I was lucky enough to see close to 30 shows this year. Every one of them seemed to be a great show in their own right which I knew would make it impossible to whittle it down to a Top 5. I could’ve done a Top 10 but how challenging is that? What I did do this year was make a list of the TOP 5 best shows I saw this year and then listed my 5 “VERY honorable mentions”. The honorable mentions are listed in no particular order but keep in mind that while not in the Top 5, they were still VERY awesome shows and made a huge impact in me in one way or another.
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5. The Two Man Gentlemen Band/Ian Thomas – Berkeley Cafe – Raleigh, NC (05/08/2008)
2008 saw two visits from this duo from NYC. This particular show was the best I had seen this duo put on yet. The constant touring seemed to have been good to them and really turned them into quite a killer folk machine. Originally slated to perform in the “big room” of the Berkeley Café, the duo opted to perform at the end of the bar in true folk fashion with no amplification. The show was interactive and singer/banjoist Andy Bean even made his way to the bar to entertain a not so interested patron with a banjo solo. The triangle was passed around as well for each audience member to ring it at the end of each song which in itself was pretty damn hilarious. Opening act, folksinger Ian Thomas was a great choice. His road worn songs and vagabond/folkie get up was a great treat and his songs were a really nice treat on a hot Sunday night. The Gents never disappoint but this show in general put them on another level. Why these guys aren’t as huge as Old Crow Medicine Show is beyond me.
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4. Blind Melon – Downtown Live – Raleigh, NC (06/28/2008)
The return of Blind Melon in the last couple of months in 2007 was a HUGE surprise. The band picked up the pieces and did the nearly impossible by bringing in a new singer Travis Warren. The results were absolutely astounding and the band was met with positive reviews, even from those that wanted to hate them loved what they were seeing/hearing. The band put out an album of new material called “For My Friends” and toured non-stop throughout 2008 behind it. Their stop in Raleigh at Downtown Live was a show that left mouths on the ground. The band played an intense, inspired and moving set that opened with “Walk” from the bands “Soup” album. The band was met with a huge roar and people singing along to EVERY song, even the deeper album cuts such as “Drive”, “2×4“ and “Toes Across The Floor”. Travis Warren did a great job doing an impossible job. He stepped in to honor the memory of a departed singer but instead of trying to replicate, he added a bit of himself to the mix making this reunion a very welcome thing in 2008.
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3. The Allman Brothers Band/Phil Lesh & Friends – Walnut Creek (10/03/2008)
What a powerhouse bill this was. Phil & Friends opened the show w/ young newcomer Jackie Greene on vocals/guitar/Hammond organ and ya know what? It just didn’t do it for me. We saw Phil about 2 years prior and he KILLED. Goosebumps, tears, smiles, the whole nine yards. This year the band just seemed sloppy and uninspired. Don’t get me wrong. It didn’t suck. It just wasn’t the Phil & Friends I’m used to seeing. I heard that for the most part the whole run was like this so maybe this wasn’t the best lineup. Greene did a great job though on those gentle Jerry tunes and he’s a monster musician but something just didn’t click. But that’s ok, The Allman Brothers were there to save the night and rule the night as well.
The Allman Brothers Band delivered a set this night that was probably the best I have seen the play in 10 years. Coming off of a rough few months (Gregg’s bout with Hepatitis C), we weren’t sure if they’d be on their game but damn were we proven wrong. Opening the set with a powerhouse “Statesboro Blues”, the band just smoked and we knew we were in for a great night. Highlight of the night, watching Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks duel each other all night and ripping heads off left and right. Gregg and Warren’s duet of “Soulshine” and a dark and psychedelic “I Walk On Gilded Splinters” made this one hell of a show.
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2. Drive-By Truckers/The Hold Steady – Lincoln Theatre – Raleigh, NC (11/03/2008)
The surprise of the year without a doubt. I wasn’t even expecting to see Drive By Truckers but my buddy had an extra ticket and he REALLY wanted me to see them. I gave in and it was a religious experience without a doubt. The Hold Steady opened the show and they were like a cross between Talking Heads and Elvis Costello. They were cool for like 4 or 5 songs but they began to get on my nerves. I just sat thru them hoping the Truckers would be better.
Ya know how some people get saved and “see God”? Well, this night, I was changed forever. The Truckers were on fire this night and they just floored me from the first song to the last encore. There aren’t too many bands that have made me tear up in a live setting but this night the song “Angels and Fuselage” had me tearing up and singing along with the chorus as did the rest of the sold out Lincoln Theatre. Easily one of the best, most inspiring shows I’ve seen in my life hands down.
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1. Iron Maiden – Merriweather Post Pavillion – Columbia, MD (06/18/2008)
Hands down the best show I saw in 2008 for a few reasons. Mainly because it was the best show… literally. The band was celebrating the 20th Anniversary of “Live After Death”, the bands infamous and most popular Live release. The band played better than I would’ve ever imagined them playing and the stage show was a re-creation of the 1985 “World Slavery Tour” that put them on the map as one of the biggest and best metal bands on the planet. This show and tour just solidified that fact again in 2008. The set list was amazing and the band, again, was just on and exceeded any and all expectations. Bruce Dickinson sounds better than I’ve heard him sing in YEARS and it floors me to think that these guys are nearing 50 if not well past it. The energy of this show topped just about anything they had done in their younger years. To be THAT energetic, have a stage show THAT huge and still be able to play tighter and better than ever before is what made this concert experience tops in my book. Iron Maiden really delivered this year and I was so lucky and happy to have witnessed history repeating itself in a huge and awesome way!
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Honorable Mentions
Henry Rollins – Lincoln Theatre – Raleigh, NC (02/21/2008)
Bombdil/The Proclivities/Holy Ghost Tent Revival – Cat’s Cradle (09/27/2008)
Lemming Malloy (debut)/The Travesties/Weatherkings – Local 506 (08/08/2008)
The Machine – Lincoln Theatre – Raleigh, NC – (01/11/2008)
Night Prowler – Lincoln Theatre – Raleigh, NC (04/04/2008)
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