Photo: Kristine Condon (Greensky Bluegrass Facebook)Greensky Bluegrass have made a Thanksgiving run in their Kalamazoo hometown a tradition since the very beginning.  Coming at the end of intense touring years, these shows typically represent the culmination of everything the band has been up to, and whether in the Bell's back room, or in...

Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi have probably done more to bring the music of Leon Russell to larger audience than any other artists, at least over the the last few years.Russell's influence has never been very far from the TTB -- from their Mad Dogs & Englishmen tribute (Russell was the musical director on...

Chicago has often described as a city of neighborhoods -- a metropolis whose bustling financial center and larger-than-life cultural landmarks are humbled by the people who come together in smaller communities that surround its core.And though a robust music scene flourishes here, it is driven less by big power brokers like in LA,...

Words: Alex Wood | Photo: @Martybar90 Over the past decade, Ive watched the Wood Brothers grow from a low-key folk duo playing half-filled bars to a full-fledged rock band selling out large theaters. Unlike most bands, this evolution toward fame was both natural and deserved, better for both the fans and the music.Their performance...

By: Howard GreenblattPeople walked away happy from FitzGeralds Tuesday whether you were there for an outstanding blues show or you were more interested in cheering the best team in baseball on to victory.FitzGeralds hosted Tom Markers Bluesday Tuesday and set up their patio to feel like Wrigley complete with huge screen...

By: Alex Wood Phish- Big Boat [10/7]Weve all heard it by now. And sure, studio Phish albums are never supposed to be amazing, right? But this ones bad. Like, real bad. Lets be honest. For a more thoughtful analysis of Big Boats release, read our article here. Green Day- Revolution Radio [10/7]Green Days newest record,...

When Alex made it out Dinosaur Jr. in October (filing this excellent review), we were disappointed that he wasn't able to catch set by opener Steve Gunn, a guitarist who has been dazzling us for some time now.Luckily another contributor was in the house, and even brought his recording gear.  We're happy to...

Words: Alex Wood | Photo: @carlaskeSure, Green Day may not be your thing. Theyre inherently uncool by most serious music fans standards, and even lost a portion of their older fanbase with American Idiot and the records that followed.But somehow the trio managed to remain relevant, even as the pop-punk genre they helped create faded...

Greensky Bluegrass guitarist Dave Bruzza was a runaway contender in our Cubs edition of Who Wore It Best?Sure, he got a great boost from the incredible fans at Camp Greensky, but it's appropriate, too, as he -- unlike some of the others featured -- is an honest-to-God Cubs fan.So as he and the...

It's that time of year again.Widespread Panic touches down for three shows in Milwaukee starting on Friday, October 21st -- a tradition that started on Jimmy Herring's first tour with the band, and is still going strong now in his 10th year.In years past, we've detailed many great things about this run,...