Top 10

10) Fall Out Boy @ Clemson

I will always remember the very first really big concert I went to. I'll always be a Fall Out Boy fan, I don't care what anyone thinks. "Cupid's Chokehold" with Gym Class Heroes live. So great.

9) Phoenix @ Bonnaroo

Ahhh Phoenix. So amazing. 

8) She & Him @ Bonnaroo

Zoey Deschanel has the full package. Gorgeous. Voice and all. 

7) Regina Spektor @ Bonnaroo

Oh Regina. Although you have the strangest personality that I wasn't aware of before I saw you, I still love your music. I love anyone with a piano. 

6) Vampire Weekend @ Tabernacle

One of the most high energy concerts. Everyone was dancing. Love Ezra. 

5) Matt & Kim @ Masquerade

Matt & Kim! love these guys! If you ever get the chance, go see them You will not regret it.

4) MGMT @ Tabernacle

So weird.. so psychedelic.. great show for SURE.

3) Kings of Leon @ Aaron’s Amphitheater at Lakewood

Oh man, Kings of Leon at an outdoor amphitheater, the vastness of the location and the tad bit of grunginess of KOL just gets to me. 

2) Dave Matthews @ Rockefeller Plaza in NYC

Can't really get much better than a free, last minute, 8 a.m. DMB concert in the rain in NYC. 

1) The Flaming Lips @ Bonnaroo

You probably thought as much as a Dave fan as I am, that he'd land the number 1 spot from either time I saw him. But nope. Number 1 spot goes to the Flaming Lips ANY day. Sinking in mud at a 12 am performance at Bonnaroo. Flaming Lips are the craziest ever. Wayne Coyne being inside that man-sized bubble and rolling over the crowd, all the balloons and confetti polluting the air, the people in front of me doing cocaine. I can still visualize this insane show and I wish I could revisit any part of it, if even for a second.

This is our decision, to live fast and die young.

Oh, marry me Andrew Wyngarden. Cutest thing in the whole world. Man, MGMT.. love, love, LOVE MGMT. I have been waiting a while to see them, and they finally come to good ol' Tabernacle. MGMT just makes you feel like you're on drugs. Their biggest songs, "Time to Pretend", "Kids" and "Electric Feel" were absolutely astonishing live. I would just kill to see them perform again. I saw them two nights ago and I swear I'm still on a post-concert high. They just put on an awesome show and their music is so psychedelic and weird that I just love it. Not to mention, this was somehow one of the best, mature crowds I've experienced as well. Maybe because everyone was on drugs? We did have some super obnoxious drunk old people behind us for some odd reason. But overall, definitely in my top favorite performances. I think my next blog will be ranking all of the concerts I've ever been to. Get ready. 

Go Do

Jonsi. This was quite a concert to attend. Not many people know who he is, nor did I even know who he was not too long ago. He's from Iceland. His music and voice just reel you in. Anyone playing at the Tabernacle is worthy to see in my opinion. Watching videos and trailers for his 2010 tour really got me pumped. This concert was just plain beautiful with his unique clothing and artistically done stage. Behind Jonsi were digital videos of scenes that gradually grew into the next one. The first scene was my favorite. It was a forest that had a fire starting in the bottom corner that lead into a forest fire. The whole time I was captivated by the background. This was the most artistic and beautiful show I've attended and I'm not sure who else could possibly top it on a visual level.

Don't Slow Down

     Matt & Kim. Two people I would kill to be best friends with. Their show at the Masquerade will definitely be one of my favorite performances for time to come. I have never enjoyed a concert so much from start to end. I had goose bumps the whole time. Between Kim's never fading gigantic smile and Matt's energetic air punches with aerobatic poses, this is one group you have to see live. They are in love with performing their music and sharing it with people. Kim’s sequined tank and Matt’s color-block shirt screamed Indie while their colorful scenery simply added to their fun, dance worthy music. Their covers of "Jump on it", "Just a Friend", and "The Final Countdown" put an awesome spin on these classics everyone was familiar with. Even long after they cleared the stage, a dance party seemed to bust out while many stayed just to enjoy the atmosphere post-Matt & Kim. I can't wait to see what great music Matt & Kim will put out next. The clips on itunes from their new cd,Sidewalks, sound really powerful and energetic as anything by Matt & Kim is, and I can't wait until it comes out November 2nd.

Don't be so scared to take a second for reflection, to take a leave of absence, see what you're made of.

     I sometimes think I have this gift to where music just speaks to me. I'll listen to itunes on shuffle and bam, a song's lyrics will hit me like a ton of bricks. Long story short, if I get this music magazine internship I'm applying for in Atlanta, I'm going to take it, thus taking a semester off of school. Fingers crossed.

People they come together, people they fall apart.

Don't you love music epiphanies? I just found out that Jenny from Jenny & Johnny was the front woman of Rilo Kiley (Jenny Lewis). Blowing my mind. And hating myself that I didn't see them when they came to Athens. (Not to mention Kirsten Dunst was ALSO at that show. She dates the drummer or something?)

When at the barrel of a gun, keep my head way down.

     Oh man, what to say about Saturday's trip to Charlotte, NC for Guster. Hands down one of the best concerts I've ever attended. It was almost perfect. The drive to Charlotte was very pretty and such a breeze. I'll drive to Charlotte any day. I've been excited for Guster for quite some time, and after a let down of not seeing them in ATL earlier, I was definitely ecstatic about the whole thing. While the GPS tried to take us down a street that didn't exist anymore, we somehow found our way to the Fillmore. Not only was parking free for once, this venue was definitely ended up being one of the classiest, nicest places I have ever attended for a concert. I assumed that Guster would play at a decent venue and there would be a more mature crowd, and I was correct. You know how some bands sound different live than on recordings? Well they sounded just like I thought they would, perfect. I love Guster because they aren't like any other band I'm aware of. The mix of bongos or whatever drums they have incorporated adds a different spice to their music. I love it. They are just a band that loves what they do and it really shows on stage. I hope they stick around for some time and I'm excited for their new album that just came out. If there is one thing I disliked about the concert was that they did not play my two favorite songs, "Great Escape" and "Airport Song". That was pretty disappointing. But I will attend shows at the Fillmore or see Guster in concert any day.