Critics at The New York Times composed a list of the greatest concerts of 2012, which featured performances mostly in New York City but also venues in cities such as Austin, Tampa, and Amsterdam.

Each Times critic listed their favorites. For writer Jon Caramanica, rapper Jay-Z landed earned his top spot alongside other hip-hop artists including Nicki Minaj, Drake, and Odd Future.

Mixed into Caramanica’s top ten, however, was the March 14, 2012 show by Eric Church at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York.

Caramanica described the evening as “a mean show, as these things go. Mr. Church has clawed his way into the country mainstream with a series of post-outlaw anthems, and he delivered them with verve and tension, as if he might not be allowed to for much longer.”

Another New York paper, the Village Voice, also wrote a review at the time praising the show.

It’s a shame that more country artists weren’t included–Church wound up being the only country artist to make any of the four critics’ lists–but at least he’s in great company alongside Neil Young, Fiona Apple, Cecil Taylor, Kraftwerk and Radiohead.

- Ashley Quadros, CBS Local/Sacramento and Kurt Wolff, CBS Local