With four years alongside one another on the road and in the studio, Hard Working Americans embody the grit, grind and salt of the earth vibe their name implies. Some call them a super group. I call them the sum of their parts, and hot damn do those parts work well together.

Stephen and Ziggy Marley came to the Orpheum Theater in downtown Los Angeles on November 1, to perform a unique concert celebrating the 40th anniversary of their fathers classic Reggae album, Exodus.  The ornate venue in the heart of the original theater district of America’s movie capital was slow to fill up on this sultry night. It was the final night of the World Series of Baseball, just several miles away at Dodger Stadium and the band delayed the show for nearly an hour.

On a day when college football’s number one ranked Georgia Bulldogs collapsed in laughable fashion on the road against Auburn-that other team from Alabama-fellow sons of Athens’, Perpetual Groove found themselves in a completely different scenario.

The Newgrass style had come quite a way since the days when John Hartford and New Grass Revival began deviating from the technique and approach that had defined the bluegrass previously. The original bluegrass players such as Ralph Stanley, Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs were indeed innovators. As music is a reflection of times and the outlook of those playing, the late 1960s birthed ambitious and talented players who deviated from the rules. Still, their admiration and respect for the country greats before them was foundational.

British musician Nick Mulvey took the stage at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City on Wednesday night to perform songs off his new album, Wake Up Now.

While Quixote’s may have seen its last days, Jay Bianchi’s newest venue, Be On Key Psychedelic Ripple, has the streets of Denver buzzing with its historic artwork, friendly vibes and eclectic lineups ranging from modern-day Grateful Dead takes to bluegrass, funk and more. Located on 1700 Logan Street at the old Wrangler location, the Grateful Dead-themed venue boasts high ceilings, a video arcade, incredible art spanning back to the mid 60’s and plenty of room to boogie down.

This past week Johnny Clegg wrapped up a short 12 twelve-city North American tour bidding farewell, and retiring from the road.

In remission from an aggressive form of pancreatic cancer, Clegg decided to have his final tour while he has the strength to endure the road. This farewell is both a bitter-sweet celebration of his career, and an opportunity to say goodbye to so many devoted fans, whose hearts he has touched.

Have I ever told you guys about this place in Asheville called The Salvage Station? I feel like I have and, I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but man do those guys know how to throw a party.

I mean unless hanging out down by the French Broad River with a beer in your hand and the best music touring the country isn’t really your thing. In that case perhaps I could interest you in a board game or something.

Just over a month after the release of his new album The Gathering, Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band took the stage at Brooklyn Steel in Brooklyn, New York for a Sunday evening filled with songs both old and new.

Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain has done far more for the craft than any predecessor of the instrument. Hussain crossed over into experimental Western music with groups like Shakti (alongside John McLaughlin and L. Shankar) and with Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart in the classic World percussion releases Rolling Thunder, Diga and later Planet Drum. Still nothing has prepared followers of Hussain’s illustrious career for his marvelous group Cross Currents.