spiritual.  It was energetic.  It was a perfect summer evening.  When The Hold Steady play Minneapolis one can expect fireworks, but I didn’t expect this.  Standing front and center of The Hold Steady’s preacher, Craig Finn, as the historic Basilica of St. Mary church shadowed the crowd from behind is something I will never forget.  I have been a part of many rock concerts, but there are only a handful of shows I have witnessed that compared to this.  The band was insane and the crowd was dieing for more.  It was a fist-pumping, musical uniting, rock-n-roll religious experience for the ages.  This was easily a top 10 concert ever for me.
2. The Decemberists at Walker Art Center – Minneapolis, MN 6.20.09- 2009’s version of “Rock the Garden” was a great success.  It was a hot summer day but thankfully when the headliner, The Decemberists, hit the stage, the sun had finally surrendered.  The band wasted no time working straight through their gorgeous 2009 rock-opera album, The Hazards of Love.  The addition of Becky Stark who played the role of the beautiful princess, and Shara Worden who played the evil forest queen was priceless.  Their added theatrics made this much more than any old rock concert.  I witnessed poetry in motion.  Singer/songwriter, Colin Meloy, appeared to be having a blast as 10,000 fans rocked across the grassy landscape behind the wonderful Walker Art Center.  Once again the crowd was terrific making this an unforgettable summer evening.
3. Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit at The Turf Club – St. Paul, MN 4.15.09 – This was the most soulful concert I witnessed in 2009.  The former Drive-by Truckers singer and guitarist has been on his own for a few years, and on this night he showed all of the strengths of that experience.  Jason Isbell’s voice is pure.  Very few voices move me the way Isbell’s can, and I was fortunate to witness him at his very best this night.  His backing band, the 400 Unit, must be complimented as well.  They played flawlessly to a respectfully attentive sell-out crowd.  This night was beautiful, and leagues better than when they returned to the The Turf Club on November 20th.  That night they sounded tired.
4. Wilco at 10,000 Lakes Music Festival – Detroit Lakes, MN 7.23.09 – Leave it to Wilco to cue “The Price is Right” theme song before stepping on stage.  Wilco was the main stage headliner on Thursday night of the seventh annual 10,000 Lakes Music Festival in Detroit Lakes, MN.  Having the alt-rocking powerhouse band, Wilco, headline a night at a predominantly jamband festival had me a bit worried, but Wilco prevailed, even while being under the barrage of glowsticks at one point.  Although Jeff Tweedy is the singer/songwriter of the band, there really is no leader.  Wilco is a band, the very definition of it.  Each member is a master of their instrument and while a good portion of the crowd seemed unfamiliar with their work, Wilco proceeded along with their eternal professionalism and had the crowd rocking.  Most of the material was from their 2009 album, Wilco (the album), but they balanced their set wonderfully with songs from the past.  This show was fantastic, and added a wonderful mix to a wonderful festival.
5. Umphrey’s McGee at First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN 1.31.09 – Night two of Umphrey’s McGee’s three-night run at First Avenue rocked!!  Just over a week after the release of their brilliant prog-rocking album, Mantis, the band introduced the new tunes with force while mixing in plenty of older favorites.  Friday night was for the rookies, but this night was for the pros.  First Avenue was filled with the hardcores, making it an amazing experience.  The night opened with the heavy head-bobbing “Push the Pig”, and ended with an awesome “Syncopated Strangers > Cemetery Walk II > Syncopated Strangers” mash.  This was an amazing night that shook the cold winter blues.  I’m grateful for the new friends I made this weekend.
6. The Swell Season at The State Theatre – Minneapolis, MN 12.5.09 – This was a beautiful show.  The Swell Season are made up of The Frames’, Glen Hansard, and Czech pianist, Marketa Irglova.  Together they won a an Academy Award for Best Song from a Motion Picture for the ballad “Falling Slowly” from the low budget Irish film, Once (a must see if you haven’t already).  On this tour they were supported by Hansard’s band, The Frames.  The night was mixed with songs by the duo, Glen Hansard playing solo, and together with the addition of The Frames.  They even included a nice cover of “Two-Step” by the Minnesota band, Low.  The State Theatre was the absolute perfect venue for this wonderfully moving show.
7. The Jayhawks at Basilica Block Party - Minneapolis, MN 7.10.09 – Seeing the Basilica of St. Mary gospel choir back up The Jayhawks on “Blue” while rain fell steadily is one of my biggest musical highlights of 2009.  There was a lot of anticipation for this show since the only other date the band reunited for in 2009 was for a festival in Barcelona, Spain.  It was unfortunate that it rained through most of the concert, but the packed crowd welcomed the music with little regard.  All night the fans could be heard singing along to the songs of these Minneapolis alt-rocking legends.  And Gary Louris’ guitar work impressed me more than I ever could have imagined.  I am very grateful to have been a part of this show.
8. Trampled by Turtles at First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN 11.6.09 – There is no questioning that this band is for real.  Trampled by Turtles is a quintet from Duluth, MN who play their own brand of bluegrass.  On this night they were on, and the sold-out crowd that packed First Avenue to witness it were blessed with an amazing performance.  I’ve seen Trampled by Turtles a lot of times, but this night was special.  A Radiohead cover started things off, and from their they hammered through songs from their four albums and also tunes from their currently untitled fifth album which is due next April.  It was a great night to celebrate Minnesota, a great night to celebrate Trampled by Turtles.  This band deserves the success they are starting to see.
9. Dan Auerbach at First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN 3.7.09 – I am probably one of the only ones around who think that Dan Auerbach is better with his solo band than he is with drummer, Patrick Carney, as the duo, The Black Keys.  This show at First Avenue made me realize how great of a songwriter Auerbach really is.  He plays guitar like an old bluesman sitting on a front porch, yet with catchy bounce that is hard to resist.  His solo album, Keep It Hid, that he was touring behind is fantastic.  The band, Hacienda, acted as his band on the record and tour and they were very impressive.  The addition of My Morning Jacket’s, Patrick Hallahan, on percussion certainly didn’t hurt matters either.  This was a great show.  Dan Auerbach is a legend in the making.

