One note: PJ Harvey’s Let England Shake is nowhere to be found on my list.  Sorry for partying, but it still just hasn’t clicked with me.

Also, lots and lots of good hip-hop came out this year.  Which is fun, but also, as a big fan of hip-hop, might make my list seem very “commercial.”  Not really sorry for this one, it just is what it is.

And so…..judge away:

25. Panda Bear – Tomboy

I mean, it’s mostly all about “Last Night At the Jetty,” but it’s also about the overall lush, woozy sound drenched in layers upon layers of reverb  heard throughout the album that makes Noah Lennox’s Tomboy a notable listen in 2011.

24. Cults – Cults

Cults threw their hat in the whole retro-pop ring and came out on top with their first try.  Although I was skeptical at first, debut single “Go Outside” was the perfectly breezy song of the summer.  Seeing them live at the 7th Street Entry sealed the deal, and “Walk At Night” is one of my favorite songs of the year.

23. Lady Gaga – Born This Way

There’s really not much more to say about this one than what I already wrote in my review of the pop star’s second album, and even though it’s getting kinda old kinda fast, there’s no denying that this was one of the best pop albums to come out this year.

22. Beyoncé – 4

Ughhhhhhh Beyoncé, how you murk me so.  Even though I would have preferred an album filled with songs like “Countdown,” we instead got more of a mood album, a Beyoncé tone poem, if you will.  You can almost hear the tears in “I Care,” feel the swagoo in “Party,” and bonus track “Dance For You” definitely makes me want to swirl.  A fine body of work.

21. Youth Lagoon – The Year of Hibernation

Another example where a live show catapulted an album into being something special…no but really, as a debut, The Year of Hibernation is a remarkable achievement for the young Mr. Powers.

20. TV On the Radio – Nine Types of Light

Bucking the trend, I actually didn’t much enjoy this band’s appearance at First Ave.  I honestly think it was just because I was in a sour mood, however music usually can lift me out of that, and that just didn’t happen at the show.  But as an album, Nine Types of Light continues a winning streak for TV On the Radio.

19. Britney Spears – Femme Fatale

I mean…Britney hasn’t been this exciting since Blackout.  Love her, hate her, say what you will about her, but Femme Fatale is simply a fun, expertly crafted, perfect pop album, and that’s all it needs to be.  It’s also fun when Britney gets dirty and swears (“You can be my fuck tonight” on “How I Roll”) and references past hits (“Hit me one more time” on “Inside Out”).  Let’s just face it, growing up with Britney as the soundtrack to everything from 8th grade “mixers” to high school proms and now drunken, messy nights out in your 20s has been a gift everyone can (and should) appreciate.

18. Feist – Metals

Metals is a really pretty album.  Nothing too groundbreaking happening here, but for craft, this album gets an A.  ”Graveyard” and “The Circle Married the Line” sound both thrilling and heartbreaking at the same time, which could describe this album as a whole….yes?  Maybe?  Yeah.

17. James Blake – James Blake

Dubstep ughhhhhhhh.  It’s a great album though.  Also, I saw him in the Entry and you probably didn’t.

16. M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

Yeah yeah, “Midnight City” is like, the song of the year.  Listening to this album in one sitting is quite the experience.  And, they hit their live show out of the park at First Ave.

15. CANT – Dreams Come True

I was pretty skeptical about the solo effort from Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor, especially since lead single “Answer” really didn’t do much for me.  Well, wow, this album is pretty fucking great, proving Taylor can hold his own as an artist.  Also, none of you went to the show at the Entry.  Shame on you.

14. Terius Nash – 1977

Terius Nash aka The-Dream.  That’s pretty much all you need to know.  The best part is that this breakup album is mostly about Christina Milian.  Super fun.  Also, 1977 is a contender for giving us some of the best one-liners in rap history: “You used to be anti-internet, but now you constantly blogging and shit,” “Another day with you is just another fucking day,” “That get up in the mornin’ and put it on me, she so horny,” “Let me sing you my drunk song,” “Blowin’ bottles of dat drank,” “Ever seen a n@&*a buy a house from the toilet?”  I could go on, but I wont.  You should just listen.

13. Laura Marling – A Creature I Don’t Know

Not too much to say about this one either, other than Laura Marling’s voice is, you know, one of those voices.  It just hits you right in the gut.  And she’s only 21.  Although not as immediate as I Speak Because I Can, there are plenty of highlights throughout A Creature I Don’t Know, including “I Was Just a Card,” “Salinas,” and “Sophia.”

