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On any given night, on any city in America, there's a band or a singer/songwriter transcending the usual concert experience. At the most basic, they're doing the same thing as thousands of others that same night—standing on stage, singing and playing some instruments. But there's something about the way they're doing it—the way the lights compliment the sound, the way they involve the audience, the way their music connects directly to your soul, the way they make you know that there's no place they'd rather be than with you, and the feeling becomes mutual. The audience will remember that night for a long time, and the next time they purchase a concert ticket, it will be with the hope to see something as special.
Photo taken at Voodoo Music Festival by Rob Inderrieden for Paste
10. TV on the Radio
The beats are irresistible enough to get indie kids to dance. The songs are heady enough to make math majors swoon. And the combined charisma of Tunde Adebimpe (vocals/loops), Kyp Malone (vocals/guitars/loops) and David Sitek (guitars/keyboards/loops) is enough to make TV on the Radio one of the must-see bands of 2008.
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Galactic - Frends of Science
Lissie - Little Lovin'
Dawn Landes - Wanderin' Eye
Nicole Atkins - You Come To Me
Honorable mention to the Avett Brothers?
Best concert 2008: Ghostland Observatory.
One must see this electronic rock duo in person to fully appreciate them, and their latest album, Robotique Mystique, does the best job yet of enabling the listener to flashback to their shows. Lead singer Aaron Behrens rocks the stage Mick Jagger-style. I'll never forget their show at Stubb's in Austin, Nov 15, 2008.
They may not be everybody's cup of tea, but Nine Inch Nails definitely know how to put on a show...
Nine Inch Nails deserves the highest honor and they weren't even MENTIONED. I've seen U2 live (a band that ALWAYS tops the "Must See Live Bands in XXXX") and their show was NOTHING in compared to what Trent and Co. put on this year.
Mac even has an add about how they used Apple's Mainstage program to streamline the show and still have ample room for improvisation.
I may never read Paste again after this.
Wilco is, hands down, the best live act around. Their sound is incredible and their talent is unmatched.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SevFkGa-Toc
What does U2 have to do with this Annoyed Idiot?
the hold steady does nothing for me. i've seen them live 4 or 5 times, so it's not as though i haven't tried. craig finn seems like he's faking it. so does the keyboard player. the whole thing seems like an act to me. there's no variation in the songs from night to night. they take no risks.
you want to go see a great rock and roll show, go see ween.
i'll also make mention of the raconteurs. i saw them twice in 2008 and they absolutely slayed both times.
Where's MUSE??????????????????
yea where is muse?
So...why wasn't The Avett Brothers on this list??
my sentiments exactly josh. where are the avett brothers?? hands down the best live band i've ever seen. they tour constantly, and each show is completely unique and amazing.
Great list... here are my Top 10 concerts of 2008:
http://jazzsick.wordpress.com/2008/12/21/2008/12/03/favorite-concerts-of-2008/
~Dan
http://jazzsick.wordpress.com/
Nine Inch Nails HAS to be #1 for this list to have any merit at all, and for them to have no mention at all proves this list is crap. I've been going to shows for 25 years and haven't seen anything that even came close to the Nails 2008 live tour, most incredible live stage show ever produced!
No joke. I wasn't able to catch them this year, but I saw Nine Inch Nails three times in 2006 (god bless them for actually touring the DC/Virginia area) and every show was an event. I love Tom Waits to death, but shaking maracas for twenty minutes doesn't hold a candle to Trent's performances.
I agree with a lot of this. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings also came very close to the top of my list.
Yeasayer puts on quite a show. Broken Social Scene never disappoints. Saw Lykke Li twice and she is the new Madonna. Joanna Newsom with the Chicago Symphony was quite amazing, as was Nico Muhly with Doveman and Sam Amidon. Jens Lekman put on a beautiful and intimate show this past spring. And Friendly Fires are a live act not to be missed. Everyone has their favorites, there's just nothing like seeing it live.
Arcade Fire puts on the most stunning live shows that I've seen in many, many years.
Too bad that you didn't consider any trad or even acoustic shows. The Carolina Chocolate Drops are AMAZING. Lúnasa burns the place down every time. John Doyle and Liz Carroll are mesmerizing. Old Blind Dogs are a scream. Eileen Ivers tears it up onstage. And ANY of the top Cajun bands are an incredible live experience-- Balfa Toujours or Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys to name just a couple.
I have seen both Tom Waits and Trent "NIN" Reznor live. While Trent does indeed put on a visual spectacle, the music cannot hold a candle to the supernova that is Tom Waits. For anyone to suggest otherwise is a blinding display of musical ignorance and childish posing.
Tom Waits has forgotten more about music than Trent will ever learn.
What Josh? Have you never seen Wilco? I don't care if they didn't cut a CD in 2008. They are THE BEST. NIN-Maybe last century-not this one. Oh yea, about this guy named Dan Bern, but maybe then you didn't see him-I forgive you.
Blah,Blah,Blah,you aren't qualified to comment on the #1 live act if you haven't seen Keller Williams.Granted if I had tickets to see ANYONE and a Tom Waits ticket became available, I'd go to the Waits show.I saw no mention of the Del McCoury Band, Yonder Mountain String Band, or Phil Lesh. I s'pose the really popular bands are what's being sold at Best Buy or Walmart. Still, you can't comment with any authority about 'live' acts till you've seen Keller Williams.