Best of MPF 2009: The Nominees

Dudes and dudettes:

It's that time of the year, when the people who actually give a shit (this time around: Husker Larry, Erik, Igoe and Clam) ask when they are going to see the Best of MPF list.

Just as a general reminder: The Best of MPF list is released in mid-January, not early December like most year-end lists in magazines, because I feel you cannot evaluate something while in the midst of it. Time is necessary to separate yourself from that which you are trying to assess, so I take a couple weeks in the new year to evaluate the passed year.

Luckily, you dear reader, are close to the release of the Best Of list (just give me a day or two). As a reward for being a loyal reader (or a Buckeye fan who googled "Terrelle Pryor") you'll have the chance to read the list before it is released to the general public. Think of it as a midnight record release party.

As is tradition (all one years of it), I'll pre-announce the candidates for the major categories: Best Show and Best Record. Now, I haven't had the chance to look at which records in the collection were 2009 and which were 2008, so I'm gonna have to leave that one as a mystery for my loyal fans. To make it up to you, I'll show you the nominees for a different category for the first time: Best Chicago Street Festival.

And the dudes nominated are.

For Best Show:

• Franz Nicolay (of the Hold Steady), Empty Bottle, 1/17
• Old 97s with Brighton MA, Cubby Bear, 5/2
• Ezra Furman and the Harpoons, Metronome Festival, 6/7
• Ramsey Lewis, Ravinia, 6/12
• Sarah Borges, Fitzgeralds, 6/13
• OAR and Robert Randolph Band, Charter One Pavilion, 6/18
• The Hold Steady, Taste of Randolph, 6/21
• Barenaked Ladies, Taste of Chicago, 6/30
• Buddy Guy, Taste of Chicago, 7/4
• Headbangers Ball, Rock Around the Block, 7/11
• Scott Miller, Wicker Park Fest, 7/25
• Baseball Project, Martyrs, 9/11
• Alejandro Escovedo and the Flatlanders, Country Music Fest, 10/6
• Wilco, UIC Pavilion, 10/18
• Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Hall, 12/3
• Andrew Bird, Fourth Presbyterian Church, 12/17

For Best Sports Game:

• Cubs/Rockies, 4/15
• Cubs @ Detroit, 6/25
• Cubs/Braves, 7/7
• Cubs/Mets, 8/28
• Cubs (vs Milw?) in the bleachers, 9/17
• ND/Michigan State, 9/19
• Ohio/Tennessee, 9/26
• ND/Boston College, 10/24
• Pizza Pizza Bowl (Ohio/Marshall), 12/26

For Best Fest:

• Mayfest, 5/30 (it was surprisingly hot as hell that day)
• Metronome Chicago, 6/7
• Old Town Art Fair, 6/13 (caught the end of Dolly Varden’s set)
• Northcenter Ribfest, 6/14
• Taste of Chicago, multiple days
• Rock Around the Block, 6/11
• Sheffield Garden Walk, 6/18
• Wicker Park Fest, 7/25
• Palatine Fest, 8/30
• Chicago Country Music Fest, 10/4

Start the guessing! The full list to be released as soon as I get it done, I promise.