It was apparent as soon as Philadelphia-based electro-jam collection took the stage in chilly Minneapolis; Lotus meant business. Midway through their 2015 Winter Tour in support of their Gilded Age EP, Lotus set fire to the Land of 10,000 Frozen Lakes with a wide range of eclectic tunes from their extensive catalog, including a twenty-minute “Nematode>Sift>Nematode” segue and an impressive encore off their latest EP.

Coming in hot at the peak of their winter tour, Greensky Bluegrass played the House of Blues closing out the 6 week long mid-winter melt down, Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival 2015.  This festival is a showcase of independent music for the critical music lover.  Over the years, the fest has expanded to more locations with more acts and over a longer span of the winter months.  CBB 201

Valentine’s Day is a day full of love whether you are with someone or single. So many people are divided about how they should feel on this day. For someone like me who loves holidays and live music, there was nothing better for me to do than to enjoy this day with my daughter, support the One Billion Rising March against abuse in Denver, and then seeing some of my favorite musicians performing their interpretations of one of my favorite band’s music.

It had been nearly a year since Jeff Austin took the stage at George’s Majestic Lounge. This time he did so with his very own band and his very own style: electrifying. From the moment The Jeff Austin Band took over a red hot stage from openers, Old Salt Union, the energy never waned. Opening their set with the classic “Raleigh and Spencer” we knew immediately that Austin was there to please the fans.

On Valentine’s Eve, J2G Live strikes back with another installment of the Love Shack. This annual all-star jam is a concert that several people in the Denver area look forward to all year long. With so much music in town, it still sold out Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom due to its perfect planning, set list, and all-star cast of musicians. Super jams are always so much fun for the musicians involved, therefore, it is a blast for the audience as well. These guys love playing with one another.

In the snowy bleak winters of Indianapolis, there are few things that will make you leave the house, but there is one shining light every year when you think you may never be warm again, Dark Star Orchestra’s winter tour always makes a stop in Indianapolis to warm us up. There is no better way to warm your body and your soul, then some sweet Grateful Dead tunes. No matter what the weather is like outside, Dark Star Orchestra will always bring a smile to my face.

“It’s all happening.” That was Penny Lane’s famous line from the movie “Almost Famous,” and without knowing that, Rebecca Ann Henry, lead singer/aerialist, and I said that line to each other a few hours before her extremely captivating performance at the Bluebird Theatre on February 12^th.

The Wood Brothers warmed the George’s Majestic Lounge stage last night with the first stop on their winter tour. The band has been doing some recording in Nashville for their upcoming album, working with many great musicians and technicians, including Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi. The Wood Brothers’ set in Fayetteville, Arkansas last night seemed a welcome change of pace for the band.

Before I saw Joe Russo’s Almost Dead for the first time Monday night, I totally misunderstood the band’s titular pun. I can’t help but laugh at my sheer stupidity, but I thought it was a combination of  “Hey, we’re a Grateful Dead cover band” and “When our drummer parties, we have 911 on speed dial”. But just 15 minutes into Joe Russo’s Almost Dead's first set at the Boulder Theater, it dawned on me.

Last Friday at The Fillmore in San Francisco, I felt right at home. As a Colorado native who moved to the Bay Area just three months ago it’s been an incredible transition and vast discovery process with the amount of incredible local and national musical talent that plays here constantly. Last Friday was humbling on multiple levels. It was the debut Fillmore performance of my favorite improvisational funk band The Motet.