Stub drub: 50 favorite concerts

Throughout my 20 years in music journalism, the question I’ve been asked most often is, “What’s the best concert you’ve seen?” Variation: “Seen any cool shows lately?” (The second most common Q: “What was your first concert?” A: Journey, with Bryan Adams opening, July 20, 1983, at Lloyd Noble Arena.)

I’m terrible about answering this because (a) I have good memory but terrible on-the-spot recall, and (b) like any critic the answer changes week to week. But on the occasion of winding down this portion of my career, I thought it was time for a definitive retrospective.

So here's a running list of my favorite concerts. That doesn’t mean these were the critical best, though personal and professional thrills usually coincide. This list stems from the personal — the shows that were a thrill, often because of who it was, where we were, sometimes why, often who I was with (maybe you!) — from my misspent youth to my just-finished days as a full-time critic. A lot of ticket stubs and laminates under the bridge ...

50. George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars
Nov. 7, 1996 @ Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa, OK

Four freaking hours — nearly all of them spirited, joyous, tons of fun. Clinton wore a bedsheet printed with little rockets and planets, and he expertly led his crack funk band while injecting little moments of mindfulness into the show — occasional quips of wisdom and spiritual awareness without ever seeming preachy, without ever wet-blanketing the party, just keeping us all in the glorious grayscale between mind and body. After this show, I cut Clinton out of a photograph from the concert — standing there in his sheet, arms outstretched, eyes closed — and have kept it taped to the top of my computer monitor wherever I have worked. He’s still my emissary of groovy peace. One day I shall attain Funkentelechy.
On assignment: Tulsa World (read my review)

49. The Feelies
June 29, 2009 @ Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, Chicago
At long last, my jangly drone heroes! The reunion album was spot-on, the reunion show was surprisingly tight. They were as void of personality as I’d hoped, just hunched over and grinding it out. Great.
Companionship: DeRo (read his review)

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48. The Dandy Warhols
with Treble Charger
Nov. 16, 1997 @ Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa, OK
Stupendous performance for a crowd of about 40 in a venue with a capacity of appx. 1,300. Still, the Dandys were professional, sassy and cool, dripping with slacker allure and leaning on a dense wall of sound. They finished the set, stepped off the lip of the stage, and we all gathered at the back bar and bought each other beers.
On assignment: Tulsa World (read my preview interview)
Companionship: Mark B.

47. Marilyn Manson
Sept. 10, 1995 @ Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa, OK
Manson wasn’t a household name yet, but after this show it was clear he would become one. The Cain’s was packed, and before Manson appeared someone threw a burning Bible onto the stage. Manson was every bit the Iggy Pop showman, complete with pants removal, and shortly thereafter he was indeed the first death-metal spook to crossover.
On assignment: Tulsa World (read my preview interview)
Companionship: Mark B. (see Ian L.'s pic of the appropriately annotated review)

46. Michelle Shocked
July 26, 1993 @ the Rockin’ Horse, Phoenix, AZ
Despite her recent psycho, anti-gay gaffes, my memory of this show will never tarnish. I went because I liked her folkie songwriting; I stayed because her newfound “fonk” was deeply, viscerally embodied. Translation: it rocked my ass off. This was one show where I did not expect to dance. Primary reason the grooves were tight as a flea's arse: Thaddeus Corea (Chick’s son) on drums.
On assignment: The Arizona Republic (see my partial interview and brief review)

45. Donald Fagen
March 19, 2006 @ the Chicago Theatre, Chicago
By himself, Fagen locks into the groove. He enjoys nostalgia and an old-time backbeat more than the melody and Ellingtonia of Steely Dan. The crack band was tight, and Fagen's mood was looser than usual (to that point, anyway). He actually took requests. Most of Fagen’s song selections were even delightful surprises  — “Teahouse on the Tracks,” “Home at Last,” “Goodbye Look,” “FM,” even a left-field cover of “Mis’ry and the Blues” from 1930s Oklahoma City-Chicago musician Charlie LaVere. “I feel like just playing something fast,” he said and launched the band into Chuck Berry’s “Viva Viva Rock ’n’ Roll” with a scorching solo from guitarist Jon Herington. My review of this show wound up quoted in a tedious little band biography, Steely Dan: Reelin’ in the Years.
On assignment: Chicago Sun-Times (read my review)

44. Richie Havens
sometime in 1988 or ’89 @ some club in Memphis, TN
Tiny place, ridiculous. Havens sat in the corner on a stool and wore more rings on his fingers than there were props of them for the Tolkien films. He barred all his chords with his shepherd's hook of a thumb, up and down the neck all night. That voice — such a velvet hammer. At this show, Havens' interpretation made me finally appreciate the tired chestnut “Fire and Rain.”
Companionship: Däv D.

