@DoctorCollins Austin’s recent brush with brisk weather and the Mountain Goats’ ability to draw out the coolest of the cool kids gave Antone’s the feel of a hip mountainside ski lodge after a day on the slopes. The calm, sweater-clad crowd gathered around the stage as if it were a crackling fire, patiently waiting for the bands to provide them with warmth through their musical stylings. The Mountain Goats and Final Fantasy were happy to oblige (pictured right). Their brand of intimate, thoughtful song writing offering welcome respite from the increasingly chilly weather. With colorful scarves draped carefully around their necks, the polite concert-goers broke their manners only to yell out song requests or compliments bathed in adoration. Read the rest of this entry »

@AndyShore Remember the Flobots? They had as big a year as anybody in 2008 with their massive political hit “Handlebars.” Though it’s been almost a year since their last tour, the Flobots are back on the road. This time, they’ve brought our good friends Kinetix on the road with them. That’s why I had @MattSilver pick me up from the airport in LA on Saturday and we headed straight down to San Diego, despite already sitting on the plane for almost five hours. Read the rest of this entry »

@AndyShore When I told people I was going to see Kiss, they had one of three reactions. The first one was, why? The second response was laughter and the third was, “that’s awesome!” My reaction when my dad first asked if I wanted to go was a mix of the latter two. Kiss is never going to be mentioned as one of the greatest rock bands of all time, but they are certainly one of the greatest rock spectacles. Even at 60 years old and with only half of the original members, the band dons their costumes and make-up and puts on one hell of a show. Stuff blows up, people fly around and the fans scream all the while. Read the rest of this entry »

@AndyShore I was lucky enough to win an Umphrey’s McGee Twitter contest last Thursday. My prize was admittance to a guitar clinic Jake Cininger and Brendan Bayliss were putting on at the Musicians Institute. It was a treat to hear them speak (and play!) to an audience of fellow musicians. We even got to hear some of the mash ups they were working on for Halloween. Check out this 90-minute video when you’re checking out at work. Read the rest of this entry »

@AndyShore Longtime Festival Crashers friend Bennett Leader put it perfectly. Seeing the taping of the first ever hip hop show on ACL TV was a perfect amuse-bouche to the feast that is the ACL festival this weekend. The studio is an intimate room with the Austin skyline lit up in the background. The furthest seat in the studio is one of the best seats in any other venue. K’naan took the stage, and immediately apologized for his “weird hat” and asked the crowd to get over it. Read the rest of this entry »

@AndyShore Well, it only took me two days to get my feet wet in the LA music scene. I had noticed a tweet about a free Easy Star All Star’s show on Saturday in Irvine, on our drive in from Grand Junction, CO on Thursday. You don’t usually have to tell me twice to sell me on free live music, but I was already looking for an excuse to see ESAS. I had to sit Summer Camp out this year with an ankle, and missed both their day set and the special late night Dub Side of the Moon set with members of Umphrey’s McGee. Taking the hour or so drive down to Irvine with my brother was a no brainer. Read the rest of this entry »

@ZackTeibloom After experiencing 25+ shows in six states,* seeing Umphrey’s McGee feels like meeting up with extended family. You catch up on the new things they’ve been working on, reminisce the good old times and marvel at how much bigger they’ve gotten since the last time you saw them.

You’ve got inside jokes with older cousins (Brendan, Jake and Ryan), You don’t pay much attention to the odd cousin who was adopted (Andy), you get kicks out of the goofy antics of the baby of the family (Kris) and roll your eyes at the annoying uncle who means well (Joel.) More than anything, it just feels comforting to be in their presence. Read the rest of this entry »

 @AndyShore Ok, so maybe when my dad first asked me if I wanted to go to see Loggins & Messina at Ravinia, all I had in mind was getting drunk and singing “Highway to the Danger Zone.” Don’t tell me that doesn’t sound like a blast. Truth be told, having some cocktails and seeing listening to some live tunes at Ravinia is rarely a bad idea. After Dave Mason, the bar had been set high. I was eager to see what Loggins & Messina would follow with. Read the rest of this entry »

 @AndyShore If you frequent these parts, you should know by now that I am a huge fan of Traffic. The glowing reviews of Steve Winwood at the United Center and Mile High as well as the Eric Clapton and Winwood show at the UC should speak for themselves. I didn’t know at the time my dad asked me if I wanted to go see Loggins & Messina at Ravinia, that Dave Mason was the opening act. I didn’t find out until we got there. What a pleasant surprise that was. A few Jack and Coke’s and some delicious BBQ later, I was ready for some rock. Read the rest of this entry »

@AndyShore If you grew up around the same time as I did, Blink 182 was practically unavoidable. You may say now that you weren’t that into them, but when “All the Small Things” comes on, you know every word. I could try to take the defense that I started listening to these guys long before I was a college educated student of music, but I’m not ashamed.

Blink 182 was probably the most popular band of my early high school years for straight males (hello Backstreet Boys/’N SYNC). In fact, seeing Blink 182 live was sort of like time traveling back to 2000. Read the rest of this entry »