Certainly, there will be lists coming forth that will discuss the wonderful local tour stops for many national and international bands in 2012, whether Radiohead at the AAC, Sharon Von Etten at Trees or Frank Ocean at South Side Music Hall.
See also: - The top five musical resurrections of 2012
As it turned out, 2012 wasn't a shabby year for shows that took place in unusual locales. There's something raw and a little bit dangerous about watching a performer command a stage when an actual, physical stage isn't there. Here are five great shows that happened in non-traditional concert environs in 2012.
Hull at Good Records - October 23 Brooklyn metal thrashers Hull offered up a rare, free in-store gig without having a local show to promote. With 40 black t-shirts or so in attendance, Hull ripped the astroturf of Good Records as if there were thousands looking on. Metal fans of North Texas missed out on the year's greatest head-bang-to-dollar ratio.
Amber Farris and Jerrod Medulla in a fancy backyard fund-raiser - August 5 Two players that would go on to battle it out for the title of Best Country Act in this year's DOMAs braved heat and chatty but charitable attendees in a backyard oasis. Raising money for clean water wells in the Amazon region of South America brought out the good humor in both artists, as they swapped originals and expertly selected covers, such as Medulla singing the Grateful Dead's "Friend of the Devil," and Farris busting out Ryan Adams' "To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High)."
Fish Fry Bingo at Big Texas Beer Fest - April 14 This self-proclaimed hill-hop group of rough-looking banjo bangers actually made a great showing at a Deep Ellum Brewing Saturday tour a couple of weeks prior to the best beer festival this town has seen. But it was on a tiny stage at the end of the Automotive Building in Fair Park where their crazy bluegrass actually made people get out of line for the country's best porters, blondes and IPAs.
Jack Ingram on a Southwest Airlines flight from Austin to Dallas This was far more than a promotional gimmick. Ingram's in-flight performance was but one part of an all-day event that honored a deserving war veteran and his fiancée. It was quite impressive to see a legitimate, mainstream country music star squeeze himself into the front of the plane with his acoustic guitar, and sing three of his best-known tunes into the fuzzy speaker. With all of those obstacles in place, Ingram knocked it out of the park, thrilled the iPad and iPhone-wielding crowd, and more importantly, made it a great day for Afghanistan war vet Jeremy Smith.
Wrinkle Neck Mules in the parking lot behind Tailwater's Flyfishing - June 2 This Virginian country-rock outfit not only writes killer tunes, but they also run a successful clothing line for fishermen. That connection brought the band to town to help the McKinney Avenue retailer celebrate its fifth anniversary. Without a stage, any shade and just a couple of Wrinkle Neck die-hards watching, the band made the most of the day, showcasing material from their entire catalog. Oh, the free margaritas and multiple kegs also helped beat the heat for those of us standing in the shade-free parking lot.
