It's the end of the year and that can only mean one thing: Year end lists. Yes, lists are usually obnoxious and pretentious and often repetitive. In attempts to avoid this scenario, I asked many different people with many different interests to submit their top five albums purchased in the year 2000. Their picks didn't have to be albums released this year, just ones that were bought this year. As well, the people who were polled were also given the opportunity to submit the five best shows that they saw this year.

On a personal level, I would like to thank all of the reader(s) of the international column. It's been a great year for music, jambands and all. Special thanks to everyone who contributed to the column over the past year and I look forward to seeing more in the coming year.

Music is an essential part of our lives, go see live music and support your local scene. Have a safe holiday and a great New Year.

The Lists:

Jeff Cohen Against the Grain Concerts

Live Shows:

1. Bruce Springsteen & E Street Band - June 4th Atlanta (Debut of "41 Shots")
2. Dropkick Murphy's Punk O'Rama - June 28th Toronto, Phoenix Concert Theatre
3. Ryan Adams - September 26th Toronto, Horseshoe Tavern
4. The Gruesomes - March 4th Toronto, Horseshoe Tavern
5. Southern Culture on the Skids- October 31st Toronto, Horseshoe Tavern

Albums

1. Slobberbone "Everything you thought was right was wrong today" (Dolittle)
2. Waco Brothers "Electric Waco Chair" (Bloodshot)
3. The Smugglers "Rosie" (Mint/Lookout)
4. The Gruesomes "Cave In" (Stomp)
5. Blue Rodeo "Last Recording" (Warner)

Peter Wark Artist Manager

Live Shows:

1. Gov't Mule - July 31st Toronto, The Comfort Zone
2. Pearl Jam - October 5th Toronto, Air Canada Centre
3. CSNY - March 31st Toronto, Air Canada Centre
4. Guster - Toronto, Horseshoe Tavern
5. Fishbone/STP/Red Hot Chili Peppers - August 6th Toronto Molson Amphitheater

Albums:

1. Radiohead - "Kid A"
2. Gomez - "Liquid Skin"
3. Unified Theory - "Unified Theory"
4. Willie Nelson - "Teatro"
5. Built to Spill - "Keep it Like a Secret"

James "Guitar" Shields Keyboards/Moog New Deal

Live Shows:

1. Ween, Toronto, Warehouse
2. Clifford Gilberto, Vancouver
3. Brian Wilson, Toronto, Molson Amphitheater
4. Benny Green, New York City

Albums:

1. Elliot Smith - "Figure 8"
2. Peace Orchestra - "Peace Orchestra"
3. Ween - "White Pepper"
4. "French Fried Funk" - French House Music Compilation
5. NRBQ- "Live at Yankee Stadium"

Christopher Thorn Guitarist Unified Theory

Albums:

1. Flaming Lips - "Soft Bulletin"
2. Radiohead - "Kid A"
3. Bjork - "Dancer in the Dark" OST
4. Emiliana Torrini - "Love in the Time of Science"
5. Neutral Milk Hotel - "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea"

Brad Smith Bassist Unified Theory

Albums:

1. BT - "Movement in Still Life"
2. Bjork - "Homogenic"
3. Emmylou Harris - "Wrecking Ball"
4. Amy Correia - "Carnival Love"
5. Radiohead - "Kid A"

Jessica Morrison Music Enthusiast

Live Shows:

1. Counting Crows w/ Cracker - May 31st Jack Breslin Center, E.Lansing, MI
2. Ryan Adams - September 26th Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto
3. Travis - September 12th Warehouse, Toronto
4. Zubot & Dawson - July 26th Ted's Wrecking Yard, Toronto
5. Paddy Casey - July 4th & 5th Ted's Wrecking Yard, Toronto

Albums:

1. Ryan Adams - "Heartbreaker"
2. Zubot & Dawson - "Tractor Parts: Further Adventures in Strange"
3. Dan Bryk - "Lover's Leap"
4. Richard Buckner - "The Hill"
5. Beachwood Sparks - "Beachwood Sparks"

Tim Lidster Sound King Records

Live Shows:

