My Top "I-Was-There" Moments (Pt. 2)

Ok, I didn't post this "tomorrow" like I said, but here it is. The second part of my collection of my favorite concert moments.

Nine Inch Nails - "Wish" and "I Do Not Want This" (May 12, 2009)



This was the second time I saw Nine Inch Nails and this time it was in Austin on their apparent last tour ever. For this show, they busted out some deep cuts like "The Fragile" and, my personal favorite, "I Do Not Want This," a song that I feel pretty privileged to have experienced live.

Animal Collective - "Fireworks" and "What Would I Want? Sky" (June 4, 2009)



This was in Dallas and I post it mainly for "Fireworks" even though it's only the ending and doesn't capture the part of why I'm posting this. The part in question is unfortunately not on YouTube. "Fireworks" was performed at epic length and in the middle Panda Bear got on drums. Animal Collective then proceeded to perform one of the most mind-blowing jams I've ever had the pleasure to witness. Truly amazing.

The Mars Volta - "Eunuch Provocateur" (September 17, 2009)



For this tour, the Mars Volta dug deep in their catalog and pulled out one of my favorite songs of theirs (and one of the oldest), "Eunuch Provocateur." They also brought back "Inertiatic ESP" for this tour and that was stunning too. A big treat for their biggest fans.

Brand New - "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows" (October 31, 2009)



Brand New is one of my favorite bands and this was a special show since it was on Halloween. This is my favorite song by them and it was rewarding because I had been waiting for so long to see them.

Say Anything - "Admit It!!!" (November 16, 2009)



I love Say Anything, especially their album ...Is a Real Boy. They closed out their set with the last song off of that album, "Admit It!!!" and they went all out with it.

Cursive - "21st Century Schizoid Man" (November 30, 2009)



Cursive did this badass King Crimson cover when they played Walter's On Washington last year. It was a fantastic set because they were headlining and got to play all of my favorite songs. Yes, I recorded this, apologies for the shitty sound.

Girls - "Lust for Life" (January 31, 2010)



Album by Girls was one of my favorites last year and this was the big hit from it. They had an awesome show here. I ditched my girlfriend to go to it, so essentially I ditched my girlfriend to see Girls, which is amusing to me. I'm so lame.

Ted Leo - "A Bottle of Buckie" (March 31, 2010)



Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - "Timorous Me" (March 31, 2010)



On March 31st, I finally got to see Ted Leo after waiting forever. Not only that, but I got to see him twice in one day. First, playing an acoustic set by himself at End of an Ear, a record store in Austin, then second, playing with the Pharmacists at Emo's. Ted is one of my favorite musicians so this was a dream come true for me. I also got to meet him at the record store and got an awesome picture with him. You can also see me in the front row with the plaid shirt in the video at Emo's.

Buxton - "Down in the Valley" (April 17, 2010)



Buxton are personal friends of mine and this was an awesome performance. I took this video and it actually turned out pretty decent.

Alexisonfire - "No Transitory" (May 3, 2010)



Alexisonfire playing my favorite song by them. They did more of their new album than I'd prefer, but they still busted out classics like this.

Converge - "Hanging Moon" and "No Heroes" (May 21, 2010)



"Hanging Moon" is my favorite Converge song, besides "Jane Doe" which they sadly didn't play at this show. Still, it was pretty awesome that they played "Hanging Moon" considering it's not one of their more popular songs.

The Flaming Lips - "The Fear" and "Worm Mountain" (June 5, 2010)



I never thought I would see the day that the Flaming Lips would play in Houston, nor did I ever think I'd meet Wayne Coyne. This was easily one of the highlights of my life. It's the biggest festival I've ever seen held in Houston and the Lips played an amazing set.

Janelle Monae - "Cold War" (June 13, 2010)



I'm a big fan of Janelle Monae but I couldn't afford to see her open up for Erykah Badu. Luckily for me, she held a free instore at the best record store in Houston, Cactus Music. It was a short acoustic set, but it was mind-blowing and it showcased how truly breathtaking her voice is.

The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Panasonic Youth" (July 2, 2010)



This one was fucking crazy. Dillinger is ridiculous live. Greg Puciato is maybe the greatest screamer I've ever seen live.

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group - "Miel del Ojo"



Pretty much the best thing I've ever done was flying to New York City and seeing Omar's solo group perform. It was the greatest moment of my life. This is one of the pro-shot videos from it, apparently it's going to be on a DVD. You can see me in the front row in certain shots, bobbing my head to the jam.