Tag: Lord Huron

  • My top 10 concert moments

    I’ve been to many concerts in my life. But I noticed the ones I remember most keenly have a specific song or moment that locked into my consciousness. Here, in chronological order with their venue and specific date (thanks internet!), are the ones that have stuck with me the most.

    “The City, The Airport” by Loney Dear

    The Metro. Chicago. April 13, 2007. My former bandmate and I had a connection with Matt and Seth of Anathallo (see below), and they invited us to go see Low. We arrived during the opener, a Swedish group called Loney Dear, as they were playing this propulsive bop. I found Low’s show to be slow and forgettable, but I’ll never forget Loney Dear.

    “On the Safest Ledge” by Copeland

    The Bottom Lounge. Chicago. October 30, 2008. I went with my friend Whitney to see one of my favorite bands at the time (and one I’ve been writing about since this blog’s beginning). You Are My Sunshine has just come out and I was really steeped in Eat, Sleep, Repeat so getting to see them live was a real treat, and this particular song was absolutely electric.

    “Why Can’t It Be Christmastime All Year?” by Rosie Thomas

    Schuba’s Tavern. Chicago. December 7, 2008. This was a Christmas-themed show, with Rosie and her bandmates dressed in ugly holiday sweaters and pajamas and playing festive tunes—including this bouncy original that’s become a staple in my annual Yuletide listening. I emerged from this concert into the unrivaled winter wonderland vibes of Christmastime in Chicago with its snow and cold and twinkling lights.

    “All the First Pages” by Anathallo

    The Union. Naperville. February 20, 2009. This is what inspired me to do this list. I’d seen them before, but this particular song played by an eight-piece group packed snugly onto a small stage in an intimate venue with a standing-room-only crowd… well, let’s just say when the bridge explodes into the final chorus, it felt like the roof blew open and confetti was flying everywhere. Transcendent.

    “You Should’ve Seen the Other Guy” by Nathaniel Rateliff

    The Pabst Theater. Milwaukee. May 25, 2010. About to graduate from college, I drove up to Milwaukee with my friends Steve, Tim, and Andrea to see The Tallest Man On Earth. He was a great show in itself, but Rateliff and his band (not yet “& the Night Sweats”) were a wonderful surprise as the opening act. I could feel his primal yell in this chorus even from the nosebleeds.

    “Hey Jude” by Paul McCartney

    Wrigley Field. Chicago. August 1, 2011. Technically I didn’t go to this concert; my friend Brian and I just joined the crowds gathered right outside the stadium to listen to legendary music reverberating out into Wrigleyville. But that didn’t matter—it was basically a free Beatles show, and singing this song live with thousands of people is an experience I’ll never forget. (The photo at top captures our freeloaders’ view—the big white light is the giant screen in the stadium.)

    “Emmylou” by First Aid Kit

    Lincoln Hall. Chicago. April 6, 2012. My now-wife and I had just started dating when we went to see this Swedish duo who had blown up with the release of The Lion’s Roar, so it’s no wonder hearing this buoyant song about love and winter and music stuck with me. Just as good: watching Emmylou Harris tear up hearing it live.

    “She Lit A Fire” by Lord Huron

    The House Cafe. DeKalb. July 23, 2013. Their album Lonesome Dreams had been my personal soundtrack the previous winter, so it was a thrill to see them live—with a bonus of my friend Kevin Prchal as the opener. As with First Aid Kit, this song’s lyrics (“she lit a fire, and now she’s in my every thought”) spoke directly to my burgeoning feelings for my soon-to-be-fiancée.

    “Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)” by Billy Joel

    Wrigley Field. Chicago. August 11, 2017. Back at Wrigley with my sister to see one of our mutual favorites as an early birthday outing, we’d planned to hang outside like at the McCartney show but then out of curiosity checked the box office when we arrived. Tickets weren’t exorbitant, so my sister decided to spring for them and we went in, this final song from Turnstiles leading off the show as we found our seats for what became a magical evening.

    “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” by I’m With Her

    Thalia Hall. Chicago. January 6, 2018. We didn’t know it at the time, but this ended up being the last concert my wife and I went to together before our first child was born. And while their original songs were delightful, their a cappella cover of this Adele song was so unexpected and brought the house down.


  • Favorite Albums of the 2010s

    See also: my favorite books, TV shows, and films of the 2010s.

