Well, this is a fun continuation of our ongoing White Stripes experiment. Of course it’s only Jack White attempting a new world record as he voyages out in the wake of his new album Blunderbuss.

Here’s the news according to a press release that I received and chuckled through as I read the details of this strange metaphoric concert quest.

Jack White has again decided to take on the tremendous challenge of making it into the Guinness Book of World Records.

During the rest of the performances on his current tour supporting his new album “Blunderbuss” (which incidentally is currently in the running for the world record of “the fastest named album in history” *pending), Jack White will every night on stage attempt to break the world record for most metaphors in a single concert.

The attempt may prove very exhausting and at times even dangerous, but the results could prove to be glorious and possibly even vainglorious. White and Third Man Records are certain that the extremely scientific and intricate analysis of the metaphors that occur will be examined in accordance with Guinness’ usually very thorough methods probably, or at the very least if somebody answers the phone at the pub.

Third Man Records encourages all attendees of said concerts to please not interfere or interject with any metaphors that they witness occur during the show as to not disqualify or worse yet, trivialize the metaphor in question. In addition all concert attendees are encouraged to entice as many metaphors to occur during the show that they possibly can as long as they don’t endanger themselves or Mr. White.

Sounds like fun, right?

Well, for the most part it will be entertaining to watch this unfold.

But I think if audience participation is not encourage White will be missing out on an intriguing opportunity for concert fan crowdsourcing. And if fans are just observers and not participants in this strange quest then we might have another unfortunate Looky-Loos situation on our hands.

Jack White vs. Guinness

The other twist to the story is that this isn’t the first time that Jack White has tried to make Guinness World Records history with his live show.

As Pitchfork reports, back in 2007 The White Stripes attempted to set a record for the shortest concert ever with a one-note show. The attempt was captured in the excellent film Great White Northern Lights and here’s what happened back then:

“Ultimately they turned us down,” White told Aldrin, calling the Guinness organizers “elitist” and their decision arbitrary.

“There’s nothing scientific about what they do. They just have an office full of people who decide what is a record and what isn’t. I mean, there is some stuff like Olympic records where they have a committee. But most of the records in there-who has the biggest collection of salt-and-pepper shakers or whatever-are just whatever they want them to be. So with something like the shortest concert of all time, they didn’t think whatever we did was interesting enough to make it a record. I don’t know why they get to decide that, but, you know, they own the book . . . Maybe this will help us get the word out.”

Well, it seems that it did.

Guinness World Records have now explained their decision to NME. The White Stripes were, apparently, recognized for their accomplishment in a 2009 edition of the book. But then Guinness received a barrage of applications from other bands attempting to outdo the White Stripes. The organization realized that “the nature of competing to make something the ‘shortest’ by its very nature trivialises the activity being carried out,” they told NME. They decided to do away with a range of “shortest” categories, including shortest song, shortest poem, and shortest concert. Also adding to the decision, they told NME, was how different interpretations of what constitutes a “concert” made the category hard to work with.

All this said, White’s metaphoric quest seems more like a personal mission between him and Guinness, than a fun thing for him and fan’s to experience during the forth-coming tour. Either way, I’m sure it will be entertaining to see if White can pull it off and see if Guinness finally approves.

What do you think about White’s quest?

Were you at the one-note show? Would you want to help White with his metaphoric adventure? What would you do to make this a true artist and fan collaboration?

Rock on my friends and do share your concert experiences and thoughts in the comments below, so they can be included in a future episode of Live Fix Radio.

Jack White’s Tour Dates:

05/18-20/12 – Gulf Shores, AL – The Hangout Music Fest

05/19/12 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel +

05/21/12- NY, NY – Roseland Ballroom +

05/22/12 – NY, NY – Roseland Ballroom +

05/24/12 – Detroit, MI – Scottish Rite Theater +

05/24/12 – Detroit, MI – Scottish Rite Theater (all ages matinee show) +

05/26/12 – George, WA – Sasquatch Music Festival

05/27/12 – Vancouver, BC – Queen Elizabeth Theatre +

05/28/12 – Eugene, OR – Hult Center for the Performing Arts (Silva Concert Hall) +

