Here are my favorite concerts from 2012:
1. Neutral Milk Hotel at Athenaeum Theatre, Feb. 6: After releasing two acclaimed albums in the '90s, Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Mangum drifted away for more than a decade. His return stacked up as an event, and he delivered: His voice in full cry, nailing notes with conviction and accuracy over guitar strummed so rudely it's a wonder it didn't break in half. He sounded renewed, and so did a thrilled audience. "How do you feel about reincarnation?" one fan blurted out. Mangum's response: "I'm doing it right now."
2. Nick Waterhouse at
3. Amadou and Mariam at
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5. Frank Ocean at Lollapalooza in Grant Park, Aug. 4: Anyone who was there and many who weren’t will remember Lollapalooza 2012 as the evacuation festival, when promoters and police emptied Grant Park in anticipation of a major storm that swept through downtown Chicago. Much later on that rain-drenched day, Frank Ocean played in front of a small crowd and delivered one emotionally complex, darkly insinuating song after another. Playing an acoustic guitar, Ocean evoked the subtle elegance of Jobim, the sensual yearning of
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8. Thee Oh Sees and Ty Segall at
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10. D’Angelo at United Center, Sept. 13: Like Neutral Milk Hotel’s Jeff Mangum, D’Angelo has sunk into an enigmatic silence for more than a decade after making two brilliant albums. His return to the stage as opening act for the always-incandescent
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