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43. The Plimsouls
June 24, 1996 @ Ikon, Tulsa, OK
Sure, I’m a power pop guy, and sure, I dug the Plimsouls. But I really went to see this show because Blondie’s Clem Burke was playing drums with them. He was every bit as awesome and handsome as I remembered — a kinetic player, a dynamic personality behind the kit, standing on his kick drum, etc. An electric show, with 20/20 opening.
On assignment: Tulsa World (read my preview interview and my review)
Companionship: Mark B.

42. 808 State
March 10, 2001 @ Isaac Butt in Dublin, Ireland
I’m wandering Dublin, like a Ulysses boy must, and I see a poster for this gig. Mouthful of Guinness, spit take. Tiny little club north of the Liffey, not 60 people in the basement. You couldn’t even tell when they took over from the opening DJs — that is, until the sounds got much more interesting, swirling, drifting in and out of “Pacifica.” I danced and drank Guinness and fended off women asking me for drugs.
Companionship: Charles A.

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41. Rufus Wainwright
Sept. 9, 2000 @ CBGB, New York City
The legendary club, I was thrilled to discover, was as cramped and disgusting as I’d always heard. Add to the scene that this was a wild marquee of gay acts (billed as “Homocorps”) — a Tyson Meade wannabe called Bullet, a brash band led by a plump drag queen called Yolanda & the Plastic Family, a truly superb hip-hop duo called Morplay — topped by the emerging talent of Rufus Wainwright. He sat at the piano wearing a giant floppy-brimmed hat and a glittery fishnet half-shirt, and he was totally bombed. He played “Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk” (brand new in that moment) and belched during the verses; he blah-blahed his way through the ornate parts of “Foolish Love.” So why is this on my list of favorites? Because there were many moments when he transcended the context, blurring the blear into real beauty — particularly when Martha came out to help, as on some French chansons — and I was more than a little in love.
Companionship: Melineh K.

40. Everclear
Oct. 30, 1997 @ Liberty Hall, Lawrence, KS
Road trip! We listened to the Waterboys on the drive up. We stayed in a hotel where Oscar Wilde had stayed during his U.S. lecture tour. We pogoed throughout the show, at an intimate theater with a crowd not only singing every word but hanging on them. Good times.
Companionship: Mark B.

39. Ben Lee and Ben Kweller opening for Evan Dando
Feb. 11, 2001 @ Village Underground, New York City
Kweller, fresh into his solo outing, displayed such impressive songcraft everyone quickly let go of the inevitable cute youngster angle. Lee was phenomenal; sporting a scraggly beard and bushy hair, he looked like Loudon Wainwright in the ’70s — fitting since he has the same frank, deeply personal wit. The beauty of it: they both blew Dando off the stage, whose own set was sloppy and dreadful, full of self-pity and obvious astonishment that he’d just been schooled.
Companionship: Cynthia J.

38. The Police
July 5, 2007 @ Wrigley Field, Chicago
It could have been a cakewalk, a laurels-resting shuffle through the hits, but damn if they didn’t blow it out and go all power-trio. Andy’s guitars were a thrill to see worked out live, and Stewart’s drum kit was a cathedral of gadgets that somehow never sacrificed the song (“Walking in Your Footsteps” was wondrously kinetic but graceful). Sting, the stodgy old sod, was finally a musician again. Put a beat-up bass back in his hands and the boy throws down. Refreshing.
Companionship: DeRo

