Twelve hours from now, just like I did last year, I’ll be run/trotting up 80 floors for the kids. It’s a great cause to support Children’s Memorial Hospital and I really enjoyed being a part of our team of family and friends and a few furry friends as you can see above.

And as an added bonus I learned A LOT about touring endurance during last year race when my legs start to burn around the 40th floor.

So this year, I’ll again be taking my mind off the ever-present physical pain by refocusing my mind on the topic of touring, and thinking a lot about how physically and emotionally difficult it is to entertain fans night after night, city after city, show after show.

Kinda like Theophilous London’s latest confession.  Or maybe like Daria Musk’s marathon Google Plus Hangout concert.

And as I conquer each floor, I’ll also be thinking about you my fellow concert buddies, especially these awesome fans.

And I’ll be thinking about how much our bodies, emotions and senses play a role in how we experience live music.

Kinda like how Eric needs to feel the speakers during Vivian Girl concerts, and how these fans need to challenge themselves or rediscover themselves one show at a time.

How about you my fellow fans?

How has live music challenged you to dig deeper into a part of your life? Or on the flipside, what non-concert adventure or life challenge, like running up 80 floors, got you thinking differently about your live music experiences?

Or if you’re an artist?

What important lessons have you learned while on tour?  What creative connections or revelations have you discovered to help you deal with the grueling grind of live performance?

Share your concert experiences and thoughts in the comments below, on Twitter @livefixmedia, on Facebook, Google Plus, or call the concert fan hotline at 773-609-4341, and we’ll include them in a future episode of Live Fix Radio.

The exploration in to the community of groove and dance culture continued at Lincoln Hall Saturday night.

In the wake of this sold out show, it’s obvious that Chicago DJ trio Midnight Conspiracy is aiming to innovate the live dance music experience as they stimulate the senses by blurring the lines between house, dubstep and performance art.

This show wasn’t just another excuse to party with the hometown fans. But it was a night to experiment with our emotions, senses and feelings.

Surprised By Revelations

Midnight Conspiracy was in experimental mode as they tested out their new Eye Live Laser Lightshow, a 16-ft LED custom DJ booth in the shape of their Eye Of Providence logo.

And it was an experiment that proved to reveal more about dance culture than I expected.

The Eye was certainly a visual spectaule to behold as it stood high above the crowd blinking in sync with the venue-vibrating electro-rhtyms of rock and bass and casting out beams of light that splashed psychedelic and ravish patterns on the walls and fans faces.

The show began with an ominous voice warning of the manipulation of our minds by the powers that be. But fans didn’t seem to be to interested in being warned about cultural mind control. And once the beat dropped it was obvious that we all just wanted to rock and shake our booties to oblivion.

From there the DJs catapulted us in to a visual and sonic feast filled with eye and ear candy so sweet and delicious that fans pushed their bodies up against the speakers and rubbed their backs and hips against each other making it hard to figure out where one fan ended and the other began.

Speaking of fans, before the show got rolling, I had a most interesting conversation with one fan outside as we waited in line braving the frigid single-digit temps and icy wind that howled down Lincoln Ave.

A Crazy Flood Story

“Did you know that [Lincoln Hall] flooded the last time Midnight Conspiracy played here?” He told me with a wild smile and big wide eyes of awesome anticipation. “The foundation split open and water started pouring out and we all had to leave. It was crazy! And I’m super excited about seeing them again tonight.”

I was amazed to hear the fan’s story. And after a quick Google search afterwards to see if it was true I didn’t find any other account of the story. That said, I don’t know if that fan’s story was true, but nonetheless I’m sure the awesomeness that fan experience during that show was setting the stage for another unforgettable Midnight Conspiracy show tonight. Kinda like these fans.

How Has Clubland Culture Changed?

As the music pulsated all around me and I got lost in the groove, I thought back to our previous experiment of club culture and wondered what Frank Owen would have thought of this show from a fan perspective.

