Tumblr: Chris Carella

This is my list, in order, of the best shows I saw in 2009.

10. Knot Feeder ( Lower East Side) - Knot Feeder is a math rock band featuring ex-members of Done Cabellero, Tabula Rasa, and Soutpaw. Drummer Rob Spagiare, who I first met in high school is maybe the best live drummer I have ever seen. This was one of those hole in the wall, 50 people in the audience, indie rock experiences. Here is a photo I took at the show.

9. Rachel Yamagata (City Winery) - This was a fantastic night. Rachel was great, City Winery is a fantastic venue and we were with great company. A big thanks to John Swords for inviting us to this show.

8. Thievery Corp (Terminal 5) - It feels like I have been listening to the Thievery Corp forever. I finally got a chance to see them at Terminal 5 this year and it was everything I had hoped for. Great music, multiple singers, live instruments all anchored by electronic musicians. Becarella and I danced our asses off at this show.

7. Kings of Leon (Massachusetts) - Somewhere in Massachusetts, becarella and I joined Morton for this show. It was the best General Admission experience ever, standing only 50 feet from the stage in a spacious area (not oversold!). They sounded great and we had fun. The Kings of Leon have continued to grow on me since seeing them live.

6. 2009 Tibet House (Carnegie Hall) - This begins the special part of the list. The event, curated by Philip Glass featured Glass, Patti Smith, The National, and Vampire Weekend. Vampire Weekend featured a string quartet and played a new song. The National are perhaps my favorite NYC band and were fantastic. Check out BrooklynVegan for pics.

5. Dark Was The Night (Radio City Music Hall) - Dark Was The Night is a benefit album for the Red Hot Organization and was curated by Aaron and Bryce Dressner of the National. The double-disc album is fantastic and introduced me to a number of artists, who showed up this night to perform. At this show I fell in love with the Dirty Projectors, Bon Iver, My Brightest Diamond and Feist and continued to listen to them all year. The artists mixed it up and played together including a memorable performance on “Train Song” by Bon Iver and Feist and “Knotty Pine” by The Dirty Projectors and David Byrne. This is the show you shouldn’t have missed. Check out the review at BrooklynVegan.

4. The Killers (Jones Beach Theater) - Becarella and I bought tickets to see the Killers in Amsterdam and then proceeded to create a vacation around it. However, on the night of the show there was a “credible” bomb threat to the venue and they cancelled the show. Disappointing but we managed to find other fun that night in the city. We finally saw The Killers on a summer night at Jones Beach and it was awesome. We have been huge fans since the first album and had a great time.

3. Dirty Projectors (Williamsburg Waterfront) - The free concerts on the Williamsburg Waterfront are great. The Dirty Projectors released their album Bitte Orca this year and it was one of the best albums of the year. The vocals and unique things they do with them live are amazing. 2009 Indie Rock Win. BrooklynVegan post.

2. Nine Inch Nails (Wave Goodbye, Webster Hall) - NIN’s The Downward Spiral Tour was the first rock concert I ever attended. I am a huge fan. It was special to see one of their last shows, and this ticket stub is the only one I have saved and pinned up. I was at the Webster Hall show where they played The Downward Spiral in order in its entirety for the first time. It was the best of many NIN performances I have seen since the first one. Thank You Trent. Please continue to make great music. BrooklynVegan post.

1. The Decemberists (The Hazards of Love, Radio City Music Hall) - The Decemberists’ rock opera, The Hazards of Love, was my favorite album of the year. It is a fantastic album and perfect to be performed live. In character they played through the epic love tale. Shara Worden, as the forest queen, was brilliant. Her voice is amazing. Watching a large ensemble of musicians playing the drums during the Rake’s song is something I’ll never forget. At the end of the set, one older fan pumped his fist towards us and yelled “Tommy in 2009!”. The Decemberists then went on to play a full second set of greatest hits. This show was the pinnacle of music, performance and creativity for me in ‘09. Great pics at BrooklynVegan.