37. Earl Klugh
Oct. 6, 2012 @ Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago
My first guitar hero plays nylon strings. This show — in Chicago’s best listening room — was a joy from start to finish. Opened with “Livin’ Inside Your Love” (I’d forgotten that was his), played “Mirabella” (my favorite) and brought on some local guitar students for a spirited group run through “Vonetta.” A superb date night. On assignment: Chicago Sun-Times (read my preview interview)
Companionship: Daniel

36. Morrissey with the Smoking Popes
Nov. 4, 1997 @ Brady Theater, Tulsa, OK
Moz came onstage, licked his palm, and used it to criss-cross his chest. Ooof! His band was hot (musically speaking), and they played an odd set list: hardly any from the new album (“Maladjusted”), nearly all of “Vauxhall and I,” plus two Smiths songs: “Paint a Vulgar Picture” and “Shoplifters of the World Unite.” Bonus: Smoking Popes, who I would later interview and cover quite a bit in their hometown of Chicago.
Companionship: Chris & Kchris, plus Michelle G.
On assignment: Tulsa World (read my review)

35. Roddy Frame
June 23, 1993 @ The Roxy, Phoenix, AZ
This club show was billed as Aztec Camera, but it was just Roddy and a guitar. He dodged and weaved around the small stage, busking more than anything, and after years of loving his music it finally dawned on me how hot he was. I’d never liked “Down the Dip,” but he closed with a pretty powerful reading of it.

34. New Order
May 3, 2005 @ Aragon Ballroom, Chicago
I love the bass players — this show was all about seeing Peter Hook, the most melodic of the low-strung, driving this new wave band’s beautiful tunes. You rarely see the bassist going all rock star like this, taking his parts and solos up front with a leg up on a monitor or running the wings of the stage. For a good chunk of the show, the New Order experience was about pogoing and pumping fists rather than twirling and dancing. Post-punk, indeed.
On assignment: Chicago Sun-Times (read my review)

33. Ministry with Laika and the Cosmonauts
May 5, 1996 @ Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa, OK
Razzle dazzle, baby. Top hat, tails, and a whiff of danger. Al and his latest lineup prowled the stage, and I always forget how fluid and danceable their grooves are underneath the industrial abrasion. It was a great show until someone in the crowd set off a pepper gas canister midway through, causing the evacuation of the ballroom (an episode chronicled years later in wonderfully grainy black-and-white footage at the climax of the documentary “Fix: The Ministry Movie”). Bonus: Laika was a hoot — Finnish guys in Hawaiian shirts playing surf music.
Companionship: Mark B. (read his review)

32. South by Southwest
March 12-16, 1997 in Austin, TX
SXSW is the annual music conference and festival in the Texas capital, which I’ve been attending off and on since the mid-’90s. The whole shebang was a particularly enjoyable year (despite the nasty cold weather). Jason & the Scorchers kicked my ass. Dwight Twilley and 20/20 played a geeked-out power-pop set. Roger Manning’s Moog Cookbook rose above their usual mere parody. Tulsa’s Epperley rocked a skate shop, and the great Thomas Anderson (the Elliot Murphy of Oklahoma) bewitched in his trademark doo-rag and blazer. The Asylum Street Spankers were amusing and interesting, performing without amplification per their gimmick. I had a blast at a Pansy Division showcase, full of fellow fairy fans. Mark Eitzel was suitably depressing. The best two shows: Paul K. & the Weathermen, a longtime favorite, and a stunning evening in a hotel ballroom with Jimmy Webb alone at a piano, telling stories and playing his intricate songs. Bonus: This was the year Wayne Coyne tried out one of his first Car Radio Experiments in an Austin parking garage, a project that was pretty fascinating despite fizzling quickly after some cars blew fuses trying to crank his tapes.
On assignment: Tulsa World (read the full report)

31. King Missile
sometime in 1991-92? @ Liberty D’s, Norman, OK
So excited to see this show, we got there hours early and watched the sound check. The band tested levels while John S. Hall ate a plate of beans, then he went to the mike and read aloud an article about Georgia O’Keefe he’d been reading. This was pretty much Hall’s art, and the actual show was bone-crushingly loud for that small, awkward venue. Afterward, we talked to Hall and were ministered to by a street preacher. Amen.
Companionship: Chris M.

