Reviews
Ahhh…the fall of 1997. It was an interesting time for America. Bill Clinton was still fresh into his second term, Steve Jobs had just returned to managing Apple after a “hiatus”, people were flocking to the theaters to watch the Titanic sink, a woman in Iowa gave birth to seven children, internet companies were booming, and I was back at college in Minnesota for junior year studying sociology and tearing up the majestic lacrosse field at St. John’s University.
On the eve of their 20th anniversary as a band, southern jam rocker’s Widespread Panic had a difficult decision to make. The decision to dismiss their new lead guitar player George McConnell was most likely a mutual one.
Trudging into the Independent on yet another cold, appropriately misty San Francisco night, I was quite honestly exhausted and wishing I was in my bed. While I had been wholly captivated by Father John Misty at Outside Lands last month...my bed was so warm. However, I made the adult decision to stay and enjoy the show. Thank God I did.
I was beginning to worry about the health of rock and roll. I grew up on mid-late 70s rock. At that time rock was the music, [along with disco,] that was really the 'pop' of the day. A lack of Internet and MTV surely helped assist this reality. My reality, anyway. I lived in a number of areas as a little kid where -- regardless of demographic -- the main music blaring from one's house would be blues-rock-based.
Eight years is a long time to wait for a new helping of Cajun-infused bluegrass poly-funk, but it was definitely worth the wait. Aquatic Hitchhiker, Colorado jam legends Leftover Salmon’s new studio release, delivers with an album that defies genres. Vince Herman and Drew Emmitt started the group with banjo master Mark Vann more tha
It’s no surprise that John Lee Hooker Jr. has some big shoes to fill. The son of the incomparable bluesman John Lee Hooker Sr., Hooker Jr. has been out to make a name for himself as more than “the son of a blues great.” It’s hard to escape though, and in the end Hooker Jr. is fine with embracing his roots. In the booklet that accompanies his most recent album, All Hooked Up, he thanks his father at the end of the letter to his fans.
The Congress are living the last American adventure. They've been on the road in support of their debut record, Whatever You Want, for months. They've been hauling a trailer full of equipment from city to town, looking for a place to spend the night, just trying to make a living. "Every night we're in a new city. We don't know anything about the venue. We don't know anybody." Says guitarist Scott Lane. "Or we know everybody. It's crazy."
Nursing a cold and wanting to escape a chilly summer night in San Francisco, I ducked into Café du Nord to hear some music from the roots of America. Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three played an invigorating set in the cozy basement venue. A former speakeasy, Café du Nord is the perfect venue to see a band that calls back to early 20th century music.
Rattling floorboards and seats caused by the stomping of a rowdy crowd is a common occurrence at sporting events. Such a regularity becomes rather out of place at a concert venue however, as was the case for The Head and the Heart’s sold out Boulder show. Hollers and whistles accompanied the vibrations during the set, at its finale, and held out through to the encore.
The way the Alan Evans Trio was formed was an act of fate. Guitarist Danny Mayer was drawn to Alan Evans first as a fan of the legendary group Soulive and then a musical connection was established that only magnified when they linked up with organ player Beau Sasser. Firstly, the combined energy that these guys have together is mind blowing.
