If this were the perfect Rufus Wainwright gig, his backing band would be comprised of six topless Filipino muscle-boys in thongs, who’d take turns between songs to do high-kicks and rub themselves down with fake tan. Instead, we have to settle for several generic-looking musos in stripy suits, and a white-haired lead guitarist who looks like the mutant offspring of Charlie Watts and Rutger Hauer. This is the first disappointment of the evening.
Rufus Wainwright @ Music Hall, June 11
“Back when I was in high school, I would have sex with cantaloupe,” [Friendly Rich] informed us. “Any of you kids do that?” He was greeted by a small round of cheers — slightly less so when he told us, “I’d touch all of you if it wasn’t illegal.”
MICHAEL BARCLAY
FRIENDLY RICH @ Centre of Gravity, Dec. 1
I was going to start off here with a joke about Akon touring alongside a teenager [Rihanna], but then I saw a five-year-old dancing with her mom to “Smack That” and it kind of exhausted my capacity for humour/hope in humanity. CHRIS RANDLE
Akon / Rihanna @ Molson Amphitheatre, Sept. 22
As they dug in for another round of solos I contemplated this philosophical conundrum: does Ween make the drug trip, or does the drug trip make Ween? CHRIS BILTON
Ween @ Sound Academy, Oct. 26
[Jully Black’s] speeches by the numbers: Ass presented for the admiration of the crowd? Twice. References to things going into or out of asses? Four. Impressions of Borat, consisting of Black yelling “’Eat my ass! Eat my ass!’ You remember that shit? Tell me that wasn’t funny”? One. And the highlight? A tie, between Black telling the audience to go on MySpace and “send me pictures of your dick,” and an impression of KRS-One’s nose that just can’t be explained in print.
DAVE MORRIS
CMW: The Indies @ The Docks, March 7
For all of Brandon Flowers’ grandstanding, he’s still an oddly uncharismatic frontman, striking poses as if standing in front of a mirror instead of a living, breathing audience, and investing every song with the same, quickly tiresome tone of desperation. I don’t know, maybe it makes more sense when perched on your boyfriend’s shoulders. STUART BERMAN
The Killers @ V Fest, Sept. 9.
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Throw in old standbys “Dream On,” “Sweet Emotion,” and (of course) “Walk This Way,” and you’ve got a very well-rounded, non-alienating Aerosmith set. Dang, is that actually marijuana smoke drifting over the crowd? Put it out, Dad, you’re going to get us in trouble.CHRIS ROLFE
Aerosmith/Joan Jett @ Molson Amphitheatre, Sept. 18