Annie’s Concert Bucket List

Doesn’t everyone have one of these? A list of bands or artists you HAVE TO SEE before your time on this earth is over? Well, I do, and I’d love to share/immortalize it. In an awesome twist of fate, I’m thrilled to announce I’ll be able to cross one of these acts off, come July. Until then, here’s my concert bucket list:

• Arcade Fire – These Canadian rockers create some of the “biggest” sound I’ve ever heard. I am literally dying to take in one of their shows. Unfortunately, they rarely tour, and when they do, it usually isn’t the midwest. Sigh. Tracks I long to hear: ‘Ready To Start’, ‘Wake Up’ (I’ve fantasized about this one for years – I don’t know if I could honestly handle the epic-ness live, but I’d love to try), ‘Keep the Car Running’, ‘Sprawl II’, ‘Half Light II’
• Imogen Heap – A British artist whose music is electronic/indie, she’s been a favorite of mine for several years now. It’s all dreamy, atmospheric, and synthy loveliness – a trifecta of my favorite musical qualities. You may recognize her voice from the stupid Jason Derulo song ‘Whatcha Say’ that samples her song ‘Hide and Seek’, which you may recognize from when it was notoriously used on the stupid show The O.C. She rarely comes to the U.S., so who knows if I’ll ever get to see her with my own two eyes. Tracks I long to hear: ‘Tidal’ (OMGGGGGOODDDDD I LOVE THIS SONG), ‘First Train Home’, ‘The Walk’, ‘Clear the Area’, ‘Headlock’
• Enya – I almost didn’t include her for two reasons: 1 – she DOESN’T TOUR (SOBS), and 2 – obviously, that someone might scoff or think I’m lame but fuck those people. I love me some Enya, and have since high school. I’ve always been proud of the page in my 60 lb. ginormous CD travel case (remember those?!) that had the Irish instrumentalist/ethereal elfin queen alphabetically lined up right next to Eminem. Now THAT is musical diversity. Her music can seriously send my brain to a different dimension, that’s all there is to it. I’ve long dreamed of sitting in some lavish concert hall, surrendering my consciousness to the unearthly “new-age” melodies. So sad it’ll remain a dream – unless somebody just rents out a big fucking auditorium and blasts her albums through the surround sound, cause I’d pay for that shit. Tracks I long to hear: ‘May It Be’ (LOTR, MOTHER-F***ERS!), ‘Caribbean Blue’, ‘Book of Days’ (EPIC!), ‘Storms in Africa’, ‘On My Way Home’
• Florence + the Machine – I’ve waxed on about Florence Welch several times on this site, but I continue to be blown away by her voice, her lyrics,and the gospel/gothic MYTHIC sounds she is capable of rendering. I’ve cried to almost all of her songs. Seriously. I think seeing her live would cause me to, at the very least, weep my face off, at most, pass out and have to be removed from the premises. Tracks I long to hear: ‘Blinding’, ‘Between Two Lungs’, ‘Cosmic Love’ (pure, unadulterated, MAGIC), ‘Shake It Out’, ‘Only If For A Night’, ‘All This and Heaven Too’ EDIT: I SAW HER IN CONCERT! 7/30/12.. read the review HERE.
• Mat Kearney – I love this guy, I really do. His album ‘City of Black and White’, is one that you can listen to start to finish, complementing any mood. Happy? It’ll make you feel good. Sad? It’ll bring the melancholy. I simply adore it. His latest effort, last year’s ‘Young Love’, isn’t as dear to my heart (it’s a tad too upbeat for me), but it still contains some fantastic tracks that have ear-wormed their way into my musical soul. Tracks I long to hear: ‘Closer To Love’ (one of the most played songs on my mp3 player), ‘Ships in the Night’, ‘Sooner or Later’, ‘Fire and Rain’, ‘Never Be Ready’, ‘City of Black and White’
• Keane – Oh my, how I love Keane. If you’ve never heard of them, I’m not surprised, because they’re like Coldplay, only sadder, and for some reason, have never caught on much here on this side of the pond. I once had a chance to see them in this crummy state I reside in; alas, I had to work. Sigh. Their current tour has them only in larger cities, so I’m screwed, yet again. 😦 Tracks I long to hear: ‘My Shadow’, ‘A Bad Dream’, ‘Your Love’, ‘Nothing In My Way’, ‘Spiralling’
• Marina and the Diamonds – Marina Diamondis is actually a solo act, and is a Greek-Welsh pop/electronic/edgy goddess. She’s still at the stage of her career where she tours mostly as a supporting act (this year for Coldplay, last year, Katy Perry), and I’d really only like to see her as the headliner. She’s a force, with astounding lyrics that can simultaneously make you want to dance and cry. Always an excellent combination. Tracks I long to hear: ‘Are You Satisfied?’, ‘I Am Not A Robot’, ‘Obsessions’, ‘Oh No!’, ‘Numb’ (Her new album is EXCELLENT but I’ve yet to listen enough to pick favorites)
• Mumford & Sons – I know several people who do not adore these guys; my brain cannot compute this information. Yet another band that has caused me to cry in my car, like a lunatic. The lyrics, the instruments, the SADNESS, the INTENSITY – ohmyachinggod, if I don’t ever have the chance to see them, I don’t know how I’ll be able to carry on living. They can usually be found touring Europe, yet another reason I’ve gotta get out of this country. Tracks I long to hear: ‘Sigh No More’, ‘The Cave’, ‘I Gave You All’, ‘Little Lion Man’, ‘Awake My Soul’ EDIT: We saw them LIVE!!! 8/14/12!! Read the review here.
  

  Mat Kearney in concert at an event called “Campus Harvest “. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 Honorable Mention:

• The Birthday Massacre – I dig a lot of their melodies, (Evanescence with more female vocals, sprinkled with a dab of 80s), but it’s basically goth-metal, and I’m gettin’ too old for cray cray crowds of psychopaths. 😦 Tracks I would love to see live: ‘Red Stars’, ‘Science’, ‘To Die For’, ‘Goodnight’, ‘Midnight’, ‘Sideways’

~Annie