Author Archive
Mountain Jam 2009: Silly Rabbit, Fests are for Kids
After many festivals together, this year's Mountain Jam was going to be different. This year my wife and I would have a six-month old child with us, our son Harry. As I discussed in an earlier post, we had no idea what to expect. A beautiful Saturday... more
From The Pit: The Dead @ Izod Center, NJ 4/28/09
The Dead rolled into New Jersey's Meadowlands on Tuesday night for the first of two nights in the swamp. Although I've seen Phil and Friends a bunch of times (a great band), and seen two Ratdog shows (which was two too many), this was to be my first time... more
Discuss: And Baby Makes Three – Festivals and Kids
Tickets? Check. Beer? Check. Goodies? Check. Wipes and Diapers? Check. HB, ready for a weekend on the Mountain The festival season is fast approaching. However, this year is going to be a very different experience for me and my crew. This year, I'm bringing along a six-month old, my son Harry.... more
From the Pit: Weezer @ Madison Square Garden, 9/24/08
I was surprised to find out that in the fifteen years that Weezer has been putting out some of hardest and catchiest pop music around, last Wednesday night's show was their first time headlining the storied arena. Go figure. Rivers Cuomo is one of the more interesting front men in... more
Sharon Jones Closes Out Summerstage
It was a rare kind of August Sunday in New York City. Sunny, comfortable with no humidity in the air. A perfect day, as Central Park's Summerstage wrapped up its 2008 schedule with a day of soul and funk. We got to the park in time to hear the... more
From the Pit | All Points West, Day 3
Waking up in Astoria, Queens, Sunday was a warm beautiful day. Alas the weather forecast told us that it would not last and we were facing one of those days at a festival. You know, those rainy miserable days that make you question how badly you want to... more
From the Pit | All Points West, Day 1
I wasn't sure what to expect from Day One of All Points West. I usually hit the smaller Northeast festivals like Mountain Jam and the Vibes. But the setting was without compare. From almost anywhere on the festival grounds, a look to the East gave you a... more
Sunday Free Show: Sharon Jones at Summerstage
Sunday is the final show of the 2008 Summerstage season. Wrapping up this twenty-third season of music are bands associated with Daptone Records, bearer of the torch of classic R&B. For the friendly price of nothing, you're getting three Brooklyn based soul and funk bands, headlined by Sharon... more
From the Pit | Mountain Jam 2008, Day 3
Sunday was going to be a shorter day than the prior two, ending at ten, but the lineup was going to be chock full of musical goodness. Ensuring that we were going to have the fortitude we needed meant a solid breakfast, one that was found in Maggie's Krooked... more
From the Pit | Mountain Jam Photos from Day 2
Saturday was going to be a long day. We planned on getting to the mountain in time to see Sharon Jones, whose set began at 2:15 p.m., with plans to stay and see Dark Star Orchestra, whose set was scheduled to run until 4 a.m. After blowing me away at... more
From the Pit | Mountain Jam 2008, Day 1
In its fourth year, Mountain Jam has become one of the staples of the festival circuit. This is a well-run, well-organized festival that gets a little better every year. And as long as the weather cooperates, which for the most part it did this year, it is in a... more
Mountain Jam 2008 | From the Mountain Recap and Photos, Day 2
Day Two of Mountain Jam was a bit stormy for a time, but before that it was warm and sunny. After the storms blew through there was nothing but a clear cool night. The musical highlights for me can be summed up like this...Sharon Jones and Michael Franti. Sharon Jones and... more
Mountain Jam 2008 | From the Mountain, Day 1
Greetings dutiful readers of the LMB. I'm going to put together a full recap of Mountain Jam when I get back to the City. Until then, I figured I'd check in, let you know what's gone down so far. Mountain Jam's first day was, thankfully a dry one. ... more
From the Pit: The 2008 Jammys
This is the first in a new series here at the Live Music Blog. I've tried to write conventional reviews of a show and it just doesn't work for me. When I'm covering a show, my focus is on capturing the visuals. I'm not usually making notes on setlists... more
Jammys Are Coming!