30. George Winston
Feb. 23, 1988 @ Civic Center, Oklahoma City, OK
I didn’t start buying rock records, I started buying Windham Hill. Teenage friends and I actually dressed to the nines for this show; Winston did not (plaid shirt, socks no shoes). Gloriously, in addition to his lyrical music, he not only stuck his left hand inside the piano to manipulate its sound three times, he also played the vibes and, on one song, eight harmonicas.
Companionship: Chris M., Steve S. and, if I recall correctly, Fergie and Kerr?

29. The Legends: B.B. King, Bobby Bland, Denise LaSalle
April 29, 1989 @ Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, TN
To my surprise, in combing through journals, reviews and ticket stubs to compile this list, I realized I’ve seen B.B. King more often than any other performer: nine times. This was not intentional. Largely, it’s been a product of location (living in Memphis and Chicago, for instance) and professional duties. This show was certainly inspiring enough to launch the trend. I’d been listening to a few B.B. cassettes since I was 16, driving around in a ’66 Mustang, a roaring engine that revs like rock’s roots. Lodged in Memphis (and down the hall from Stinson) made seeing this show a foregone conclusion. Outdoor venue, folding chairs, and a row full of black and white folks in their finery — passing a bottle up and down the row. I drank from it like the communion chalice, which contributed significantly to my attempts at replicating Bobby Bland’s cat growl.
Companionship: Stinson L.

28. Dirty Three opening for Beck
Sept. 28, 1996 @ Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa, OK
Yeah, Beck, stoner party funk, whatever. The reason to be at the Cain’s tonight was Dirty Three, the instrumental trio led by violinist Warren Ellis. The beauty and intensity of their records crackled on stage, and watching Ellis go into his performance trance as he sawed on his fiddle was hypnotic in its own way. Lost in his music, he kept  his throat clear by spitting — straight up at the ceiling. His aim was true, and his effluence collected and collected on the Cain’s stage ceiling tiles until the inevitable happened. Years later I interviewed Ellis again and asked him about this show. “That was the show when the loogie fell on my head? Yeah,” he remembered, impressively. “That was the only applause I got all night.”
On assignment: Tulsa World (read my preview interview, my review and the later interview)
Companionship: Mark B.

27. Sloan Wainwright
Sept. 8, 2007 @ WFMT studios, Chicago
There has yet to be a member of the Wainwright family I do not adore, and the music of Sloan (Loudon’s sister, Rufus’ aunt) is warm, organic, approachable and friendly — a different direction entirely from her brother's naked confessions and barbed humor. I had the pleasure of interviewing her to preview this gig — taping an episode of “Folkstage”  — and then we got to sit in. Repeat the aforementioned adjectives.
On assignment: Chicago Sun-Times (read my interview)
Companionship: Daniel

26. Chainsaw Kittens (and the Frogs)
March 17, 2000 @ Gallery Lombardi Lounge, Austin, TX
Another whirlwind SXSW — Hotwheels Jr (!), more Flick, my beloved Richard Buckner, my beloved David Garza, Shelby Lynne! — but the highlight was a band I’d seen numerous times back in Norman, Okla. (O! those nights at the Hollywood Theater!). This likely was the best I’d seen them: on fire, still trying to prove themselves — and at the end of the showcase Tyson married a cute queen in a camp gay wedding! How do you follow that? With the Frogs, of course, in bizarre costumes and a brazen performance that kinda freaked a lot of people out. Yeah!
On assignment: Tulsa World (read that year's coverage)

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25. Dolly Parton
Oct. 28, 2005 @ the Chicago Theatre, Chicago
The songwriting, OK, we know. But you forget what a musician she is. And not only does she play guitar, fiddle, dobro, mandolin, harmonica, on and on — she does it with, like, six-inch nails! (Bonus: a huge gay audience. Two rows directly in front of us were three drag queens dressed as Dolly, Porter and Kenny. She made them stand up for all to see.) Jolene’s days are still numbered.
Companionship: Daniel

24. The Pretenders (with the B-52’s)
July 23, 1998 @ River Market, Little Rock, AR
I went for Chrissie, I stayed for Fred. Chrissie Hynde was my first rock ’n’ roll infatuation, and she rocked balls-out through “Message of Love” then turned right around and sang “Stand by You” with amazing grace. (A decade later I spent an afternoon chatting with her and her then-boy toy in Chicago.) The B-52’s were more fun than expected (at that date, at least), a well-honed party band led by the best screaming queen in the biz. Fred Schneider’s commitment to his conniption during “Quiche Lorraine” was impressive.
Companionship: Jason & Indy W.

