I went to 142 concerts in 2014 (down from 154 in 2013!), so I wanted to compile them quickly and run through some of my favourites. The year has been punctuated by loss, my beloved Death By Audio is gone (my tribute is here), I will miss that place forever. Glasslands (as of NYE 2014) and 285 Kent are also no longer with us, I wonder if I'll ever walk down South 2nd Street again. We also lost Kim's record shop. If my favourite coffee place (Abraco) ever goes I might just go and live in the mountains.
Scattered among the massacre were some shining moments however, and my baker's dozen favourite shows of the year are as follows (I'm trying to be objective about this).
1) Metz - Death By Audio - 21st of November
The penultimate night at Death By Audio also featured Protomartyr, Nots and Sleepies. I went to 7 of the last 9 nights at the venue and I could just list all 22 shows as being the best, but like I said, I'm trying to be objective. It's a cliche term to use, but Metz are a force of nature when they play live. The only previous time I had seen them was in a record store and they were bouncing off the walls then as well. They tore the roof off (literally) and while I sort-of grew out of my moshing phase at aged 21, I even got in the thick of things during their set.
2) Screaming Females - Brooklyn Night Bazaar - 16th of May
Of the five Screaming Females shows I saw in 2014, their headline set at Brooklyn Night Bazaar just shades it. I could probably have picked any since they are always on form (I reviewed their show at Knitting Factory here), but everything seemed to click up a gear at this one. Guitar solos-a-plenty, and the venue's surprisingly good sound system did the band justice among the hipster trinkets and foodies around the market.
3) Del Amitri - Hammersmith Apollo - 7th of February
My first love was Del Amitri, and having played their last shows back in 2002, I was always hopeful of having another chance to see them at some point (they never broke up, the phone just stopped ringing, as they said). Thankfully 2014 saw the band play some shows and I had no choice but to go back to England to see them. I also went to the show in Oxford but they seemed a little more into the London show, which is no surprise as Oxford can be a bit sedate for crowds. I even got to interview Justin Currie this year (see here).
4) Tweens - Death By Audio 3rd of April
I saw Tweens during CMJ in 2013 and waited impatiently for the release of their debut album (my second favourite of the year), I caught a further two shows later in the year (for 2014's CMJ) but almost by default, a show at DBA will pip most others.
5) Jeff the Brotherhood / Diarrhea Planet - Death By Audio 12th of October
A great double-whammy of a show I reviewed here.
6) Ty Segall - Death By Audio - 14th of November
The first time I ever had to queue for a show at DBA (and a sign of things to come for the final week)! Ty Segall and Death By Audio, you needn't say any more, the two go hand-in-hand. Suffice to say it was quite the show with bodies flying everywhere.
7) Goat - Webster Hall - 18th of June
A big regret of 2013 was missing Goat's show at Music Hall Williamsburg and I wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. Their hypnotic psyche-rock spectacle has to be seen for yourselves, words won't really do it justice.
8) Curtis Harding - Mercury Lounge (10th of June) and Glasslands (11th of June)
The breakthrough artist of 2014 for me is Curtis Harding, with his debut album, Soul Power being my favourite album of the year I had to see both of his NYC shows, which I reviewed here.
9) Slowdive - Terminal 5 - 25th of October
2014 brought some surprises our way, one of which was the reformation of 90s shoegaze titans, Slowdive. Terminal 5 may well be the worst venue in New York, but sometimes you have to put your prejudices aside and suck it up. The band delivered a dream setlist and their meticulous approach to their music must have also helped as the acoustics were even good at the venue!
10) Bob Mould - Bowery Ballroom - 10th of September
Whilst Bob has always been a consistent artist, and often spectacular, he does seem to be in somewhat of a second wind at this stage of his career with his Sugar-esque releases of late. The show at Bowery Ballroom featured heavily on Husker Du songs and he just blitzed through the whole set.
11) St Vincent - Prospect Park - 9th of August
I've got to be honest, I wasn't really feeling the Annie Clark love-in for her self-titled album, it seemed like style-over-substance and a diet version of David Bowie. However, I had heard she was good live so I made the fairly short walk to Prospect Park and waited hours in line for this free show. She really played a spectacular set fitting of a large outdoor show, I like the album a lot more now too (but it's not top 20 of the year material).
