If you stayed at home leaving nasty anonymous comments on Nashville Cream instead of going out to shows this year, go ahead and kick yourself six times right now—and that's just for missing The Jesus Lizard. Local stops by Santigold, St. Vincent, Screaming Females, De La Soul and The Brunettes—not to mention amazing Bonnaroo performances by David Byrne and Public Enemy—all ruled pretty hard, and here are 10 more reasons 2009 was a fine time to pile into Nashville's clubs.
Silver Jews in the Cave
With a half-dozen critically acclaimed records under his belt, poet, cartoonist, philosopher and Silver Jews frontman David Berman announced late last year that the Jews would be consummating their tenure as Nashville's most eminent relocated indie-rock outfit with one final show—and they'd be doing it in a cave. On Jan. 31 at Cumberland Caverns' yawning Volcano Room, Silver Jews played a set of 15 fan favorites, as Berman waxed wistfully about his longstanding aversion to playing live and what the future held for him. Even for the cynics among us, it was pretty damn neat to hear Berman say, "I always wanted to go out on top, but I much prefer this." D. PATRICK RODGERS
Monotonix, Turbo Fruits & Jeff the Brotherhood at Exit/In
If you know anything whatsoever about Monotonix—Israel's furry, shirtless, often pantless answer to fuzzed-out, psychedelic garage rock—you know that the trio puts on the most bonkers, incendiary (sometimes literally) live show this side of Tel Aviv. And they certainly didn't disappoint this October, playing their entire set on the floor, on the bar, in the rafters, in the trashcans and on the shoulders of fans at Exit/In. But the pleasant surprise was seeing locals JEFF the Brotherhood and Turbo Fruits tear it up in their own right. Clad in all leather, the brothers JEFF played a solid set of their new jams, while Turbo Fruits' Jonas Stein broke out some high-kicking, fast-riffing stage moves straight out of the charismatic frontman handbook. D. PATRICK RODGERS
Next Big Nashville Invades Lower Broad
We love NBN—it's no secret—and relished the opportunity to see our favorite local rockers rip it up at the honky-tonks. We relished it so much that after double digit tequila drinks and a pitcher of Natty Light we were screaming at the top of our lungs for Alabama songs at Dixie Whiskey, just like we were Johnny Podunk on vacation from Paducah. When in Rome, right? SEAN L. MALONEY
The Anvil Experience at The Belcourt
Chronicling the tiny triumphs and myriad failures of one of metal's most notoriously unsuccessful bands, Anvil: The Story of Anvil proved to be one of the year's most successful films, even if it got the Oscar snub. The band wasted no time cashing in on the success. Touring alongside the film, Anvil played The Belcourt immediately after it premiered—their first Music City appearance in their 30-year career—providing instant gratification to their newest fans and an overdue fix for their pre-existing supporters. Metal on metal, indeed. SETH GRAVES
John Fogerty at Mercy Lounge
In a concert year stacked with sterling shows by canonical legends—Cohen, Costello, the indefatigable Springsteen—the CCR mainstay's semi-secret show at Mercy Lounge may have been the most thrilling of all, for one simple reason: proximity. Any person in the room could've counted the buttons on Fogerty's Western shirt, and with that kind of intimacy, the force of his presence, his undimmed enthusiasm and his boundless good cheer made the crowd feel like it was standing 10 steps from the sun. Memo to youngsters considering a lifetime's indentured servitude in the rock 'n' roll trade: If you're going to be performing your current set list 45 years from now, make damn sure it's as fun to play as "Proud Mary," "Fortunate Son" or "Bad Moon Rising." JIM RIDLEY
Dan Deacon at The End
Where Nashville's enthusiasm for interesting electronic music has failed us for years, leave it to the youth of today to pick up the slack. A jam-packed room of youngsters crowded in for an early all-ages, curfew-friendly show at The End and were rewarded by Dan Deacon with layers of tribal beats, 8-bit bass lines, bleeps, clicks, lights and a bout of audience participation that at one point involved a human tunnel stretching out the door and into the street. SETH GRAVES
ELO's Out of the Blue at Mercy Lounge
Fans of pop music, earnest bombast and violin/synth combos would have done well to have been at Mercy Lounge in late June to see locals How I Became the Bomb and (now defunct) KinderCastle perform ELO's Out of the Blue in its entirety. They brought in a string section. They turned the stage into a spaceship. There was robot involvement. The bands obviously had a love and respect for the album, and their rapturous rendition whipped Nashville's normally jaded crowd into singing, dancing, arm-waving frenzy. ASHLEY SPURGEON
Cream 8 off 8th Series at Mercy Lounge
2000-2009 will be remembered for its brazen embrace of two historically embarrassing conceits: narcissism and revisionism. Noting this, Nashville Cream took over Mercy Lounge's 8 off 8th series during July, and brought '60s through '90s rock to Nashville in ways it hasn't heard since the last time anyone turned on the radio. To future tastemakers: Don't judge too harshly. We were told the 2000s were the end of fun and irony. We opted to ignore that and just have a party. ASHLEY SPURGEON
Leonard Cohen at TPAC
Not only can I tell my grandkids that I saw Leonard Cohen, I can tell them that it was absolutely amazing. Everybody knows Cohen is a legend, and that compelled thousands to come out and see the 75-year-old "poet of existential despair" while they still have the chance. But this wasn't some show that you go to just to say you were there. Having Cohen serenade me with his iconic gravelly croon in person was as character-building as my bar mitzvah, and about as memorable as the loss of my virginity. ADAM GOLD
The Jesus Lizard at Exit/In
This wasn't just a show, it was a goddam exorcism. Opening their first U.S. tour in a decade at our very own Exit/In, legends of the alternative underground The Jesus Lizard showed Nashville an abrasive and visceral side of the '90s that this decade has sorely lacked. A 48-year-old David Yow spent the lion's share of the show in mid-crowd surf while the rest of the band assaulted the ear-drums of all in attendance with a savage ferocity that showed no signs of them having spent years apart. It was a cathartic and primal display of raw rock 'n' roll power that any attendee is sure to brag about having seen for years to come. Shame on you if you missed this one. ADAM GOLD
'Pavement' at The 5 Spot
Sure, it seems a lot more like "not really a Pavement reunion" (which is technically correct) now that Pavement are actually reuniting and selling out shows in 30 seconds or whatever. But back in February, when it had been years and years since anyone had seen or realistically hoped to see the Pave play a show, the very fact that four-fifths of the band got onstage in Nashville and ran through a few covers was enough to make the likes of Pitchfork prick up their ears. So when everyone in those cities where actual Pavement will actually be playing starts to brag, we can tell 'em we got to see Malkmus sing "Come and Get Your Love." Top that, other cities. STEVE HARUCH
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