Posts by Joan Bowlen

Photos of Outside Lands Day 1 on 8/7/15 with coverage of St. Vincent, Wilco and Mumford & Sons. Photos by Joan Bowlen.

Photos of Saturday at Outside Lands 2015 featuring Tame, Impala, Laura Marling, Billy Idol & more.  Photos by Joan Bowlen,

Seeing a band exist so fully within their songs and get such pleasure out of performing them is what makes live music great and what makes Ivan & Alyosha a must-see performance.

Shawn Colvin knows, respects and indulges the personal and professional history behind her music-making, celebrating her influences and collaborations with every show. She is a master of her craft, an unparalleled performer and soulful artist who continues to integrate and grow with her years; seeing her year after year is a joy that keeps on giving.

The combination of Marling's haunting alto and searing lyrical vulnerability within the cathedral's awe-inspiring Gothic architecture created a space that was both communal and intensely personal.

Shawn Colvin has an acute awareness of where her music comes from—whether from the artists who have inspired her or the personal experiences that have demanded expression—and she declares them all with a masterful poetry that leaves audiences in little doubt that they have seen one of the modern day's great troubadours.

Wye Oak has been touring the release of their third album Civilian since the beginning of this year, and despite playing 200 shows this year alone, the rhythmic and lyrical integrity of the album's songs have lost none of their potency after months on tour.