Show Reviews

Situated on the beach at Paradise Lake in Hammonton, New Jersey, the artist line-up this year’s F.A.R.M. Fest was even more extensive than year’s prior as the fest planned to broaden the horizon of one’s musical tastes to a wide variety of genres while still reaching back to the roots of what comprises music: the […]

It takes stamina to get through day three of Newport Folk Festival. Typically it’s the most relaxed day of the weekend, no matter the lineup. The need to rush between stages to catch every set seems to have faded along with the previous evening’s picturesque sunset, and there’s more time to take a deep breath […]

Phish wrapped up their West Coast run last night at the Forum in Inglewood, CA.  The 2015 Summer Tour carries on this week in Texas, and if last night (and Shoreline) is any indication of where things are going musically, fans are in for a major treat. The energy in L.A. was on from the […]

The Fort Stage acted as the setting for countless standout moments on day two of Newport Folk Festival. Playing host to Jason Isbell, The Decemberists and Sufjan Stevens, the performances on the main stage were all over the place in the best way. Another unannounced guest on the Fort Stage did indeed turn out to be […]

And that is why you go to Phish shows. Last evening at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, CA Phish stepped into a Bay Area venue that was literally built for the Grateful Dead, and offered some of their strongest playing in recent memory. Whether they were channeling the energy left at Levi Stadium a few […]

Day one Newport Folk Fest attendees could not have predicted all of the surprises in store as they made their way by car, bus, bicycle and foot across the harbor to Fort Adams on such a magnificent sunny day. Around every corner, someone unexpected appeared and gave a killer performance as part of collaborations we […]

Phish wrapped up their sold out two-night stand at the Les Schwab Amphitheater in Bend, OR Wednesday night. The show featured some tasty highlights, but the energy level never exceeded what was offered on Tuesday night. There were some notable moments sprinkled throughout both sets, including the encore, but in reflecting on Bend, arguably the […]

Phish kicked off their summer tour last evening at the Les Schwab Amphitheater in beautiful Bend, OR. The quaint outdoor venue was packed to the brim with a capacity crowd of 8,000. The shows size was a far cry from the last live appearance for guitarist/vocalist Trey Anastasio who recently finished the now legendary run […]

The Revivalists, in town in support of their new album Men Amongst Mountains, played Wednesday and Thursday night to sold-old audiences.  Playing most of the songs from the new album, though many weren’t new as they’ve been weaving them into their shows for the past two years, they still made time for their big crowd […]

Despite temperatures pushing nearly a hundred, a steady breeze cooled the crowd who gradually made their way in the Austin360 Amphitheater to catch Steely Dan with a half opening, half co-headlining set from Elvis Costello. Dapper as always, the Englishman seemed unphased by the heat as he took the stage clad in a black suit. […]

So the Green River Festival begins a lot like most festivals: people line up at the gates way earlier than expected, tickets are taken, wristbands put on by soon-to-be experienced volunteers.  All of this is done with smiles and an aura that is overflowing with community. Then, like at every festival the single regrettable moment […]

Coming out with both barrels blazing in Biloxi to kick off another leg of their tour supporting Redeemer Of Souls, you wouldn’t think Judas Priest is now a band with seventeen albums in their arsenal. Their fiery guitar onslaught amidst Rob Halford’s eardrum singeing vocals is still the highlight of any show and they did […]

Philadelphia’s Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing, situated along the Delaware River with the Ben Franklin Bridge looming in the background, lives up to its name providing a real festival atmosphere among the urban sprawl of the City of Brotherly Love. San Diego California’s Slightly Stoopid, made their third stop on a 36-city tour in support […]

Waylon Jennings passed away over a decade ago, yet his presence seems to be felt more than ever these days as a younger generation of artists embrace his legacy. Maybe this is in rebellion against the debauched landscape of pop country trash, or maybe it’s just because outlaw country is too damn good to ever […]

Erika Wennerstrom and the Heartless Bastards brought forth a great degree of swagger to the Trees stage last Thursday night. As the evening marked the official beginning of the July 4th Holiday weekend, the mid-sized venue’s two stories were packed a little tighter than usual, and the air was tinged with an extra dose of […]

The hype was over-the-top. The ticketing situation was handled poorly, and it was hard to not see the cash-grab reality of what it meant for the “Core 4” remaining members of The Grateful Dead to unite for five summer shows with three other brilliant musicians, one of which played over 100 shows with the original […]

They were dancing in Chicago again last night at Solider Field. The second of three Fare Thee Well showcased some big jams, quintessential Dead, and one heck of an ode to the Fourth of July. Musically, the energy wasn’t quite as high as it was on night one, but there were moments on night two […]

Shakedown started at the airport. Strangers became friends, tickets were exchanged, plans to meet in the lot were made.  The guy sitting next to me on the Friday morning flight to Chicago was in Germany on Thursday. His first show? 1971. He chose his college because of that first Dead show, and like everyone who […]

You can read all the reviews written by those trying to analyze every detail of the final 5 shows the surviving members of the Grateful Dead will ever play together, and all of that has its place. But sometimes the best barometer of what really went down is to listen to the people, or in […]

At least on paper, the June 29th Concert on the Green at Shelburne Museum looked to rival the Discover Jazz co-billing of Robert Randolph and Matt Schofield on Burlington’s Waterfront Park earlier in the month. However on this bout, Trombone Shorty stole the show from Gary Clark Jr whose set failed to generate much momentum […]