Reviews

At a 2016 Security Project show in Cleveland’s Beachland Ballroom, someone in the small nightclub’s audience was reacting to the band’s adventurous interpretations of Peter Gabriel’s solo music with wild enthusiasm. His eager applause and thunderous shouts of approval between songs cut right through the rest of the audience’s cheering. And Project drummer Jerry Marotta couldn’t help but notice.

The first set of Steve Hackett’s April 28 performance on the “Seconds Out + More” tour in Cincinnati, Ohio, was breathtakingly short. Thirty-six minutes and twenty-one seconds, to be exact. (Just kidding, but really not that far off.) And the British prog-rock guitarist took a moment after the first song to “apologize” to the audience in advance.

“They say the Grateful Dead played here about 14 times, in the old days,” said percussionist Mickey Hart as he took the stage on May 1 at the Frost Amphitheater on the Stanford University campus.

The Sweetwater 420 Festival rolled on Friday, April 29th with another hot lineup and more delicious jams for day two. The weather cooperated perfectly, and the crowds were relatively calm for this session, though more intense than the day prior. Today's festivities were led by The String Cheese Incident, Gary Clark Jr., and Lotus.

The Sweetwater 420 Music Festival returned after a three year hiatus, and kicked off on Thursday, April 28th with a pre-party to get the festivities going. Bands played on one stage only, which limited the options but packed in the fun. While the line up for this night shifted a number of times prior to the event start, the day went off without a hitch.

Ahead of a jam-packed cross-country summer tour that includes festivals and concerts, Kitchen Dwellers released their latest album, Wise River, on Friday, April 29.

The quartet - Shawn Swain (Mandolin). Torrin Daniels (Banjo), Joe Funk (Upright Bass), and Max Davies (Acoustic Guitar) - twist bluegrass, folk, and rock through a kaleidoscope of homegrown stories, rich mythology, American west wanderlust, and psychedelic hues. 

Talented. Inspired. Spontaneous. Fresh. These are but a few of the descriptors being thrown around the conversation about the up-and-coming bluegrass talent the Big Richard Band. Touted as a neo-acoustic supergroup, the word on the street from the venues they have played reinforces they have all this and more. From the chops to the vocals and a camaraderie that just won’t quit, it is no surprise that their phones have been ringing off the hook to get them scheduled for festival sets and headlining slots across the land.

The jam rock icon Phish triumphantly returned to Madison Square Garden for the first night of a four night stand, rescheduled from December 2021 because of complications with the COVID-19 pandemic. The show kicked off with a bang, including a type II jam in the first song, despite not having played since February 27th, 2022. The band didn't stop there, and brought a mix of old and new songs, each elevating the show in a uniquely exciting way.

The Boston, Mass based power trio Lespecial delivered their signature blend of "heavy future grooves" at the Gramercy Theatre in New York, NY last Saturday night. Their performance included a full set dedicated to Primus, where they covered "Frizzle Fry." They were supported by the jam rock quartet, Peak.

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