12. Wilco – The Whole Love

WILCO IS BACK!!!  Right, they didn’t really go anywhere, but honestly, this is the best thing since A Ghost is Born, and a lot of people didn’t even like that album.  So then this is the best thing since Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.  Which is saying a lot.  Also, their first of two recent shows at The State Theatre was one of my favorite concerts of the year, maybe even ever.

11. The Roots – Undun

If you know me, it’s kind of a given that if an album includes Sufjan Stevens in the credits, I’m going to take notice.  And while Sufjan’s “Redford” is the base for the last suite of songs, the rest of this concept album is all The Roots, and it’s fantastic.  Definitely the most heartfelt hip-hop found on this list.

10. St. Vincent – Strange Mercy

Strange Mercy might be Annie Clarke’s masterstroke.  ”Cruel” is one of the best songs of the year.  The title track is my personal favorite from the album.  All in all, Strange Mercy is classic St. Vincent but more focused and sonically profound.  Amazing stuff.  I also got to sit on the stage for her show at The Walker.

9. The Antlers – Burst Apart

The Antlers’ Hospice was a masterpiece, even if it left you completely wrecked after each listen.  Talk about a downer!  Things haven’t changed much with Burst Apart, but everyone was waiting to see if Peter Silberman and crew would be able to produce something as meaningful that didn’t have the story arc of Hospice.  I’d say The Antlers have succeeded – Burst Apart still tells a story, but this time it’s about moving through the murky waters of heartbreak and loneliness, fun stuff like that!  Who knew depression could sound so lovely?

8. Real Estate – Days

The surf-infused sounds of melancholy is the best way I can describe Days.  What’s up with me and loving sad-ish music so much?  Anyways, Days is a lovely gem of an album.  And really it’s not all that sad.  Seriously, don’t let that scare you away from listening to it!

7. Beirut – The Rip Tide

Zach Condon’s most accessible work still maintains that European quirkiness that defines Beirut’s sound.  Condon’s voice has also never sounded better, song’s like “Goshen” a showcase for his deep, swoon-worthy vocals.  All those horns pull at your heartstrings too.

6. Radiohead – The King of Limbs

It’s an odd year for me when Radiohead put out an album and it’s not automatically number one on my list.  Yup, I’d say you either loved or hated The King of Limbs.  Maybe it even pissed you off.  Clearly, I fall in the love camp, while also recognizing that better music came out this year.  Honestly though, why is everyone so mad that the album (consisting of JUST EIGHT SONGS?!?!?! ) is under 40 minutes long? There’s a lot packed into those 40 minutes.  ”Bloom” is like an awakening, “Lotus Flower” is another one of the best songs of the year, “Codex” murks you and “Give Up the Ghost” is unlike anything heard from the band.  Yeah, it’s not an instant classic like In Rainbows, but this record holds up very nicely when not compared to Radiohead.  Think about it.  Bye.

5. Kanye West & Jay-Z – Watch the Throne

Yeah yeah, I know I wasn’t head-over-heels for this when it first came out.  But my, how Watch the Throne has grown on me, just like I guessed it would.  Again with this one, pretty much everything that could be said about this album already has been said.  Along with 1977, Watch the Throne also ranks high with classic one-liners that have quickly made their way into me and my friends’ everyday vernacular.  I’d type out some examples but I’d have to use too many $*#@)($#@s.

4. The Weeknd – House of Balloons/Thursday

Completely out of nowhere and I am so completely happy that both of these mixtapes (with a third on the way) happened this year.  Really, there’s not a single track on both of Abel Tesfaye’s (ok let’s just stick with calling him The Weeknd) outings thus far that I would skip over.  They just make you feel so many feeelingssssssssss.  And I think that’s a good thing, especially in this genre.

3. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

I actually re-listened to Helplessness Blues last night as a refresher.  Originally it was a few slots lower on my list, but my notions were confirmed that, yeah, this is definitely one of the top three albums of the year.  The title track kills me every time.  The harmonies almost make you want to vomit because they sound so perfect.  It’s almost an overload of beauty.  Did I really just say that?  Yeah.  Cuz it is.  Helplessness Blues is almost an overload of beauty.

