For the past seven years Brendan Bayliss and Jake Cinninger have given Umphrey's McGee fans an extra holiday treat: a holiday acoustic show. This year's sold out show was held at the Park West in Chicago.  The proceeds of the show are donated to the USTORM (United So Together Our Reach Multiplies) Foundation which was co-founded by Bayliss.  USTORM is a non-profit organization which raises funds to help provide access to music and art educational programs.

Is this guy for real!  I only ask such a silly question because this talented Davy Knowles is ripping some nasty good blues that threaten to blow your head off. This sexy young Brit was at Stubb’s in Austin for his national tour with the Back Door Slam, December 6^th.  Following the release of their new album, Coming Up For Air, and sporting some brand new band members, Davy Knowles and the Back Door Slam are back.

All 12 of the Saxon Pub tenants had eyes on Payne as he opened with a slow and easy start. Throughout the set Payne mixed a variety of slow subtle originals with upbeat covers. Adhering to call out requests from boisterous tenants, Payne showed a plethora of song knowledge.

On Nov. 17, Denver’s Ellie Caulkins Opera House was filled with the sweet songs of lost love, simplicity and addiction. The source of this therapeutic rapture was former shoe-factory worker turned folk phenomenon Ray LaMontagne. With a voice that harbors the kind of goosebumps and butterflies that first love brings, he captures the many emotions that coincide with the human condition.

The Bitter End is a musical landmark in New York. Many artists on their way up to stardom have played here. Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Patti Smith, Frank Zappa, even pop music's current 'It Girl', Lady Gaga.

It’s time to grab a beer and browse the CD racks at Waterloo Records which hosted Collin Herring’s newest album release “Ocho” this Tuesday, November 17^th.  The Fort Worth native has made his way back down to Austin with a slate full of shows around Texas.

Collin Herring’s fourth album, “Ocho” comes on the heels of his other albums "Avoiding The Circus" (2002), "The Other Side Of Kindness" (2005) and "Past Life Crashing" (2008).

What do you get when a band known for their funky grooves decides to pair up with a soul soldier to recreate the hip-shaking magic of a legendary posse? Pure perfection.

Denver is a Broncos town.  When they play everything else takes a backseat. With the Broncos playing on Monday night, I did not expect Holiday Shores to draw much of a crowd for their show. Deservedly so, they had a bigger crowd than I anticipated. By the end of the night, they were far more interesting to watch than the Broncos.

T Bird and The Breaks were walking the lady killer beat pre-show Friday (November 6) night. Of the nine members of the band some were prancing the approximately 30 feet by 60 feet downstairs of Stubbs in anticipation, while others were getting loose with mixed drinks, MGD and billiards.

Live Dead were quite the frequenters of the Starry Plough in the Spring and early parts of the summer of 2009. During a short hiatus away from Berkeley the band toured other parts of California such as South Lake Tahoe, Eureka, and the famous Brookdale Lodge in the Santa Cruz Mountains.