EAR FARM's Top Concerts of 2007

Below are the concerts featured (in chronological order) in EAR FARM's Top Concerts of 2007. You'll have to click through to read about/see pictures from the shows and to listen to all of the MP3s, so do it. Click the little bit at the bottom there that says "Click HERE to continue reading/view comments..." it'll be worth it. When possible, a live MP3/Quicktime from the corresponding show has been posted.

EAR FARM's Top 15 Concerts of 2007
- Man Man @ Bowery Ballroom - 5 January 2007 (Listen: "Bulls On Parade" LIVE from this show)
- Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks with Deerhoof (and others) @ Irving Plaza - 10 February 2007
- Jarvis Cocker @ Webster Hall - 23 April 2007
- Spoon @ Bowery Ballroom - 23 April 2007
- Wilco @ Hammerstein Ballroom - 25 June 2007
- Menomena @ South Street Seaport - 13 July 2007
- Slint @ Webster Hall - 17 July 2007
- Goes Cube @ Bowery Ballroom - 24 August 2007
- Sebadoh @ Club Europa - 2 September 2007
- Megadeth @ Irving Plaza - 26 September 2007
- British Sea Power @ Maxwell's - 15 October 2007
- The Walkmen @ Avalon - 17 October 2007
- A Place to Bury Strangers with The Secret Life of Sofia (and others) @ The Delancey - 20 October 2007
- Morrissey @ Hammerstein Ballroom - 27 October 2007 (Listen: "Death Of A Disco Dancer" LIVE from this show)
- Grizzy Bear @ The Society for Ethical Culture - 3 November 2007

Man Man @ Bowery Ballroom - 5 January 2007 (above photo taken by Matt)

Matt: Was that Man Man show at Bowery this year?! Seems like a lifetime ago... I bet Mike doesn't even remember it. Anyway, THAT was one helluva concert. It was sold out and everyone in the entire venue couldn't have been happier to be there, especially Man Man. They played their hearts out and delivered an experience that was nearly as good as/probably much better than when I saw them @ Cakeshop. This was easily one of my favorite shows of 2007.

Mike: I certainly do remember this show, kind of. One thing I love about Man Man shows is the implicit sense of community amongst the crowd. It's like everyone is strapped in together on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney World singing "Yo Ho Ho" and passing around an invisible barrel of grog. This may not seem like it, but that's one of the highest compliments I can think of to give a band. Bravo men.

Listen: "Bulls On Parade" LIVE from this show (Rage Against The Machine cover)
Read: EAR FARM's original post about Man Man @ Bowery Ballroom

Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks (pictured above), Deerhoof, Tokyo Police Club, Silversun Pickups, and El-P @ PLUG Awards (Fillmore NY @ Irving Plaza) - 10 February 2007 (above photos taken by Matt)

Mike: This show gets a free pass to the "best of" list simply because of the Malkmus factor. If you haven't figured it out yet, let's apply one of those SAT verbal tests to help: Malkmus is to Mike as Morrissey is to Matt. Simple enough. The PLUG Awards were kind of weird though. There was a sense of looming chaos and disorganization palpable throughout the event, but one thing I appreciated was the clear focus on the live performances. Instead of playing one or two songs apiece, each band got to play almost entirely full sets. My lasting memory of the evening was accosting Satomi from Deerhoof after their set and wishing her a happy birthday. She's like 4'10" and the look of sheer horror on her face as a drunken 6'3" jackass fought through the crowd to shout happy birthday will never be forgotten. The runner-up for visual memory of the evening goes to Malkmus' mustache. Matt had mustache envy for weeks to come methinks.

Matt: I went to this show for two reasons: one, because I got free tickets, and two, to see Deerhoof. They're a "music for music geeks" kind of band; not everyone's cup of tea, but a blast to see in person. And they brought it to the max at the PLUG Awards. Equally awesome were Malkmus and the Jicks - not so much for Silversun Pickups. However, the surprise show stopper for me was El-P, who gave a performance that I partially missed, yet somehow couldn't stop thinking about. It set the course for me to want to hear his album I'll Sleep When You're Dead again and again throughout 2007. And yes, the Malkmus mustache did give me mustache envy. So I grew my own, wore it out in public, got creeped out by how obviously creeped out my new mustache made every woman I encountered, and shaved. It was an influential show, this one.

Watch: Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks play three songs live at Plug Awards (Quicktime)
Read: EAR FARM's original post about the Plug Awards

Jarvis Cocker @ Webster Hall - 23 April 2007 (above photo taken by Matt)

Matt: Though I've watched many videos, listened to countless bootlegs and imagined the energy and thrill of seeing them in person, I've never seen Pulp live. So I knew this was going to be a big night for me, regardless of who else was on stage with Jarvis. I mean, JARVIS COCKER. I'd have shown up at Webster Hall even if his solo record wasn't very good, but oh but it is. You may remember it appearing at #10 on EF's top albums of 2006? Yeah. And the live show was every bit as mesmerizing, charismatic, moody, and wonderful as I could've imagined. It was one of those shows that got better the more I thought back on it, and made me like the album Jarvis even more.