2. Drake – Take Care

Are you for real?  Really though, Drake killed it this year.  I really can’t talk about it.  I also really can’t talk about that album cover.

1.  Bon Iver – Bon Iver, Bon Iver

Why must Justin Vernon do this to me?  Crying in my car, crying at work, crying in my apartment, crying at the freaking concert.  This album is actually mind blowing.  It’s almost like everyone wanted it to suck because it would not be fair for our very own Justin Vernon to keep on succeeding and producing music that is again and again this transcendent.  But guess what??? He made 2011′s album of the year.

So, that’s it!  Below, in no particular order, are some of the albums that didn’t make the cut, even though I really, really wanted them to.  Going up to 50 albums would have actually killed me.

Akron/Family - S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT

My Brightest Diamond – All Things Will Unwind

tUnE-yArDs – w h o k i l l

Cut Copy – Zonoscope

Bright Eyes – The People’s Key

My Morning Jacket – Circuital

Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Dawes – Nothing Is Wrong

When a band can open a highly anticipated gig with a 12-minute, slow burning piano ballad and it doesn’t fall flat, you know they are masters.

And that’s exactly what Wilco did last night at the State Theatre, starting night one of a two-night stay in Minneapolis with the lovely “One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend)” on a stage drenched in gorgeous lights and layers of fabric suspended from the ceiling, one of the most beautiful stage sets I’ve seen in a while.

The last time I had seen Wilco was at Bonnaroo in 2007; maybe it was because I hadn’t been sleeping in a dusty tent for the past three days in the middle of Tennessee, but what a difference it makes seeing this crew do their thing in a charming theater, lead singer Jeff Tweedy looking like a seasoned professional (which he is at this point) in a hat and jacket.

The tender vibe continued as Tweedy and his five bandmates segued effortlessly into “Poor Places” from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, that song’s static-filled ending acting as the perfect transition into “Art of Almost,” the churning opening song from Wilco’s latest album that simply explodes in a live setting.  It was with this song that Nels Cline finally let loose and unleashed the song’s thrashing guitar solo ending on a stunned audience.

The additional songs played from The Whole Love melded perfectly with old favorites from albums reaching all the way back to A.M., Being There and Summer Teeth.  “Misunderstood” was an early highlight, starting out slow and quiet, Tweedy sounding forlorn singing the lyric “You love her but you don’t know why,” before the song took off with a cacophony of wild guitars and flashing strobe lights.

Things got quiet again for the meandering “Black Moon” before Tweedy greeted his enthralled fans, saying “Sorry I didn’t say hi earlier, but we’re really happy to be here.” This kicked off a two-song run of tracks from Sky Blue Sky including “Impossible Germany” and “Sky Blue Sky,” the former clearly a fan favorite judging by the screams from the audience.

At this point Tweedy gave a shout out to the 7^th Street Entry and told the audience “You have been standing for all of this and have been super patient with out tender ballads,” eliciting laughs and cheers from the crowd. “I think it’s cool that you’re standing for that stuff,” he continued.

Well, the patience paid off as Wilco then ripped into “Box Full of Letters,” “Born Alone,” and then, amazingly, “She’s A Jar” off of Summerteeth, a song rarely played live that proved to be another highlight during the show.  The high continued as all the lights turned neon pink for “Pot Kettle Black” and “Handshake Drugs,” both of which had everyone dancing along.

“War On War” closed out the main set before the band quickly came back on, Tweedy acknowledging “You all knew we were coming back, it’s taco Tuesday!”

This kicked off a seven-song encore, which began with the bouncy “Whole Love.” TO screams from the crowd, Tweedy said “I think we have a pretty substantial encore for you…I hope that’s ok,” laughing and smiling.  That’s when the drum kit from “Heavy Metal Drummer” dropped and everyone lost their shit.  “I’m The Man Who Loves You” had everyone singing along before the encore closed with three songs from Being There, the lights glowing red for “I Got You (At The End of The Century)” and “Outtasite (Outta Mind).”

With the lights still bright and the reverb from the guitars still bouncing around the theater, Wilco exited, only to come back one more time for a duet with opener Nick Lowe, singing Lowe’s “Cruel to Be Kind.”

And, with that, Wilco walked off the stage as rock heroes.

