The Top Ten St. Louis Concerts of 2009

We reviewed a lot of shows this year -- nearly 100, judging by the number of posts in the "Show Reviews" archive. Deciding which 2009 concerts comprised the creme de la creme wasn't easy, to say the least. However, the following stood out from the pack. What did we miss? What were your favorites this year? (Oh, and don't forget to check out Top Concert Photos of 2009 slideshow!)

Photo: Todd Owyoung

Karen O. of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs at the Pageant.

Honorable Mentions:
*Cursive, The Firebird, April 24
*Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Pageant, June 2
*Matthew Sweet, Blueberry Hill's Duck Room, June 19
*Bob Dylan/John Mellencamp/Willie Nelson, GCS Ballpark, July 2
*Sheryl Crow, under the Arch, July 11
*Trashcan Sinatras, The Firebird, August 8
*Green Day and Franz Ferdinand, Scottrade Center, August 11
*Matt & Kim at Off Broadway, August 23
*St. Vincent, The Firebird, October 1
*Neko Case, The Pageant, November 5
*Camera Obscura, Off Broadway, December 1
*The Swell Season, The Pageant, December 4

10. The Decemberists, The Pageant, May 31 (review; slideshow)

Todd Owyoung

"As might be expected, the Hazards part of the sold-out Pageant show was somewhat over-the-top. Bathed in multicolored light - and shadowed by a bewitching backdrop of crinkly, tree-like stalks - the indie-darling septet progged out, dabbled in metal(!), chugged like arena dinosaurs and explored its pastoral-folk side. At times, the '70s prog- and classic-rock touches were a little much to take; think Ren Fair-cheesy, hippie-dippy and troll-under-the-bridge. (Oh, and a pre-recorded children's choir singing "The Hazards of Love 3," which represented the three dead kids, put the creepy factor off the charts.)" (Annie Zaleski)

9. Bruce Springsteen, Scottrade Center, October 25 (review; slideshow)

Mark Gilliland

"For the second time in fourteen months, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band played a non-stop, sweat-soaked, guitar-tossing, request-taking concert at the Scottrade Center. Springsteen's mission was clear: During "Working on a Dream" he claimed that he and the band were in town to "fulfill a solemn vow to rock the house." Few vows have ever been so redeemed. With a super-sized version of the E Street Band (Bruce included, there were often twelve people on stage, including two back-up singers and a trumpet player), the Boss played three hours of old and new tunes, taking no breaks between songs aside from his trademark "Hunh! Two! Three! Fo!" countdown." (Christian Schaeffer)