In the Bleak Midwinter, snow has fallen—snow on snow—and the sun hides behind the grey clouds for days at a time. The mind wanders to tropical coasts with warm sunshine and green vegetation, preferably with calm waves lapping on the shore. Bands have been putting on winter concerts in the sunnier climes for years, but what about the rest of us? We forlorn fans who do not possess the time or considerable funds to attend such a show—are we destined to trudge through the snow wanting for spring? And what of our favorite bands confined to cramped indoor venues till the sun returns to the sky?

Fresh off their recent album release, Circle of Giants, moe. returned to the Wellmont Theater in Montclair, NJ, on February 27, 2025. Prior to this show, they wrapped up a two-week West Coast and Colorado run on their appropriately titled Circle of Giants Tour. The show included a pair of rarely played tunes, a fun cover on this Thursday night gem, and a tasty “Rebubula” sandwich in set two.

That love is palpable. It starts on stage and radiates out to the audience. Founding members Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz (guitar and vocals), Zach Gill (keyboards, accordion, ukulele, and vocals), and Steve Adams (bass, vocals) began their lifelong friendship in elementary school. They formed their first band in junior high and then launched Animal Liberation Orchestra as college kids attending UC Santa Barbara. That lifelong bond, now decades in the forging, casts a wide shadow, enveloping a legion of diehard fans who call themselves Shapeshifters (named for one of the band’s early songs).

The F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, became a pulsating hub of "Trance-Fusion" on Thursday night, as The Disco Biscuits brought their Bubble Tour to town. The pioneers of genre-bending musical exploration launched into a sonic journey that drew devotees from far and wide, eager to witness their unique blend of electronic dance music and jam rock mastery.

Marco Benevento ended a short but sweet four-night tour in the Northeast on Saturday, February 22, 2025, at the Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY. The Berklee alum has a great solo catalog that is ripe with audience participation. This time, it was just him and a baby grand, and he did not disappoint. His performance also included plenty of fun banter, along with noteworthy sit-ins by local musicians and a frequent cohort.

Fifty years ago, a long-haired 19-year-old concert junkie was a student at the University of Hawaii’s Manoa campus in Honolulu. A devoted hard rock fan, he counted recent concerts by Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath among his favorites. Acoustic music wasn’t on his radar until he attended a show by Hawaiian slack guitar masters Cecilio and Kapono at the Waikiki Shell. Intrigued by their unique harmonies and guitar work, he decided to see another acoustic performance — this time by 12-string master Leo Kottke.

Trusetto’s Somewhere Twice arrives as a deeply textured and emotionally resonant collection that feels simultaneously familiar and new, drawing listeners into a sonic landscape that is at once intimate and expansive. Recorded at CO Sounds Studios with the guidance of Grammy-winning producer Kevin Clock, this album showcases the band’s multifaceted approach to music, where influences collide and coexist in thrilling harmony.

In a world teetering on the edge of collapse, where a civilization lost in its own missteps crumbles under the weight of its excesses, the Earth's elites—the architects of its downfall—abandon the planet, their eyes turned toward the stars in a desperate bid to secure their power. Amid the chaos and devastation of this apocalyptic future, however, a faint glimmer of hope emerges. With the worst of humanity gone, those who remain are finally free to rebuild, unshackled from the corruption and greed that once held them captive. It’s a rare opportunity to begin again!

MJ Lenderman’s Manning Fireworks was a standout album in 2024, a masterpiece of indie lo-fi songcraft. Just two years earlier, Boat Songs had likewise wowed critics and attracted fans who appreciated the Asheville, NC, native’s talky singing style and curiously stylistic lyrics. Who knew the guy could jam too?!

Fans were treated to a notable musical combination on Friday, February 7, 2025, between the genre-blurring funk band from Boston, Mass., Lettuce, and rapper GZA (aka The Genius), who is a founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan. This all took place at Brooklyn Steel, located in Brooklyn, NY.