On Tour

It is really incogitable, but a delight for me to follow the growth of these two credible musicians appropriately called Big Gigantic.  It seems like yesterday that I was eating at a restaurant in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia with Dominic Lalli, while he was in The Motet, and my good friend and their road manager at the time Ben Scrimalli.

After the ambitious idea of working with a new promoter and having a three day outdoor run at Denver’s Sculpture Park, then Ruby Hill Park did not work out, because of permit issues for the new venues, the Disco Biscuits settled for a tried and true venue, the Ogden Theater, with their usual promoter who moved shows around to accommodate the laborious situation. Colorado is like a second home to these city boys from Philadelphia, so when they come to town, it is a weekend full of friends, parties, dancing, and prodigious music.

Fruition and Grant Farm shared the stage September 25th at the Bluebird Theater in Denver to release their 4-song joint EP titled Meeting On The Mountain. The combination of Fruition’s bluegrass-Americana and Grant Farm’s country twang made for a great show with lots of friends, high-fives, and dancing.  Denver was Fruition’s second stop in an 8-show tour showcasing the new album.

Mainly known for his work in Bright Eyes, guitarist and vocalist Conor Oberst is in the midst of a coast-to-coast tour showcasing his new solo album, Upside Down Mountain. Recently, Oberst played a nearly sold-out show at The Boulder Theater in Boulder, Colorado.

Since Chicago-based bluegrass band Cornmeal formed in 2000, they have seen over 13 members in just four short album releases. Cornmeal is without a doubt a band of transition and change, holding on to a high level of skill and stage presence. Four-piece Cornmeal played at The Fox Theater in Boulder, CO on Thursday, August 21st. Although seemingly different members each show, Cornmeal has been playing hard-hitting jam-filled bluegrass for over a decade.

The Royal Potato Family label is releasing Marco Benevento’s fifth studio album Swift on September 16, 2014.  Pianist Marco Benevento arrived in Denver as a trio -- with drummer and bassist – for two nights concert in Denver.  Opening with “Risd” from Benevento’s Between The Needles & Nightfall record was a catchy, upbeat song and you quickly get a feel for what Marco can concoct on a piano.   With a steady drum/bass beat in the backg

Even if Keller Williams wasn't the one-man extravaganza in today’s music industry, his stage presence would still be undeniably compelling. But to ring in the New Year, K-Dubz wasn't alone; the Travelin’ McCourys joined him in funkin’ up the stage with their jovial blue grass jive and sublime jam solos.

Debuting yet another classical rock ‘n roll hotspot, The Fabulous Fox Theatre, in the heart of St. Louis, Missouri, Umphrey’s McGee swayed the crowd to dance the night away on Friday, August 15th. Opening with a spacey introduction song, Lucid State, first played at the 2014 Red Rocks show in Morrison, Colorado, quickly developed into an energy filled Andy’s Last Beer with tasty Jake Cinninger solos. The band thanked the St.

After I witness a transformative set of music, this is what inevitably occurs when the dust settles. After a band plays high energy, pedal-to-the-metal music for a cool 100-minutes, it’s difficult to ascertain which pieces stood out as the highlights among many other highlights – the crème de la crème. That’s why I try to balance dancing and having fun with taking notes in the middle of a song or right after it ends. It’s the only way I can filter the musical narrative and determine the truly supernal from the “merely” superb.

The beach has always defined my summer. Whether as a child anticipating two weeks at the shore for the other 50 weeks each year, as a teen working at a summer camp and spending every daylight at or near the water’s edge, or in my twenties when I learned the fun of service industry work and living on my own at the Delaware Beaches; beach and summer have been synonymous. Four decades are staring me in the face and now, after just a few experiences in the past few years, I will add shows at The House of Blues to that list of the signs of summer.