The concerts of 2011 were fewer in number, but generally strong from start to finish. And the winners were:
The Decemberists [Royal Oak Music Theatre 2.2.11]
So here's where my ticket stub and memory diverge from the hive mind of the internet, which puts this show on 22 April. Hmm. What I do remember without a doubt is that this show was much better than the East Lansing show in '08, which nearly put me off live shows from The Decemberists. A band I've always loved, back when I first heard their debut CD at Record World in Petoskey (my last record store job, sadly).
Cinematic Titanic Double Feature [Royal Oak Music Theatre 2.26.11]
Speaking of the internet, Wikipedia has no record of this show happening, but my tickets prove otherwise. We did the double feature of early and late show from the MST3K alumni, and I recall laughing all fucking night. I believe "JACKPOT!" may have been the closer for one of the movies.
Scissor Sisters [Royal Oak Music Theatre 2.27.11]
A glittery delight of a show, from a band sadly "on hiatus" (a.k.a. "we're never recording a note again"). But at least lead singer Jake Shears is still out there trying, with a solo debut released in '18 that had some nice echoes of '70s Elton John and '10s Scissor Sisters.
Coachella Music & Arts Festival [Empire Polo Club, Indio 4.15/16/17.11]
A look back at the poster sparked one major impression: "Fuck, this was a good Coachella." Finally got to see Elbow and Suede -- SUEDE! SUEDE! -- as well as a Sunday noon set in the blazing sun from Gord Downie, the lead singer of The Tragically Hip (who tragically passed away last year). And I'm sure main stage sets by Kanye West and Arcade Fire were swell, too...but SUEDE.
Mogwai [St. Andrews Hall, Detroit 4.28.11]
A visceral sound assault -- in the best possible ways -- in one of my favorite legacy concert venues. They make the soundtrack for life's peak experiences.
Pitchfork Music Festival [Union Park, Chicago 7.15/16/17.11]
The bloom came off the P4K rose this year, for whatever reason. Don't remember that much positive about the whole weekend. For one thing, Suede wasn't there.
Interpol wsg The Soft Moon [The Fillmore Detroit 7.25.11]
Hard to turn this show down, as it's always nice when you want to see the opener almost as much as the headliner. And as if in a self-fulfilling prophecy, I enjoyed the set from The Soft Moon more than the set from Interpol, who seemed to be punching the clock rather than kicking the pricks.
TV On The Radio [St. Andrews Hall, Detroit 9.2.11]
At this point in history, I had been to almost twenty years of shows at St. Andrews Hall, including shows in the peak of summer swelter. And yet, in the beginning of September, a blanket of fetid humidity had settled inside the venue, making the show a hot and sweaty mess. Coco couldn't take it, and had to move to the back while I stuck it out as long as I could in the perspiring throng. It was the second version of the Curse of TVOTR, and we vowed not to make it a third time.
Wild Beasts [The Magic Bag, Ferndale 9.30.11]
For a new band, a booking at The Magic Bag can be a blessing or a curse. It's intimate, but it's not optimal for live shows. Hell, it's not even the best music venue in Ferndale, let alone the Detroit area. But to their credit, Wild Beasts brought their A-game and killed it in front of a largely indifferent and passive crowd. At the time, I thought this would be their last Detroit show, and I was correct. A band whose second record was the soundtrack to an exciting time of rebirth and renewal, and a band that no longer exists. Sigh.
Morrissey [Royal Oak Music Theatre 12.18.11]
I first saw Morrissey at the Palace of Auburn Hills in '92, and it's somewhat surprising that he's been able to sustain a career as a solo artist that is over three times as long as his tenure with The Smiths. This show had everything you want from Morrissey -- the hits, the esoteric cuts, the Smiths faves, and some slaughterhouse footage that makes you want to kill yourself out of grief and shame. A perfect Morrissey show, and a good way to cap the year.
The Decemberists [Royal Oak Music Theatre 2.2.11]
So here's where my ticket stub and memory diverge from the hive mind of the internet, which puts this show on 22 April. Hmm. What I do remember without a doubt is that this show was much better than the East Lansing show in '08, which nearly put me off live shows from The Decemberists. A band I've always loved, back when I first heard their debut CD at Record World in Petoskey (my last record store job, sadly).
Cinematic Titanic Double Feature [Royal Oak Music Theatre 2.26.11]
Speaking of the internet, Wikipedia has no record of this show happening, but my tickets prove otherwise. We did the double feature of early and late show from the MST3K alumni, and I recall laughing all fucking night. I believe "JACKPOT!" may have been the closer for one of the movies.
Scissor Sisters [Royal Oak Music Theatre 2.27.11]
A glittery delight of a show, from a band sadly "on hiatus" (a.k.a. "we're never recording a note again"). But at least lead singer Jake Shears is still out there trying, with a solo debut released in '18 that had some nice echoes of '70s Elton John and '10s Scissor Sisters.
Coachella Music & Arts Festival [Empire Polo Club, Indio 4.15/16/17.11]
A look back at the poster sparked one major impression: "Fuck, this was a good Coachella." Finally got to see Elbow and Suede -- SUEDE! SUEDE! -- as well as a Sunday noon set in the blazing sun from Gord Downie, the lead singer of The Tragically Hip (who tragically passed away last year). And I'm sure main stage sets by Kanye West and Arcade Fire were swell, too...but SUEDE.
Mogwai [St. Andrews Hall, Detroit 4.28.11]
A visceral sound assault -- in the best possible ways -- in one of my favorite legacy concert venues. They make the soundtrack for life's peak experiences.
Pitchfork Music Festival [Union Park, Chicago 7.15/16/17.11]
The bloom came off the P4K rose this year, for whatever reason. Don't remember that much positive about the whole weekend. For one thing, Suede wasn't there.
Interpol wsg The Soft Moon [The Fillmore Detroit 7.25.11]
Hard to turn this show down, as it's always nice when you want to see the opener almost as much as the headliner. And as if in a self-fulfilling prophecy, I enjoyed the set from The Soft Moon more than the set from Interpol, who seemed to be punching the clock rather than kicking the pricks.
TV On The Radio [St. Andrews Hall, Detroit 9.2.11]
At this point in history, I had been to almost twenty years of shows at St. Andrews Hall, including shows in the peak of summer swelter. And yet, in the beginning of September, a blanket of fetid humidity had settled inside the venue, making the show a hot and sweaty mess. Coco couldn't take it, and had to move to the back while I stuck it out as long as I could in the perspiring throng. It was the second version of the Curse of TVOTR, and we vowed not to make it a third time.
Wild Beasts [The Magic Bag, Ferndale 9.30.11]
For a new band, a booking at The Magic Bag can be a blessing or a curse. It's intimate, but it's not optimal for live shows. Hell, it's not even the best music venue in Ferndale, let alone the Detroit area. But to their credit, Wild Beasts brought their A-game and killed it in front of a largely indifferent and passive crowd. At the time, I thought this would be their last Detroit show, and I was correct. A band whose second record was the soundtrack to an exciting time of rebirth and renewal, and a band that no longer exists. Sigh.
Morrissey [Royal Oak Music Theatre 12.18.11]
I first saw Morrissey at the Palace of Auburn Hills in '92, and it's somewhat surprising that he's been able to sustain a career as a solo artist that is over three times as long as his tenure with The Smiths. This show had everything you want from Morrissey -- the hits, the esoteric cuts, the Smiths faves, and some slaughterhouse footage that makes you want to kill yourself out of grief and shame. A perfect Morrissey show, and a good way to cap the year.
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