Where there's smoke.....there's fire

The old adage, “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” was confirmed this past weekend as the band, Dragon Smoke pulled into San Francisco for a stop at The Independent, one of the best venues in the city to enjoy a show. Known for it’s excellent light and sound, it was a perfect evening with one of the finest bands working in New Orleans (or anywhere else for that matter). Dragon Smoke delivered one of those elusive performances one always hopes to see and hear once in a while. One that is perfectly paced, that has plenty of dynamic and emotional range and delivered by a band where one can sense they are right there…in the moment….at the top of their game. Played to a packed sold out house, the band played until way past midnight and the crowd responded in kind; loudly expressing their joy and satisfaction.

Drum Lovers Unite for Mickey Hart

Mickey Hart

Returning to Asheville, North Carolina’s famous musical venue and social club, The Orange Peel, was one of the founding percussionists of the Grateful Dead, Mickey Hart.  The heavy rhythm and percussion oriented Mickey Hart Band came through in a rolling thunder, playing to a packed out club with Deadheads from all over and of all ages.  The current lineup for the Mickey Hart Band is Mickey on percussion, Crystal Monee Hall on vocals, Joe Bagale on guitar and keys, Reed Mathis on bass guitar, Gawain Matthews on guitar, Sikiru Adepolu on the talking drum and other percussion, Greg Schutte on Drums and Jonah Sharp on keys.  Mickey Hart has spent much of his life studying music from all over the world, and it shows in his versatile range of skills in different types off percussion including djembes of all sizes, cowbells, and digital drum machines.

Phish Warming Up For New Years Run At Madison Square Garden

This month Phish will play a four night stand at New York's Madison Square Garden in the heart of New York City. This is the fourth consecutive New Years run at the legendary venue. The shows begin on December 28th and go up until New Years. Phish has played MSG twenty seven times since December of 1994. Stay tuned for photos of this year's epic performances! 

Images by Doug Siegel

Toubab Krewe with special guests Baoku Moses and The Image Afrobeat Band

Got a chance to catch up with my old buddies out of Asheville last night at the Madison Theater. The Toubab Krewe put on a good set as usual and gained a lot of new fans. Most of the people I talked to in the room said they have never seen Toubab before but had heard of their original sounds. Baoku Moses and The Image Afrobeat Band also played a great set of originals. They are currently based in Cincinnati as Baoku is originally from Nigeria. Check out more at www.toubabkrewe.com

Images by Doug Siegel

 

Furthur Brings Out Guests at All Good 2013

Phil Lesh with Furthur

Furthur, the newest and most epic reincarnation of the Grateful Dead since Jerry Garcia’s passing, attained the much anticipated headlining slot at All Good Music Festival and Campout 2013.  They played two sets during a four hour set Saturday night from 8:15-12:15.  Led by Grateful Dead alums Phil Lesh and Bob Weir, Furthur also features talent from Joe Russo (Benevento Russo Duo, American Babies), Jeff Chimenti (Ratdog), John Kadlecik (Dark Star Orchestra), as well as Sunshine Becker and Jeff Pehrson on vocals.  Their performance was incredibly on point.  As usual, Furthur just kept cranking out the classic tunes with professional musicianship.  It was almost as if this show featured everyone’s favorite songs.  The first set featured jams such as “Uncle John’s Band” and “The Music Never Stopped.”  The last three songs featured Andy Falco, who is the guitarist from sensational bluegrass band The Infamous Stringdusters. 

Save the Leftovers

Vince Herman with Leftover Salmon

Leftover Salmon, the bluegrass rock stars from Boulder, Colorado, took to the stage Friday afternoon at All Good Music Festival and Campout 2014.  Their set was right in the middle of the day after Dark Star Orchestra and before the John Butler Trio, so needless to say the crowd was ultra hyped.  The best part of All Good Festival is the lack of overlapping sets, so the audience can sit in one place and see all of the music that they want to see.  Accordingly, the fans on Friday afternoon were content as could be, especially the ones lying in the hammocks in the wooded area.  Leftover Salmon came through with their expected high energy performance that had the crowd hootin’ and hollerin’. 

Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue Bring the Funk

Trombone Shorty 

Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue is a brass band from New Orleans who brought such fresh flavor and style to All Good Festival 2013.  The six members of the band, including Shorty of course, brought a unique vibe and style to the stage with two percussionists, two saxophones, guitar, bass, and of course a trombone.  They even had an extra percussionist sit in with them for a few songs.  Their sound is a combination of jazz, blues, and the most authentic sounding effortless New Orleans funk you can imagine.  These guys have such a high energy style that they can keep every song fresh and sounding brand new.  Orleans Avenue has been creating quite a buzz lately and they accordingly they earned themselves a prime Saturday afternoon slot before Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. 

Fitz and the Tantrums with The Capitol Cities

Fitz and the Tantrums and The Capitol Cities dropped by the Madison Theater on Thursday night to a near sold out crowd to show off their unique sounds. I have only seen these two bands at large festivals and enjoyed seeing them in a more intimate location. Both of these bands have great crowd interaction and are well known for putting on an epic live performance. The crowd was dancing hard at this one!

Images by Doug Siegel

North Mississippi Allstars – Deep South Rock Comes to All Good

Luther Dickinson with the North Mississippi Allstars

The North Mississippi Allstars brought the heat to the main stage Sunday afternoon at All Good Music Festival and Campout 2013.  Their blend of southern rock and blues was exactly what the doctor ordered for the crowd who had been there partying since Thursday night.  The North Mississippi Allstars are a three-piece featuring Luther Dickinson on guitar and vocals, Cody Dickinson on drums and keyboard, and Chris Chew on bass.  It is hard to believe that so much sound can come from only three people.  The Allstars’ set was filled with a variety of first-rate tune including some classic covers.  They played “Hear My Train a Comin’” by Jimi Hendrix and “Goin’ Down South” by R.L. Burnside amongst others.  During the show, each member of the band swapped places and instruments, so all three played each instrument.  This is very unique demonstrates the musical ability of each of these fine musicians. 

The Stepkids Breakthrough at All Good

Jeff Gitelman with The Stepkids

Newcomers to the scene, The Stepkids, played a short yet solid set at All Good Music Festival and Campout 2013 at Legend Valley in Thornville, Ohio.  They had a primo slot on Friday afternoon sandwiched between All Good staples Darkstar Orchestra and Leftover Salmon.  Hailing from Bridgeport, CT, The Stepkids consist of guitarist/vocalist Jeff Gitelman, bassist/keyboardist/vocalist Dan Edinberg, and drummer/vocalist Tim Walsh.  The Stepkids were a pleasant surprise being a relatively unknown band to most of the people there.  They would fluently switch in and out between groovy psychedelic jams and layered jazzy ensembles.

The Infamous Stringdusters Show Bluegrass Finesse at All Good

The Infamous Stringdusters

The Infamous Stringdusters blasted the All Good Festival 2013 crowd in the face on Saturday night with some of the most fluent strings in the business right now.  This award winning band has quickly become an all around fan favorite within the past few years.  Besides getting the privilege to play alongside bluegrass legends such as Del McCoury, Sam Bush, and David Grisman, they Infamous Stringdusters have also started their own annual music festival in central Virginia called The Festy Experience.

The Ragbirds Span Genres at All Good Music Festival

Erin Zindle with The Ragbirds

Coming out with their debut All Good Music Festival and Campout 2013 performance Sunday afternoon was the up and coming band, The Ragbirds.  This quintet from Ann Arbor, Michigan has been touring across the country since 2006 and has played alongside notorious bands such as Cornmeal and Dirty Dozen Brass Band.  The Ragbirds are led by siblings TJ Zindle on guitar, and Erin Zindle, who plays violin and serenades the crowd with her heavenly voice.  At first listen, they sound like a group of traveling gypsies in some strange land.  There were so many noticeable influences in The Ragbirds’ music.  Their songs incorporated Americana as well as traditional music from other cultures, such as Latin and middle-eastern.  

