Dave Alvin — New Highway interview After more than 40 years on the road, Dave Alvin is itching to get back on the highway again. “Playing live is what I love to do more than anything. That’s just it for me,” says Alvin, the legendary California singer-songwriter and guitarist. “It’s my religion. That’s how I […]
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Reckless Kelly proudly carries the Americana/alt-country/Red Dirt torch. The Idaho-born, Austin-based group has been going for more than a quarter of a century now, but they remain as strong as ever live and in the studio. The latter was borne out with the release of 2020’s “American Girls/American Jackpot,” an ambitious double album that fits […]
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Amanda Shires has gone through an emotionally wrenching period that — at different points — made her question whether to continue pursuing her music career and wondering if her marriage would survive. The marriage — to fellow musician Jason Isbell —made it through a rough patch that started when he was recording 2020’s Reunions. And […]
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John Hiatt played a show at the Birchmere w/Grayson Capps opening Throughout a career now in its fifth decade, John Hiatt has always collaborated with other artists, sometimes more successfully than others. But he’s always found a smooth groove with the Goners. The group’s chemistry was on display Monday in the second of two nights […]
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Patty Griffin opened for the Chicks in Virginia It’s a time-honored tradition among musicians. If you make it big, don’t forget those who inspired and helped you along the way. Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Patty Griffin opened for The Chicks on their first headlining tour in 2000. This summer, as The Chicks hit the road for the […]
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Robert Plant and Alison Krauss at Merriweather June 2022 Robert Plant moved away from the spectacle that was Led Zeppelin years ago, using his solo career to dabble rockabilly and Americana as much as rock and roll. But the classic rock icon found his greatest post-Zeppelin success in an unlikely collaborator: bluegrass legend Alison […]
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American Aquarium at 930 Club with Caroline Spence opening American Aquarium’s BJ Barham has high praise for Washington, D.C.’s 930 Club, calling it “pound for pound the best rock ‘n roll club in the country.” On Sunday night, Barham and his band did the venerable institution proud. Touring behind the new Chicamacomico, the North Carolina […]
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On an early June morning, Ed Jurdi is walking around his Asheville, N.C., home, taking a brief break before the band he co-founded almost two decades ago goes on the road again. “Summer is a busy time for us, with festivals and touring,” the co-founder of the Band of Heathens says. “But it’s great to […]
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Band of Heathens at Union Stage in DC with Reed Foehl opening With album sales down and streaming paying next to nothing, most bands rely on touring and merchandise sales to make ends meet. The pandemic forced many musicians to turn to streaming shows, collecting funds via Venmo and PayPal. Some bands dredged through their […]
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Jason Isbell at Red Rocks with Waxahatchee Several years ago, as our kids started to leave the nest, my wife and I began to look at life’s next chapter. We knew we wanted to downsize and leave the suburbs. We knew we wanted to travel. And I knew I wanted to see — and photograph […]
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