23. The Call
Oct. 5, 1997 @ Steamroller Blues and BBQ, Tulsa, OK
One of my favorite songwriters, performing late in his career at a grubby barbecue joint. But one of my favorite performers. I cannot rhapsodize any further: Been’s passing in 2011 inspired one of my favorite pieces of writing, the end of which reports on this show.
Companionship: Mark B.

22. Poi Dog Pondering with the Duckhills
sometime in 1991 @ a nightclub inside an old church on Classen Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK
I do not usually dance, you're welcome, but this music demanded so much embodiment I had to skip classes the next day for the resulting foot pain. Few nights in my life were this much sweaty fun, and, “Praise the Lord,” the band was hot. (Shortly after this, the band relocated to Chicago, and I would have no idea until I moved there in 2005.)
Companionship: Chris M. and “a superhero named Toni.”

21. Bryan Ferry
Nov. 19, 1999 @ House of Blues, Las Vegas, NV
Ferry’s a classy so-and-so, and this was his tour for “As Time Goes By,” his sublime set of 1930s standards. Black suit, crisp white shirt, bangs just unruly enough. “Cassanova” added a pulse near the end.
Companionship: Daniel

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20. David Byrne with Jim White
Nov. 6, 1997 @ Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa, OK
Byrne was incredible and still very much a consummate artiste. Three costume changes, including the bulk of the set in a pink fur suit. Three encores – one was a creepy, slow version of “Psycho Killer” with Byrne in a body suit illustrating muscle and bone, like Slim Goodbody gone very bad. Wonderfully unsettling.
On assignment: Tulsa World (read my preview interview and my award-winning review)
Companionship: Mark B.

19. Reggaefest
June 27-28, 1997 @ River Parks Amphitheater, Tulsa, OK
One of the only outdoor summer concert festivals I’ve ever actually enjoyed, Tulsa’s Reggaefest was a magnificent aberration — a professional event featuring world-class reggae and world music in the middle of white-bread America. I saw and reviewed five of them, and they were all immensely enjoyable summer weekends with tropical rhythms in the Okie heat. The 1997 fest stands out because of a great bill that delivered consistently. The Skatalites were mellow but thrilling; I expected wild ska based on my second-wave upbringing, but they’re superb jazz improvisers. The Toasters fulfilled my second-wave expectations and left grill marks. Tulsa’s amiable Blue Collars performed at the level of those around them, and the requisite Local Hero set was inspiring. Headliner Rita Marley performed with immense power and grace. It’s refreshing just reflecting all of this. Miss you, Tim.
On assignment: Tulsa World (read my review)

18. Sloan
July 7, 2005 @ Double Door, Chicago
The best power-pop band ever (testify!) was supporting its greatest hits disc on this tour, so the setlist was never wanting. The crowd was like a British pub bunch, chanting, “Slah-oan! Slah-oan!” with Morrissey-esque fervor at every breather. This is one of those bands I love so dearly but none of my friends know who they are, so it was exciting to be among the congregation.
On assignment: Chicago Sun-Times (read my review)

17. Lindsey Buckingham
Sept. 18, 2011 @ the Vic Theatre, Chicago
I’ve seen Buckingham several times, and it’s always a delicate balance between script and scintillating. This night was particularly bristling. Like Arlo Guthrie, he loops the same stage banter and stories, but tonight felt a bit more natural and loose. Supporting his third solo album in a row, he was clearly on a creative roll (pretty amazing, which even he copped to in our earlier interview). Thankfully, he had no band — just the master and his guitar — and opened with one of my favorites of his hushed, menacing new tunes, “Shut Us Down.” That same old solo arrangement of “Big Love” still kicked me in the gut, but new tunes like “Stars Are Crazy” brought out similarly chilling full-moon wails.
On assignment: Chicago Sun-Times (read my preview interview)

16. Pete Seeger
Oct. 26, 2000 @ Barnes and Noble bookstore (Upper West Side), New York City
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting, seeing, even interviewing Pete Seeger numerous times, including his momentous gigs at the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, but this was my favorite. Hawking his latest book of children’s fables, Pete and his banjo were stationed in a corner of the bookstore, where Pete performed as if he were in Central Park. His bony knees stepping high, he pied-pipered up and down the aisles of the store, getting young and old to dance to songs that, even if they didn’t know it, were an important part of their cultural heritage. A joyful afternoon.

