Show Reviews

Davy Knowles and his trio tore through an absolutely ferocious, uninterrupted ninety-minutes in Higher Ground’s Showcase Lounge September 8th. Nevertheless, as in prior visits over the course of this blues-rocker’s extended history in the Green Mountains–by his own laughing admission. lin the evening, dating back to when he was but nineteen years old (titular leader of […]

On Tuesday, September 10th, Bon Iver played to a packed house in Portland’s Moda Center. As opposed to a full arena show Moda Center used “The Theater of The Gods” setup, splitting the arena in half for a more intimate experience. Sharon Van Etten’s opening set deserves a mention as a wonderful way to start […]

When the 2019 Hopscotch Music Festival lineup was announced, a few laughs were had at the name of one Australian band on the bill: Tropical Fuck Storm. Little did anyone know that the moniker would turn out to be a timely description of the festival’s first day. As Hurricane Dorian brought a full Thursday of […]

When Bob Marley, the legendary reggae musician and spiritual leader of this Caribbean-based music, hit the UK and US charts in the 1970s, there was a wave of inspired Jamaican bands following on his popularity. Toots and the Maytals, Pete Tosh, Third World and Burning Spear also brought their version of this heavy rhythmic-driven, vocally […]

In this world of digital streaming and media that moves so fast it’s fleeting, it’s hard to imagine any band – let alone a guitar-slinging rock band – rising to the level of an arena act and staying there for over forty years. Iron Maiden are one of the last truly epic arena bands to […]

After a month-and-a-half break from touring, Phish returned to Dick’s Sporting Good Park in Commerce City, CO this past weekend for their annual three night run. It was the band’s ninth visit to what’s become a beloved 3.0 tradition to close out the summer in style. With no shortage of Prairie Dogs and Plague references […]

On Thursday night, rock fans in Central Florida took a break from hurricane preparations to enjoy three of the best acts in the alternative scene. For the second-to-last show of Beck and Cage the Elephant’s co-headlining Night Running Tour, the bands treated the crowd at Tampa’s MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre to eclectic performances, along with […]

Ringo Starr, the famed Beatles drummer and two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee returned to The Celebirity Theatre in Phoenix on August 26th with his All Starr Band – his first appearance at the theater in the round since a headlining show there in 2016. On this particular Monday, local Arizona night music […]

When Calexico and Iron & Wine aka Sam Beam announced they would reignite their collaboration earlier this year, fans of both acts rejoiced. Their 2005 collaborative EP In The Reins was widely lauded as a high point for both acts. Years To Burn would not only be a rekindling of this magic, but it would […]

“Breathe deep the gathering gloom” is one of the memorable poetic phrases created by the Moody Blues in the heyday of their popularity. “Late Lament” was actually a poem at the beginning of the Moody Blues’ biggest hit, “Nights in White Satin.” The song was written and sung by Justin Hayward and after more than […]

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead celebrated the return of their eponymous leader at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles on August 16, 2019. Russo had missed the band’s last two shows weeks earlier for a very good reason, for instead of leading his band in their signature long jams of Grateful Dead tunes he was with […]

Rock and roll has always been about maintaining a high, ideally in both the music and in the career of a band. After more than 15 years as a band, The Hold Steady have seemingly figured out how to do both. The bar band indie rockers have stepped back from heavy touring in recent years […]

There are certain collaborations that are just meant to be: Tom Petty/Stevie Nicks, Queen/David Bowie and perhaps some that aren’t (ie Metallica/Lou Reed). Place Calexico and Iron & Wine in the former. It’s been 14 years since the Tucson based band led by Joey Burns and John Convertino joined forces with a then-burgeoning Sam Beam […]

“Let me welcome you ladies and gentlemen, I would like to say hello. Are you ready for some entertainment? Are you ready for a show?” These words, most familiar to die-hard Queen fans, as the lyrics that Freddie Mercury used to introduce “Let Me Entertain You” from the band’s album Jazz and as a live […]

Saturday night August 17th, 20,000 packed into the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa, Florida for a celebration of female-fronted rock and roll. The three acts each brought its own distinctive style, wowing the crowd in different ways. Relative newcomer Elle King delivered a twangy set of hook-laden southern rock. King and her backing band […]

During ‘An Evening with Dawes’ at Higher Ground on August 13th, the most striking of any number of memorable moments happened to be very straightforward, intimate ones. After frontman Taylor Goldsmith had performed one composition solo acoustic to begin the second set, his brother Griffin came onstage with keyboardist Lee Pardini and, as the pair […]

Not a lot of people showed up on August 14, 2019, in Hermosa Beach for the DJ Williams’ Shots Fired show. That is a shame, because the band put on a stunning performance for the people that did come out to Saint Rocke, a club that does a great job of booking a diverse array […]

The name of the tour says it all and John Fogerty’s ‘My 50 Year Trip’ tour leaves no stone unturned with a lively two-hour set that celebrates his tenure with the legendary Creedence Clearwater Revival, his iconic solo career and tributes to the artists that have helped shape him as a musician and consummate showman! […]

Outside Lands returned one more time for its 2019 edition with another day of fantastic tunes, food, drinks, pot and Bay Area weather. There was a mellower vibe on the Land’s End Stage, perhaps due to the more low-key artists or the collective fatigue of having two days of festival-going already on the books. This […]

James McMurtry has always been a teller of truths, even though most of his songs are fiction. Through the characters that inhabit his music he addresses the issues that face rural America, many of which are the same issues that Donald Trump used to con his supporters into voting for him. But with his own […]