Wilco the band has been through a lot… (not to mention what Jeff Tweedy has been through personally).  People thought Wilco getting comfortable and complacent on Sky Blue Sky might be the beginning of the end to the band’s exciting, ever-changing sounds.  However it was made very clear that Wilco in their current incarnation might be the best yet – comfortable with being masters at what they do and putting on one of the best shows I have ever seen.

Setlist:

One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend)

Poor Places

Art of Almost

I Might

Muzzle of Bees

Misunderstood

Bull Black Nova

Black Moon

Impossible Germany

Sky Blue Sky

Box Full of Letters

Born Alone

She’s A Jar

Pot Kettle Black

Handshake Drugs

Dawned On Me

I’m Always In Love

War On War

Encore 1

Whole Love

A Magazine Called Sunset

Heavy Metal Drummer

I’m the Man Who Loves You

Passenger Side

Red-Eyed and Blue

I Got You (At the End of the Century)

Outtasite (Outta Mind)

Encore 2

Cruel to Be Kind with Nick Lowe

At any rate, what follows is an account of what I’ve been up to the past month and a half and hopefully the start of more regular reviewing again.

Let’s start with the Odd Future on 10/12 at First Avenue:

So yeah, that happened.  Remembering that I had some passes to the First Avenue owner’s box and some drink tickets, I somehow decided that this show would be the best use of that.

Um, no.  I mean, it was fun because my friends and I were determined to have a good time.  But seriously Odd Future?  I felt like I was at a Rhymesayers blowout, except that the Rhymesayers players are actually good.

Ok, so I was a little excited to see Tyler, The Creator ever since the ‘Yonkers’ video.  But even he was underwhelming.  The only bonus was the giant cat poster thing used as the backdrop for the performance.  Meh.

Chris Taylor’s CANT – 10/15 at 7^th Street Entry :

Ok, now this was amazing.  First of all, WHERE WAS EVERYONE?!  There might have been 20 people in the Entry.  I’m talking to you, you avid, diehard Grizzly Bear “fans.”  Oh well, your loss, because Taylor and the other dude who was on stage with him (I was a little messed up that night, sorry for partying, and this also explains the horrible picture I took) ripped through Dreams Come True like it was no ones business.  The acoustics were amazing, especially packing a punch with all the electronic tomfoolery heard throughout the songs on Taylor’s solo project.

Again, where were you?  Because you missed one of the best shows of 2011.

M83 – 11/16 at First Avenue:

M83’s performance was gorgeous, as expected.  There were synths, colored lights, the show opened with a band member dressed as that creature on the “Midnight City” single, oh and the show was sold out. Which meant sneaking into the owner’s box was the only way to possibly enjoy myself.  That was cool before getting kicked out after 30 minutes of pure bliss (and our own server!).

So then it was back to the masses, before being pulled to the front left of the stage by some braver friends.  It’s all good though, because M83 sounded amazing, saving “Midnight City” for the end of the show.  Everyone lost their shit because they had heard it in that Victoria’s Secret commercial!  Weeeee!

Youth Lagoon – 11/23 at 7^th Street Entry:

Going to see artists who are younger than you (and measurably more successful) is always awkward.  Can we talk about the fact that Rihanna and Drake are younger than I am?  Actually, I don’t want to talk about it at all.

Although not in the same class (or even genre) as Rihanna or Drake, 22-year-old Trevor Powers aka Youth Lagoon is certainly on his way up the indie/alternative/89.3 ladder.

Playing nearly every song from his debut The Year of Hibernation, Powers and his band proved that even pseudo depressing bedroom rock can still pack a punch, even with the incense being burned by the opener still swirling around the room.  Most uplifting was “Daydream,” which had everyone packed into the Entry bouncing up and down to the beats reminiscent of something the Postal Service might think up (RIP).

Watch out for this kid, he’s going places.

In other news, it looks like I’ve lived at the First Avenue complex.  Also, I saw and took a picture of this outside of the CANT show, for good measure.

I think I picked the better show…

When The Drums dove into a dizzying version of current single “Money,” I was locked in and on board with this Brooklyn-based band.  It was as if lead singer Jonny Pierce had tapped into some sort of ancient, primal energy, his band blasting out the song faster than on Portamento, Pierce twirling around on stage while still perfectly adding to the tracks signature hand claps.