12) Guided by Voices - Bowery Ballroom - 23rd of May
Bob Pollard has pulled the plug on GBV again (hopefully only temporarily once more), so it seems like more of a treat in retrospect to have seen them again this year play their usual million-song setlist. An added bonus was opener Doug Gillard, whose album, Parade On, is an understated treasure of the year, Doug joined the band onstage for a couple of mid-period GBV tunes, including one of my favourites, Fair Touching.
13) King Khan and the Shrines - Le Poisson Rouge - 6th of June
Appearing for the second year in a row (their show at Webster Hall made my 2013 list), it's impossible not to have a great time at their shows.
Here are some nerdy stats:
The venue I went to the most times was of course, Death By Audio, 22 times to be exact. Other double-digit visits for shows included Mercury Lounge (10) Baby's All Right (10) and close enough, Glasslands (9).
The band I saw the most times were Screaming Females, clocking in 5 shows. Which is great because they are the best live band around right now. I also have tickets to see them in February 2015.
I saw shows in three different countries, including back home in England and also Germany (Berlin), it could have been 4, but there weren't any in Barcelona on the days I visited, I missed a few things either side of my travel dates.
All pictures are mine, leading image is of Kaki King at BRIC House (who probably should have made the top 13 in fairness!).
And the full list (note that the odd date format may be incorrect, I try to keep UK format dd-mm-yy but a few probably slip through the net!):
|
Band
|
Date
|
Venue
|
|
Lost
Boy? / Slonk Donkerson / Heeney / Breakfast in Fur
|
04/01/2014
|
Mercury
Lounge
|
|
Brick
Mower / Timeshares
|
06/01/2014
|
Death
By Audio
|
|
Potty
Mouth / Radiator Hospital
|
06/01/2014
|
Glasslands
|
|
Hunters
/ Delicate Steve
|
10/01/2014
|
Brooklyn
Night Bazaar
|
|
Journalism
/ Slonk Donkerson / Sham-poo / Little Racer / Mainland
|
14/01/2014
|
Pianos
|
|
Palehound
|
16/01/2014
|
Spike
Hill
|
|
Jeffrey
Lewis / Nu-Sonics
|
17/01/2014
|
Mercury
Lounge
|
|
Fucked
Up / Diiv / White Lung / Guardian Aliens / Lodro
|
19/01/2014
|
285
Kent
|
|
Imaginary
Boys
|
23/01/2014
|
The
Bell House
|
|
Neutral
Milk Hotel
|
24/01/2014
|
BAM
|
|
Del
Amitri
|
2/5/2014
|
Oxford
New Theatre
|
|
Del
Amitri
|
07/02/2014
|
Hammersmith
Apollo
|
|
Black
Angels / Roky Erickson
|
18/02/2014
|
Music
Hall of Williamsburg
|
|
Yvette
/ Christines
|
21/02/2014
|
Glasslands
|
|
Grand
Resort / Friend Roulette / Dead Stars
|
22/02/2014
|
Radio
Bushwick
|
|
Future
of What
|
25/02/2014
|
Studio
X
|
|
Nada
Surf
|
27/02/2014
|
The
Bell House
|
|
Vivian
Girls / Waxahatchee / Juan Wauters
