Best Live Shows of 2011

by Andrew Overton Follow @AROverton

Justin Vernon, of Bon Iver performing
live at 9:30 Club in Washington D.C.

I see a lot of shows. Besides beer, it's about the only thing I will shell out cash for without a second thought. 2011 was a banner year for me: I moved to a new city with great public transportation and I was able to see more shows than usual -- 21, in fact. Who had the best shows of the year? I thought you'd never ask. 

Honorable Mention: Black Keys at Virgin Mobile FreeFest @ Merriweather Post Pavilion, Colombia, MD 9/10/11

    5. Bright Eyes (w/ First Aid Kit) @ 9:30 Club, Washington, DC 9/4/2011

My expectations were not high for this show. I had seen Conor Oberst supporting his self-titled record and was very underwhelmed; plus, I still wasn’t sold on his 2011 effort “The People’s Key.” Boy, was I in for a treat. Oberst busted right out of the gate with a high-energy rendition of “Another Travelin’ Song” (my favorite track), and the tempo just never let up. The 21-song set hit all the classics and breathed new life into “The People’s Key” tracks for me. Once I heard Oberst scream “MAKE SOME NOISE!” at the end of “Road to Joy,” I knew the night was complete.

4. Phish @ Merriweather Post Pavilion, Colombia, MD 6/11/11

Say what you want about Phish, but I love them. Their live shows are legendary. This was the first of a two-night stay at Merriweather Post Pavillion. Although by Phish standards it wasn’t a mind-blowing show, by layperson standards it would probably be just that — mind-blowing. Twenty-seven songs. Three hours. The highlight was a cover of the Velvet Underground’s “Rock & Roll” followed by a creative six-minute jam.

   

    3. Lisa Hannigan @ 9:30 Club, Washington, DC 10/13/11

If you’ve never heard the name Lisa Hannigan, you’ve probably heard her voice. Hers is the beautiful, rough Irish voice you hear accompany Damien Rice on both his fantastic records. The two have since split, and she’s pursued her own solo career. I would have totally missed this incredible show had my friend not won free tickets to this show.

Hannigan’s voice is soft and gentle, but still maintains the hoarse, sexy quality to it. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her the entire show; she’s absolutely transfixing on stage, and her stage banter was genuine and funny. For at least a month afterwards I couldn’t stop listening to her. Take a look at this NPR Tiny Desk concert filmed that same day, you’ll probably understand my obsession.

  

     2. Jeff Mangum @ Town Hall, New York, NY 10/29/2011

“In the Aeroplane Over the Sea” is top one of my 10 albums of all time. No question, it belongs up there with “Blond on Blonde,” “Sgt. Peppers,” and “OK Computer.” However, after Jeff Mangum and the rest of Neutral Milk Hotel released this gem, Mangum pulled a J.D. Sallinger and disappeared from public life for over 10 years. When he announced a handful of solo shows, I felt like Lennon had risen from the dead — I couldn’t miss this chance.

It was just Mangum and his guitar in a very intimate venue. As he strummed and wailed, you could feel the audience hang on every word. No one spoke unless he addressed the audience. When he asked the audience to join him on particular songs, I belted the lyrics I had sang so many times before. His set was short, but flawless. I left knowing I had witnessed something truly special.

1. Bon Iver (w/ The Rosebuds) @ 9:30 Club, Washington, D.C. 8/1/11
I was curious as to how Bon Iver’s new sound would translate into a live show. “For Emma Forever Ago” is stripped down, but “Bon Iver, Bon Iver” Justin Vernon’s 2011 masterpiece is very grand in scale. Well let me tell you: It’s f#&%ing epic. Halfway through a heavier version of “Blood Bank,” Vernon dropped to his knees just pounding the guitar. To end the set, Vernon strummed “Skinny Love” with the rest of the band providing rousing background vocals and coordinated clapping (just like this). And if that wasn’t heart-wrenching enough, this may have been the best encore ever — an audience catharsis unlike any other. For a taste of what I experienced, you can hear NPR’s recording of the concert the very next night, which had a slightly better setlist, if that’s possible to imagine.