SXSW

Jenni Finlay Promotions and Conqueroo are pleased to announce the first annual Rebels and Renegades showcase in Austin from Noon - 7 p.m. on March 19 at legendary Austin landmark Threadgill's World Headquarters (301 W. Riverside.). The all-star lineup will include performances by singular songwriters James McMurtry, Kinky Friedman, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Bill Carter, Paul Burch, Tim Easton, The Grahams, High Plains Jamboree and many, many more.

“That old feeling that makes you feel brand new.” Do you miss the feelin’ too?  It’s about time you met your new musical boo…

The Main Squeeze is a family whose roots spread far and wide, from rural Indiana to New York City. This theme is central; Unity in Diversity. Together, the 5-piece has crafted a sound that is both universal and individual; Rock and Roll, Funk and Soul, Electronic and Electric; whatever you wish to call it, you won’t be able to stop moving, or smiling. (OR "you won’t be able to avoid the dance floor"?)

When I was going through a period in my life where I thought there was a real chance I would become a percussionist in a reggae band or a ska legend, my dad would casually say things like “When I saw the Wailers here…” or “The first time I saw Bob Marley…” and I would endure the crushing realization that I was simply born at the wrong time. Well, thankfully, I’ve restored balance to the universe.

This summer California will experience a co-creative festival unlike any it has seen before. Once Upon A Festival is happening June 12-14, 2015 at the swimmable East Park Reservoir in California's Central Valley. It is, at its core, a collaboration of members from some of the most nationally renown transformational festivals, Burning Man camps and production teams.

Hundred Visions will be your next search on Spotify if you’re into jam bands.  Assuming you’re reading this on The Grateful Web, you are.  I saw them at my first official showcase of SXSW, at one of Austin’s best under-the-radar music venues, Hotel Vegas.

If you only saw one show at SXSW, I hope it was Polica.  If you didn’t see them, I hope you’re listening to them in your cubicle right now.  Although, to be fair, their recordings don’t do them justice.  The band’s live performances are like breathing life and reality into the abstract.  If bands were pieces of art they’d be a Picasso masterpiece.I saw them at Banger’s, an outdoor venue on Austin’s Rainey Street which never disappoints.  The backyard was at max capacity as soon as the show began.  At the beginning, there was a clear

Considering what they’ve done, it’s hard to believe London Grammar released their first album If You Wait a mere six months ago.  It featured their already-popular EP Metal & Dust from earlier in the year.  Immediately, they were on the radar, hitting the top of the charts in UK and Australia.  One more example, last week they opened for Coldplay.  Yes, really.  It sounds beyond ludicrous that they have already had so much success, until you hear them.Following Hannah Reid’s {vocalist} and Dan Rothman’s {guita

It’s Saturday night, the last official night of SXSW on the infamous Rainey St.

It’s late afternoon at Javelina and I’m starting to sweat.  The unpredictable Austin weather is up to its old tricks, and I’m drowning in layers.  I just finished my beer and am about to go do some more aimless wandering, following the sounds of good music or loud cheers, when the guy next to me at the bar strikes up conversation.  He’s from California, a pediatrician, an obvious Austin enthusiast, and had a friend who knows a guy that knows the girl who’s about to play next.  She’s supposed to be really good, he says.  That line gets me every time.Ten minutes into her set, I’m so glad I st

It’s Wednesday afternoon, smack-dab in the middle of the tornado we call SXSW.  The music portion of the festival officially starts tomorrow, but for the people who know where to look for it, it’s well underway.  Dogwood, a popular watering hole on the West side of 6th street, had lined up a number of stellar artists for the week.  My Aunt Julia, a music writer and magazine editor in town from LA, texts me to come meet her here.