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.