15. Ryuichi Sakamoto
Oct. 26, 2010 @ the Vic Theater, Chicago
An all-time musical hero, I’d gotten to interview him ahead of this show. On the stage of the intimate Vic, he played two pianos — usually starting a melody or a riff on one, which a computer would capture and repeat at intervals while Sakamoto continued on the other. An experiment that worked, giving warmth to his new Greenland-inspired ambient music, as well as adding depth to his singular performances of classics such as “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence.”
Companionship: Daniel

14. Steely Dan
Sept. 6, 1994 @ Fiddler’s Green, Denver, CO
The band wore blue suits. A placid performance, a blissful experience. A rich vermilion sunset as the backdrop, the first act opened with the tour’s instrumental overture (“The Royal Scam”/“Parker’s Band”/“The Fez”) and the second act with the Monk-meets-Coltrane “Tuzz’s Shadow.” They hit all the hits, plus both of my requirements: “Kid Charlemagne” and “Chain Lightning.”
Companionship: David Z. and that woman

13. Camper Van Beethoven with Blake Babies
Feb. 24, 1990 @ Omni New Daisy Theater, Memphis
For years after, I remembered two things about this show I now cannot confirm: for some reason, I believed this was the final show of Camper’s “Key Lime Pie” tour, and additionally I got it into my head that this was their last show together before splitting up. Regardless, it was a great show, unusually spirited and jovial, with plenty of chuckles through “The Axe Murderer Song” and a mind-crushing “Eye of Fatima, Pt. 2.”
Companionship: Liz A. and other Rhodesians.

12. Spot Music Awards
Nov. 12, 1999 @ Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa, OK
A big night — my baby comes to fruition. I’d created and produced this music awards show in an attempt to establish a local Grammys in Tulsa. I had to take the stage, in my silver pleather suit, and introduce the thing. Mollys Yes played to a huge crowd outside on Main Street; I still remember Ed jumping up and down, those crazy-high crouches he could achieve. Dwight Twilley played inside the ballroom with his full band (RIP, Pitcock!), and I was in hog heaven. The night: a success! The champagne: flowed!
Companionship: Daniel plus Mark & Kelly

11. The Jill & Julia Show (Jill Sobule and Julia Sweeney)
March 27, 2009 @ Lakeshore Theater, Chicago
Variety shows need a comeback, and this should be the template. Former “SNL” comedian Julia Sweeney married a guy who lives in Evanston, so — starting with this one — she started doing these occasional double bills here with pal Jill. The blend of Julia’s serious but side-splitting monologues and Jill’s funny-but-poignant songs made for a splendid, satisfying show.
Companionship: Daniel

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10. El Vez
Jan. 10, 1997 @ Ikon, Tulsa, OK
An impressive balance of musicianship and showmanship, Robert Lopez’ semi-Elvis impersonator act is a helluva show. Backup singers, a crack band, conquistador outfits — the flash is dazzling and the music is hot. The icing on my particular cake, though, is the unabashed social (socialist) commentary running underneath the whole act. “Mystery Train” became “Misery Tren,” a chronicle of Pancho Villa’s train to freedom. “Viva Las Vegas”’ became “Viva La Raza,” trumpeting a Chicano empowerment group. Infotainment at its finest, and with such finery! (Don’t miss his Christmas show, either.)
On assignment: Tulsa World (read my preview interview)

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9. Robyn Hitchcock
Nov. 15, 2008 @ Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago
A heady night of fandom and friendship. Dave flew in for the show — Robyn’s tour playing the entirety of “I Often Dream of Trains,” which he did with two blokes (one of them the guy from Departure Lounge!). We laughed, we cried. The finest summation of the evening's experience is captured in the above silly lil' home movie, more a documentary about my friend Dave than anything.
Companionship: David Z.

