I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but something happened during this past year of shows. Bands became a little more respectful and polite. I used to see a lot of musicians who just “expected” you to come out to see them play. But this year, they were actually grateful you were there.

The attitude started with a couple of bands, and then it spread. By the end of the year I could go to a show and find smiles as far as they eye could see.

The camaraderie has been fantastic, and held steady all year long. In turn, I am grateful. I am grateful for every single musician in Lawrence. You guys really picked yourselves up, dusted yourselves off and got to work. Every sound that came off of the stage at the Jackpot/Replay/Bottleneck/Granada/Taproom/Liberty Hall meant a little more to me this year. And it’s because the attitude in Lawrence was so amazing.

Here are my top ten favorite shows I was lucky to attend in Lawrence and Kansas City this year.

In August Boris came in all their Japanese glory to the Granada to melt my face with experimental rock. Two things made this show fantastic: 1. The drummer was bizarre (see the sparkly vest / gloves) and hilarious. 2. The band placed you in an entirely different universe, they created an atmosphere consisting of a wall of sound and a fog machine that never shut off. For a couple of hours, I was so immersed in the show, I forgot I lived in Lawrence.

Read about the show here.

What was easily the worst show I had ever been to in my life suddenly made the Top Ten list this year. In 2009, I traveled to Chicago to see Paul Van Dyk only to discover (to my horror) the disgusting world of club kids. I was used to Kansas City ravers, who are sweet and cuddly. The show in Chicago was a hot mess of spoiled brats too inebriated to even hear the music.

I begged the husband to give Paul Van Dyk a second chance when he announced a Kansas City show this year. It paid off. Everything, from the crowd to the venue and even the security staff, was a complete 180. It was everything you could ask for when you go see a DJ, especially that magic moment where a DJ is completely in tune with the crowd, and rewards the fans who are really, truly there for the music.

You can read all about the magic from that night here.

The Belles released a gorgeous new album this year, and they treated the fans to a performance at Love Garden. Love Garden just makes you feel all good inside anyway, and this year the store did a fantastic job at getting in-store performances on a regular basis.

Despite a room full of people and cats, you could almost hear a pin drop. The duo created some of the most beautiful music a two-person band can make, and they had the audience in the palm of their hands. It had been a while since I attended a show that got a group of Lawrencians to shut up and pay attention like that. Bravo, Belles.

Read about the rest of the show here.

There is no better way to spend your Summer than at an Extra Classic show. Scores of Lawrencians dressed to the nines packed into a hot, sweaty Taproom and cut a rug. Fans had patiently waited all Summer for Dri to come back with her new band, and she didn’t disappoint. The band brought a high-energy performance and some of the finest dub you can get out here in the Midwest, and the crowd rewarded them with a fantastic night of partying.

See more clips from the show here.

I got to relive my younger years and indulge in full nostalgia when Julian Casablancas came to Kansas City this year. He was on a solo tour, but he performed some Strokes classics and even indulged us with a little Christmas music (in April). Armed with his new sobriety, he really came out of his shell and belted out song after song to a surprisingly small crowd. But because so few people were there, I got to experience the full power of his voice. I was pleasantly surprised and left the show a bigger fan.

What really made me feel valuable was even though he was Mr. Hot Shot in little old Kansas, he was ultra friendly to his crowd and catered to their wants and needs. Very classy.

More about the show here.

“Is it getting romantic yet, God d*$#it?”

That was the guitarist. And he’s right. It was pretty darn romantic. Extremely romantic. I literally saw folks at this show holding hands, putting their arms around each other and swaying to the music. The cutest group was about five or six guys, all with their arms on each other’s shoulders. They were tipsy, smiling, leaning on each other and just having a heck of a night. That was pretty much the mood of the show for everyone.

Beach House was in the middle of skyrocketing to popularity, and came to Lawrence in the middle of a severe thunderstorm. Scores of happy/tipsy/adorable fans took shelter from the storm in the Granada and were treated to a warm, cozy night of music.

You can read more about how the adorable crowd felt the love here.

I was eight months pregnant when the husband took me to go see Anvil in Kansas City. I had a baby shower in the morning, then took off the pretty dress and drove three hours to go party with Anvil.

