Musings of a Dead Parrot

2008 was a very busy year in music concert-wise. I saw 17 shows.

1. Dave Alvin with Chris Gaffney (one of Gaff's last shows)
2. Todd Snider
3. Peter Case at the Getty
4. Dan Bern at the Magic 8 Ball show
5. Colin Meloy solo
6. John Doe at McCabes
7. REM
8. I See Hawks in LA and the Chapin Sisters
9. Ray Wylie Hubbard
10. Reckless Kelly
11. Dave Alvin & The Guilty Men, Peter Case, Hacienda Brothers, The Cold Hard Facts at the Dog and Pony Show (benefit show)
12. Michael Franti and Spearhead, Lila Downs and Ozomatli at the Bowl
13. Dave Alvin and Greg Liesz
14. John Doe and Kathleen Edwards
15. Rodney Crowell
16. Lucinda Williams and Buick 6
17. The Decemberists

New CDs that I really liked:

1. DeVotchka - A Mad and Faithful Telling
2. The Baseball Project - Vol 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails
3. Rodney Crowell - Sex and Gasoline
4. Lucinda Williams - Little Honey
5. Lila Downs - Shake Away
6. Reckless Kelly - Bulletproof
7. My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
8. Mudcrutch
9. Colin Meloy Sings Live
10. REM - Accelerate

I did not hear the albums, but loved these songs

1. Boots of Chinese Plastic - The Pretenders
2. Freeway - Aimee Mann
   

Music from earlier years that I discovered in 2008 and really enjoyed. This show from John Doe opening for Wilco really turned me on to his songs and how compelling he is as a performer.

1. John Doe - A Year in the Wilderness
2. The Modern Sounds of The Knitters
3. Lucinda Williams - World Without Tears

In 2009, I am already looking forward to new CDs from Wilco, The Decemberists and Bruce Springsteen. Dave Alvin's Chris Gaffney tribute album should be out soon. Maybe also something from Arcade Fire? And I will finally get to see The Pretenders and Trombone Shorty!

Finally, an observation. Though Warren Zevon has been dead for a few years, he wrote a song that summed up the current global economic and political situation pretty well.