The Best Live Shows of 2008Listmania Late Edition

2008 is already a distant memory, but I had so many concert shots from this year lying around it seemed a shame not to do a quick roundup of the year in live music. Since it's hard to rank this kind of thing (especially when music festivals are involved), this year I'm sticking with chronology. Plus it's a great way to chart the gradual development of my photography skills (by which I mean "incremental camera upgrades"). [Also, check out some highlights from the year in outdoor concerts.]



The Best Live Shows of 2008

1. Dead Meadow
Bowery Ballroom, Manhattan, Jan. 16

[flickr set]


2. Vampire Weekend
Bowery Ballroom, Jan. 30

[flickr set]

3. Nada Surf
Music Hall Of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Feb. 7
Bowery Ballroom, Feb. 8

4. The Magnetic Fields
Town Hall, Manhattan, Feb. 23

5. No Age
Bowery Ballroom, May 6

6. Blood on the Wall
Mercury Lounge, Manhattan, May 17

7. Sasquatch Festival
Gorge Amphitheater, George, Washington, May 24–27
Highlights: M.I.A., The Hives, Fleet Foxes, The Flaming Lips UFO Show, Tegan & Sara, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks



[flickr set]

8. The Breeders
Webster Hall, Manhattan, Jun. 10

[flickr set]

9. The Futureheads
Bowery Ballroom, June 17

10. The Vaselines
Southpaw, Brooklyn, Jul. 10

11. No Age
South Street Seaport, Manhattan, Jul. 11

12. Todd P Mid-Summer Outdoor Party
The Yard, Brooklyn, Jul. 12
Highlights: Crystal Antlers, Ponytail, Titus Andronicus



13. The Breeders/Matt & Kim
McCarren Pool, Brooklyn, Jul. 13


[flickr set]

14. Siren Festival 2008
Coney Island, Brooklyn, Jul. 19
Highlights: The Helio Sequence, Islands, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks



15. Supergrass
Webster Hall, Jul. 30

16. King Khan & The Shrines, Black Lips, and Deerhunter
McCarren Pool, Aug. 3




17. All Points West Festival
Liberty State Park, Jersey City, New Jersey, Aug. 8 & 9
Highlights: Radiohead, Metric, The Black Angels, CSS



18. The Walkmen
Bowery Ballroom, Aug. 19

19. Yo La Tengo w/ Titus Andronicus
McCarren Pool, Aug. 23



20. Deerhunter
Le Poisson Rouge, Manhattan, Sep. 9

[flickr set]

21. All Tomorrow's Parties NY
Kutsher's Country Club, Monticello, New York, Sep. 19–21
Highlights: Built to Spill, Shellac, Polvo, Les Savy Fav, Mogwai, Dinosaur Jr., My Bloody Valentine


[flickr set]

22. Jay Reatard
Music Hall of Williamsburg, Oct. 23
Bowery Ballroom, Oct. 24


23. Crystal Antlers
Bowery Ballroom, Oct. 25


24. Deerhunter
Music Hall of Williamsburg, Nov. 7

25. School of Seven Bells
Mercury Lounge, Dec. 15

[flickr set]

And, finally, the WORST live shows of the year were... The Dandy Warhols @ Terminal 5, Sep. 17; Pinback @ Bowery Ballroom, Sep. 28; and Longwave @ Bowery Ballroom, Oct. 24.