Show Reviews

St. Vincent is back on the road and inaugurated her tour with a set at Portland, Maine’s Thompson’s Point. She’d previously supported the release with a memorable SNL appearance in April. a concert livestream and a random performance at the opening of the Saint Vincent Hotel in New Orleans, but the Renaissance Woman born Annie […]

From his humble beginnings writing songs and occasionally busking to catching the ear of his hero John Prine and signing to Prine’s Oh Boy Records, Tré Burt has carved out an increasingly large space in the folk-Americana scene with his thoughtful lyrical tales and simple acoustic style. His talent as a songwriter can be heard […]

“And we’re glad, glad, glad, that you’re alive.” If you were fortunate enough to make it to Shoreline Amphitheater last night in Mountain View, CA you were more than glad to be alive. But seriously, what a lyrical choice by guitarist Trey Anastasio to kick off the show, a show that wasn’t meant to be. […]

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 […]

As was the case with Tom Hanks’ “David S. Pumpkins” Saturday Night Live character, Dead & Company have finally become “their own thing.” Was it the forced hiatus of COVID or the changing expectations of the audience that caused their newfound freedom?  It’s best not to overanalyze it since that makes the magic that much […]

“It’s nice they didn’t notice I stole this guitar,” said an in jest Haley Heynderickx two songs into her 30-minute opening set for The Milk Carton Kids at Phoenix’s Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) on Friday, August 27th. Heynderickx probably echoed the thoughts of almost every musician that hits MIM on its tour route, where a […]

Despite the heat and humidity, it was nothing short of a glorious summer day on Boston Harbor on August 26th at Leader Bank Pavillion for The Spirit of The South Tour. Amidst the slight breeze and smell of salt in the air, fans of Blackberry Smoke, The Allman Betts Band and The Wild Feathers gathered […]

On August 27th, Brandi Carlile took the stage at Thompson’s Point in Portland, Maine, alongside her longtime musical companions, identical twin brothers Phil and Tim Hanseroff. “Hey everybody,” she called out to the several thousand folks in attendance. “I feel like a million bucks!” There had been some concern since this show had originally been […]

The Flaming Lips continually remain one of the most entertaining touring bands going as their communal rock can be referred to as psychedelic love-bombs. It was just a few months ago that the OKC band was staging gigs in their home city where fans can bounce within their own sealed bubble- a sort of fool-proof […]

What a feeling to be back at the Gorge! The Gorge is one of the most beautiful, special music venues in the country, and for Phish and their fans, it’s nothing short of hallowed ground. Simply put, it’s a must-visit. Last night (August 27th) kicked off the first of three shows with a heartfelt nod […]

The long-overdue Black Crowes 30th anniversary Shake Your Money Maker tour finally kicked off in July 2021 to celebrate the band’s enormously successful debut album and the surprising reunion of the famously bickering Robinson brothers.  On August 19th at The Forum in Los Angeles, Chris and Rich Robinson hit the stage with longtime collaborator and […]

Over one year after they were originally supposed to hit the road, Primus has finally kicked off their tour celebrating the music of prog rock legends Rush with a full performance of the band’s fifth album A Farewell to Kings. It isn’t hard to understand why Primus would pay tribute to Rush. After all, they […]

J.D. Pinkus has been all over the place in his musical career, from the Texas trippiness of the Butthole Surfers to the bottoms-up hard-rock band Honky that he formed in the mid-’90s to the double-bass extravaganza that was the Melvins’ 2018 album Pinkus Abortion Technician (a title riffed off of the Butthole Surfers’ 1987 self-recorded […]

Bay Area locals missed countless community staples over the last year and change of restrictions and lockdowns, but few were missed as much as the annual Stern Grove summer concert series which was forced into a season on hiatus due to the pandemic. However, 84 years of history proved to be no match for this […]

Since their formation nearly 40 years ago, venerable jam-rock outfit Phish has had the honor of performing in hundreds of different venues across the globe (the exact number is somewhere around 832), from legendary outdoor wonders such as Red Rocks and The Gorge to infamous arenas like Madison Square Garden and Hampton Coliseum. However, there […]

The Hella Mega Tour arrived at NYC’s Citi Field on August 4th, with a lineup that was scheduled to feature Green Day, Fall Out Boy, Weezer and the Interrupters.  The major news of the afternoon broke that Fall Out Boy wouldn’t be playing this gig or the next scheduled stop on the tour, due to […]

Live music phenom Billy Strings was one of Burlington, Vermont’s most anticipated spring concerts in April of 2020, a date on one of many tours that was not to be when Covid-19 lockdowns began last year. Strings made good on the canceled date on August 3rd, returning to the Champlain Valley as the second consecutive […]

Just days prior to announcing an official live return to Los Angeles proper stage with a performance at The Greek Theatre on Oct 23rd with the Horrorpops and their LA brethren The Blasters: X had other areas of So. Col to warm up.  The iconic punk quartet showed up strong and able at Costa Mesa’s […]

Having attended the Newport Jazz Festival in 2019, we approached this scaled-back, 60% of capacity, down-to-two-stages, COVID- protocols-in-place completely sold-out 2021 version with a mix of excitement and cautious curiosity. The lineup. of course, was beyond enticing. Many called it the “best in years.”  The performances were exhilarating.  The atmosphere couldn’t be better in terms […]

It was a lively night on August 1st as a sold-out crowd celebrated the beloved music of Jamaica at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, as over 17,000 fans gathered up some good vibes and hear laid-back beats. Reggae Night XIX at the Bowl opened with Wailing Souls whose origins date back to the 1960s, […]