I didn’t actually see that many concerts in 2008, but the ones I did were incredible. So incredible that I’ve decided to spend an entire post reliving my favorite ones. This will effectively end my coverage of the best music of 2008. ‘Twas a great year, but I have a feeling 2009 will be even better!

MY MORNING JACKET :: GREEK THEATRE, BERKELEY, CA :: SEPTEMBER 19

From the very start, I wasn’t feeling this show. A heavy mist blanketed the Greek as My Morning Jacket took stage. They quickly launched into newer songs like “Evil Urges,” “Off the Record,” and “Aluminum Park” — definitely not my favorites. I worried the rest of the show would be similar. I thought about leaving early: the risk of catching pneumonia outweighed any enjoyment I might get from staying for the entire concert.

Or so I thought. After 30 minutes, the mist began to lift and MMJ started playing some older stuff. Before I knew it, I was rocking out on my air guitar (like an idiot) to songs like “Phone Went West” and “Dondante.”

Never before has this happened to me at a concert. Not the air guitar. I do that more than I care to admit. No, what I’m talking about is the complete turn around in my attitude. Usually once I lose interest, I’m not coming back. Yet somehow MMJ brought me back. Not an easy task. Well done, boys, well done.

[mp3] My Morning Jacket :: Tyrone

JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE :: HSBG 8, GOLDEN GATE PARK, SAN FRANCISCO, CA :: OCTOBER 5

This is the story about how Justin Townes Earle singlehandedly saved my first experience at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival (or HSBG for short).

Getting to Golden Gate Park was quite the adventure, involving a Muni train packed to the gills, a cab ride cut short by insufficient funds, and a 15-block walk. When we finally arrived, we navigated through a sea of people to the stage where Iron & Wine was scheduled to play. We grabbed some overpriced (but delicious!) food and eventually found a spot to sit.

Despite a huge tree blocking my view of the stage, I was excited to see Iron & Wine play again. I became even more excited when Sam Beam took the stage for an entirely acoustic show. Sadly, my excitement didn’t last long. Sam listlessly stumbled through a set of music that should’ve been amazing.

After the disappointing first act, we again cut through a sea of people to the stage where Justin Townes Earle was playing. Thankfully, he was on a smaller stage. The sparse crowd made it much easier to find great seats. By the time Justin took stage, I felt a little better.

Over the course of the next hour my mood would only improve. Justin put on a remarkable show. Every song he played was a journey, transporting us to a simpler time and place. We were no longer in Golden Gate Park; we were somewhere in the south. Perhaps Tennessee or Georgia.

Throughout this journey, Justin effortlessly jumped between genres — from folk to rock to swing to blues. His bandmate Cory (aka “Swiss Army knife”) helped make it all possible. He played nearly every instrument under the sun. But he absolutely killed it on the harmonica. It was quite the sight.

But the true highlight of the show came at the end. Justin closed his set with an incredible version of “A Desolate Angels Blues.” The studio version of this song sends chills down my spine, especially the part near the end when everything cuts out except Justin’s vocals. But the live version was even better. The concert couldn’t have ended on a better note.

And that’s how Justin Townes Earle singlehandedly saved HSBG 8.

[mp3] Justin Townes Earle :: A Desolate Angels Blues

GRAND ARCHIVES with SERA CAHOONE :: SLIM’S, SAN FRANCISCO, CA :: JUNE 28

I already wrote about this concert here. Unfortunately, I can’t think of anything new to add to my review except for the following thoughts.

The timing of this show was perfect. My obsession with Sera Cahoone was beginning to fade and I hadn’t really given Grand Archives the attention they deserved. But witnessing both bands put on an amazing show rejuvenated my interest in their music.

I’m seeing Sera again at the end of this month (unfortunately, Grand Archives have been replaced by Fruit Bats). If it’s even half as good as the first time, we are all in for a real treat!

