My 2010 in a single photoI was seated in the middle of an arena show in early March last year (John Mayer, if you must know) when the light inside of me to finally found a music blog was ignited. I'd been talk about it for awhile, even started brainstorming names and designs in my head. However, it was a serial of articles on AltPress.com (reposted here from the writer's blog) that was the last log on the fire.The name of Cheryl Mullen's articleinspired the key of this blog, and here I am, writing about my own adventures.however exciting or dull they might be. As farsighted as they're fulfilling, that's all I like about. I'm not much for year-end lists, but I thinking I was worth recapping my five favorite musical adventures of the year, so I present: The Good Groupie's Top Five Musical Moments of 2010.
Muse at Toyota Center March 18, 20105. Muse It's nearly a twelvemonth later, and I'm STILL talk about this point in worshipful tones. Once I quit listening to Top 40 radio and started going to shows at hole-in-the-wall venues, I scoffed at the idea of stepping foot inside an arena venue for music - save for legends, like Elton John. Muse completely shattered that snobbish notion for me, reminding me that large-scale productions don't have to lose their musicality. There's just more space, more options to do over-the-top things like play on gigantic moving pillar platforms or dazzle your interview with a new day prog-rock laser show. If I could, I would be within the dark of March 18.
Walking 6th Street at SXSW 20104. SXSW After days of wanting to get second to Texas for spring break and never managing to do so, I finally finallyattended SXSW last year. And it was magical. Granted it's gotten a lot more trendy to go to SXSW in late years, I even enjoyed the hell out of myself. I got to see Steel Train in a tiny, intimate setting where I'm fairly sure I was the just person singing along to every song. They played after an Austin band called Wiretree who was exceedingly good as well - I was thrilled when the two bands played together late in the summer. I got to see Rocky Votolato who I've had enough of chances to see concluded the years.I simply never bothered to. Shame on me. Just him and his acoustic guitar as we sipped free beer was a lovely way to pass the afternoon. I got to see SONDRE LERCHE, who I completely adoreand cannot expect to see again this year, in the most beautiful way imaginable - super quiet crowd who sang along only when asked. It was perfect. And we can't leave my getting near-frostbite just for the interest of seeing She & Him. I was very inadequately dressed for the sudden cold snap in Texas (TOMS: I know you, but your shoes are decidedly not all-weather footwear), so I was sort of relieved when this set began and over just so I could warm up. Highlights of waiting for She & Him:
- Being pleasantly surprised when we walked up to the outdoor stage to find Kimya Dawson playing.
- Dawes playing - a lot I had seen years ago, possibly with Eisley, and loved but completely forgot the ring name. It was courteous to reunite.
- The guys sitting adjacent to us, enjoying some recreational herbs so strong I'm reasonably certain I got a contact high. (I may or may not have been inhaling deeply to save myself from thinking about the cold...)
- Getting Pho on the Trail after all was aforementioned and through and realizing yes, my men were in fact purple and yes, I very much wanted to get them directly into my roll of soup.
Steel Train at Emo's July 9, 20103. Steel Train at Emo's A present to end all shows. I was introduced to Steel Train in 2004 when they toured with the Format and/or Limbeck. Back so they were this sort of stoner jam band - bunch of kids with big hair who looked completely out of place performing in the middle of the Bible belt. I remember thinking "Their music is decent, but what I Really like is their T-shirts." They were very Woodstock-esque designs. Fast advancing to 2009 when they went on tour with Hanson, of all bands. I was concerned to see how they had changed - and boy, had they. They blew me out with their modern punk-rock sound, Jack wailing on the guitar, everyone in the band getting so into the music, you couldn't help but do the same. The melodies and lyrics were stuck in my guide for days after the two shows I attended. I fell head-over-heels for them. So when their new album came out last summer (my choice for favorite album of the year, PS. I made sure Katie and Lauren came down for the Austin show on their headlining tour. Lauren made the guys some badass cookies. We drank a lot of cheap beer - esp. amusing when my two Okies forgot we serve six-point in Texas. I enjoyed a moment attack of Wiretree. We all immensely enjoyed Young the Giant. And we danced our asses off to Steel Train. This was easily one of my favorite shows of the year, if but for the pure energy. Needless to say, when the triad of us were dragged on for birthday bar-hopping post-show, we were the three passed out in the tree of the gay bar as everyone else danced theirasses off to every Lady Gaga song imaginable.
Chicago in August 20102. Chicago For the final 7 days or so, the Okie girls and I have had to heed to other fans brag about how epic Chicago shows are on Hanson tours - and rightfully so. They always appear to come around one of the band member's birthdays, which promises antics like getting birthday cake smashed in your face. They get amazing guest musicians to sit in - Bun E. Carlos sat in on their appearance in 2009. And it's one of the few cities where they bring two nights. In later April when theinitialround of tour dates were announced and there was nothing in Texas, the Okies and I decided maybe it was time to reach our seeking to the Windy City. Something I was especially excited for when I launch out Hanson was touring with Rooney, another one of my favorite bands. While it was a whirlwind trip that seemed to follow and end too soon, looking back I love this is one of themusical adventures I will ever looking back on and say "Wow, we were crazy." We got to meet Vanessa, who kept us laughing the full trip. Sam and I visited the Art Institute of Chicago - one of the few museums I hadn't visited in all the trips to see my extended family that lives in Chicago. We ate deep dish pizza with the amazingly witty and extremely sweet Sarah. Sam, Jenny and I saw the magic bean and Navy Pier - where I'm reasonably sure all three of us hadsimultaneousheart attacks once 50 feet off the earth in that giant ferris wheel. Katie and I got Robert to bring us "Daisy Duke."I really got in the crew at a Hanson picture and didn't bail two seconds in. (I incline to fall in the game because I'm not 13 yet and do not enjoy getting shoved around just so we can all get closer to Taylor.learned that one the laborious way in 2005. And so many more things I'm certain I'm forgetting. I was loath to go backwards to Houston that Sunday morning, but it was really the slip of a life and I'm glad we did it.
