I’m old enough now that being told on Tuesday that I am going to cover the Northlands Music & Arts Festival on Friday feels rushed. Gone are the carefree days of the early ’00s. Back then, I went on tour with one day’s notice—without a tent.

With a string of sold out shows in Chicago, Asbury Park, Portland (ME), and Burlington (VT) already this year, LaMP, featuring Russ Lawton, Scott Metzger & Ray Paczkowski, have proven themselves one of the hottest new bands on the improvisational music circuit.

Shoe Fest has announced the highly anticipated first round of artists for its 2025 event, promising an eclectic mix of legendary musicians, rising stars, and beloved returning acts. Scheduled for August 29-31, 2025, at Camp Shaw-Waw-Nas-See in Manteno, Illinois, Shoe Fest offers festival-goers an unforgettable weekend of music, community, and outdoor adventure.

Walked into the heart of Chicago. Garcia's Chicago felt like love in the dream coming true, one stitched together with 16x20 prints of Jerry Garcia, iconic snapshots that dripped nostalgia. There was the band with John Belushi, just after he entered by cartwheel, frozen in a flash. A carton of Pall Malls on a shelf, walls lined with top-shelf vinyls—as if Jerry had just walked out and you had just walked in. The house band kept a silent vigil, waiting for the cosmic return.

Interstate jammers LaMP return with their second studio collection — One Of Us — out today on Royal Potato Family. Comprised by Vermont-based Russ Lawton (drums) and Ray Paczkowski (Hammond organ, Hohner Clavinet, Wurlitzer electric piano), alongside Brooklynite Scott Metzger (guitar), the trio distills singular, road-honed improv instincts into taut, instrumental epics.
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