[mp3] Sera Cahoone :: Happy When I’m Gone
[mp3] Grand Archives :: Sleepdriving

Because of the movies and TV, I think all musicians are complete jackasses. They trash hotel rooms, do tons of drugs (and groupies), and have egos the size of Texas. Obviously, this is a stereotype. I’m sure most musicians are very nice people. And those who happen to be jackasses were probably jackasses long before they were musicians.

The Spinto Band live at Bottom of the Hill

But I stray. I want to talk about my first ever band interview. On the day after Halloween, I had the opportunity to interview The Spinto Band before they played Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco. At first, I didn’t want to do it. I had never interviewed anyone before, let alone a popular indie band. Also — and I know this sounds quite stupid — I thought they would be mean to me. Probably because I believed all musicians to be jackasses. In the end, however, I decided it was too good of an opportunity to pass by.

Needless to say, I was a little nervous as I sat down to interview Jeff Hobson (drums) and Joe Hobson (guitar and backing vocals) from The Spinto Band. But before talking about the interview, let me first provide a brief history of the band.

The Spinto Band first started recording music in 1998. They self released a handful of albums over the course of a few years, finally gaining some notoriety in 2005 thanks to an infectious little song “Oh Mandy” and a lot of buzz from the blogosphere. They just released Moonwink, their second album on a major indie label, and are currently near the end of a North American tour with Frightened Rabbit. The Spinto Band has six members: Jon Eaton, Nick Krill, Thomas Hughes, Jeffrey Hobson, Sam Hughes, and Joe Hobson.

While it wasn’t my initial intention, I ended up using the interview to dispel my misconceptions about musicians. After a few questions, I soon realized that Jeff and Joe are really nice guys who enjoy playing and recording music. Not at all jackasses. Here are some interesting things I learned about them and the band:

• As you might expect, they sometimes get tired of playing the same songs over and over again at their shows.
• Whoever is driving the tour van has complete control of the radio.
• Being a professional musician hasn’t destroyed their love of music.
• “Oh Mandy” is not about a girl but rather a mandolin.
• They devote their free time to things other than music (like video games) and, somewhat surprisingly, don’t stay too current with the latest bands and releases.
• They like music blogs but sadly have never read mine.

Frightened Rabbit live at Bottom of the Hill

After interviewing Jeff and Joe, I bumped into Frightened Rabbit and chatted with them for a few minutes. Again, they were incredibly nice guys — not at all jackasses. I think I’ve finally gotten over my silly misconceptions about musicians.

As for the actual concert, neither band disappointed. Frightened Rabbit opened with a loud, emotional set. The highlight was definitely when Scott Hutchison stepped in front of his microphone and sang a truly acoustic version of “Poke.” The Spinto Band followed suit, playing with an insane amount of energy. All six members crammed onto the tiny stage and, quite amazingly, managed to avoid hitting each other during their spastic gyrations. They looked like they were having a lot of fun up there.

I know I definitely did.

[mp3] The Spinto Band :: Oh Mandy

Last night was, in a word, amazing. Simply amazing. One of those experiences that rejuvenates your soul and makes the daily grind seem almost tolerable. My previous encounter with this feeling came a year ago when I saw Menomena at the Independent (and probably also this past winter while snowboarding).

Last night Sera Cahoone and Grand Archives played at Slim’s in San Francisco and it was easily one of the best concerts I’ve seen. Both acts were exceptional. Sera opened the show with a set that couldn’t have been more perfect. Highlights included “Only As the Day Is Long,” “Baker Lake,” “Happy When I’m Gone,” “Couch Song,” and an incredible version of “You’re Not Broken.” Her vocals were spot-on and her backing band equally impressive (especially the guy on lap steel).

Following her set, she sat at the merch table and chatted with fans. I asked her to sign my copy of Only As the Day Is Long and happily purchased a t-shirt from her. I hope she starts headlining shows in the future. She is a phenomenal musician and songwriter.

It took me a little while to come down from my Cahoone-induced high, but when I did, I found myself in the middle of the Grand Archives’ set. I honestly would’ve been happy if they played “Sleepdriving” and nothing else, but I actually enjoyed some of their other songs more, especially “Torn Blue Foam Couch,” “George Kaminski,” and a raucous version of “Crime Window.” The true highlight, however, was a duet version of “Louis Riel” featuring Sera Cahoone and Mat Brooke.

