The Signature Library’s Top Ten Concerts of 2011
A concert is more than just listening to live music, for me it’s about an experience. From the artist to the venue and it’s audience, they all play their role in making for an unforgettable live music experience. This year saw personal favorites like Pearl Jam celebrate their 20th anniversary, My Morning Jacket hit the road with their best live album yet, and old favorites like GnR and Peter Gabriel back and as good as ever. From Los Angeles to Nashville, I saw shows that were big and small, almost 50 in all. Narrowing my list down to 10 was very difficult, with great shows like Robert Plant’s Band of Joy and the Foo Fighters secret gig at The Troubadour being left off the list. They were great, but these 10 were better…
1. Pearl Jam 20 Festival – Alpine Valley, Wisconsin, September 3rd & 4th 2011
Forget about the show of 2011, this epic weekend for die hard Pearl Jam fans such as myself was complete with everything a fan could ask for, nostalgia (Temple of The Dog reunion set), favorite opening acts from their past tours performing alone and with Eddie Vedder, and most of all, a deep choice of tracks from their catalogue spanning twenty years. This destination weekend was all that it was billed as and more. Pearl Jam doesn’t do anything half assed and they really went all out for their 20th anniversary shows. Holding the epic weekend in Alpine Valley, Wisconsin was a perfect setting for the crowd of almost 75,000 to gather and be a part of Pearl Jam history.
2. Neil Young’s Bridge School Benefit – Shoreline Ampitheater Mountainview, Ca, October 22nd & 23rd 2011
This was my 6th time attending Neil & Pegi Young’s annual Bridge School concert at the Shoreline Ampitheatre just outside beautiful San Francisco. The annual weekend festival which takes pace typically on the third weekend of October, features a hand picked lineup that is always eclectic, and always loaded with talent capped off with the man himself Neil Young closing each night. This artists and audiences are all there to support a great cause with Pegi Young’s realized Bridge School, making for an incredible vibe between the artists and the audience. This year was the 25th anniversary of The Bridge School concerts and the lineup featured Norah Jones, Mumford & Sons, Beck, Arcade Fire, Tony Bennett, Dave Matthews, Foo Fighters, Eddie Vedder, Carlos Santana and Neil Young. This year, there were so many incredible moments of duets ; from Beck & Neil singing the classic acoustic tale Pocahantas to Dave Matthews, Tim Reynolds and Marcus Mumford tearing through Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower”
3. Neil Young – Massey Hall, Toronto, May 10th & 11th 2011
Anytime Neil Young returns to his former hometown of Toronto it’s a special reunion amongst Canadians. However, when Neil plays the iconic Massey Hall in Toronto it usually means you can expect bone chilling moments in “The House that Neil Built.” Neil and filmmaker Jonathan Demme collaborated once again, (Demme filmed Neil’s Heart of Gold in 2006) to create another installment of Neil’s trunk series featuring his latest “Le Noise” tour over these two very special nights at Massey Hall in Toronto. No band, no back up singers, just Neil, a few guitars, a piano and pipe organ that is over a century old. The film is yet to come out, but when it does make sure you check it out for some of the most haunting versions of classic songs like “Cortez the Killer” to new classics like the 10 min plus version of “Walk with Me”, Neil Young does not dissapoint.
4. Paul Simon – The Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, May 19th 2011
Another incredible singer/songwriter, the legendary Paul Simon was back on the road this year touring on a new album “So beautiful or so what.” The new material worked well with the classic songs in Paul’s set. With an incredible live venue at The Ryman auditorium in Nashville, this night was extra special as Rock n Roll legend Don Everly and local Nashville guitar legend Jerry Douglas joined Paul Simon on stage. Don & Paul sang the Everly’s classic “Bye Bye Love”
5. Peter Gabriel – Molson Apitheatre, Toronto, June 22 2011
I’ve been a longtime fan of Peter Gabriel’s music. From the early days of Genesis to his solo career spanning 5 decades. When I heard about his latest incarnation of his classic catalogue being presented with an orchestra, I hesitated for a moment, and then when out and bought his album “Scratch my back” which featured Gabriel doing an eclectic choice of cover songs (from Bowie’s “Heroes” to Arcade Fire’s “My body is a cage” that were backed by an incredible orchestral arrangement. This was enough to convince me this concert would be something completely different and not too be missed. My assumption was correct, as Gabriel and his New Blood Orchestra as they are called, delivered haunting renditions of Gabriel classics like “Red Rain” and “Biko.” Peter Gabriel’s music was never this powerful and engrossing live except maybe during his epic theatrical days of Genesis, which was just before my time. You could even see smiles of enjoyment and surprise cracking through Gabriel’s intense presence in front of his New Blood Orchestra. Every moment of this show seemed like musical perfection, the highs and lows of the orchestra set against Gabriel’s ethereal voice and profound lyrics. It was a magical summer night on the waterfront at Toronto’s Molson Ampitheatre.
