Root Down in the Shadow

According to most, the holiday listening season starts the day after Thanksgiving.  Black Friday starts the season off in a chaotic fashion for most, with people scrambling to re-load their collection onto their respective media players, filtering through the crap to re-find the good stuff. To help get right to the good stuff, I have put together a list of 10 songs that I am most looking forward to playing once the holiday listening season officially begins! 10.  She & Him .  I just downloaded this for $5 from Amazon.  It was too irresistible to pass up.  I can't wait to check out 'Baby It's Cold Outside'.  I loved the duet with Will Farrell on Elf , and I kind of like the duet with Leon Redbone on the Elf Soundtrack .  I'm very curious to hear Zooey Deschanel (She) with M. Ward (him) 9. Béla Fleck & The Flecktones - ’Jingle Bells' -  I love this totally nontraditional version of the song done only as Béla Fleck could do.  And I'm not just

I've been contemplating this list for quite some time now.  It is really an exercise in futility for so many reasons.  After watching over 100 shows, it is very hard to break that list down.  What makes the show great: * being a part of the crowd & dripping with sweat at the end? * the sing along * the venue & acoustics? * knowing the lyrics word for word? * the people you went with * getting lost in the experience for 2 hours * the entire day experience? * staying dry, un-injured & happy? * seeing a festival, ampitheater, club show, etc for the 1st time * a 20 person crowd or a 20,000 person crowd? As the nerd I am, I have kept a list through the years of bands that I see.  Different memories jump out as I review the list.  Thinking back to the venues, the friends, the openers, the sound, the fun & experience.  Without a doubt, one thing that hasn't changed through the last 20 years is, my TOP CONCERT OF ALL TIME , is 311 with openers the Phunk Ju