Papadosio kicked off their final year of touring before an indefinite hiatus last weekend in Covington, Kentucky. The Friday and Saturday night shows marked their return to The Madison Theater for the first time since March 2019, and they were also the first shows since the band made their recent announcement that they would be done touring after 2025.

That’s right. The disco banana went all the way to the Majestic Theatre in Madison, WI on Saturday, January 25th. Your favorite indie-pop-psychedelic-art-alt-dance group, Rubblebucket, brought Year of the Banana to the fine folks of Wisconsin. Whether you already know, that is the title of their newest hit album. YOTB is a monumental record for the masterminds behind Rubblebucket. Alex and Kal put the best of their brains together on this one.

The emerging electro-funk quartet Dizgo packed Dharma Bums in New Hope, PA, on Friday, January 24, 2025, and truly rocked out. The rustic venue—tucked in the attic of a local restaurant—had very little data service but provided a great platform for this Bloomington, IN-based band to bring the heat, and bring the heat they did. Their two-hour set included a pair of debuts, as well as several familiar covers. Kevin Rovner Band provided support.

On January 18, while presenting a collective “rainbow full of sound,” Greensky Bluegrass and Railroad Earth left no doubt that they still possess the character, proficiency, relevance, and charisma that have kept them among the most notable of the so-called “jam bands” in the land for the past 20-plus years.

How do we define a music festival? AI tells me it is simply a gathering of people to enjoy live music. When just over a week had six live music events, I’d call that a festival, as the bands gathered to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the Chicago Street Pub, an Irish-style pub. They were glad to be there for their friends, Michael and Kathy Trizna, owners and masterminds of the madness.

The good life can be as simple as good food, good beer, and good music. Combine those three in the right proportions, and you’ll find the right people gathered together, sharing in the joy of it all. This weekend, I experienced that magic at Burn ’Em Brewery in Michigan City, where the beer is cold, the food is excellent, and the music gets your feet moving. The vibe was perfect for fun times with great people as we geared up for winter with some Long Johns and lively tunes.

It’s been said that all the years combine and melt into a dream. This can be true for any entity as it passes into history, and no doubt it applies in particular to the Grateful Dead. The story of this beloved band has been chronicled in numerous books by band members, insiders and close friends, and music journalists. After a while, it all rolls into one.

On a frigid Tuesday night, the Hideout in Chicago was alive with warmth, laughter, and hot chocolate as The Faux Paws delivered a performance that felt equal parts intimate gathering and unrestrained celebration. Folk, Contra Dance, and Celtic influences collided with modern flair, making it a night to remember for every swaying body and clapping hand in the room.

From Alaska to Chicago: Ava’s Endearing Opener

When it comes to jazz guitar, few names carry the same prestige as Joe Pass and Herb Ellis. Both emerged from slightly different backgrounds—Pass was widely celebrated for his masterful chord-melody approach and unerring sense of time, while Ellis came up through the ranks playing with the likes of Oscar Peterson, honing a blues-inflected style that balanced clarity and swing. Their collaborative spirit on Seven, Come Eleven reveals not only their individual strengths but also their warm sense of camaraderie.

Switchman Sleepin’ is celebrating twelve years as a band, and like most things associated with the music of the Grateful Dead, there is no stopping this magical train. The band formed in typical hippie fashion: a few guys jamming at a backyard party in 2012 set the wheels in motion and laid down the first tracks for the evolutionary journey of one of Colorado’s favorite Grateful Dead tribute bands.