Hot Buttered Rum, one of the most honest-to-goodness fun bluegrass bands to come out of the San Francisco Bay Area celebrated the release of their latest project with a hint of class and a formal Black and Red Ball at The Fillmore on Friday, May 13. Over the last six months, HBR has collaborated on… Continue reading Hot Buttered Rum | The Fillmore | Review
Pennsylvania Americana group Mason Porter formed over a decade ago in West Chester initially gaining steam, as most bluegrass acts must, as a relentless touring act. While the festival circuit is where improvisational prowess often makes its mark, Mason Porter’s ventures in the studio these past few years has clearly distinguished them. The surge of… Continue reading Mason Porter | 'Heart Of The Mountains'
It was red noses all around on May 22 in Southern Sonoma County, as thousands converged at the Mountain Event Center to celebrate Wavy Gravy in merriment and song on the occasion of his 80th birthday. People came with gifts, “I love you’s,” howdies, and other assorted hollers of reverence for the colorful, indomitably spirited… Continue reading Wavy Gravy celebrates his 80th with Seva
Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, with John Mayer and featuring Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti, better known collectively as Dead & Company, opened their highly anticipated Summer 2016 tour by announcing a free show at The Fillmore in San Francisco on Monday, May 23. The building unofficially stands as a testament to the… Continue reading Dead & Company | The Fillmore | Review
If you are into The Chemical Brothers and Daft Punk and haven’t checked out Future Rock, it’s a must you do. Coming out of Chicago Future Rock has been creating music since 2004. Their breakout year was 2006 when they performed at some of the largest music festivals in the U.S.. Future Rock has a… Continue reading Future Rock | 'Long Ago' | Review
The Fox Theater in Boulder has started a Tuesday night bluegrass tradition. On this evening, after the extremely talented and quickly emerging Caribou Mountain Collective, a bluegrass all-star cast graced the stage to honor an important player in the bluegrass world. John Hartford is probably one the most underrated bluegrass musician ever. He made more… Continue reading John Hartford Tribute | Boulder, Colorado
Progressive jam giants Umphrey’s McGee‘s return to Las Vegas for the seventh installment of the massively popular UMBowl production was marked once again by a stand-out tour closing dual evening extravaganza where all stops were pulled out and the power given directly to the fans, for better or for worse. Although some quarters have remained… Continue reading Umphrey's McGee | UMBowl VII | Review
Dopapod played two energetic and career expanding nights at the Theater of the Living Arts on South Street in Philadelphia. It was the first time in my old stomping grounds in quite some time. It was exactly twenty years ago that I saw moe. there and Gov’t Mule with Alan Woody. That was the first… Continue reading Dopapod Dynamizes Philadelphia
Led by the Tim Bluhm‘s caramel smooth baritone vocals, a unique bunch of renowned San Francisco Bay area-based players got together on May 11 to deliver a musical tribute to the recently fallen Merle Haggard. The show took place at the intimate Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley, California. The sextet, all of whom travel… Continue reading Merle Haggard Tribute | Mill Valley, CA
In the weeks following pop icon Prince‘s untimely passing, hordes of respected entertainers paid their respects through acknowledgement or performance. Once again, an artist’s full depth and impact is celebrated strongest posthumously. That is not to say that Prince’s impact as a musician and atypical sex symbol wasn’t already deeply influential. Take funk saxophonist and… Continue reading Karl Denson's 'Dirty Mind' Tribute | Review