|
01/03/2014
|
Death
By Audio
|
|
Vivian
Girls / Shellshag / Pottymouth
|
02/03/2014
|
Baby's
All Right
|
|
Cheatahs
/ Eternal Summers
|
04/03/2014
|
Baby's
All Right
|
|
Kaki
King
|
06/03/2014
|
BRIC
House
|
|
A
Winged Victory for the Sullen
|
18/03/2014
|
Joe's
Pub
|
|
Vaadat
Charagim / Yonatan Gat / Exocomet
|
20/03/2014
|
Death
By Audio
|
|
Brick
Mower / Shellshag
|
21/03/2014
|
The
Acheron
|
|
Screaming
Females / Thou / Rosetta / Dead Wurm
|
22/03/2014
|
ABC
No Rio
|
|
Boogarins
|
24/03/2014
|
Other
Music
|
|
Solids
/ Pup
|
25/03/2014
|
Mercury
Lounge
|
|
Allah-Las
/ The Black Hollies / Spires
|
27/03/2014
|
Rough
Trade
|
|
Kraftwerk
|
01/04/2014
|
United
Palace Theater
|
|
Tweens
/ Shellshag / Scully / Bennio Qwerty
|
03/04/2014
|
Death
By Audio
|
|
Matt
Kivel / Andrew Cedemark / Zachary Cale
|
11/04/2014
|
Glasslands
|
|
Protomartyr
/ Spray Paint / VBA
|
13/04/2014
|
Cake
Shop
|
|
Loop
/ Purling Hiss
|
17/04/2014
|
Le
Poisson Rouge
|
|
Fear
of Men / Beverly / Beach Day / Alvvays
|
18/04/2014
|
Brooklyn
Night Bazaar
|
|
Fear
of Men / Nothing
|
19/04/2014
|
Rough
Trade
|
|
Fear
of Men
|
23/04/2014
|
Baby's
All Right
|
|
Slonk
Donkerson / The Teen Age
|
23/04/2014
|
Glasslands
|
|
Liam
Finn
|
24/04/2014
|
Moscot
|
|
Caveman
/ Total Slacker / Reputante / Amanda X
|
25/04/2014
|
Brooklyn
Night Bazaar
|
|
Robbie
Fulks
|
26/04/2014
|
Mercury
Lounge
|
|
Miss
Garrison
|
01/05/2014
|
The
Paper Box
|
|
Yellow
Eyes / Obsidiant Tongue / Mountain God
|
03/05/2014
|
Saint
Vitus
|
|
Against
Me / Tony Molina
|
03/05/2014
|
Saint
Vitus
|
|
Mystic
Braves
|
07/05/2014
|
Mercury
Lounge
|
|
You
Am I
|
07/05/2014
|
Mercury
Lounge
|
|
Purling
Hiss / Geronimo / Lost Boy / Vulture Shit / Bbig Pig
|
09/05/2014
|
Shea
Stadium
|
|
La
Sera / Springtime Carnivore
|
10/05/2014
|
Baby's
All Right
|
|
Screaming
Females / Bleeding Rainbow / Marvin Berry & the New Sound / Lilith Velkor
|
16/05/2014
|
Brooklyn
Night Bazaar
|
|
King
Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Fletcher C Johnson, Bad Girlfriend, Juniper
Rising, Onwe
|
17/05/2014
|
Baby's
All Right
|
|
Guided
by Voices / Doug Gillard
|
23/05/2014
|
Bowery
Ballroom
|
|
Pujol
|
24/05/2014
|
Rough
Trade
|
|
Higgins
Waterproof Black Magic Band / Tara Jane O'Neil
|
24/05/2014
|
Union
Pool
|
|
Dinosaur
Jr / Screaming Females / Creepoid
|
28/05/2014
|
Music
Hall of Williamsburg
|
|
Forgetters
/ Bennio Qwerty / The Seth
|
30/05/2014
|
Death
By Audio
|
|
Vulture
Shit / Marriage and Cancer / Flagland / Bludded Head / Washer
|
31/05/2014
|
The
Gutter
|
|
King
Khan and the Shrines / Red Mass
|
06/06/2014
|
Le
Poisson Rouge
|
|
Pissed
Jeans
|
07/06/2014
|
Union
Pool
|
|
Curtis
Harding
|
10/06/2014
|
Mercury