And since Chicago has a rich history of house music, I wondered what Frankie Knuckles, Ron Hardy and other house music innovators would think of this EYE experience.

And considering our exploration in Ecstasy use and dance music culture, I wondered what sort of impact drugs and other substances were having on these fans and the band. Would the show have been as “amazing and memorable” without  this particular show compared to others throughout house music history.

And since this show was all about “The Eye,” I gazed deep in to the center of the massive structure wondering about the dynamic flow between the band and the fans.

Did You See What Eye Saw?

I say this because what was interesting about The Eye was that it presented a profound perspective on two different vantage points.

From one point the band was looking out at the crowd through The Eye, and from the other the fans were looking back at the band through The Eye.

And the last thing that struck me was that in the midst of this visual and sensual exchange I realized what made this show so powerful was that The Eye served as a visual reminder of our collective and subconscious emotional experience.

Yes, the more I thought about The Eye the more I realized that it was a physical representation of the sensual and emotional connection between the fans and the band.

This is fascinating to think about because at most concerts you don’t always have a tangible and physical reminder of the communal connection that makes the show thrive and groove.

And as I think about the concerts I’ve gone to and how this communal connection is celebrated, it’s usually the dance music concerts that have a powerful, almost tribal symbol like the EYE , onstage that fans can focus their attention on during the show.

Sure, some bands have a screen playing in the background or pyrotechnics, but are those show spectacles the same as a massive structure like The EYE, or like one of my favorite symbols, the Daft Punk robot pyramid that was at Lollapalooza 2007?

And I’m sure the promise of this type of strong tribal and communal connection is what made the Midnight Conspiracy show sought after by fans, a show that many fans were willing to wait outside for over an hour in the freezing cold.

And I believe it’s not just the opportunity to escape, but it’s mostly life-changing communal experience that has made live dance music so popular in the mainstream in recent years.

I believe at our core we, as humans, desire to be connected to each other. And live music, whether it’s in a dance club like this, or a rock show, is one of our favorite ways to connect to each other. But is rock music truly delivering the same communal and life-changing experience?

Are Our Live Show Expectations Changing?

I’ll wrap this post up by asking you this.

Is dance music more popular than rock music today because live dance music is giving fans a more satisfying and communal experience than a live rock show?

Are fans coming to shows will different communal expectations than they have in the past?

Are artists like Tiesto aware of this change in the fan experience? And are they working to make fan active participants instead of Looky-Loos?

Which artists do you think are delivering the best communal experience for fans?

The Eye will be tested out again at Metro on February 17th. And the “official” debut of the Eye Live Laser Lightshow will be on March 2nd at the Congress Theater with Zeds Dead, Dillon Francis, and AarabMuzik. Until then, you can check out tunes on the Midnight Conspiracy Soundcloud and Facebook page.

Were you there?

We talked to a lot of fans during the show and we’d love to hear what you thought of The Eye. Go ahead and let us know what you experienced and how you think clubland culture and live dance music is being evolved today.

Share your concert experiences and thoughts in the comments below, on Twitter @livefixmedia, on Facebook, Google Plus, or call the concert fan hotline at 773-609-4341, and we’ll include them in a future episode of Live Fix Radio.

Check out more of Colleen photos here.

We already know that President Obama loves live music and knows how to weave it into the fabric of his presidency. And now we know a little bit more after hearing him express his thoughts about experiencing Janelle Monae live during a recent visit to Chicago to raise support for the 2012 campaign.

The video is short but Mr. Obama’s comments do give us a little bit of insight into how Monae’s live show moved him and even influenced foreign leaders during a recent state dinner. And I wonder if he felt the same way during the Motown show?

But the fun wasn’t only had by the President himself, because the inspiration seems to be following in both directions.