I thought maybe I had stumbled into a time warp, either back to the era of 60s beach pop or a time when The Strokes were actually good.  Most of the songs played by the short but very sweet 45 min long set were off of the band’s 2011 release, the guitars tuned for the live show to perfectly evoke that beachy sound, at times evoking Depeche Mode and other 80s new wave bands however packing way more punch.

The Drums did reach into their back pocket with songs from their self-titled debut.  “Book of Stories” got everyone in the swaying along mood, while they closed out their main set with the dramatic “Down By The Water,” which they dedicated to Steve Jobs, eliciting cheers from the tightly packed crowd.

The band left briefly, giving everyone a chance to catch their breath after some serious, and I mean serious moving and shaking – like, everyone was dancing at this show, perhaps over the swoon-factor Pierce carries with him, at one point wiping the sweat off of his chest and face telling the crowd “You got me all sweaty Minneapolis.”  The Drums then came back for a three-song encore, including a bittersweet “It Will All End in Tears” and closing out the show with the bright “The Future.”

I’m surprised The Entry could contain all the energy The Drums brought on Wednesday night – these guys are about to blow up.

Somewhere in my parent’s house is a list I made as a 10 year old detailing my thoughts on why it was good to be alive and what I was looking forward to.  Expressed along with my enthusiasm for new Star Wars movies, I listed “The Future” as something to be excited about.  “How great,” my mom would later tell me, “that despite all the bad things going on in the world, then and subsequently, that you were always looking forward to that next ‘big thing’ that would make our lives great.”

In 1998, Steve Jobs had recently returned to Apple and was again redefining computers as we knew them with the first iMac.  Always being the early adopter, I’d race to the computer room in my middle school to be one of the users of only two iMacs in the lab.  There was no looking back for me – that computer represented the future I had dreamed of.

My family got our first Mac in 1999 after a push by my mom, who thought they were better for education, and by me, because I thought it was the best computer in the world.  Since ours was a “DV” edition, it came with a Firewire port and Apple’s brand new iMovie software.  This immediately turned my best friends and me into little Spielbergs, making movies and editing them on that Mac for years, sharing them with family and friends over the Internet and by burning them to DVDs.  We were living in the future while creating memories of a lifetime.

My love affair with all things Apple continued, dragging my mom to the opening of the first Apple Store in the Mall of America – its white interior and rows upon rows of glowing screens looking like something out of a sci-fi movie.  It was there that I also purchased the first release of Mac OS X, despite the fact that hardly anything was compatible with it yet.  But once I saw the design of the interface, I knew again there was no looking back, that this was the future.

It was also at the Apple Store Mall of America that I purchased the original iPod, a device so revolutionary that I couldn’t quite wrap my 16-year-old brain around the concept.  Instead of just taking my money for the thing and getting me out of the store, my sales associate was genuinely as excited for my purchase as I was, asking me what kind of music I liked, what I would fill it up with.  How fantastic, I thought, that this company and the people they hire aren’t just trying to make money, they are trying to make lives better, to have people’s experiences with technology be fun, not imposing or scary.  I wanted to be a part of that so badly.

Well, little did I know that less than 4 years later, I’d be interviewing with the regional manager of the three (at the time) Apple Stores in Minnesota.  It was a lucky break, literally – my sister’s pink iPod mini had stopped working, and my dad took it into the Southdale store to get it fixed.  Being the perpetual networker, my dad happened to know the manager who was helping him that day from the marketing world.  After giving my dad a brand new iPod mini, no questions asked (along with a bit of a wink and a nod), my dad told the manager how I would be moving back to Minnesota from California, and would be interested in working for Apple.  It was less than a week later that I was interviewing at the Southdale store.

Looking back, it was one of the strangest interviews of my life.  I had expected some sort of knowledge or skills test related to Apple and its product line along with questions about my previous employment history (I basically had none).  Instead, the manager asked me what my interests were and why I wanted to work for Apple.  The manager shook my hand and I was starting a few weeks after that.

My new Apple family welcomed me with open arms, something I had never really experienced before in a work or school environment.  Here we were, just a group of geeks (I like to think we were cool geeks) who loved Apple and truly believed in the products we were selling, creating an immediate bond.  Not really knowing where my place was in the store, I was told to go stand by the iPods, not because I was an expert on them, but because I loved music and would gain the experience of connecting with customers, not just selling things to them.

