Playful yet angsty, soulful but light; the dual essence of California’s golden coast filled an almost sold out Bluebird Theater Monday night.  If you’ve ever been to the beaches of Los Angeles at night, you know the warm, hazy magic that happens once the sun sets.  The vibe is free, open - but underneath the surface people can be just as broken as they are elsewhere.

It was a perfect summer day for a bluegrass jamboree on the beautiful stage at Red Rocks Amphitheater. Three powerhouses at the top of the bluegrass music scene were sharing the stage at one of America’s best outdoor venues and the home of the headliner, Yonder Mountain String Band.

Everyone Orchestra takes its name from its ever-changing roster of participants. Matt Butler’s celebratory circus of improvisation has been going strong for almost fifteen years now. The world-traveled ensemble has hosted Everyone, or just about everyone, it seems. But here’s why, if given the opportunity to go, you should never miss an Everyone Orchestra show:

As everyone is winding down from Lockn’, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on Labor Day Weekend in one of my favorite towns in the Midwest, Nashville. I had the opportunity to photograph Widespread Panic for my very first time at the beautiful Ascend Amphitheater for the second night of their two night run over Labor Day weekend. I have to say, that it is true, you should never miss a Sunday show. What a beautiful night to see some music!

Sara and Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek created Watkins Family Hour over a decade ago to introduce new material and explore classic folk tunes. The side project’s monthly performances at the intimate venue Largo in Los Angeles are spirited variety shows featuring unique collaborations with guest musicians. The Watkins siblings finally recreated that musical magic in the studio with regular playmates Fiona Apple, pedal steel and dobro player Greg Leisz, keyboardist Benmont Tench (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), bassist Sebastian Steinberg (Soul Coughing) and drummer Don Heffington.

On such a beautiful evening right across the river, the lineup was stacked and the anticipation was high.  All three of these bands by themselves would have drawn a huge crowd, but you throw them all together and no one wanted to miss this one.  They could all be included in the soundtrack of my adolescence, and even to this day.  I grew up breaking rules to these guys, and never skip the chance to catch a show of theirs.  The Expendables kicked off the night with their magical blend of reggae, ska, and su

Over the Labor Day weekend, I was treated to a special concert at the Creede, CO, Ruth Humphries Brown Theatre. Musician and owner of Big River Music, Courtney La Zier invited me up. I couldn’t resist his enthusiasm.

This is a very big year for the Josh Abbott Band. The “Where’s the Party” tour is its largest to date, attracting new fans at every stop. The day after premiering the new single “Amnesia” on Sirius XM radio, the Texas band returned to Joe’s Bar in Chicago. The warehouse- sized venue, named the 2015 “Nightclub of the Year” by the Academy of Country Music, was packed to the rafters with country, Americana, and rock fans ready for a good time.

Bettye LaVette is worthy and so is her brand new record. The “Great Lady of Soul” earned her nickname the hard way, staying true to herself and her dream for decades before the world finally listened. She was on the verge of stardom at 16, but had to wait 43 years until the 2005 release I’ve Got My Own Hell to Raise for her career breakthrough.

On the south side of Omaha, off the beaten path, lies Sokol Park.  This "campitheater" is home to multiple local and regional festivals, and also a concert idea of which I've never encountered elsewhere.  Camping is included with purchase of a concert ticket, giving all concerts a heavy music festival atmosphere, even if it is only for one night.  The reggae-tronic dub band from Minneapolis, Jon Wayne and the Pain, is the true definition of road w