    Listed alphabetically by artist, here are the albums from the last 10 years that sustained and entertained me:

    Abigail Washburn, City of Refuge. Favorite track: “City of Refuge”

    The Book of Mormon Original Broadway Cast Recording. Favorite track: “You And Me (But Mostly Me)”

    case/lang/veirs, case/lang/veirs. Favorite track: “Atomic Number”

    Dawes, Nothing Is Wrong. Favorite track: “A Little Bit of Everything”

    Good Old War, Come Back As Rain. Favorite track: “Amazing Eyes”

    Hamilton Original Broadway Cast Recording. Favorite track: “One Last Time”

    Ingrid Michaelson, Songs for the Season. Favorite track: “Auld Lang Syne”

    Joe Pug, Messenger. Favorite track: “The First Time I Saw You”

    John Mayer, Born and Raised. Favorite track: “Queen of California”

    The Lonely Island, Turtleneck & Chain. Favorite track: “Jack Sparrow”

    Lord Huron, Lonesome Dreams. Favorite track: “Ends of the Earth”

    Lucius, Wildewoman. Favorite track: “Turn It Around”

    The Okee Dokee Brothers, Through the Woods. Favorite track: “Walking With Spring”

    Over the Rhine, Blood Oranges in the Snow. Favorite track: “First Snowfall”

    The Tallest Man On Earth, The Wild Hunt. Favorite track: “Troubles Will Be Gone”


  • Favorite Films, Books & Albums of 2015

    Resurrecting my 2013 choice to include all my best-ofs into one omnilist, here are 15 films, books, and albums I loved from 2015.

    Film

    1. Brooklyn
    There’s a scene about five minutes into Brooklyn that setup the whole film for me. Eilis (Saoirse Ronan), soon bound for a new life in 1950s America, watches as her friend disappears into the dance crowd with a partner, leaving her alone, on the outside looking in at what will soon be her old life. The camera holds on her face, which betrays a tender bittersweetness that characterizes the whole of John Crowley’s exquisite and humane film. Even while still at home she is homesick, a struggle she will have to endure long after she sails away from Ireland and attempts to forge a new meaning of home. Saoirse Ronan carried this film, and me with it.

    2. Spotlight

    3. Mad Max: Fury Road (if only for this shot)

    4. Creed

    5. Slow West (review)

    Books

    1. The Hunt for Vulcan by Thomas Levenson (review)
    I’m a sucker for concisely written popular histories that uncover forgotten pockets of history and render them understandable and entertaining to the general public. This book does just that. Having read Isaacson’s biography of Einstein last year I was a little better equipped than I otherwise would be when reading about Einstein’s role in this narrative, yet I found Levenson’s distillation of the theories revolving around the Vulcan episode even more accessible than others. I’ve been pimping this one at the library with hopes more people will enjoy it as much as I did.

    2. Skyfaring: A Journey with a Pilot by Mark Vanhoenacker

    3. H Is For Hawk by Helen Macdonald (review)

    4. Step Aside, Pops by Kate Beaton (review)

    5. The Typewriter Revolution by Richard Polt (review)

    Albums

    1. Psalms by Sandra McCracken
    “All Ye Refugees” was quite timely this year, given the animus surrounding immigration. It’s heartening to remember public policy need not and should not be influenced solely by politico and demagogues. Though this album is explicitly based on the Psalms, like her previous albums The Builder and the Architect and In Feast or Fallow its blend of modern and ancient style lends it a timeless sound even the irreligious can appreciate.

    2. Didn’t He Ramble by Glen Hansard

    3. Carrie & Lowell by Sufjan Stevens

    4. Such Jubilee by Mandolin Orange

    5. Strange Trails by Lord Huron


  • Favorite Music of 2012

    lord_huron1

    To me, music is blood. It runs through me, providing life and warmth in even the coldest and loneliest times. Here are a few albums from the last year, with a song from each, that gave me life and color in 2012.

    Lord Huron, Lonesome Dreams (Song: “Ends of the Earth”)

    First Aid Kit, Lion’s Roar (Song: “Emmylou”)

    Good Old War, Come Back As Rain (Song: “Amazing Eyes”)

    Bruce Springsteen, Wrecking Ball (Song: “We Take Care Of Our Own”)

    Michael Kiwanuka, Home Again (Song: “Always Waiting”)

    Eric Whitacre, Water Night (Song: “Alleluia”)

    Mumford & Sons, Babel (Song: “I Will Wait”)

    (Image: Lord Huron)