In my nearly 5 years working at the Apple Store Southdale, I had some of the most interesting conversations in my life.  I learned about people’s families while helping them make movies.  I learned about different music tastes, new artists, and got invited to concerts just because I was selling an iPod.  I helped World War II vets, celebrities’ wives, and kids who were just beginning to understand the magic of the Mac, iPod and later the iPhone.

My coworkers taught me skills I thought I would never master.  I built websites, edited digital audio and learned computer vernacular that sometimes still makes me laugh for actually knowing what certain letters or phrases mean.  We all saw revolutionary products released under Steve Jobs’ Apple – hell, Apple gave us all the original iPhone, for free, when it came out.  Here we all were, living and working in a future I had only dreamed being a part of as a kid.

It’s been 2 years now since I left my job at Apple to pursue a professional career in public relations, but I have never stopped following every step of Apple, and Steve’s, journey.  With each new release, Steve continued to bring the future to our hands, despite what numbers may have been or what the status quo would demand.

If I had seen my life at 25 when I was 10, I think I would be blown away by what the future held.  Steve Jobs has played a large part in shaping the future into what we now know as the present.  It is because of this that, even indirectly, Steve played a part in shaping me into the person I am today.

Thank you, Steve, for giving us what you have.  Thank you, Steve, for giving me a family of coworkers I still keep in touch with, for creating a culture of innovation and exploration, of fascination.  Thank you, Steve, for continually giving me something to look forward to, for that, “one more thing…” For giving me the future I had imagined as a kid, and allowing me to play a small part in your life’s work.

Thank you, Steve.

There had been hints of the true brilliance of Annie Clark’s vocals throughout the evening during her second performance at The Walker Art Center.  I’m sure like most others, I was mesmerized by her guitar shredding abilities and the almost hypnotic state Clarke enters when she really gets into her solos.

However, it wasn’t until Clark, aka St. Vincent, came back to the stage sans guitars to perform a stripped down version of “The Party” that I began to realize the power of her voice.  Back in one of her hypnotic states, Clark snapped along as she layered her vocals during the song’s waltz-esqe chorus, the audience obviously enthralled as you could hear a pin drop at any moment.  Like, holy shit.

Maybe it was because I was literally sitting on the freaking stage of the Walker’s McGuire Theater with nothing but 12 feet separating me from St. Vincent and her band, but St. Vincent’s 10pm performance is one that I won’t soon forget.

First, let’s talk about the lights.  Colored lights, laser-like lights, flashing lights – and then the smoke, all combined and added to the temple like atmosphere at the show that would be fitting for a space 10x the size of the McGuire Theater.  Clark kicked things off with “Cruel,” although a little something was missing.  After about 30 seconds, Clarke ended the song and said, “I’m sorry you guys but you should really hear the guitar for this song.”  Oh right, her amp had been turned off.  Everyone laughed and I certainly appreciated how comfortable and casual Clarke and her band was about the whole thing.  The four musicians on stage started over from the beginning, and with that signature guitar line from the song now blaring out of the speakers, “Cruel” started off the evening on a pounding, celebratory note.

Choosing from a smorgasbord pedals and guitars lined up behind her, St. Vincent continued the string of songs from this year’s fantastic Strange Mercy with “Cheerleader,” which sounded just massive, followed by “Surgeon.”  You would have had no idea that St. Vincent’s two Minneapolis shows were the kick off to the Strange Mercy tour, as the band sounded extremely tight even as they stared lovingly at their leader, who noted “you’re up late tonight!”

The high energy continued with “Save Me From What I Want” and “Chloe In the Afternoon,” Clark nailing the latter’s chorus despite its odd beat.

And then, St. Vincent sent everyone to fairytale land with the sleepy and swirling “Just The Same But Brand New.”  The coma continued with an enthralling take on “Champagne Year,” only to be broken when the drums hit hard during “Neutered Fruit.”  However, the lobotomy was finally complete during the performance of the title track from Strange Mercy, Clark throwing in a naughty word during the chorus, singing “If I ever meet that dirty policeman who fucked you up,” maximizing the crescendo of that song to the extreme.

It was all beginning to be almost too much – the lights, the voice, Clark and I locking eyes at one point, her black ensemble complete with sequins.  And since no one got up out of their seats and there was a brief pause before an explosion of cheering from the audience after each song, I think it’s safe to say that everyone was completely intoxicated with the entire production.  At another point, a speaker even started to smoke and melt a little bit, Moog player Toko Yasuda pausing the show to make sure everything was all good.  Like, the speakers couldn’t even take the heat from Clark and her guitars.

