“Do your work, but do your thing,” Ralph Waldo Emerson. The String Cheese Incident concluded a two-night stand at Eugene’s McDonald Theatre (Jan. 19), leaving little doubt about whether they had done their work, but had they done their thing? It’s an unenviable task for any “jam-band” still crisscrossing the country in a tie-dyed convoy… Continue reading The String Cheese Incident | Eugene | 1/19/15
It wasn’t hard to feel right at home inside the Freight and Salvage in Berkeley, CA. With Jessie Bridges warming up the crowd (and successfully so) before Paul Knowles and Nicole Storto of New American Farmers took the stage. Freight and Salvage Coffee House is a historically rich home-away-from-home for both musicians and listeners alike.… Continue reading New American Farmers | Freight & Salvage
The title of this review does not just come from my opinion as a music writer in the scene since the mid-nineties. I have heard this from nearly every person that I have heard talk about STS9 for the last year or so including members of the band. I was lucky enough to catch half… Continue reading Rocklin Reignites STS9! New Year's Run
It’s interesting to be able to think back on the music of the 1990s, let alone the 2000s and what evolved in the live music concert experience. The reemergence of the multi-day music festival gave the jam band revival a venue to gig multiple shows at once and get closer with the fans. What also… Continue reading The New Deal | The Independent | Review
Railroad Earth returned after two years to The Pageant on January 17th to open with The Forecast and Tim Carbone on violin. Following a large crowd welcome, the band started up into a soulful Long Walk Home that had us swaying. The band got rolling with an upbeat Lordy, Lordy and got us to jump… Continue reading Railroad Earth | The Pageant | 1/17/2015
Fox Street is one of those bands I wouldn’t expect to be based in Colorado. Florida possibly, Texas I could see, but Colorado is a bit of a wildcard. Maybe it’s Jonathan Huvards‘ throat churning, rocky road vocals. Then again it could be the picking, sliding and stomping of their close-knit instrumental unit that screams… Continue reading Fox Street | Bluebird Theater | Review
Nels Cline‘s music brings tangibility to abstraction. Over the years, as bandleader or featured sideman, his approach has little preconception of where the music needs to go or how his audience will respond to it. It’s the next evolution in the jazz idiom. While younger generations might know Cline as the non-exemplary lead guitar of… Continue reading Nels Cline & Julian Lage | Berkeley | Review
New Year’s Day is always a time of recovery for most. Due to the holidays and previous night’s revelry and celebration ringing in the New Year, it can be difficult for some to motivate. For this reason, many bands take this opportunity to throw down for their dedicated. That is why I wanted to be… Continue reading Yonder Mountain String Band | 1/1/2015
There are plenty of instrumentally urbane bands touring that keep audiences captivated while still lacking true songwriting sophistication. It’s more than a challenge to play the weight of a show on strong original material. It’s an even larger feat to achieve that without being a mimic. Sometimes surroundings inspire robust and natural creativity. And its… Continue reading Brothers Keeper | Leo's Music Club | 1/7/15
For the third year running, jam-grass veterans The String Cheese Incident set up their New Year’s Eve residency at the 1st Bank Center in Broomfield, Colorado for three nights of songs and celebration in their own backyard. The rear of the seated bowl was sparse Monday, but a creeping night one buzz helped melt conversations… Continue reading The String Cheese Incident | 12/29/2014
