Show Reviews

“Well, New York,” Conor Oberst teased as he emerged onstage for “Dance and Sing” early on in Bright Eyes’ set, “we’re f—ing back! What did you expect?” The fans gathered at Forest Hills Stadium on July 31st responded with a loud cheer. It was the band’s first gig in the city in nearly a decade, […]

While many parts of the country have been opening back up and hosting full-scale outdoor concerts (Phish tour anyone?) and festivals, the Pacific Northwest and specifically Oregon has been a little slower to get back into the swing of things. This is due in part to its geographic location away from closer touring routes but […]

On the sixth consecutive day of Newport Folk Festival’s “Folk On” and the third of the second segment, the schedule got a needed pick-me-up from the bluesy rock musings of Early James, starting off the early afternoon on a high note. Songs like “Stockholm Syndrome” and “Dishes in the Dark” off James’ 2020 release Singing […]

The best moments of day two—or day five, depending on how you look at it—of the second part of Newport Folk Festival’s “Folk On” event came from new voices. While there was clearly an instinct to book plenty of familiar faces to the festival who’ve played, in some cases, a handful of a times in […]

The big yellow tourbus parked outside the the famed Orange Peel on Friday, July 23rd marked the first un-podded live show the place has had in far too long. The venue tonight was sold out but masks were preferred and the air was humid and filled with an exciting buzz that is palpable. Indie pop […]

In 2020, music fans and festival-goers were held in suspense as one by one, events were canceled or postponed indefinitely due to the worsening pandemic. When FloydFest did the responsible thing and added themselves to the list of events that wouldn’t be happening that summer, fans began to look hopefully toward 2021. Their cautious optimism […]

We all knew the cancelation of Newport Folk Festival was inevitable in 2020, but 2021 remained somewhat of a mystery until not long before its scheduled dates. Whether or not it would happen was a big question mark in the aftermath of (and really, the ongoing) COVID-19 pandemic, and if it did happen, what would […]

The second night of The Dimmer Twins mini northeast tour on July 23rd saw the duo play the gorgeous City Winery on Manhattan’s west side and while it wasn’t a sold-out show, the vibes were positive as fans and artists were happy to be back playing and watching live music. With rising COVID rates and […]

 The prolific saxophone player, composer, and awe-inspiring bandleader Kamasi Washington continues his growth as a musical shapeshifter and artist.  Washington has brilliantly accomplished the difficult task of crossing genres – his music is unquestionably rooted in traditional jazz, but there are noticeable influences from African rhythms, rock, hip-hop, soul and classical music. Audiences that favor […]

Sam Bush wrapped up a brief four-day Northeast/Mid-Atlantic run of shows on Sunday, July 18, at Stages in Cockeysville, MD, with a rousing two-hour set filled with Bush originals and bluegrass standards.  The evening started off on an auspicious note as local singer-songwriter Caleb Stine took to the stage just after 5:30 pm to deliver […]

It is impossible to write a review without talking about the joy and newness of being back in a crowd of people sharing live music together. As this was the first concert back for many people, all of the things you are thinking absolutely apply – it was special, felt a little weird, felt a […]

Oysterhead returned to the stage last night for the first time since February 15, 2020, to deliver a rousing headlining set at the Peach Festival at Montage Mountain in Scranton, Pennsylvania on Saturday, July 3rd. The much-heralded supergroup, consisting of bassist Les Claypool (Primus), guitarist Trey Anastasio (Phish), and drummer Stewart Copeland (The Police), tore […]

An unseasonably cool and drizzly evening greeted Warren Haynes and special guest Zach Nugent at Northlands Live in Swanzey, NH for the third of Haynes’ four-date solo ‘tour’ on Friday night. The inclement weather, however, didn’t dampen the enthusiasm for all three involved. Haynes, Nugent, and the socially distant crowd all simply seemed happy just […]

With pandemic lockdowns that have been among the most extreme in the country and a large population of folks who are weirdly reluctant to get back to normal despite being vaccinated, live music is hard to find in Portland, Oregon these days. Yet, while much of the city slowly tries to crawl out of its […]

With touring and shows still largely on hold, many artists have been taking to less conventional means of connecting with their fans and generating income. For many, this has meant the now tired medium of online streaming, but more adventurous artists have hit the road to play intimate shows outside the world of official music […]

New York Hardcore returned to Tompkins Square Park for the first time in ages as three of the genre’s best headlined a jubilant afternoon on Saturday, April 24th. Black N Blue Productions put on the special show and for many in attendance, it was the first time in over a year seeing live music as […]

After two red-hot performances in New Orleans, Bluegrass phenom Billy Strings kicked off a brief three-night run of live-streaming shows at Austin, Texas’s ACL Live at The Moody Theater on Friday evening. Fresh off a well-deserved “Best Bluegrass Album” win at the 63rd GRAMMY Awards for his 2019 Sophomore studio effort HOME, Strings and his […]

Billy Strings kicked off his six-night virtual livestream event from New York’s Capitol Theatre on Thursday evening with a rousing pair of sets that featured a healthy mix of originals, including a handful of brand-new compositions, and covers spanning multiple eras & genres. Officially referred to as “The Déjà vu Experiment”, this week-long run of […]

This year’s was the ninth annual She Rocks Awards , and the first time they have gone virtual. Presented by the Women’s International Music Network (the WiMN), the event opened with a red carpet Q&A with the honorees, hosted by John Stapleton, followed by a pre-show countdown hosted by Yahoo Entertainment music editor Lyndsey Parker, […]

Soul Asylum played their annual Holiday Show, usually held at First Avenue in Minneapolis, in modified form this year on December 26th, by taking up the livestream concert format, but with the well-considered twist of bringing as much attention to this historic venue as possible during a time when venues are struggling to stay afloat. […]