Wanna know how I know it was a good year for concerts in this city? When I did last year’s list of the most memorable concerts it had 11 shows on it; this year’s look back is 27 concerts deep, by my count, and that’s with leaving several off. So much for brevity. It was more than luck, too; SGF gained a new mid-sized venue in the O’Reilly family Events Center, while another–Gillioz Theatre–took initiative to book more concerts than ever before. Coupled with the splashy re-emergence of JQH Arena as a show-booking player and you have a wealth of recognizable names appearing onstage. With that said, 11 of the shows below didn’t have a single non-SGF-origin band on the lineup. Anyone only going to shows for artists they hear on the radio missed out on a lot.
Two major themes emerged onstage in 2010, so much so that I wanted at different times to declare it “The Year of (trend goes here).” First, it was The Year of the Country Show, with more big-name artists in that genre booked in the city than ever before. It makes sense, since the genre enjoys an ever-growing following and has plenty of radio support locally. It was also The Year of the Tribute Show, as local musicians took to one-night-only concerts dedicated entirely to one artist–or even album–to a degree that was almost unfathomable even a year or two ago, and it shows no signs of letting up in 2011. In the past local original-music peeps have shuddered at the popularity of all-covers acts in Springfield; was this the middle ground to allow them to play the songs they grew up on and loved without having to hand in their “scene card?” Or was it indicative of a greater letting go of such self-awareness? Both are possible, but I’m hoping for the latter, because while the tributes should eventually taper off (nice trend, but it can be overdone) such letting go can only do good for SGF’s native musicians in the year(s) ahead.
That’s enough talk about the future, though. Here’s a look back at the year’s most memorable concerts in chronological order, starting all the way back with maybe the only septuagenarian man who can wear pigtails and no one will say anything:
* Willie Nelson at The Shrine Mosque, February 20: A show of personal significance to FM Productions head honcho Tom Morris (he has a long history of hits and misses in trying to book Nelson in SGF) helped set off the Year of the Country Show in top fashion.
* The Doors Tribute at The Outland, February 13: How does a rock-music showman celebrate his birthday? By assuming the role of one of the all-time great showmen, naturally. Ranald Cummings III took on the persona of Jim Morrison the night of the Sertoma Chili Cookoff to front a one-night supergroup (including Speakeasy members on their third show in 24 hours), ripping through classic Doors tunes with that dangerous, not-quite-under-control edge they deserve.
* Shaman’s Harvest, Blue Felix and Assembly Line Gods at Nathan P. Murphy’s, February 27: This one was a case of everyone involved raising their game at once. Murphy’s changed its whole approach as a venue for one night, eschewing the tables and chairs for more space; ALG put on one of its best sets ever; and Jeff City group-going-national Shaman’s Harvest left the crowd with a stirring set to go home to. Everything a rock show of its kind should be.
* TAG Showcase at Lindberg’s, March 4: We love a good idea, and in this case we turned one of our Lindberg’s concert nights into a giant singer-songwriter showcase the likes of which SGF had never seen for Cropdusters drummer Brian Azevedo. Nineteen of the city’s best played unplugged that night (two more listed didn’t make it) in a show intended as a kickoff for Azevedo’s idea of a similar, if smaller, monthly traveling songwriters showcase, and while the regular event hasn’t gotten off the ground yet we’re glad we could help make this one happen.
* Mac Lethal, Les Izmore, Sincerely Yours and The Spacetones at LemonDrop, March 6: Mac will reappear on this list later, too. Why twice? Because each of his two SGF concerts were among the year’s most memorable, if in different ways. For this one he went intimate with the audience, even sitting everyone down (!!!) for a story and waving hello to police officers driving by on Commercial Street. The unexpected reunion of local hip hop troupe Real Rhymers Camp was the icing on the cake.
* Lucero, Glossary and The Cropdusters at The Outland Ballroom, April 6: A highly anticipated show among fans of underground country and Southern rock, Lucero’s set was powerful and heartfelt, and the standing-room crowd returned the love in a surprisingly trouble-free show.
* Social Distortion vs. Misfits Tribute at Lindberg’s, April 9: The Social D set, while very good, has been done before. But to see some of the same musicians come back out onto the stage–dresses in the classic Misfits hair and, especially, the skull-paint makeup–and play again was a jaw-dropping highlight.
