My Favorite Shows Of 2011

If I have any perennial list-readers here, most of them probably sighed preemptively as they imagined what would top my list this year, and they’re all correct: U2 (really impossible to choose between the two shows I saw), Phish (night one at UIC being the best of the seven), Secret Chiefs 3 at the Empty Bottle, Animal Collective at Pitchfork, and Paul McCartney at Wrigley Field. Oops, ya got me: I have favorite bands. I know music critics aren't supposed to reveal those, but there's no sense keeping it a secret. But rather than blather on about them yet again, it’s probably more productive for me to mention the top ten non-my-favorite-band shows of the year. So here goes. (To keep it interesting, I’m going to gloss over other obvious big names (Wilco, Pearl Jam, Primus, STS9), since they’ve all been covered plenty.)

Seizure Chicken Fall Festival (Night One)

The City Of Festivals kicked it up a notch this year, particularly on the local music front. Not only did we have a bigger-than-ever WMSE Radio Summer Camp, we’ve got Riverwest Fest coming up in a few weeks, and last weekend was the Seizure Chicken Fall Festival, whose title you really shouldn’t be scratching your head about if you live in Milwaukee. The local blog certainly does enough for the scene to warrant a two-night celebration, and this one was as eclectic as the musical tastes of the folks who write its content.

PJ20

Some bands win you over with amazing technical ability, some with superior songwriting, some on attitude alone. Pearl Jam gets you by making you feel like they’re playing and singing just for you. You know it’s not true, you know you’re not special. But Pearl Jam keeps telling you you are.

Pearl Jam Owes Wisconsin a Festival at Alpine Valley

OK, maybe owes is a strong word, but it was over 7 years ago that Ed Vedder, well into his nightly bottle of red wine, gave us one of his best ever Encore Break rants at the June 21, 2003 Alpine Valley show.

The You-Phoria Guide To Festivals, 2011

Now that festivals are big business again, even the hippies have gone hipster, and every year is a PR race to announce the most diverse and crowd-pleasing lineup.  The sense of community is all but gone now from the major three-day parties, and the pioneering spirit that created Bonnaroo is nowhere to be found.  This is already causing a decline in festival attendance and the cancellation of several formerly big names (10,000 Lakes and Rothbury spring to mind).  Still, for the music lover with eclectic tastes, there is an incredible bounty to be had.  Events succeed because with the demise of making records as a career, more and more bands are learning that they must be able to draw crowds playing live if they ever want to quit their day jobs.  Thus, while the big festivals may be on the verge of going dormant again, we concert-goers win by packing as much music as possible into the bulk ticket price.  But which ones are worth the hassle that IS festival life?  Just in case you’re still mulling things over for this year, here’s a handy guide.

I promise, I'm not going into hiding.

It's just been a very busy summer, particularly August.  So much going to shows, not so much time to write about shows.  And other sites have been gobbling up my recent reviews.  But there will be lots more show reviews, record reviews, and other random blathering in the coming months, right here on you-phoria, I swear!  In the meantime, a few links to recent stuff in other places...

Lollapalooza at JamBase

Phish, Deer Creek, night one at Jambands.com

Phish, Deer Creek, night two at Jambands.com

Look for reviews of Phish at Alpine Valley at Jambands also, presumably in the next week or so.  Thanks to everybody who has checked out this site over the years, and stay tuned for lots more musings very soon!

Pitchfork Music Festival 2010

The bulk of my review is up at JamBase, but I thought I'd include a few snippets here about artists that didn't make the main highlight/lowlight reel.  There was a lot to see at Union Park this year, and far be it from me to not include somebody.

Summerfest 2010 Roundup

The Big Gig is a messy, crowded hodgepodge of good and bad music, but this year’s experience has shown that it isn’t just the biggest; it’s also potentially one of the best, as long as you can ignore the elitist cynics who bitch about drunk people and music below their nose level.  No other festival will give you Thievery Corporation, STS9, Umphrey’s McGee, Yes and Rush in the span of a week, and despite the lack of free-wristband lawn seats at the Marcus Amphitheater, you could’ve seen all of these artists and oodles more for under 20 bucks a day.  It got exhausting at times, what with the getting up early on weekdays, but this year may have been my favorite overall Summerfest ever.

The You-Phoria Guide to Summerfest 2010

Despite the general lameness of Summerfest’s big headliners (with one or two exceptions per year), the smaller stages in 2010 are looking hotter than any year in recent memory, especially considering the wealth of local talent spread all over the grounds.  When in doubt, sit at the Cascio Interstate Music Groove Stage (CIMGS) and marvel at all the amazing Milwaukee music you never realized was here.  There’s something worth fifteen bucks every single day this year, and usually multiple quality acts (and don’t forget, you can get in for eight bucks on weekdays between noon and four!).

Favorite Moments of Wakarusa 2010

Rivalling even Rothbury 2008, our first trip to Wakarusa this year was everything we had hoped for, and much more. I've tried to pull together some hazy memories and recordings I could find of some of our favorite sets and happenings at this wonderful festival. Read on!

"You Get The Butter From The Duck" (New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest, 4.23.10)

You-phoria welcomes our newest contributor, Mike Ferguson, who braved the downpour in the Big Easy to bring us this report from day one of the NOJHF.

"Midwestern Folk Rock Revival IV" @ Cactus Club, 11-28-09

I like the title of this event. I’m sick to death of the term “Americana”. “Alt-country” is almost as bad. Folk rock gets to the heart of what Wilco nation has been searching for, and Wisconsin and Illinois are at the forefront of at least this particular offshoot of the movement. But this three-act lineup didn’t quite do justice to the lofty ambition of its name.

Irish Fest: Always A Blast, But...

For the first time in years, I managed to get an entire day in at my favorite lakefront festival on Saturday. No big names on the ticket this year other than the ever-present Gaelic Storm and the Trinity Irish Dancers, but some of my best memories of Irish Fest have been when I discovered something I'd never even heard of before, so I always go in with high hopes.

Lollapalooza review @ JamBase

I guess I needn't have stayed up 'til 6 a.m. Tuesday cranking that mother out...but it is finally up at JamBase here. Kudos go to Wesley Hodges, the dude who wrote the other half of the piece and did a stellar job as well (even if he doesn't get Animal Collective), as well as more photos by Chad Smith and scene institution Dave Vann...

July 1st: A Review

There ended up being a lot to feel thankful for on this first day of July, but around 10 a.m., I watched someone accidentally drive a skidsteer over a young tree, and I was exceptionally thankful that I wasn’t that guy or that tree. (Trust me, this is mainly a Summerfest review. I just had to mention the tree.)