Listen: "Don't Let Him Waste Your Time" from Jarvis
Read: EAR FARM's original post about Jarvis Cocker @ Webster Hall

Spoon @ Bowery Ballroom - 23 April 2007 (photo taken from here)

Mike: Notice how this and Jarvis were on the same night. While Matt was busy making imaginary coke-bottle glasses with his hands in front of the mirror, I had the good fortune of seeing a straight-up Amurrican ass-kicking rock & roll show. I've seen Spoon a bunch of times and can safely say that this was by far the best. Billed as a secret show, it essentially gave Britt Daniel a chance to chug through most of Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga three months before it would come out. It also marked perhaps the last time New York will ever see them at a mid-size venue. One thing I kept marveling at throughout the show was that Britt OWNS the stage and completely works the audience with well-placed lip sneers, hip shakes and stutter-steps. He's a 21st century Tom Petty.

Listen: "Don't You Evah" from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Read: Stereogum's post about Spoon @ Bowery Ballroom

Wilco @ Hammerstein Ballroom - 25 June 2007 (photo taken from here)

Matt: I hate Hammerstein so much. It is too large, old and uncared for, a big pain to get drinks/go to the bathroom, and (most importantly) the sound generally sucks. Though the sound issue can be overcome by certain bands, a lot of these issues are compounded if you make the mistake of showing up to the venue late, which was exactly the case for us with this Wilco show. I feel like we weren't even that late either, but whatever. It took a good five songs for me to find a suitable spot and let go of my severe Hammerstein grumpies; but when I did, Wilco took over and did what they do best. Namely, deliver another outstanding live performance. Does anybody doubt that they're one of America's top three active bands?

Mike: Yes, the downside was that we arrived a bit late and were forced to sulk in the rear of the atrocious Hammerstein for the entirety of their set. It was literally impossible to wade through the crowd, I tried at least twice before giving up and salvaging what I could - which was quite a bit - from the show. Tweedy was positively charming and visibly happy to be back in New York (their first show here since their amazing New Year's Eve show at MSG with the Flaming Lips in '04). The true payoff for me, however, was seeing Nels Cline play live for the first time. I try hard on most occasions to keep my inner guitar-dork quelled but holy shit he is a ridiculously talented and incredible musician. Six strings of magic yo.

Listen: "You Are My Face" from Sky Blue Sky
Read: Brooklyn Vegan's post about Wilco @ Hammerstein Ballroom

Menomena @ South Street Seaport - 13 July 2007 (photo taken from here)

Mike: Well I sincerely miss those heavy metal bands I used to go see on the landing in the summer....yes, Menomena absolutely killed it at this show. All summer long the sound mix at SSS had been awful, reducing bands' sounds to discombobulated pockets of muddy bass and tinny treble. For this show, I naturally assumed the worst in advance. I had never seen Menomena live and was unconvinced that they could fill the massive sonic void of Pier 17. With expertly triggered samples, impeccable musicianship and innovative arrangements, they reminded me of what an outdoor summer concert should be: loud, joyful, and overpowering. Even the people at Pizzeria Uno were rocking out.

Listen: "The Pelican" from Friend and Foe
Read: Paste's post about Menomena @ South Street Seaport

Slint @ Webster Hall - 17 July 2007 (above photo taken by Matt)

Matt: The timing for this show couldn't have been any better for me, personally. I'd just spent most of April, May, and June obsessing (all over again) over Spiderland and coming to the conclusion that it was the greatest record made in the past 20 years. I went into the show expecting the worst - they'd cancelled one of the planned two shows in a row, friends had told me that Slint wasn't so great in concert, and I had serious doubts about how the vocals and hushed moments of Spiderland would come across in a live setting (especially at Crapster Hall). Turns out it was a nearly perfect show. The sound, the band, the audience, the overall mood/atmosphere... seeing Slint play Spiderland in its entirety was without a doubt one of my favorite concert moments of 2007, if not my most favorite.

Listen: "Nosferatu Man" from Spiderland
Read: EAR FARM's original post about Slint @ Webster Hall

Goes Cube @ Bowery Ballroom - 24 August 2007 (above photo taken by Matt)

Matt: There are literally a slew of Goes Cube shows I attended this year that could've made this list... perhaps the show @ Larimer Lounge in Denver, or the one at the Elbo Room in Chicago, or the one at the Viper Room in LA, or the homecoming show @ Mercury Lounge (big ups to David from GC, Nerd Litter, and Taylor for helping create my favorite concert photo of the year at that show)... each of those shows were outstanding in their own right. However, none of them matched the brilliance - the size of the audience and fan-fucking-tastic sound - of the night that Goes Cube assaulted Bowery Ballroom. Love.

Listen: "Goes Cube Song 48" from their MySpace page
Read: EAR FARM's original post about Goes Cube @ Bowery Ballroom

Sebadoh @ Club Europa - 2 September 2007 (above photo taken by Matt)

Matt: This was the best of the five Sebadoh shows I've ever seen, and honestly I was a bit surprised. Maybe it's just that we always got bad shows in Chapel Hill, but for this set in Brooklyn all three guys "brought it" in a very friendly, familiar, relaxed yet rocking, manner that made for a great show. That the setlist was nearly perfectly comprised of all of the songs I wanted to hear was an added/unexpected bonus. An all around awesome concert.