The Hold Steady at Basilica Block Party

Even Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak got in on the festivities while wearing a Hold Steady t-shirt as the one-time Twin Cities rockers, The Hold Steady, were back in town.  The band was back this time for the 15th annual Basilica Block Party, the annual music fundraiser to support the Basilica of St. Mary church.  And while Friday night The Jayhawks and The Black Crowes endured on and off rain, Saturday night The Hold Steady were fortunate to be blessed with an absolute perfect summer evening in Minnesota.

Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak

Mayor R.T. Rybak introduced the band and then the crowd waited a long eight or so minutes before The Hold Steady finally took the stage.  Singer/guitarist, Craig Finn, was all smiles as he picked up his guitar and jumped into the opener ”Constructive Summer”.  From there on out the wild crowd rocked as the band ripped through their set overflowing with Twin Cities influence.  No new songs were introduced, but instead the band gave the hometown crowd what they expected and as usual the often fanatical Hold Steady crowd was there to respond with fists pumping, feet jumping and voices backing the band passionately.  “Lord, I’m Discouraged” was a gorgeous highlight especially considering the surroundings.

the always energetic Craig Finn

After about an hour and ten minutes, the band took a quick encore break before Craig Finn came back with a beer bottle in hand and grateful smile on his face.  He put the crowd into a frenzy as he talked about Minneapolis and how it has changed since the late 80’s when he roamed town.  “In fact the only thing that really seems the same is Minneapolis’ two greatest houses of worship”, he exclaimed as he pointed, “The Basilica and First Avenue!”

singer/guitarist Craig Finn

With guitarist Tad Kubler on acoustic, the band changed directions and worked through a two of their slower songs, “Citrus” and “First Night”.  It was a beautiful moment before mayhem once again ensued as night ended with “Stuck Between Stations” and “Killer Parties”.  The Hold Steady rocked the best show I’ve seen all year.  It was a massive night.

Franz Nicolay on keys

 The Hold Steady – Basilica Block Party, Minneapolis, MN - July 11th, 2009
Constructive Summer
Hot Soft Light
Chips Ahoy!
Sequestered In Memphis
The Swish
Magazines
Massive Nights
Party Pit
Don’t Let Me Explode
Stevie Nix
Multitude of Casualties
Yeah Sapphire
Southtown Girls
Lord, I’m Discouraged
Your Little Hoodrat Friend
Stay Positive
Slapped Actress
How a Resurrection Really Feels
————
Citrus
First Night
Stuck Between Stations
Killer Parties

FLAC audience recording available here.

Minnesota Twins

Rock-n-Roll

Don't Let Me Explode

The Hold Steady

A few years back a good friend was raving about The Hold Steady; a Brooklyn, NY based rock-n-roll band made up primarily of Minneapolis, MN natives who articulate their love of killer parties, getting high, and most of all the Twin Cities in a spoken word sung manner over layered rock-n-roll gold.  He said Separation Sunday was one of the best albums of 2005 and who was I to argue, not knowing much of anything about the band?  So I took his advice and grabbed the album.  That was one hell of a decision. 

The Hold Steady is led by a thirty-something frontman named Craig Finn who looks like the neighbor down the hall in your building that incessantly plays Thin Lizzy too loud, is always carrying in tallboys of cheap beer, and who smiles far too suspiciously when he sees you.  Strange noises come from his place at all hours of the day and instead of being turned away, you want to hang with this guy, as it’s obvious he’s getting his kicks one way or another.  That you know for sure.

