Reviews
At the SHEL/ Under the Willow show at the Abbey Chicago on September 24th, the crowd bubbled over as Erin Donovan spoke of her Irish ancestors and really anyone’s ancestors. She was describing one of the first songs the band wrote together as the crowd nearly overpowered her amplification. The song is called Heritage and the music is undeniably spiritual.
Indianapolis, Indiana is one of the up and coming centers for the Jam band scene in the Midwest. More and more musicians are beginning to recognize that there is a great fan base here in the Midwest and specifically in Indianapolis. We were honored on Thursday, October, 9th to host STS9 at the Old National Center for the start of their massive Fall tour with new bassist Alana Rocklin.
It is really incogitable, but a delight for me to follow the growth of these two credible musicians appropriately called Big Gigantic. It seems like yesterday that I was eating at a restaurant in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia with Dominic Lalli, while he was in The Motet, and my good friend and their road manager at the time Ben Scrimalli.
I moved to Colorado in 2010 to pursue my Masters degree in education. I chose CU because it had a strong program for my discipline, but I’d be lying if I said the town of Boulder, itself, held no sway in my decision. Having wandered in a proverbial desert of live music for five years, I was a deeply dehydrated Deadhead who needed an oasis to slake my thirst. Occasionally, a noteworthy band played at The Santa Fe Brewing Company or an hour south at one of Albuquerque’s few ramshackle venues, but these were rare occasions.
After the ambitious idea of working with a new promoter and having a three day outdoor run at Denver’s Sculpture Park, then Ruby Hill Park did not work out, because of permit issues for the new venues, the Disco Biscuits settled for a tried and true venue, the Ogden Theater, with their usual promoter who moved shows around to accommodate the laborious situation. Colorado is like a second home to these city boys from Philadelphia, so when they come to town, it is a weekend full of friends, parties, dancing, and prodigious music.
Fruition and Grant Farm shared the stage September 25th at the Bluebird Theater in Denver to release their 4-song joint EP titled Meeting On The Mountain. The combination of Fruition’s bluegrass-Americana and Grant Farm’s country twang made for a great show with lots of friends, high-fives, and dancing. Denver was Fruition’s second stop in an 8-show tour showcasing the new album.
Mainly known for his work in Bright Eyes, guitarist and vocalist Conor Oberst is in the midst of a coast-to-coast tour showcasing his new solo album, Upside Down Mountain. Recently, Oberst played a nearly sold-out show at The Boulder Theater in Boulder, Colorado.
Only a year into her teens, and boasting a wide smile at every concert, Jaden Carlson seems to be doing what she loves, and it shows in her playing. There’s no comparison to the crashed and burnt refugees of the entertainment industry; no label issued stranglehold on her creativity and self-motivated drive. She writes her own songs and lyrics and even finds time to do her homework between band practice.
After a long wait amidst the cancelled shows last summer and the departure of original bass player David “Murph” Murphy, STS9 came back to Red Rocks Amphitheater with retribution. For our patience and gratitude throughout the year, the band rewarded us with 7 hours, and 58 tracks of the most diverse music a fan could ask for. STS9 played 3 sets each night with a short set from the Lazy Americanz (presented by The J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League) as they performed their legendary “in the round” set.
From their debut performances at the Village Gate, a historic jazz club located on the west side of Lower Manhattan, to their high-profile collaborations with an eclectic variety of musicians, avant-jazz funk trio Medeski, Martin & Wood have developed a signature style that has continued to push the boundaries of American jazz for the last 23 years.
