Year in Music 2014

Here it is, my compilation of some of the best shows I've seen all year. I do this because I like the quick look back, a fun way to remember the good times I've had at shows. A lot of the usual suspects show up - Old 97's, Spoon, Quiet Company, but I caught a lot of new acts at SXSW and ACL Fest. I traveled to Australia and caught a show and went to the legendary Fillmore in San Francisco.

And I'm looking forward to a fun 2015! Happy New Year! Hope to see you at a show.

Old 97's, The Parish, Dec. 11

It's become a bit of a holiday tradition for me to wrap up my year in music with the Old 97's. This year's show came a bit earlier than usual, but it was a fantastic rockin' blowout. They were playing their album Hitchhike to Rhome (hard to believe it's the 20th anniversary), front to back, and then, of course pulled in others from their prolific catalog.

Their stuff on Hitchhike is as strong as the new material. Wish the Worst is a classic. It also includes timeless numbers Doreen, St. Ignatius and 4 Leaf Clover. Just beautiful.

Safe to say, a good time was had by all. Happy Holidays!

Spoon, ACL Live, Dec. 5

Back in the States and suffering from severe jet lag, I did manage to make it out for this stellar show by Spoon. I saw them a few weeks ago doing an ACL taping, but my seats were in the rafters and no photography was allowed. For this show, I had a nice vantage point from the floor and got to shoot a few photos and videos. They just keep getting better and better. The new guitarist, Alex Fischel, that Britt brought along from Divine Fits has added an unusual energy to the band.

Glad I got to see them this year. They Want My Soul is stellar, and Do You was a great breezy, summer song.

 

And of course, they played a lot of old favorites.

 

Sondre Lerche, Sydney Australia, Nov. 25

I've been remiss in updating my last few shows. Life gets busy toward the end of the year, especially when you get to go on a trip to Australia over Thanksgiving. I was very fortunate to get invited by the Journalism Education Association of Australia to speak at their conference, and I was also invited to do a workshop at the Storyology conference while I was there. As luck would have it, an artist I have seen in Austin, the Norwegian Sondre Lerche, was playing in the city. It was his first-ever show there, and the Newtown Social Club had a very nice contingent of fans for his one-man performance. He's a beautiful singer and had some adorable banter with the crowd. So glad I made it out for this one.

 

Later in the week, I got to visit some beautiful beaches along the Australian coast. I took the ferry to Manly, a beautiful seaside village and had a wonderful day of bike riding and sun bathing. As I was going through The Corso, the main pedestrian area with shops and restaurants, I saw a crowd gathering. It was for this kid, Taj Ralph, who is 13 and pretty amazing. I had to add him to my musical adventures. Sydney is a beautiful, lovely, amazing city with friendly people. I hope to be able to return to see more of Australia sometime in the near future!