As a result, I told myself I wasnt going to another show until I was over 21. Unfortunately, this hiatus ended up lasting until I was 23 and since than have only seen a handful of shows. Thus, I decided that this year since I am blessed to live in an area that has so many venues, each diverse in their own way and so many bands that I enjoy come to play that I would make a better effort to attend their shows.
My first concert this year was Kings of Leon at Madison Square Garden. The show was okay, it was only a disapointment because my friend Jason and I waited until the last minute to get tickets and our tickets ended up being behind the stage, so we spent the entire show running from security. It was ridiclous to see so many people in one place for a music concert though. Below is a picture from the show, and shows how enormous the crowd was for the concert.
Two Monday's I attended a Jimmy Eat World concert at Terminal 5 with my friend Ryan, (I came to find out that he is in a very successful band, Tokyo Rose, which has toured with a lot of the bands I love) The show was fantastic. We had a great place to watch the show from the 3rd floor looking down with a clear view and only five feet from the bar, so we never had to worry about losing a spot when we went to grab a drink. (picture above)
The show was very unique from any other show I have been to. This tour Jimmy Eat World was playing their album Clarity, that put them on the map, and playing front-to-back. Meaning that they would play there entire album from the first song all the way til the last song. What an great way to thank your fans and celebrate a ten year anniversary of an album. I am hoping this is a growing trend among bands. Late last year Ben Folds Five reunited for myspace to play, "The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner" album (Click here for the show.)
Having some time to think of this I came up with a list of albums I would love to hear live. I am not saying that these are the best albums of all time, more like I have a personal connections with the albums and enjoy the entire album from front to back, and when you go see the bands play they dont play everything from the album. I apologize if you know me well because this will be rather predicable list for you:
- The Blue Album -- Weezer. My friend Josh once got me surprise tickets to see them play live for my birthday, easily one of the most thoughtful and meaningful gifts I have ever received. I would just love to go to see them play and open with "My Name is Jonas" and even more so close out the show with a long rendition of "Only in Dreams". Heck they could even do an encore of the Pinkerton Album after and I would never go to another show in my life.
- Something to Write Home About -- The Get Up Kids. Even though they generally start every show with "Holiday" you cant beat how the album start with a gigantic guitar slide. The album just has such a good flow to it. I cant start this album without listening to the entire thing.
- Parachutes -- Coldplay. It would be incredible to hear them play this in an intimate setting because the arenas they are accustomed to just wouldn't cut it. I would also love it if they played this whole album acoustically.
- Open Eyes -- Snow Patrol. Again I'm gonna need a small venue for this one.
- Whatever & Ever Amen -- Ben Folds Five. If you never seen a Ben Folds concert I highly recommend it. I have never witnessed anyone play with such passion and work the crowd like he does. He genuinely enjoys playing because you can really witness him just having fun and the only time hes not touring is when hes making another album. Anywho, because of the passion he plays with it would be something else to see him play this album straight through. Oh and hes got to play with the original band because the harmonies wouldn't be the same without the other 2 members.
- Emotion is Dead -- The Juliana Theory. This album is so good it really makes you wonder why they couldnt reproduce anything as close to good ever again until their inevitable break up. Similar to Weezer, I love how they end the album on a long drawn out song.
- FutureSex/LoveSounds -- Justin Timberlake. If this album doesnt get you up and moving you might not have a pulse. Unlike Coldplay and Snow Partol I am going to need this concert to be in a giant arena. Also Rachel, Jolleen, and Erika must be in attendance.
- Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo -- MxPx. The thing I love about this album is I can sing every single lyric to this album out of no where. Such a fun album.
So that completes my list tell me what you think or share yours in the comments below....
Lenzi,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post… and to think, I was about to berate you for having that link up without updating the site for like two weeks… good thing I held off.