The Eagles Teach History at Madison Square Garden

Article and images by Bill Kelly

In the beginning, there was Frey, and Henley, and it was good.  And then, there was Leadon, and Meisner, and Felder, and others, and it was good.  But then, there was Walsh, and the light of rock ‘n roll deprivation shown on the Eagles.  

Phil Lesh - Big Plans for 2014 after Free Show in Central Park

Phil Lesh

It is old news that the latest Grateful Dead formation, Furthur featuring Phil Lesh and Bob Weir, is taking a 2014 hiatus after their sold-out four-night event in January called Paradise Waits at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya in Mexico.  After their bash on the beach, Weir and Lesh both intend to keep playing music, focusing on their solo projects.  This is understandable considering Furthur’s intense touring schedule over the past four years.  It was just announced that Lesh, 73, is teaming up with heavyweight music promoter and Relix Magazine publisher Peter Shapiro to pursue an easier way to keep the music going after 46 years on the road.

Mr. Bojangles, Mr. Bojangles Mr. Bojangles, dance......

By Butch Worrell
Nov. 9, 2013
Nashville, TN

 The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band opened their current tour with a show at the Franklin Theatre last night. This band has been playing since they were formed in Long Beach, CA in 1966.

Bright Light Social Hour with Black Taxi

Bright Light Social Hour (Austin) and Black Taxi (NYC) made a stop at Cosmic Charlies this past week. We decided to check these guys out on the way back from Asheville's Mountain Oasis Festival and found two great bands. BLSH is an up and coming band out of Austin, Texas who have been dazzling crowds at Austin City Limits Festival and SXSW. During SXSW, the band took home the award for Best Album at the Austin Music Awards. Both these bands delivered their own versions of Soul, Funk, Indie and Psychedelia playing styles.  I am certain you will be hearing more about both of these bands in the near future.

Images by Doug Siegel

City and Colour with Sleepy Sun

Dallas Green and his band played a near sold out performance this past week at Bogart's. Sleepy Sun opened up and did not disappoint as a prior opener for The Black Angels (a favorite band of mine). Jack Lawrence (Greenhornes/Raconteurs/Dead Weather) is currently on tour with City and Colour as their bassist. City and Colour clearly has a cult following as everyone in the audience seemed familiar with their material. Dallas is currently on tour in the Eastern United States.

Images by Doug Siegel

Scotty McCreery @ Viking Hall

 

Scotty McCreery stopped off at Viking Hall, located in Bristol, Tennessee on his Weekend Roadtrip Tour.

 

Grace Potter On Top

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

The ever-growing musical prowess of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals has become something that fans music fans of all types can appreciate.  That is why it is such a pleasure to see them return to the All Good Music Festival and Campout 2013 to host a Saturday night prime time slot on the Dragon Stage from 6:00 until 7:30.  Between Grace’s on stage charisma, voice, and beauty, she is the perfect leader for a band that has been building up quite a rock-star reputation over the past few years.  Grace Potter and the Nocturnals put on quite a spectacle for their loyal fans on that sunny evening at Legend Valley in Thornville, Ohio.  The highlight of their set that had everyone talking was their cover of The Grateful Dead’s “Friend of the Devil” which featured a surprise sit-in from none other than Bob Weir, an original member of The Dead.  In return, Potter would sit in with Furthur, who played after The Nocturnals on the same stage, to collaborate on a rendition of the Grateful Dead classic, “Turn on Your Lovelight.”  

