“Music has always been a matter of Energy to me, a question of Fuel. Sentimental people call it Inspiration, but what they really mean is Fuel. I have always needed Fuel. I am a serious consumer.” Hunter S. Thompson. After a twenty-year absence, Phish returned to Eugene (OR) on October 17th with some much needed… Continue reading Phish | Matthew Knight Arena | 10/17/14
Note from gratefulweb.com management: We sent Jake Bendrick on assignment on Oct 22, 2014, with simple instructions. 1) Complete your concert review no later than 11:30 PM and turn it indirectly. 2) Keep it to 1000 words. Rather than complying with our request, he disappeared until late Sunday night at which point he returned to… Continue reading A Birthday Blowout with Pearl Jam
You know how our dads will turn us green with envy while casually mentioning seeing The Wailers or Led Zeppelin live? Nope? That’s just mine? Well the disappointment and jealous expressions on my future children’s faces was what was playing and re-playing through my mind on Sunday night as Pearl Jam took the stage. I… Continue reading Pearl Jam | Austin City Limits 2014
Greensky Bluegrass returns to The Odgen Theater in Denver for an epic two nights this weekend to showcase their new album, If Sorrows Swim. It’s been an incredible past year for Greensky, with a spotlight during the world famous Telluride Bluegrass Festival, and a shared headline with Railroad Earth and The Wood Brothers at Red… Continue reading Greensky Bluegrass | Ogden Theater | Preview
There are some bands you never tire of. You’ll pay any price, drive to any city, and enjoy each show with the unvarnished enthusiasm of someone seeing them for the first time. That’s how I feel about The Avett Brothers. The Honda stage drew a crowd from the festival over… they’re the kind of group… Continue reading Avett Brothers | Austin City Limits 2014
It’s hard to use the term super-group without a couple of obvious stigmas surfacing. It usually constitutes musicians who were sensationalized with other bands coming together to benefit off of the novelty of their collaboration with other already successful players. Often the results are under-inspired, a lucrative opportunity to make a quick buck off of… Continue reading Hardworking Americans | The First Waltz | Review
How many more Dead tribute bands does the scene really need? There’s truly already plenty out there. Even if the music is structured to be boundless and open for continuation, it seems like bands could better serve the music with an improvisational spirit, but playing originals instead of Dead covers. Indeed it takes a special… Continue reading Joe Russo's Almost Dead | Boulder Theater | 10/10/14
At the SHEL/ Under the Willow show at the Abbey Chicago on September 24th, the crowd bubbled over as Erin Donovan spoke of her Irish ancestors and really anyone’s ancestors. She was describing one of the first songs the band wrote together as the crowd nearly overpowered her amplification. The song is called Heritage and… Continue reading Under the Willow / SHEL | Abbey Chicago | Review
Indianapolis, Indiana is one of the up and coming centers for the Jam band scene in the Midwest. More and more musicians are beginning to recognize that there is a great fan base here in the Midwest and specifically in Indianapolis. We were honored on Thursday, October, 9th to host STS9 at the Old National… Continue reading STS9 | Old National Center | Indianapolis, IN | Review
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… Continue reading Rowdytown III was Big Gigantic!
