Making a list, checking it twice

Getting to see U2 and Son Volt two weeks ago put a couple of big check marks on the proverbial "bands I must see" list. There never was a list, other than a loose, mental collection of the best bands I'd never seen live. It used to be pretty long. But living just outside our nation's capital has helped me shorten it in a hurry. In the past few years, Bruce Springsteen, Wilco, Tom Petty and the Brian Setzer Orchestra all have been removed from their lofty positions among the ranks of the unseen. After catching Bono and the boys and then Jay Farrar & Co. in a three-day span, I began to wonder who was left. I've never needed to write it down, but with a little girl on the way in December, I thought now might be a good time. Next year, when I'm too tired to think and my sweet girl is making little yellow baby turds in what used to be my concert budget, I'll probably appreciate being able to look at my list in black and white.

Without any further scatological scenarios, here are the top 10 shows I'd like to see, in ascending order:

10. John Fogerty. I like a lot of Fogerty's solo material, but the real draw would be to see him perform the hits he wrote as the leader of Creedence Clearwater Revival. In 1969, 35 years before Ryan Adams announced that he'd be releasing three albums in a year, Creedence released "Bayou Country," "Green River" and "Willy and the Poor Boys," albums that contained such classics as "Born on the Bayou," "Proud Mary," "Green River," "Bad Moon Rising," "Down on the Corner" and "Fortunate Son." Many of today's alt-country bands owe a huge debt to Creedence for their country- and R&B-tinged swamp rock. I know that seeing Fogerty solo wouldn't be the same as seeing the original Creedence, but it wouldn't be bad, either. In fact, it would compare favorably to seeing the new Son Volt lineup. Much like Jay Farrar's band, if you put competent musicians around Fogerty, it's still going to sound like Creedence. As for this band formed by other CCR members, Creedence Clearwater Revisited? Well, that just sounds like something you'd see at the state fair.

9. Roger McGuinn. So far, this list has a real '60s theme. It's purely coincidence. McGuinn makes the list for the same reason so many other acts have made it � I love listening to guitar players. As the frontman of The Byrds, McGuinn helped establish that slightly intangible but you-know-it-when-you-hear-it "jangly" sound that has been used to describe R.E.M. and Tom Petty since. As a solo act, McGuinn's chops are in the spotlight as he uses a flatpick-and-fingers attack on his Rickenbacker electric 12-string. I've seen a lot of great guitar players, but I still haven't had the pleasure of seeing McGuinn play "Eight Miles High" and "Turn, Turn, Turn" on the Rick. Just writing that last sentence made me want to move him up a few spots on this list.

8. Gordon Lightfoot. All the young people reading HickoryWind are laughing right now, wondering why anybody in their right mind would want to go see the "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" guy. First, I like that song. Second, Tony Rice thinks so much of Lightfoot's songs that he's recorded a whole album's worth of them ("Tony Rice Sings Gordon Lightfoot"). That's the very definition of high praise. Finally, he's written a number of songs that are going to stand the test of time, songs such as "I'm Not Sayin'," "Bitter Green," "For Lovin' Me," "Carefree Highway," "Sundown" and "If You Could Read My Mind," to name only a few. He had a serious health scare a couple of years ago, when an aneurysm left him in a coma for six weeks, but is touring again. Unfortunately, he went through this area last month and I didn't catch him. I missed him by a week on a recent trip to Maine. He's in his late 60s, so I'm going to need to watch the concert calendar closely.

7. Gillian Welch. The only reason she isn't higher than seventh is that I've seen her at Merlefest. But I'm not content with seeing her (and David Rawlings) play a set on one of the festival's smaller stages. Nor am I content to see her play drums with Old Crow Medicine Show (though that was unquestionably cool). I need to see her headline a show, and the sooner the better. Though she's a modern artist, her songs have a timeless quality. Much of her material sounds like it could have been written yesterday or 75 years ago. Given a choice, I'll take a "timeless" over "of a time" any day. Frankly, there are few current artists that I admire more.

6. Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives. Stuart is a country historian, and a reminder that country music doesn't have to aspire to be a pop crossover act. His first release this year, "Souls' Chapel," is one of the best discs I've heard in 2005 (and I've bought a few too many, again). And what's not to like about the Fabulous Superlatives? They've got a great name, they can sing heavenly harmonies, and among them is guitarist Kenny Vaughan, whose talent exceeds mere fabulosity. This band could headline the Ryman Auditorium, a bar with a dirt floor, or a pig roast in your backyard. No matter the venue, there would undoubtedly be few unhappy customers.

5. Tab Benoit. I spent my teens and early '20s chasing down blues bands. Benoit, a white-hot blues guitarist from Louisiana, spends 200-plus nights a year on the road. Somehow, we never crossed paths. That has to change. I don't recommend a lot of live albums, but if you like blues you'd do well to pick up a copy of Benoit's collaboration with Jimmy Thackery, "Whiskey Store Live." I'm sure it's not the same as seeing Benoit in person, but it will get me by until that day.

4. Willie Nelson. Willie's such an icon in American music that I should have seen him by now, but I think I've just taken him for granted because he's always been around. Now that he's in his 70s (and I've missed Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings), it's probably time to get this done. I actually was all set to see Willie a few years ago, but his carpal tunnel put a damper on those plans. It's kind of been on the back burner since then, but he's scheduled to come through this area next week. If I hustle, six acts might be moving up this list real soon.

3. Ralph Stanley. As the recent death of Vassar Clements showed us once again, you only get so many chances to catch the giants. The "O Brother" soundtrack has given Stanley a long and much-deserved turn in the spotlight. But it won't last forever. The other half of the Stanley Brothers, Carter, has been gone for 40 years. The last time Stanley came to town I passed because I thought the tickets were too expensive. The truth is, you get what you pay for. And when the greats of bluegrass or any other style of music are gone, they're gone forever. I hope that I'm having this financial debate with myself for many, many more years.

2. Bottle Rockets. It was somewhat inevitable that Brian Henneman's band, Bottle Rockets, would end up in Uncle Tupelo's shadow. Most alt-country bands in the early '90s were in a similar position. It probably didn't help that Henneman worked as a roadie for Uncle Tupelo (though he also played on their "March 16-20, 1992" album). Whatever the reasons, Bottle Rockets have never really gotten their due. Henneman has earned the reputation as a shitkicker because Bottle Rockets draw more heavily on Southern rock and his songs aren't as literate as Jay Farrar's or Jeff Tweedy's. That doesn't mean the band should have to take a back seat. Henneman writes just as effectively about the ups and downs of life in the heartland of America, and he backs it up with louder guitars. The band's debut, "Bottle Rockets," and second album, "The Brooklyn Side," are essential in any alt-country collection. For me, it's essential to see them as soon as possible.

1. Stray Cats. First, a disclaimer: I've seen the Stray Cats. I'm pretty sure it was 1989 (I can't find my ticket stub at the moment), and they opened for Stevie Ray Vaughan in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. I love rockabilly, so as you can imagine it was one of the highlights of my concert-going life. There just wasn't enough of it. Forty-five minutes of a band you love shouldn't be enough to knock them off your "must see" list. Brian Setzer is one of my favorite guitar players (along with SRV; did I mention this was a great show?), and I've been fortunate to see him playing in a trio and with his orchestra. It still would be nice to see the Stray Cats again, but this time as a headliner. I thought it was out of my reach when they broke up (again) in the mid-'90s. But in 2004, to celebrate their 25th anniversary, Setzer, Lee Rocker (bass) and Slim Jim Phantom (drums) reunited for a monthlong tour of Europe. There are CDs documenting all but one of the shows on that tour, and a DVD of the London stop, but it's just not the same. Setzer's back on Christmas tour with the Brian Setzer Orchestra, so who knows what will happen in 2006. All I know is that it's possible. And shouldn't No. 1 feel a little unattainable, anyway? If we could see them all whenever we wanted, they wouldn't sound so sweet when the time finally arrived.

Next week: The 10 shows that got away.