Top 5

Most music nerds like myself 'round this time of year do a Top 10 albums of the year sorta deal, but since I don't really buy a whole lot of music (doing a Top 10 out of like, 12 would be kinda stupid), I'm gonna do a Top 5 shows I've attended.  I kept it at 5, because in thinking about it, I've either been too drunk or too high to really remember some of em.  So I guess my new year's resolution is to not get too inebriated at these events.  Anyhow, let's get started!

5.  Lawrence Arms and Falcon at Burt's Tiki Lounge
Participants: I went alone, though I did run into this kid named Johnny that I met at another show.
New homies: Adam and Scotty

Beer, making friends with bartenders and promotions people, seeing a friend I met at another show, meeting band members and them being really nice, having pretty much all my drinks bought for me, heck, why wouldn't this one be on the list?  Also, I saw someone get burnt by a lit cigarette in the pit.  The victim knocked it out of his hand, and there was no squabble.  It was fun.

4.  Animal Collective at In the Venue
Participants:  I went alone.
New homies: Tai and some other dude I forgot the name of, both of whom I never actually saw again.  Oh well.

Animal Collective writes the soundtrack to my dreams.  I have really weird dreams.  Ever notice that at shows like these, for ever 10 people, there's always one that dances almost over-enthusiastically to the music that is playing?  Homegirl almost smacked me in the face.  Aside from that, it was chill.  And I shared a beer and an ashtray with new people that I never ended up running into again.  /shrug

3.  Built to Spill and the Boggs, at the Depot
Participants: Scott

This was the first time I had ever seen Built to Spill live.  I've always kinda liked their music, and it wasn't until i saw em that I actually considered myself a fan.  The Boggs were really cool too.  The unfortunate thing though is that Built to Spill's bus got stolen or something, and they had no merch or equipment.  They had to borrow instruments from The Boggs in order to perform.

3.  Strung Out at In the Venue
Participants:  Johnny Qwest
New homies: Other Johnny I mentioned at number 5.

Circumstances were weird for this one.  I had 2 tickets on hand for this one.  To make a long story short, pretty much everyone that I asked ended up flaking out on me.  When I did a general announcement on myspace, no one bit.  Well, one person did, but he was creepy in that really leery kinda way so I lied and said someone else had called before him.  So I ended up deciding that I'd sell it when I got there.  After asking about 7 people who already had tickets, I gave up and called people to yell at them to get their asses there.  Johnny Qwest said he'd come, because he's the shit.  I also met new homies there too, but we only hang out at punk shows.

1.  Against Me!, Cursive, Mastodon, and Planes Mistaken for Stars at In the Venue
Participants:  Jason, Scott, Ivan, Ivan's roommate.

I'm just really really glad I got to see PMFS before they broke up, at least once.  And I'm glad I caught Against Me! before New Wave came out, cuz that album was shit.  And I actually liked Cursive, despite what the naysayers might preach.  Left early when Mastodon played though, since I'd seen em already.

Good company + Good music = Best show of the year (under these circumstances anyway)

And here's an honorable mention:

Heavy Heavy Low Low, Foxy Shazam, and some other shitty band at the Avalon
Participants: Amanda, Bianca, David, and Joe

The bands sucked, I missed Tera Melos, but that didn't stop a wine-drunk Laney from flailing her arms around to some screaming scrawny kid on stage.  Woo.  I had a rather sloshy good time anyway.

Perhaps I should have waited till after the show I'm gonna go to tonight, but oh well.