Arena/Amphitheatre concerts:
3. Bob Dylan with Kings of Leon on Oct. 22 at Cox Arena
2. Tom Petty with Beck on Sept. 27 at Coors Amphitheatre
1. Pearl Jam with Sonic Youth on July 7 at Cox Arena
During a homecoming show for singer Eddie Vedder and drummer Matt Cameron, Cox Arena was one song away from losing its roof. Pearl Jam fed off the energy of every single person in the arena and it showed – it was by far the most emotional concert the band had since the mid ’90s. Pearl Jam ripped into a few rare songs, including the East Coast-punk-thriving “Brain of J,” the forgotten ’92 angry youth anthem “Leash,” and it absolutely lit the crowd on fire during arguably one of the best performances of the classic “Alive.”
MidSize venue concerts:
3. Alice in Chains on May 19 at House of Blues
2. Flaming Lips on May 24 at Open Air Theatre
1. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts with Eagles of Death Metal on Nov. 6 at House of Blues
Playing in front of probably the most diverse crowd I’ve ever seen at a venue, Jett absolutely wailed. Though “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” was bound to be a favorite, it was ironically Jett and the Blackhearts’ new version of Sweet’s “A.C.D.C.” that got the loudest and most rambunctious reaction. Jett has to thank Eagles of Death Metal for warming up the crowd with a crisp, boogie-filled set that included the gem off its latest album, “I Want You So Hard (The Boys Bad News),” as well as a great cover of The Damned’s “New Rose.”
Club concerts:
3. Supersuckers with Rhino Bucket on Feb. 23 at The Casbah
2. Man Man with The Husbands on Oct. 6 at The Casbah
1. The Avengers with The Heartaches and The Bloody Hollies on July 29 at The Casbah
The long-lost San Francisco punk rockers The Avengers celebrated its catalog at The Casbah on an extremely loud July night. The “bass-less” Bloody Hollies roared through a quick 30-minute set of new material, and then The Heartaches strolled onstage to blast through its catchy, punk and garage material, which completely won the packed crowd over. It was almost as if The Avengers crept onto the stage without anyone noticing and then, BAM! Suddenly everyone in the room knew every line in every song and was bouncing up and down as singer Penelope Houston constantly projected a pissed-off-yet-happy-to-be-pleasing-everybody snarl.
Biggest disappointment:
Street Scene 2006
This festival doesn’t work, and it certainly will never work at Qualcomm Stadium. If the concert’s main appeal is going to be casual concertgoers, then casual bands should be the entertainment, not arena metal bands such as Tool. What viewers saw with the Tool fiasco was hardcore fans refusing to gel with drunk fraternity guys who just wanted to be able to say they saw Tool. It continues to be a complete mess each year, and it’s only getting worse. Somebody needs to just book a worthless band you can get drunk to and not have to worry about “missing a good song” – maybe Journey.
