The Key’s Year-End Mania: David Dye’s five favorite live music moments in and out of the World Cafe studio

Year-End Mania is the Key’s survey of the things below the surface that made 2014 awesome. In this installment, World Cafe host David Dye shares his favorite music moments of the year.

1. Punk Cajun band The Lost Bayou Ramblers, featuring the Michot Brothers, recorded a session live during our Sense of Place Visit to Lafayette. Loved it when Andre switched out his accordion for the key modulation in their version of “My Generation.” Maybe in Philly this summer…?

2. Having Ryan Adams shout out “I see you, David” during his mile a minute between songs chatter at the SBC during XPoNential 2014.

3. Almost as cool as being in the studio when Ryan and his great band learned Foreigner’s “I Want To Know What Love Is” and pulled off a mind-blowing, non-ironic version.

4. The Philadelphia Orchestra’s version of “Sleigh Ride” during their free concert.  Loved the enthusiastic audience members shaking sleigh bells.

5. Sitting on Jim Eno’s couch in Austin last February and having him say “…so, would you like to hear something from the new Spoon album?” and playing an early version of “Do You” which became one of my songs of the year.

Bubbling under: Seeing Lake Street Dive in the documentary Another Day, Another Time and completely freaking out, then seeing them at Union Transfer and at XPoNential.  Hiss Golden Messenger’s World Cafe Session. Sweating at The Old 97’s rocking session in the studio the day we had a power failure that knocked out the air conditioning