Top 103 Shows of 2011

Here it is, the most fun list I put together each year.  It's a chance to think back to all the live shows I was lucky enough to see, and then judge them against one another in a battle to the death.  As in years past, I count individual bands seen at a festival as separate "shows" but do not break-out opening acts and headliners as separate "shows".  It makes sense to me.  I wrote about some of these on the blog, or elsewhere, but I'll include a little something about the top-11 and the absolute worst.  Anyway, off we go:

1	Those Darlins/Peelander-Z @ Empty Bottle	October 5, 2011
	I hadn’t ever heard of Peelander-Z and only saw them b/c I accidently showed up early for Those Darlins. There’s no effective way to capture in words what a Peelander-Z show is like, but for an opening band that I was clueless about to capture my #1 live show of 2011, you better believe they’re something utterly bizarre and special.
2	Le Butcherettes @ Lollapalooza	August 5, 2011
	I’d heard that they were a not-to-miss act, and boy were “they” right. Any performance by frontwoman Teri Gender Bender has no equal, but this Lollapalooza performance was truly something special.
3	Salem @ Empty Bottle	March 15, 2011
	Salem introduced me to the genre of witch-core, and though it’s certainly interesting on record, seeing Salem do their thing live is far and away a better experience. Blasts of noise, smoke and light not unlike a haunted disco.
4	Tennis @ Lincoln Hall	January 22, 2011
	Beautiful, romantic, well-crafted, Tennis shines even brighter live in an intimate and brilliant-sounding environment.
5	Youth Lagoon @ Lincoln Hall	November 22, 2011
	A top-5 record of the year, Youth Lagoon captured the live audience with his minimalism.
6	Destroyer @ Lincoln Hall	March 29, 2011
	Each Destroyer show is really just a question of, “In what mood will Dan Bejar be tonight?” Luckily, he was in a feisty mood, despite never speaking to the audience, reading off a sheet of paper, and often facing the back of the stage. Only he can pull that off and make it pleasurable.
7	Death From Above 1979 @ Metro	August 4, 2011
	The brief reunion tour was worth the wait.
8	Fucked Up @ Lincoln Hall	July 2, 2011
	Sadly, it seems like this may have been their last tour for awhile. Damian Abraham is one of my favorite people in rock, and his performing a rock opera while standing atop the bar, shirtless and sweaty encapsulates all that is right with this band.
9	Melvins @ Three Floyds 15th Anniversary Party Melvins at FFF was two awesome drummers and rare beer. Hard not to like.	November 12, 2011
10	Tobacco/Beans @ Lincoln Hall	April 15, 2011
	A first for me seeing either band live, both were excellent and appropriately weird.
11	Black Lips/Vivian Girls @ Logan Square Auditorium Black Lips continue their excellent live performances and Vivian Girls add just enough of a counter-balance to make the combination memorable.	April 22, 2011
12	Danzig/Samhain/Misfits @ Congress Theatre	October 7, 2011
13	Joy Formidable @ Lincoln Hall	April 5, 2011
14	A Perfect Circle @ Lollapalooza	August 5, 2011
15	Wolves in the Throne Room @ Reggie's	September 1, 2011
16	Junip @ Empty Bottle	April 23, 2011
17	Les Savy Fav @ Sub-T	June 25, 2011
18	Those Darlins/Peelander-Z @ Schubas	October 6, 2011
19	Wild Flag @ Empty Bottle	October 9, 2011
20	Tame Impala/Yuck @ Lincoln Hall	May 3, 2011
21	Deadmau5 @ Lollapalooza	August 7, 2011
22	Odd Future @ Pitchfork	July 17, 2011
23	Surfer Blood/…Trail of Dead @ Bottom Lounge	May 7, 2011
24	Smith Westerns @ Lincoln Hall	May 11, 2011
25	Tapes 'n Tapes @ Northcenter Ribfest	June 12, 2011
26	Matt & Kim/Thermals @ Vic	June 26, 2011
27	Zola Jesus @ Pitchfork	July 16, 2011
28	TV on the Radio @ Pitchfork	July 17, 2011
29	Beirut @ Lollapalooza	August 6, 2011
30	Ratatat @ Lollapalooza	August 5, 2011
31	Cut Copy @ Pitchfork	July 17, 2011
32	Wavves @ Wicker Park Summerfest	July 24, 2011
