Arguably, live shows define a year in music more so than albums. It’s possible to discover or rediscover an album well after its release date. If the album is truly one of the best of that year, it will transcend the year or even the decade in which it was released. Live shows, on the other hand, are absolutely tied to the two-hour block of time in which they occur. It’s possible to listen to an album on many more commutes, but that time where you stood in a poorly ventilated space or a cavernous amphitheater and the rest of the world melted away as the band played — that doesn’t come back. As such, the best shows of the year are the ones that stick with us well after the moment is gone. They’re also harder to pick. Still, we managed.
I played by the same rules that Click Track outlined for their list because they were good rules: no repeat artists and only one show from outside the DMV. Here is a timeline of our favorite concerts of 2011.
January
The Dismemberment Plan @ 9:30 Club/The Black Cat
Okay, so we got a little more excited than most people over these three shows. Still, eleven months later, the details and overall mood of that weekend remain indelible. Travis Morrison’s freakout during “OK, Joke’s Over,” and the entire crowd screaming “How’s Washington?” during “The Ice of Boston,” are just a few of the little things that everyone remembers. This weekend was peppered with personal euphorias and reunions with D.C. expats. Meanwhile, the four men that inspired this craziness seemed to have lost none of their spark and had more fun than anybody.
–Valerie Paschall
The most highly anticipated and (over)hyped local show in years, the first night of The Dismemberment Plan’s reunion tour ended up meeting — and perhaps surpassing — expectations, as the Black Cat seemed to swell with civic (some might say provincial) pride at the post-punk quartet’s triumphant return. Travis Morrison and his bandmates were in riveting form, grooving through much-loved classics like “The City,” “Time Bomb,” and “What Do You Want Me To Say?” as if they hadn’t broken stride since 1999. Right on cue, dozens of fans jumped on stage during the encore to shout along to “The Ice of Boston,” creating the most exuberantly cathartic concert moment D.C. has had since…well, The Dismemberment Plan’s previous reunion in 2007.
–Francis Chung
March
The Jeff Coffin Mu’tet @ Blues Alley
Jeff Coffin is probably best known for holding the late Leroi Moore’s saxophone chair in the Dave Matthews Band, but he is also one of the most creative players on the scene today. He, along with his ace band, gave us an evening of music where genre labels meant nothing, only pure expression was important.
–Sriram Gopal
Nobody expects much from supergroups. They turn into Audioslaves and Velvet Revolvers and at best, go into the $1 CD bin. So, with only a song or two in public, Mary Timony, Rebecca Cole, Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss changed the air of cautious anticipation to one of utter amazement. Timony and Brownstein shredded in each other’s faces as if creating some sort of guitar goddess Voltron, Weiss sped through difficult rhythms with ease and Cole danced behind her keyboard while anchoring what came to be some of the most memorable melodies of the year. This supergroup actually delivered.
–Valerie Paschall
April
LCD Soundsystem @ Madison Square Garden
Okay, it was in New York, however, I kept running into people from D.C. just in my nosebleed section. Rumors swirled regarding this show’s legitimacy as the true “final” show for the band, but the massive cathartic singalong/dance party felt like the perfect denouement to the band’s ten-year lifespan.
–Catherine McCarthy
The constantly vexing Dan Bejar of The New Pornographers has been putting out solo albums under the moniker Destroyer for 15 years. This year he released, arguably, his finest album and his victory lap at The Black Cat finally showed he could be as captivating live as he is in the studio.
–Andy Hess
I will never apologize for my love of classic prog-rock. What could be better than the Holy Triumvirate playing Moving Pictures in its entirety?
–Sriram Gopal
Titus Andronicus @ Black Cat
Titus Andronicus came through D.C. three times in the first half of the year, but while the two shows at the 9:30 Club were truncated sets aimed at winning over a crowd filled with another band’s fans, their sold out Black Cat show played to a dedicated crowd who followed the band’s every move with mirrored enthusiasm. It was a night of fist-pumping and jumping as Patrick Stickles roared out “A More Perfect Union” followed later by a moment swaying arm in arm with other concertgoers during the forlorn “Four Score and Seven.” And once again, Amy Klein provided the lightning bolt in an already anthemic show by taking lead vocals and sliding on her knees during their timely cover of X-Ray Spex’s “Oh Bondage, Up Yours!”
