It was splendor on the mountain on September 8, when local musician Bob Weir offered a set of his own and appeared for onstage musical cameos with Grace Potter as well as headliner Herbie Hancock at the fourth annual Sound Summit, atop Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County, California. The eight-hour affair at the 4,000-capacity Mountain Theatre included an unusually diverse set of acts, from an acoustic duo to contemporary R&B, alt-country, Grateful Dead music, rock, and open-ended jazz.

On August 11th, Victor Wooten Trio came back once again full force to Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom with Roosevelt Collier to amaze their audience once again. As many of you probably know, Victor Wooten holds a reputation as one of the best bassists in the world. By his side, outstanding drummer Dennis Chambers, & powerful saxophonist Bob Franceshini, made for an excellent show.

Exemplifying more stateliness and grace than ever while still demonstrating the raucousness and instrumental power to bust open a barn door, Hot Tuna with Steve Kimock in tow wonderfully raged for three hours in Sacramento on September 4. The show, presented along with the rest of the current tour as “Electric Hot Tuna,” personified their status as one of the all-time best full-throttle power-blues/rock trios to have ever plugged in.

On a beautiful end of the summer evening, August 29th classic rock music fans gathered en masse to hear members of the veteran rock band Yes perform at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. Fans arrived early to lounge in the afternoon sun at the bars and restaurants inside the Amphitheater complex. The show was billed as Quintessential YES: The 50th Anniversary Tour. Yes has gone through enormous personnel changes in its long and storied history.

Ziggy Marley, the 49-year-old son of legendary reggae superstar Bob Marley and Rita Marley, has been playing reggae music for longer than his father was alive.  At Ziggy's well-attended "Rebellion Rises" show at Thalia Hall, a diverse crowd showed their appreciation for Ziggy's newest material, songs from Ziggy's earlier solo albums, a song from his previous group Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, and of course several Bob Marley anthems.

Denver’s prodigal son returns to Red Rocks for the second night to put on a high-energy show that left little doubt that Nathaniel Rateliff and his band deserved to headline this historic venue. The sold-out event was nothing short of a celebration of the hometown hero. The band’s hard work and constant touring culminating in a boogie fest that had the crowd continually moving to an invigorating horn section and Rateliff’s distinct, soulful voice.

On August 28th, St. Martin’s Press released the long-awaited autobiography from iconic musician Jorma Kaukonen. Whether you’re familiar with Jorma as lead guitarist of the seminal San Francisco rock band Jefferson Airplane, the beloved American-roots act Hot Tuna, or the founder of Fur Peace Ranch is Southeast Ohio, his previously untold story is both moving and exhilarating.

East-coast jam masters, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead brought their inventive interpretation of Grateful Dead music to a sold-out, typically relaxed but receptive crowd at Eugene’s (Ore.) McDonald Theater, August 11. Many locals were getting their first look at the heavily hyped combo from New York.

Classic rock music fans turned out on a beautiful summer night, Sunday, August 12th, to see legendary rock singer Roger Daltrey of The Who perform with his solo project band. Warm, dry winds buffeted the small amphitheater adjacent to the Vina Robles winery, perhaps the most beautiful outdoor venue in all of California.

Nestled in the north country of Colorado, lies yet another hidden gem of The Centennial State’s musical legacy: The Mishawaka Amphitheater. Set amongst towering canyon walls and located on the edge of The Poudre River, patrons are greeted from the road by a non-descript store front and privacy fencing, neither of which denotes the unexpected lying inside.