I saw a lot of amazing and memorable shows this year, and discovered even more amazing new music from new and emerging bands. My favorite discoveries of 2012 may have to be another list, but here are five of my favorite live shows I went to, in no particular order.
Rubblebucket at Music Hall of Williamsburg. This show basically set me off on a hardcore Rubblebucket addiction. Their live show is really quite unmatched as far as pure energy antics, and musical eccentricity as far as I’ve seen this year, and also the only band to do an after show second line encore out of the main performance area to culminate in a lobby dance party.
Alt-J at Glasslands – This band is both one of my favorite discoveries of 2012 and one of my favorite shows, since they re-created everything I had heard and loved about their songs so smoothly and seamlessly when I was lucky enough to be able to catch them. The combination of that and being able to watch them re-create their uniquely fresh tunes is a huge draw for wanting to see them again, but I have a feeling they may sell out every other show they are scheduled to play for the rest of their lives.
Monophonics at Sullivan Hall – I don’t dip my toe into psych soul as much as I could, but I’m just going to say that catching this band made me want immerse in that pool more than ever, and ooo wee that funk is real.
Death Grips at Le Poisson Rouge – say what you will about how smart/stupid this band is, but their live show during CMJ was not only the most standout of that festival, but by far the most powerful in-your-face performance I saw this year.
EMA at Music Hall of Williamsburg. The most powerful in a more cerebral way, EMA rocked out hard and conveyed her raw and real lyrics with such intensity I felt some of those songs almost as deep as if I had written them myself. Also, the fact that she takes crowd requests for random covers that turn into a completely improvised jams, usually with another artist sharing the bill that night, is pretty memorable and sweet. Those are the kind of performances you know will never happen twice.
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