05/30/12 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern +

05/31/12 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern +

06/21/12 – London, UK – O2 Academy Broxton +

06/22/12 – London, UK – Hammersmith Apollo +

06/23/12 – Hackney Marshes, London, UK – Radio 1′s Hackney Weekend

06/25/12 – Amsterdam, NL – Heineken Music Hall

06/26/12 – Berlin, Germany – Tempodrom

06/27/12 – Cologne, Germany – E-Werk +

06/29/12 -Werchter, Belgium – Rock Werchter

07/01/12 – Belfort, France – Les Eurockeennes

07/02/12 – Paris, France – L’Olympia +

07/03/12 – Paris, France – L’Olympia +

07/05/12 – Hamburg, Germany – Docks +

07/05-08/12 – Roskilde, Denmark – Roskilde Festival

07/20-22/12 – Dover, Delaware – Firefly Music Festival +

07/25/12 – Melbourne, Australia – Festival Hallm +

07/26/12 – Sydney, Australia – Hordern Pavillion +

07/27/12 – Byron Bay, Australia – Splendour In The Grass Festival +

07/27-29/12 – Niigata, Japan – Fuji Rock Festival +

08/03-05/12 – Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza

08/08/12 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheater

08/10-12/12 – San Francisco, CA – Outside Lands

As you know, live music makes concert fans do some crazy stuff. So say hello to the Crazy Falling Fan from the Creamfields Festival in Sydney, Australia.

According to reports, after the fan survived the fall he saluted the crowd with a triumphant thumps up. And, of course, the DJ who was playing tweeted the outrageous moment and kept right on rocking the crowd.

And then the fan was treated at a local hospital. Then shortly after he tried to get back into the Creamfields Music Festival but was apparently denied access.

Again. Wow. Just wow.

Like last years 2011 Best Concert Fan Moments, this dude will certainly be on our list for 2012 in December. And maybe he should go on tour with the Dancing Guy?

What’s the Craziest Fan You’ve Seen?

Were you there at Creamfields? Have you witnessed other crazy fan moments during your favorite shows?

Share your concert experiences and thoughts in the comments below and we’ll include them in a future episode of Live Fix Radio.

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.

Yes, even rock stars get nervous. And as Van Halen gets ready to rock once again, one band member got vulnerable with fans during a smaller, more intimate show at a historic venue.

As Pollstar reports, Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth and the band took the stage at the Cafe Wha? in New York and Roth told the crowd, as he recounted that Bob Dylan had played on the same stage, that “I’m more nervous about this gig than I would ever be at [Madison Square] Garden.”

Why Intimacy Rocks

It’s kinda cool to hear an artist like Roth say something like that. It’s also interesting to think about what happens to the mood and feeling of a show when an artist is vulnerable and honest about the fears and emotions they’re experience at that moment because it really does make the performance more intimate.

And it just goes to show that the size of the venue, how close the band is to the fans, and what legends played before on the stage are all important factors to how and what an artist feels during a show.

It’s Why We’re Addicted

And regardless of how experienced they are, the emotions are still there and very real. And when the artist does get vulnerable the fan is almost always the one who benefits the most because that emotional exchange is what we hope to experience at every concert. It’s why we’re addicted to live music.

But will this sort of small venue intimacy be achievable on Van Halen’s 2012 area reunion tour? And after watching the video above, I REALLY hope, for the fan’s sake, that the live show will be better than “Tattoo,” the first song off the new album.

Who knows, maybe the flood of nostalgia and memories that will be flowing through fans minds and hearts during the show will make up for any rock the band’s lost over the last 28 years.

What’s Your Van Halen Story?

Are you excited about this Van Halen tour? Got a cool 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.

Yes, it’s true. In a recent Pollstar article Perry Farrell expressed a genuine desire to perform on a more intimate level with fans as the band travels the world on their upcoming 2012 tour that begins in February.

“We chose to play as many of the great theatres that we could find because we wanted to immerse the audience in a unique experience unlike any they have ever seen at a rock show,” Farrell said. “Expect an orgy of musical and visual delights. We like orgies, and hope you do too.”

Well, now the concept of orgies at shows is definitely a provocative one. And as we’ve rethought Farrell’s visionary live show approach, we know Farrell’s choice of words to describe their live show is no surprise because he’s had a history of pushing the boundaries of the live music experience with Lollapalooza and other creative endeavors.

And this makes perfect sense because, as we predicted in our 2011 Live Fix Radio 2011 wrap up episode, more fans will continue to go to smaller mid-sized venues to experience live music in 2012. And Jane’s Addiction seems to be positioning themselves to be right in the thick of that trend.

And by the looks of the Jane’s Addiction fan site, the fans are ready to embark on the next phase of the band’s career this year. Here’s a snippet from the blogs section where a fan, “Acidhead Medusa” has excitedly shared rare concert footage with the JA community.

I have the complete concert of Janes playing at Subteranea in London in september 1990 this was filmed with a single video camera from a balcony position and it is pretty good quality for this time. I have also got their gig at Brixton when they supported Wonderstuff and some of them at Rock City in Nottingham. As far as i know this is the only footage of them in the UK. If anyone would be interested in seeing this let me know and I will upload it. If anyone has got any other film from UK gigs I would be very interested to see it ( 1989 – 91 ).

What’s Your Jane’s Addiction Story?

Are you excited about this Jane’s Addiction tour? Got a cool 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.

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.