Spring has sprung in Marin and The Well Known Strangers are celebrating with a spate of local shows, including three gigs in their favorite west Marin haunts in as many weeks - Iron Springs Brewery in downtown Fairfax on Wednesday, March 18, then on to Rancho Nicasio in West Marin on Friday, March 27 and finally, the Papermill Creek Saloon in Lagunitas on Saturday, April 11.

Colorful, charismatic, and often found concocting his next blissful beer creation, keyboardist Kyle Hollingsworth has been hard at work. At the same time his band, The String Cheese Incident, takes some well-deserved time off from their relentlessly busy touring schedule.

On a cold, sleepy midweek night in February, two of the country’s best jam bands descended on the Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and the growing like wildfire Goose were on an extended tour that included two sold-out nights at the legendary Troubadour club in Los Angeles, just a few nights before. A pair of Seattle fans that had been following the band across the southwest for the previous seven shows were pleasantly surprised to find a half-full venue at this stop in the rural college town of SLO.

Bay Area founded, Nashville based indie Americana band Front Country has released a new single and video, unveiling a revamped sound and touring ensemble. Their electrified rendition of a Woody Guthrie song is the first in a series of singles they will drop this year leading up to the release of their long-awaited third album.

On Monday, multi-instrumentalist Mihali released an acoustic rendition of his original track “Empty Overflow,” recorded live in Miami, Florida for Sugarshack Sessions. The seven-minute performance showcases Mihali’s instrumental prowess, as he beatboxes and layers guitar, drums, bass and vocals to create a robust reggae jam. “Empty Overflow” appears on Mihali’s new album, “Breathe and Let Go,” released Friday, February 28th.