Here’s what Monae had to say about the show:

“I was deeply honored to be invited by the President to perform at the rally in Chicago at the University of Illinois at Chicago. It was an amazing feeling to be amongst so many people, young and old, black, white, red, disabled, all united, eager to help support a man who has ended the war in Iraq, gotten rid of “don’t ask don’t tell”- allowing anyone to serve this country regardless of who you love, made sure women were not paid less than men merely because they are women, doubled pell grants, given 2.5 million young people health insurance, and has created a law that recognizes that crimes based on sexual orientation, gender identity, race or disability aren’t just any crime- they’re hate crimes that deserve justice. These are all things he said he’d do before he was elected and did them. There are more important accomplishments that can be added to this list. I strongly believe our nation should continue upon this path, bringing justice to all and change where needed. President Obama remains the candidate of hope and change, and he will continue to move our country forward, bringing even more change if re-elected.”

It’s interesting to think about how the inspiration and influence flows both ways, from artist to fan and vice versa.

We’ll be diving deeper to discover more details about Monae’s live performance and her own emotional experience. And I’m really curious to explore this, especially after I saw her last year at SXSW 2011, a show that turned out to be one of my favorite shows of 2011.

All this said, as you know, we’ve been on a mission to explore how shows like these and all of President Obama’s live music experiences have influenced his political and presidential decisions these last three years.

And in the near future we’ll be sharing “a special interview” with President Obama for our Live Fix community since we’d like to know how the live music experience will inspire and empower the upcoming campaign.

What’s Your Vote?

How do you think live music influences President Obama? What role has the live concert experience played in helping our presidents shape our country’s past, present and future?

Let us what you think and share your own concert experiences in the comments below, on Twitter @livefixmedia, on Facebook or call the concert fan hotline at 773-609-4341, and we’ll include them in a future episode of Live Fix Radio.

Social media and concert history were made this week as Tiesto, Twitter and HP teamed up at CES 2012 to deliver a live stream of the Dutch DJ rocking the a VIP crowd from the booth. And the event was a great opportunity to continue or live concert brand exploration.

As Billboard reports,

The private, invite-only set also marked the launch of another social media initiative for the man his friends call Tijs: “In The Booth,” a 10-part video series meant to document Tiësto’s fast-paced, globetrotting life, is set to premiere on the artist’s YouTube channel on January 17. Produced by Believe Entertainment Group – the digital content company behind Lebron James’ animated Web series “The Lebrons” – the documentary was also underwritten by HP and Intel, and features Tiësto prominently using the brands’ products.

As Mashable reports, the folks at Twitter were excited about the opportunity and the possibilites that it presents beyond 140 characters:

“We have offered streaming on the site before, but this is the first-time ever that the site will feature a live concert,” Rob Pietsch, Twitter’s director of West Coast sales, told Mashable. “HP came to us with the idea and we couldn’t be more excited to hear how the company and Intel will be using their Twitter brand pages to reach out to the public and become destination sites.

And What About The Fans?

This is all very exciting and boundary-pushing, but we must ask: what’s in it for the fans?

We must ask if the fan experience is really be considered, or if the fans are just playing the role of social media marketing targets?

As we’ve seen with our other brand experiments and explorations, telling or celebrating the fan experience isn’t always the first priority or a priority at all.

And with this new HP/Tiesto partnership it still remains to be seen how much of the fan experience HP is interested in celebrating.

Is This Really Anything New?

Not really. We know that using DJs, hip hop producers and the increasingly popular mainstream live dance music trend is nothing new for marketers to capitalize on. For example, Diplo has been the spokesman for Blackberry and Dr Dre has been used by HP in the past.

And, unfortunately, the list is short when it comes to brands that actually deliver on creative fan-centric social media marketing campaigns that don’t even feel like marketing at all.

In case you’re looking for evidence, these Rolling Stone/Dr. Martens, Scion, Sennheiser, and Pitchfork Don Q Rum experiences are some recent examples of brands doing it right or at least headed in the right direction.

That said, we’ll have to wait and see how the “In the Booth” videos turn out before we officially decide if HP has genuinely  integrated and celebrated the fan experience.

