On a summer night in mid June with temperatures in the upper 70’s the weather set the mood for the perfect evening. Ravinia, a venue just outside of Chicago in the upscale Illinois suburb of Highland Park, hosted a diverse crowd ranging from young to old. Who had all gathered in for the performances ...view article

“Happy birthday America!” exclaims Brendan Bayliss, lead singer and co-lead guitarist of all-American proggy tonk boys Umphrey’s McGee after a captivating, full band a cappella rendition of ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ at the Denver (area) Gothic Theatre on Independence Day 2010.  Yes, the ...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

There are many roads you travel down to see music, the road leading to Wakarusa Music Festival was one of the most splendid treats about partaking in this years fest. Winding up and down the hills of Arkansas, through the lush Ozark Forest there lay the top of Mulberry Mountain. There was a lot of ...view article

Four decades after the release of his critically-acclaimed self-titled debut, John Prine, the veteran singer/songwriter who once carried mail for a living in his home state of Illinois, is still creating some of the most vibrant material in his extensive discography. On May 25, he released In ...view article

Tucked away between cornfields, off of the Illinois river, a gathering of sweet vibes and phenomenal music took place Memorial Day weekend. Several hours away from Chicago across from the scenic yet then flooded river bank, Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe Illinois held home to this festival. Summer ...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

In a career spanning several decades, Atlanta, Georgia-based composer, bassist and producer Joseph Patrick Moore has performed with the likes of Col. Bruce Hampton & the Fiji Mariners, Stewart Copeland, Earl Klugh, Derek Trucks, Buddy Miles, Gil Scott Heron, Jimmy Herring, John Popper, Mike Gordon ...view article

A good friend of mine tells me that he has always experienced any troubles getting to a show as a good omen that said show is going to be a barn burner.  This could all be in his mind, but the adage has rung true for me over this past week while following around Umphrey’s McGee.  I’m a bit ...view article

Rhyne McCormick has recorded with the likes of local musical celebrities, The Badlees, and has produced with Tom “T-Bone” Edmonds, a vet in the music industry, with artists like Lenny Kravitz, Meat Loaf and The Rolling Stones notched on his belt, to name a few. However, on his fifth record, ...view article