You were right: a very predictable list (haha). I definitely could’ve called you on most of those selections, but they are all excellent choices. I could not agree more with Parachutes acoustic – that would be an awesome set. The Get Up Kids are a must, though I think I would opt for The EPs (Red Letter Day and Woodson) over Something to Write Home About. Same thing with Snow Patrol (a vastly underestimated band in my humble opinion). I’d probably swap Open Eyes with Final Straw, if for no other reason than Run. Weezer Blue is a given, enough said. I really don’t care for the last two songs on FutureSex/LoveSounds, though the rest of the album may be enough to make it worthwhile anyway. The only thing I take issue with is your callous disregard for post-Emotion is Dead Juliana Theory. I have never understood everyone’s hate for Love, which I think is a fantastic album, one that I would choose to have on my list, if not for their final album Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat, which is truly an awesome record and one that I had the privilege of seeing almost in its entirety at Crow Bar in State College just before the band split.
I had the great fortune of seeing my all time favorite band play their defining record live “front-to-back” a few years ago, when Alkaline Trio played straight through Goddamnit at The Nation in Washington, D.C. Great band, great album, great venue – hands down the sweetest concert I’ve ever been to.
I’ve listed some of my choices below, though I intentionally omitted albums you already chose or that I addressed above. I also automatically disqualified any album that came out before I was capable of appreciating it in a meaningful capacity. So, under those conditions and in no particular order, I’d probably take:
Alkaline Trio, Good Mourning: Because hearing one Alkaline Trio album front-to-back is not nearly enough. Truth be told, this list may as well be a discography of Alkaline Trio – I would love to hear all of their albums and cannot think of a single song I dislike. Like I said, they are far and away my favorite band.
Brand New, Deja Entendu: Brand New took huge layoffs between albums, which would annoy me, but for the fact that each record they turn out is tremendous in its own way. I chose the middle album, my personal favorite of their collection and a masterpiece of lyricism.
Blink-182, Dude Ranch; New Found Glory, Self Titled; Fall Out Boy, Take this to your Grave: If you know anything about me, and of course by anything, I mean if you know anything about my musical taste growing up, then you had to know these three were coming.
Green Day, Dookie: An undeniably great record and the first CD I ever purchased, but I will add the caveat that Dookie only makes the list if I could return to the early 1990s (as a 24 year old, of course) for the concert. Nothing against the newer Green Day stuff, which I like (American Idiot was awesome), but I’d prefer to hear it fresh out of the studio and without any of the political undertows that plague so many music events these days…
Rage Against the Machine, Evil Empire: Speaking of political… I’ll make a noteworthy exception for Rage Against the Machine. Three words: Bulls on Parade. But the album really is terrific front-to-back…
Muse, Absolution: I’ll take a flier on Muse because they seem like they’d put on an excellent show and though I have not been terribly impressed with most of their work, Absolution is a beast of an album headlined by one of my favorite songs, Time is Running Out.
I undoubtedly forgot someone really obvious but this is a fairly accurate representation, though one that is lacking in variety, I now realize. Also, in the time it’s taken me to write this, I’ve changed my mind and would now surely take Love over the other Juliana Theory albums. Hater.
i will certainly display my age here... (and out of the ones on your list and i'm guessing harb's above, only weezer would catch my attention -- possibly rage and green day...) but here goes:
ReplyDelete1. supertramp - breakfast in america - i can't tell you how many times i've listened to this front to back -- in fact, it's weird at times to hear it out of order...
2. U2 -- the joshua tree -- in my opinion, there's not a better complete album ever -- i have had the chance to see them live several times -- but they didn't do a front to back by any means for any of these shows -- i would kill to see this at the benedum -- but i'd only want about 15 of my friends there also -- and a bottle of makers -- exit and mothers of the disappeared would just make no sense in a stadium --
3. springsteen -- tunnel of love -- another terrific album front to back -- again, i want it at the benedum and with only my friends -- while i'm sure it would be great acoustic, i do want them plugged in -- it makes a world of difference on tunnel of love, the song, for sure...
good topic...
So wait, you hang out with the guy from Tokyo Rose? I've been listening to them since my sophomore year of college! I actually even think they came to VT maybe wit hichael Franti and Spearhead? I don't know though, im old and am having trouble remembering these things...
ReplyDeleteI'm also apparently having trouble typing and remembering my name.
ReplyDeleteBeck -- Odelay. Beck replaced R.E.M. as my favorite "band" of all-time several years ago and Odelay is one of the most innovative and inventive albums I've ever heard and it still holds up today, just like all of Beck's stuff.
ReplyDelete