So finally, after “The Party” opened the encore, Clark urged everyone to stand up.  “I know those seats are really comfortable, but this next song is kind of a jam.”  And with that, everyone kinda shook out of the St. Vincent spell and peeled themselves off of the seats (me off of the floor) to groove to closer “Marrow.”

Clarke thanked everyone, blew kisses towards the audience, and then looked directly at me again and at those other lucky few that got to sit on the stage before exiting as the house lights came up.

A show for the ages, I tell ya.

I dunno.  For all the praise that Pitchfork showers upon Girls, I was a little….bored at the show.

Yeah, I said it, I got a little bored.  That’s not to say that Girls isn’t a great band – this was made apparent as the thunderous “Die” bounced about the First Ave mainroom, providing a much-needed jolt midway though Chris Owens and crew’s set.

I mean, it wasn’t a sleepy show either; with bouquets of flowers adorning the mic stands, drums and keys, the show opened with “Heartbreaker” from 2010’s Broken Dreams Club.  Toe-tapping “Laura” followed, but things started to pick up more with “Honey Bunny,” that song’s upbeat, 50s-esque beat literally shaking things up a bit.

And then, everything just started to blend together.  “Alex,” a more mid-tempo jam completely melted into “Love Like A River,” a pretty, nostalgic song, however I was ready to snooze.  Thankfully, that’s when “Die” roared to life and I (along with the rest of the sparse but enthusiastic crowd) was ready to jam again.

Good thing, because Girls’ mega-hit “Lust for Life” sprang from the stage and sounded as excellent as I had hoped for.  Oh just kidding though, because then things got super slow again with “My Ma.”  I’m all for slow songs guys, but this was a little too slow burning, killing the energy of the one-two punch of “Die” and “Lust For Life.”

Anyways, more music happened before Girls closed out the set with “Vomit,” a slower jam (again) but one that has major anthemic qualities to it.  It was the perfect way to end the set before the encore.  Speaking of the encore, the show was closed out for real with a solo performance from Owens on “Jamie Marie” (total downer) before the excellent “Hellhole Ratrace” and “Broken Dreams Club” finished things off.

So, it wasn’t a bad show, at all.  It’s just that, after an hour of back-to-back Girls songs, it all just kinda started to sound the same.  Sorry for partying.

Oh, and THIS happened:

So that was Justin Vernon I spotted near the front of the stage at The Cedar for the performance of Megafaun.  Awkward.  But not actually awkward, as Phil Cook said how great it was to see all of us, acknowledging the support from friends and family in the audience.

Well, regardless of who was there on Friday night, Megafaun proved to be one of the more joyous live shows of the year, starting the evening with a slow building, gorgeous version of “Real Slow,” the first track off of their new self-titled LP.  The material off of Megafaun continued to pour out from the stage, “These Words” starting off a little clunky, however the four-piece on stage quickly locked into a solid groove, launching into “Get Right.”

Bearded drummer Joe Westerlund emerged from behind his drums to perform a version of “Second Friend” sans any amplification as his bandmates sang along the “ohhs,” sending everyone into a swoon overload.  Things got even more fun as Brad Cook then invited his dad on stage to play the accordion for “The Longest Day.”

You could tell everyone on stage was having a great time, smiling from ear to ear as the jamming continued, the banjo sounding super tasty during “State/Meant.”  Even the laid back, galloping “Kaufman’s Ballad” kept everyone locked in a head bobbing, transfixed state.

Things got more lighthearted and goofy as Westerland decided to sing “Wild Thing” (yeah that one), with people laughing and then grooving again as the music effortlessly transformed into the band’s own “Eagle.”

However, the show truly became one of those special moments as Megafaun closed the show with another unamplified moment, this time a version of “Worried Mind.”  Holy shit.  I guarantee you those people that had never sang along at a show before in their life were singing that glorious chorus by the end – I could even hear some beautiful harmony coming from various audience members.  In that moment, audience and band truly connected.  A rarity with most shows, but when it happens, its magic.  Thanks Megafaun.

With a total of nine musicians on stage utilizing a cornucopia of instruments, including two drum kits to really give things a punch, Bon Iver’s first show of a two night run at the Orpheum was anything but a hushed night of pretty, melancholy tunes.

