Dropkick Murphys and Rancid at Stage AE in Pittsburgh, PA on 8/2/17

Dropkick Murphys and Rancid’s From Boston to Berkeley tour made it’s stop in Pittsburgh, PA Wednesday night at Stage AE. The two legendary punk band played the sold out venue and it was packed full of liberty spikes and kilts as fans anxiously awaited the show to start.

Fans of all ages rushed to get the best spots in the general admission venue and the barricade was lined with fans that ranged from 11 year old kids to fans that grew up on the music. The show kicked off with an acoustic set by Jake Burns who is the front man for Stiff Little Fingers. His quick set was followed by The Bouncing Souls who fired the crowd up for Rancid to take the stage.

Once Rancid hit the stage the energy level took an obvious turn as the circle pits started and the bottles started flying. The pit was hammered by the crowd surfers as Rancid belted out their most popular songs which were accompanied by some from their new album Trouble Maker. Dropkick Murphys wrapped up the night with an insane set that had lead singer Al Barr climbing into the pit so he could sing with the help of the fans.

The show ended with a joint encore with Rancid and Dropkick Murphys covering the likes of The Crickets, Cock Sparrer, Johnny Cash, and The Ramones. Overall the show was incredible and if you are on the tour’s upcoming list of cities, this is one you will not want to miss. The chance to see these incredible acts on one stage is too good to pass up.

My Morning Jacket & Gary Clark Jr. at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD on 7/14/17

In another impressive show for Merriweather Post Pavilion’s 50th anniversary, My Morning Jacket with special guest Gary Clark Jr., came to play for the dedicated fans that were ready to kick off the weekend despite the hot temperatures. Friday was a hazy summer day at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD but that didn’t stop the fans from piling in early so they didn’t miss the epic performance by Gary Clark Jr.

Gary Clark Jr., took the stage to a packed pit screaming for his impressive guitar riffs and solos. Clark showed why some people are referring to him as today’s Jimi Hendrix. The magnificent line up would seem like he would have been the headliner but My Morning Jacket wrapped up the night with an incredible 2 ½ hour set. The mix of beautiful lights with Jim James vocals and guitar playing brought the night to a perfect end which added another one in the books for the historic venue.

Tedeschi Trucks Band at Wolf Trap in Vienna, VA on 7/17/17

Just outside of our nation’s capital you will find a unique venue that may not be as well-known as some of the bigger pavilions in the country but Vienna, Virginia’s Wolf Trap is an incredible venue to see some of the top musicians of today.  The venue which is a national park, welcomed the Wheels of Soul tour featuring Hot Tuna, The Wood Brothers, and Tedeschi Trucks Band.

A summer rain storm wasn’t enough to damper the packed house of fans anxiously awaiting the sensational guitar playing of Derek Trucks and the phenomenal vocals/guitar of Susan Tedeschi. The blues/rock group has had a rough year with the loss of Derek Trucks uncle and founding member of The Allman Brother Band Butch Trucks in January, Colonel Bruce Hampton who passed away onstage at his 70th birthday concert with members of the Tedeschi Trucks Band onstage, Greg Allman, and the recent health issues of Kofi Burbridge who unfortunately missed the tour after suffering from a heart attack in June. All of these terrible events were still not enough to keep this band down. The Tedeschi Trucks Band delivered an unbelievably breathtaking performance that showcased the raw talent of the 12 piece band. The guitar playing of Derek Trucks is something you will want to see live if you haven’t yet. The emotion and passion of Trucks is clearly evident in his playing and that emotion extends to the audience.

It takes a lot to keep soaked fans in the lawn section entertained but the Tedeschi Trucks Band made it look like child’s play. It is still early in the tour so if you are lucky enough to be close to one of the cities below you will want to make it to this show.

Dead & Company at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, VA on 6/22/17

The experience of a Dead & Company concert doesn’t start within the venue when the band takes the stage but instead starts as soon as you pull into the parking lot. The band’s faithful followers pack into the parking lot first thing and you see an array of tie dyed shirts as people fly their Grateful Dead Flags and sell their variety of handmade goods and garments.

Once you get in the venue the fans line up to get the exclusive posters, pins, and shirts which have been a staple of their fandom for quite some time. The band took the stage for their first of two sets early in the night with a start time shortly after 7pm. Dead & Company’s bassist Oteil Burbridge made it back to the tour after an off night and receiving the news that his brother Kofi Burbridge of Tedeschi Trucks Band had just suffered from a heart attack. Kofi underwent surgery and is currently in recovery. The show is an incredible and unique experience that everyone should get to see at least once. Another beautiful thing about Dead & Company’s show is you will see people from every walk of life and Dead & Company has brought in a whole new younger generation which combines with the Grateful Dead’s longtime fans.

Bob Weir, John Mayer, and the rest of Dead & Company are delivering important music at a time where positive music and good vibes are needed more than ever.

!!! (Chk Chk Chk) at U Street Music at in Washington, D.C. on 6/8/17

The dance-punk band !!! (Chk Chk Chk) played Washington, D.C.’s U Street Music Hall this week and utilized the intimate venue to it’s full potential. The band’s lead, Nic Offer had the audience dancing and also joined them in the crowd. Offer also brings the music to the fans by directly singing to the fans near the front of the stage.

The vocalist’s instantly recognizable shorts and unique dance moves made for a great show to kick off the weekend. The band is currently on tour and they can be seen on the dates below.

Upcoming Tour Dates
6/11 Allston, MA
6/13 Montreal, QC, Canada
6/14 Toronto, ON, Canada
6/16 Detroit, MI
6/17 Chicago, IL
6/21 San Diego, CA
6/22 Los Angeles, CA
6/23 Sacramento, CA
6/24 San Francisco, CA
6/26 Portland, OR
6/27 Vancouver, BC, Canada
6/28 Seattle, WA
6/29 Boise, ID
6/30 Salt Lake City, UT
7/1 Denver, CO