LIVE MUSIC I'VE SEEN

It was good seeing The Lousiana supergroup featuring Warren Storm, Steve Riley, C.C. Adcock, with Lil Buck Sinegal in Austin on their Texas Xmas Tour. Here's an interview with C.C. Adcock from the Austin Chronicle. Opener The Jungle Rockers play some fun, lively roots rock.

The Joe Krown Trio with The Revivalists

12/08/12

A great New Orleans funk/R&B trio led by Joe Krown on Hammond B-3,with Walter "Wolfman" Washington on guitar and vocals, and Russell Batiste (of Funky Meters) on drums. Opener The Revivalists played some jammy-rock, but didn't really work for me. A Funky Batz presentation.

Allen Toussaint

11/29/12

Stateside at The Paramount

Some classic New Orleans R&B by the veteran New Orleans composer and pianist. Here is a review of the show.

Ian Anderson

10/28/12

Ian Anderson and his band (not called Jethro Tull) played the original "Thick as a Brick" in the first set, and in the second set, "Thick as a Brick II". The revisited version did not live up to the first. Ian Anderson's voice isn't quite what it used to be, but his flute playing and the band overall sounded excellent, particularly on the encore, "Locomotive Breath". Here is a review and some nice photos from the show.

Donna the Buffalo

10/27/12

Lamberts

A fun Jam band from New York.

www. flickr.com

Buckandi's ACL Festival 2012 photoset

Schedules: Friday, October 12 \| Saturday, October 13 \| Sunday, October 14
*Favorites*
Neil Young and Crazy Horse	Definitely the highlight for me. Neil and band Crazy Horse rocked hard on every song. The new ones sounded great, but even better were old classics "Powderfinger", "Cinnamon Girl", "Down By the River", and closer "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)". Here is a review and setlist and another review.
Iggy & The Stooges	Iggy and band tore it up. Amazing that a 65-year old could rock harder than any other band out there (or that I have seen in any previous ACL Festival). Here's a review.
Barrington Levy	Solid reggae. A good way to end the festival for me (although I did catch just a bit or Red Hot Chili Peppers). Here's a review.
The Relatives	A high energy soul and gospel set. Here's a review.
Lee Fields & the Expressions	One of favorite new acts of this year's festival, featuring old school soul and R&B. Here's a review.
Sonambulo	Energetic Latin American dance music from Costa Rica and other countries. Here's a review.
Jovanotti	My new favorire Italian Afrobeat Rapper. He was a lot of fun. Here's a review
The Devil Makes Three	Another of my favorite new discoveries. They played an interesting original blend of bluegrass, ragtime, and rockabilly.
Thievery Corporation	The third time I've seen them at ACL. And as before, they played a blend of dance, regaae, world-beat, and hip-hop featuring rotating lead singers.
*Other Highlights*
First Aid Kit	Two Swedish sisters notable for their etheral vocals
LP	A unique young female singer who looked and sounded kind of like a young Bob Dylan.
Trampled by Turtles	Jamming alternative bluegrass
Weezer	I enjoyed this nerdy retro/alternative rock band more than I expected.
The Soul Rebels	A nice taste of New Orleans brass
Umphrey's McGee	A guitar driven jam band with a cool light show.
Dry the River	Interesting British rock
Gary Clark, Jr.	Young Austin-based blues rock guitarist
*Enjoyed*
Asleep at the Wheel	As is my tradition, my first set of the festival was The Wheel's Texas swing
Colorfeels	Jam-feeling band from Nashville
Los Campesinos!	A fun young UK band led by brother and sister vocalists
The Black Keys	Sounded all right, but too crowded to get up close
AVICII	A guy sitting on a giant skull playing electronic dance music
The Whigs	Rock threesome
Father John Misty	Mellow but interesting rock from Fleet Foxes drummer
Space Capone	Retro disco-style dance music
La Vida Boheme	Danceable world music from Venezuela, known for splattering themselves and their white outfits with paint prior to each show
Michael Kiwanuka	A British singer-songwriter
*Wish I'd Seen More*
Alabama Shakes
M Ward
Ruthie Foster
*Unremarkable*
River City Extension
Delta Spirit
Justin Jones
The War on Drugs
Tegan and Sara
Lance Herbstrong
Wild Belle
The Black Lips
The Roots
Bad Books
The Dunwells
*Wish I Hadn't Missed*
Ben Howard
The Afghan Whigs
Patterson Hood
Florence & the Machine
Wheeler Brothers
Band of Skulls
Punch Brothers
Kishi Bashi
The Shins
Steve Earle
Antibalas
Gotye
Jack White
The Civil Wars
The Lumineers
Old 97's
The Avett Brothers

George Porter & His Runnin' Pardners with Brownout

10/06/12

An evening of funk.

