Friday night, I got the invite to travel to The Fox Theatre in Boulder to see the up-and-coming Buffalo Commons. Formed in 2017 and originating out of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, it is hardly a surprise that yet another stringed talent has again emerged from the Rocky Mountains.

Twiddle continued their Distance Makes the Heart tour on Sat Jan 21 with their Sold-Out performance at the legendary Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. Mihali Savoulidis and the boys came to the coastal Jersey town on a chilly night with Philly-based Great Time in support.

Jam rock heavy hitters Spafford returned to the Brooklyn Bowl in Brooklyn, NY for this first time in almost three years last Friday, January 20, 2023. They brought their new keyboardist Cory Schechtman, from the New Motif, a slate of thick grooves with deep improvisation, and a pair of vibrant covers along for the occasion. Escaper, the jamtronica inspired quartet from Brooklyn, NY, provided their support.

Samantha Fish and her band just finished a four-day run in the Rocky Mountain state of Colorado. They played in the mountain towns of Beaver Creek and Grand Junction and the front range towns of Boulder and Fort Collins. Fish’s touring schedule is as ambitious as it is relentless.

Kenny Loggins brought his tour to the Saban Theatre on Friday, January 20th. Coming just four months after his two headlining appearances at the Hollywood Bowl, the show was billed as being part of his At the Movies tour, with a focus on the songs that are forever linked with 1980s film classics such as Caddyshack and Top Gun.

In mid-January, Denver Comes Alive put on their annual celebration in the RiNo district of Denver, bringing out a whole host of incredible players and drawing near capacity crowds for solid lineups that left audiences reminded what a great event this is. Over the course of two nights, fans were treated to individually themed parties with Friday getting the jamgrass treatment and Saturday getting the funk. Friday’s stringed extravaganza saw the likes of a great opener in the talented Maggie Rose followed by the powerful WinterWonderWomen.

As luck would have it for Dead Heads, a 50th Anniversary expanded edition of Bob Weir’s “Ace” record, just released by Rhino Records on January 13, 2023, brings Grateful Dead music fans superiorly upgraded audio quality and a whole bunch of new content – nine live tracks recorded in April 2022 in New York City by Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros.

Taking a macroscopic perspective to the live music experience, one evident fact rings true: it seems to be going on every day of the year. Although many plan for days, weeks, and months in advance to make it to the special event that has caught their attention, sometimes the last minute, improvised outing proves to contain a great reward and surprise.

To close out 2022, The String Cheese Incident decided to play it close to home and ring in the new year at Denver’s musical gem, the intimate Mission Ballroom. Topping out at 4,000 heads, getting to see SCI in such a small venue for three consecutive nights and so close to their own front doors meant that the band and extended community were in for a sold-out homecoming of sorts filled with familiar faces from both sides of the stage.

For fans of the jam, the end of the year represents some of the best opportunities for the live music experience. Whether it be Phish, The String Cheese Incident, Widespread Panic or any host of improvisational groups with their multi-night events, ticket holders salivate at the possibilities of seeing shows night after night as well as the crown jewel of ear and eye candy that is December 31st.