Ice Cube - Never Too Gangsta

Ice Cube - O'Shea Jackson

One of the founding fathers of gangsta rap, Ice Cube (O'Shea Jackson) brought his brutally honest style back to The Orange Peel in Asheville, NC with WC (William Loshawn Calhoun, Jr.) and crew.  Ice Cube has been on the scene for over 25 years, since blowing music fans out of the water in 1987 with the infamous rap group N.W.A. alongside fellow rap legend, Dr. Dre.  When he left N.W.A and become a solo artist in 1989, Ice Cube secured his status as one of the most controversial lyricists of all time.  He has been accused of being overly violent, racist, and misogynistic.  On the other hand, he has been labeled as being one of the greatest story-telling MC’s of all time.  He has collaborated with an uncountable list of other talent along the way.  Ice Cube has also recognized success with his clothing line, as well as acting, and screenwriting.  He starred in the early nineties classic, Boys In Da Hood.  O'Shea Jackson also co-wrote and starred in the classic Friday movie series, as well as had starring roles in other blockbuster hits such as Anaconda, Three Kings, and Barbershop. 

Big Gigantic Performs at Bogarts

Big Gigantic is a high energy duo featuring Dominic Lalli and Jerermy Salken out of Boulder, Colorado. They have been described as instrumental livetronica blending jazz, hip hop, and several other genres. Dominic Lalli plays the saxophone and produces while Jeremy is on drums and vocals.

Images by Doug Siegel

Colt Ford and Florida Georgia Line at the State Farm Center Champaign, Illinois

The newly renovated State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois held host to a large Country show on October the 12th that sold the center completely out. Colt Ford and the huge Country Duo of Florida Georgia Line put on a great show to the sold out crowd.

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www.strohlphotography.com

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The National Close Out Bunbury Music Festival

The National closed out this summer's Bunbury Music Festival to a sold out crowd at the Main Stage at Sawyer Point. The pit was quite packed to the photographers and the lighting was not great, so moving around and getting the whole band in different lighting situations was not happening, but here are a few from a great night.

Images by Doug Siegel

Avenged Sevenfold, Deftones, and Ghost at US Bank Arena for the Hail to the King Tour

A7X headlined the Hail to the King Tour at US Bank Arena on 10/6/2013. All I can say is these guys are good at what they do! Rock, pyrotechnics, fireworks, explosions, more fire and a sold out crowd of loyal fans makes for a rockin' Sunday night of music. I spoke with several people while waiting to shoot the show in the pit who traveled from all over the place to see the event. Post show I felt as if I had a sun burn from all the fire emanating from the stage. I knew very little of A7X before tonight except that they hail from Huntington Beach (an old hangout of mine) and Portnoy of Dream Theater used to be their drummer.  A7X has the most loyal hard rock fan base that I have seen in some time.  Check out more of the photos from this show at Cumulus Radio 96 Rock and iheartradio.

Images by Doug Siegel

Midpoint Music Festival 2013

Midpoint Music Festival is the Midwest's version of the SXSW Music Fest held in Austin. The festival features several large acts and several small acts of different genres, all lumped into one great weekend of music. On the bill this year were national acts such as Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Head and the Heart, The Breeders, Cody Chesnutt, Shuggie Ottis, Daughter, Leogun, Larry and His Flask, The Thermals, Kurt Vile and many more. Some of my favorite local acts were The Harlequins, Wussy, Tweens, Cliftones, and OH Knife. There are more photos of Midpoint at http://www.flickr.com/photos/doug_siegel_photography/ and at the Citybeat website.

Images by Doug Siegel

Vampire Weekend - Vampires at the Barclays Center

Article and images by Bill Kelly

Hailing from the leafy campus of Columbia University, Vampire Weekend bought it's multi-cultural brand of ethno-pop to Brooklyn's majestic Barclays Center celebrating their new release, " Modern Vampires Of The City".

Kid Rock and ZZ Top at Riverbend

ZZ Top and Kid Rock came to Riverbend Amphitheater to play for a sold out crowd. The boys decided to sell discount tickets, beer, and merchandise to bring the masses...and the masses came! The photo pit was quite full and had to shoot this one from the far right side.