8. Flick with Fanzine
July 24, 1998 @ the Fur Shop, Tulsa, OK
The summer of ’98: Why were we so fixated with this bunch of kids from rural Missouri? A translation of late Pink Floyd through the lingering but by then cloudy lens of grunge, “The Perfect Kellulight” was a perfect drama — now utterly lost, beyond out-of-print, practically unGoogleable save for that bizarre album title (though, amazingly, they're on Spotify now). I remember details of this show on the Fur Shop’s back-patio stage with a clarity that stuns me — Trevor’s hard leer into the audience, the flick of his tongue, at once alluring and menacing, and my friend Don’s mouth hanging open throughout the set until we started throwing bottle caps into it. Our pals in Fanzine opened the show. Good times, those.
On assignment: Tulsa World (read my preview interview)
Companionship: Daniel and the Fanzine crew

7. Dwight Twilley with Buick MacKane
Nov. 13, 1996 @ Caz’s, Tulsa, OK
The night I met Dwight. The reclusive pop genius recently had returned to Tulsa after years in L.A., and suddenly he booked this gig in a tiny downtown bar. We were at a table by the door when he walked in — so New Wave in his skinny jeans, a blazer with buttons on the lapel, that feathered hair. His band was tight as Dwight's hatband, and Twilley played that little bar like it was Wembley. The tunes, old and (!) new, were seamless Frankensteins of Elvis-era rockabilly and Beatles-era pop. It’s been a pleasure knowing him and covering him for so many years.
Companionship: Mark B., maybe Wooley and others?

6. R.E.M. with Pylon
Oct. 28, 1989 @ Myriad Convention Center, Oklahoma City, OK
The “Green” tour was winding down, but Michael was limber and loosey-goosey. I remember appreciating how they opened with a quick run through three requisite standards (“Stand,” “The One I Love” and “So. Central Rain”), and then the show really began. Stipe in blazer, ball cap and shades, standing on a chair with his back to the crowd, whacking the chair with a stick while Buck demurely played mandolin. They played “Perfect Circle,” and I remember someone telling me that meant the band really “liked” the crowd. Whatever, we'll take it. My best R.E.M. show (of three). (Plus, repeat: Pylon!!!)
Companionship: Sondra R.

5. Morrissey with Phranc
June 15, 1991 @ the Paramount Theater, Denver, CO
I’d just flown back to the States after backpacking through Europe. Amazingly, I had cash left over — enough to buy a last-minute ticket to Denver, extending my privilege tour so my best friend and I could finally swoon at the feet of our godhead. In my time as a reporter, I have witnessed strange acts of religious ecstasy, from snake handlers in Owasso, Okla., to children flopping around in the pews at Al Green’s church in Memphis. This may be the only time I have participated in such transportative madness, about which much has been written elsewhere in chronicles of this tour. I barely remember the music, but I remember the wagging tongue, the twirling microphone, the moment I rushed the stage and managed to touch his sweaty neck. Sigh.
Companionship: David Z.

4. The Flaming Lips with Robyn Hitchcock and Sebadoh
Aug. 8, 1999 @ the Will Rogers Theater, Oklahoma City, OK
For the rest of my days, I will live with this image seared in my memory: a stark stage lit with a garish yellow gel, a silhouette poised, the figure rearing back, mallet in hand and then … that figure mercilessly beating the bejesus out of a gong at center stage. This was the Music Against Brain Degeneration Tour, a psychedelic wonderland even if you were chemically straight. The Lips had set up a low-power FM broadcast of the stereo mix and distributed receivers with earbuds to most of the audience. This year — hell, this night — was Wayne’s peak, and it was stratospheric. The expertly synced barrage of video imagery, the puppetry, that fucking gong and those beautiful, beautiful songs. Real ecstasy. (OK, except the openers. Robyn was flustered by the heat in the theater, and Sebadoh sucked.)
Companionship: Chris M. and …?

