Show Reviews

Collaboration comes with the territory at Newport Folk Festival. It’s so deeply woven into the fabric of the fest’s 60-year history, it’s almost hard to be surprised anymore when two (or many more) completely different artists you love join together and share their songs. And though with each year these collaborations become less and less […]

Fridays are for the ladies! The first day of the Newport Folk Festival delivered on this year’s underlying theme of female empowerment with a day full of performances from a diverse array of women. Sixty years in, the landmark festival continues to be a platform for promoting positivity and community-building, good causes and change-making. In […]

This is the final act on the Dean’s Bean’s stage of the three-day Green River Music Festival in Greenfield, Massachusetts on 7/14/19. The sun is shining on the distant hills of this idyllic New England setting. Minutes before the scheduled start time, Fantastic Negrito and his band do a soundcheck. “ Where should the guitar be […]

The 2019 edition of the Green River Festival took place last weekend (July 12-14, 2019) at Greenfield Community College (MA) and with 15,000 in attendance, a stellar lineup and ease of access it was a raging success on all fronts. So, what else makes this festival so great? There are several answers: It is held in […]

From a critical standpoint, Lynyrd Skynyrd never received an appropriate musical due like other bands of their era, until they finally earned induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.  Sadly, their 2006 induction was emceed by Kid Rock, who (in this reviewer’s humble opinion represents the very things that kept them […]

The recent stop by legendary guitarist Carlos Santana and his band in Austin on July 9th at the Austin360 Amphitheater at Circuit of the Americas raceway with support from none other than The Doobie Brothers was perhaps to remind us that legacy acts often get the short straw from music critics. Yet, the reality is […]

It’s a common and necessary human need and it has happened as long as humans have walked the earth. We gather, create art in various forms (most notably music) and commune together in tribes. So, when High Sierra Music Festival time rolls around every year there is a clarion call that almost instinctively causes many […]

Greenville, South Carolina natives The Marcus King Band made a stop at the Boulder Theater Saturday, July 6th, performing following the Dead and Company tour finale at the University of Colorado’s Folsom Field. Fans in the know snapped up advance tickets early, leading to a sell-out well before the young (he’s 23) King’s band hit […]

Let’s just call it like it is. Phish’s doubleheader at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT have been the two most anticipated shows since the band’s Summer 2019 tour dates were announced. And it makes sense. A random New England locale, with an indoor venue holding less than 10k people, in the middle of a […]

Blue Oyster Cult (BOC) made a rare stop at Tucson’s Rialto Theatre on July 5th for a night of hard rock goodness. This is not just a ‘nostalgia’ band, unlike many bands still performing for more than 50 years. The band still maintains energy and electricity that could set an example for some of today’s […]

The Indigo Girls, the folk-rock duo of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, have attracted a large and loyal following over the last three-plus decades and they still continuously sell out shows. This broad, faithful appeal is remarkable since they don’t have mainstream radio play anymore, yet their loyal diverse fan base showed up with passion at […]

Warped Tour returned to Atlantic City for the second (and last) day of the weekend event on June 30th. Unlike the previous day, there wasn’t even a hint of rain in the forecast. The lineup was loaded from the get-go, and fans took advantage of the gentle surf to wade into the water while taking […]

The world has been losing rock stars at a staggering pace in recent years, reminding us to treasure those who are still around and creating music. Luckily we still have Jeff Lynne, one of the few arena-worthy acts left. In recent years, the mastermind behind Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) the Traveling Wilburys has been playing […]

On the heels of a spectacular two set performance in Charlotte the night prior, Dead and Company opened their second show in two days at Atlanta’s Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood, Atlanta, GA on June 29th  with fan favorite Scarlet Begonias that hit the crowd on impact. The band opened with the same passion that those […]

For those unaware, the best power trio in the country is the New Brunswick, New Jersey-based Screaming Females. Their blend of arena-ready riffs, punk/DIY styling, art rock angles, and openness to jamming with a driving rhythm has coalesced into a powerful musical force. Recent albums Rose Mountain and All at Once have raised their songwriting […]

The final day of Solid Sound almost didn’t even happen. Apocalyptic rain, thunder and lightning nearly took over the day when it hit the area around noon, just in time for many festival-goers to be walking from their cars. Neither umbrellas nor ponchos could offer much protection, so it’s likely the weather deterred a sizeable […]

Friday evening on June 28th was a quintessentially beautiful summer night in the city and a nearly ideal setting for gig number five of the Drive By Truckers’ six night engagement at Brooklyn Bowl in the heart of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The deep Bowie and Pink Floyd cuts emanating from the house speakers pre-show would be […]

“Everything dies, baby that’s a fact / But maybe everything that dies someday comes back” — Bruce Springsteen in “Atlantic City” Like a phoenix rising from the ashes in a “Defend Pop Punk” shirt, Warped Tour made its much-anticipated return in a limited run for its 25th anniversary. After a single-day event in Cleveland, the […]

It was the ultimate rock and roll marathon for the second day of Solid Sound, from wild garage punk to noisy, experimental prog-rock. Despite a forecast that showed hostile periods of thunderstorms (and even hail showers), the sun overcame the clouds and beat down heavily on the crowds. As always with the grounds of Mass […]

The beauty of Solid Sound is the drastic difference between each day at the festival. Night one is an odd balance of calm and buzzy excitement, much like the feeling of ending a long day of work at a show, ready to have a few beers and enjoy the live music you’ve been looking forward […]