–Valerie Paschall
May
Shortly after the release of the album that became my favorite of the year, Merrill Garbus brought her ukelele, drums and looping pedals into a tiny corner of H Street NE where everyone could actually see the care and concentration that she put into creating those wild and freeing sounds. But unlike the Black Cat show which seemed an overall tense affair, the Red Palace show had a magical quality and in between singing choruses like “Don’t take my life away/Don’t take my life away,” the audience watched wide-eyed to see what she would do.
–Valerie Paschall
June
Other Lives @ Red Palace
I went into this show blind, unaware of the haunting, beautiful music that Oklahoma’s Other Lives weaves with their guy-girl ensemble. This psych-folk quintet has habitually played small D.C. venues. Catch them the next time they’re here before they are selling out 9:30 Club.
–Catherine McCarthy
Bobby McFerrin w/ Afro Blue at the D.C. Jazz Festival
It’s no secret that Bobby McFerrin is a fave here at DCist, but we certainly did not expect the performance he gave at this year’s iteration of the DC Jazz Festival. Teaming up with Afro Blue, Howard University’s premiere jazz vocal ensemble, McFerrin gave those in attendance a joyful two hours of solo improvisations, group sing-alongs and material from his most recent release. The concert was arguably the best show in the festival’s relatively short history, and hands down my favorite concert of the year.
–Sriram Gopal
CapitalBop’s Jazz Loft Series at the D.C. Jazz Festival
CapitalBop has been a most welcome addition to the local jazz community, providing enthusiastic coverage of the District’s fertile scene. A cornerstone of CapitalBop’s efforts is its fine D.C. Jazz Loft series, which features cutting edge performances in various underground spaces at affordable prices. This year, CapitalBop partnered with the D.C. Jazz Festival for a concert series that was a highlight of the two week event.
–Sriram Gopal
Fucked Up/JEFF The Brotherhood @ Rock And Roll Hotel
To use a pro-wrestling analogy that Damian could appreciate: JEFF The Brotherhood was the table to Fucked Up’s 3D finishing maneuver. It was a blistering two hours of music from two of best touring bands around that left the audience feeling like they had been put through a table.
–Andy Hess
July
Bill Callahan @ Rock And Roll Hotel
“Two hours of mystical deadpan.” Yep, that sounds about right. Any time you’re allowed to see one of the greatest American songwriters in recent history play that long, it’s bound to be a special night. That Wednesday this past July didn’t disappoint.
–Andy Hess
August
Gillian Welch and David Rawlings @ Strathmore
This show blew my mind. I had seen Welch two days before at the Newport Folk Festival, and the contrast is a testament to the importance of a venue’s influence on a show. We’re lucky to have the Strathmore in the area: Welch and Rawlings played for two hours to a mesmerized audience. The most memorable moment was when Welch demonstrated her tap-dancing skills with Rawling’s accompaniment.
–Catherine McCarthy
September
The Rapture @ U Street Music Hall
I had no reason to believe that The Rapture was still the live powerhouse that it had been five to eight years ago. I like Q and not U as much as the next person, but even though Harris Klahr replaced the most static member of the New York band, it was the static member of the band that had written “Whoo! Alright Yeah Uh Huh.” Plus, In the Grace of Your Love didn’t really do it for me. Turns out that as long as Gabe Andruzzi continues to prove that he is the best dancer in rock and roll and Luke Jenner gets so happy that he’s moved to stage dive, the Rapture will still make everybody dance and sing like it’s 2003.
–Valerie Paschall
Jeff Mangum @ 2640
This is your preview into our Best of 2012 list, because the reclusive Neutral Milk Hotel frontman is coming to D.C. next month. I lucked into a ticket the day of his first show in Baltimore for what turned out to be the only show that tied the Dismemberment Plan for Show of the Year. Due to the strict ticketing policy, the only people there were the ones who really wanted to be and as such, everyone had a sort of hushed reverence for the quirky and awkward man onstage. He tried to demystify the set a little bit, asking us to sing along after the pin-drop silence of “Oh, Comely” and even inviting the audience to ask him questions between songs. Yet, no one in the crowd ever lost that sense of wonder, even as they belted the words to “Holland, 1945.”
