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

Springing off a phenomenal display of impressive instrumentals and powerful lyrics, Karl Denson and his crew jazzed up the night. Playing at the Vic Theater in Chicago, the acoustics were the right touch for the powerful rhythm and soul Denson's music echoed. The collaboration of genres heard in ...view article

After celebrating the end of their first decade together with a massive fan release, Railroad Earth Retrospective: 2001-2009, the tightly-woven unit of Railroad Earth is embarking on a new chapter in their musical journey. The rootsy Americana ensemble will hit the stage again ...view article

Dark Star Orchestra (DSO) returned to Southern California for their biannual two night stand in suburban San Diego’s Solana Beach.  This time it was part of their “City Near You” tour, which puts a slight twist on DSO’s distinctive Grateful Dead simulation act.  Their simple but rather ...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

An acoustic moe. show at the Belly Up Tavern possesses a certain double dose of rarities.  On the one hand,  just to have moe. play there is downright unique in its own right.  Their first visit here wasn’t until about seven years into their career in 1997, but they haven’t returned since ...view article

We rose some time after dawn in a small bed and breakfast lodge in Sacramento and I was still suffering a bit of barrel fever from all the whiskey I'd drowned myself in the night before.  We had traveled East from San Francisco through the night to get a jump on the day.  We'd be riding plum through ...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