Will HP & Tiesto Innovate and Document the Real Stories?

Like we explored in the wake of Lollapalooza, there’s a lot of possibility for brands to deliver truly groundbreaking experiences while telling the brand AND the fan story at the same time.

I know I’m looking forward to seeing how HP’s does it this time and if they will creatively weave in amazing Tiesto fan stories like this one.

Tiesto has also been at the center of several ongoing controversial stories and it’ll be interesting to see how much HP documents those.

The history-making 2012 CES concert steaming footage was only available for 48 hours after the show, but it’ll be available on the HP Facebook page Tiesto tab after January 17th.

What’s Your Tiesto Concert Story?

Is this HP partnership cultivating a genuine sub-community of Tiesto fans, or is this just another timely marketing opportunity for HP? How would you make the fan experience a creative part of the “In the Booth” videos?

What did you think of the Tiesto Twitter concert? Got a Tiesto live show story? Share your concert experiences and thoughts in the comments below, on Twitter @livefixmedia, on Facebook or call the concert fan hotline at 773-609-4341, and we’ll include them in a future episode of Live Fix Radio.

I’ve always wondered what artists do backstage to warm up and get in the mood before a show. And my chats with Saul Williams, Ant of Atmosphere and Secret Machines all gave me a fantastic look in to the psychological, behavioral and emotional baselines of an artist before they perform.

And because of those experiences I began to experiment with the concept of a BAAD show. And see how Broken Social Scene does this too.

All this said, I love the above backstage video via Paste of Wilco, Mavis Staples and Nick Lowe, warming up backstage before their recent December show in Chicago at the Civic Opera House.

Watching the clip I thought about our amazing experience seeing Mavis Staples at the Hideout Block Party and the fact that Wilco is still one of the best live bands I’ve ever seen.

How ’bout you?

What do you think of this backstage clip? Were you at the Civic Opera House or any of the other Wilco shows in December? Does watching this video change or enhance your concert experience?

Share your concert experiences and thoughts in the comments below, on Twitter @livefixmedia, on Facebook or call the concert fan hotline at 773-609-4341, and we’ll include them in a future episode of Live Fix Radio.

I don’t know about you, but I think most concert fans don’t have evil intentions.

Most of us just want to spread love, escape and have a good time during a concert.

But sometimes what happens is that we get so worked up and emotional at a show that we just can’t contain ourselves.

And believe me, I know the live concert experience can make us do a wide range of crazy things, even when there’s no “external substances” flowing through our bodies.

In response to the natural emotional surge that live music generates within us we’ve been known to …

riot,

rush the stage,

cause earthquakes,

fight each other,

flash someone else’s police badge,

cut ourselves,

get creative,

do Harry Potter chants,

tweet what we love/hate,

grieve and mourn,

return Rolex watches,

try to sneak drugs in and get caught,

get married,

make documentary films,

create complaint choirs,

get really scared,

start dancing swarms,

and celebrate our weirdness.

Those are just a few of the things that concerts can make us do. And when I read this TMZ DMX story, initially, like most of us, I thought the worst too.

But then I thought… what if the fan was simply so overjoyed to see DMX back on stage that he just wanted to give DMX a big “welcome back” hug and not a harmful headlock?

Of course, there’s always several complex perspectives to this kind of fan behavior. And as of today, we really don’t know much about this DMX fan or why he jumped up on stage.

So why do we automatically assume he had malicious intentions?

We just never know until we actually talk with the fan to get his side of the story.

This DMX situation also makes me wonder if it was a crafty pre-meditated publicity plot to generate some DMX concert buzz.

I say that because the fan just easily popped up on stage, did his attempted headlock/hug and then security grabbed him and DMX went right on with the show as if he knew it was coming.

Anything is possible and the psychological subplots to the live music experience are so fascinating to uncover, which is why we love exploring and experimenting with this stuff.

How ‘Bout You?

Were you at this DMX show? What’s the funniest, weirdest, craziest fan behavior you’ve seen? What do you think of concert fan behavior?

