Show Reviews

BeachLife Festival returned to Redondo Beach, California on the weekend of May 13-15, 2022 with all of the charm, surfside vibes, and satisfying musical bookings we have come to expect. After just eight months since the previous festival took place (due to pandemic rescheduling), there were some changes, but much remained the same. The music […]

New York City got a treat on Friday night May 13th as Grayson Capps played a short but tasty set at Stage 3 of the Rockwood Music Hall. Grayson plays in a number of configurations: solo, with a full band, and as a duo with his lead guitarist, Corky Hughes. Happily, he brought Corky north […]

Paul McCartney visited Inglewood California’s cavernous SoFi Stadium on May 13, 2022, as part of his 13-city GOT BACK tour. The sold-out performance will be remembered as a masterpiece, not simply because it was musically brilliant, but for how Sir Paul made everyone feel like he was playing for each one of them, personally. Inside […]

On a Friday night (5/13) where rain kept the typical crowds away from downtown Orlando, middle-aged rock fans packed The Social to see Cincinnati veterans The Afghan Whigs. With no opening act and minimal lighting, the band delivered a no-frills 90-minute set that highlighted what the rockers do well. Starting with the frenetic “I’ll Make […]

For going on three decades, the Icelandic band Sigur Rós has existed much like the island where they originate. Their music is sonically sparse and remote yet rich and complex all at once, existing outside the influence of many other kinds of music. Over the course of their lengthy career, the band has forged their […]

Jazzfest in New Orleans brings together plenty of sit-ins, guest appearances, and a few late-night reunions. One of the latter took place on Saturday, May 6th in the Bywater living room known as BJ’s Lounge when the Rough Seven reunited for a gloriously powerful set of garage rocking, soul-fulfilling tunes.    Having been on hiatus for […]

Kicking off the late-night shows for weekend number two of Jazzfest in New Orleans, Samantha Fish blazed a set steeped in heavy electric blues across the stage at Howlin’ Wolf on Thursday night May 5th. Before the headliner, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears opened things with their mix of gutbucket blues and soulful rock […]

After a downpouring of rain the night before, it turned the grounds of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival into a simmering, steaming bowl of roux. Thankfully, the mud was at a minimum and the music was blasting. From hyper harmonica solos to an instrumental “Amazing Grace,” the Fairgrounds helped you sin, sweat, and […]

mxmtoon’s new album Rising drops on May 20, and the singer-songwriter eagerly showcased an array of new tracks for an enthralled crowd in Detroit on May 5th. She recalled previously playing the city in 2019 at a much smaller venue, as she took in the audience at the Majestic Theatre. Chloe Moriondo – a Detroit […]

In the relatively short time they have been a band (formed in 2015), Big Thief has developed an almost feverish following. Their ascent and the prolific songwriter credentials of frontwoman Adrianne Lenker is similar to that of Bright Eyes and Conor Oberst in some ways, with Lenker hailed as a master songsmith from a very […]

For the inaugural Daze Between Festival in New Orleans, on the grounds of the Faubourg Brewery, the overriding feeling was friendship and an easy-going sense of family as guest spots were all the rage on day one and the next generation of acts shined bright on day two. Under gorgeous clear skies and hot/humid temperatures […]

It has been three long years, but the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is back after cancellations, delays, and disappointments due to the pandemic. While the 2022 edition of the festival itself takes place from April 29 to May 1 and May 5-8, the clubs, special event venues, and outdoor parks abound with live […]

The Old Town School of Folk Music started in Dawn Greening’s dining room in 1957, just as the burgeoning folk scene began to take shape in America. It soon developed into a Chicago institution, one that weathered the decline of the original folk boon and the closing of its original location. Now, the school’s main […]

After a full day at the Fairgrounds to celebrate the return of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival the NOLA Summit returned to the Howlin’ Wolf on April 30th after two years of cancellations. With a lineup of local players, the second running of the Summit showcased New Orleans bands playing originals and tributes […]

Tamara Lindeman, who records and performs under the moniker The Weather Station, took the stage at Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg to a round of cheers, but as she knelt down center-stage – microphone in hand, head bowed – a hush quickly swept over the crowd until every rustling jacket and shuffling foot could be […]

Yes, my friends, The Darkness survived the unrelenting pandemic, released a killer new record, hit the road, and proved once again that they can still bring it. And on Sunday night (4/24), the band wrapped its tour across the US in support of their latest offering, Motorheart, which may rival their debut, Permission to Land, […]

With the haze of a certain band’s Madison Square Garden residency still floating over New York City, those in the know gathered on Sunday night (4/24/22) in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood, on the rooftop of the psychedelic, Turkish-themed venue The Sultan Room for what was to be the weekend’s hottest aftershow. Taper’s Choice, a new jam […]

On Saturday, April 23rd, at The Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia, British Hard Rockers and Glam devotees The Darkness entered the home stretch of their North American tour, playing the 33rd of their 34 shows supporting their 2021 album Motorheart. They would conclude on the 24th in Boston with a European tour beginning in June 2022.  All-female […]

The mysterious garage punk outfit The Mummies played a searing sold-out set at Brooklyn’s Elsewhere on Saturday night (4/23) as the wrapped-up budget rockers tore the house down.  Before the California-based band took the stage though there were a few inspired opening acts. First up was Von Mons, a quartet from Asbury Park, NJ who […]

Fresh off winning three Grammys, Olivia Rodrigo certainly has one of the most — if not the most — in-demand tours this spring. On the sold-out Sour Tour, the fast-rising pop star made her Detroit debut at the Masonic Temple. The venue was buzzing from the get-go: Before doors even opened, the line snaked seven […]