Show Reviews

The year was 2005. Saturday Night Live had hired Andy Samberg as a new cast member, along with Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone as writers. The trio, also known as The Lonely Island, would herald a new era with their groundbreaking SNL Digital Shorts, which helped bring the show into the YouTube era with viral […]

This past Sunday, June 23rd marked the fourth summer in a row that Dead and Company have performed at the home of The New York Mets- Citi Field. In 2016, John Mayer shined for a pair of shows that truly highlighted his love of the music and the effect it’s had on his resurrection. 2017’s […]

It’s been a rough couple months for the city of New Orleans. Legendary figures including Dr. John, Leah Chase, Dave Bartholomew, and Paul “Lil’ Buck” Sinegal to name a few, have passed on. But the important part, as evidenced by the celebratory parades and second lines that have followed each passing, is that the legacy […]

On the first gorgeously sunny summer Friday in NYC during 2019, the Drive-By Truckers pulled into Brooklyn Bowl for the second night of their “Six Pack” set of shows. The group has found a northern home in the gorgeous Williamsburg bowling alley with Mike Cooley mentioning midset that he has lots of memories from playing […]

Alejandro Escovedo is a man who needs no introduction, yet strangely, he does. For more than four decades the multi-faceted singer-songwriter has been notching up the kind of credibility of a rock and roll legend, playing in punk bands and then having a prolific solo career. Somehow Escovedo has always flown a bit under the […]

Marcus Rezak is a genre-defying, prolific guitarist who is equally comfortable in the progressive rock, modern jazz, and the jamband scenes. His “Shred is Dead” project rotates an impressive lineup of artists reinterpreting the music of the Grateful Dead. Their show at The Mint in Los Angeles on June 15, 2019, captured the magic of […]

Writing music reviews, at its most base, is an attempt to bring the audience into an experience and to open new doors of thought, of expression, of feeling. In some instances, it’s very challenging; many live shows are good but largely forgettable, enjoyable in the moment but mostly not so much as to provide fodder […]

The Clearwater Festival – The Great Hudson River Revival – wrapped up on Father’s Day and served its purpose of sending off its attendees, performers, volunteers and staff relaxed, recharged and re-invested in environmental and social justice issues on June 15/16 at Croton Park on Croton On Hudson, NY. Almost every performer made a point […]

Sunday at Bonnaroo is always a day of exodus, but fewer people took the opportunity to leave early this year. With two of the festival’s main draws stacked together on Sunday night, it was a busier than usual day at the farm. It was an eventful one, too, as country music royalty graced the stage […]

With Odesza and Post Malone holding court at Bonnaroo’s main stage all night, Saturday at Bonnaroo 2019 was all about looking for gems off the beaten path – that is, if EDM and Post’s brand of hip-hop aren’t your thing. That Tent was the place to be, with Unknown Mortal Orchestra offering their addictive, funky, […]

After a chaotic opening Thursday that tested the patience of attendees and staff alike, Bonnaroo 2019 found it’s footing on Friday. Massive headlining sets and rampant diversity defined the day, which unfolded under mild temperatures and clear skies. The stylistic ping pong match intensified in the afternoon, and those willing to quickly traverse the grounds […]

New Zealand psychedelic band Unknown Mortal Orchestra brought its densely layered indie rock to the Plaza Live in Orlando on June 13th. Backed by a three-piece band, Ruban Nielson laid down intricate guitar compositions heavy on effects, his brother Kody Nielson buttressing the songs with his frantic drumming. Most of the set was subdued, with […]

The 41st Annual Playboy Jazz Festival rolled into California’s gorgeous Hollywood Bowl, with greats from funk, jazz and soul taking center stage for two full days of music, with a lot of partying thrown in for good measure. It can be something of a struggle to actually get to your seats at the Hollywood Bowl, […]

Cris Jacobs brought his engaging vocal and guitar-playing skills to The Mint in Los Angeles on June 5, 2019, as part of a tour through the United States, celebrating the release of his new solo album Color Where You Are (4/12/19). The crowd at The Mint enjoyed a set of hard-charging blues, soul, rock and […]

Rescheduled from an August 2018 cancellation, Circles Around The Sun made it worth the wait on their visit to Vermont, teasing and pleasing an audience that comfortably filled the Showcase Lounge at Higher Ground for over two hours on June 5th. By the time the performance was over, it was nigh on impossible to tell […]

With a brand-new album Natural, Everyday Degradation in tow, Remo Drive made their triumphant return to New York City’s Bowery Ballroom on June 8th. Alongside openers Slow Bullet and Slow Pulp, the Minnesota rockers delivered an evening worthy of near-constant crowd-surfing and moshing. Here are five highlights from the gig: Slow Bullet Got the Party […]

On a soggy night in Orlando on June 8th, Florence and the Machine treated the crowd at the Amway Center to an upbeat celebration of love. Fifteen-year-old singer-songwriter Grace VanderWaal opened the night with her unique brand of folk-pop. VanderWaal, the 2016 winner of “America’s Got Talent” impressed the early arrivers with a set of […]

Twenty-One Pilots brought their Bandito Tour back to NYC, this time headlining Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on June 4th. When the house lights dimmed, a cacophony of screams pushed like a tidal wave toward the stage. The duo of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun were greeted by a sea of shouting fans, the vast majority wearing […]

On Tuesday, June 4th the One Nation Under A Groove Farewell Tour rolled into the heart of New York City to decamp at SummerStage in Central Park. The weather could not have been better as the sun slowly set and the party revved up with positive vibes all around the sold-out grounds. Funk, more than […]

Dead & Company hit the legendary Hollywood Bowl for the first of two nights on June 3, 2019, as part of the launch of their 19-show Summer 2019 tour. The Hollywood Bowl concerts followed the start of the much-anticipated tour that began over two nights at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California, over the just-past […]