This year's Dave's Picks series comes to a close just as the band's getting back together again in '76. By the time the Grateful Dead hit New Jersey’s Capitol Theatre - for the very first time - on 6/17/76, they were buzzing from their reunion, armed with new and revived material, the Rhythm Devils reformed with the mischievous Mickey Hart once again behind the kit. They'd skived off the unwieldy Wall of Sound and scaled back the venues from cavernous arenas to intimate theatres. Quite the treat!

Greensky Bluegrass! I love their songs and their sound, and I love the people that love the band. Stratton, Vermont is a great place for a music-lover and the venue at Stratton Mountain is cozy and friendly, a perfect venue for Greensky.

Sam Ravenna’s new album Fragile picks up where his self-titled EP left off, diving deeper into the world that drives Ravenna as an artist. On the new album he explores themes of the fragility and fluid nature of life. Through life’s challenges, injuries, a mental health breakdown at the age of 22, he muses on his amazement of human resilience and how we can adapt, grow and change through life’s ups and downs.

The Revolution was arguably the best backup band Prince ever had. At their Friday night concert at the Park West in Chicago, the band presented a powerful live experience, playing numerous songs missing only one thing: Prince himself, who passed away over two years ago.

Fresh off a riveting performance this past weekend at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco, Howlin Rain has announced a seven-date West Coast tour in January 2019. The headline run begins in the Northwest with shows at Sunset Tavern in Seattle and Doug Fir in Portland before jutting to Southern California with stops at The Casbah in San Diego and The Echo in Los Angeles. The band then heads back to their Bay Area stomping grounds for a tour closer at The Independent.  

2018 marks the 30th Anniversary of the release of Almost Acoustic, the out of print 1988 live classic from The Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band.  In honor of this milestone Almost Acoustic will receive a special limited-edition reissue for Record Store Day 2018 on November 23rd. The album will be made available on CD and as a double LP on 180-gram vinyl for the first time. The vinyl package will include two green and black marbled LPs with individually numbered foil-stamped gatefold jackets. Only 5000 copies of this limited-edition run will be available.

Circles Around The Sun will join Greensky Bluegrass as support on seven shows in January 2019, including appearances at The Beacon Theater in New York City and The Ryman in Nashville. The band—comprised by guitarist Neal Casal, keyboardist Adam MacDougall, bassist Dan Horne and drummer Mark Levy—are touring in support of their new double album, Let It Wander, out now on Rhino Records.

Mardi Gras kicks off early next year with Foo Fighters and the February grand opening of The Fillmore, a state-of-the-art 2,200 capacity live entertainment venue setting new standard for Southeastern United States music clubs.
 
Decked out with signature Fillmore nostalgia alongside aesthetic nods to NOLA sprinkled throughout the 22,000 square foot venue, the dazzling new venue will host legendary band Foo Fighters for a two-night music and party extravaganza February 15-16, 2019.
 

UK rock band You Me At Six – comprised of vocalist Josh Franceschi, guitarists Max Helyer and Chris Miller, bassist Matt Barnes, and drummer Dan Flint - has returned with their triumphant sixth studio album called VI released on October 5th via Underdog Records / AWAL Recordings.

From Muddy Waters and Sam Cooke to Benny Goodman and Wilco, there's no question that Chicago has bred some of the most legendary musicians of the last century. What most people don't know are the smaller stories that have helped established the Windy City as one of the most iconic music towns in the country. Producer and old-time musician Matt Brown is setting out to tell those stories with the new album On Big Shoulders, a collaborative ten-song album penned to pay homage to the city and its rich musical past.