This Wednesday night is the 7th Annual Jammy Awards and we're getting ready with team coverage. Beginning at 5pm, Justin and Whit will have exclusive coverage from the Red Carpet. Want to know who Warren Haynes is wearing? They're on it. Um, no. However, Sam and I... more
Widespread Panic | 2008 Summer Tour Dates
Road warriors Widespread Panic have laid out their summer tour schedule. After closing out Bonnaroo on June 15, they will head west to begin their trip across the continent, including dates in Toronto and Ottawa (their first in the Great White North in a decade) and then three nights... more
Road Recovery 10th Anniversary @ Nokia Theatre, NYC 4/17/08
When push comes to shove, I am a child of the 90's. Sure, I was born in the early 80's, but I think that was a decade of music that completely passed me by. For me, my musical enlightenment began with the angsty (God, not that word again)... more
Tea Leaf Green @ Highline Ballroom, NYC 4/18/08
As part of last weekend's Green Apple Music Festival, Tea Leaf Green played two sold-out shows at the relatively new Highline Ballroom in the Meatpacking District. Sitting in with the band was Steve Adams, from ALO, filling in admirably for new bassist Reed Mathis while he hits the road with his... more
Widespread Panic | Live in NYC April 4-5, 2008
This past weekend, Widespread Panic rolled into northern Manhattan -- Washington Heights to be exact -- for two shows at the United Palace. Panic weekend in NYC is always one of the highlights of the concert calendar, and I had been really looking forward to these dates. The shows at... more
Drive-By Truckers @ Terminal 5, New York 3/26/08
The last Drive-by Truckers show I saw was their stellar Dirt Underneath performance at Bowery Ballroom (photos here). I was stationed front and center for one of the best concerts I saw all year. They were more powerful, unplugged, than most any other band turned up to eleven. That... more
Phish Friday | 7/25/92; Stowe, VT
For my first effort at a Phish Friday, I dug deep into my binders of discs for something from the earlier years. In the Summer of 1992, Phish was on the cusp of breaking huge. Not yet headlining arena tours around the nation, June saw the band make their... more
Think Fast, Steely Dan | Summer Tour 2008
The iconic and all too underrated Steely Dan is embarking on another summer tour that will pass through almost a dozen cities. The highlight of the tour is almost certainly the three night run in New York City's Beacon Theater. Steely Dan is a band that has blurred the lines of... more
Mountain Jam ’08 Lineup Updated (Again)
A couple of additions to the Mountain Jam lineup were announced last week: Ray Lamontagne and Ingrid Michaelson. They join previously announced acts including Gov't Mule, Levon Helm, Bob Weir & Ratdog, Umphrey's McGee and Drive-by Truckers. We posted on the lineup already here and here. While I don't... more
A Whole Load of SXSW Music Downloads
In case you are not able to make it down to Austin for South by Southwest, fear not, you can still get your ears wrapped around the music. Follow this link to a torrent at Greg Hewgill's website with a ton of free, legal music from this year's artists. Thanks to Macworld... more
TAB the Band with Joe Perry – Hard Rock Cafe, NYC
When I hear about a band made up of the children of rock stars I’m often skeptical, wondering if they would be getting the notice they are without their lineage. With TAB the Band, I have no such concerns. Their new album, Pulling Out Just Enough to Win,... more
Road Recovery – 10th Anniversary Benefit Concert
I've known the people at Road Recovery for years, and today got word of a very interesting show they have put together. In honor of their tenth anniversary Road Recovery is putting on a benefit show at the Nokia Theater in New York City on April 17th featuring friends/supporters Slash,... more
A Look Back at Langerado 2007 | Day 3
And now we come to day three. The final day of a festival is always a bit of a bummer for me. You know you're coming to the end, definitely in the need of a little more sleep, and yet you're psyched for the day ahead. As I've put... more
A Look Back at Langerado 2007 | Day 2
This year’s Langerado festival begins today, so there's just enough time now to post some photos from last year to wet your whistle for the 2008 recaps. For the play-by-play, check out WHITperson’s day two recap. For a look at my version of the entire festival, check out... more
A Look Back at Langerado 2007 | Day One
Langerado 2008 is approaching quickly, folks. As this year's gathering expands to four-days, we thought it would be a good opportunity to take a look back at the musical feast that was last years event. Today's focus is Friday, with Saturday and Sunday to come later in... more
Jeff Healey: 3/25/66 – 3/2/08
Sad news out of Canada today. Jeff Healey, one of the most distinctive guitarists I have ever heard, passed away in a Toronto hospital on Sunday. He was 42. Having lost his eyesight to retinal cancer at the age of one, Healey battled various forms of the... more
Jason Isbell @ Bowery Ballroom, NYC
When Jason Isbell announced that he was leaving Drive-by Truckers to work on his own material, I was looking forward to seeing what would come next. I am a huge fan of the Truckers and his songs are some of the highlights of their catalog. His solo album, Sirens of... more