Lounge
|
|
Curtis
Harding / Darlings / Homeshake
|
11/06/2014
|
Glasslands
|
|
+/-
/ Flower
|
13/06/2014
|
Cake
Shop
|
|
Thee
Oh Sees / Mr Elevator and the Brain Hotel / White Mystery / Hector's Pets
|
15/06/2014
|
Death
By Audio
|
|
Goat
/ Holy Wave
|
18/06/2014
|
Webster
Hall
|
|
Afghan
Whigs
|
02/07/2014
|
C-Club,
Berlin
|
|
Protomartyr
/ Alvvays
|
11/07/2014
|
South
Street Seaport
|
|
4Knots
festival (Dinosaur Jr, Those Darlings, Speedy Ortiz, Radkey, Dead Stars)
|
12/07/2014
|
South
Street Seaport
|
|
Sharon
Jones and the Dap Kings
|
16/07/2014
|
Brookfield
Place
|
|
Ceremony
/ Nothing / Iron Lung
|
18/07/2014
|
Brooklyn
Night Bazaar
|
|
Obits
/ VBA
|
19/07/2014
|
Union
Pool
|
|
Witch
|
23/07/2014
|
Music
Hall of Williamsburg
|
|
Sun
Kil Moon
|
24/07/2014
|
Town
Hall
|
|
Celebration
/ Dragons of Zynth / Honey
|
25/07/2014
|
Baby's
All Right
|
|
Heat
|
26/07/2014
|
Rough
Trade
|
|
Darren
Hayman
|
26/07/2014
|
Cake
Shop
|
|
Cherry
Glazer / Gym Shorts
|
31/07/2014
|
Mercury
Lounge
|
|
Public
Access TV
|
31/07/2014
|
Mercury
Lounge
|
|
Slavve
|
02/08/2014
|
Rough
Trade
|
|
Jessica
Pratt
|
02/08/2014
|
Union
Pool
|
|
Mark
Eitzel
|
02/08/2014
|
The
Wick
|
|
Kleenex
Girl Wonder / Tanks Amigo
|
07/08/2014
|
McCarren
Park
|
|
Asian
Dub Foundation
|
08/08/2014
|
Prospect
Park
|
|
Weird
Womb / The Sundelles
|
09/08/2014
|
Union
Pool
|
|
St
Vincent
|
09/08/2014
|
Prospect
Park
|
|
Charles
Bradley
|
10/08/2014
|
Damrosch
Bandshell
|
|
Twin
Peaks
|
13/08/2014
|
Mercury
Lounge
|
|
Holy
Ghost!
|
14/08/2014
|
House
of Vans
|
|
Boogarins
/ Jacco Gardner
|
15/08/2014
|
South
Street Seaport
|
|
The
Men / Purling Hiss / Honey
|
15/08/2014
|
Brooklyn
Night Bazaar
|
|
Blood
Orange / Moses Sumney
|
16/08/2014
|
Central
Park
|
|
The
Clean
|
21/08/2014
|
Rough
Trade
|
|
Black
Wine / Brick Mower / Sore Saints / The Grand Pantrymen
|
22/08/2014
|
Death
By Audio
|
|
Afro
Punk 2014 (Bad Brains / Body Count)
|
23/08/2014
|
Commodore
Barry Park
|
|
Joanna
Gruesome / Big Ups
|
29/08/2014
|
South
Street Seaport
|
|
Heavy
Blanket
|
30/08/2014
|
Union
Pool
|
|
Tom
Clark and High Action Boys / Lenny Kaye
|
31/08/2014
|
The
Treehouse at 2A
|
|
Part
Time / Sea Lions / Wax Witches
|
04/09/2014
|
Glasslands
|
|
Elephant
Stone
|
09/09/2014
|
Mercury
Lounge
|
|
Bob
Mould / Cymbals Eat Guitars
|
10/09/2014
|
Bowery
Ballroom
|
|
Atlas
Sound / Ducktails
|
13/09/2014
|
Greenwood
Park
|
|
Gemma
Ray
|
16/09/2014
|
Brooklyn
Bowl
|
|
Wand
/ Honey / Florida
|
15/09/2014
|
Death
By Audio
|
|
Dandy
Warhols
|
19/09/2014
|
Music
Hall of Williamsburg
|
|
Justin
Currie
|
20/09/2014
|
Rough
Trade
|
|
Those
Darlins
|
20/09/2014
|
Brooklyn
Night Bazaar
|
|
Justin
Currie
|
23/09/2014
|
City
Winery
|
|
Mr