Images by Doug Siegel

Dedicated to Love….Steve Wariner at the Franklin Theatre

By Butch Worrell
     Nashville, TN

 Why dedicated to love? Because Steve Wariner is the Master of love songs. With 4 Grammy awards and 21 #1 hits he is certainly a master of his craft.

Jane's Addiction Stops by The Shoe

Jane's Addiction made an appearance at The Shoe and played an all star set of their best songs from "Three Days" to "Mountain Song." I haven't seen Jane's since the Lollapalooza days and must say they still know how to rock a crowd. Jane's is currently headlining at Midtown Music Fest in Atlanta this weekend.

Images by Doug Siegel

O' River Throwdown at Riverbend Music Center with Headliners including Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Rides, JJ Grey and Mofro.

The Ohio River Throwdown took place this weekend at Riverbend Music Center and featured several bands including Tedeschi Trucks Band, JJ Grey and Mofro, The Rides (Stephen Stills and Kenny Wayne Shepard), The Dynamites, Carolina Chocolate Drops, J Roddy Walston, Pokey Lafarge, Los Lobos, Alejandro Escovedo, Beth Hart, JC Brooks, Joshua Black and more. The weather was about as perfect as weather gets and the crowd was enjoying the sunshine in great spirits. Did a quick edit on these today as this will be a busy week of music here in Cincinnati. Support local music!

Images by Doug Siegel

Carnival Of Madness with Shindown, Papa Roach and In This Moment at the Allegan County Fair

Carnival Of Madness 2013
With
Shindown, Papa Roach and In This Moment
Allegan County Fair
Allegan, Michigan


This location was different for the Carnival Of Madness compared to last year was located at Rock The Rapids in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  The Allegan County Fair in Allegan, Michigan had a relaxing atmosphere for the Carnival Of Madness to hold a concert.  Everywhere you looked were thrill rides set up in the fair and the weather was a comfortable eighty degrees.

Kid Rock First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre in Tinley Park Illinois August 30 2013

Upon arriving at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheater it was hot and humid for it had rained most of the day. The size of this venue in case you have never attended is massive. The stage hands are hard at work getting the stage ready for Kid Rock to come out and perform his sold out show. Indeed Chicago was sold out like every other show Kid Rock has had on this tour.

Asleep at the Wheel wakes up the Franklin!

By VICKI LANGDON
      Nashville, TN

 The self-proclaimed Kings of Western Swing lived up to that name during a sold-out performance Aug. 24 at Franklin, Tenn.’s Franklin Theatre.

Styx at The Indiana State Fair.

Styx at The Indiana State Fair 

With no opening band, Styx proves to be a band who needs no introduction.  The crowd was full of electric like energy as they all waited in anticipation for this legend to begin their set. When the band entered from two different areas of the stage the crowd went wild; screaming, cheering and clapping so loud it was nearly deafening.

Rock The Rapids with ZZ Top, Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band and Junior Valentine

Rock The Rapids
ZZ Top, Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band and Junior Valentine
Fifth Third Ballpark
Comstock Park, Michigan


This was a different location for the Rock The Rapids fund raising show.  Last year Rock The Rapids was located at the Van Andel Arena parking lot.  This year was a great choice for location at the Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park, Michigan.

Rock The Rapids every year at this time raise funds for local organizations as well as the John Ball Zoo located in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  People get to see a great show and have a great time and do some good at the same time.  The Fifth Third Ballpark had plenty of seating for everyone to see the show.

Judy Collins graces the Franklin Theatre

By Vicki Langdon
      Nashville, TN.

 In a style reminiscent of a church songleader, folk hero Judy Collins had a sold-out audience at the Franklin (Tenn.) Theatre providing harmony vocals during a flawless Aug. 21 show that lasted almost two hours.

