I got some sweet goodies for you guys to win today. The always great Conor O’Brien a.k.a. Villagers is returning to the U.S. to embark on his first full band tour stateside. I got a pair of tickets to give away to one lucky winner for his November 3rd show at the Mercury Lounge. On top of that, you will get a copy of Becoming a Jackal on CD. Can’t beat a 2 for 1 deal.
To win, leave a comment on the best show that you have seen this year, and why. Whoever leaves me impressed wins. Be sure to enter your e-mail address so I can e-mail you if your the lucky winner.
Get at it!
Villagers are also stopping by The Knitting Factory on November 2nd. Be sure to catch one of his dates, he’s phenomenal live.
Craig — 29 Oct 10
The best show I have attended this year so far was the Two Door Cinema Club show last week with Penguin Prison, and Grouplove. Every band has something different to offer, and complemented each other nicely. When TDCC went on though, the crowd went insane, jumping ad going crazy at every opportunity. I feel the best experience at a concert are when people are right on top of you belting out every word, and making it into a huge party. When the band closed the night, with their biggest hit, “I Can Talk”, just seeing the band on stage with smiles on their faces appreciating what the crowd has given them the whole night, put a smile on my face. When their set finished and I was dripping sweat, I still couldn’t believe how good the concert was.
Omega 3 Fish Oil Benefits | Omega 3 Oil Benefits — 29 Oct 10
[...] [Contest] Win Tickets To See Villagers @ Mercury Lounge (11/3) + A … [...]
Andrew — 29 Oct 10
The best show I’ve seen this year was LCD Soundsystem, hands down. I’ve been a fan of theirs since 2005 when I heard Daft Punk is Playing At My House on my friend’s workout playlist. So seeing them live held a lot of nostalgic value for me as they played songs that I’ve treasured since I was a teenager. Not only that but I also love their new album – its probably my third or fourth favorite album of this year. That put their show above others like Midlake or the Flaming Lips, whose older stuff I adore but their new albums I find somewhat lackluster.
The other thing that set LCD Soundsystem apart from other shows was that it was both fun and poignant. In a way, it was like combining the all out dance party of a Deadmau5 show (I don’t think I’ve ever danced as hard as I did during “Tribulations”) with the emotional realism of The National. Songs like “Someone Great” and “All My Friends” combined a fun, upbeat vibe with heartrending lyrics. I don’t think I’ve been to another show that did both the way LCD Soundsystem did.
I was also impressed by the ethos of James Murphy. In the song “Losing my Edge” he talks about being pushed out by Europeans. “But I was there,” he says and then lists off his experiences from the early days: making music in NY in the 70′s and doing things before they were trendy. Seeing him live, I believe it. It was refreshing to see some authenticity in today’s music scene that seems obsessed with gimmicks and “the next big thing.” They were the real deal.
Lastly, they closed with an even longer version of “New York I Love You but You’re Bringing Me Down,” complete with a small section where they paid tribute to Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind.” I especially appreciated this as I’m a student living in NYC. It was the perfect ending to an outstanding show.
Lewis — 30 Oct 10
The best show for me by far this year was on january 8 2010 at terminal 5 where Passion Pit was headlining. for me, being fresh off a huge hangover that was the result of the end of the decade bash me and my friends just had, this night was something i will never forget. i had been following the band ever since getting my hands on their chunk of change EP. After multiple disappointments in not being able to score tickets to their previous shows, i had finally been successful. To me the venue was something special, something i had never experienced before. the band was quite late to the stage after the Rural Alberta Advantage and The Joy Formidable had completed their sets, which caused a corny but quite loud “PASSION PIT” chant that lasted until the band reported to duty. The odd thing about the night was the audience, never before had I been around so many different types of people. There were the obvious hipsters, some goths to the left, some latinos behind us, even some ghetto dudes to the right which i strangely remember. I remember the first noise of i heard was that coconut sounding knock of “I’ve Got Your Number”, which instantly made me smile and fittingly it was the first song i heard from the band, the first song i loved from the band, the last song i played on my ipod to pump/prepare myself for what was to come while waiting in the line freezing my ass off. While i’m not sure i was supposed to, but i recorded many of their performances of the night, EVEN luckily getting a humorous error right before “Let Your Love Grow Tall”. Even though i was being pushed around in absolutely every direction, i remember the instant i looked around myself and realized what i was apart of, what we, the audience were apart of. The Double o’s were over. A new decade had begun, which i cant put a name on yet. Everyone looked legitmately happy, even the unforunate ones who happened to stand behind the 6’0 + hipsters, even the ones hanging on for dear life on the railings of the upper decks, even me whose foot was bleeding from being stepped on and was probably punched a few times in the side. By the end of “sleepyhead” i was mute and probably added decades worth of damage to my hearing, i made a few friends and i even said hello to the lead singer of The Joy Formidable. On my way out i purchased a nifty passion pit shirt which i proceeded to put on the second i got outside. Yes i wore nothing but a shirt on a extremely cold winter night in nyc all the way to the train station and proudly wore it as a i passed out on the 30 minutes delayed N train back home. (no worries my girlfriend was with me the whooole time, but she was drunk the whole time and remembers nothing so that disqualifies her)
Hayley — 30 Oct 10
The best show I’ve seen this year was Mumford and Sons at Lollapalooza. It is amazing experience to go in thinking you only want to see one song, and to leave thinking how silly you were not to notice the genius of the other songs on the album. Despite some mediocre reviews (ahem, pitchfork) they are an amazingly passionate group of young men. They are wise beyond their years and have a classic sound that will last beyond the next year. Their ability to take classic folk sensibility and make it exciting and fresh is incredible. Looking around at the crowd, you couldn’t help but be struck by the passionate facial expressions on everyone’s face. Every single person was personally touched by the lyrics and sentiments displayed during their performance. Their show began during an epic downpour and ended with an enlightened sunshine that reflected the mood of the crowd. I look forward to seeing them again on the 15th.
Kyle — 1 Nov 10
The best show I have attended this year was Matt and Kim at Webster Hall last week. Before Grand was released, I had seen Matt and Kim a few times down in Miami, Florida and I instantly fell in love with the dance punk duo. Together, they shook the foundations of music, warping me back to a time when people lived and breathed punk and new wave. They had this down-to-earth energy, connecting with every single audience member in the midst of the concert, now resembling a synth-and-drum war zone. I can still remember Kim’s smile as she stood on her drum set, while Matt, standing on his stool, faced his keyboards in a downward spiral and played with his eyes closed. I can still smell the sweat permeating throughout the air. I relived those moments last week, but Matt and Kim managed to surprise me once again. This time, they were bat-shit insane. I was now hearing Grand live, which was, for the lack of a better word, sublime. Also, Matt and Kim’s spirits were electrifying to say the least; standing on the hands of the beckoning crowd, Kim booty-danced to the beat while Matt climbed to the top of the light fixtures and flailed his arms wildly. Even though the crowd was mashed tighter than a pack of sardines, we all rejoiced in those moments, building enough energy to power the city surrounding us. I live for that kind of music. On a final note, I should add that that night was the first time I managed to successfully crowd surf; that made that night legendary in my mind. I simply cannot wait for the release of their third studio album, Sidewalks.