Their namesake from front singer, and San Diego native Dorothy Martin, drew a full house of lock-step fans on this bone-chilling Midwest night. With nothing shy of a frenzied dancing, singing and cheering in the house, Dorothy - lead vocals, Jason Ganberg - drums, Nick Maybury - guitar, Eli Wulfmeier - guitar, and Eliot Lorango - bass, led an unforgettable rockin' communion with the audience.

In the wake of California’s largest wildfire in modern history, Carpinteria’s own Dishwalla played a sold-out concert at the Alcazar Theatre. Formerly known as the Carpinteria Plaza Playhouse Theater, the gem of a venue, with accidental perfect acoustics has returned to its original name, Alcazar Theatre. Carpinteria Community Theatre Inc. who runs the venue renamed the theater based on its regional name.

Two progressive bluegrass titans shared a co-billing last weekend at The UC Theatre in Berkeley, California. Infamous Stringdusters hosted a diverse two-night run beginning last Thursday with Keller Williams and Grateful Gospel. Fans that evening were treated to an array of Grateful Dead classics augmented by a joint group of Keller and the Dusters.

On December 27, SiriusXM presented The Brian Setzer Orchestra Christmas Rocks! Tour at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Throughout his career, Setzer's innovative and daring musical styles have single-handedly resurrected two forgotten genres of music (rockabilly in the ‘80's and swing in the '90's).

Just before the flames and smoke of the massive Thomas fire put a damper on the Christmas spirit in Santa Barbara County, pop singer Jewel brought her real-life musical family to the Chumash Casino. The special Christmas concert featured the veteran performer singing traditional Christmas songs as well as some of her biggest hits.

In their forth outstanding gig at San Rafael’s Terrapin Crossroads this year, The Rock Collection brought an evening of originals, and beloved covers dissimilar to anything fans had seen of them yet. Any act under the jam band umbrella has to keep their shows diverse night to night, but what makes The Rock Collection standalone is the sheer combination of talent and background that allows the music to take off different directions on any given night.

American rock prodigy Steve Kimock took over Denver’s Cervantes’ Other Side for two nights of funk, rock, and blues this past weekend, playing an exotic orchestration featuring jam-fueled originals and traditional covers alike.

A grand celebratory sendoff to the 50th anniversary of San Francisco’s psychedelic music scene of 1967 took place at one of its once and forever epicenters, The Fillmore, on December 9. Featuring about 30 prominent Bay Area performers of today and yesterday, the commemorative event righteously celebrated that important stretch of time through which poetry, rock ‘n’ roll, cross-cultural awareness, and an anti-establishment penchant to question authority challenged traditional America’s consciousness.

One of the most anticipated jazz events of 2017 was The Meeting of The Spirits tour, a co-billing of celebrated fusion icon John McLaughlin & The 4th Dimension with the astoundingly diverse Jimmy Herring and The Invisible Whip. Though the two guitarists/bandleaders spawned from different generations and backgrounds, their affinity for bringing exploratory styles including Indian Classical Music, Spanish guitar, funk, and blues, are an ever-bonding force.

Did I say one? Better make it two. While Dead & Company trounced Dallas this past Friday with a meaty rocker of a show, Saturday night in Austin received a more deliberate performance befitting the band’s early era of improvised exploration. Which was better? Well, that depends on the opinion of the most opinionated fans in music. But we can all agree that for one weekend there was a seventh flag flying over Texas: the Freak Flag.