Show Reviews

In the latest Wannabe, artist Chris Prunckle offers his illustrated commentary on Little Rock, Arkansas venue White Water Tavern’s annual Holiday Hangout, in his signature six-panel comic strip form. This year’s event, which took place on December 6-8, featured Aaron Lee Tasjan, Adam Faucett, Emily Fenton, Tim Easton, Slobberbone, and more. Click on the image for full […]

The Seattle-based Polyrhythmics septet made a rare New York City appearance on a frigid Saturday Night, December 7th, in Greenwich Village. While the temperatures were below freezing outside, the band’s hot mix of jam band experimenting, tight grooves, and horn-based instrumental funk kept the packed club Groove cooking all night long.  Before the headliners took […]

On Friday December 6th, Aimee Mann and Ted Leo (a.k.a. Ted Leo and Aimee Mann) bestowed a holiday miracle upon the good people of Collingswood, New Jersey: they opened their set at the Scottish Rite Auditorium with what many have called the worst Christmas song of all time – Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” – and […]

“How high can we go?” sang Pat Bilodeau, drummer and one of three lead singers in The Warhawks, on December 4th at the Foundry in Philadelphia. If this show is any indication, then the sky’s the limit for The Warhawks. Gloucester City, NJ’s finest, The Warhawks, are now one of those “overnight sensations,” but their […]

Any artist with over 100 million Instagram followers, critical acclaim, a diehard, obsessed fanbase, and the ability to sell out arenas in minutes, should reasonably come with high expectations for their performance. This is especially true for Billie Eilish, who has spent the last decade catapulting from teen sensation to the upper stratosphere of pop […]

Massive Nights, The Hold Steady’s annual run of shows at their adopted home, the Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg, once again brought a sold-out crowd to multiple joyous peaks on Friday night, December 6th. The third show (of four scheduled) found the band clicking on all cylinders. 2024 has been a busy year for the band. […]

The unofficial Mayor of the East Village, Jesse Malin has not played a show in a few years as he has put all of his efforts into recovering from a spinal stroke he suffered back in May 2023. By his own account the days have been dark, the recovery long, and painful, however tonight was […]

Over the last fifteen years, Australian indie bands have gradually clawed their way up to the top of the rock and roll food chain. Currently, the Melbourne scene dominates with the success of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard and their prolific output, not to mention their touring schedule, and punk outfit Amyl and the […]

On November 24th, Sturgill Simpson brought the US leg of his Why Not? Tour to a triumphant conclusion at Boston’s MGM Music Hall, delivering a sonic experience that left the audience breathless. The sold-out show was a testament to Simpson’s unwavering dedication to his craft and ability to connect with audiences profoundly. Gifting his fans […]

There’s a spotlight over Bob Weir and his silver mane. He stands in front of dozens of Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra members and the Wolf Bros, but he’s in a space of his own as he looks out into the Auditorium Theater on November 18th, 2024, and sings: There were days, and there were days/ And […]

Earlier this month, New York pop-punk outfit State Champs released their new, self-titled album, with single “Silver Cloud” asking the question: “So can we get back to basics, somehow?” In a pop-punk context – with standout support from Daisy Grenade, Meet Me at the Altar, and Knuckle Puck – the answer was a resounding “yes,” […]

On an abnormally warm November night in Providence on Friday the 15th, Lucinda Williams, the revered Queen of Americana, treated her loyal fans to an intimate and endearing musical trip down memory lane at Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Accompanied by her seasoned band Buick 6, which now features veteran rock guitarist Marc Ford, Williams embarked on […]

In the heart of Downtown Boston’s Theater District, Adrianne Lenker sparkled for a sold-out concert at the Boch Shubert Theater on Tuesday night, November 12th. The folk singer-songwriter fondly returned to her college town for a two-night stint as the “Bright Future” tour draws to a close, bringing a performance of sincerity that emulates her […]

If you were lucky enough to catch Lucero in their hard-partying early years, you might’ve thought to yourself, ‘Gee, these guys completely kick ass, but they won’t last.’ Would the Memphis band be the alt-country Replacements and burn out just when it was getting great? But the opposite happened, and they managed to put out […]

Sierra Hull has been wowing audiences with her mandolin playing capabilities since before her age reached the double digits. Today, she’s not only known for her virtuosity and ability to sit in and play with just about anyone; she’s also become a confident and engaging band leader. On Wednesday, November 13th, Hull brought her instrumental […]

Nearly twenty-five years have passed since the world was introduced to a scrappy garage-punk band from Atlanta called the Black Lips. The lineup has changed over the years, and the band has had its ups and downs as they’ve graduated to larger venues only to eventually land back into the smaller venues and dives where […]

On a crisp November night, The Anthem in Washington, D.C., was packed to the brim for a sold-out performance by Leon Bridges, with Hermanos Gutiérrez opening. The venue nestled along the water, which set the perfect scene for an evening of inspiring and soulful music. By the night’s end, an intimate memory was sure to […]

Iron Maiden, the legendary British heavy metal titans, once again proved their enduring power when their Future Past Tour stopped in Worcester, MA, on November 6th, With a captivating blend of classic tracks from their iconic albums, including Somewhere in Time, Fear of the Dark, and the more recent masterpiece Senjutsu, the show was a […]

Duff McKagan, the legendary bassist of Guns N’ Roses, has been steadily carving out an impressive career outside of G N’R that’s as diverse as it is impressive. Whether it’s his efforts with Loaded, Velvet Revolver, or going solo for his last two tours, the latest of which supporting his 2023 album Lighthouse, sees him […]

It’s been a healthy twenty-four years since we since the world was last given a proper album from The The, the long-running project of multi-faceted British musician Matt Johnson. Yet, in that two-decade-plus gap, Johnson’s creative juices have clearly been flowing, evidenced by the release of Ensoulment in September. The album is a welcome return […]