–Valerie Paschall
October
A “supergroup” featuring indie-rock luminaries Carrie Brownstein, Rebecca Cole, Mary Timony, and Janet Weiss, Wild Flag sold out the Black Cat in March without a proper release to their name, rewarding fans’ loyalty and curiosity with a thrilling set of retro-leaning, punk-steeped songs whose riffs and grooves were instantly captivating. When the quartet returned in October, touting their self-titled debut LP, they somehow managed to outdo themselves, exhilarating the capacity crowd with the most electrifying live performance of the year. Tearing through now familiar tracks like “Romance” and “Glass Tambourine,” the band sounded tighter after months of gigging, while retaining a vibrant spontaneity and joyful rapport that the fired-up audience found infectious. After their main set culminated in the ferocious freeform jams of “Racehorse,” Wild Flag encored with dazzling renditions of The Ramones’ “Judy Is a Punk” and Television’s “See No Evil,” the latter song putting Brownstein and Timony’s guitar virtuosity on scintillating display.
–Francis Chung
Yes, the acoustics at DAR are supposed to suck. Yes, the tantric pop icon was better when he was with The Police. Neither was the case this past October. Griping aside, the 60-year old singer/bassist/songwriter proved that he’s still got it, and could probably outpace acts half his age.
–Sriram Gopal
Double Dagger @ Ottobar
For all the love that we’ve given Double Dagger over the past couple of years, I had never seen them play a show in their hometown of Baltimore. When it became apparent that after October, I would no longer have that opportunity, I made the drive up to Baltimore where I was thrilled to find that not only was the show NOT a sausage fest but that the crowd was as mobile as their lead singer. I’m not a believer of the “shows are always better in Baltimore” logic but I am a believer that shows are always better in a band’s hometown. There is actually a facebook album dedicated to photos of people stage diving and crowdsurfing at this show which is a fitting tribute for the Baltimore band’s last hurrah.
–Valerie Paschall
Les Savy Fav / Trans Am / The Psychic Paramount @ 9:30 Club
Playing their classic LP Futureworld in its entirety, erstwhile locals Trans Am brought back fond memories of Thrill Jockey Records’ Kraut-infused 1990s heyday, and The Psychic Paramount’s opening set of droning noise-rock – delivered amidst a spectacle of dramatic backlights and dense fog – proved an apt complement. Les Savy Fav frontman Tim Harrington indulged in his customary on-and-off-stage shenanigans, helping the headliners live up to their reputation as indie-rock’s most entertaining band.
–Francis Chung
How does a woman who plays a five song set for a nearly empty venue win her way onto our Best of the Year list? By blowing your music editor’s mind, that’s how. Francis Chung already reported how she’d called me to the stage and thrust my finger onto her guitar during “Butterfly Knife” and the entire experience isn’t unlike listening to her album. It was a disconcerting trip out of my comfort zone into a very vulnerable but very public place. She had already impressed us during the previous three songs with her powerful stage presence but in that moment the show became as intensely personal as her songs. May she continue these soul-shaking seductions of music listeners everywhere. –Valerie Paschall
Regrettably crammed amidst an overcrowded bill that also featured CSS, MEN, and a lip-syncing drag queen, Erika M. Anderson and her three-piece band ultimately needed only five songs to steal the show, winning over an initially skeptical crowd with raw, stripped-down selections from Past Life Martyred Saints, along with a rousing cover of The Violent Femmes’ “Add It Up.” Here’s hoping she headlines the 9:30 next time.
–Francis Chung
November
St. Vincent @ 9:30 Club
With her pared-down touring band playing a more subdued role, Annie Clark’s evocative vocal talents and formidable guitar chops were even more front-and-center than they were at her past couple of local appearances, leaving her plenty of room to embellish upon artful compositions from Strange Mercy, her finest record to date. Songs like “Chloe in the Afternoon” and “Northern Lights” highlighted a generally superb show that featured exceptional production values both sonically and visually, marred only by a mild excess of banter and an unfortunate failure to excise the oddly Orientalist “Year of the Tiger” from the otherwise well-curated set list.
–Francis Chung
Kanye West and Jay-Z @ Verizon Center
We missed it. Not one of us made it out and we recognize from the myriad of excited tweets from people who don’t usually give excited tweets that this may actually have been the show of the year. Someone did a stage dive on my head at the aforementioned Double Dagger show and my neck hurt like all hell. My apologies.
–Valerie Paschall
Ted Leo and The Pharmacists @ Sacred Heart
Another year, another Ted Leo appearance on our year end retrospective. Honestly, as long as Ted keeps giving 110 percent and plays a great selection of the songs everyone knows and loves, he’s guaranteed a spot on these lists, but this show was particularly meaningful because of the perfect storm of its timing during the crux of Occupy Wall Street and the curatorial presence of Positive Force. It was that sense of community that really put this show over the top.
–Valerie Paschall
