With a brisk start to November in Chicago, a crowds outside the House of Blues barred the chilly winds for a late night party. Conspirator, featuring Aron Magner and Marc Bownstien of the Disco Biscuits as well as BoomBox, a breakthrough duo featuring Russ Randolph and Zion Rock Godchaux. These bands ...view article

I had a friend say this weekend that you should never go into a Cheese show expecting any one thing.  This is great advice, since their sound can range from bluegrass to dubstep.  I would just like to state that there is one thing you can always expect, and that is a good time.  Saturday night’s ...view article

In 1969, Jerry Garcia wanted an outlet to play pedal steel and John “Marmaduke” Dawson was looking to get his songs out to the San Francisco music scene and general American public. This was the evolution of the New Riders of the Purple Sage and they have trotted onward like cowboys on horseback ...view article

When I first heard of The Contribution and who was in the band, I nearly wet myself with excitement. How could such a band made up of members of The String Cheese Incident, Railroad Earth and New Monsoon be anything except absolutely stellar? Featuring Tim Carbone, one of the best fiddle players ...view article

The Aragon Ballroom in Chicago was a storm of rock and roll energy on the second to last day of 2009 as hometown heroes Umphrey's McGee laid musical carnage on a few thousand lucky ears.  This New Year's run marks the 12th anniversary of the momentous three days of fury that is to Umphrey's fans ...view article

Fourteen months ago, on Halloween, Umphrey's McGee played one of the most impressive shows I'd ever seen.  The buzz surrounding the event was undeniable and the actual show was religious.  At the time the band was on the precipice of some major changes.  Light design artist Jefferson Waful was ...view article

Over the past three years, Bear Creek has increasingly become the staple festival of the southeast. With festivals such as Langerado taking steps towards extinction, Bear Creek has flourished, and has put together lineups that seem to outdo years past, which seems hard to believe. The heavy hitting ...view article

Anticipation builds as we wind through the mountains along highway 70 from Denver to Aspen on the way to see arguably the best live band on the circuit today: Umphrey's McGee.  It is somewhat trademark of Umphrey's to not just play these remote venues, but to make everyone who came all the way out ...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