* George Jones at The Shrine Mosque, April 16: We underestimated the enthusiasm from local musicians and concertgoers when this show was announced early in the year. “The Possum” hasn’t had a hit in a while (last chart-topping single: “I Always Get Lucky With You,” 1983), but one should never underestimate the pull of a legend.
* Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper at The Shrine Mosque, May 7: Billed as The Gruesome Twosome Tour, there were rumblings about how Cooper’s show, 30-plus years into his career, would hold up side-by-side with Zombie’s each night. Neither man disappointed.
* Koffin Kats, Brutally Frank, The BoogeyMen, Agent 15 and Angry Panda at The Outland Ballroom, May 7: This one was the same night as Zombie-Cooper, and it became that show’s sort-of afterparty. Fans piled in to catch a rare Angry Panda appearance, one of Agent 15′s early shows, an especially “on” BoogeyMen set and an explosive turn by the punk/psychobilly Koffin Kats. Absolutely rocking.
* Converge, Gaza, Black Breath and Lewd Acts at The Outland Ballroom, May 24: “Wait. Converge is coming to Springfield?!” That was the common sentiment in the weeks leading up to this Forever Endeavor Productions show, and the hardcore pioneers brought it like few bands this year. Fast, animated (especially singer Jacob Bannon), loud and startlingly uplifting, the band whipped through one hardcore rocker after another while smiling and asking between songs if everyone was okay. In some ways, it might have been the show of the year.
* Carrie Underwood, Craig Morgan and Sons Of Sylvia, JQH Arena, June 15: Only a handful of artists come with a name and catalog of work as recognizable as Underwood’s, and her big-production show (lowered from the rafters in the bed of a pickup truck?!) lived up to her billing. After more than a year without booking a major music concert, JQH Arena got back in the game in a big way starting here.
* Mac Lethal, Roots of Mankind, The Spacetones and Trak Masta Tom at The Outland Ballroom, July 17: Okay, so Mac makes it a second time. Here’s why: After the intimate first show at LemonDrop it was hard to know how the same set would translate to the larger Outland Ballroom, much less how many more people would come. Not only was the turnout decent but Mac put on a show with an altogether different energy, even bringing one of the SGF-based openers, Trak Masta Tom, onstage to rap with him to a song they wrote that night after sound check. When was the last time that happened?!
* Protomen, Golden Giant and HeartPunch at The High Life Live Martini Lounge, July 31: The band based on the classic NES video game Mega Man put on one of the strangest, most theatrical and defiantly nerdy shows SGF saw this year, and a wall-to-wall High Life crowd ate up every second of it. Bonus points for staying in character while not onstage playing.
* Victims of Telephone, Faatherton, Bogart and Iseah at The Outland Ballroom, August 13: A birthday wish becomes a reunion show to remember. Beth Melvin of Forever Endeavor Productions asked some of her favorite local bands of years past to get back together to play a show for her on her birthday, and they responded with an all-local show that packed the Ballroom and made it feel like 2005 all over again.
* Switchfoot and Cloud City at Gillioz Theatre, August 20: This one caught us a little by surprise, too. Not that we didn’t see the show coming–it was a key part of the Gillioz’s emergence as a frequent-use venue this year, and as such was well publicized–but we weren’t sure what to expect from the band’s stage show. Few, if any, major touring acts to come through SGF this year did as good a job of removing the “fourth wall” that psychologically separates performer and audience, with singer Jon Foreman jumping, spinning and teetering all across the stage before a full room while telling stories between songs.
* J.M. Buttermilk’s Hot Buttered Soul ‘n’ R&B Revue at The Outland, August 28: Soul music finds its way to a local stage each week with the help of bands such as The Detectives, but it supercharged its lineup and set earlier in the year with Ran Cummings in the lead, belting out song after song in his best impersonation of Wilson Pickett. For the second go-around, everything went bigger: more band members (including Shawn Eckels on guitar), more music and more stage, as the Outland built an extension to its usual platform to hold it all. Crazy? Yes. Worth it? Best believe.
* The Ozark Mountain Daredevils at Gillioz Theatre, September 10 & 11: Many people were convinced–with reason–that the Daredevils’ last SGF reunion shows in ’06 would be the last ever. After announcements came that the group would be playing shows in Branson and Kansas City, though, there was hope. Then the word came: Two shows at the Gillioz, same as before, this time in conjunction with screenings of the documentary Cowtown Ballroom: Sweet Jesus! about one of the band’s favorite regional haunts from its early years. The chicken-suit introduction to open the first set was just icing on the cake.