Share your concert experiences and thoughts in the comments below, on Twitter @livefixmedia, on Facebook or call the concert fan hotline at 773-609-4341, and we’ll include your stories in a future episode of Live Fix Radio.

Back when we had the pleasure of discovering how Perez Hilton throws a Pre-Lollapalooza party in Chicago, I started to wonder what goes through the mind and heart of Mr. Lavandeira during a concert.

Well, now you might be able to ask him yourself and let us know what he says because he’s teaming up with Lean Pockets’ “Live Famously” sweepstakes to give fans a chance to win a prize package that includes a special VIP concert experience.

Here’s the details of what you, and a friend, can win for the grand prize.

• luxury hotel stay
• private car service to and from the airport
• $1,000 reward card for whatever they want
• $250 spa card
• special concert experience with well-known celebrity blogger Perez Hilton.

We’re also told that ” you can win thousands of daily prizes, such as retail gift cards for stylish clothing brands, department stores and online shopping.”

Here are the two ways to get your sweepstakes code:

1. During the promotion period, visit a LEAN POCKETS® brand retailer and purchase a specially marked package of LEAN POCKETS® brand Stuffed Sandwiches with the Live Famously logo on it.

2. To enter without making a purchase, obtain a code on the “Live Famously Sweepstakes” Tab on the LEAN POCKETS® brand Facebook Page.

 Is This Contest For the Fans?

As we continue to experiment with and see how brands use the live music experience to engage fans, we’ll keep an eye on this Lean Pockets contest to see how it goes and what you, the fans, think of it.

Go ahead and post your comments below, on Twitter @livefixmedia, on Facebook or call the concert fan hotline at 773-609-4341, and we’ll include them in a future episode of Live Fix Radio.

We’ll also be sharing other concert contests in 2012 so stay tuned for more!

Now that we’ve shared our favorite concert fan moments, let’s take a look back at the top Live Fix stories you loved to read in 2011.

As you’ll see, from Rihanna firebombs and inviting blind U2 fans on stage to continued Kings of Leon concert drama and Dave Grohl stopping a fight, this is a great list that shows which artists amazed, let down or created the biggest buzz for fans while on tour this year.

Beyond what happened on stage, this list also shows what you, the fans, cared the most about — before, during and after the show — as you sought to understand, share and discover the emotional impact and significance of your live music experiences. I had fantastic year connecting with many of you at shows and virtually on Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus. And I’m pumped about the possibilities and experiences that await us in 2012.

It was lots of fun reflecting on your favorite posts and we’d like to know what you think. So be sure to check out the info below to learn how you can help us make our concert explorations even better in 2012.

Most Read: Live Music News

• Looks Like U2 Fans Saved the Concert Industry in 2011

• Concert Contest 2011 Honda Civic Tour with Blink 182, My Chemical Romance, Manchester Orchestra

• Poi Dog Pondering Invites Fans to Kick-start Making of Live Album, DVD

• Is Ecstasy Killing Concert Fans One Show At Time?

• Looks Like U2 Fans Saved the Concert Industry in 2011

• Did The Concert Industry Survive 2010?

• Pitchfork Festival Day One: Tune-Yards, Animal Collective and Harry Potter

• Concert Preview: An Interview with Poi Dog Pondering’s Frank Orrall

• Dave Grohl Stops Fight, Kicks Out Fans at iTunes Festival Concert

• Sasquatch Festival 2011: Sell Out Skepticism, Radiohead & The Dancing Guy and Your Mental Health

• Concert Review: WBEZ Winter Hip Hop Block Party Rocks The House

• Pearl Jam Celebrates Twenty Years with Tour, Cameron Crowe Film

• Tim McGraw Concert Assault: What Makes Fans Want To Fight Each Other?

