Top 11 Concerts from 2011

I am ever grateful to be living in Minneapolis, MN, with its vibrant and ever-changing music scene. Whether it’s local or national bands, the Twin Cities has no shortage of quality music ready to be seen or heard on any given night. And it always seems that with its rich musical history, most artists truly appreciate playing here.

Overall, 2011 was a great year musically for the city and for me. Here are the top 11 concerts I saw and/or photographed this past year. Cheers to 2012. Rock!

1. Foo Fighters – XCel Energy Center in St. Paul on 9.14 – This was the first stop on the band’s 2011 US tour and they were primed to go. On tour to support arguably their best record to date, 2011’s Wasting Light, Dave Grohl and company came out and absolutely blew the roof off the XCel. One of the opening bands, Mariachi El Bronx, was unable to play so the Foo Fighters started early and played late, ripping through most of Wasting Light as well as all of their hits from their previous six releases. Early on Dave Grohl exclaimed, “You all ready for a long show tonight? We’ve got too many fucking songs”.  Over two and a half hours later, the marathon the show ended with the near capacity crowd still pumping their fists.

2. Drive-by Truckers – First Avenue in Minneapolis on 10.25 – Drive-by Truckers are no strangers to Minneapolis. Over the years they have played First Avenue many times and I have witnessed several of those performances, some of which have been memorable and others that have been drunken wastes of time. But on this night in October, these rockers from Alabama were on fire, and they rocked the most spot-on and heartfelt performance I’ve ever witnessed them play. Singer and guitarist, Patterson Hood, lead the charge, still grieving from the passing of his great uncle, George A., the day before. The band seemed to funnel all of that energy back into the music and us fans got treated with an incredible two and a half hour set, including a rocking eight song encore. What a night!

3. Arctic Monkeys – First Avenue in Minneapolis on 5.28 – These young British lads know how to rock! This performance was nothing short of amazing, and they plowed through their bass-driven set with such ease that I questioned that they were still just in their early twenties. This is a band that is going to be around for a long time, and I am very glad to have seen them at First Avenue before they start headlining arena shows around the US.

4. The Greenhornes – Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis on 3.26 – After a five year break that saw bassist Jack Lawrence playing with The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather, and drummer Patrick Keeler playing with The Raconteurs, The Greenhornes returned to Minneapolis with a straight up, kick-ass, rock-n-roll show. The Triple Rock Social Club was the perfect, intimate venue for this. The band played so smooth it was as though they had never taken a break. The opening band, Hacienda, was also exceptional.

5. Man Man – First Avenue in Minneapolis on 5.23 – Man Man is crazy! Artistically speaking, I had more fun at this show than any other this year. These guys were goofy as hell, without missing a single beat on their instruments. Singer Honus Honus lead this musical carnival front and center with war stripes painted on his cheeks. I can’t wait to see Man Man again.

6. Titus Andronicus – First Avenue in Minneapolis on 6.12 – They opened for Okkervil River and completely stole the show with their high-energy, pounding performance. This five-piece punk/indie rock band from New Jersey channels everything from Bruce Springsteen to The Decemberists in their music. Singer, Patrick Stickles, sounded like a punk version of Conor Oberst, and the rest of the band didn’t stop moving all night. This show was fantastic. Next time I see them, they should be headlining First Avenue.

7. Umphrey’s McGee – Simon Estes Amphitheatre in Des Moines, IA – 7.1 – After seeing two somewhat disappointing Umphrey’s McGee shows at First Avenue in January, seeing them play outside at the beautiful Simon Estes Amphitheater in downtown Des Moines, IA made up for it. So although this wasn’t a Minneapolis concert, I am going to include it anyways. This day was hot, with a heat index approaching 110F. And even as the sun dropped downriver directly behind the small stage, Umphrey’s McGee kept the heat going with their music. The second set was especially awesome, with a rocking All in Time mash. It’s always a treat to see Umphrey’s McGee. Go see them on their annual multi-night run February 2nd and 3rd, 2012 at First Avenue!

