I tried to make this post before the New Year, but I accidentally closed the window without saving and lost the whole thing - oops. I am just getting around to retyping it all. Enjoy!

1. The Spinto Band/We Are Scientists (Opening for Art Brut) - The Metro - October 12

When I was in Europe last fall I found out about both the Spinto Band and We Are Scientists. They are both American bands, but other than the time and location of me hearing about them, there is no rationale behind the connection the two bands that I had in my mind. However, with this show, that connection became a reality. The Spinto Band and We Are Scientists both put on very energetic and amusing shows. We Are Scientists even invited the Spinto Band out during one of their songs to dance and perform along and then the Spinto Band leap frogged off stage. I didn't even stay for Art Brut, that how much these two bands rocked my face off.

I can't even say that this was the best Spinto Band or We Are Scientists show I have seen this year - those honors belong to the first time I saw each band - January 13th at Schubas for the Spinto Band and January 16th at Subterannean for We Are Scientists. However, the fact that these two bands played together raises this show to number 1.

I should note that this spot also honors the other Spinto Band shows that I saw this year in which I discovered or gained a further love a good number of bands including The Arctic Monkeys @ Metro (3/18) , The Guillemots @ Schubas (3/19) and the Lovely Feathers @ Schubas (6/16).

2. Lollapalooza + Nada Surf/The Frames - Grant Park/The Metro - August 4-6

Of the musical festivals I attended this year, Lollapalooza was far and away my favorite. It featured a good number of my favorite bands (The Frames, Nada Surf, Stars, Andrew Bird) as well as many bands that I have been meaning to see for quite a while (The Shins, The Flaming Lips, etc.)

The one thing I said when the line up was announced was that as long as the Frames and Nada Surf weren't playing at the same time, I would be a happy concert-goer. Not only were they not playing at the same time, they were booked for an after-lolla concert together at the Metro. It doesn't get much better than that.

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3. Tilly and the Wall - The Abbey Pub - October 11

Tilly played a lot of great shows this year, but none as good as their final Chicago show of the year at the Abbey Pub. The show wasn't sold out like previous shows, and so there was plenty of room for people to dance. And they danced all through the show. You could tell the band was feeling it too - they kept commenting on how amazing the vibe of the show was. During Nights of the Living Dead the ENTIRE ROOM jumped up and down. It was a beautiful thing.

4. Margot and the Nuclear So & Sos (Opening for South) - The Double Door - April 15

Margot is another band that I saw numerouns times in 2006. Once again, the first show was the best. I had already been digging on the album, and the concert amplified that. The stage was crowded with tons of band members - the energy was high and intense. There's not much more to say beyond that - these guys always put on a quality show.

5. The Swell Season - The Hideout/Schubas - October 23 & 24

Glen's side project, the Swell Season is fantastic, and any live Glen show raises to the top of the ranks. This was the first show I had seen at the Hideout, and it was the best introduction to the venue I could imagine. I had the chance to talk to Glen before the show and requested that he play Daniel Johnston's "Some Things Last A Long Time" which he happily obliged. The next day's show at Schubas was even stronger - of course Schubas is my favorite venue. The Swell Season was back in December opening two nights for Damien Rice (I saw the Dec 18 show) and once again they didn't fail to dissapoint.

6. The Decemberists - The Riviera - November 11

The Crane Wife material sounded lovely and baring the absence of the Mariner's Revenge in exchange for a kind of weird "in the audience" role play skit, this was the best set list of the year.

7. Ryan Auffenberg/Keith Varon - Uncommon Ground - May 11

There aren't too many concerts where you also make good friends. That is what happened at this show. My roomie was invited to go to this show and I tagged along. The guys bought us dinner and afterwards we had a chance to chat. We were so enamoured with each other that we decided to meet up for brunch the next day and even made them mix CDs. We had just moved into our new apartment and were excited to try and do a loft concert and invited them to be our firsts later in the year! Oh, and their music is really good too!

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8. Alexi Murdoch - Schubas - July 9

When thinking of the 2006's best concert, Alexi's show instantly pops into mind. This is the kind of concert that reminds me why Schubas is my favorite venue. The crowd was so quite that you could hear a pin drop during songs, and they cheered and bantered with him just the right amount at the right times. They clapped at the right times and sang along at the right times and stopepd at the right times. It was a beautlful almost spiritual experience, and as one concert-goer pointed out, Nick Drake's spirit really did seem present that day.

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9. The Format/Anathallo - The Metro - April 4

The Format is always wonderful, and this show was no different. But the really highlight of the evening was Anathallo - a band I hadn't even heard of before. This exuberant and fun little group was a huge shock and stuck out like a sore thumb in the lineup. A wonderful sore thumb. Their music was so youthful and boisterous that they reminded me of a young, hipster cousin to the Arcade Fire. These guys are a must see!

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10. Tie - Aqualung and Nada Surf - The Metro - March 4 & 5

Both of these concerts were fantastic, but what really raised them to the level of top 10 were the fact that we were front row with my good friend Courtney who came up from Kentucky to hang out and see some great music (and Steven too!). The next week I got to see Belle & Sebastian, The New Pornographers, Jamie Cullum, Brandi Carlisle, The Arctic Monkeys and the Spinto Band with my Kentucky roomie Sarah. it was a great week for friends and music!

Worth Mentioning:

Most Intimate Concert - Mat Kearney @ Aware Records owner Gregg Lattermann's house.

Weirdest Concert - Fiona Apple @ Northerly Island, July 13
It was still a great show, but Fiona went off the deep end a bit, screaming off mic, scratching at herself, hiding behind the piano rocking back and forth, starting to cry about how lovely our path along the lake was, and finally breaking down about the number of bugs she was killing on the piano keys. I give her a lot of credit for muddling through and completing the show in that state - it couldn't have been easy.

Most exciting song - One of my favorite moments of the year was on December 18th, when Damien Rice played "Tongue" a song featured on Bell X1's Music In Mouth. Damien is credited as a co-writer of the song, but I never expected that he would play it. It is the next best thing to getting to see BX1 live. He also played "Dogs" at this show, which he said was the first show on this tour he had played it.

Number of concerts seen in 2006 - 75+
Best month - October (18 concerts)