Watch: "Soul and Fire" LIVE from this show (Quicktime)
Read: EAR FARM's original post about Sebadoh @ Club Europa

Megadeth @ Irving Plaza - 26 September 2007 (above photo taken by Matt)

Matt: What?! Oh sorry, I can't hear you because I was at the MEGADETH SHOW AT IRVING PLAZA and you weren't. Idiot. Dave Mustaine was sick for this show (and by sick, I mean not feeling well, but his guitar playing was also sick), yet he soldiered on and delivered (easily) one of my favorite shows of the year. Top three perhaps.

Watch: "Holy Wars" LIVE from this show (on YouTube)
Read: EAR FARM's original post about Megadeth @ Irving Plaza


British Sea Power @ Maxwell's - 15 October 2007 (above photo taken by Matt)

Matt: Wow, I'm not sure there could've been a better venue for me to see my first British Sea Power show in nearly two years than at Maxwells. The sound was cranked waaay up and the band blasted through their set, which included quite a few new songs I'd not yet heard. If we were ranking this list, this show would've been near the bottom of my top shows of the year, but still a top show regardless. Unfortunately, British Sea Power is going to always have a tough time living up to the magic of the first three shows I saw them play; however, they remain one of my most favorite current bands and always put on an extremely worthwhile live show.

Watch: "Remember Me" LIVE from this show (Quicktime)
Read: EAR FARM's original post about British Sea Power @ Maxwell's

The Walkmen @ Avalon (CMJ) - 17 October 2007 (above photo taken by Mike)

Mike: With CMJ only 24 hours old and another 72 long hours from completion, I was already a bit tired and over-saturated with live music by the time I arrived alone to this show. Don't worry, I stopped feeling bad for myself as soon as the Walkmen took the stage to a mostly empty Avalon and ripped through an amazing set of old and new songs in what amounted to a front row, seemingly semi-private performance by one of my favorite bands. This was the highlight of my entire CMJ week.

Listen: "Lemon Hill" from their MySpace page
Read: EAR FARM's original post about The Walkmen @ Avalon

A Place to Bury Strangers (pictured above), The Secret Life Of Sofia, Chop Shop, El Jezel, Gold Streets, Man In Gray, Mancino, Up The Empire, and The Vandelles @ The Delancey (StereoactiveNYC/Hot Rocks CMJ show) - 20 October 2007 (above photo taken by Matt)

Matt: Though I already knew that I adored both A Place to Bury Strangers and The Secret Life Of Sofia, their sets at this Stereoactive/Hot Rocks CMJ show kind of took me by surprise. Mostly because they both simply blew me away. Especially TSLOS. I can not wait to hear and see this band continue to evolve and grow. They're one of the most underrated bands in New York at the moment. Wait until the rest of the world gets a load of them. A Place to Bury Strangers, well, they play my kind of music. And they do it unbelievably well. Oh, and don't think this show would be mentioned if all of the bands on this bill didn't put on really great shows, because they did. But A Place to Bury Strangers and The Secret Life Of Sofia were tops on this night that ended up as my favorite show of all of CMJ.

Mike: It feels weird talking about this show as Mancino (and only two-thirds of Mancino at that) was a part of it, so it's sort of a conflict of interest. What I did really enjoy from this night was The Secret Life of Sofia. I'm incredibly impressed by how their new songs have blossomed live and really can't wait to hear their upcoming album.

Watch: "To Fix The Gash In Your Head" LIVE from this show (Quicktime)
Read: EAR FARM's original post about the StereoactiveNYC/Hot Rocks CMJ Showcase @ The Delancey

Morrissey @ Hammerstein Ballroom - 27 October 2007 (above photo taken by a different Matt)

Matt: It makes sense, thinking back, why this would end up as my favorite of the five Morrissey concerts I saw this year. It was concert #4 out of 5, so I knew the final concert was nearing. We all knew it (the audience, Morrissey, the lads in the band) and as a result, it turned out to be the big finish of Morrissey's run at Hammerstein, with the final concert on Sunday existing as more of a "cool down". For the show on Saturday night the stars were all aligned perfectly: Morrissey's voice was in top form, the setlist nearly perfect, and my location on the floor couldn't have been any better. Perfection. Or, maybe it was simply my company at the concert and the ramen at Momofuku after the show that made the night so wonderful... whatever the case, a top three concert of 2007.

Listen: "Death Of A Disco Dancer" LIVE from this show (originally a song by The Smiths, found HERE)
Read: EAR FARM's original post about Morrissey @ Hammerstein Ballroom

Grizzy Bear @ The Society for Ethical Culture - 3 November 2007 (above photo taken by Mike)

Mike: Hands down the best show of the year, and perhaps one of the best shows I've ever seen. Not much else I can say about it that I didn't cover in my fanboy manifesto below.

Listen: "He Hit Me" from Friend EP
Read: EAR FARM's original post about Grizzly Bear @ The Society for Ethical Culture

Now, what were your favorite shows of 2007?