My top 10 favorite concerts of 2011
Since my concert season has pretty much come to an end for 2011, I decided to post my favorite concerts that I attended this year.
10. Legends of Synthpop - This was the third time I had seen De/Vision live. I have always enjoyed seeing them and they did not let me down for a second. This time they were touring with Mesh and Iris. I wasn't impressed with Mesh (who played last at GZ) so I left during their set (had work the next day anyways). Liked Iris but I can't really say they are one of my favorite bands in the synthpop genre.
09. Front Line Assembly with Dismantled, Cyanotic, and DJ Acucrack - This was one of those rare moments when an opening band blew the headliner out of the water for me. Absolutely LOVED Dismantled. FLA was definitely cool though. Always wanted to see FLA live. DJ Acucrack was alright but not my cup of tea. Cyanotic was pretty damn cool. Almost forgot to mention them. lol
08. GATA cd release party - This is is one of my favorite local shows I attended this year. It was the CD release party for New World Disaster (which I love). GATA has definitely grown on me since I first saw them in 2010 as one of the opening bands for Lords of Acid. I know Screaming Mechanical Brains was one of the bands that opened up for them, forgot the other 2 (the first I missed). As much as I love GATA's cds they really don't match the band's live sound which is totally phenomenal. Can hardly wait to see them next month at the Triple Rock.
07. Ladytron with Sonoio - This was my first time I saw Ladytron. I missed them the last time they were in town. Probably just as well since their sound at First Ave didn't sound so hot according to a friend of mine. The show at Fine Line was excellent. Played a good mix of old and new songs. Their opening act Sonoio was pretty damn cool.
06. Souless Affection with The Rope - This was at Ground Zero featuring a fashion show and I think some burlesque too. One of my favorite local bands (Souless Affection) was playing its final gig in the Twin Cities before moving to Texas and a new up and coming local band The Rope provided the music. Souless Affection was one of those bands that made me realize that the local music scene in the Twin Cities wasn't as lame as I used to think that it was when I first moved back to Minneapolis from Milwaukee, WI. Loved their brand of aggrotech. I saw them twice when Angels on Acid played at Ground Zero . The Rope is an excellent post-punk band that reminds me of both Danzig and Bauhaus with maybe a bit of Dominion.
05. Conjure One with VOSHO and Little Tin Box - What a treat seeing Conjure One live was. Definitely one of my favorite bands in the last several years. The 2 opening acts for this show were local VOSHO (who made their debut performance that night) and a reunited Little Tin Box. I enjoyed both bands as much as I did with Conjure One. Conjure One played all my favorite songs so no complaints from me.
04. The Bangles w/Half Demon Dolls - There aren't many bands that I grew up listening to that I still listen to to this very day. The Bangles is one of those rare bands. I have always wanted to see them live in concert so much to my delight I finally got to see them live. I was not disappointed. The band that opened up for them was a local alternative rock band called Half Demon Dolls. For a band as young as HDD, I was impressed by what they have accomplished. I do wished that I had seen The Bangles when Michael Steele was still performing with them before she retired but nevertheless, great show.
03. VNV Nation with Straftanz - I have yet to see VNV Nation live and be disappointed. VNV really knows how to put on a good fun show. Wished that it was at Ground Zero though. Straftanz was equally amazing.
02. Lords of Acid with Angelspit - The 2011 Lords of Acid show was definitely one of my 2 top highlights of this yeard. Absolutely LOVED them. Praga Khan definitely found the right woman to sing for the band. As for Angelspit, well, my mother always says if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all.
01. Combichrist with iVardensphere, Starkiller, and GATA - This is definitely my favorite concert of 2011. I thought it was a better show than their show at The Cabooze in 2010. I did the VFIM deal again and that was even more fun the first time around. Got to meet Abbeynex from Morbid Angel/Genitorturers. The whole show itself totally blew me away. I had better view of the bands and got better photos from the concert too. I didn't get tired so easily (probably because I moved around a lot as well as sat at a table for awhile).
