'Tis the season… to put together "Best of the Year" lists. So we thought we'd get into the spirit in our own way, with a few of our favorite promoters, booking agents and talent buyers telling us what their favorite show of the year at their venue was, brought to you by Ticket Alternative, of course!
Thee Oh Sees, Wizzard Sleeve, TV Ghost @ The EARL, October 14 – Damon Hare, assistant talent buyer for The EARL, Atlanta, GA
"This was one show in particular that I was already excited to see. The
bill may not have made sense to everyone but it did to me. TV Ghost being on
tour with Wizzard Sleeve and also being label mates with Thee Oh Sees. The
label being the legendary In The Red Records.
TV Ghost started the evening with an abrasive blend of DNA, Suicide, and
Birthday Party. They played surprisingly tight for a band that was inevitably
going to fall apart however never doing so. They left the crowd (95% not
knowing of their existence) in awe. Wizzard Sleeve then took the stage with
their mix of damaged, goth tinged, and heavily Chrome inspired death rock. The
drummer doing double duty with maintaining the backbone of the performance while
also playing many of the synth leads. They never ever disappoint.
To end the evening Thee Oh Sees didn't take to the stage. They instead
took to the floor with their own PA and just exploded on to the crowd with their
high energy and uber catchy garage pop. It's their staple and not many can
compare. Definitely one of the most exciting live bands in the United States. There were definitely members of the crowd saddened with the band performing on
the floor but majority still got it. No matter what you took away from the show
you know you'll never forget the evening. That is something very few live acts
can pull off these days."
*****
The Drones @ The EARL, April 5 – Patrick Hill, talent buyer for The EARL, Atlanta, GA
"For many reasons, most of them obvious,
Sunday is our least favorite night of the week to host a show. In this case,
both the band and I had been at a mutual friend's wedding in Charleston, SC the
night prior and I don't think either party was particularly looking forward to
the 5 hour drive that led to the early load in and sound check (the band arrived
on time despite my poor attempts at explaining to these Australians the concept
of Sunday blue laws- take that, Broadcast!).
Somehow, The Drones made
it all worthwhile. Loud guitars and hangovers have never meshed so well.
Howling vocals and a lack of sleep. Low end and tired eyes. Rejoice, sweet
rock n' roll!"
*****
K'Naan @ Vinyl, March 4 – Brandon Mize, Rival Entertainment, Atlanta, GA
“One of my favorite
performances of 2009 was K’Naan, a brand-new Hip Hop/Folk artist, on March 4 at
Vinyl. We were only familiar with this artist from some initial Internet
research prior to booking the show, so we were not expecting much out of the
night. Little did we know that the show would not only sell out, but he would
blow us and everyone in the room away with his talent. His current CD Troubadour
became a mainstay on my iPod throughout the summer and still is to this
day.”
*****
Dan Nolan, Co-Owner of Smith's Olde Bar, Atlanta, GA
"It's always hard to pick just one show that was my favorite. If I had to
pick, I would say that
B.o.B in October. Having Whynatte come in and celebrate
their 1st Anniversary was special, and having such a rising star come play the
venue is always a lot of fun.
James Hunter in February was another great show. Having such a legend come
in and tear the place down is as much fun as you can have without being
destructive.
Bob Schneider plays here often, but the show we had in October was a great
one. He had just released a new album, and was back rockin' our stage. We can't
wait to have him back.
From a music fans point of view, I am most proud to have had Band Of Skulls
played Smith's. We got them right after Lollapalooza, and right before they blew
up. I'm so happy that we got to have them play our room."
*****
Von Iva and Semi Precious Weapons @ Drunken Unicorn, January 28 – Gavin Frederick, Booking Agent for Drunken Unicorn
"NYC's Semi
Precious Weapons started it with a raucous glam rock performance with their
singer producing a performance that would have given David Bowie serious
competition during David's prime while SF's Von Iva ended the show with their
great blend of Tina Turner, dance and punk jams."
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