2011 Concert Round Up

After closing out 2010’s concert calendar by seeing Roger Waters perform The Wall at Madison Square Garden it made sense to take a concert hiatus. That show is a tough act to follow and in some ways it felt like a culmination of six years of heavy concert attendance from 2004 through 2010. My first real show was Pink Floyd, way back in 1994, so this seemed like a symmetrical breaking point, and as a result the 2011 concert calendar is the lightest it has been since 2003. Let the round up begin:

*5.6.11: The Walkmen @ Ithaca College

The reliable and consistent Walkmen showed up for a free show on the Ithaca College campus for the school’s annual IC Kicks Back spring concert (a counterpoint to Cornell’s Slope Day) to a disappointingly small crowd. On the other hill at Cornell, Nelly draws a packed, enthusiastic crowd while a band like The Walkmen, who have steadily churned out solid rock records since 2001, play to a middling crowd at a free, on campus event. Regardless, the band put on their standard impressive performance, full of moody intensity, including standouts such as The Rat, Victory, and Canadian Girl.

Here is a clip of The Walkmen performing The Rat at Bonnaroo 2011.


*5.21.11: Jason Isbell/Maria Taylor @ The Haunt

Former Drive-By Trucker Jason Isbell continues to release solid solo albums, like this year’s Here We Rest, and now fronts a talented live band. Isbell’s southern charm and guitar prowess certainly qualify him for front man status and his band, the 400 Unit, played a set full of highlights from his three solo albums, some of his DBT gems, and a surprisingly diverse selection of covers (The Meters, Tom Petty, Otis Redding, and Talking Heads). Opener Maria Taylor impressed with a set of melodic pop-rock tunes.

Here is a clip of Isbell & the 400 Unit performing Goddamn Lonely Love, one of his DBT era tracks, and Go It Alone, from his latest album.


*9.3.11: Great Lake Swimmers @ Delilah’s On Cayuga

After seeing the Great Lake Swimmers for the first time in 2010 at the Clayton Opera House, I have been anxiously awaiting their return to the area. Their show at Delilah’s provided an intimate setting for the band’s harmonies and hushed melodies. Front man Tony Dekker’s voice is impressive on the band’s recordings, but more powerful live, especially up close and personal in a small venue. The band played a range of song’s from their catalog (including Everything Is Moving So Fast, Your Rocky Spine, and Moving Pictures, Silent Films), new songs from a forthcoming album, and a few rare covers (Guy Clark and the Carter Family).

Here is the band playing Your Rocky Spine, and this clip is actually from the show (unlike all links so far in the round up).


*9.9.11: Okkervil River @ The State Theater

Okkervil River returned to the State, where they played with The New Pornographers in 2008, to showcase their 2011 release, I Am Very Far. Songs like The Valley, We Need A Myth, and Your Past Life As A Blast fit nicely alongside some of their standard highlights, For Real, Our Life Is A Movie Or Maybe Not, Lost Coastlines, and Westfall. Front man Will Scheff displayed a manic energy throughout the set that exemplifies that band’s impressive live reputation.

Here is a clip of For Real from SXSW and Lost Coastlines from a festival in 2008.


*11.16.11: Drive-By Truckers/The Felice Brothers @ The State Theater

A DBT show is essentially a barrage of riffs and storytelling conducted by two distinct voices, the impassioned, heart-on-his-sleeve Patterson Hood and the calm and cool, all-business Mike Cooley. The band played staples such as Where The Devil Don’t Stay, Lookout Mountain, and Zip City, while also focusing on this year’s release, Go-Go-Boots, with Used To Be A Cop, The Fireplace Poker, and Mercy Buckets. Unfortunately, I may be bad luck for DBT, as Jason Isbell left the group shortly after I saw them in Cleveland in 2006, and just a few weeks after this show Shonna Tucker (Isbell’s ex-wife) announced her departure. The band may not be able to handle me seeing them anymore. Maybe Shonna left to reunite with Isbell in the 400 Unit?

Here is the full set list from the show and here is, apparently, a full DBT Show on YouTube.


The Felice Brothers opened the show with a strange set. The band seemed distracted as they tried to transfer the electronic, sample influenced sound from this year’s ambitious album, Celebration, Florida, to the stage. They seemed frustrated by something throughout the set, whether it was technical difficulties or something else, but the band appeared more out of sorts than usual (and they normally seem a little out of sorts anyway). The new album is a departure from their previous traditional sound and hints at the promise of a unique hybrid sound.

That's all for 2011 shows - only one year to wait for the next concert round up.