The Year's Best Live Shows:
5. Flaming Lips: Washington DC

I'll set the stage for you: It was the tail end of one of the most stressful two weeks of my life. Two Saturdays prior, my girlfriend and I had set out on an east coast-spanning roadtrip, only to have my car break down halfway through Virginia. And it wasn't just a water pump or even an alternator. It was the transmission (re: expensive and difficult to repair). Defiantly, we left the car with a relative and continued with our trip by any means necessary--a real life Trains, Plains & Automobiles. Ultimately I had to leave the car at a dealership in Maryland and fly home for work. At the airport, my father called to inform me of my grandfather's passing. What a week.
I flew back up to Washington the following weekend, but had to wait til Monday to pick the car up. On Sunday, while checking out a few museums, I noticed a massive festival stage set up on the National Mall. I walked over to examine the situation, discovering that the (free) Earth Day festival was in full swing. I had little to no interest in the act playing (sorry Los Lobos), and would have taken off if I hadn't seen a wiley haired gentleman in a white suit standing behind the stage.
Wiley hair? White suit? It can only be one man:

I stuck around and watched the Lips play, U.S. Capitol serving as their backdrop (see top picture). Wayne rolled around in his bubble, shot confetti, and led the crowd in sing-song versions of "Fight Test" and "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1". Unfortunately, the wind picked up, the clouds spat rain, I was underdressed, and my feet were killing me. After about eight songs, I snaked through the crowds and off through the city to my friend's place where I was crashing.
But I did not leave unfulfilled. Considering "free Flaming Lips show in front of the Capitol" is right between "high fiving a pirate" and "watching Glenn Beck get flying-elbow-dropped by Macho Man Randy Savage" on my List of Awesome Things, I didn't have much to complain about.
4. Avett Brothers: Charleston, SC (review)

The other four shows on my list have already received lengthy write-ups, so I'll just link to them and add a snippet. The Avett's show in Charleston featured Scott Avett nearly going on the disabled list due to a punctured thumb, but, not one to disappoint, he toughed it out and rejoined the band, delivering two hours of wild punkgrass that I won't soon forget.
3. Felice Brothers: Charleston, SC (review)

The second time I caught the Felices this year was their headlining turn at the Pourhouse on James Island. I'm glad I caught these trashy troubadors when I did, because they'll no-doubt soon be playing bigger venues. After only their second trip to Charleston, they brought a capacity crowd and left us all clamoring for more.
2. Andrew Bird w/St. Vincent: Charleston, SC (review)

Fiddles and scarves usually mean one thing: Dickensian prose. But on rare occasions, it means Andrew Bird is in town. Such was the case on October 12th, with noted thin person St. Vincent in tow. Bird played a brilliant set, and stands as the best performer I've seen since Tom Waits.
1. Old Crow Medicine Show w/the Felice Brothers: Charleston, SC (review)

Taking this year's old-timey, knee-slappin cake was Old Crow Medicine Show, who migrated to Charleston in February to deliver a raucous set of high-speed bluegrass interspersed with slow burning folk ballads. These guys are world-class musicians, to be sure, and I might have had the best seat in the house. It was also the confirmation of the Felice Brothers for me--they warmed the crowd up for their fellow New Yorkers.
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