Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue

Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue are a fantastic jazz and funk band from New Orleans, they incorporate elaborately-long rock-inspired riffs, the odd hip-hop beat and funky guitar strumming into the mix, but the star attraction is the trombone and the trumpet and rightly so. Trombone Short or Troy Andrews has been playing the trombone since he was six The bassist exuded an uncontainable amount of confidence, like it was child’s play to be hitting all those notes in that particular order. But it wasn’t child’s play, it looked difficult and sounded brilliant. And it was the same with the drummer and guitarist, they were all brilliant, playing complex rhythms and absolutely loving it, the drummer in particular didn’t lose his smile for the entire set, he was sourcing his energy from Trombone Shorty in the middle, as was I.
There was a really intense moment when Troy held a single note for an insane amount of time. Minutes. Literally minutes. Three minutes, four minutes he was holding this note for, something called circular breathing, he must have been breathing in through his nose because he kept puffing his cheeks out like in a cartoon and no one has that much breath, the audience went from being impressed to outright flabbergasted, it was remarkable. It was a lively, enjoyable and danceable occasion, and I’ll take every opportunity to catch them again.

It was wonderful. Leon Bridges and his band were dope! :) And his 1st part (Grace) is really good too. He even danced with us in the crowd ! lit ! lit ! lit! :)

I absolutely adore Eric Church. I have the biggest crush on him ever. He has an amazing voice and he seems like a totally down to Earth kind of guy.

His music is awesome. His song "Springsteen" reminds me of being young and meeting my now husband. I love that he interacts with the crowd and seems to have just as good of a time as we do.

The venue was kind of hot, but with so many people it's not surprising. Everybody was singing along with him and dancing where the was room to do so. He makes it feel like you are at a family or friends house having a party, only instead of a radio or DJ you've got him.

His vocals are astounding and his band is also great. The speakers were not the best at the venue, but that's not his fault and it wasn't so bad that it took away for his performance. He has so much energy when he is performing, it pumps everybody in the crowd up to. He is the kind of artist that makes it plainly obvious that he loves what he does. Singing and making music is more than just a job for him. I cannot wait to see him again.

Joan Jet is an icon and a role model for young girls that desire to be in music. Joan has overcome a lot for women in rock music over the years and continues to do so. She is absolutely inspirational and amazing. I have loved her since I was a little girl and finally this summer I was able to see her at Summerfest in Milwaukee WI and she was fantastic. She looks amazing and sounds even better.
I honestly did hope during her show that Dave Grohl would come out and drum for her at some point but unfortunately he did not, however she did play a new song that she wrote with Dave and I really hope they collaborate more.
She was so incredible when she played with Nirvana at the Rock in Roll Hall of Fame induction of Nirvana and I just want more. I am crossing my fingers that she comes back to Milwaukee next year for Summerfest or even just for an independent show later this year would be awesome. My best friend went with me and he has had a crush on her since he was a teen. He was able to get up to the second row during the concert where a group of nice young girls allowed him to step in and take a fantastic picture of her. We were so happy to get to hear her live. Keep rocking, Joan!

Branford Marsalis is an American Jazz Saxophonist from the deep south of the USA. He is an alumnus of the Berklee School of Music, and from then on right up until now, had the most amazing career from his graduation right up until the present day being such a recognized and respected musician.

As a musician, I am blown away by the virtuosity and technical ability that he showcases when he performs live. He performs a song called “Peace” which has some fantastic moments, but is essentially lead by a catchy hook on the saxophone, beautifully constructed in a way that you would be singing it for days. After playing the melody a couple of times, the variations come in as the song goes on, but the variations are even played on all of the other instruments. It gradually turns into a jam, made up of some of the most interesting solos I’ve heard, almost as though they’re too well constructed to have been improvised on the spot. That’s Jazz music for you! Hats off to you, Brandford Marsalis!

awesome show at The Fillmore in Charlotte a great venue..adding horns to dumpstaphunk has made them extra special!!! opening for Trombone Shorty was like icing on the cake for true!!

If you love Grace Potter and the Nocturnals music (and of course you do because you have ears) you will be doing yourself an incredible kindness by going to see her and the boys live.

