Blog Archives

An Evening of Folky-Rootsy Love Songs

For my review of this fine performance at Club Passim by Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem, click here.

Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem

Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem

Rani Arbo

Rani Arbo

Scott Kessel

Scott Kessel

Andrew Kinsey

Andrew Kinsey

Anand Nayak

Anand Nayak

Rani Arbo

Rani Arbo

Scott Kessel

Scott Kessel

Andrew Kinsey

Andrew Kinsey

Anand Nayak

Anand Nayak

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Scott Kissel

Scott Kissel

Andrew Kinsey

Andrew Kinsey

Anand Nayak

Anand Nayak

Rani Arbo and Anand Nayak

Rani Arbo and Anand Nayak

Scott Kessell

Scott Kessell

Andrew Kinsey

Andrew Kinsey

Anand Nayak

Anand Nayak

Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem

Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem

Rani Arbo

Rani Arbo

Anand Nayak

Anand Nayak

Scott Kessel

Scott Kessel and his repurposed percussion instruments

Rani Arbo

Rani Arbo

Scott Kessel

Scott Kessel

Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem

Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem

Anand Nayak and Rani Arbo

Anand Nayak and Rani Arbo

How Much Better Can The Newport Folk Festival Line-Up Get???

The Newport Folk Festival continues its lineup announcements and added even more interesting acts.

Newport Folk Festival Logo

Newport Folk Festival Trademarked Logo

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Up-And-Coming Retro Majestic Indie Rock Act Delivers A Solid Performance

I may be a bit biased when it comes to Laney Jones and the Spirits because they are friends, but I watched the reaction of the audience at the Extended Play Sessions where they performed on Friday night and saw that everyone in the room was as enthralled with this band as I am. Phew!

Laney Jones

Laney Jones

You may wonder what ‘retro majestic indie rock’ (Laney’s self-description) is; my answer to that is that you should listen to the band’s new music which is not yet out on an album. Here’s a video of one of the songs performed at this Session.

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This Riff Raff Is Everything But!

Everything but riffraff, that is… Hurray for the Riff Raff has been one of my favorite bands since the first time I saw them at the Newport Folk Festival two years ago. The band returned to Boston to perform at the Paradise Rock Club in what might have been their first headlining show at a major venue in the area.

Hurray for the Riff Raff

Hurray for the Riff Raff (4/5)

Hurray for the Riff Raff (2/5)

Hurray for the Riff Raff (3/5)

This show might possibly be the best show of theirs I have seen to date; the energy in the room was tremendous and the band fed off that (although it was truly symbiotic – they fed off us and we fed off their energy and joy).

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In Spite Of The Devil, Spuyten Duyvil Is Heavenly

For my review of this marvelous Spuyten Duyvil show at Club Passim, with Laney Jones and the Spirits opening, click here.

James Meigs, Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

John Neidhart, James Meigs, Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

Ric Mercaldi of Spuyten Duyvil

Ric Mercaldi of Spuyten Duyvil

James Meigs of Spuyten Duyvil

James Meigs of Spuyten Duyvil

Ric Mercaldi of Spuyten Duyvil

Ric Mercaldi of Spuyten Duyvil

John Neidhart of Spuyten Duyvil

John Neidhart of Spuyten Duyvil

 of Spuyten DuyvilJagoda

of Spuyten DuyvilJagoda

Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

Beth Jamie Kaufman, Mark Miller and Ric Mercaldi of Spuyten Duyvil

Beth Jamie Kaufman, Mark Miller and Ric Mercaldi of Spuyten Duyvil

Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

James Meigs, Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

James Meigs, Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

Laney Jones and the Spirits

Laney Jones and the Spirits

Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

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Ric Mercaldi of Spuyten Duyvil

Ric Mercaldi of Spuyten Duyvil

James Meigs, Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

James Meigs, Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

Mark Miller and Ric Mercaldi of Spuyten Duyvil

Mark Miller and Ric Mercaldi of Spuyten Duyvil

Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

Beth Jamie Kaufman of Spuyten Duyvil

Beth Jamie Kaufman of Spuyten Duyvil

Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

James Meigs of Spuyten Duyvil

James Meigs of Spuyten Duyvil

James Meigs, Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

James Meigs, Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil

Laney Jones

Laney Jones

Matt Tonner of Laney Jones and the Spirits

Matt Tonner of Laney Jones and the Spirits

Curtis Seligson of Laney Jones and the Spirits

Curtis Seligson of Laney Jones and the Spirits

Alex Shames of Laney Jones and the Spirits

Alex Shames of Laney Jones and the Spirits

Laney Jones

Laney Jones

Laney Jones and the Spirits

Laney Jones and the Spirits

Laney Jones

Laney Jones

Laney Jones

Laney Jones

More Wonderful Acts Added To The Newport Folk Festival Line-Up

The Newport Folk Festival continues its lineup announcements and added even more interesting acts.

Newport Folk Festival Logo

Newport Folk Festival Trademarked Logo

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Hitch Your Ride To These Rising Stars

If you have been reading this website for a while, you might recall that a year ago I fell in love with the hip-hop bluegrass group Gangstagrass. Our love affair continued over the weekend at Johnny D’s where they appeared in support of their latest release, American Music.

Gangstagrass

Gangstagrass

Nobody was more surprised than the band when the album debuted at #5 on the Billboard bluegrass chart! They deserve to be known for more than the theme song for the television show Justified, and maybe now they will be!

Rench

Rench

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What Is Hip? Tower Of Power At The Lowell Summer Music Series, That’s What!

Rhythm and Blues favorites Tower of Power will be appearing at the Lowell Summer Music Series on Thursday, July 30! I have not seen them in a long time and they always put on a fun show.

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Rhiannon Giddens’ Powerful Voice Must Be Experienced

Rhiannon Giddens embarked on her first solo tour several months ago. She achieved much success as a co-founder of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, but her reputation exploded through a couple of projects in which she participated over the last two years:  the Another Day, Another Time concert, a celebration of the music that inspired the film Inside Llewyn Davis, and The New Basement Tapes, a collaboration that set newly found Bob Dylan lyrics to music.

Rhiannon Giddens

Rhiannon Giddens

Rhiannon mentioned that this show at the Somerville Theatre was originally billed as a Carolina Chocolate Drops show; I would have seen the show either way, but I am glad it was her show.

Jamie Dick, Malcolm Partson, Jason Sypher, Rhiannon Giddens, Hubby Jenkins, Rowan Corbett

Jamie Dick, Malcolm Partson, Jason Sypher, Rhiannon Giddens, Hubby Jenkins, Rowan Corbett

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The Lowell Summer Music Series Announces A Fabulous Doubleheader

What a fabulous co-bill this will be:  John Hiatt & The Combo and the Taj Mahal Trio will be appearing at the Lowell Summer Music Series on Thursday, August 27! These are two of my favorite performers and it will be great to see them at one show!

lsmslogo2015

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