Last year was one of great change.
The year saw the passing of icons expected [ Paul Newman, Farrah, Ed McMahan, Blago ] and unexpected [ Stephen Gately, Michael Jackson ] ; the emergence of new ones [ GaGa, Glambert, Wanda Sykes, Neil Patrick Harris, Michael Phelps ] with a lot of goofiness stuffed in between [ Glambert's misstep at the AMAs, Bruno's b.o. fizzle, Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black's mouthful, J. Phoenix's public meltdown, the revelation that squeaky-clean Tiger Woods is a man-HO, that Kanye really is a "jackass" ] .
With all that crammed into a single year [ not to mention Rihanna and Chris, Britney, Beyonce, the hot sexy undead of "True Blood," the adolescent sex-less undead of the Twilight kids, Levi's hidden weenie, the continued retro allure of "Mad Men" and heaven knows what else ] it's hard to notice the great things to remember the year for. For your pleasure [ and mine, obviously ] , here are my favorite events, people and music of 2009:
1. ) Taylor Swift-A young lady whose rise was meteoric and solid, Swift managed to be genuinely sensible and cool regardless of the silliness around her. Always a lady [ she resisted bitch-slapping Kanye or snipping on spineless ex-boyfriend Joe Jonas ] while keeping her clothes on and her personal life under wraps, she single handedly made country music respectable and appealing all over again. And, oh yeah, she can sing, too...
2. ) Jennifer Hudson-After a particularly tragic incident where her family was murdered Hudson rebounded with a gold Grammy-winning debut album [ the disappointing Jennifer Hudson ] and an SRO tour. She stopped at the Arie Crown for a homecoming blow-out with Robin Thicke a mere few miles from where she grew up in the projects. How's that for class?
3. ) The LoveHammers-Chicago's favorite sons released their homemade Heavy Crown album and spent the year barnstorming the nation on a year-long tour. The smash single "Guns" hit the airwaves while babies, weddings, sell-out shows and hit records made this their year.
4. ) The City of Chicago Office of Special Events [ summer festivals ] -Though this year's edition of A Taste of Chicago wasn't the diva fest of last year [ where Chaka Kahn, Estelle, Joss Stone, Fantasia and Angie Stone wailed their little hearts out ] there were a ton of gems on this year's line up; Ne-Yo, Andre Williams, Buddy Guy/Mavis Staples/Quinn O'Sullivan [ a 12-year-old guitar prodigy who stole the show from his seasoned co-stars ] , Augustiana, Keri Hilson, and Booker T. and the Drive-by Truckers. Coupled with the Country Music Fest [ where John Rich, Lee Ann Womack, The High Landers, Aleandro Escoveda, and Jamey Johnson headlined ] , who says Chicago isn't where it's happening?
5. ) Eight breakouts of the year;
a. ) The White Lies-Milk white, black coiffed Brit boys led by one Harry McVeigh have the monolithic dread of late era Pink Floyd with none of the cheekiness. They're hardly a chipper bunch but hardly a downer either; there debut, To Lose My Life was operatic, blistering, altogether engaging, and surprise surprise, an international hit.
b. ) The White Rabbits-Percussive, brittle, hooky, and with bite to spare. With three percussionists and vocalist Stephan Patterson's toothy bark they were this years biggest surprise.
c. ) Ezra Furman and the Harpoonists-Weighing all of 98 lbs. Furman, who hails from Evanston, is reminiscent of early Dylan with his reedy voice and slightly hungry gaze. But where Dylan has gotten lost in his own mythology Furman rolls his eyes, fumbles like a teen nerd, and tumbles off the tip of his tongue the most articulate and arresting lyrics put to music in ages. Hey Bob, you could learn something here.
d. ) The Joans-Savage drag satire. The Joans are a vicious rip on Ms. Crawford with far more humor than Joan ever mustered in her entire life and far more bite to boot. Part punkers, girl group, and new wavers queer music hasn't been this sinfully fun since Pussy Tourette.
e. ) Elvis Perkins in Dearland-Not what I expected. Given Perkin's dark family history [ Dad was Anthony Perkins—Mr. Norman Bates to you—who remained closeted and on the down-low after his midlife marriage and eventually died from AIDS in 1990. Mom was Berry Berenson, sister of super model Marisa Berenson and a former photographer who perished on one of the planes on 9/11 ] one could anticipate a dark, heavy, slog but he and his band are trippy, jolly, spontaneous, nearly hallucinogenic, and well, fun.
f. ) Art Brute-Art Brute's sophomore effort [ Art Brute vs. Satan ] though not nearly as fueled by vocalist/ham Eddie Argos' nonstop toxic hangover [ this one is about more than sex and alcohol ] has the same vibe of clumsy cheeky Brit playfulness with a glance at equally non-egalitarian pursuits [ the love of "D.C. Comics and Chocolate Milkshakes," asides on public transportation on "The Passenger" ] . That A.B. took a weeklong residence at Schuba's to celebrate the club's 20 anniversary was no mean feat either.
g. ) William Elliott Whitmore-Songs of despair, irresponsibility, bad decisions, bad behavior, endless bad luck, and an open ended road to oblivion [ both physical and psychological ] Whitmore's Animals in the Dark was 2009's soundtrack of where America's everyman is right now. That 35-year-old Iowan Whitmore has the scruff and gravity of a 19th-century bluesman from the deep south and the sonic sparseness of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska made the album and his frequent performances here the years brilliant downers.
h. ) The Walkmen-Snappy, upfront, and dramatically over the top Boston's Walkmen, and particularly lead vocalist Hamilton Leithauser, took their old fashioned aesthetic [ all traditional instruments with no synths or computers ] and jumped out of the "alternative" category and, along with the Ting Tings, became THE hot band of the moment. You and Me ( released in '08 ) got plenty of exposure via radio and a year long nonstop SRO tour.
Reach me at hester297@hotmail.com .
