Another "Best Of" List...

I have a dreadful secret. I love lists. Writing them, reading them and using them in everyday conversation. It's the end of the year and peak season for lists, at least in this gal's world of words. I decided to incorporate shows as well as venues in this list because of my ultimate motivation to reach music fans in Lawrencevile. These venues are of course just my opinion and I invite any and all comments....so here we go:

10. Verizon Wireless- Oddly enough I saw one of my favorite performers, Ray Lamontagne, here this year and it was a really great show....I would almost call it life changing. The downside is that, as in many outdoor arena shows, you are surrounded by concert goers that aren't necessarily there for the music. People that are at a concert for any other reason other than the music makes for a very tiresome experience. The amount of chattering and cackling is enough to ruin the best of shows and trust me Ray Lamontagne is one of the best. Yet I feel that out of all the amphitheaters in the surrounding areas, Verizon tries very hard to provide an easy going music experience. 

9. Everett Brother's Music Barn- Check out my blog about this venue . Homegrown and wholesome, this is a must go.

8. Downtown Lawrenceville Square- It's amazing to be able to have such an  unique opportunity for free, local music during the summer. With a fun summer line up and a cozy town, Lawrenceville is making it's mark to provide quality entertainment for it's residents. You can sense the community's love for their town and overall excitement to watch performers. Easy going and very much worth the trip out to the square.

7. The Buckhead Theater- I was lucky to have been one of the couple of hundred chosen to attend the Iron & Wine taping for the artist den. I hadn't been in that building since it was The Roxy and frankly didn't think it would ever match up to my teen music days. Although it was smaller then I remember, the venue is beautiful, intimate and a new favorite. 

6. Music Midtown (Piedmont Park)- The Black Keys, Manchester Orchestra and Coldplay were definitely the highlight bands of the festival. My teashop had a booth in the village area and although I wasn't able to attend all the performances, I feel like this was a successful comeback for the Music Midtown group. It was a lot cleaner and better managed than previous MM festivals....or it could just be that I'm never going to be 15 again and probably shouldn't compare the old with the new. If it comes back next year it should make a big splash for the Atlanta music scene.

5. The Fox- Mumford and Sons make their second appearance within 7 months in Atlanta but this time with a bigger following and bigger venue. Problem with shows like this is that with such a broad range of fans that the concert can be hit or miss....especially with how popular Mumford and Sons grew to be this year. Even with all this against them they put on such a genuine show and introduced me to Low Anthem, which I'm very thankful for. The highlight to the venue and show was watching M&S sing an all acoustic/unplugged song inside the amazing Fox Theater, the audience was captivated and I will always love that moment.

4. The Variety Playhouse- Trampled by Turtles was amazing, The Variety Playhouse was perfect and my heart was happy. This show and venue reminded me of why I love small venues...it's there where you will always find the true fans. It does get a little congested but in a group of bluegrass dancers nobody really cares.

3. Smith's Olde Bar- I have a soft spot for Smith's Olde Bar. I've been to a lot of shows there and it kinda just feels like I'm at home when I go. This particular show was for Elephant Revival and after their set, we paid an extra $7 to watch an even more intimate show downstairs. It was a time in my life where I knew that I was witnessing something so special that there was no possible way I could absorb it all in at once, although, I tried really, really hard. 

2. The Tabernacle- The Tabernacle has just as many negatives as it has positives but I appreciate the acts that are choosing to play there instead of bigger arenas. Okay, okay...I'm a little biased because at the beginning of the year at a 30 Seconds To Mars show my friend, Jennfree, and I managed to get on stage and dance with Jared Leto himself... so for that fact alone I will always hold The Tabernacle with high regard. If you don't mind climbing stairs to sit up at top or be smashed up against the sweaty mass of people, I definitely recommend making it out to a show here.

1. Centerstage/The Loft/Vinyl- Centerstage probably has the easiest parking you're going to find in the city and unless you are going on a night where all three venues are booked there should be plenty of it. The last show I attended was The Stuffing, a line up of mostly local bands all getting together the night before Thanksgiving and jamming with their friends/fellow musicians. Just before that I attended Chris Robinson Brotherhood and although a completely different type of show than The Stuffing, both proved to me what a great little venue Centerstage is and how much I hope that music fans of all type get to experience all three venues. 

We'll that's it! My year in live music. I'm looking forward to some more local music for sure and invite any suggestion of venues I should check out!