When relating to the Grateful Dead, the term cover band is a sticky one. Some joked that the Dead were the best cover band in the world. Close fans and family understood their powers more clearly. Rather than a cover band they were more of a snowball collecting remnants of America’s musical past. So the idea of covers has always been different when relating to the Dead. The bottom line is nobody in rock approached music the way they did, so cover or not, every tune became an original.

This year slamgrass pioneers Leftover Salmon celebrate their twenty-fifth anniversary. Beyond the musical splendor, a blend of Cajun, bluegrass, zydeco, and hard psychedelic rock, is a lovable raucousness. Their triumphant resurgence into fulltime touring has been strengthened by the presence of founding Little Feat pianist Bill Payne.

Although this night did not turn out exactly how it was intended, it was still a beautiful night of sweaty blues. It was supposed to be a double bill of John Hammond and Charlie Musselwhite, two members of the blues hall. Unfortunately, John Hammond had to cancel due to the sickness of his wife. As Musselwhite would later tell us, it was the first time Hammond had canceled a gig in over 50 years.

Few eastern musicians have made a stronger connection to the west than Zakir Hussain.  It is fitting since his father; legendary tabla virtuoso Allah Rakha, popularized the instrument worldwide and pioneered North Indian traditional music to England and the Americas.

They say you’ve got to crawl before you walk, so I guess you have to walk before you dance. The occasionally cooperative early-spring evening presented itself this past Friday in Denver, so I said why not. The near-mile trek from River North Brewery to Cervantes procured flashbacks to the Five Points Jazz Festival as I rounded the corner of Welton and Will Call and made my way into the Other Side for the New Orleans Suspects.

Last week Denver based bluegrass band Trout Steak Revival played a sold-out show at The Bluebird Theater to showcase their new album Brighter Every Day. Banjo player Chris Pandolfi from The Infamous Stringdusters produced the album and sat in with the band for their album release.

On March 3rd, Durham’s Performing Arts Center was the site of a show that if you were fortunate enough to attend, will stand as one of the shows of your lifetime.  If you are familiar with the Grateful Dead’s March 29th, 1990 show with Branford Marsalis; get that show roaming around your mind.

This was a special night for many reasons. First and foremost, it was a resurrection of a historic Denver landmark. And what better way to revive a landmark then to preserve its history with a music twist? Baur’s is a restaurant and a listening lounge, which will play host to some of music’s favorite gems. Founded in 1872 as a confectionery company, it was equivalent to Willy Wonka’s candy factory. With endless candy, cakes, and even claiming to be the “inventor of the ice cream soda,” this was happening, and now it is back.

While the “core four” remaining members of the Grateful Dead are hanging up their collective spurs this Fourth of July weekend, Dark Star Orchestra has no intention of ending their road warrior ways. Dark Star will be in Chicago for the festivities and a performance for the Rex Foundation on July second, and it only seems fitting; they’ve been long considered the top tier of the Grateful Dead cover band food chain.

On the heels of his newest LP Shadowboxing, the west coast hip hop entity known as Zion I came to the Fox Theater with Los Rakas, Locksmith, Kev Choice, and J. Lately to spread the word of the Rapture World Tour.