The Best Concerts of 2006

What's a concert blog if I don't post something about my favourite concerts of the past year? The list includes all the concerts I've seen this year, not just ones I saw in the Bay Area. If I was there, then it was eligible for inclusion. So, I looked at all 105 shows I attended this year and here's what I thought were the best:

1. Belle & Sebastian, The Shins – Hollywood Bowl, 6 July 2006

The ambience of the Hollywood Bowl plus the spectacular L.A. Philharmonic Orchestra accompanying the pop tunes of Belle & Sebastian plus the abundance of wine, great food, even greater friends and perfect weather made this one of the best concerts of my life. And chasing Stuart and dancing with him near the stage? Can this concert be beat? Unless I get Liam's tambourine and get to sing with the Gallaghers at an Oasis show -- then it's almost impossible.

2. Sufjan Stevens – Lincoln Center, New York, 14 January 2006

Thanks to Craigslist, I was able to get two tickets to the early show of this highly coveted concert. After paying a well worth it premium from the Starbucks employee who sold me the tickets (and giving us free soy lattes), this cold and snowy winter night turned into a fantastic event of sight, sound and emotion. Sufjan Stevens. Full orchestra. Very small concert space in Lincoln Center. Backdrop: Columbus Circle and Central Park with the snow falling. Ahhhh...picturesque.

3. Sufjan Stevens – Zellerbach Hall, 10 October 2006

Backed by a full orchestra and a Marin based choir group, Sufjan put on an all-around memorable show filled with surround sound song and inflatable Santas. Which reminds me, I forgot to inflate the Santa for my Christmas party! Damn it! Damn it!

4. Radiohead – Berkeley Greek Theatre, 24 June 2006

The best Radiohead concert ever! The perfect setlist filled with regular Radiohead live favourites and rare tunes like "Black Star" and "True Love Waits."

5. Art Brut – Bottom of the Hill, 20 March 2006

My first Art Brut show and apparently many more in 2006. This is the band I saw the most this year and they lived up to the live hype. Eddie Argos will be in the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame.

6. Love is All – Popscene, 2 November 2006

Even though the sound was crap, Love is All were spectacular at Popscene that night. Their energy and clever lyrics, such as the ones in "Busy Doing Nothing," made this a lively show. Even if I was the only one into it.

7. Daft Punk – Coachella Festival, 29 April 2006

The pyramid, the hot desert evening and the sheer perfection of sound blending from one song to another. Manifique!

8. Arctic Monkeys - GAMH, 13 March 2006

Diss the Arctic Monkeys all you want, but they put on a fantastic live show. The guitar work is mesmerizing and I was fully involved with the pogo/moshing crowd at this show.

9. We Are Scientists, Art Brut, Spinto Band – The Fillmore, 2 October 2006

Just an all around fun show from start to finish.

10. Cat Power – Palace of Fine Arts, 4 May 2006

The biggest surprise of the year is me liking Cat Power. It took me almost 11 years to realize how great she was. Better late than never. But this show in particular, she wasn't crazy. She was just calm, collective and coherent. Fancy that?

11. The Faint, Ratatat – Mezzanine, 5 December 2006

This didn't make my top 10 only because my car got vandalised after the show. Otherwise, best Faint show ever!

12. Ladytron, CSS – The Fillmore, 16 October 2006

Dance, dance, dance. Non-stop.

13. The Knife – Mezzanine, 3 November 2006

The visuals were just fantastic. I still wonder how they could do all that stuff live.

14. Belle & Sebastian, New Pornographers – Nokia Theatre, NY, 3 March 2006

Any concert where my friends and I start a dance party in the back is a great one in my book. My two friends and I were just dancing like crazy and then the crowd around us followed suit. When my other friend came back from the concession stand, she couldn't believe it! Then she danced with us.

15. Fischerspooner – Mezzanine, 26 August 2006

I don't know what got into me and my friend at this show. Just mad dancing!

And the rest of them:

16. The Killers - Popscene, 24 August 2006
17. Beirut – GAMH, 20 October 2006
18. Mew – Popscene, 19 October 2006
19. The Gossip – Bottom of the Hill, 27 January 2006
20. Tapes N Tapes, Cold War Kids – Café du Nord, 17 July 2006
21. St. Etienne, Every Move a Picture – The Fillmore, 17 February 2006
22. Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins – The Fillmore, 30 October 2006
23. Mogwai – The Fillmore, 27 May 2006
24. Boy Least Likely To – GAMH, 2 June 2006
25. Camera Obscura – GAMH, 20 July 2006