Thursday, Jan. 6, 2005 | 8:14 a.m.
For me, 2004 kicked off with the sound of dueling guitars, as Metallica thundered through heavy-metal anthem "One" last New Year's Eve at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel.
Twelve months later, my year was capped by Alanis Morissette's poppy single "Hands Clean," just before the stroke of midnight last Friday at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay.
In between those shows, I caught about 75 other headliners who passed through Southern Nevada in 2004.
The acts I reviewed as the Las Vegas Sun's music writer ranged from rock veterans David Bowie and John Fogerty to funk legends James Brown and George Clinton to American Idols Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken.
I covered full-scale arena productions by Madonna, Britney Spears and Kid Rock and intimate club appearances by Sting, Aretha Franklin and Kanye West. I watched local bands play off the Strip and visiting musicians perform at the free, outdoor "Jazz in the Park" series.
The year brought a farewell run from Phish, reunion shows from Van Halen and a "Smile" from Brian Wilson, not to mention the Vegas return of conquering hometown heroes the Killers.
Of course, I didn't attend every concert that came through town in 2004. As Southern Nevada has expanded, so have its musical offerings, with most Friday and Saturday nights featuring several quality options.
Among those I did see, the following 10 shows earned grades of at least four stars, marks I feel certain are still well deserved.
Following are my top 10 concerts for 2004:
10. Lucinda Williams at House of Blues, Feb. 21: Vocalists on both sides of the country and rock aisle could take lessons from Williams, who packed more emotion into her lyrics than any performer I saw last year.
Her gritty, gravelly voice ached as she sang tales of lost loves and broken hearts. With songs that personal, it's no wonder it takes Williams a bit longer than most to finish her albums.
9. Prince at Mandalay Bay Events Center, May 30: His Purple Majesty gave fans what they wanted one last time, officially retiring his catalog of hits with a blowout arena tour.
Though I preferred Prince's more free-form 2002 gig at the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts, the 2004 show was fun and funky enough to qualify as one of the year's best. The casual, solo-acoustic middle set alone was worth the price of admission.
8. Talib Kweli at House of Blues, June 5: The cerebral Brooklyn, N.Y., native contributed my favorite hip-hop show of 2004, feeding off the energy of the knowledgeable crowd in attendance.
Kweli also received an assist from metal-masked rapper MF Doom, one of the top opening acts to hit Las Vegas all year.
7. Rush at MGM Grand Garden Arena, July 17: Most veteran rockers I saw in 2004 looked tired. Well into their 30th anniversary tour, the three members of Rush still bristled with energy.
Once again, Canada's famous power-trio proved that when done right, arena rock can still be every bit as powerful as it was during its '70s and '80s heyday. Watching the diehard fanbase at work during a show can also be a trip.
6. Erykah Badu at House of Blues, Feb. 14: The neo-soul goddess arrived onstage 75 minutes late, but won her audience back with a marathon performance that ran for nearly three hours.
Alternately funky, soulful and serious, Badu highlighted her set with a spine-tingling version of "Orange Moon," the most serene ballad I heard all year.
5. "Newport Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary Tour" at UNLV's Artemus Ham Hall, March 12: America's most famous jazz festival celebrated its golden anniversary by hitting the road, and Las Vegas was lucky enough to be a stop along the way.
Though lacking in big names, the Newport eight-piece band -- pianist Cedar Walton, woodwind player Lew Tabackin and vocalist Lea DeLaria among them -- helped locals imagine what a trip to the annual Rhode Island event might be like.
4. Green Day at The Joint, Dec. 7: The punk-rock trio earned my respect by tossing out their usual set list and playing new album "American Idiot" start to finish instead.
Green Day's rabid fans loved the surprise move, likely because the new, thematically linked concept disc houses the best material the band has ever recorded.
3. David Bowie at The Joint, Jan. 30: Looking fitter than ever, the British rock icon treated Las Vegas to a rare club show touching on all eras of his groundbreaking career.
"Hang Onto Yourself," "Panic in Detroit" and "The Man Who Sold the World" were just a few of the many memorable tunes Bowie dug from his songbook on the first of two gigs at The Joint.
2. Brian Wilson at Boulder Station's Railhead, Oct. 30: In a bizarre series of events, the ex-Beach Boy revisited famed unfinished project "Smile," re-worked it in its entirety and brought it to Boulder Station.
The result was astounding, an up-close aural sensation featuring horns, strings and lush vocal harmonies. Locals who attended aren't likely to forget the experience anytime soon.
1. Sonic Youth at House of Blues, July 23: After awarding three shows with five-star grades in 2003 (White Stripes, Neil Young, Elvis Costello), I deemed only one worthy of the perfect mark in 2004.
In their return to Las Vegas after more than a decade, Sonic Youth blew the roof off the House of Blues, almost literally. New York's renowned noise-rock quintet showed off its fondness for controlled mayhem, blaring feedback one minute, then settling into peaceful melodies the next.
Hopefully, we won't have to wait another 10 years for them to come back.
Honorable Mention: John Fogerty (The Joint, July 31); Aretha Franklin (House of Blues, Sept. 24); Jurassic 5 (House of Blues, Dec. 3); Carole King (Caesars Palace, Aug. 21); No Doubt (Rain at the Palms, June 27); Danilo Perez ("Jazz in the Park," June 19).
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