Holidaze is not the kind of festival that anyone ends up at by accident or gets dragged to by a friend. It’s an exclusive event for only the most die hard of fans, of which even fewer make the cut to get tickets ten months in advance to see their favorite bands throw down on the beach at the ...view article
This year, Merlefest celebrated its 22nd year of music and art in the unbelievable heat of Wilkesboro, NC. The festival boasted accommodations for young and old alike, mixing a variety of bluegrass knowns and unknowns with local art, food, and family activities. Smoking was not permitted during ...view article
Red Rocks Amphitheater was built for Umphrey’s McGee. Well, more likely, in their 12th year as a band, Umphrey’s has meticulously groomed themselves to the point that the fruits of their labor are best understood within the walls of the naturally acoustic canvas provided at The Rocks. Nestled ...view article
Led by drummer José Medeles (Breeders, 1939 Ensemble, Revival Drum Shop), Railroad Cadences & Melancholic Anthems is a drummer’s tribute to guitarist and DIY iconoclast John Fahey. Joined for a series of guitar and drum duets with M. Ward, experimental guitarist Marisa Anderson, and Chris Funk (Decemberists, ...view article
My first exposure to the avant-garde jazz trio Medeski Martin and Wood (conveniently known as MMW) was at the State Palace Theater during a Jazz Fest weekend in 1999 New Orleans. MMW was still relatively new, but had the distinction of opening for Phish in 1995, which stamped them with the Phish ...view article
San Diego was visited by an embarrassment of musical riches on this particular Tuesday night. In patchouli-soaked Ocean Beach, the city's own beachside Haight Ashbury, Leftover Salmon's Vince Herman led his Great American Taxi side project through an evening of bluegrass-tinged, southern-fried rock.
The Northbound drive across the Golden Gate Bridge, as the sun set to the West and the nearly full moon beamed like a spotlight to the East, set the mood for a relaxed and cheerful celebration of the life and music of Bay Area musician: Jim McPherson.17356
McPherson, a blues inspired musician ...view article
For no other reason than seeming regional proximity, San Diego is sometimes overshadowed by the Los Angeles/Orange County megalopolis; that seemingly unending, 150 mile slab of asphalt and concrete that stretches from the dusty San Fernando Valley in the north to quaint San Clemente to the south. ...view article