• Blind Guitarist, U2 Fan Rock On Stage With Bono in Nashville

• Kings Of Leon Concert Drama Continues After Dallas Show Is Cut Short

• Concert Preview: The Mesmerizing Polymedia Mythology of NewVillager

• Sugarland Fan Trauma, Gate Crashers, Best & Worst of Lollapalooza 2011

Most Read: Live Music Experiments & Explorations

• The Magical Backstory Of Chicago’s Historic Folk Venue Gate Of Horn

• Rolling Stone and Dr. Martens Want To Know About “Your First Concert”

• Fire Bombs and Lap Dances: How Rihanna Keeps It Interesting During Loud Tour

• Concert Treasures Show Up on Storage Wars and Pawn Stars

• Will Forest Hills Stadium Rock Again in the 21st Century?

• How Do Women Experience Live Music?

• Dexter Characters Plan To See Avett Brothers Live, Murder Gets In the Way

• Creative Pop Art Inspired by U2, The Cure, Smashing Pumpkins Concert Tickets

• Live Music Mega-mix: Our Favorite Live Albums of 2011 (So Far)

• Battles On Blogotheque: What Happened at City Hall In Paris?

• Another Great Google Plus Hangout Night of Open Mics and Concert Fan Stories

• What Do You Remember About Nirvana, Lollapalooza and Classic Moog Moments?

• Looky-Loos or Active Fans: How Is Live Music Fueling the Occupy Wall Street Protests?

• Product Review: Experimenting with the Sony Bloggie Touch MHS-TS20

• Mavis Staples’ Throne and The Funny Story Behind The Hideout Block Party Tour Rider

• How Did Live Music Help Fans Cope After 9/11?

Share Your Stories

What was your favorite Live Fix story of 2011? Did we miss a story? What type of concert news stories would you like to us to explore in 2012?

Post your feedback below, or call our concert fan hotline at 773-609-4341 and we’ll include your stories in a future episode of Live Fix Radio.

Yes, my friends, like we did last year, it’s time to take a look back to see what shows left rock critics, music writers and bloggers in a perpetual state of awe, euphoria and wonder all year long. So join us as we cruise around the interwebs to see what were their top shows and concert experiences of 2011.

The lists cover everything from rock, pop, hip hop, jazz, bittersweet farewells, emerging stars and even a new breed of performer that blurred the line between real and virtual.

It’s no surprise that there were several artists that made multiple rock writer year-end best of lists including Jay-Z/Kayne West, TV on the Radio, Florence + The Machine,  Wilco, LCD Sound System, Tune-Yards, Portishead, Decemberists, Bright Eyes and many others.

I smiled with delight as I read each list because many of our emotional experiments and explorations throughout the year were confirmed and challenged. And what was also interesting was that for all the press and hype Odd Future got this year, none of these folks listed them on their year-end lists.

I had the pleasure of reading all the list and making many new discoveries as similar emotional trends ran through the lists. And we’re excited to share them first hear and then dive deep into these new explorations in 2012.

But for now let’s celebrate by exploring how these music writers shared and chronicled their most memorable moments.

As you’ll see, one writer knew exactly how many shows he had seen, some lost count and decided to rely solely on memory to write their year-end roundup and others held themselves to very stricts standards in their list-making.

Some writers made beautiful analogies and metaphors, while others kept things simple and used only lists to remember their favorite shows.

One writer pulled no punches in sharing his highs and lows this year, while another struggled to define what a final show meant to him, fans and the band.

One rock critic disliked a new album but was blown away during the live show, and another chronicled historic live music moment in a venue that hosted it very first rock concert.

To my fellow fans: How often did a review lead to discover a band this year? What review (or reviewer) did you dislike or love the most? Do you think concert reviews are valuable to you as a fan?

To my fellow music writers: How did you compile your own list of favorite concerts you covered? What was your system for putting together your year-end list? What defined writing about live music for you? What did you struggle with, or enjoy the most

We invite you to share your 2011 concert experiences in the comments below.  And stay tuned as we share our favorite fan moments and our one top concerts of 2011 on a upcoming episode of Live Fix Radio!