Things started out quiet enough as the first notes from “Perth” drifted over the audience and Justin Vernon and his tremendous band appeared on the stage.  And then, as the LED towers on stage grew brighter and the marching beat from the drums built its crescendo, the full effect of band was made clear as everything just exploded and Vernon sang the lyrics, “Still alive who you love.”  It was clear we weren’t in a cabin in the woods anymore.

For an album that is more about a sense of place and feelings those places evoke, the live renditions of the songs from Bon Iver, Bon Iver heard last night certainly drove all of those notions home.  The bass was bigger, the strings sweeter and the brass section wailed louder than could ever be made apparent in the recorded versions, as “Perth” naturally lead into “Minnesota, WI,” just as it does on the album.  “Holocene” followed, its sweeping beauty sounding even greater as the audience sat in respectful silence.

Vernon seemed almost as stunned as the rest of us, perhaps a little awestruck by the out-of-control love from the audience and musing over the fact that he once was an audience member watching John Prine in the same theater.  Vernon got lots of shouts by acknowledging the UW Eau Claire connections before playing “Towers,” which ended the run of songs solely from the second Bon Iver LP.  Vernon then joked that they were going to play “an old one!” as “Creature Fear” came to life, once again bolstered by the added depth from the band, which also benefitted “Blood Bank.”

The only moment Vernon was alone on stage was for “re: Stacks.”  As one dude yelled out “Thank you for writing this song!” in a sincerely heartfelt way, Vernon sat bathed in light and, amazingly, the sold out crowd was absolutely silent, clinging onto every note.  It was nothing short of brilliant.

Mike Lewis’ talents were showcased during a jamming version of “Beth/Rest,” and “For Emma” turned into a celebration of the evening as it closed out the main set before the band came back for an encore filled with favorites from For Emma, Forever Ago.  “Skinny Love” got the most shouts before the evening ended with “The Wolves (Act I and II),” which had Vernon encouraging everyone to start howling at the end.  As the crowd flooded into the aisles, the entire band gathered around each other, singing their hearts out as everyone shouted along at the end to close out the night.  I haven’t heard a crowd cheer louder for a show since the freaking Justified/Stripped tour for another Justin (Timberlake).

Indeed, Bon Iver has emerged from the woods complete with lights and smoke and a nine-piece band.  But that doesn’t mean the soul isn’t still there; it’s just been amplified by 10,000 and it’s all for the better.

I’m trying to find a ticket for tonight….

“For Emma” as heard last night at The Orpheum below:

Honestly, I was not in the mood to go to a show last night, even if it would be my first time seeing TV On the Radio.  Usually however, live music tends to lift me up no matter what, so after some pizza and a few (5) beers, I was ready to give this a shot.

Even though they lost their bassist to cancer this past spring, cancelling their originally planned stops at First Ave, TV On the Radio were not about to make their shows moving forward somber affairs.  Yet things started off moody enough with the sultry opener “Young Liars,” as the myriad lights on stage started to swirl to life, illuminating the space-y backdrop on stage.

Then, the energy level took off as Tunde Adebimpe and company launched into “Wrong Way,” which had everyone jumping up and down even if the sound wasn’t that excellent.  This signaled the start of a run of songs that, unfortunately, just kind of blended together in a mess of bright, flashing lights, smoke and the occasional horn blast.

Although not a standout song in their catalog my any means, things slowed with “Will Do,” the first single off of Nine Types of Light. You could finally hear all of the instruments on stage and the complex arrangements and beautiful chords that make TV On the Radio a band you can listen to with a more critical ear.

Alas, it seemed that the douche bag heavy bro type with their “girlfriends” crowd was there to party.  Even though TV On the Radio’s faster, more “rock” oriented songs have little sonic delights packed into them, all of this was lost in the live setting.

I am glad I went on the second night, as the encore started with one of my favorite song by the group, “Love Dog.”  Even this slower, hell, depressing song that should have fit my #dark mood sounded deflated last night, like someone had scooped out the soul and just left the shell of the song to remain as its statement.  Or maybe it was just the mix….

I’m not trying to hate.  I love TV On the Radio – I guess I was just expecting more after hearing all of the praise that surrounds their live shows.  Or perhaps I just needed to be slapped in the face a few times before going into First Ave.

“Love Dog” live from last night…was it just me??