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#1 Smashing Pumpkins 1994 Harriet Island Minneapolis MN You were expecting someone else at #1? This was the concert. Sentimental pick? Sure. Great show from my favorite band of all time right in the middle of a cultural shift from 80's hair rock, and ironically, Billy Corgan still had hair. Headlining this tour on a bill with the Beastie Boys was no small thing. No band has meant as much to me as this one, and probably never will. Name me another band from that era that wrote and recorded three albums in a row on par with Gish, Siamese Dream, and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. #smashingpumpkins #lollapalooza #topten

#lollapalooza #topten #1 #smashingpumpkins

#2 Rage Against The Machine - Lollapalooza 2008, Chicago IL The most intense show I've ever been to, and it's not really close. I had passed on seeing the other headliner, Wilco, at the opposite side of Grant Park, as I had already seen them. From the opening air raid sirens signaling the band was about to take the stage, to the opening riff of Testify, I've never felt a crowd take off like that. Multiple times the show was stopped while security tried to keep everyone safe near the front, to the point of the band finally saying we have to stop if you all can't bring it down a notch. My wounds were limited to stains from a bottle of red wine someone had thrown down when the mosh started up, but all in all, it was a great, somewhat unique experience, even down to getting lost in downtown Chicago without a cell phone and being a little fuzzy on the address where we were staying. #rageagainstthemachine #lollapalooza #topten

#rageagainstthemachine #2 #topten #lollapalooza

#3 The Replacements - Forecastle Festival Louisville Kentucky Just enough rough edge to remind you it was a Replacements show, and just way too many great songs for an hour slot on a festival, it was one of the most fun times I've had at a show. Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day was an unannounced extra guitarist for the entire set, and added extra muscle to an already fine, muscular sound. Beck was to follow this set and honestly, it was unfair to Beck who put on a fine show in his own right. Great vibes all around from everyone. #themats #thereplacements #forecastle #topten

#forecastle #thereplacements #topten #3 #themats

#4 Guns & Roses - Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City MO Went in to this one with some tempered expectations. They had been one of my bucket list shows for years, as I never got to see them in their prime. Wasn't sure what to expect with the inevitable cloud of drama hanging over the band, and Axl breaking his foot from their first reunion show in LA. Glad to say this didn't have the feel of a cash in, but rather making up for lost time. They played a long set, seemed to be having fun, and the crowd was having a blast too. #gunsnroses #arrowheadstadium #topten

#4 #arrowheadstadium #topten #gunsnroses

# 5 - Jack White, Forecastle Festival Louisville Kentucky Seeing as Jack White seemingly never makes it much around Minneapolis, it was nice to see his name pop up on this festival lineup in 2014. I was really interested in seeing Jason Isbell, Band of Horses and many others, but Jack White was easily a highlight of the weekend. Enough White Stripes material to keep the casuals interested, his solo stuff was tremendous as well. #jackwhite #forecastle #topten

#jackwhite #topten #forecastle

#6 David Byrne and St Vincent, 80*35 Festival Des Moines IA I really went mostly for night two, which was Wu Tang Clan, but the highlight of the festival was easily this set. A lot of “Love This Giant”, and a little Talking Heads and a little Annie Clark solo stuff made for a terrific evening. #davidbyrne #stvincent #8035 #topten

#5 #stvincent #topten #8035 #davidbyrne

#7 The National - First Avenue 2009 Seen many National shows over the years, but pretty sure this is my favorite. Still small enough to play the main room, but just about to break in to the larger theaters. #firstavenue #thenational #topten

#topten #6 #firstavenue #thenational

#8 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - State Theatre Minneapolis The first time I saw Nick Cave, I was too young and stupid to appreciate his brilliance and what I was witnessing, I just remember there was a presence on stage that others lacked. Didn’t make that mistake in 2014. Part preacher, part showman, and full time frontman, it was so great to see someone throw themselves in to their performance, sometimes literally. #nickcaveandthebadseeds #statetheaterminneapolis #topten

#topten #nickcaveandthebadseeds #statetheaterminneapolis #7

#9 Wilco - First Avenue, 2001 A concert that made it on to their behind the scenes documentary of the recording process of "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot", this was the show that really made me a diehard for Wilco. This will always be my favorite era, even though I've seen some great shows from them over the years. I'll always be appreciative I got to see a show from the Jay Bennett era (rest in peace). #wilco #firstavenue #iamtryingtobreakyourheart

#9 #iamtryingtobreakyourheart #firstavenue #wilco

With another concert season getting under way, decided to start counting down some of my favorite shows I've been to over the years. #10 - Radiohead, Lollapalooza 2008 Chicago The inevitable highlight on Friday night of the three day festival, fresh off the creatively released "In Rainbows" album, it was a set full of everything you would want in a Radiohead show . "No Surprises", "There There", "Idioteque", "Paranoid Android" and everything else I wanted to hear. #radiohead #lollapalooza #topten

#lollapalooza #10 #radiohead #topten

Decided to count down my Top Ten favorite shows I've been to over the years. #10 - Jack White Forecastle Festival Louisville 2014 Raucous, Thrilling, and everything else you'd expect a Jack White show to be. Jack was headlining night two, with the night one slot going to the Outkast reunion show (which was great fun in its own right). Well worth the drive from Minnesota to Kentucky for this show alone. #jackwhite #forecastle

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Festival season gets underway today. Stream many of the Coachella acts all weekend via the Coachella You Tube channel.

Courtney Barnett - sometimes I sit and think, and sometimes I just sit

Contender for many 2015 year end lists, and one of the early favorites to take home my Record of the Year “prize”. Mixes the rough hewn sound of early Liz Phair with the catchy songwriting of early Sheryl Crow. Seemingly mundane lyrical topics (first homes, realtor tours, pressed metal ceilings, lawns that need mowing, percolating coffee makers) offer a backdrop to her more pressing thoughts on love, and loneliness. A brilliant full length debut.

8/10

Highlights- "Elevator Operator", The slow burn of “Small Poppies”, the bouncy “An Illustration in Loneliness”, and the breathy Mazzy Star influenced closer “Boxing Day Blues”

Van Halen - Live at the Tokyo Dome It's one thing to keep things loose on a live album, it's another thing to release a live album when your lead singer is clearly no longer up to the task of singing. This is the spot Van Halen find themselves in with their latest live release. Diamond Dave was never going to be confused with the great singers in history, but too often this record suffers from cracking notes, Japanese language shtick, and wails that just sound too thin. It's too bad as the rest of the band is clearly up to the task. What's Sammy up to? 4/10

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