...And the Winners Are...

Here is a list of all of this year's Grammy winners...

I have to admit that I'm upset Cee-Lo Green, whose "Fuck You" was perhaps the greatest pop song in a decade, didn't win more awards.

But here's a video of his amazing performance at this year's ceremony.

December's Children 2010 Show Count

The following is a list of show we here at December's Children attended in the 2010 calender year. The shows counted below were all music, theater, comedy, or otherwise; however, cover bands, bar bands, and open mic shows were not included in this count or else this list would be WAAAY too long.

2010 Show Count

01/09 The Improv: Whitney Cummings (w/David Waite & Patrick Pasafume)
01/23 Headliners: Alejandro Escovedo (w/Roman Candle)
01/27 The Improv: Tom Green
01/31 Headliners: Phantasmagorical (Wax Fang, Ultra Pulverize, D.W. Box, Second Story Man, The Lucky Pineapple)
02/05 Zanzabar: The Whigs (w/Royal Bangs)
02/06 The Improv: Natasha Leggero (w/ Al Jackson)
02/12 Gerstle's: Backyard Tire Fire (w/ The Elms)
02/16 Ear X-Tacy (in-store performance): Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore (album release show)
02/18 The Improv: Brian Posehn (w/ Jeremy Essig)
02/24 Hard Rock Cafe: Barenaked Ladies (102.3 The Max Radio Performance)
02/26 The Brown Theater: Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore (w/ Maiden Radio, Silas House, Jason Howard)
02/27 The Brown Theater: Brian Regan (w/ Joe Bolster)
03/07 The Brown Theater: Rodrigo y Gabriela (w/ Alex Skolnak Trio)
03/12 Ear X-tacy (in-store performance): Titus Andronicus
03/12 Comedy Caravan: Nicholas Anthony (w/ Joe Cocozzello, Dario Konjicija)
03/13 Ear X-tacy (in-store performance): Company of Thieves
03/13 Freedom Hall: John Mayer (w/ Michael Franti & Spearhead)
03/14 The Improv: John Caparulo (w/ Matt Molchen)
03/29 Skull Alley: Tim Barry of Avail (w/Red Clay River & John Ashley)
03/30 The Palace Theater: Stone Temple Pilots
03/31 The Palace Theater: Shinedown (soundcheck only)
04/07 Hard Rock Cafe: Ambasadors of Rock (Overdrive, Voiceflow, Mamakitty Southwood, Sub-Urban Situation)
04/09 The Palace Theater: Cheech and Chong (w/Shelby Chong, Joey Marin)
04/12 Derby Dinner Playhouse: The Monarchs
04/13 Freedom Hall: AC/DC (w/ The Broken Spurs)
04/21 Hard Rock Cafe: Ambassadors of Rock
04/27 Zanzabar: Wax Fang (Performance of Prince's "Purple Rain")
04/29 Waterfront: Candlebox (w/ The Crash Kings)
04/30 Phoenix Hill Tavern: Puddle of Mudd (w/ The Delicates)
04/30 Expo 5: Two Pump Chump
05/05 Hard Rock Cafe: Ambassadors of Rock
05/10 Deja Vu Showclub: Jackyl ("She's Not a Drug" video shoot & Mini Concert)
05/11 The Vernon Club: Ray Wylie Hubbard
05/14 Headliners: Endpoint (w/ Sun Spring, Big Wheel, Shedding)
05/15 Headliners: Endpoint (w/ Cerebellum, Face Value)
05/16 Comedy Caravan: Kristin Key (w/ David Bizanis)
05/22 The Improv: Robert Kelly (w/ David Waite)
05/26 The Palace Theater: Neil Young (w/Bert Jansch)
06/03 The Improv: Michael Ian Black (w/ Tim Northern, C.J. Harlow)
06/04 Comedy Caravan: T.J. Miller (w/ Adam White, Patrick Passafume, Nick Vatterott)
06/06 Comedy Caravan: T.J. Miller (w/ Adam White, Bryan Schneider, Kent Carney, Nick Vatterott)
06/11 Horseshoe Casino: Weezer
06/19 Horseshoe Casino: The Moody Blues
06/19 The Improv: Chris Franjola/Sarah Colonna (w/ Jamie Uteley)
06/20 Comedy Caravan: Gallagher
06/26 The Brown Theater: The Second City Touring Company: 50th Anniversary Tour
(w/Shad Kunkle, Kate Duffy, Mark Pienga, Katie Rich, Chuck Malone, & Tim Stoltenberg)
07/02 The Second City Chicago: Spoiler Alert: Everybody Dies
(Allison Bills, Shelly Gossman, Timothy Edward Mason, Sam Richardson, Tim Robinson, & Emily Wilson)
07/03 Aragon Ballroom: Silversun Pickups (w/ Against Me! and The Henry Clay People)
07/04 A Taste of Chicago: Passion Pit
07/09 Waterfront Park: Forecastle Festival - Day 1
(Widespread Panic, Manchester Orchestra, Drive-by Truckers, Scott Miller & The Commonwealth
Kinetix, Dead Confederate, 23 Strings, Maiden Radio, Sandpaper Dolls, Cirque Berzerk)
07/10 Waterfront Park: Forecastle Festival - Day 2
(Modern English, Nerves Jr., Umphrey's McGee, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Cake,
Devo, Cloud Cult, We Were Promised Jet Packs, Smashing Pumpkins)
07/11 Waterfront Park: Forecastle Festival - Day 3
(Death on Two Wheels, Morning Teleportation, The Fervor, She & Him, Spoon, The Flaming Lips)
07/17 4th Street Live: Blues Traveler (w/ Peter Searcy)
07/25 Comedy Caravan: John Fox (w/ Sarah Hyland)
07/31 The Improv: Pauly Shore (w/ Sandy Danto, and Dave Williamson).
08/02 Headliners: Hanson (w/ Rooney)
08/06 The Improv: Josh Wolf (w/ Warren B. Hall and Lindsay Boling)
08/14 4th Street Live: Sister Hazel (w/ Ingram Hall)
08/19 The Improv: Carlos Mencia (w/ Danny Browning)
08/21 Kentucky State Fair: Jackyl (w/ Slaughter)
08/31 Expo 5: Deftones (w/ Baroness)
09/02 The Improv: Mitch Fatel
09/11 The Palace Theater: Crosby, Stills, & Nash
09/26 Comedy Caravan: Dave Waite (w/ Jamey Stone)
10/05 Expo 5: Clutch (w/ Children of Bodom)
10/06 Ear X-Tacy (in-store performance): Brad (featuring Stone Gossard)
10/12 Freedom Hall: Slayer, Megadeth, & Anthrax
10/16 KFC Yum Arena: Eagles
10/22 Schottenstein Center: Roger Waters performs "The Wall"
10/28 Comedy Caravan: The Paranormal Comedy Show (w/ Don Reese and Mike Brody)
10/29 KFC Yum Arena: My Morning Jacket (w/Wax Fang & Louisville Youth Orchestra)
11/13 KFC Yum Arena: Dane Cook (w/ Al Delbene & Chris J. Newberg)
11/25 Phoenix Hill Tavern: Jackyl & DMC of RunDMC (w/ Nigel DuBree)
12/03 The Bard's Town: Stochasticity (w/ De Blennis, Patrick Passafume, Lindsay Boling, Raanan Hershberg, Mark Parris, Sean Smith)
12/04 Ear X-Tacy (in-store performance): Marshall Chapman
12/22 The Improv: Tim Northern (w/ Sarah Hyland, Jamie Utley, Brad Lanning, Dario Konjicia, Lindsay Boling)
12/26 Headliners: Ear X-Travaganza (w/ Jim James/Patrick Hallahan [of My Morning Jacket], Cabin, Ben Sollee, The Watson Twins)