Elevator and the Brain Hotel / Froth / Corners / Wyatt Blair
|
25/09/2014
|
Death
By Audio
|
|
Dick
Diver / PC Worship / Dark Blue
|
26/09/2014
|
Death
By Audio
|
|
Twin
Peaks / Honduras / Roya
|
28/09/2014
|
50
Kent
|
|
Screaming
Females / Pujol
|
10/04/2014
|
Knitting
Factory
|
|
King
Tuff / Fletcher C Johnson / Honey
|
10/8/2014
|
Baby's
All Right
|
|
Allo
Darlin' / Saphire Mansions
|
10/10/2014
|
Glasslands
|
|
Devo
|
10/12/2014
|
Times
Square
|
|
JEFF
the brotherhood / Diarrhea Planet / Scully / Punani Hunter
|
10/12/2014
|
Death
By Audio
|
|
La
Hell Gang / Arp
|
15/10/2014
|
Glasslands
|
|
Beach
Day / Flowers / Boyd Shropshire / Casual Sex / September Girls
|
21/10/2014
|
Cake
Shop
|
|
James
|
21/10/2014
|
Webster
Hall
|
|
Tweens
/ Pins / Paws
|
22/10/2014
|
Arlene's
Grocery
|
|
Girlpool
|
22/10/2014
|
Pianos
|
|
Reigning
Sound / White Fence / King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard / Shonen Knife / Ice
Balloons / Ultimate Painting
|
22/10/2014
|
Knitting
Factory
|
|
Dinner
|
23/10/2014
|
Baby's
All Right
|
|
Wampire
/ Lee Bains III and the Glory Fires
|
23/10/2014
|
The
Living Room
|
|
Meatbodies
/ L.A. Witch / Girlpool
|
23/10/2014
|
Death
By Audio
|
|
Tweens
/ Wytches / Dilly Dally
|
24/10/2014
|
Baby's
All Right
|
|
Doug
Gillard
|
24/10/2014
|
Passenger
Bar
|
|
Purling
Hiss / OBN IIIIs / Hunters
|
24/10/2014
|
Baby's
All Right
|
|
Dinner
|
25/10/2014
|
Cake
Shop
|
|
Springtime
Carnivore
|
25/10/2014
|
Pianos
|
|
Slowdive
/ Low
|
25/10/2014
|
Terminal
5
|
|
Parquet
Courts / Tyvek / Taiwan Housing Project / Ivy
|
03/11/2014
|
Death
By Audio
|
|
Woods
/ Woolen Men / Lame Drivers
|
06/11/2014
|
Death
By Audio
|
|
Screaming
Females / Ted Leo and the Pharmacists / Pujol / Shellshag
|
09/11/2014
|
Death
By Audio
|
|
Ty
Segall / Guantanamo Baywatch / Numerators / Rips
|
14/11/2014
|
Death
By Audio
|
|
Naam
|
15/11/2014
|
The
Paperbox
|
|
Fiasco,
Michael Jordan, Sediment Club, Large Lady
|
16/11/2014
|
Death
By Audio
|
|
Future
Punx, Priests, Downtown Boys, Pink Wash, B-Boys
|
17/11/2014
|
Death
By Audio
|
|
TV
On the Radio
|
18/11/2014
|
The
Apollo Theater
|
|
Thee
Oh Sees / Dope Body / Roomrunner / Guerilla Toss
|
19/11/2014
|
Death
By Audio
|
|
Thee
Oh Sees / Natural Child / Jack Name
|
20/11/2014
|
Death
By Audio
|
|
Metz
/ Protomartyr / Nots / Sleepies
|
21/11/2014
|
Death
By Audio
|
|
Lightning
Bolt / A Place to Bury Strangers / Jeff the Brotherhood / Grooms
|
22/11/2014
|
Death
By Audio
|
|
Bob
Dylan
|
01/12/2014
|
Beacon
Theatre
|
|
Bob
Log III
|
10/12/2014
|
Oxford
02 Academy (ex-Zodiac)
|
|
Bass
Drum of Death / Mitski / Sundelles / The Lushes
|
28/12/2014
|
Glasslands
|
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