Bob Weir brought his newest project, The Wolf Brothers, to The Taft Theatre in Cincinnati on Wednesday night for an intimate and impressive performance that satisfied the theater full of his loyal fans. With a catalog as impressive and extensive as Weir’s, the band was able to curate a fantastic show full of songs spanning all of Weir’s career with The Grateful Dead as well as his side projects, solo work, and even some covers thrown in for good measure.

Toronto, Canada’s jam funk hybrid After Funk have been touring all over the US in support of their newest album, Santa Barbara, bringing a refreshing live show to both west and east coast, and musical spots in between. Bridgeport, CT’s The Acoustic Cafe was one such lucky place to get a stop on this extensive cross-country tour, last Thursday evening.

The Leftover Salmon show was called 'Stories from the Living Room’ There is also a new book about the band called '30 years of Festivals' by acclaimed author Tim Newby.

Downtown New York City saw the return of an amazing yearly musical event this past weekend, The Tree of Life Benefit. Created by music lover and activist Robert S. Rosman and his family, Tree of Life gathers big names of the metro jam scene and beyond to deliver memorable nights of collaborative music in an intimate setting. It all raises funds for Ferncliff Manor, a school specializing in the care and treatment of individuals with disabilities.

Almost 25 years after she took the nation by storm with her album, “Relish,” early 2019 finds seven-time Grammy nominee Joan Osborne touring the country performing “Songs of Bob Dylan.” And for one night only at the new Sofia Center for the Arts in Sacramento her show featured Jackie Greene, her former Trigger Hippy partner, fellow Phil Lesh & Friends alumni, and Sacramento-area nati

Seemingly everywhere during women’s month are festival line ups coming out that boast of over half of the acts are female. Efforts to see females represented and reflecting the true population of society are growing ever present in the hearts and minds of music lovers.  Will these festivals simply stretch out the current all-female bands available or will they continue to create an atmosphere that will be welcoming for new women musicians to join the party? As more and more women dominated acts grow to visibility, one such contender is Fox Crossing String Band.

It’s not often that venerable guitarist, composer, and bandleader Steve Kimock appeases his hugely loyal fanbase by giving into song requests. Not that Steve overlooks the folks who’ve gone to every damn show since the days of his heralded archetypal band Zero, but for the veteran artist, music is ever-evolving and never about looking backward or forwards.

ALO’s lucky 13th annual Tour d’Amour included a stop in Chico, Calif., in which the band offered an exhilarating illustration of its intelligent, crafty songs, and its extraordinary aptitude toward innovative improvisational instrumentation. “To surround Valentine’s Day, the tour is a celebration of LOVE – musically, communally, and in all of its many forms,” a recent band statement proclaimed.

John Mailander is skilled at crafting a story through music.  His latest release, “Forecast” has been a Godsend piece of mana in my playlist this winter. Something about this disc hit me at the right time and place.  This winter has been such a baptism of tribulation, the tempo matches my soul. It gives me peace and hope for carrying on through the ice. I don’t mind the cold.

Progressive bluegrass pioneers, the Infamous Stringdusters rolled into Eugene (Ore.), January 20, and lit-up the McDonald Theater with a typically brilliant performance. This fire-breathing, five-piece combo’s relentless determination to Dust damn near every town in the country has honed their live show into one of the most reliably “hot” tickets on the thriving jam-band circuit. Every set is a high-flying adventure.