8. Deer Tick – Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis on 11.12 – This show was raucous, sweaty, and nearly out of control. The Triple Rock was sold out with a majority of the crowd being no stranger to the alternative folk-rocking tunes of Deer Tick. As the show progressed, beers were flying and people were getting thrown out. Before the encore, a girl got onstage and kissed singer John McCauley. He didn’t seem to mind, offering her his guitar which she strummed awkwardly before jumping back down into the crowd. For the final song of the night, opening band, The Guards, joined Deer Tick on stage and proceeded to dowse the crowd with Budweisers. The mess that ensued over the course of the night never took away from Deer Tick’s fine rock performance. This is a great band.

9. Dawes -First Avenue in Minneapolis on 11.4 – Going into this show, I dismissed Dawes as a college rock band that wasn’t going to do much for me. I was wrong. This band is fantastic live, with a classic rock vibe and vocals that sounds eerily like Jackson Browne.  Minneapolis just can’t get enough of this four-piece from Los Angeles. This well sold-out crowd rocked along all night, yet seemed polite enough to not step on anyone’s toes while doing so. Some guy even bought a bottle a sparkling wine, only to pour out five glasses and share with strangers around him (including me). I’m glad I saw this show.

10. Oh Land – First Avenue in Minneapolis on 7.21 – Oh Land is a Danish singer-songwriter and record producer who currently resides in Brooklyn, NY. She opened for pop songstress, Sia, on this night at First Avenue. The stage was completely covered in quilted blankets, giving the usually black venue a rather strange and childish feel. But Oh Land took the stage and ripped through an powerful set of electro-pop with her percussionist Hans Hvidberg-Hansen making me forget about all of the quilts in a hurry. Her set was mesmerizing, and better than that of the great songwriter and singer, Sia.

11. Nashville Pussy – Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis on 8.18 – Nashville Pussy is a rock-n-roll band. They’ve made a living on the road since the 90’s, and their shows always display that rugged experience. I caught them on a co-headlining tour with punk/hardcore band, The Dwarves, and on this night Nashville Pussy played first. But after hearing Nashville Pussy’s short fist-pumping set, I wanted them to play all night. This band is rock-n-roll in every way, with big guitars, big bass, and big drums and a don’t-give-a-fuck attitude. It was great seeing them at a small venue like the Triple Rock.

Notable mentions:

1. Lydia Loveless – Kitty Cat Klub in Minneapolis on 3.17 – This 20 year old girl can sing!! Check her out in the near future, especially if mixing grunge and country is your thing.

2. My Morning Jacket – Rock the Garden in Minneapolis on 6.18 – This show was good, but it could have been incredible had the promoters given the band time for at least a two hour set. This show was way too short, especially for a headlining festival slot. My Morning Jacket was just getting warmed up when the plug got pulled.

3. Warren Haynes – Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul on 10.19 – Warren Haynes is always great. This night I got to see him with his amazingly talented soul band at one of the finest little theaters in the Twin Cities.

4. Lotus at First Avenue in Minneapolis on 11.6 – This show needs to be mentioned for the light show alone. The music was also good, and they had the small but energetic crowd boogieing  along all night to their electro-rock instrumentals.

5. Trampled by Turtles – First Avenue in Minneapolis on 1.15 -Trampled by Turtles is a true Minnesota gem. I caught the second of two sold-out First Avenue shows, and the band once again reminded me why they are making a name for themselves nationally.

Biggest letdowns of 2011:

1. Death Cab for Cutie at First Avenue in Minneapolis on 5.21 – I guess I shouldn’t expect to get mind mind blown at every concert I go to. But seeing a band like Death Cab for Cutie at First Avenue gives me very high expectations. What I got out of this show was such a spot on and clean performance that I could just as well have been listening to their albums at home.

2. Neko Case at Rock the Garden in Minneapolis on 6.18 – She had sound problems. She seemed depressed and distracted. It was pouring rain. I’m not the only one who expected much more from Neko’s performance.

3. Beady Eye at First Avenue in Minneapolis on 12.5 – Liam Gallagher returned to First Avenue for the first time since the mid-90’s when Oasis was just blossoming. I expected a big turnout and a big show for Liam and his new band (made up of the last version of Oasis, minus Noel Gallagher). But the venue was wasn’t even half-full, and the performance was uninspired. Belgian garage-rock duo, Black Box Revelation, opened the show and were pretty great though.