2008 in review: Live Music

Happy new year! This is the first in a series of posts looking back at stuff I did a lot in 2008. Reading, traveling ... and going to concerts. So, here we go:

Total shows (counting each day of multi-day events): 52 (up six from 2007)

Performers seen for first time (headlining): 9 (Split Enz, Bang on a Can All-Stars, The Swell Season, The Kronos Quartet, The Magnetic Fields, Eighth Blackbird, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Harry Connick, Jr., Bon Iver)

Performers seen for the first time (support or festival): 25+ (Neil Young, Fleet Foxes, Flight of the Conchords, John Doe, David Rawlings, Retribution Gospel Choir, Death Cab for Cutie, Cat Power, Sarah McLachlan, Band of Horses, Smashing Pumpkins, Giant Sand, Stars, Broken Social Scene, The Tallest Man on Earth, and many more)

Seen most often: Wilco, Fleet Foxes, Jon Brion, The Decemberists/Colin Meloy

Favorite concert moments of 2008, in no order:

• Flanagan (and Jon) finishing up on Fairfax with "All is Full of Love," 5/2
  
• Martin Rivas bringing down the Hotel SnS with Sir Duke, 4/12
  
• "Skinny Love" at the Barrymore, 12/19
  
• "Wilco the Song," from the side, 11/1
  
• Red shorts from the stage kicked in a little girl's face in Anchorage, 7/26
  
• Belting out "Six Months in A Leaky Boat" with an arena full of Kiwis in Wellington, 3/25
  
• Crazy Beatles medley at Martyrs', 1/2
  
• "Millions of Peaches" encore, Night 2 of the Residency, 2/16
  
• Will Sheff takes the lead on "Myriad Harbour" and upstages the New Pornographers, 4/21
  
• Robin playing "Oliver James" solo (any night) during the Fleet Foxes opening stint out west, 8/20-8/23

If there are major highlights you think I'm forgetting, that's because I probably am. Remind me!

Next up, books.