Chris DeLine

#1) Mayhem @ Station 4
By the time of the St. Paul date, Cephalic Carnage, Cattle Decapitation and Withered had all pulled out of the tour due to backstage (thought to be financial) issues, and a delay in the visa process had prevented Marduk from performing at any of the Blackened Fest dates. Mayhem & Station 4 offered up refunds to those who weren’t down with seeing the band on its 25th Anniversary Tour, but those who stayed were treated to one of the sickest metal shows of the year. And although I still think the band sucks, Anal Blast’s opening performance would prove to be one of Don Decker’s last.

#2) Peelander-Z, Birthday Suits, Awesome Snakes & Fuck Knights @ Turf Club
Not only did this night stand out as the first time I saw one of my local favorites, Fuck Knights, but it was the first (and thus far only) experience I’ve had with Peelander-Z. Wow. Just wow.

#3) Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ First Avenue
Though visually stunning and musically sharp, the night’s performance was ultimately dominated by Karen O; she is the sun to which eyes have no choice but to gravitate toward.

#4) Moby @ Fine Line Music Cafe 
While I’ve been a fan of Moby’s since my unfortunate Dance Mix phase as a youth, I hadn’t ever seen him live before. Toting an overwhelmingly powerful backup band, the Little Idiot took the packed house on a sentimental voyage through his entire catalog: from “Go” to “Honey” (which on this night was blended with a rendition of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs”) to music from his most recent release Wait For Me. It was beautiful.

#5) Sonic Youth @ First Avenue
The light show alone was enough to cause trauma, but it ended up being the music that left a lasting impression. Shying away from older material for the most of the set, the band played all but one song from its most recent release (2009’s The Eternal) and offered a vibrancy that puts younger bands to shame.

[This post was first published by Culture Bully.]