When we woke up at the hotel Sunday morning it was raining hard.  It looked like it had been raining all night.  When we left the festival the previous evening things were really muddy, and we figured it was going to be even worse today.  We checked the schedule and saw that things were getting ...view article

The Summer Camp Pre-Party kicked off yesterday with a bang, definitely not a wimper.  The weather was nice, a little cool and no rain.  However, there was a little evidence of previous showers; small puddles and a little mud.  Checking in at the festival was super easy, and very well organized.  ...view article

Clearwater, Florida, -- Hammerax, famed for making out-of-the-ordinary bronze instruments with innovative sustain and musical effects, has attracted a diverse new group of endorsers. Artists who have joined the Hammerax family include drumming legends Terry Bozzio and Omar Hakim, and current Robert ...view article

A studio album from a band that thrives on live performances can cut both ways.  On the one hand, they’re chock-full of tight, compact songs that benefit (for good or bad) from multi-layered studio production values.  (What would the Grateful Dead’s “Terrapin Station” be without its eerie, ...view article

Umphrey’s McGee has graced almost every stage of significance in their hometown of Chicago.  So when the opportunity arises to see them in a new venue there is a palpable sense of excitement and expectation. Such was the mood when guitarists Brendan Bayliss and Jake Cinninger followed up their ...view article

I have been fortunate to see Umphrey’s McGee in 16 states across this great nation. Living on the west coast I have not had the opportunity to see many shows on the eastern shore of the United States. Luckily I have met a whole host of fellow Umphfreaks in my travels and was able to find some friends ...view article

It was a long trip back to see String Cheese Incident at Horning’s Hideout.  The last time I saw them here was in 2007, and they were about to take a three year hiatus.  At the time, I didn’t know if I would ever see them in this magical place again.  Horning’s Hideout is one of those places ...view article

Few would argue that listening to decades-old recordings of the Grateful Dead's Tuesday, May 9, 1978 show at the Onondaga County War Memorial in Syracuse, New York, is a viable substitute for having attended the actual concert. That being said, Dead Heads and music fans of all ages got a rare ...view article