6. Portishead – Sound Academy, Toronto, Oct 9th & 10th 2011
There aren’t many bands that are still active that I have yet to see live in concert. Somehow, the band Portishead has eluded me for the last 2 decades and many fans in North America, as the band has toured very little in North America during their career spanning back to the days of the early 90′s. In 2011, original members Adrian Utley, Beth Gibbons and Geoff Barrow finally announced a brief North American tour that would see them play two nights at Toronto’s Sound Academy. A small club venue for an indie band who sonically could fill any room, but appropriately has selected an intimate setting for their intensely intimate sounds. The hypnotic voice of Beth Gibbons is unmistakeable and a one in a million, and to finally hear her voice live singing classic songs from my youth like “Wandering Star” just blew me away.
7. My Morning Jacket – Madison Square Garden, NewYork City, December 14th 2011
My Morning Jacket was my last concert of 2011 and it was only fitting that this show take place at the iconic Madison Square Garden. MMJ has been on a torrid touring pace with their new exceptional album “Circuital” which was recorded as a live album in a Louisville school gymnasium. MMJ is as good a live band going and can play any song and make it sound like it’s theirs. For instance on this incredible night at MSG, My Morning Jacket delved deep into the sounds of Harlem, NY and introduced musician Brian Jackson on flute as they covered the Harlem great Gil Scott Heron’s timeless classic “The Bottle.” Hearing this cover selection just reaffirmed my love for MMJ as the greatest live band touring today.
8. Chris Cornell – Lakewood Civic Auditorium, Lakewood, Ohio, December, 3rd 2011
2011 has been a bit of a flashback from my youth, seeing the likes of many of my favorite bands return with nostalgia for their now much older fans. As far as nostalgia goes, Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell gave us all the nostalgia he could summon. Beginning with the reunion of the seminal alternative rock band Soundgarden, to the historical reunion and rare treat of seeing Temple of the Dog reuniting at the Pearl Jam 20 festival weekend in Alpine Valley, Wisconsin. And if that wasn’t enough C.C. for you? Cornell played to concert halls all over North America with just his guitar, his “Jesus Christ Pose” look and the incomparable rock voice that he was blessed with. The setlist drew from Cornell’s entire career from material with Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, Audiosalve, to his solo works and even a selection of covers that could be the best part of the show. Much like his Seattle friend and peer Eddie Vedder has done, Cornell has matured and grown so much as an artist that his talents can be felt in any setting, however this intimate setting may be most fitting for the delicate sounds of Chris Cornell.
9. Guns n Roses – Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, Ontario, November 28th 2011
It’s hard to imagine Guns n Roses sounding the same as their original Appetite for Destruction lineup once sounded in the late 80′s, but don’t assume anything with Axl Rose. Though the bands lineup has changed completely other than frontman Axl Rose, the GnR live show of 2011 felt like the early days. I had seen Axl’s previous GnR tours in 2009 and 2002 and those shows were not even close to the level of this current GnR Chinese Democracy tour. Axl is in top form, his voice is flat out amazing singing classics like “Civil War” “Estranged” and epic versions of “November Rain” and “Don’t Cry” and his band which looks like the Use your Illusion tour stage with multiple guitarists, DJ Ashba, Tommy Stinson and Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal nailing every guitar solo. Of course, you can’t replace a Slash or a Duff, but these guys are more than formidable and are the new GnR, so don’t knock it if you haven’t seen it. Some of the newer material from Chinese Democracy is the best part of the show, songs like “Sorry” continuing where Axl’s epic songwriting left us after songs like “Estranged.” Let’s hope Axl and co. keep this GnR redux going.
10. Larry Graham – B.B.Kings, New York City, June 3rd 2011
I flew in to New York City in June to catch a very rare set from the Bass legend who is responsible for the “Slap” bass technique; Larry Graham. The Sly and the Family Stone original member and key influencer in the sounds of funk acts like Prince, Larry Graham packed the intimate room at B.B. Kings in New York City to a sweltering level. The entire audience was filled with funkateers who made the night even more enjoyable with the incredible sing along to the Graham solo classic “One in a Million You.” Graham also made an epic entrance that night walking through the supper club with his brass section leading the way to the stage. When Graham started rolling through hits from Sly & The Family Stone , you could feel his baselines shaking the entire room, thunderous rolling baselines that will make even the most uncoordinated white person move in rhythm.
Honorable Mention goes to…
11. Eddie Vedder – Fox Theater, Detroit, June 26th 2011
Having seen Eddie Vedder countless times on his solo treks over the last few years, this year my fellow Vedder disciple and I wanted a new experience with his new material from his latest solo project “Ukulele Songs.” That experience came at Detroit’s landmark theater; The Fox. An amazing theater with incredible acoustics, Eddie was on his A game in this storied sports town and reminded me why I had just driven 5 hours to see him, yet again.