33	Girl in a Coma/Detroit Cobras @ Bottom Lounge	June 2, 2011
34	Death From Above 1979 @ Lollapalooza	August 6, 2011
35	Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. @ Lollapalooza	August 7, 2011
36	Ween @ Lollapalooza	August 6, 2011
37	Blonde Redhead @ Millennium Park	July 18, 2011
38	Japandroids/Bass Drum of Death @ Schubas	September 23, 2011
39	Hunx & His Punx @ Double Door	September 14, 2011
40	Best Coast @ Lollapalooza	August 7, 2011
41	Fresh & Onlys/Crocodiles @ Lincoln Hall	April 20, 2011
42	Deerhoof @ Bottom Lounge	September 25, 2011
43	Marked Men @ Empty Bottle	May 28, 2011
44	EMA @ Pitchfork	July 15, 2011
45	Fleet Foxes @ Pitchfork	July 16, 2011
46	Gwar @ HOB	October 31, 2011
47	Le Butcherettes @ Sub-T	November 4, 2011
48	Yakuza @ Sub-T	November 23, 2011
49	Besnard Lakes @ Lincoln Hall	January 13, 2011
50	Michael Showalter @ Schubas	March 14, 2011
51	Raveonettes @ Lincoln Hall	April 6, 2011
52	tUnE-yArDs @ Pitchfork	July 15, 2011
53	Low @ Millennium Park	June 27, 2011
54	The Mountain Goats @ Lollapalooza	August 5, 2011
55	Das Racist @ Pitchfork	July 15, 2011
56	Eminem @ Lollapalooza	August 6, 2011
57	Ganglians/Friends @ Beat Kitchen	December 2, 2011
58	Les Savy Fav/Thermals @ Green Music Fest	June 26, 2011
59	Cults @ Lollapalooza	August 5, 2011
60	Wild Flag @ Wicker Park Summerfest	July 23, 2011
61	Girl Talk @ Lollapalooza	August 5, 2011
62	Neko Case @ Pitchfork	July 15, 2011
63	Nobunny @ Do Division	June 4, 2011
64	Tennis @ Lollapalooza	August 5, 2011
65	Ted Leo @ Millennium Park	July 25, 2011
66	Explosions in the Sky @ Lollapalooza	August 7, 2011
67	Shabazz Palaces @ Pitchfork	July 17, 2011
68	High Places @ Empty Bottle	August 21, 2011
69	Torche @ Bottom Lounge	July 28, 2011
70	High Places @ Illinois Centennial Monument at Logan Square	August 21, 2011
71	The Mountain Goats @ Lollapalooza	August 5, 2011
72	Blitzen Trapper @ Wicker Park Summerfest	July 24, 2011
73	Wild Nothings @ Pitchfork	July 16, 2011
74	Here We Go Magic @ Schubas	May 9, 2011
75	Iron and Wine @ Millennium Park	June 6, 2011
76	Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti @ Pitchfork	July 17, 2011
77	Local Natives @ Lollapalooza	August 6, 2011
78	Lykke Li @ Lollapalooza	August 6, 2011
79	Black Lips @ Lollapalooza	August 6, 2011
80	Toro Y Moi @ Pitchfork	July 17, 2011
81	Deerhunter @ Pitchfork	July 17, 2011
82	Foo Fighters @ Lollapalooza	August 7, 2011
83	Destroyer @ Pitchfork	July 16, 2011
84	Manchester Orchestra @ Lollapalooza	August 7, 2011
85	Smoking Popes @ Double Door	April 3, 2011
86	Kid Cudi @ Lollapalooza	August 7, 2011
87	Battles @ Lincoln Hall	April 30, 2011
88	A Place To Bury Strangers @ Do Division	June 5, 2011
89	Battles @ Pitchfork	July 15, 2011
90	No Age @ Pitchfork	July 16, 2011
91	DJ Shadow @ Pitchfork	July 16, 2011
92	Local H @ West Fest	July 9, 2011
93	Delicate Steve @ Millennium Park	July 11, 2011
94	Califone/Bloodiest @ Illinois Centennial Monument at Logan Square	June 26, 2011
95	Arctic Monkeys @ Lollapalooza	August 7, 2011
96	Bonnie Prince Billy @ Millennium Park	May 23, 2011
97	Superchunk @ Pitchfork	July 17, 2011
98	Foster the People @ Lollapalooza	August 6, 2011
99	Tokyo Police Club @ AV Club Fest	September 11, 2011
100	Cee Lo @ Lollapalooza	August 6, 2011
101	Kings Go Forth @ Millennium Park	June 20, 2011
102	The Cars @ Lollapalooza	August 7, 2011
103	Joy Formidable @ Metro The Metro used to have a nasty habit of overselling their more popular shows. The practice seemed to end when they ditched Ticketbastard and migrated to another platform. I should have known something was amiss when the service fees started creeping back up, but this show was so-oversold that access to the main floor was impossible. Dozens of attendees were relegated to the back hallway with zero sightlines and horribly muffled (and boomy) sound. It looks like the Metro is going back on my “never-attend” list of venues.	December 14, 2011