Honorable mentions:TC Electropunk 6 cd release party
Thought Thieves cd release party
Static Image with Doubleplusten and As/Of at Station 4
10. Legends of Synthpop - This was the third time I had seen De/Vision live. I have always enjoyed seeing them and they did not let me down for a second. This time they were touring with Mesh and Iris. I wasn't impressed with Mesh (who played last at GZ) so I left during their set (had work the next day anyways). Liked Iris but I can't really say they are one of my favorite bands in the synthpop genre.
09. Front Line Assembly with Dismantled, Cyanotic, and DJ Acucrack - This was one of those rare moments when an opening band blew the headliner out of the water for me. Absolutely LOVED Dismantled. FLA was definitely cool though. Always wanted to see FLA live. DJ Acucrack was alright but not my cup of tea. Cyanotic was pretty damn cool. Almost forgot to mention them. lol
08. GATA cd release party - This is is one of my favorite local shows I attended this year. It was the CD release party for New World Disaster (which I love). GATA has definitely grown on me since I first saw them in 2010 as one of the opening bands for Lords of Acid. I know Screaming Mechanical Brains was one of the bands that opened up for them, forgot the other 2 (the first I missed). As much as I love GATA's cds they really don't match the band's live sound which is totally phenomenal. Can hardly wait to see them next month at the Triple Rock.
07. Ladytron with Sonoio - This was my first time I saw Ladytron. I missed them the last time they were in town. Probably just as well since their sound at First Ave didn't sound so hot according to a friend of mine. The show at Fine Line was excellent. Played a good mix of old and new songs. Their opening act Sonoio was pretty damn cool.
06. Souless Affection with The Rope - This was at Ground Zero featuring a fashion show and I think some burlesque too. One of my favorite local bands (Souless Affection) was playing its final gig in the Twin Cities before moving to Texas and a new up and coming local band The Rope provided the music. Souless Affection was one of those bands that made me realize that the local music scene in the Twin Cities wasn't as lame as I used to think that it was when I first moved back to Minneapolis from Milwaukee, WI. Loved their brand of aggrotech. I saw them twice when Angels on Acid played at Ground Zero . The Rope is an excellent post-punk band that reminds me of both Danzig and Bauhaus with maybe a bit of Dominion.
05. Conjure One with VOSHO and Little Tin Box - What a treat seeing Conjure One live was. Definitely one of my favorite bands in the last several years. The 2 opening acts for this show were local VOSHO (who made their debut performance that night) and a reunited Little Tin Box. I enjoyed both bands as much as I did with Conjure One. Conjure One played all my favorite songs so no complaints from me.
04. The Bangles w/Half Demon Dolls - There aren't many bands that I grew up listening to that I still listen to to this very day. The Bangles is one of those rare bands. I have always wanted to see them live in concert so much to my delight I finally got to see them live. I was not disappointed. The band that opened up for them was a local alternative rock band called Half Demon Dolls. For a band as young as HDD, I was impressed by what they have accomplished. I do wished that I had seen The Bangles when Michael Steele was still performing with them before she retired but nevertheless, great show.
03. VNV Nation with Straftanz - I have yet to see VNV Nation live and be disappointed. VNV really knows how to put on a good fun show. Wished that it was at Ground Zero though. Straftanz was equally amazing.
02. Lords of Acid with Angelspit - The 2011 Lords of Acid show was definitely one of my 2 top highlights of this yeard. Absolutely LOVED them. Praga Khan definitely found the right woman to sing for the band. As for Angelspit, well, my mother always says if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all.
01. Combichrist with iVardensphere, Starkiller, and GATA - This is definitely my favorite concert of 2011. I thought it was a better show than their show at The Cabooze in 2010. I did the VFIM deal again and that was even more fun the first time around. Got to meet Abbeynex from Morbid Angel/Genitorturers. The whole show itself totally blew me away. I had better view of the bands and got better photos from the concert too. I didn't get tired so easily (probably because I moved around a lot as well as sat at a table for awhile).
Honorable mentions:TC Electropunk 6 cd release party
Thought Thieves cd release party
Static Image with Doubleplusten and As/Of at Station 4
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