July 2018

Human encyclopedia of all things literature and cinema, Spencer Charnas, has enjoyed a successful career thus far embracing the cult following that accompanies his Metalcore band Ice Nine Kills. The band from Salem consistently finds a way to put a dark spin on their deepest passions with their lyrically motivated music that often take more than one listen to fully digest.

“We’re not going to make you cry; we’re not going to make you sad. We’re going to make you smile, we’re going to make you laugh, we’re going to make you laugh at us and yourself. We’re going to make you say the “F”-word” Would be a lot to experience in a show, but this is exactly what Reel Big Fish veteran Johnny “Christmas” Christianson promises from the audiences who find themselves at their concerts.

Folsom Field – For decades, the venue has been a legendary haven for Deadheads dating back to the early 1970’s. While the Dead had played numerous shows in the Colorado area before, including the Miller Ballroom at CU in ’69, and two acoustic shows in ’70 at the Mammoth Garden (now the Fillmore), nothing quite sparked the interest of the Grateful Dead in the Centennial State quite like the legendary 1972 performance at Folsom Field in Boulder.

It was great to learn that The Trey Anastasio Trio, as listed on the schedule, was actually playing as a quartet, given that Ray Paczkowski had just returned to his keyboard the night before, after recovering from a health issue. That may have been Trey’s first real interaction with the crowd, there before the encore, where he played two solo songs with his acoustic, including a lovely “Waste,” before bringing his bandmates back for a third together. I did love how he phrased it, the news about Ray being better, genuinely thrilled to share “some good news in what seems like a world of bad news.”

The Grand Ole Opry® presented by Humana® is set to celebrate its 93rd birthday with an annual Birthday Bash and a special birthday concert by Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame member Charley Pride at 3 PM Sat., Oct. 13 at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, TN. The Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient made his Opry debut in 1967, charted 36 No. 1 singles, sold over 70 million records, and this year marks his 25th Anniversary as a Grand Ole Opry member.

The Jauntee have announced a release date for their forthcoming album, Always Never Knowing. Over the last few years, the improvisational foursome have grown notorious for being cross-country road warriors on what seems like a never ending tour. In an attempt to mirror that live experience, the band went into the studio last year in their hometown of Boston to record a new album in front of an intimate live audience.