Chicago Sun Times

Hatsune Miku, Nov. 10 at the AMC River East 21

Definitely the most unusual concert of the year (and possibly contrary to my opening sentiment above), this in-theater broadcast of a “live” performance by this Japanese chart-topper was both a fascinating and unsettling glimpse into the future. Backed by a live band, Miku sang, danced, flew, changed clothes, even swapped genders. She’s not human, you see — she’s a computer-generated avatar, a three-dimensional projection of a blue-haired, teen pop and video-game star with a sampled voice. The theater audience cheered and sang along as if the whole thing were real, and in this wired world who’s to say it wasn’t?

L Magazine

LCD Soundsystem

I have no idea what this “show” means (meant?), whether it was the end of one era or the beginning of another, whether it was a celebration or a funeral. It doesn’t really matter, though, because after everyone went through so much shit to even get tickets—remember this?—only to get seats literally as far away from the stage as you can at MSG, it was all worth it to be among the tens of thousands of people who erupted at once when the twinkling intro to “All My Friends” began, the evening’s highlight. Or maybe it was when they played all of “45:33.” Or maybe when “Dance Yrself Clean,” after a slow, clacking build-up, finally exploded. Or maybe when Aziz Ansari crowd-surfed to “Yeah (Crass Version),” turning the song into an all-out World’s Greatest Arena rave. Or maybe it was seeing how spent, yet resilient, drummer Pat Mahoney looked after every song. Or maybe when members of Arcade Fire assisted LCD with “North American Scum.” The list goes on and on, and we’ll be able to revisit them all when the DVD comes out next year. The only thing I didn’t like about the set, seats notwithstanding: “New York, I Love You, but You’re Bringing Me Down,” because that meant it was time to say goodbye to one of my favorite bands.

Wall Street Journal

Despite my stash of scribble-filled notebooks, I’ve lost count of how many bands I saw in 2011 – most likely the result of running around at industry events like South by Southwest in Austin and CMJ in New York, as well as major festivals like Coachella in Indio, CA; Ultra Music in Miami; and Lollapalooza in Chicago, where you see scores of musicians in a blur over a long weekend.  But a few events stand out; they would have in any year.

Frequency Blogs: South Bulletin

You’ll note, perhaps, that these happened at 11 different venues in Central Oregon. I thought that was cool.

3) Why 11? Because I couldn’t bear to cut any of them to get it down to 10!

Washington Post

With the year drawing to a close, we decided to rank the best of the best, with a few parameters: Only one out of town show allowed (LCD Soundsystem’s farewell tour didn’t leave New York and I had the flu when Gary Clark Jr. came to Red Palace), no repeat performances (sorry, Wild Flag, Dope Body, Kurt Vile and Wale), no performances-and/or-DJ-sets-of-close-personal-friends (sorry, many D.C. friends that Washington City Paper is doing a fine job covering).

St. Louis Today

5. Wilco and Nick Lowe at Peabody Opera House, Oct. 4: “Wilco can hardly perform a gig in St. Louis without words such as ‘epic’ and ‘monumental’ showing up in a description, and Tuesday night’s concert was no exception. Breaking in the renovated Peabody Opera House with its first rock show, Wilco’s sold-out homecoming concert was not only a triumph for the band, but for the venue itself.”

Chicago Tribune

5. Kanye West and Jay-Z, Nov. 30 at the United Center: The “Watch the Throne” album suffered from too much self-satisfied materialism and not enough soul, but the hip-hop kingpins make amends with a show stuffed with high points. Though they clearly respect each other’s accomplishments, the dynamic is telling: Jay-Z as the self-confident older brother, West as the eager-to-please protégé. The contrast in their styles, and the rapid-fire exchange of hits surveying both their careers, keeps the energy high for more than two hours (which almost justifies the curious decision to close the show by performing one of their tritest songs, “N— in Paris,” eight straight times).

