PRINTMore best (and worst) in show
A look back at Columbia’s unforgettable concerts
May 15, 2008 | 9:41 a.m. CST
Worst Crowd: Abaterîa
The Music Café
2006
Defunct local Latin band Abatería was known to generate activity on the dance-floor, but never the kind experienced at this early 2006 show. Tension between the crowd erupted into a series of fights. Manager Scott Meiner broke up the first two brawls but couldn’t quell the third. “Somebody lifted me up by the scruff of my neck,” he recalls. “He placed me aside and told me that it wasn’t my fight.”
Craziest/Most Engaging Frontman
Jason Bass of the Groovaholics
The Music Café
2004
When it comes to outlandish frontmen, it’s really hard to top Jason Bass of St. Louis funk quartet, the Groovaholics. After beginning the show by improvising a song in which he would describe people walking outside the venue and implore them to “get your punk-ass in the door.” Bass brought a woman on stage to speak Spanish, then bartended while singing and thrilled the crowd with his vocal skills.
Most Intense Light Show
Spiritualized
The Blue Note
November 1, 2003
Spiritualized’s atmospheric rock often floats in a relaxing drone, but their light show demands full attention. The English group packed so much strobe lighting into The Blue Note that the venue posted warnings to epileptic and light-sensitive concertgoers on its doors. “It looked awesome in the room,” says Pete McDevitt, talent buyer at The Blue Note. “But after the show was over, I felt like I couldn’t see anything straight anymore.”
Most Unusual Instrument
OvO (Dreadlocks)
The Eastside Tavern
May 24, 2005
Noise bands have been known to use bizarre effects and produce odd sounds, but OvO might have them all beat for sheer strangeness. The Italian duo’s Stefania Pedretti cleverly miked her violin bow and played her dreadlocks. “The tones that she was getting depended on how thick her dreads were,” says bar manager Big Pants. “It was pretty incredible.”
Rockers Revamped to Kick It in 2000
The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Foo Fighters
The Hearnes Center
April 28, 2000
The Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Foo Fighters were in fact in town. The venue was full of people singing along to alternative rock and then Anthony Kiedis’ rap-rock. “That tour was plagued by benign riots, with general admission,” says Kevin Walsh, former owner of now-closed Kevin’s World. “There was a lot of mayhem going on, and Columbia was really the first time that the show worked the way it should. It was really two bands really trying to outdo each other on stage.”
Most Laid Back Show
Jack Johnson and Ben Harper
Mizzou Amphitheater
June 11, 2003
Hippies and jocks united at this outdoor show. Johnson opened the show with his slow jams and later joined Harper during his electric set. Before the concert musicians and their crew were out on the football field. “It was awesome,” says Daryle Bascom, assistant general manager of MU arena operations. “I think it was the timing of it all and just the combination of the two on that date that just kind of blew everything out of the water. We hardly sell out shows at the amphitheater. Hardly — I should say never, except for that show.”
Golden Hero
Ryan Adams
The Blue Note
December 3, 2001
Originally scheduled for November, Ryan Adams canceled to appear on SNL. Adams and The Sweetheart Revolution played for nearly four hours, which included an acoustic set, an improvised dance jam and covers like “Rocket Man.” He took a couple of pain pills before the show and he told the audience that he did, Walsh says. He talked about how Tina Fey was a babe. He also personalized some of the songs. He’s an uneven performer at best. He’s an amazing songwriter, but he really delivered for that show. There’s a bootleg of that.”
Best Fan Experience
Fugazi
The Blue Note
April 19, 2001
Punk/Post-hardcore pioneers Fugazi certainly pleased their fans with this two-and-a-half hour performance, but one crowd member in particular had a special experience at this show. “When they played the song ‘Suggestion’ a girl (was) just singing along at the top of her lungs at the front of the stage,” recalls McDevitt. “They actually brought her up on stage and let her sing the song to everybody else. It was really cool.”