* Murder By Death, Samantha Crain, Ninja Gun and Golden Giant at The Outland Ballroom, September 19: MBD never puts on a bad show when it comes through town, and it’s always a plus to hear a nationally touring band declare its love for MudHouse while telling us to “f*** Starbucks.” But then, on top of everything, the songs from the band’s newest album, Good Morning, Magpie, sounded impressively good live, especially “King of the Gutters, Prince of the Dogs,” with a cameo appearance by the band’s merch guy, who left his post to run onto the Ballroom stage with an extra snare drum to bring some added vigor.
* Alan Jackson at JQH Arena, September 23: For a man who writes and plays straightforward, heartfelt country songs, Jackson sure did put together a surprisingly big production for his tour. Another show that likely would never have come to SGF in the pre-JQH Arena era.
* Beyond Reach and The Undergrass Boys at Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts, September 24: Just having The Undergrass Boys, a beloved local progressive bluegrass act for the last 30 years, back onstage would be enough to make this list. What put it over the top was the opening act, the newest project of former Ozark Mountain Daredevils Michael “Supe” Granda and Larry Lee together with Ned Wilkinson (perhaps best know from Nick, Ruell and Ned the Band) and The Undergrass Boys’ David Wilson, playing folk-influenced acoustic pop with four-part harmonies and trading off lead vocals. A special night and totally befitting the Concert for the Ozarks Celebration Festival.
* M-Dock Band and Liz Moriondo at O’Reilly Family Events Center, October 1: History will likely remember this show more as the first live-music concert ever booked at OFEC, and as such it deserves to be remembered. Drury University’s new sports/concert facility has done bigger shows since, but it will never do “first” again.
* Pixies Tribute at The Outland Ballroom, November 5: Ever have one of your concert stories include “…then the craziest thing happened?” Well, a handful of local bands got together to play short sets of songs from indie and alternative-rock pioneers The Pixies, itself a show two years in the making. But then, halfway into the concert and between band sets, a television was rolled out onto the Outland Ballroom stage, the lights went out and, well, then the craziest thing happened…
* Trans-Siberian Orchestra at JQH Arena, November 5: Even given JQH Arena’s newfound big-concert jones this one was impossible to see coming. Following Carrie Underwood and Alan Jackson with an over-the-top rock orchestra, not to mention one of the biggest holiday-season draws in North America thanks to its re-imagining of traditional Christmas music, isn’t very logical. But any show this absorbingly grandiose doesn’t have much use for logic.
* Mike Hulsey Benefit Show at The Outland Complex, November 11: Jah Roots Band guitarist Mike Hulsey’s near-fatal motorcycle wreck in September was a devastating blow to a lot of people in the local music community. Not only is Hulsey a valued musician and sound guy, but he is one of the true good guys of SGF music. Thankfully, Hulsey not only survived but was well enough to attend a benefit show for help with his medical bills, a show that opened up the three bars of the Outland Complex to performances by 77 Jefferson, The Bootheel, The Detectives, The Hundred Hand String Band, The Jah Roots Band, The Jimi James Band, Members Only and The Spacetones. “I feel like an a**hole,” a woozy Hulsey said to me in the corner of The Outland Ballroom behind the sound booth, feeling guilty for setting it all in motion with his accident. It was done out of love, Mike. A lot of love.
* The Imagine Concert at Gillioz Theatre, December 8: For this, the 25th anniversary of the first of these annual tributes to the music of John Lennon, organizer Alan Pierson reached higher than last year’s revival, bringing on more bands and pushing for a mix of more present-day acts to go with those who played the early Imagine shows. It paid off handsomely, with a near-full Gillioz feeling onstage and off like one of the biggest, free-est music parties of the year. To think SGF went more than a decade without this is stupefying.
* Fools Face at Patton Alley Pub, December 25: We sponsored this show, so attending was (kind of) a “work thing,” but if you had told us almost 300 people were going to cram into Patton to see one of the best-known names in local music in the last 30 years we would have been there regardless. The holiday was no hindrance, either; if anything, SGF concertgoers of years past turned out to have the Christmas party they couldn’t or didn’t have with their families. Color us surprised, and slightly giddy.
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