Blown away.If you have the opportunity to see Shovels & Rope live in concert, go. I caught the duo at the intimate Bluebird Theater in Denver on their 35th day on the road.  A straight month of playing across the country did not wear these two out; the energy on stage was incredible.  This was the best show I've seen in a long time, and I see a lot of music. Everything was right. 

The legendary Fillmore in San Francisco boasts a lengthy roster of historic shows, but it’s not every night that the concert means as much to the audience as it does to the performer (or vice versa). Last Thursday, April 25, was one of those nights. It’s no secret that San Francisco native George Watsky has always dreamt of playing The Fillmore.

Following what felt like an eternal winter, New York City has finally begun to get some (somewhat) warm and sunny weather, and that alone was cause enough for celebration.

Dead Phish Orchestra (DPO) kicks off right with ‘My Friend, My Friend’ opener, they showcase exuberant energy for such a dark song and then burst quite alarmingly in to Casey Jones. This is commonplace for the band, a bizarre mash-up of idyllic songs switching back and forth between Phish and the Grateful Dead.

Elephant Revival. If you don’t come out of one of their shows feeling refreshed, uplifted, happier…you may want to visit the doctor. Of course, we all change with every single action and thought, but Elephant Revival packs what seems like a whole lifetime of life lessons, revelations and beauty into a 2-hour set. So when you see them live, you’re sure to get more than just some time in a bar listening to music out of your experience.

It's always exciting to be caught off guard by the abilities of a band you've never seen. Having heard amazing things about Rocktin Grove—a group out of Boulder—I was excited to finally see them play, especially at their biggest headlining show yet: The Fox Theater.

Comparisons - The world is littered with them. We compare this to that for reasons only the people doing the comparing can comprehend. Sometimes they are interesting, sometimes they are not.

Furthur @ Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ on Saturday 4/27/13 left me comparing a laundry list of items.

My issue with the whole trance fusion style of free-music is that it lacks a fundamental separation from what a DJ could compile in a two hour set. Only a few select bands hold the torch as progressive and risky enough to truly hold my attention. Above all of the one-hit DJs and livetronica wannabees is bands like Lotus, STS9 and The Disco Biscuits.

Austin, Texas was the final stop on Umphrey’s McGee’s nine-date southern run. What a great city to end the tour in as well. Stubb’s BBQ is an outdoor backyard style venue in the middle of downtown.

The band had been hyping the 420 show via their social media networks for weeks and they didn’t disappoint. This was the first time Umphrey’s sold out the 1,800 person capacity venue.

"The biggest and most badass show in Motet history!" - Dave Watts