5. 3 Floors of Ska (Knitting Factory): The headliner was The Specials. Also playing were the Boss-Tones, Mustard Plug, Hub City Stompers, and Westbound Train. I drank about a dozen Red Stripes, danced for about 4 hours, and couldn't move for two days.
4. Les Paul (The Iridium): Worth every penny (and the 2 drink minimum) to see a legend. I had him sign a pick-guard for my dad's Les Paul Custom. His rendition of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" was simply amazing.
3. BB King (The Blue Note): The Blue Note is a legendary jazz club. BB is a blues legend. Seeing him play there, mere feet away from him, was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
2. Kenny Burrell (The Blue Note): My favorite guitarist of all time, arguably one of the 5 best living jazz guitarists. I highly recommend giving Midnight Blue a listen.
1. WHFS-tival (RFK Stadium): PJ Harvey, L7, Primus, Bush, Soul Asylum, Hole, Juliana Hatfield, Shudder to Think, and topping it all off, Tony Bennett, followed by... The Ramones.
Honorable mentions: Matisyahu, Roseland in NYC on Christmas Eve. Rancid, Great American Music Hall in SF, where I got my shoulder messed up.