Reviews
“Guitarmeggedon!” That is one of the words used by Devon Allman to describe the sheer volume of talent and amplitude displayed at Denver’s Mission Ballroom on December 8th. The metropolitan’s newest venue played host to the Allman Family Revival, a conglomerate of the Allman Betts Band and a rotating stage of support that included 17 faces from the music world, including both well-known veterans and some new faces on the scene.
Thanksgiving weekend is a time for family and friends to get together. One of the experiences people can be thankful for is live music. The power of live music to bring out the best in people is well known. On Saturday evening, in The City Of Brotherly Love, hometown heroes, Lotus, brought their progressive jammed filled tunes to The Fillmore.
Last Thursday, the Connecticut-based quartet Goose found its way back to the familiar nesting grounds of Fort Collins, Colorado and the Aggie Theatre. Playing to over 300 patrons, the band and its loyal flock took flight for two sets and nearly three hours of originals, covers, and enough improvised jam in between to suspend the belief that human flight is impossible.
The Rambles at Levon’s Barn continue and everyone in attendance on Saturday night was enthralled by the musical creativity, the intimacy of the venue and the homey comfort of seeing a show that feels like you’re in your friend’s living room. Levon Helm Studios are in the Mid-Hudson Valley in Woodstock, NY. The audience is a mix of weekend visitors and locals. The atmosphere is friendly & relaxed.
Some people attend church on Sunday. My church on Sunday was Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The pastor: Phish. Sixteen years Uniondale, New York, has been waiting for the boys from Vermont to make a triumphant return to the arena. “Phans” braved the elements outside to see what the guys had in store for this Sunday evening in Long Island.
I was ten years old when the boys from Vermont unleashed what we know it as today…Island Tour ’98. Four shows spanning two states in the northeast. Long Island in New York and Providence in Rhode Island. But I’m sure many of you already know that. As Phish wrapped up a raging summer tour, everyone was already in full throttle with New Year’s rumors and possible fall tour plans. As the time got near, my mission was clear, and a 6-night run of shows was announced. A 3.0 island tour if you will.
On November 9, The Del McCoury Band brought their upbeat brand of bluegrass to the Aladdin Theater in Portland, Oregon. The show, which was opened by The Jacob Jolliff Band, one of the next generations of jamgrass supergroups, was an amazing double bill of traditional bluegrass.
The final show of 'The Last Waltz Tour' was held at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Saturday, November 23rd, 2019 and featured special guest Robbie Robertson sans Turkey dinner for all. The 2019 tour honored The Band's iconic 1976 Thanksgiving Day farewell concert at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. Robertson, the lead guitarist for The Band, was also the organizer of the original concert.
Last weekend, the legendary jam band Zero concluded a prolific 35th anniversary run aptly named “Back to Zero.” Core members Steve Kimock, Greg Anton, Pete Sears, Melvin Seals, and Hadi Al-Saddoon were joined by friends and family for an invigorating reunion that pleased newer fans and decade-spanning devotees alike.
