Show Reviews

Allah-Las played a sold out show at Portland’s Wonder Ballroom on Saturday, December 7th. The psych-folk-surf rock band from LA are touring on their newest album Lahs, a reference to a common misspelling of their name. Often considered revivalists, Allah-Las play rock music that is clearly rooted in 60’s psychedelia with surf-rock elements and a […]

In addition to the Steelers, Penguins and Iron City Beer, Pittsburgh has been home to some legendary Phish moments. Since their area debut in 1992 at the now-defunct club “The Metropol”, Phish has gone on to play the Pittsburgh area over a dozen times, gradually moving their way through larger and more prestigious venues, including […]

The Never-Ending Tour keeps rolling on for Bob Dylan who at 78 still delivers the goods as he did on a cold Tuesday Night (December 3rd) in front of a sold-out diverse crowd for the eighth show of his ten-night Beacon Theater residency.  Since the late 80’s Dylan and his band have revisited some of […]

On a blustery Portland, Oregon night with with the gorging of Thanksgiving creeping its head around the door, it felt like an appropriate time to savor a performance from one of heavy metal’s most legendary acts. King Diamond’s current tour is based around his upcoming album The Institute, which is expected to be out in […]

Ghost Light, one of the jam scene’s more exciting and unique rock units, brought their improvisational live show to the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles on November 23rd. This five-piece has infused their live presentation with skilled musicianship, compelling creativity and tight arrangements. Composed of Tom Hamilton, Holly Bowling, Raina Mullen, Scotty Zwang and new […]

About a week after Newsweek named the Red Dragon Listening Room in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the #1 venue in the world for live acoustic music, three legendary Texas musicians stepped up onto their small stage on November 21st and showed you what legends are really made of. Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, […]

Friday night Georgia rock band Collective Soul brought its 25th anniversary tour to Hard Rock Live in Orlando, Florida. With no opening band, the quintet – three of which are original members – played a selection spanning eight of its albums, with a special emphasis placed on this year’s Blood and the 1995 eponymous album.  […]

In just its third year, the Reading Blues Fest can stand shoulder to shoulder with just about any blues festival in the country in terms of major talent. They certainly have their pulse on the leading acts. Many of the top contemporary blues artists performed as well as traditional ones too. Many BMA Winners and […]

The Black Keys hold a unique position in the modern music scene as a band that has managed to gain acceptance in both the mainstream and from rock and roll purists. While the duo of guitarist and singer Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney have worked to appease the mainstream, most notably on their aptly […]

We all know that Sammy Hagar is a prolific classic rocker; the news is, he will not slow down for a second, even at the ripe age of 72. Hagar rolled into DTLA recently, joining Scott Goldman, the Executive Director of the Grammy Museum, for a lively conversation on November 19, 2019, at the museum. […]

On Wednesday, November 20th Julia Jacklin played a dreamy indie pop show to a sold out crowd at Portland’s Aladdin Theater, touring on her latest album Crushing. The album is clearly inspired by a breakup and chronicled heavily on the opening track “Body”, which tells the story of her leaving her boyfriend after they are […]

It took some time, but once Highly Suspect lead singer Johnny Stevens shed his down parka, struggled through sound issues that troubled him the entire opener “Bath Salts”, and gave the sign to crank the volume; he led the band through an excellent, varied and highly energetic two hour show at Brooklyn Steel on November […]

In the latest Wannabe, artist Chris Prunckle offers his illustrated commentary on Safe Passage, the new album from Oklahoma folk singer John Calvin Abney, in his signature six-panel comic strip form. Click on the image for full resolution (best viewed on desktop):

When the Hiss Golden Messenger show at Webster Hall on November 14th seemed to end abruptly, the crowd suspected something was amiss. One of the most generous bands to grace a stage anywhere, Hiss is known to love an encore, to read the room just right. We later discovered they’d been unceremoniously rushed to conclude […]

This is the eleventh release from trumpeter Darren Barrett and one his most important ones, calling attention to synthesis guru Nyle Steiner, credited with the invention of the EVI (Electronic Valve Instrument) and its cousin the EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument), the latter made popular by the late saxophonist Michael Brecker.  Nyle Steiner played the EVI […]

(((folkYeah!))) Presents brought Vetiver to Moe’s Alley on Wednesday, November 6th in Santa Cruz, California. The Moe’s show was an early tour stop as the band wends its way through a string of dates in the Western United States and then begin a large European tour that will take them well into the new year. […]

36 minutes. That’s the time it takes to listen to the “Conan’s Complete Collection” playlist on Spotify. Conan Gray’s discography may be in a nascent state, but that certainly didn’t stop the fast-rising pop star from packing in the cavernous Terminal 5. With no heed to NYC experiencing the first freezing cold snap of late […]

Rocker, Joe Walsh, has generously sponsored his third annual VetsAid fundraising event commemorating and supporting American veterans. Many soldiers return to civilian life traumatized by their experiences and often forgotten by Americans at home. Post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD is a very common condition and it can cause the veteran to have difficulty blending back […]

After four days of LEVITATION bliss and a minute to process the myriad of incredible musical performances we saw, it’s time to put a bow on Austin’s premier mid-tier music festival. After jumping from Empire Garage to Barracuda, Mohawk, and Stubb’s all weekend, we’re convinced Rob Fitzpatrick and the rest of the LEVITATION crew are […]

John Hiatt took the stage, smiled, and offered “How ya doing? It’s great to be back” to a respectful, attentive sold-out Sellersville Theater (PA) audience, many of whom were well familiar with his iconic songs that stretch back now into four decades. With a few gestures and a few jokes, it was clear that Hiatt […]