Rock The Lot with Jackyl,Wayland, Deadwood Stone and Tru-Burn

Rock The Lot
Jackyl, Wayland, Deadwood Stone and Tru-Burn
Concert


The Intersection held an outdoor concert in their parking lot August 16.  They had the perfect weather of seventy-five degrees.  The parking lot started packing in as soon as the doors opened.

The featured drink of the night was Jesse James Dupree’s label bourbon.  Jesse James Dupree is also the lead singer of the headline band Jackyl.  Jesse is also known by many for the Full Throttle Saloon reality television show at the Sturgis, South Dakota motorcycle rally that is put on every year.

Many bikers were in the crowd that road many impressive looking motorcycles lined up and parked in front of The Intersection.  The packed parking lot was like one big rock and roll party atmosphere.  Fans young and old and families all blended in to enjoy the show.

Mortified Mortician Out on tour With Wednesday 13

 Mortified Mortician was founded in early 2012 by Kyle Castronovo(rhythm/lead guitar) and Matt Jefferson(vocals) when Castronovo, struck by inspiration, demoed roughly a dozen songs in only 2 days.

Heart @ the Biltmore Estate

Heart took a pause from their Heartbreaker tour to perform an "Evening With Heart" show at the historic Biltmore Estate, which is nestled in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina. The show couldn't have taken place on a more perfect evening, with the sun setting during the opening songs, creating a fireworks show in the sky that nearly matched the fireworks happening on stage.

Rickie Lee Jones at the Franklin Theatre

By Butch Worrell
     Nashville, TN

 Rickie Lee Jones, Grammy award winning artist, singer, song-writer performed at the Franklin Theatre recently.

Björk at Bonnaroo

Björk Guðmundsdóttir

Adding to the list of new and profound acts to make an appearance at Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival 2013 is the Norwegian sensation from Reykjavik, Iceland, Björk Guðmundsdóttir.  Björk’s music is wildly exotic and has covered all genres of music from folk and acappella to electronic dance music and punk in her thirty or so years being a solo artist. The common factor between all of her styles is the overlaying of her amazing voice that resonates over whatever beat is being played with it.  The most striking of Bjork’s set at Bonnaroo Music Festival was her on stage attire.  She was dressed in a very odd dress and her entire head was surrounded on all sides by thousands of six inch long needles.  Musically, Bjork’s set at Bonnaroo contained a wide variety of styles of music, and was accompanied by a group of twelve background singers/performers.  Her choice of songs came from throughout her career, and included “Hyperballad,” “Crystalline,” and “Pagan Poetry.”  Appearances in the US are quite rare for a European sensation such as Björk Guðmundsdóttir, so she was sure to satisfy her army of fans present to watch her show.  

David Byrne with St. Vincent

David Byrne and St. Vincent are currently on tour in the United States and are making their way around the festival tour and intimate venues such as the Taft Theater. The band played most of their new album and several classic Talking Heads songs on this particular evening. This has been one of my favorite performances of a summer that has been filled with music and festivals.

Images by Doug Siegel

Looking Forward to the 2013 All Good Festival

Furthur at All Good Festival

All Good Music Festival and Campout 2013 returns to Legend Valley in Thornville, Ohio July 28-22 for another four days of love, harmony, and musicianship. This year’s festival follows in the tradition of honoring the Grateful Dead culture with the foremost headliner being Furthur featuring Phil Lesh and Bob Weir. The rest of the lineup contains lots for anyone to enjoy no matter what kind of music they are into. Notable performances will include Pretty Lights, Primus, and Dark Star Orchestra. Bluegrass fans will take delight in seeing Yonder Mountain String Band, Keller Williams with The Travelin’ McCourys, and The Infamous Stringdusters.

http://www.allgoodfestival.com

The Common Ground Music Festival

The Common Ground Music Festival
Adado Riverfront Park
Lansing, Michigan


The Common Ground Music Festival located at Adado Riverfront Park, Lansing Michigan was the perfect location for a festival.  The weather on July tenth was roughly eighty five degrees with a breeze blowing.  This seemed like a perfect summer day with no worries of rain.