The Heavy Metal band was recently the subject of a documentary, which brought them into a new era of popularity. Therefore, the crowd was split into two different types of fans: the old school metal heads and the film buffs. They got along remarkably well, and we were all just elated to see the band play.

Steve “Lips” Kudlow was also elated, and rocked a guitar solo in the middle of the crowd at the start of the show. The crowd constantly broke out into “Anvil! Anvil!” chants and were rewarded with one of the most unique shows they would see that year.

You can read about some of the other tricks Anvil pulled out here.

Here are some of finest musicians in all of Lawrence, packed into one venue. I (along with everyone else within a 100 mile radius) had become increasingly fond of Cowboy Indian Bear, and I have always had a soft spot for Ghosty. The Noise FM always bring a fantastic energy to their shows. Here were all three of those bands under one roof.

It was at this show that I started noticing a more positive attitude in the music scene. That combined with an unbelievably low cover charge made me feel a little spoiled this year. I got to consistently see great bands with great attitudes for next to nothing. I truly started feeling grateful and pledged to see more local music on a consistent basis.

I am particularly fond of the clip below because Cowboy Indian Bear recruited drummers from other bands for assistance, and that’s exactly the kind of camaraderie that lingered in Lawrence throughout the year and made me happy as a clam.

Watch all the bands play here.

The moment I waited YEARS for finally arrived in October. I kicked myself a few years ago when I didn’t see them play in Lawrence, and it wasn’t until a couple of albums later that they finally made their triumphant return.

I was on Cloud 9. They kept the mood calm, laid back, smooth. Almost as though they were saying “Hey, relax for just a bit….here, we’ll unbutton the top button on our shirts and let’s all take it easy the rest of the night.”

The played the new stuff and the old favorites, but all with a new spin. It was like hearing their music for the first time again. They absolutely, without a doubt, made my heart melt. Every album they’ve put out felt like they were predicting the next five years of my life. So watching them play all the favorites was like listening to the highlights of my existence so far.

Read more about the nostalgic night here.

Prior to the night, I had the nastiest attitude about this show. For one, I was peeved that during what was advertised as a showcase of garage rock, only ONE band was local (Rooftop Vigilantes). Also, I didn’t like the name of the event. I thought “Who are these corporate jerks telling us what to listen to? What do THEY know about garage rock? Meh!”

The bottom line is, this was the event of the year. If you can ignore the title of the show, the evidence is there when you look at the lineup. Four local venues were packed with hours of the most energetic bands out there. The Clean, The Gories, The Raveonettes, King Khan and the Shrines….this festival had it all. It was like watching a glorious mixtape come to life right before your very eyes.

Downtown Lawrence was alive. Fans rushed from venue to venue to catch glimpses of their favorite bands, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they high-fived each other in passing.

Ever since that night, I have gone over it again and again and again and just CANNOT find a more magical night. This was hands down the most extraordinary experience of the year. Things happened on this night that I cannot explain. Friends who I hadn’t seen in five years were suddenly at this show. The shows were FREE, therefore making it a true “music for the masses” event.

The true belles of the ball were Best Coast. By the time they took the stage in all their adorable glory, the crowd was deliriously happy. I sat clutching one of my best friend’s hands, starry eyed and in happy shock over what was happening. The band pulled a little girl out of the crowd, gave her a tambourine, and played a song with her. Can you imagine being that little girl? Your favorite band pulls you onstage and serenades you? Isn’t that every nine year-old’s dream?! And here we are, a crowd of hard, seasoned concert-goers, our ears blasted from the hours of garage rock….and our hearts melted as we let out a big “Awwwwww…..”

And then there were all the other amazing moments. The rowdiness, the crazy drunk antics of the fans, the three-ring circus from King Khan, the glamor from The Raveonettes, and (one of my favorite moments) our local boys from Rooftop Vigilantes blowing the roof off of Liberty Hall with their set.

I am smitten. What a night. It left me high on life and out of breath, and it will probably be a while before I ever experience anything that wonderful again.

You can see videos of some of those amazing moments from the night here.

*There are definitely some shows I missed this year, and some that I will never forgive myself for missing (I’m looking at you, Jónsi). I’m sure if I had made it to more, this list would be a little different. I want to hear what your favorite shows of the year were, so please share them in the comments section.