The Fivorite: A Decade of Concerts
Recently my wife and I traveled to Nashville to see Wilco and Sleater-Kinney on back-to-back nights, marking our sixth and seventh concerts seen this year. With at least one more (Elvis Costello) on tap, this has become a sort of “Year of the Concert”. With that in mind, I decided to list my Fivorite concerts that I have attended over the past ten years. I have included a setlist.fm link for each show (or from one on the same tour, if mine wasn’t listed) and a YouTube link recorded at the show, if available.
5. Weezer – June 7, 2014 – Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/weezer/2014/tropicana-field-st-petersburg-fl-3c015eb.html
If you know me, you’d probably be surprised that this one is not higher up on the list. In fact, I almost left it off (sorry The Decemberists). But I just couldn’t leave off the kings of nerd rock playing only the hits, right after a Tampa By Rays game, which I attended thanks to free tickets from my employer. Wait a minute. How is this not number 1?
4. Belle and Sebastian – September 29, 2014 – House of Blues, Lake Buena Vista, FL
Three months later, things took a turn for the twee as the legendary Scottish cozy-rockers made a rare appearance in Central Florida. Though we were familiar with some of their work, we decided to go on a bit of a whim, since bands like this rarely make their way through the Sunshine State. As it turned out, the only reason they did was so lead singer Stuart Murdoch and his wife could visit her family, who live in the area. I’m glad we decided to go as the group’s literate grooves and fuzzy-sweater jams translated into a fantastic live music experience.
3. Neko Case – October 25, 2013/February 2, 2019 – Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL/Beacham Theater, Orlando, FL
https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/neko-case/2013/durham-performing-arts-center-durham-nc-3bc7605c.html
https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/neko-case/2019/the-beacham-orlando-fl-395213f.html
Yes, this is actually two concerts, but each one had its own charms and was equally amazing. If you’ve ever gone to a show in a smaller club, then you should be familiar with the mad rush to get to the front of the stage, then standing around for an hour while random music gets piped in. At the first Neko Case show we went to, the random music was replaced by an older hipster in a tattered suit spinning 45s on a portable record player. This show also featured long-time Case collaborator Kelly Hogan on backing vocals (she was not part of the most recent tour), who had to carry some of the load with Neko feeling under the weather.
The show from this year featured a better opening act (Nikki Lane >>> Karen Elson) and Neko at full strength (see an earlier Fivorite for an example of what she can do). I don’t think the album that was being supported for this tour was as good as the one in 2013, but both are excellent and were performed with aplomb.
2. The New Pornographers – October 13, 2011 – Beacham Theater, Orlando, FL
https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-new-pornographers/2011/the-beacham-orlando-fl-2bd05cd6.html
Probably my all-time favorite band, The New Pornographers (rumored to have been named after a Jimmy Swaggart quote) are another one of those bands that rarely come south of Atlanta. The Canadian supergroup was missing two of their members (Destroyer’s Dan Bejar and the aforementioned Neko Case), who were touring for their own solo records. They were still amazing and featured the best opening act (Telekinesis) I’ve ever seen at a club show.
1. “Weird” Al Yankovic – July 25, 2010 – Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg, FL
This is it, folks. The concert I had been waiting to see for 25 years. And it did not disappoint. Not only is this my Fivorite concert of the decade, I consider this the best concert I have ever seen. Now, I think being a superfan of the group you are seeing and knowing every word (if not every note) of the songs being played goes a long way. However, the Prince of Parody makes sure you get value out of every cent spent on the show, including big set pieces, multiple costume changes, and videos played in between songs, so there wasn’t a single moment of downtime.
Honorable Mentions:
The Decemberists – September 23, 2018 – House of Blues, Lake Buena Vista, FL
I’ve always enjoyed the music of The Decemberists (especially loud singalongs of “O Valencia!” in the car with the wife), but they’ve always been more of her band than mine. That didn’t stop me from rocking out as hard as possible when we saw them. Plus, any band that features a giant inflatable whale flying over the crowd during the last song gets a thumbs up from me.
Courtney Barnett/The National – June 17, 2019 – St. Augustine Amphitheatre, St. Augustine, FL
This show was really freaking good and, with time, may make it onto the list at some point. The National was a bucket list band for my wife and I really like Courtney Barnett, but I think we each came away with a greater appreciation for the other person’s choice. Barnett was charming and raucous, creating a lot of noise with only a bassist and drummer behind her.
The National, on the other hand, are indie legends and lead singer Matt Berninger may be the closest thing we have to an active rock God. The busiest man on stage was his roadie, who had to keep track of Berninger’s microphone cord as he explored every inch of the Amp, including walking up and down nearly every aisle in the crowd. The self-professed “Dad Rockers” alternated between cool crooning and face-melting rock, ending the show with a crowd sing-along.
What are your Fivorite concerts? Let me know in the comments below.
