Best of 00 - Music 2000-2004

When I go to concerts, it’s go big or go home. After thinking about it, I’ve hardly seen shows in either of the places I have lived – Bend or Omaha. I’ve been known to fly across country to see a band play (U2) or drive eight hours (Radiohead).  I just don’t spend my money on any band or artist. It’s a carefully thought out process. So here goes the great shows of the past decade … and no, you won’t be surprised by who I have went to see.

2000 - Phish: Alpine Valley Amphitheatre
Phish shows are an experience like no other (unless you went to Dead shows). The pre-party is all the rage. You have to get there hours before to enjoy the moment. Full on shakedown streets, people peddling everything from shrooms to veggie burritos and then the unofficial Phish shirts and tape trading.  The show opened with “Punch you in the Eye” and I only remember this because a few years later Phish released this show live. I often listen to it to get into the Phish vibe mood.

2001 - Radiohead at Red Rocks with The Beta Band
Readers of my old blog know the tale of this show. Shannon gets a new car. Shannon’s boyfriend of the moment gets tickets to Radiohead (I think we were in the first 10 rows. I can't find the ticket stub ANYWHERE). We drive to 8 hours. The show rocks. I end up with a THE famous rainbow sweater scored from a thrift in Golden, Colorado. Boyfriend of the moment spills a Diet Pepsi all over the front seat in my new car. (said BOM was not too happy with my account of this). This show ranked for a while as the second best show I've seen ever (it is now #3). Radiohead is amazing live and seeing opening act Beta Band was just icing on the cake as I loved them a ton at the time (remember the famous line from High Fidelity about the Beta Band?). PLUS it was at Red Rocks.


2002 U2 Elevation Tour – KC/San Jose
How was it the last time I saw MY FAVORITE BAND EVER in 2002? Sheesh that seems so long ago. I thought I blogged about this on the old blog but I guess I didn’t. I flew to San Fran and tagged along with some friends to see U2. U2 is a band who goes big or goes home (hey, just like me) when it comes to shows. Unfortunately, U2 plays the same scripted show every night so when I saw them later in the year in KC with my cousin Bob, I was a little disappointed. I did, however score a press pass (yay for working at an internet company) and got to be in the press pit for the U2 show. That photo of Bono, shot by yours truly (!!!!). The embarrassing thing, my camera was way smaller that everyone elses photo. I was so close to Bono, I could have touched him but I refrained. I was supposed to see U2 in 2004 BUT a snowstorm over the pass forced me to sell my tickets. I’m happy to report I’ll be in attendance at U2’s show this summer in Seattle.



[caption id="" align="alignright" width="448" caption="Flaming Lips at LSA"][/caption]

Beck with the Flaming Lips – Lawrence, KS
Finally, a show I actually blogged about! I don’t have to rely on my memory here. I didn’t know I was going to this show until the day of the show. It was sold out and my “friend” (not BOM anymore, but the person who spilled Diet Pepsi in my car) called to say he was taking me to this show (after much begging on my part). (side note: this is same said “friend” who claims and takes credit to have gotten me into Wilco, which is totally untrue as I bought AM/Being There when they came out (1995/96). It’s more like he played Wilco all the time and I just started to like them a bit more than I did before. This is also the person who I was supposed to go to the Omaha Wilco show and well, we got in a fight and I didn’t go as the show which was sold out and he had the tickets. And you’ll never guess what happened next – he had an encounter with JEFF TWEEDY.) OK, back to Beck/Flaming Lips. Here is an account of the show from my old blog:

“Our seats were good and it was nice to sit down most of the time and relax and enjoy the show. “friend” warned me that the flaming lips were crazy and that beck would be really mellow. I wasn't prepared for the flaming lips. They came out with people dressed in animal costumes who were holding up flash lights. Then there were four disco balls going at the same time and the band was shooting the smoke machine out into the crowd. There was also a video screen, shooting various images. i couldn't keep up but it was awesome. Beck came on and he played acoustic for a while until the flaming lips came up as his back up band so beck wasn't depressing, he actually danced all over. I did cry during "lost cause." it was more upbeat than usual but i still did shed a tear. that song is so sad. ugh.”

This is when I formed a love for the Flaming Lips and the main reason why they are my 4th favorite band (2nd favorite American band). They put on an amazing show and their songs are so different from anything out there.

2003
I think I saw the Red Hot Chili Peppers this year but I didn’t go by choice. The ticket was free and I just went along. I also saw John Mayer at the Qwest Center in Omaha. I actually didn't want to go to this show but I did go and I did enjoy it. John Mayer IS nice to look at.

2004
I moved to Bend this year. I saw Michael Franti at COCC. It was a good show. Again, the ticket was free and I didn’t know too many people and I needed to get out. I was supposed to see Radiohead that summer but they cancelled all of their shows. I saw the legendary Pixies this year. It was my first concert LSA as a Bend resident. We mostly hung out in the beer garden. I believe the Decemberists opened and I was pissed because I missed it!

OK, 2005 - 2009 is coming up. It includes some of my top shows ever and a lot of Wilco (U2, Radiohead weren't touring much at this time).

Year 2000 - Yes, I was a Phishead

[caption id="attachment_471" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Greatest jam band? Phish? Really?"][/caption]

It's probably pretty obvious to my readers that I have bad taste in music. So it should not come to a surprise to you that at the turn of the century, I was really into Phish. I don't even know how the whole Phish thing got started but one day I was this normal college student in Nebraska and the next day I was eating veggie burritos in Wisconsin on shakedown street. The funny thing -- no one in my family really knew that. They knew I liked Phish (they still think Phish is my favorite band -- which they never have been -- U2 holds that top spot). They knew that I might have went to a show but they didn't know about the driving to Minneapolis or heading to Wisconsin or the shows in Kansas City or the time I had tickets to five shows in a row. Many miles on my '95 Saturn coupe to see what Rolling Stone calls America's greatest jam band (doesn't that title go to the Grateful Dead?).

We declared last night "Rock Doc" night. I have a few rock docs in my DVD library and my husband said he'd never seen Phish's Bittersweet Motel doc about The Great Went shows in Maine, I humored him and took a ride back in my past. You see, I secretly find reasons to get in the car on Sunday to listen to 92/7FM's Jam in Your Ear because I might catch a Phish bootleg song. Every once and a while, I drag a Phish CD out and listen. I'm becoming my mother, listening to 8 Tracks from the 70s in the 90s except I only do this in my car and only subject myself to it. My husbands likes Phish. He also is a Dead fan too. Can you like both? This movie talks about that and actually shows the leader of the band dissing phan. What the? I forgot about that part.

Phish reminds me of all the embarrassing things I did in my 20s. It's a good reminder that you need to have fun because someday you need to grow up and become an adult.

The last Phish show I attended was in 2000. They bounced on trampoline. Trey and Mike did their little dance. 2001 was played. Run Like an Antelope blared. My friend thought Phish actually wrote "Roses are Free." Umm, no -- that was Ween. Then my boyfriend and I broke up. And I moved on. I couldn't listen to Phish (even though I did the breaking up, it brought back all these memories I didn't want to re-live).

I can't believe it's been 10 years since I last saw Phish. In that time, they've broken up. Formed side projects. Got arrested for drugs and then re-grouped in 2009 for a reunion tour. I was tempted to head to the Gorge to see them but I only could go see one out of town show this summer and you all know who that was.