Criteria:
- Must be concerts witnessed by me.
- Festivals count as one show. Otherwise, I think it's unfair for all the smaller shows that are deserving of praise. I didn't want to take festivals out of contention though, because they ended up being some of the most momentous occasions of the year.
1. Daft Punk - Arrow Centre (Toronto, ON)
This may have been the best show ever! I know everyone who saw them in the past couple years says that, but it's really true. It was part dance-a-thon, part robot fantasy, part frenzy, part musical theatre. It had all of the energy of a spectacular rock show - with no interruptions. The Rapture and Kavinsky primed the audience properly as openers, followed by a seamless set of catalogue-spanning mash-ups. It shed new light on the largely dismissed Human After All (2005) album. If you've only heard the Alive 2007 live disc, you only know the half of it.
2. Of Montreal/Björk/Cornelius/Andrew Bird/Richie Hawtin - Coachella (Indio, CA)
Although none of the shows peaked quite as high as #1, Coachella wins for best party of 2007. Remember the mayhem we reported back in May? Even if the lineup is half as good next year, I urge every hipster to check it out - at least once in their lifetime. Oh yeah, and make sure to camp. It's not worth the hassle of commuting each day to some nearby hotel. You certainly wouldn't want to miss campsite breakfast parties consisting of burritos and bloody marys.
3. Deerhoof - Richard's on Richards (Vancouver, BC)
A spontaneous road trip, coupled with a good crew, tripled with good music, and quadrupled with my first "major" music interview. This show was incredible. Especially on the heels of the stunning Friend Opportunity release. Greg Saunier and I spoke for about an hour in a dank room backstage at Richard's on Richards. His love of music, and his laugh, were equally infectious.
4. Les Savy Fav/Spoon/The Boredoms/Destroyer/C'Mon - Sled Island Festival (Calgary, AB)
No one, except the organizers involved of course, could have guessed how awesome this festival was going to be. Seeing any one of the dozen or so headliners on any given night would have been a treat. Seeing them all over the course of a four days was mind-boggling.
5. Frog Eyes/Himalayan Bear/Azeda Booth - Marquee Room (Calgary, AB)
Carey Mercer's on-stage persona has very little in common with his affable, off-stage self. Before the show we chatted about all sorts of things, including: his day job at a thrift store in Victoria, BC, his fascination with old Dairy Queen commercials, and how his latest album, Tears of the Valedictorian, owes a debt to old Neil Young records like Everybody Knows This is Nowhere. But, in truth, Himalayan Bear's cover of "Thunder Road" stole the show.
6. White Stripes - TCU Place (Saskatoon, SK)
There is no better way to celebrate Canada Day than to drive to a city in a province you've never visited before, to then watch a band play in patriotic red and white attire. They blew through tons of hits and new material off of Icky Thump. Definitely worth the drive. And, you know what? Saskatoon was a good city to party in. Believe me.
7. Caribou - The Warehouse (Calgary, AB)
Despite technical issues (due in no small part to Daylight Savings Time issues on Dan Snaith's computer's firmware, one must assume), the psychedelic pop band delivered. But, rumour has it, he's so upset with the quality of the performance that he's planning to come back very soon to make things right. Either way, it was a fun time.
8. Zappa Plays Zappa - Jubilee Auditorium (Calgary, AB)
Dweezil Zappa may not have inherited his dad's offbeat charisma, but he has been fortunate enough to get his pa's chops on the guitar. Dweezil can noodle like the best of them. Zappa Plays Zappa was undoubtedly the most technically accomplished band I saw this year. I'm still not sure how I feel about the pre-recorded video material that they splice in with the show - it was cool, but it pulled away from the spontaneity that we would've expected from a real Frank concert.
9. Ted Leo + Pharmacists - Liberty Lounge (Calgary, AB)
Rock solid rock show. No gimmicks. Raw energy. My favourite part was his solo encore.
10. Final Fantasy/Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings - Calgary Folk Music Festival (Calgary, AB)
Folk Fest frolicking with four Final Fantasy sets. Those were the most memorable for me. Especially his version of "Paris 1919" by John Cale. I had been hoping to see Sharon Jones and her band for a while now, and they did not disappoint. Lots of other great surprises too - like seeing PF Sloan. The weather and lighting was great for taking photos.
Strangest show of the year: The Robot Ate Me/Run Chico Run - Hifi Club (Calgary, AB)
Can you say trainwreck? Believe it or not, Ryland Bouchard ceased to perform as The Robot Ate Me a couple months after the show.
What a wonderful year for concerts!
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