NPR

I am sure I saw more than 300 bands this year. In a world of earbuds and mp3s, there’s nothing like the big sound, the charm and edge of a concert. I also love surprise, so each show offers the hope of hearing new songs or new arrangements of old songs, and, of course, the possibility that a completely unknown band will blow me away. Amon Tobin, Caveman, Colin Stetson and Ballake Sissoko with Vincent Segal all fit that description this year.

Indy Star

Bon Iver
July 25, Murat Theatre at Old National Centre

Crowd participation played more than a small role in the success of this performance. Playing the fourth date of Bon Iver’s 2011 tour, singer-songwriter Justin Vernon was looking for an audience to embrace the ambitious racket of current album “Bon Iver” in addition to the rustic calm of his earlier work. New song “Holocene” opened with acoustic guitar and stark percussion before giving way to a fluttering sax-and-clarinet breakdown and muscular trombone peak. Vernon addressed his fans with sincere gratitude: “You’re on your feet. That’s insane. You’re working hard.”

WXRT

Bright Eyes at Lollapalooza. Musicians usually play at night, so it’s a rare treat to see them in the afternoon summer sun. Conor Oberst, the musical oracle of Omaha, came out of the glare like a P-51 on a Messerschmitt and delivered a fearsome blast of soulful modern rock before a big happy crowd in Grant Park. If this is the last time around for Bright Eyes, it was a fabulous sendoff.

Village Voice

Here are the 10 best shows I saw in 2011, a year filled with enough lousy stuff to make these delightful nights stand out even more brightly.

Beyoncé. Beyoncé’s fourth album, 4 (Columbia), rubbed some people the wrong way because of its victory-lap nature, and her concerts at Roseland around the time of the album’s release probably would not have convinced those nonbelievers; half-cabaret about her life and her destiny, half-4 runthrough, they were very much about crowning the singer as Queen B. But the crowning performance of “Countdown,” the throw-’em-in-a-blender ode to the utter wonderfulness of her long-standing romance with Jay-Z, made her coronation a complete certainty.

LA Times Best Jazz Concerts of 2011

Kneebody with special guests, Daedelus and Busdriver
Little Temple, December 4

At a seemingly covert show at the Little Temple, this progressive-jazz-rock band delighted the boisterous crowd that somehow found out about the event. DJ and computer music genius Daedalus was somehow able to use the band as his own human turntable, setting up grooves and samples to which they played in a strange, fantastic courtship. Fast-rapping Busdriver closed it out, fronting the band with impressive flutter-beat poetry. Such collaborations only enhance Kneebody’s unlimited creative capacity. (NOTE: Clip above from the Vienna Jazz Festival 2009.) -Gary Fukushima

Underground Bee

1. ALABAMA SHAKES (Dec. 15 at Hideout). “Wow, did Alabama Shakes live up to the hype. This was the most joyous, energetic and lively musical performance I’ve seen in 2011, and a Hideout crowded with enthusiastic fans was the perfect place to see and hear Alabama Shakes. … The crowd was shouting for more at the end — even if it meant playing some of the same songs over again.” (Original blog post and more photos.)

Thanks again to all the music writers for sharing your stories and we wish you all a rockin’ 2012!

Well, now this Orlando fan is either really smart, or not so smart. I’m going with the latter.

And maybe this creative fan could’ve helped this police-badge-flashing fan be a little more ingenious with his plan to get a better seat.

According to Pollstar:

“…a central Florida sheriff’s deputy is on administrative duty pending an investigation into a friend’s use of his badge to get better seats at a concert.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office says the man flashed the badge to get better seats at the House of Blues in Orlando. According to an arrest report, the man told deputies he wasn’t a law enforcement officer, but his friend William Ross is.”

Have you ever heard of anyone else doing this? And we’re definitely going to add this fan to our ongoing fan’s behaving badly experiment.

What’s the craziest story you’ve ever heard of a fan trying to get a better seat? Share you story in the comments below and we’ll feature it on a future episode of Live Fix Radio.