One of my favorite shots of the year, The National @ Coachella 08

Every Show I Saw in 2008
2/1/2008 – HEALTH, Autolux @ the El Rey
2/22/08 – Liars, No Age @ the El Rey
3/8/08 – Old Tyme Relijun, the Mae Shi @ the Smell
4/25, 4/26, 4/27 – aka the “Portishead Coachella” 2008
4/29/08 – Lavendar Diamond, She & Him @ the Vista
5/21/08 – The Kills @ the El Rey
5/24/08 – Japanther @ the Smell
5/29/08 – Modest Mouse, R.E.M. @ the Hollywood Bowl
6/22/08 – Thievery Corporation @ the Hollywood Bowl
6/29/08 – Devendra Banhart, Gilberto Gil @ the Hollywood Bowl
7/20/08 – Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Feist @ the Hollywood Bowl
8/3/08 – Reggae Night @ the Hollywood Bowl
8/11/08 – Mogwai @ the Wiltern
8/24/08 – Radiohead @ the Hollywood Bowl
9/20/08 – MGMT, Spoon, Beck @ the Hollywood Bowl
9/21/08 – Hot Chip @ the Wiltern
9/22/08 – The Kills, The Raconteurs @ the Greek
10/1/08 – My Bloody Valentine @ the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium
10/2/08 – Neil Diamond @ the Hollywood Bowl
10/3/08 – Deerhoof @ the Avalon
10/4/08 – Eagle Rock Music Festival
11/6/08 – TV on the Radio @ the Wiltern

Compiled because my epic year of rock in 2007 went undocumented and I had a serious 7 show run in that September…but I kept no record and now my grandchildren will never know the exact date of that great show I went to that was Black Moth Super Rainbow and Aesop Rock at the Henry Fonda.

Two Specific Shows I Wish I Had Went To: The Ting Tings/Santogold/Matt & Kim @ the Wiltern and GIRL TALK at the Henry Fonda.  JUST LOOK AT THESE PHOTOS FROM THAT SHOW.

Best Performances: Portishead at Coachella, night 2. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings opening for Feist at the Hollywood Bowl.  Radiohead at the Bowl.  But the real standout was My Bloody Valentine at the Santa Monica Civic.  Everything else pales in comparison to how EPIC & HUGE MBV felt that night.  I’m talking Richard Serra scuplture here.  Hokusai’s The Great Wave.  Mario Batali’s gut.  MBV is big business.

Guilty (but it shouldn’ t have been guilty!) Addiction of 2008: Vampire Weekend.  Maligned by preening hipsters…who were all tapping along with their bony little toes when you weren’t looking. If you don’t bop along to their self-titled album, the bop center of your brain must be imbalanced.  This album triggered countless “if it’s poppy, does it mean that’s BAD?” conversations with many, many friends to which we concluded, “If it’s poppy and it’s Weezer’s last album then it’s bad.”

Most Hated: Coldplay.  They win this award every year.  They won it before the group was formed.  They won it before all their parents spawned.  They will win it even though the Eagles try so hard to snatch it away at every opportunity.

Top Ten of 2008 Albums in No Order Whatsoever
randomly set qualification: I listened to this album at least 10 times during the 2008 musical season

The Last Shadow Puppets – Age of the Understatement
The Kills – Midnight Boom
Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple
TV on the Radio – Dear Science
Beach House – Devotion
Girl Talk – Feed the Animals
Deerhoof – Offend Maggie
Santogold – S/T
Vampire Weekend- S/T
Portishead – Third

almost but not quite: MGMT- Oracular Spectacular, Vivian Girls – S/T, The Black Keys – Attack & Release, The Raconteurs – Consolers of the Lonely

Lovely Lady Discoveries
Vivian Girls, Mika Miko, exactly one half of She & Him

And Finally…Know Your History