My Top Ten Shows of 2012

As the swell of the first wave of the show season approaches I'm taking a look back at the top ten shows I went to last year.

10) Willie Nelson @ The Fox Theater - March 15th, 2012

(photo by: Marc Fong )

My Dad introduced me to the vast variety of  music from a very early age so it's really special  to be able to see one of his favorites with him. I may not know the words to all of his songs but seeing Willie Nelson live leaves me speechless every time and March 15th, 2012 at The Fox Theater was no exception!                                                                                               


9) The Hives @ Yerba Buena Gardens - October 4th, 2012

(photo by: Marc Fong)

The Annual Oracle Open World Conference brought thousands of techies to San Francisco September 30th - October 4th and last year featured the first Oracle Open World Music Fest which was free for attendees! Suited in top hats, suspenders and coat tails The Hives' highly energetic and entertaining performance made for some awesome pictures and a great way to wrap up the week long conference.


8) The Hives @ The Fox Theater - September 10th, 2012

First of all I gotta say that Fidlar did a great job warming up the stage! The Hives filled their show with hits off of all 5 of their albums and their crazy stage antics, of course! I was entertained by the stage hands donning Ninja costumes, helped Pelle stay balanced as he teetered on the photo-pit barricades during one song (swoon) and just when I thought my night couldn't get any better I bumped into my Gotye mates who had played a show of their own at The Fox the night before! Surprise! Fun times!!

 7) Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ Fort Mason - March 17th, 2012

When I heard Yeah Yeah Yeahs were going to be performing for the  at The Creators Project in San Francisco I had to be there! The sound quality inside of the Festival Pavilion is not ideal for music but the Yeah Yeah Yeahs packed a full house cutting down the otherwise echoy acoustics. Screaming out: "I'd like to dedicate this song to motherfucking San Francisco," before starting their hit Maps Karen O dominated the stage in a red tasseled pant-suit and zebra-striped cape and captivated the audience throughout the short set.

6) Die Antwoord @ Outside Lands Music Festival - August 10th, 2012

(photo by: Marc Fong)

I was beyond excited to score a ticket to day one of Outside Lands Music Festival this past summer and when Die Antwoord opened their set on the Twin Peaks Stage around 5:25pm with the very vulgar interlude to "Fok Julle Naaiers" on repeat: DJ Hi-Tek will f#ck you in the ass, DJ Hi-Tek will f#ck you in the ass, DJ  Hi-Tek will f#ck you in the ass, f#ck you in the ass punk ass white boy...It. Was. Awesome.

5) Poliça @ The Independent -August 20th, 2012

Excited to see Poliça for months, I was lucky enough to make it into the sold out show at The Independent! Bands can sound great on an album but no so good live and visa versa or their live show may not do do their music justice, this was not the case with Poliça! Channy Leaneagh was a bombshell of beauty and power, the unblemished production found on Poliça's  debut album was shockingly great on stage and Leaneagh's charming audience interaction  was priceless.

4) Sleigh  Bells @ The Regency Ballroom - February 23rd, 2012

The Regency Ballroom just about burst when Sleigh Bells stormed the stage and the sound system! Though "Regine of Terror" didn't live up to expectations Alexis Krauss, her "I don't give a flying f#ck" attitude and her male band mates had the place pulsating under nonstop strobe lights. After fifty minutes of loud, beat-heavy, metal-wrought anthems if you didn't spill out of  this show deaf and glistening in sweat you weren't rocking out hard enough, bitch!

(Thank you for the tickets to this show Robin Rockwell)

3) Bloc Party @ The Fox Theater - December 6th, 2012

Bloc Party started their first tour in 3 years at The Fox Theater! The set included songs from each of their four albums and halfway trough it the boys transitioned from "Song for Clay" into their hit "Banquet" seemingly effortlessly and suddenly I was amongst a crowd savagely dancing and stomping it out, myself included. Kele had a lot of fan interaction through out the night which ended with not one en core but two!


2) M83 @ Coachella - April 20th, 2012

It was the 2nd weekend of Coachella and the night started by watching The Black Keys on the main stage before Wally and his girlfriend asked if I wanted to watch M83 with them. Weaving through thousands of people across the polo fields in Indio hand in hand, we made it to the Mojave stage just as "Midnight City" started.  Upon Wally's suggestion we moved closer to the front of the house in hopes of better sound quality and while meatheads and raver gals sang along to "Reunion" I closed my eyes to capture the moment; my first time at Coachella I watched M83 with the #1 artist in the states at the time, Gotye himself.

1) Madonna @ San Jose HP Pavilion - October 6th, 2012

I have been a Madonna fan for as long as I can remember so when she announced the 2012 MDNA tour I didn't care how much I'd have to shell out for a ticket, I had to see her, it was a must.  Honestly I am surprised I didn't cry when my Dad and I got to there; I felt like I was 6 years old all over again only this time I wasn't popping the Like a Virgin Tour VHS into my VCR, I was seeing Madonna LIVE! Finally after listening to a DJ remix Madonna tracks for over an hour she hit the stage around 10:30 and didn't stop for the next two hours! Chalk full of costume changes, convos with the crowd and gems from the past (Like a Prayer, Vogue,  Like a Virgin) as well as the present (Give Me All You Luvin', Gang Bang) Madonna pointed out that it was the 30th anniversary of her first single Everybody, making the performance of that particular song a little more special! At one point Madonna whapped herself in the face with her guitar, stumbled around a bit after a bout of spinning and Roco her son joined the performance twice! Though the sound quality was unfortunately awful this was still my #1 show of 2012, I mean come on it was MADONNA. If it wasn't for my Dad I may not have grown up to be a Madonna fan and I am really grateful that I got to experience a Madonna show with him.

What were your favorite shows from 2012?