In Review

Well, 2007 holds the record for number of concerts I attended in a single year. It was just a tad excessive. I'd be ok if I've peaked at this point.

It wasn't easy picking this years top ten, but it was really fun revisiting all the amazing shows. Without further ado:

10. Manu Chau @ the Bill Grahm Civic Center. That show taught me how much power a musician can wield. I've never seen a crowd riled up to that extent before.

9. The Bruce Hornsby jazz Trio @ the Palace of Fine Arts. I've always been in awe of Bruce, and his ability to flourish with two jazz greats simply floored me.

8. Joe Ledbetter (with many musicians) covering Into the Airplane Over the Sea @ the Rockit Room. I wouldn't have truly appreciated this if Lars had not given me the album for my birthday. This rendition was extraordinary, even improving upon the album with extra instrumentation and vocal harmonies. I still get chills thinking about when Joe sang the last song, a solo accoustic number, and the sizable crowd was dead silent until he finished. That is respect for a musician like I've never seen before.

7. The SEVA Benifet @ the Regency Ceneter. A killer line up of amazing musicians, and the VIP hookup made this night unforgettable.

6. Smashing Pumpkins @ the Fillmore. The thickest, meatiest sound I've ever heard/felt. OMG, it was so good. And they can jam! Who knew?

5. Moonchild @ the GAMH. There is no other vocalist like Mike Patton, and no other composer like John Zorn.

4. Mute Math @ Slims. Having never heard a note from these guys before, my jaw hit the floor. Amazing songs, amazing stage presence, amazing night.

3. Dragon Force @ the Warfield. We left our bodies in the Warfield and blasted into outer space after these guys took the stage. Epic fun.

2. String Cheese Incident @ the Concouse Exhibition Center Technically, a show from last year, but since it was an NYE show, and it was so incredibly awesome, I'm pushing it into '07. Being backstage experiencing SCI cover "Round the Wheel" all the way through still makes me a little teary. Unbelievable.

and, finally,

1. Los Tortugas @ Yosemite. We had no idea going into this that we were about to be treated to one of the most magical experiences of our lifetime. The music was steller, the location was magestic, the people were friendly, and we had SUCH a good time.

Album of the year: Muth Math (self titled). So what that it came out in '06. I first heard it in '07, and I fucking love it.

Electronica album of the year: Suunta by Planet Boelex. My downtempo collection has exploded this year due to eMusic, the Kahvi Collective, and podcasts. I've listened to this album more then any other I've downloaded this year. I feel like I learned a lot from absorbing this album, which is the highest praise I can give. This is a free release, so there is no excuse not the check it out if you like the downtempo/IDM genre.

I hope y'all had happy and safe NYE!