1. Teen Crud Combo- El Mocambo Toronto, North by Northeast Music Festival
2. Primal Scream - Guvernment, Toronto
3. dandy warhols - Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto
4. domakesaythink - Bloor Cinema, Toronto
5. Mojave 3 - Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto

Albums:

1. Primal Scream - "Exterminator"
2. Radiohead - "Kid A"
3. Ween - "White Pepper"
4. Domakesaythink - Goodbye enemy airship the landlord is dead"
5. Clayton Denwood - "The Exile Sessions"

Kevin O'Neill - Kev's Tour Page

Live Shows:

1. String Cheese Incident - April 16th, Guvernment, Toronto
2. Burt Neilson Band - July 15th, Cross Z Ranch, Canmore, Alberta
3. Project Logic - October 13th, Comfort Zone, Toronto
4. Burt Neilson Band - July 28th-30th Canmore Hotel
5. Jomomma - October 31st, The Loft, Waterloo

Jonathan Dyck Iceberg Radio

Live Shows:

1. Bela Fleck and the Flecktones - March 8th, Warehouse, Toronto
2. Karl Denson's Tiny Universe - February 14th, Comfort Zone, Toronto
3. Phish -July 6th, Molson Amphitheater, Toronto
4. Bruce Cockburn, February 6th, Massey Hall, Toronto
5. Dmitri from Paris/New Deal, October 6th, Warehouse, Toronto

Adam Shiffman 4:20 Productions

Live Shows:

1. Phish - January 1st, Big Cypress, Florida
2. Phish - July 6th, Molson Amphitheater, Toronto
3. Radiohead - October 17th, Sears Theatre, Toronto
4. moe - April 13, Opera House, Toronto
5. String Cheese Incident -April 16th, Guvernment, Toronto

Albums:

1. Phish - "Farmhouse"
2. Radiohead - "Kid A"
3. MMW - "The Dropper"
4. Burt Neilson Band - "Orange Shag Carpet"
5. Phish - "Siket Disc"

Jay Shuster Artist Manager

Live Shows:

1. MMW - July 5th, Montreal Jazz Festival
2. Phish - September 18th, Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, OH
3. Fat Cats/Crazy Strings - November 22nd, Comfort Zone
4. The Dinner is Ruined Band - October 28th, Ted's Wrecking Yard, Toronto
5. MMW - November 3rd, Colgate University

Albums:

1. MMW - "The Dropper"
2. Grateful Dead - "So Many Roads"
3. Johnny Cash - "American 3"
4. Phish - "SHN - 12/7/97
5. Grisman/Garcia/Rice - "Pizza Tapes"

Dan Morris

Live Shows:

1. Phish - July 11th, Deer Creek, Noblesville, IN
2. New Deal - November 11th, Opera House, Toronto
3. Disco Biscuits - august 25th-26th, Camp Bisco, PA
4. Phish - July 4th, E Center, Camden, NJ
5. MMW - Waterloo Jazz Fest

Albums:

1. Disco Biscuits - "Bisco Lives"
2. New Deal - "This is Live"
3. New Deal - Sound and Light Series Vol. 2, Guelph.
4. Jazz Mandolin Project - "Xeno Blast" 5. moe - "L"

Jeremy Diamond Public Relations

Live Shows:

1. Jayhawks - August 15th, Lee's Palace, Toronto
2. Gordon Lightfoot -Mariposa Folk Festival
3. Bruce Springsteen - Air Canada Centre, Toronto
4. Keb' Mo'/Taj Mahal - Harbourfront Center

Top Albums:

1. Blue Rodeo - "Days in Between"
2. Jayhawks - "Smile"
3. Marvin Gaye - "Here, My Dear"
4. Robert Palmer - "Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley"
5. Mark Knopfler - "Sailing to Philadelphia"

And Finally….

Evan Newman

Live Shows:

1. Black Crowes/Jimmy Page - June 26th, The Palace of Auburn Hills, MI
2. Ryan Adams - September 26th, Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto
3. Jayhawks - August 16th, Zaphod's 2, Ottawa
4. North Mississippi All Stars - September 25th, Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto
5. Phish - September 14th, Darien Lake, Buffalo

Albums: