Jam rock titans Phish took New York City's Madison Square Garden by storm last Friday, July 28, 2023, for the first of seven performances at the famed arena. They always channel their collective creativity at what is known as the "World's Greatest Arena," and this run, which notably had no name or theme, was no exception. Both sets included stand-out jams, as the band showed up firing on all cylinders.

As the sun sets on the remaining dates in the Twiddle ledger, the band continues to put on inspiring shows, starting with the first night of the Levitt Pavilion in Westport, CT on July 21, 2023. This cozy, lush environment fostered the perfect place for the quintet to perform their magic. Both Mihali and Friends and Kung Fu opened, giving a definite festival vibe.

If you were discussing music with the casual listener or the hard-core fan who only follows a handful of bands on the regular and mentioned the name, Mark Lettieri, you would more than likely get some blank stares. If you continued the discussion and brought up groups like Snarky Puppy or The Fearless Flyers, some of those initially baffled would start drawing more recognition to the context of the conversation, but probably not many.

Graham Nash, the venerable icon of classic rock, graced the stage once again for a two-night, sold-out spectacle at the Lobero Theatre on the 15th and 16th of July. The extraordinary performance was a significant part of the theatre's 150th-anniversary festivities, adding an air of timeless charm to the historical milestone. The last time Nash's resonant melodies filled the theatre was in 2018, a memory that added a nostalgic touch to his return.

California’s favorite summertime band, The Beach Boys, played a sold-out concert on July 5th at the Vina Robles Amphitheatre in Paso Robles. The iconic band had just played their annual July 4th concert at the Hollywood Bowl for 18,000 people. That show featured special guests Mark McGrath and John Stamos joining the Beach Boys for a 20-song set. That was followed by a spectacular fireworks show with the Hollywood Symphony playing a live score.

Friday night Dave Mason made the journey to Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, PA for a night of memories and Rock n' Roll on his “Endangered Species” tour. Situated on a mountaintop in northeastern PA, Penn’s Peak is a unique music venue located away from the hustle and bustle of urban and suburban life. The venue is well known for its fantastic sightlines and wonderful acoustics; Penn’s Peak provides the setting for a truly memorable evening of music.

Day Three at the Peach Music Festival in Moosic, PA on July 1, 2023, included all of the feels. The lineup was jam-packed with improvisational specialists, like the Mike Gordon Band, Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, and My Morning Jacket.

While Americans were celebrating independence throughout the United States earlier this month, Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals were making fireworks of their own across the pond in Paris, France. Performing four shows over five days at the famed Olympia Music Hall, Harper and his band packed the room to capacity night after night and gave each crowd new material, rarities, and a chance to see that the apple doesn’t fall from the tree.

The Peach Music Festival continued on June 30, 2023, with a full lineup of music across three stages at Montage Mountain in Moosic, PA. The crowd was loving the festivities, and the weather continued to cooperate for the most part.

With so many high-profile tours and new releases competing for our attention in the early half of Summer 2023, it’s more than forgivable if you’ve let a few of them get by you. (We here at Grateful Web certainly feel the ‘crush of the new’, and we sense all too well the summer shooting by, bullet-wise. Y’know, sometimes, we just have to shoot backward to catch up!) However, one rock album that you shouldn’t let slip off your personal radar – especially if your head and heart favor a well-percolated mixture of Classic and progressive rock, blues, jazz and folk – is Peace.