The energy she possesses and her powerhouse voice are nothing short of spectacular. I've seen GPN 5 times and every time has been a completely unique experience. Their album The Lion the Beast and the Beat's tracks were made to be played live and the title track especially, and the band always mixes in a wonderful blend of old fan favorites well.

Fortunately there are a ton of old fan favorites and usually a cool cover that allows them to have a different set list almost every night. I would recommend everyone see GPN at least once and allow Grace to take you to church. Two of my favorite performances were at the House of Blues in Boston in 2013 or State Theater in Portland ME in 2010.

If you ever attend a Jill Scott show expecting to hear her sing songs exactly as they are on her albums, you will always be disappointed. Every. Single. Time. And that is one of the main reasons I continue to pay to see Jilly from Philly – I’m guaranteed a new and highly entertaining show no matter the city or venue. Her performance at Mountain View Winery in Saratoga, CA last week just so happened to fall on the one day I consider more important than the other 364 days of the year. My birthday. On June 24, 2014 Jill Scott showed up, showed out and gave a performance that I consider her best concert I’ve ever witnessed. And that’s saying much because I’ve been to more than 10 Jill Scott concerts. My experience with seeing and hearing Jill live began on July 27, 2001 at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, CA. From there I’ve seen her many times in Oakland, San Francisco and Concord, CA. I’ve traveled cross country (twice) to New Jersey, but last Tuesday, I felt something special in the air. Besides being the day I was born, the energy flowing from the stage was hypnotizing and spiritual. Maybe turning a year older opened up some senses I never had or long forgot about. All I know is that, simply put, this show was strictly for grown ass folks. That was very clear during the highly-energetic opening of Gimme. “Let me sock it to you like a grown woman can,” said Jill, who placing much emphasis on “grown,” looked absolutely FABULOUS in what appeared to be a black skirt, decorative black and white three-quarter’s sleeved shirt and VERY high-heeled black peep-toed shoes. Moving back and forth across the stage, she owned every inch of the space. “Ladies and gentlemen, live music in the house tonight! Is that alright?” she exclaimed before launching into The Way. Obviously a major fan favorite, she sang us through the first verse and ended the song with words of wisdom for the ladies, “It’s alright to be nice and say thank you for being good to me.” From the saxophonist (who just happened to be Mike Phillips, a former label mate of Jill’s, who has released three albums of his own), to the drummer to the guitarist, trumpeter and on, it is apparent that Jill has assembled a team of outstanding, high-quality musicians who are great at showcasing the pure elements of a live show. The backup singers (aptly called “The Pipes”) had a New Edition-esque vibe with their choreographed dance routines – at one point, during It’s Love two of the singers broke into the Kid N’ Play. At another point of the show, she remarked, “Live music makes you live on forever!” The way she revamped and reworked Crown Royal made her comment all the more poignant. Jill, the actress, went into full effect while reenacting Crown Royal’s lyrics. Talking to her, ahem, lower region, “Put it on ice. Didn’t I tell you to behave yourself? Stop talking to me!” During the second verse of Hate On Me, the lyrics changed to, “Somebody mad at your blessings. Pissed off cause somebody loves you. Somebody mad at the way you’re dressing. Pissed off cause you got a little more money for ya. Somebody mad . . . I love you anyway baby! “I’m putting on my invisible shield; walking into the belly of the beast. Smiling as I go. Telling everybody ‘Yo, what’s up? You feel good? I hope you do!’ Can’t nobody stop you. Every single blessing that’s yours – it’s yours, it’s yours, it’s yours, it’s yours! Can’t nobody do a thing about it.” In addition to old material, Jill blessed the audience with not one, but three new joints. The first was about being free to get herself together for what’s coming; the second focused on being shattered, but a man coming along and putting her back together; and the third had a straight up, back in the American Bandstand day’s type of feel. Part of the lyrics: “Bobby don’t love nobody but me!” This show helped me realize why I love and have seen Jill live so many times – she intently sings the meaning behind each and every word. When she says, “I’m more than a toy for your satisfaction,” or “Tired of being strong all day,” you BELIEVE her. It’s obvious when she’s on stage that Jill intends to give the audience everything she has – and then some.