1. Boys and Girls in America - How’s this for starting off an album? “There are nights when I think Sal Paradise was right. Boys and girls in America have such a sad time together.” Craig Finn is a master of mixing both subtle and direct literary and biblical references into his lyrics and this album title itself is loaned from Kerouac’s cult classic On the Road as the above lyrics to the opener “Stuck Between Stations” suggest.  Boys and Girls in America was released in 2006 on Vagrant Records to much critical acclaim and it picks up where Separation Sunday left off while leaving the concept album idea behind.  Although still hitting hard on Twin Cities’ references, Boys and Girls in America stems from all of suburbia collectively.  It is more accessible than Separation Sunday with indirect lyrics that allow the listener to attach their own experiences to the stories Finn tells so well.  Tad Kubler’s guitar-work is way underrated, as the music on this album is unashamedly slick with classic rock stylings of layered guitar hooks and a driving bar-band rhythm similar to that of Separation Sunday.  Some of my favorites are the opening track “Stuck Between Stations”, “Hot Soft Light”, the raging partier ”Massive Nights”, and the finale “South Town Girls”. 
2. Separation Sunday – This album could easily be #1 for me, but trying not to be swayed by my own love of the Twin Cities I’ll place this a very close 2nd.  Separation Sunday was released May 3rd, 2005 and is a light concept album telling the story of Holly (a sometimes addict, prostitute, and born again Catholic), Charlemagne (a pimp), and Gideon (the skinhead).  Singer, Craig Finn, narrates this Twin Cities’ tribute and shows why many critics consider him the best storytelling rocker out there with his direct in-your-ear delivery that forces a listen.  Once one listens it’s easy to realize his brilliance is not in how he is saying it, it’s in what he is saying.  The opening track on Separation Sunday is a ridiculously rocking tune called “Hornets, Hornets” and from there the intensity never regresses as Finn tells stories of drug casualties, desperation and lost innocence as kids do their best to get off.  The music is riff heavy and completely awesome.  I love “Hornets, Hornets”, “Cattle and the Creeping Things, “Your Little Hoodrat Friend”, “Banging Camp”, “Stevie Nix”, and “Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night”.  Separation Sunday needs to be listened to from beginning to end to fully appreciate.
3. Stay Positive - Stay Positive was released July 15th, 2008 making it the most recent release for the band.  With that said, it’s also The Hold Steady’s most mature effort with singer/guitarist Craig Finn admitting the album is, “the idea of ageing gracefully, keeping going, perseverance, and how to stay true to the ideals and ideas you had when you were younger.”  There is an enduring optimism about this release as the album title suggests, but it is optimistic in The Hold Steady way which allows for plenty of trip-ups and misdirections.  The opening track “Constructive Summer” is one of the best songs the band has ever written with a driving rhythm and Finn squalling out the chorus, “We’re gonna build something this summer!”, as the rest of the band returns, “Get hammered!”.  That’s The Hold Steady’s fist pumping, punk influenced, rock-n-roll way.  This album produced the terrific singles “Sequestered in Memphis” and the rock anthem title track, “Stay Positive”, both of which get better with every listen.  Also great is the harpsichord led ”One for the Cutters”, and the final track “Slapped Actress”.
4. Almost Killed Me – I am sure there are many that would say Almost Killed Me is The Hold Steady’s best.  They would have many points to argue with this album being an incredibly original debut that shook the indie rock scene (those that actually heard it right away) with a new sound blending the best of Hüsker Dü and early Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band.  The opening track is “Positive Jam”; a history lesson on America taught by Craig Finn.  It ends with the following just before the drums, bass and guitars all hammer in together: 
   

   “tripped right through the 60s with some blissful little hippie.
   some Kennedy’s got shot while you were screwing San Francisco.
   the 70s got heavy we woke up on bloody carpets.
   got tangled up in gas lines. i guess that’s where it started.
   the 80s almost killed me, let’s not recall them quite so fondly.
   some Kennedy o.d. while we watched on MTV.
   in the 90s we were wired and well connected.
   put it all down on technology and lost everything we invested.

   we got to start off with a positive jam!”

I mean damn!!!  ”Positive Jam” was the first song I saw them perform live, and I can state with all honesty that it almost killed me (with joy).  Song #2 is “The Swish”, a Hold Steady rocking masterpiece and a fan favorite.  The rest of Almost Killed Me is raw with Craig Finn’s dense lyrics and intricate story-telling leading the way over Kubler’s guitar prowess that would make even Slash shed a grin.  The album also introduces the characters Holly and Charlemagne who help define Separation Sunday, and who also pop up in Boys and Girls in America.  It’s a fantastic debut.