My sister and I caught the Decemberists in Columbus last weekend. They put on an incredible show, playing two full sets and an encore. They ripped through their entire album, Hazards of Love in the first set and then took a short break before returning to play “the hits” and have a some fun with the crowd. I’ve seen them more times than I can count, and I can’t say they’ve ever disappointed!

Standing in the crowd between sets, I got to thinking: what were the best five shows I’ve ever seen?  After mulling it over for a while, here’s what I’ve got (in no particular order, mind you):

• Sigur Ros at the Tower Theatre, Summer 2002. This show floored me. I had been looking forward to it for months and the boys from Iceland delivered. It didn’t hurt that Amiina, a brilliant string quartet, backed them up.
• Gogol Bordello at Lollapalooza, Summer 2008. When Eugene Hutz took the stage at 2 in the afternoon on that blazing-hot day in Chicago, I didn’t know what to expect. You may have heard about GB’s shows, but the energy just doesn’t translate. The gypsy punks took the crowd (most of whom probably hadn’t even heard of them) by storm – even overshadowing a few headliners!
• Rage Against the Machine at Lollapalooza, Summer 2008. I never thought I’d get to see a live Rage performance, so when I heard they were headlining the second night of Lollapalooza, I bought a ticket immediately. I know every word to every song, and so did a good percentage of the tens-of-thousands in attendance. Mosh pits formed everywhere, and everyone participated. Imagine a Rage concert: that’s what it was like. When the show ended, I was covered from head to toe in sweat, dirt and bruises. But it was so worth it. (Note, I know I said “no particular order,” but this show was, far and away, the most fun I’ve ever had at a concert.)
• Muse at the Curiosa Festival, Summer 2004. The Cure gave Muse a tiny afternoon slot on the side stage at their comeback Curiosa Festival, and though they only had time for four or five songs, they made their mark. As soon as they hit the stage, fans rushed to the fore – I nearly lost limbs during Stockholm Syndrome. They stole the show!
• The Decemberists at the Electric Factory, Spring 2005. They say you never forget your first time, and in this case, I never will. Touring in support of Picaresque, Colin Meloy and his plucky troupe performed brilliantly. To date, I’ve never seen a band have more fun with the crowd – and I’ve never seen a crowd have more fun with a band. And I’ll never forget when Chris Funk (guitarist) brought out that giant Whale prop during The Mariner’s Revenge Song. Awesome!

A few honorable mentions: Pinback at Bimbo’s in November ‘08, A Perfect Circle at the Tweeter Center in Winter ‘05, and Teitur at The Point in Winter ‘03.

I should probably provide some context. Here are my Last.fm listening charts from… oh, the early 2000’s or so: http://www.last.fm/user/p33x/charts?rangetype=overall&subtype=artists