Justin Ward

Justin Ward

Justin Ward is the founder of LiveMusicBlog.com, an independent music publication launched in the summer of 2004. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Ward created the site as a personal outlet to explore music beyond his favorite band, Phish, following their announced breakup that year. What began as a modest blog evolved into a widely respected source for live music coverage, featuring concert reviews, festival news, and artist spotlights across genres like jam bands, indie rock, electronic, jazz, and more. Ward’s passion for live music and his commitment to capturing the energy of performances helped establish a dedicated community of readers and contributors. Even after the site’s acquisition by On Tap Publishing in 2025, Ward’s influence remains evident in its continued focus on the live music experience and LMB’s devotion to delivering high-quality articles and news to its readers. Scroll down for a full list of Justin’s stories. Contact Justin: Email us Connect with Justin Ward:

AUTHOR’S CONTENT

  • Coachella 2023 Lineup Announced: Bad Bunny, BLACKPINK, Frank Ocean, Björk, Gorillaz & More

    The lineup for this year’s Coachella Music & Arts Festival has been announced! Everyone knew that Frank Ocean would be…

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  • Phish Announces Spring 2023 West Coast Tour

    Phish has announced a Spring 2023 West Coast tour! Following the band’s Phish Riviera Maya celebration down in Cancún this…

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  • BottleRock 2023 Lineup: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Post Malone, Lizzo, Billy Strings & More

    The lineup for this year’s BottleRock Napa has been announced! Returning once again to the idyllic Napa Valley in Northern…

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  • Umphrey’s McGee Announces Colorado 2023 Run (+ Red Rocks with moe.)

    Umphrey’s McGee have announced their annual Colorado run! Starting off at the Dillon Amphitheater and then moving onto Red Rocks…

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  • BeachLife Festival 2023 Lineup: Black Keys, Pixies, Modest Mouse, Gwen Stefani & More

    BeachLife Festival has announced their 2023 lineup! Coming to Southern California’s Redondo Beach over the weekend of May 5-7, 2023,…

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  • Phish Shares “40 Years of Phish” New Year’s Eve Gag Video

    Phish has shared their official gag video from the New Year’s Eve show at Madison Square Garden, the event they’ve…

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  • Goose Shares “Silver Rising” Video From NYE 2022 Show

    Goose always does a solid job of sharing their recent show highlights via YouTube, including full shows, and they’ve already…

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  • Skrillex Releases “Rumble” with Fred again.. & Flowdan

    The long-awaited official audio for “Rumble” just dropped, the collaboration track between Skrillex, Fred again.. and Flowdan, which first saw…

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  • Watch The Smile on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert

    The Smile recently stopped by the NPR offices in D.C. and recorded a Tiny Desk Concert during one of their stops…

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  • Billy Strings Announces New Year’s Eve 2023 Run

    Right as the Billy Strings gang was about to ring in the 2023 new year down in New Orleans, the…

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  • Watch Page McConnell’s Phish 2022 Keyboard Rig Rundown

    Right as the Phish New Year’s Eve run began, the band shared a full rig-rundown video of Page McConnell‘s keyboards…

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  • Bucket Full of Thoughts on Phish New Year’s Eve 2022-23 & Beyond

    Happy Phishmas Eve! It’s the day before the next Phish run begins, the band’s annual jaunt to Madison Square Garden…

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