Favorite Live Bands #8 - Radiohead

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As a music junkie, I'm here to tell you that nothing beats live music. There's just something about seeing a band onstage, playing songs that you love. Hence, my Favorite Live Bands series. We are at #8, which belongs to Radiohead. Taking their name from the Talking Heads song "Radio Head," Radiohead formed in 1985 in Oxfordshire, England. They are three-time Grammy winners, and have sold over 30 million albums worldwide. They are also seemingly impossible to get tickets for one of their concerts. Everytime they came through Denver, they sold out as quickly as possible. Such was the case with their 2003 tour for their album Hail to the Thief: a sold out show at Denver's legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater. But I got lucky. A friend of mine did manage to get tickets, only something came up and he couldn't go. Willing to pay scalper prices, I told him I'd buy them for whatever he wanted. He sold them to me at face value. I will never forget this show. Opening with "There There" (they rocked it,) they proceeded to treat us to a night of great songs, such as "Karma Police," "Paranoid Android," "The National Anthem" (my favorite Radiohead song,) even "A Drunken Punchup at a Wedding." I spent a lot of time watching Jonny Greenwood, whose guitar play was brilliant (and he remained entertaining during the electronic oriented songs, playing all those weird electronic instruments that, as I once read somewhere, he took two years to perfect.) With the lights of the Denver Metro Area serving as a backdrop, it was a special evening. I got to see one of my favorite bands in top form (and their light show was spectacular,) playing great song after great song. If you ever get the chance (meaning, if you can get tickets,) I highly recommend seeing them. It was one of the best concerts I've ever seen. As great as their albums are, Radiohead is even better live.