It’s no surprise that John Lee Hooker Jr. has some big shoes to fill. The son of the incomparable bluesman John Lee Hooker Sr., Hooker Jr. has been out to make a name for himself as more than “the son of a blues great.” It’s hard to escape though, and in the end Hooker Jr. is fine with embracing his roots. In the booklet that accompanies his most recent album, All Hooked Up, he thanks his father at the end of the letter to his fans.

The Congress are living the last American adventure.  They've been on the road in support of their debut record, Whatever You Want, for months.  They've been hauling a trailer full of equipment from city to town, looking for a place to spend the night, just trying to make a living.  "Every night we're in a new city.  We don't know anything about the venue.  We don't know anybody."  Says guitarist Scott Lane.  "Or we know everybody.  It's crazy."

Nursing a cold and wanting to escape a chilly summer night in San Francisco, I ducked into Café du Nord to hear some music from the roots of America. Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three played an invigorating set in the cozy basement venue. A former speakeasy, Café du Nord is the perfect venue to see a band that calls back to early 20th century music.

Rattling floorboards and seats caused by the stomping of a rowdy crowd is a common occurrence at sporting events. Such a regularity becomes rather out of place at a concert venue however, as was the case for The Head and the Heart’s sold out Boulder show. Hollers and whistles accompanied the vibrations during the set, at its finale, and held out through to the encore.

The way the Alan Evans Trio was formed was an act of fate.   Guitarist Danny Mayer was drawn to Alan Evans first as a fan of the legendary group Soulive and then a musical connection was established that only magnified when they linked up with organ player Beau Sasser. Firstly, the combined energy that these guys have together is mind blowing.

When you go to a BoomBox show, there are some things you can expect: danceable music, an awesome lightshow and friendly faces. On Friday night in Fayetteville, that is exactly what I found at George’s Majestic Lounge.

Chris Robinson, front man for The Black Crowes, has been touring around with a band he calls The Chris Robinson Brotherhood. It’s wonderful to see such a prominent figure like Robinson play in intimate venues like the Fox, close up, starting from scratch. The Brotherhood sounds a lot like The Grateful Dead.

There are some songs that put you back into the time a place you first heard them.  The first time I heard Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody was on my father’s turn table when I was in the eighth grade. I can still see the needle spinning in the grooves perplexing me on many levels.

At 18 I moved to the deep south for school. But not until I was tripping over the shoelaces of 20 did I realize that not everyone down there liked me.

Reggae collective Easy Star All-Stars stopped in at the Fox Theater is Boulder on Thursday night on tour behind their latest drop, reggae tribute record, Thrillah.