Musically , the year gone by was a monstrous one for Monterey County. Bob Dylan, Arcade Fire and Agent Orange all graced the Central Coast with their presence. Conor Oberst and the Felice Brothers played an intimate show at Fernwood. Country Joe McDonald and Big Brother and the Holding Company brought the ’60s back to Carmel. And all this greatness – plus the avalanche described below – doesn’t even include the stellar acts brought to town by the Jazz and Blues Festivals.

The three luminaries behind many of these concerts – music promoter Tobin Peregrina, (((folkYEAH!))) mastermind Britt Govea and do-everything Henry Miller Library director Magnus Toren – shared their favorite moments from those shows and other acoustic highlights from 2010 with the Weekly.

Toren’s Top 10 HML Shows

“The 2010 season was amazing in so many ways,” Toren says. “The generosity of all the artists in the top 10 list is heart warming – when performing at the library they don’t do it for the money! Without the many volunteers, staff and interns and, of course, Britt Govea, none of this would have happened.”

“They flew from the East Coast, stayed almost a week in Big Sur. Getting to know Georgia [Hubley] and Ira [Kaplan] is one of my most treasured memories. What generosity of talent and heart!”

“Having two of the biggest selling indie bands in the world (the xx and Arcade Fire) in our small redwood grove were highlights but, again, how can you put one above the other?”

“The rain – which came during soundcheck for Arcade Fire and brought the whole band inside with acoustic instruments for an impromptu concert/rehearsal – was one of the most memorable in my 17 years here.”

“Friend, Beach Boy and neighbor Al Jardine playing on our stage was a dream come true. During the high-energy show Al was flanked by his two sons, Matt and Adam. The three of them sang several spine-tingling, recognizable and timeless Beach Boys harmonies in perfect, eh, harmony, backed by an all-star band. It was a great evening with many Big Sur neighbors getting down the hill, braving the dark, to come for some good music.”

“Indie-Country-Pop-Rock Band of Horses played here and musically they fit all those labels;labels are fluid, like the Horses. The band’s prominent vocals, mostly led by songwriter Ben Bridwell, are delivered effortlessly, in a high register, multilayered, and often heartbreakingly beautiful.I love good vocals and they provided a lot of that, accompanied by a very dynamic sound ranging from fragile acoustic string parts to fleshy, big, reverb laden, loud, electric guitar parts, in songs of loss, sadness and loneliness, often with an underlying emotional nihilism/cynicism. Love hurts.”

Jay Farrar and Benjamin Gibbard wrote the songs and music for the film One Fast Move Or I’m Gone: Kerouac’s Big Sur. They agreed to come to and sing the songs from the film in conjunction with the showing of the film. Everyone recognized, and felt thankful to Farrar and Gibbard, who did this because they love the freedom that Kerouac represents.

“I didn’t see Ed Sharp, I wasn’t in Big Sur that day. The reason he’s on the top 10 list is the rave reviews he received from the library staff and others around here who were lucky enough to see and hear the show.”

“Here is a young American songwriter – deeply rooted in some Appalachian vernacular – to pay attention to. When I found out that he was from Sweden, and that he’d been to the U.S. only after he recorded, I was in disbelief. I heard and saw him on our stage and all I could say was: ‘If this is what globalization is, I like it!’”

“There’s only been one show, since we started doing outdoor concerts, that we’ve had to change venue for because of weather: Cat Power. A few hours of nerve-wracking tension, calling NOAA telling them to get the weather straight, praying, hoping and ultimately throwing in the towel. After a frenzy of many phone calls Hidden Valley in Carmel Valley turned up with their venue available – amazing luck. Cat and her band and all the equipment was shuttled to the valley and the show was one of the best. I hope she comes back for an encore at the library.”

“I thought maybe I was just dreaming and that no one would show up to look at old (and new) LP records, let alone buy any! It turns out I had no reason to worry; it was one of the biggest days of the summer.Vinyl will survive and thrive and that’s a good thing. We’ll do more in 2011.”

Peregrina’s Top 10 Local Shows

Mustache Mayhem with The Silent Comedy, Mississippi Man, Worker Bee

“This was my last show at Jose’s and I counted over 120 mustaches. The bands were amazing.”

“This show was nuts. I think I got my brains moshed out.”

“Keigan Skydecker hosted this show and it was a huge success. Vinyl Revolution is still running and Bob [Gamber] says he still has a few bucks from that benefit.”

“People really showed the love here. Even [guitarist] Tom Ayres’ mother was shaking at this show.”

“I did not go but I heardit was a bunch of fun. I would love to work on something similar with [The Roosthouse’s] Adam Zerbe next year.”

“This was my first time working with (((folkYEAH!)))– I put together a stage, which only half the band fit on. Theband was surprisingly nice for anA-list band andthe music was good.”

“They headlined the Fillmore two nights in a row, then came to our little library.”

“Here I was a vendor and a fan. This event was a huge success and there were a few very good bands. I only remember The Mystery Lights playing. I was very hungover but sold tons of records.”

“This was the night the Giants won the World Series. We were unable to soundcheck because the game was on and people were going nuts. White Dogs took the stage after they won and the crowd went wild. Fifty people were clapping and stomping on the floors and it sounded like a rhythmicstampede.”

“It was packed. I saw [Weekly photog] Nic Coury in the mosh pit. Enough said.”

Govea’s Ultimate 2010 Song Playlist

Deerhunter “He Would Have Laughed”

“A fitting tribute to a too-soon-gone young musician [Jay Reatard].”

“Played HML on Oct 5. What more do you need?”

“A standout from a brilliant new record called Wonder Show of the World.”

“This Nico-penned song cuts deep every damn time I hear it but never deeper than the amazing version she played in Carmel Valley last October.”

“The wonderful title track to a Graham Nash Songs For Beginners tribute LP I co-produced with his daughter Nile. The Fleet Foxes frontman really nailed it.”

“From his new Singing Ax LP; who else could sing and perform such a beautiful and minimal arrangement with such power, style and grace?”

“The vocals and melody evokes the late great George Harrison and has a classic Beatles sound with a lyric that could draw blood and pull the heart strings of even the coldest impenetrable stone.”

“Such a proper tribute to Rick Danko of The Band. He is forever missed!”

“The entire record, Here’s To Taking It Easy, is amazing but this one sounds like nothing else on the record and closes a close to perfect modern record with a dark and edgy twist.”

“A short and lovingly sweet song for his sister while she was sick in the hospital. It cuts deep with a rejoicing musical and philosophical beauty that only the Animal Collective vibe can convey.”