The show ended around 11:30pm but I wanted more. Unfortunately, this was the last stop of their tour, so I can’t tell you to go see them for yourself. Which is a true shame because they all looked like they were having a great time playing together. Instead of catching them live, I recommend reading my previous posts (here and here), downloading the songs below, and purchasing their albums if you enjoy. And then hope they decide to tour together again in the future.

[mp3] Sera Cahoone :: Only As the Day Is Long
[mp3] Sera Cahoone :: Happy When I’m Gone
[mp3] Grand Archives :: Sleepdriving
[mp3] Grand Archives :: Torn Blue Foam Couch

Fans of Explosions In the Sky already know their new CD All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone comes out on February 20th. If you followed my advice and preordered the album online through the band’s website, you may even have it now (as I do).

What you may not realize, however, is that back in 2005 Explosions released an EP called The Rescue. Only available through a limited preorder on their label’s site, the EP was part of a series called Travels In Constants. Because of the somewhat secretive nature of its release, not many people knew about the EP until it was too late. After its release, I heard it was selling for over $100 on eBay. Despite the temptation, I held on to my copy.

Those of you who missed the preorder of The Rescue aren’t out of luck. Apparently you can buy the EP at their shows (which I’ve heard are amazing). Or you can download the entire EP on the band’s site, along with select songs from their other LP’s. I’ve provided direct links to the songs below:

[mp3] Explosions In the Sky :: Day One
[mp3] Explosions In the Sky :: Day Two
[mp3] Explosions In the Sky :: Day Three
[mp3] Explosions In the Sky :: Day Four
[mp3] Explosions In the Sky :: Day Five
[mp3] Explosions In the Sky :: Day Six
[mp3] Explosions In the Sky :: Day Seven
[mp3] Explosions In the Sky :: Day Eight

I also stumbled upon another interesting find at The National website. When Clap Your Hands Say Yeah toured with The National in 2005, I remember reading concert reviews detailing how half the audience would leave after Clap Your Hands finished. The reviews then went on to mention how the people who left missed a vastly superior headlining performance by The National.

While I’ve heard a few of their live mp3’s, they did not prepare me for what I was to find at their site. A fan of the band has posted three live videos from their 2005 tour. One of the featured songs is “About Today” (from my “Late Night Drinking” podcast) and it is nothing short of amazing. An extended intro and intense final climax push the song over the 8-minute mark. The National has definitely climbed near the top of my list of bands to see (though they’re probably still behind Explosions In the Sky).

[video] The National :: About Today [live]

The other two videos can be found here.

Each month, Eugene Gordin contributes VolumeSessions, a column about music, digital world, and everything in between.

Welcome to my first guest appearance on Mike’s blog. I want to take this opportunity to thank him for letting me help out, and for agreeing to even do a blog in the first place – if this blog puts into text even a fraction of Mike’s musical taste that he’s shared with me, then you guys are in for quite a trip. That’s enough formality for now, on with today’s topic.

As both a huge internet scavenger and a neat freak, I often search for websites that will help me merge all of my musical tastes together to help me achieve some goal which, in this case, is keeping track of all of the concerts in my area that I would be interested in. Luckily, a couple of weeks ago I ran across JamBase, a website that allows its members to add a list of their favorite bands, and input their area code, and Jambase will show all of the concerts in each member’s areas from the bands they love. To make it even easier, you can upload your iTunes Library XML file and Jambase will automatically import all of the bands in your iTunes library to your member profile (note: currently this is only for Windows iTunes libraries).

Jambase also has venue information, ticketing information, articles about your favorite artists, group creation to allow sharing of favorite artists, and much much more. If you are interested in finding out about concerts in your area, be sure and check out JamBase.

Eugene Gordin is the author of interesting finds, a blog about computer hardware, software, and technology in general. Views expressed in VolumeSessions are his own. Feedback is welcome at eugene_AT_gordin.net.