3. Loudon Wainwright III
June 20, 1998 @ City Arts Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Loudon is one of my all-time musical heroes, and this show was his first in the state of Oklahoma since he was jailed here in the 1960s (a tale woven in “Samson and the Warden”). The venue was small and sterile, the audience small and stiff. The stage was set for some theatrical production — a sea epic we guessed, given the ship’s wheel on a riser at center stage, plus a blue-sky scrim with a cloud face blowing, all of which was rather amusing because the new album Loudon was supporting was “Little Ship.” “I take this set with me everywhere,” he joked. He opened with “I’m Alright,” and then, it being the day before Father’s Day, he played “Bein’ a Dad,” “Hitting You,” “Baby in the House,” even “Rufus Is a Tit Man.” His second encore was a song that his dad (the Life columnist) had written, but his first encore was incredible. He strutted from the wings onto the set’s bridge, placed a hand on the ship’s wheel and sang “Between,” the a cappella account from “History.” Many requests were granted, including “Career Moves” and “Westchester County.”
On assignment: Tulsa World (read my preview interview)
Companionship: Saw this with Daniel, and by a splendid twist of fate we ran into Chris M.!

2. Lloyd Cole with Jill Sobule
June 12, 2001 @ Village Underground, New York City
Many of you know me as another sighing Morrissey fan, and while Stephen P.M. was indeed a cultural cornerstone in my life (and remains so), I have on many occasions claimed Lloyd Cole to be my all-time favorite singer-songwriter. While Morrissey’s lofty quips remain crucial personal touchstones, Cole’s earthbound struggles have been comforting, literate companions well into this approaching middle age.
Lloyd was my first interview subject as a fledgling music journalist back in ’91. More exposition: As a teen, I bought an edition of LP magazine (a vinyl record with an LP-sized magazine in the fold) because it contained a Tom Verlaine cover by Lloyd Cole & the Commotions. The article inside featured a photograph of Cole peering from behind a copy of a Montgomery Clift bio, which I immediately purchased and read. (When I created a profile on Goodreads, I mimicked that photo.) In 2001, I was in New York on a fellowship. One of the senior fellows with us was Patricia Bosworth, the author of that biography. The fellowship was ending, and the last show I saw in New York was dear ol’ Lloyd. Life just does that sometimes.

This show supported possibly his finest album to date, with the Negatives, a moment of completing a perfect circle and sharing perspective on a “Past Imperfect.” Sobule opened, then joined him on guitar. His setlist thrilled both lil’ and ol’ me, including a beautiful arrangement of “Brand New Friend,” the great love song “Undressed” and a surprise run through the nostalgic “Hey Rusty.” I’ve rarely been so happy during a show, and I left midway through the encore of “Jennifer She Said” just because I didn’t want to witness the show actually end. In my mind, it’s always still going.

1. Billy Bragg with Ellis Paul
July 14, 1998 @ the Crystal Theater, Okemah, OK
The most broadly meaningful show of my life thus far. I’d landed the story of Bragg’s “Mermaid Avenue” project with Wilco the previous year when Bragg strolled into Tulsa one afternoon, retracing some of Woody’s steps and hankering to see the historic Cain’s Ballroom. Later, Bragg, a socialist Brit, taking the Crystal stage in Woody’s hometown — the place that for years suppressed Woody’s legacy because of his loose socialist affiliations — as the opening salvo of the first-ever Woody Guthrie Free Folk Festival was nothing short of monumental, and I reported it as such (as did others). (When Bragg, noting the solidly blue audience, quipped that a bomb in the theater would set Oklahoma’s leftist movement back 30 years, we laughed nervously. But it underscored the night’s importance.)

Woody’s sister was there. Camera crews from many nations were scurrying all over the place. The theater exuded a musty smell of comforting endurance. Billy plugged in his lone electric guitar, quipped something about being a punk rocker, and started in. He opened with “A New England,” his own song, then began an educational and entertaining program about Woody and the revival of his lost and lingering songs. Much of the “Mermaid Avenue” disc was covered, plus a few extras. The evening was electric, and ended down the street with everyone joining Billy for beers. You want every concert to change your life, this one did. Two years later I was in New York working at the Woody Guthrie Archives.
On assignment: Tulsa World (links above)
Companionship: Ginnie & Jeff