Top 10 Albums of 2010...

Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore - "Dear Companion"
Oh yes, Dear

The Ravenna Cult - "Slight Spell"
Stark and stunning.

Spoon - "Transferance"
They're as good as ever.

Backyard Tire Fire - "Good to Be"
Catchiest southern-rock album in a decade.

Benjy Davis Project - "Lost Souls Like Us"
From Baton Rouge, with love.

Flobots - "Survival Story"
Hip-Hop handled at its finest.

The Hold Steady - "Heaven is Whenever"
Finally figuring out a formula.

Band of Horses - "Infinite Arms"
Just another stroke of brilliance.

Ryan Adams - "III/IV"
Stopped being sad, and picked up a Joe Strummer album.

Gangreen - "Gutter Water"
Hip-hop's underground supergroup is super.


***COMING SOON***
Show count for 2010
and
Top 100 albums of the decade 2001-2010.

I Can't Waits...

So I haven't gotten around to mention how TRULY excited I am that Tom Waits will be getting inducted into the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame next year (alongside Beastie Boys). I can't think of anyone that deserves it more than Waits.

This is a guy who quietly wrote a canon of material so beautifully elegant, that other artists can't help but reinterpret it over and over. The list of people who have covered Waits, is long - people like The Eagles ("Old '55"), Rod Stewart ("Downtown Train"), Pearl Jam ("Picture in Frame"), Neko Case ("Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis"), Bob Seger ("16 Shells from a 30 Ought Six"), The Ramones ("I Don't Want to Grow Up"), 10,000 Maniacs ("I Hope I Don't Fall in Love With You"), Elvis Costello ("Innocent When You Dream"), Bruce Springsteen & The E. Street Band ("Jersey Girl"), Dion ("Heart of a Saturday Night"), and Los Lobos ("Jockey Full of Bourbon") just to name a few. And while age has left some artists insipidly lame - Waits has somehow managed to remain perpetually cool (who, other than Waits, is cool enough to have Dion and The Ramones cover them?). He has an unflinching ability to remain relevant in a world that eats their idols, that alone is a Herculean feat for a singer/songwriter hatched in the post-war baby boom.

With a voice like 4a.m. cigarette he refuses to yield or compromise neither his integrity nor the integrity of his songs. A reputation that has made him the bullheaded saint of "brawlers, bawlers & bastards."

Waits continues to write heartfelt songs pining for an America that no longer exists with minstrels, vagabonds, and gamblers still roaming its streets. Listening to his gravely, forlorn voice, you can't help but long for the world he sees, a world where jukeboxes take a leak, flamingos drink from cocktail glasses, and hookers actually write Christmas cards.

So for what's it's worth...congrats, sir. Congrats.


The following video is stunning. I mean quite literally breathtaking. But for some reason the audience keeps laughing throughout it, and Waits seems as perplexed by it as I am.

More Live Videos...

Here's a video of The Cult performing "Embers"...



And a video of Peter Bernhard from Devil Makes Three performing "Heaven".