Artists
To most of us who really pay attention to the current state of music and journalism, it comes as no surprise when I say that the quality and quantity of genuinely good music news and coverage coming out of the major media outlets has diminished substantially over the last decade or more. They tend to focus more on pop artists, movie stars, and political discourse rather than covering and featuring truly great music (as they once did).
Polly O'Keary, award-winning and world-touring bass player, vocalist and songwriter, is back in the northwest with a new album titled Compass.Polly has had a long career in blues, and brings 25 years of experience to the stage.
Future Roots band, The Boston Boys, return home this month after a tour of eight countries throughout Europe and North Africa, concluding with a three week stint in Morocco. Their tour in Morocco, in partnership with the U.S. State Department, is part of cultural exchange programming whose alumni include Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong."Returning to Morocco for a month gave us the freedom to feel integrated into a rich musical community and incorporate some of their traditions.
A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN will open at New York City’s Gramercy Theatre (127 E 23rd St. / 23rd & Lexington Ave) on Thursday, April 10th, giving fans a chance to see Broadway’s acclaimed theatrical rock experience in one of New York’s most intimate concert venues. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster.com and at the Gramercy Theatre box office.
After a particularly grueling winter, festivalgoers around the country are dreaming of their summer getaways and for many music fans, this means a breathtaking weekend at Summer Camp Music Festival 2014. What started as roughly a 1,000 person gathering has blossomed into a 7-stage, 15,000 person event that stands as one of the Midwest’s premier festivals today.
F.U....N.K. But seriously, funk. It was the theme of late night at The Fox Theatre, Monday, March 17th. Coming all the way from Baltimore, Maryland, we had the honor of spending a night with Pigeons Playing Ping Pong on their twenty-five day tour, one of the funkiest, psychedelic, up and coming jam bands coming through this town.
Before and after the Pigeons Playing Ping Pong show on St Patrick’s Day, I had the opportunity to chat with the band's front man, Greg Ormont. In the past couple years, he and his three other band members have been touring extensively, playing spectacular shows, and have even founded their own festival, Domefest. If you haven't heard of them yet, I'd bet you will soon.
Hundred Visions will be your next search on Spotify if you’re into jam bands. Assuming you’re reading this on The Grateful Web, you are. I saw them at my first official showcase of SXSW, at one of Austin’s best under-the-radar music venues, Hotel Vegas.
If you only saw one show at SXSW, I hope it was Polica. If you didn’t see them, I hope you’re listening to them in your cubicle right now. Although, to be fair, their recordings don’t do them justice. The band’s live performances are like breathing life and reality into the abstract. If bands were pieces of art they’d be a Picasso masterpiece.I saw them at Banger’s, an outdoor venue on Austin’s Rainey Street which never disappoints. The backyard was at max capacity as soon as the show began. At the beginning, there was a clear
