Athens GA is one of those places in America that always seem to delivery great music – no matter the genre. Another sure bet in Athens is hearing Railroad Earth in the who have struck gold in this small southern college town with their brand of high energy roots-Americana.
If getting older conjures up images of sitting on a porch swing and remembering what you used to be, then don’t tell the guys in the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Aimee Mann is one of those artists whose live incarnations of songs never veer too far from their original album versions, but there’s something about the passion and intensity of the performances that cause her shows to be truly special affairs.
The Helio Sequence almost feels like a band making one last round. Their most recent record, Negotiations, is their first new recording in four years and while expertly produced, doesn't live up to the riveting hooks and inventive beats of 2008's brilliant Keep Your Eyes Ahead.
Actually, Duran Duran has always been a bit voyeuristic in their musical style. Rising to gigantic heights with 1982’s Rio, they were the musical equivalent of Miami Vice without the more cutting edge of Eurythmics. Young girls loved them. Young boys loved them. Rocker kids didn’t. But thirty years down the fashion runway of music, Duran Duran is still selling out major venues with most of their original line-up still intact.
Touring on the back of the excellent new album Kill My Blues, the Corin Tucker Band pulled into New York on a high. Scheduled to play this early show in Manhattan and a later show on Saturday in Brooklyn the band was covering all its bases. This night saw an older crowd fill up the Mercury Lounge as Tucker took the stage dressed in Sea Green and put together a tight hour long set with her excellent band.
Fans were pretty disappointed on September 14th when NOFX postponed the show they were scheduled to play at the Cabooze in Minneapolis that same night. The Lineup for the night was to be NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket, Dillinger Four, and Arms Aloft. Teenage Bottlerocket and Arms Aloft stepped up to the plate and announced they play the nearby Triple Rock Social Club instead. The 380 capacity venue had a previous event scheduled so the doors didn’t open until eleven, with the show starting at midnight. With the last minute venue change and late start, one would have expected a small turnout – that was definitely not the case.
The summer wasn’t technically dead yet, but as front man Matthew Vasquez from Delta Spirit put it, “It’s sweater weather people! Summer is over!” The cool temperatures on this night didn’t stop the hot playing and warm emotions found on the Central Park stage as two incredibly talented bands threw down an enjoyable show.
After two days soaking in the Florida sun, you’d probably be ready to find some shade. As luck would have it, the DeLuna Fest has got that covered as well. From the great food vendors, some of whom provided covered seating, to shaded hammock stations from ENO, it wasn’t too hard to find some respite from the late summer heat.
If the Friday of DeLuna Fest 2012 was any indication, then Saturday was sure to satisfy. Another perfect day in Pensacola Beach awaited throngs of music lovers at the front gates as the festival opened.
