I went to around 40 shows in 2010, which is a pretty big number by any sane standard, but still the least I've seen in any year since I began reviewing live music for the City Paper's Noise Blog three years ago. One of the biggest adjustments in my first full year as a father was just mustering the energy to go out at night, after a day with the baby, or in some cases earlier in the year, not wanting to leave his mom to deal with a cranky kid by herself, so I really just flaked out on a ton of shows I thought about going to. And paradoxically I've decided to expand this list to 25 shows, more than any previous year I've done one of these lists (2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009) because I ended up making up for the quantity with quality and seeing a head-spinning number of amazing, memorable performances, by some of my favorite bands of all time as well as some virtual no-names from Baltimore and from out-of-town. Performers from each show are listed by rough order of enjoyment rather than billing:

1. Casual Curious, Andrew Weathers Ensemble & Us And Only Us @ the Hexagon, July 28
2. Superchunk @ 9:30 Club, September 17
3. Bossman, Mullyman, Skarr Akbar, 100 Grandman, TestMe & Smash @ the Black Hole Rock Club, March 17
4. Israel Darling, Kadman & The Foreign Press @ Velvet Lounge, June 8
5. The Posies @ Brendan Benson @ 9:30 Club, November 17
6. Soul Cannon, Mania Music Group & The Get Em Mamis @ the Windup Space, July 3
7. Rap Round Robin with Mickey Free, PT Burnem, Rapdragons, Height With Friends & AK Slaughter @ Floristree, August 7
8. Medications & Deleted Scenes @ Sidebar, May 24
9. Ted Leo/Pharmacists @ 9:30 Club, April 8
10. The Nels Cline Singers @ Black Cat, July 8
11. BiMA Fest with Among Wolves, Avec, Hammer No More The Fingers, Gary B & The Notions, The Moaners, Thrushes, Sal Bando & Beard @ Windup Space and Hexagon, August 27
12. Say Anything @ Sonar, November 12
13. Parts & Labor and Soft Power @ Black Cat, May 13
14. Novo Instrumental Music Festival with Yeveto & Nathan Bell @ Windup Space, March 4
15. The Gaslight Anthem @ Rams Head Live, September 28
16. The Pilgrim, Arbouretum & Caltrop @ Metro Gallery, October 8
17. The High Zero Festival @ Theatre Project, September 25
18. We Used To Be Family, Lands & Peoples and Yukon @ Metro Gallery, June 16
19. J Roddy Walston & The Business and Tommy Tucker & The Supernaturals @ The Ottobar, July 31
20. Tears For Fears @ Rams Head Live, August 24
21. The Streets of Baltimore: Songs of Our City @ Creative Alliance, November 20
22. Story/Stereo with Devin Ocampo @ The Writer's Center, November 5
23. Out Of Your Head Collective @ Windup Space, January 19th
24. Man & Dog and The Feast of Epiphany @ An die Musik, January 4
25. The B-52s @ Rams Head Live, May 22

This entry was posted on Friday, January 07, 2011 at 8:36 AM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.