Reviews

Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews is the living embodiment of New Orleans past and the present. Do enough research or simply chat with any old timer on the street in that city and you’ll quickly come to understand that it is a very different place than it once was. While most of what you hear involving […]

[rating=8.00] Knoxville’s The Dirty Guv’nahs are quickly becoming one of the premiere live acts in the Southeast.  They have all the ingredients needed to be a successful rock band: charismatic lead singer, bombastic live show, impressive musicianship, a growing and dedicated fanbase, and workmanlike studio albums.  With the release of their fourth album, Hearts on […]

Since their last visit to the Green Mountains in autumn of 2012, the Tedeschi Trucks Band has refused to rest on its laurels. Quite the contrary, at least on this beautiful early summer evening, they pushed the limits of the soulful rock R&B gospel mix that won them a Grammy (their 2010 studio debut Revelator), […]

Sunday at Bonnaroo can be a beast. The schedule is frequently crammed with conflicts, yet the human body may not want to traverse the breadth of the farm another dozen times after doing so for three days. Yet it is the last day, so there’s a desire to do as much as possible before the […]

The Chris Robinson Brotherhood’s appearance at The Rusty Nail on June 4th was notable for a number of reasons, not the least of which was that it constituted the first big-name show at the Stowe venue since booking began there through Nectar’s earlier in 2014. But it was an even more memorable performance as it […]

After an average Thursday warmup, Bonnaroo attendees were treated to a veritable smorgasbord of daytime, evening, and late-night options on Friday. The schedule was at its most diverse, making for a marathon day of music. Damp but blissfully cool weather and generally good spirits among the fresh-faced crowd certainly helped the enjoyment factor, and even […]

Thursday at Bonnaroo usually means fast and furious sets from some of the younger and rising bands on the bill, and there was a deluge of intriguing music to experience on a moist evening in Manchester, TN. The festival’s first stanza included an especially fine lineup at That Tent, kicking off with an eclectic set […]

In the 11th year of the annual Wakarusa Music Festival; the headliners brought attendees from far and wide, but music may only have a small part as to why this festival remains so successful. Nestled into the tree-filled hills of Arkansas, Wakafarians would once again realize you can plan a pretty picnic, but you still […]

When you think of big time festivals that throw millions to potential headliners, there are quite a few that come to mind. There is one that starts with a B, another with a C, and another biggie taking place in Chicago that Perry Farrell founded twenty plus years ago. And while these festivals get the […]

The 2014 Governor’s Ball was a big time success thanks to sublime weather, peaceful crowds, a killer lineup and a festival setup that ran like clockwork. Below are our three standouts, three let downs and a crowned champion from the first 2 days of the 2014 version of Governors Ball which is easily becoming a […]

[rating=5.00] With his latest ‘new’ release, a novel collaboration with jack White, Neil Young continues to redefine the career path of the veteran rock musician, often eschewing formal releases of new original material within familiar concepts and styles (leaving those to archive titles) and instead aiming for the idiosyncratic likes of this rumination on his […]

The 10th annual Mountain Jam festival wrapped up at Hunter Mountain, New York this past weekend. Throughout the four days there were numerous spontaneous sit-ins and even more memorable festivals sets which embodied the spirit of this smaller but stellar festival in upstate New York. Here are some of the highlights…  1. The Avett Brothers […]

When Tristen took the stage at Baby’s All Right in Williamsburg on Monday, June 2nd, you might not even have known she wasn’t just one of the crowd. With her cool vintage looking dress and sweet throwback 90’s pixie cut, she looked right at home as a Brooklynite. But when she started singing with that […]

On a night when local hockey team, the New York Rangers, commenced the Stanley Cup Final, participatory democracy organization HeadCount’s 10th Anniversary Benefit took place at Brooklyn Bowl on June 4th in front of a rabid and loyal crowd at Brooklyn Bowl in New York City and delivered their own litany of all-stars. In an […]

[rating=9.00] The newest release from the constantly retro looking showman Jack White is titled Lazaretto which is a quarantine station for sailors. White has stated in recent interviews he would like to be locked up so he would be forced to stop creating/working as he finds himself doing something 24/7. The album reflects that: feeling […]

Widespread Panic’s Raleigh shows have become as reliable as the spectacular sunsets at Red Hat Amphitheater. The veteran band’s concerts in the Oak City are always an enjoyable escape, year after year, and this steamy Thursday night show was no different. In this case, the instrumental explorations were plentiful and the setlist was particularly remarkable, […]

The Wilco frontman’s new solo single builds to an affirmative, if not triumphant, conclusion.

[rating=8.00] Bob Mould has spent a substantial amount of time looking back recently. In 2011, he released a revealing and candid autobiography. The next year brought expanded reissues of his work with Sugar. In 2013, Mould kickstarted a concert video that featured rock luminaries paying tribute to him and his body of work. Earlier this […]

Finishing up a four day run that saw this particular collection of Phil Lesh & Friends play Central Park and The Capitol Theater twice, Saturday’s outdoor show was an easy going celebration amongst the participants. These days it is obviously all about who Phil plays with and this lineup saw that the New York City […]

Tucked away in the Appalachian mountains of western Maryland, right on the border of West Virginia, sits the bluegrass festival known as Delfest.  The 7th annual event named after the legendary Del McCoury hosted the highest caliber of today’s contemporary and traditional bluegrass musicians.  Throw into the mix four days of perfect weather, perfect Del […]