As we worked our way into the festival you notice the fencing closing off Adado Riverfront Park.   The festival design was a well planned out for keeping people safe and for everyone to have a good time.  There was plenty of parking located nearby for easy and safe access.

The Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration, Red Hat Amphitheater, Raleigh, NC 6/20/2013

By Joe Carney

An evening of Jerry’s music celebrated through a mixture of Warren Haynes magical guitar work and The North Carolina Symphony’s classical interpretation of some of America’s most Iconic music.  The evening started with a lovely pre equinox day of sunshine and cool breezes, the Red Hat Amphitheater filled steadily in anticipation of the evenings mysterious pairing, with a crowd that ran the gamut of Jerry Garcia followers, Warren Haynes fans and Symphony regulars, all mixed together in an evening gown, tie-dyed swirl of joy. Magic was in the air as the house music quieted down and led by Albert-George Schram, conductor for the North Carolina Symphony, the sounds of symphonic tunings poured into the excited crowd, paired with the all-star bands instrument adjustments.

Of Monsters and Men at Bonnaroo Music Festival

Of Monsters and Men

Lighting up the Which Stage on Friday afternoon for an hour was Of Monsters and Men, an Icelandic pop and folk band with their own very unique sound.  While their 2011 album launched them into stardom in Europe and Australia, this five piece group is in the midst of gaining popularity in the United States.  Of Monsters and Men is led by Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir and Ragnar Þórhallsson on acoustic guitar and vocals.  They are backed by Brynjar Leifsson on lead guitar, Kristján Páll Kristjánsson on bass, and Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson on drums. 

Of Monsters and Men is one of those bands that is fits only a very specific niche at a large scale music festival such as Bonnaroo, but the crowd full of American youths signify the demand for such odd Nordic music. 

Bob Weir solo in Nashville

By Butch Worrell

 Bob Weir solo opened for the Bob Dylan’s “Americanarama” festival of music in Nashville June 30th.

Paul McCartney Raises Bar at Bonnaroo

Paul McCartney

Arguably the most epic headlining act in the history of Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival was Sir Paul McCartney, playing Friday night at this year’s event.  Bonnaroo always has a way to go over the top in many aspects, especially in the magnitude of performances.  It seems like every year has a way of outdoing the year before, and this year was no different.  Sir Paul and his band came onstage to a cram packed crowd of seventy thousand or so screaming fans on the What Stage.  The performance from this 71 year old (70 at the time) was nothing short of magical.  Supporting McCartney was Rusty Anderson on lead guitar, Abe Laboriel Jr. on drums, Paul Wickens on keys and Brian Ray on rhythm guitar and bass.  McCartney cycled through playing his Höfner 500/1 bass, acoustic guitar and piano.  Over the course of two and a half hours, this group of powerhouse legends played 38 songs, the majority of which came from The Beatles’ and Wings’ repertoires.  They played all of the best and biggest hits that Sir Paul has been a part of from the past five decades.  The fans in the crowd knew every single one.  There were so many highlights from the show, including Highlights from the main segment of the show included “Eleanor Rigby,” “Hey Jude,” and “Back in the U.S.S.R.” among numerous others. 

Paul McCartney at Bonnaroo Music Festival

Monster Energy Drink Rockapalooza

Monster Energy Drink Rockapalooza 2013
Jackson County Fair Grounds
200 West Ganson Street, Jackson, Michigan


Rockapalooza was very easy to locate following the fairground signs gave us worry free driving to the festival.  There was plenty of parking at and around the fairgrounds.  The only worry we had was the weather forecast for forty percent chance of thundershowers.

Michigan weather held out for the total show which was a relief.  As you travel to the entrance you see concert goers young and old alike.  As you see the children you can’t help but think, “One of them could be a future rock star inspired by the festivals.”