Reviews

So check out the crazy musical DNA of this duo: One guy’s a longtime pro surfer from southern California who turned pro guitarist/songwriter in the early 2000s, and the other’s the guitar-playing/songwriting son of a certifiable blues-rock-blues legend also active for more than 20 years. Both have sizable amounts of songwriting and recording experience under their belts and a shared passion for the road. So this year, they’re hell-bent on setting a new world record to perform a show in all 50 U.S. states, inside 50 days!

David Crosby would have been proud of the mass musical assembly in Santa Barbara on August 20th to Celebrate his life at the “Stand And Be Counted” tribute concert. Many onstage and in the sold-out audience wondered (some out loud) whether Crosby was looking down, playing a mischievous joke. He may have sent the first tropical storm to the area since 1939, as well as a nearby earthquake, to put his stamp on the unique one-night performance.

Fifty years is a long time to participate in anything. So long, in fact, that gold is the appropriate anniversary gift. The multi-cultural, mixed genre Shakti brought their Fiftieth Anniversary Tour to the famed Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY on August 19, 2023. The band's unique mix of blues with North and South Indian rhythmic and melodic perspectives captivated the crowd and exemplified how exceptionally gifted these musicians are.

It seemed like Deja Vu at the Arlington Theatre in Santa Barbara, California, on August 16th, 2023, as 73-year-old Peter Frampton hobbled onto the stage with a cane and swiftly took a seat for the remainder of his concert. Last year, the 83-year-old legendary singer Tom Jones took the stage in the ornate Spanish-themed theater in much the same way.

Bluegrass may have its roots in Appalachia, but it has sown its seeds far and wide. Northern California in particular has been fertile ground for country pickin' for decades, with legends Peter Rowan and David Grisman among the many genre luminaries who have made their home among the Bay Area's redwoods.

Chris Isaak and his fabulous band were scheduled to play a 90-minute set just after sunset with no opening band at the Vina Robles Amphitheatre in Paso Robles, CA on Saturday, August 12th. But that didn’t stop many devoted fans from showing up at the venue several hours before the doors opened.

On the 48th anniversary of the Grateful Dead’s legendary visit to San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall (8/13/75), Dead Heads recently returned to see an all-star lineup of jam band stars recreate the show – and more – to benefit the Grateful Guitars Foundation. Not only were there star players, but also star instruments. It took a spreadsheet for musical director Alex Jordan (Cubensis, Midnight North) to keep things straight—check it out.

San Francisco, CA's ALO returned to New York City for the first time in three years, per guitarist Dan "Lebo" Lebowitz, and entertained multiple sit-ins at the iconic Brooklyn Bowl in Brooklyn, NY. The special guests included bassist Reed Mathis, guitarist Daniel Donato and the opening band, the Honey Island Swamp Band.

The Billy and the Kids “Dead on the Water: Pier to Pier” concert series wrapped up on Friday night with their appearance at the rooftop venue Pier 17 in New York City.  Overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge, Pier 17’s location has a rich history dating back to the Dutch West India Company in 1625, the venue and surrounding area underwent major reconstruction in the 2010s and reopened to the public in 2018.

Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival rolled through Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, last weekend on August 13. An array of country and classic rock legends handpicked to join Willie on this stretch of the tour delivered an incredible show that took the audience on a journey through decades of music.

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