Rooney in Texas August 26-28, 20101. Livin' on Tulsa Time/Rooney tour Musically, I look like I grew up during my 5 days in Tulsa so going backward is like going home. When I returned in August to see Hanson's hometown show, it was most wish I hadn't left the city.Cain's Ballroom is my musical home, and my evening back there was perfect. I got to see old friends. The Okies and I had a "dance-off" with Hanson's siblings during Rooney - even if they wereprobably making fun of us. The boys played a fantastic show, full of vitality and wonderful only-in-Tulsa songs. It fulfilled me in a way only Hanson shows can - something so impossible to explain, I won't even try. But the fun didn't end there. In an attempt to either display my utter and total insanity or do it because I could, I spent the following three nights following Rooney on their Texas dates and the end of their summer tour. By the end of August, I had seen Rooney six times across three states. I learned what Four Loko was saw it's effects first-hand. (i.e. Katie doing everything but physically throw herself at Taylor Locke.which I will never let her forget. I observed a new favorite venue in Dallas - the Granada Theater. I threw out song suggestions every night when we talked to Robert, which he seemed to have as they played every song I asked about the next night. I got THE trump film in the man with Robert in Houston. We got an amazing final appearance in Austin that included several songs we had yet to hear. Some of us unsuccessfully hit on band members (hey, a girlfriend can try. and we got to watch Robert argue with security on how long he was allowed to continue in the venue post-show.
Quiet Company at Emo's August 28, 2010 - photo by AJGPhotoEtc.But perhaps my favorite section of this weekend was discovering Quiet Company. They're a local band from Austin, and they could not have fallen into my spirit at a best time - shortly after lamenting that Houston has no good local music. (Why? Because all the good Texas bands are in Austin, clearly.Over the fall, I bonded with their band manager who runs their Twitter account. I got to see them in my own town but a few weeks ago and, with any luck, will again by the end of the month. And in general, they've reminded me how much fun it is to be a fan. I look ahead to getting to see them more in 2011. Overall, this four-day run is what loving music is all near to me: waking up in a different city every day, getting to discover the same music in a different setting every night, discovering new things about yourself on the way and having a fire with your friends while doing it. There's nothing quite like it.Honorable Mentions - fun. Tour #1: with Jack'sMannequinin San Antonio and Dallas. Discovered I truly loathe San Antonio and JM fans, but I was glad to finally see Nate Ruess back in action.
- John Mayer at Toyota Center: Love him or hate him, this man can bring the guitar. Fantastic show.
- Beach Boys at Jones Hall: Yes me, the Beach Boys devotee, did not admit this in her top five - mostly because I had seen this same tour in 2006, only this time it included backing by the symphony. Mike Love made the same jokes. They basically played the same songs.but I even love seeing any piece of the Beach Boys live. Fingers crossed Brian Wilson tours in 2011.
- I'm with Coco!He might not technically be music, he does play guitar, and I can whole-heartedly assure you I am a Good Groupie for Conan O'Brien. I was ecstatic I got to see him live, and even more excited when my post-show waiting paid off and I got my lithograph poster signed by thePompadoured-one.
- OKGO radio show: In all the years I've loved OKGO, I'd never seen them last until last year. They played a rare acoustic set as percentage of a radio-sponsored show at Warehouse Live, and it was beautiful. I'm still bummed Damien refused to play "Shooting the Moon" because people were too chatty and my attempts to receive him post-show and ask for a personal rendition failed.next time.
- Bamboozle Road Show:The Okies came down only to watch Hanson play six songs. Crazy? Yes. Fun? Yes. Did we dance and talk to Good Charlotte? I'm not at liberty to say.Weekend also included a fantastic trip to the beach, yummy Mexican food and margs, a mini-Memorial Day party where we drank much of beer and danced to the 90s on 9 XM radio station.
- Austin City Limits: Katie and I leave both probably file this one under misadventures. While I live we both enjoyed getting to jam-pack SO many bands into the two years we attended, I think we both left unsure if the heat, exhaustion and insane crowds were worth it. Even so, we had fun making our goofy videos, eating delicious Austin-only food and having a mini rave to Deadmau5. PS. K - I owe you Eagles tickets somewhere down the line.
- Paul Anka: I even believe this is hysterical. Free kick-ass tickets all because I'm a Gilmore Girls junkie. About time that obsession paid off!
- fun. Tour #2 - with Steel Train!The principal vocalist of Steel Train is likewise the guitarist in fun. For months, I thought it'd be awful if the two bands toured together but assumed it would never occur because it would probably kill Jack playing two high-energy sets back-to-back. Apparently, I was wrong. They toured together and it was amazing.It was a difficult choice not to put this in the top five, but that Steel Train show in Austin totally beat it out.
- Freelance Whales: After obsessing over them since SXSW, I was just excited to finally see them LIVE.
- Eisley: Such a fantastic live band. It was grand to see them again after about 3 years, and I look ahead to their new album and a headlining tour this year.
What were your favorite musical experiences/adventures of 2010?
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