Posts by Nancy Lasher and Jordan Hamowy

There were a lot of tasty treats at this year’s Sea.Hear.Now festival in Asbury Park, NJ, but make no mistake about it, the main course on almost everyone’s plate was a large helping of Pearl Jam. The band hadn’t toured since 2018 and as Eddie Vedder said from the stage, they had planned a massive […]

You’d think that a global Covid pandemic, a 13-month postponement, a change of venue with a whole new setup, and a “microburst-like” storm hitting for the first 45 minutes of the festival would be too much for a small, local, volunteer-run music festival to overcome; but Green River triumphed on August 28th and 29th, making […]

With so much musical uncertainty in today’s world, it is nice when you see a festival moving ahead in a thoughtful way. So it looks like the Green River Music Festival will go ahead as planned this weekend (Aug 27-29) in Greenfield, MA. And though they had to change weekends and venues, the festival will […]

The second annual Sea.Hear.Now Festival was held on the beach in Asbury Park this weekend and although the lineup, weather and setting were ideal, the festival came up a little short.  While there was a lot to love, the crowds were hard to manage. The main stages were stretched further apart and that allowed the […]

Some festivals have all the luck, and Sea.Hear.Now taking place this weekend (September 20th – 21st) on the Asbury Park (NJ) beach might have the best luck of all. This second-year festival organized by rock photographer and Asbury Park resident Danny Clinch, emerged from the womb fully formed 1n 2018 and hasn’t missed a beat […]

The 2019 edition of the Green River Festival took place last weekend (July 12-14, 2019) at Greenfield Community College (MA) and with 15,000 in attendance, a stellar lineup and ease of access it was a raging success on all fronts. So, what else makes this festival so great? There are several answers: It is held in […]

The Clearwater Festival – The Great Hudson River Revival – wrapped up on Father’s Day and served its purpose of sending off its attendees, performers, volunteers and staff relaxed, recharged and re-invested in environmental and social justice issues on June 15/16 at Croton Park on Croton On Hudson, NY. Almost every performer made a point […]

Clearwater Festival – The Great Hudson River Revival – is the place to be this coming weekend. Whether you’re looking for a chill festival with great musical acts, a gorgeous place to hang on Father’s Day, or the opportunity to honor the legacy of Pete Seeger (and celebrate what would have been his 100th birthday), […]

The Governors Ball Music Festival – GovBallNYC is now in its 9th year and it has evolved from a much smaller festival on Governor’s Island to a four-stage 3-day extravaganza with continuous music and activities from noon to past 11 pm. It boasts a stacked lineup of current hitmakers of all genres and this year […]

It’s summer in New York City and time to kick off the Music Festival Season this coming weekend (May 31-June 2) with one of the finest – The Governors Ball Music Festival – on that lush “island” oasis in the middle of The City called Randall’s Island. GovBallNYC on May 31st – June 2nd is […]

When one goes to see a supergroup perform, one never knows what to expect. Will it be an un-rehearsed set of generic covers or a new combination of musicians that brings the best out of everyone? Fortunately for all those in the audience at City Winery New York on Tuesday night, the Sisters of the […]

Asbury Park got to strut its stuff this past weekend (September 29-30) at the inaugural Sea.Hear.Now Festival in Asbury Park. The festival took place on the last weekend in September and checked off all the boxes – three stages of music featuring a mix of local bands and big-name acts, beautiful weather in a beautiful […]

The Green River Festival held at Greenville Community College in Greenfield, MA on July 13-15 is my favorite “small” festival. With three stages of music over three days, it is packed with established and up and coming acts that can compete with any festival in the country. I call it the “little festival that could” […]

If you were in New York City this past weekend, there was a battle going on. You may not have noticed it, but rest assured there was a war being waged on Randall’s Island at Gov Ball, NYC’s biggest music festival. It wasn’t a battle of the elements, although the rain clouds that threatened all […]

Most people have a ritual that signals the end of summer. For many roots music fans that rite is the Rhythm and Roots Music and Dance Festival held over Labor Day weekend at Ninigret State Park in Charlestown, Rhode Island. This year marked the 20th anniversary of the festival which blends a steady diet of Cajun/Zydeco […]

So the Green River Festival is all grown up, but don’t worry, it still has enough small festival feel to retain its charm. After its 31st year, the three-stage, three-day festival now put on by Signature Sounds has come of age as one of its acts, Lake Street Dive, has gotten big enough to headline […]

After negotiating the steamy summer streets of Times Square, thronged with tourists and animated characters, it was a relief to arrive in the cool cavern of the PlayStation Theater June 10th and the pulsating musical joy that is Michael Franti and Spearhead. From the moment the ever-barefoot Franti hit the stage with “Hey Hey Hey”, […]

There are many places in New York City to kick off your summer but McCarren Park or the rooftop of Our Wicked Lady during the Northside Festival are definitely two great choices. In its ninth year, Northside is Williamsburg’s (Brooklyn) answer to SxSW, a 5-day-long celebration allowing industry folk and fans to discover visual content, […]

Let’s get this straight – Governors Ball is a young person’s festival. A three-day bracelet is the status symbol to have for high schoolers across NYC.  The biggest lines were for the cookie dough vendors, the mozzarella sticks and the mochi ice cream. There was a bigger line at the candy bar than at any […]

Festivals require choices, right?  Multiple stages, and so many food options, art installations, freebies, vendors, and other diversions.  Which group of friends do you hang with or do you wander off with a newly-made honey?  Commit to full sets or graze?  See a band you’ve already seen or discover someone new?  Plan the schedule, or […]