David Byrne and St. Vincent

10/05/12

Bass Concert Hall

A great show by David Byrne and young partner St. Vincent (Annie Clark). They mainly played material from their album "Love This Giant". They were backed mainly by a large horn section, who spent much of the show marching around in choeographed movements. The enire show was good, but my highlifghts were Talking Heads songs including "Like Humans Do", "This Must Be the Place", and encores "Burning Down the House" and "Road to Nowhere". Here's a review and some photos.

David Bromberg Quartet

9/30/12

This was the first time that David Brombeg has played in Austin with a band in many years. His band included a fiddle player, bassist, and guitar/mandolin player. Bromberg was in good voice, and he played a mixture of acoustic bluegrass/folk and electric and acoustic blues on some old familiar tunes and a few new ones. Austinite Jake Andrews joined on guitar on a number of electric blues tunes. Bromberg closed by saying that he had hoped his friend Jerry Jeff Walker could have joined him at the show (I did too), but unfortunately he had another gig. So Bromberg closed with a solo acoustic version of Walker's classic "Mr. Bojangles."

Papa Grows Funk and The LaRues

9/22/12

More great New Orleans' funk from Papa Grow Funk. I also liked opening act The LaRue's, a young soul act featuring three energetic and talented female vocalists, along with a top notch four piece backing band.

Rosie Flores with Wood and Wire

9/08/12

The White Horse

It was just a coincidence that I went into The White Horse with a friend, and there playing was the bluegrass band Wood and Wire, whom I had just seen for the first time two days earlier at Bass Concert Hall. They fit right in with the casual vibe at The White Horse. Headliner Rosie Flores and her band rocked with their blend of honkytonk and rockabilly.

The Infamous Strindusters with Wood and Wire

9/06/12

Bass Concert Hall

These were two bluegrass influenced acts who were new to me. The headining Infamous Stringdusters were probably better musicians, but their constant mugging and prancing around the stage got old for me. Local Austin band Wood and Wire opened. They were probably not quite the musicians that the Stringdusters were, but their earnest style along with some nice original songs was a winning combination for me.

Chris Isaak with Kat Edmonson

8/26/12

I've seen Chris Isaak several times. He always puts on an entertaining show, and this was no exception. He performed his expected hits, along with a large number of songs that were on or the inspirations for his most recent album, "Beyond The Sun," a tribute to Sun Records artists Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and of course Elvis Presley. Kat Edmonson opened. She has a nice voice, but her soft jazzy songs all seemed to run together to me.

The Joe Ely Band featuring Bobby Keys with Mike Stinson and Wil Cope

8/18/12

Antone's

A great Joe Ely Band Reunion show, featuring David Grissom on guitar with the awesome rhythm session of Jimmy Pettit on bass and Davis McLarty on drums. But the special part for me was seeing Bobby Keys on sax. He played with Joe Ely in the late '80s, and has played and/or hung out with Buudy Holly, Elvis Presley, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, John Lennon, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker, Delaney & Bonnie, Levon Helm, J.J. Cale, Leon Russell, Warren Zevon, and many more. I happen to be reading his autobiography, "Every Night's a Saturday Night", a really interesting read, and was able to get his autograph after the show. Country rocker Mike Stinson and folk artist Wil Cope opened the show.

Marcia Ball with Nakia

7/25/12

Zilker Park

Part of KGSR's Blues on the Green series. Marcia and band were great as usual with her blend of piano blues and Louisiana-flavored music. Nakia opened with a solid set of blues and soul.

Iron and Wine with Patrice Pike

7/20/12

This was 4th annual benefit concert for Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA) and Mercy in Action . Sam Beam perormed a few solo songs, and then was joined by two other members of Iron and Wine. He was entertaining, but I would have rather seen him with his large band. Here is a review, with links to photos and a setlist. Patrice Pike opened with a nice, mostly acoustic set that really showed off her voice. It was different, and I thought an improvement, over her harder rocking style that I had seen previously.

Antone's 37th Anniversary, featuring Denny Freeman, David Grissom, and Derek O'Brien

7/18/12

Antone's

A night dedicated to the memory of the late Hubert Sumlin, appropriately featured three stellar guitar players. Clifford would have been proud. Unfortuantely, I arrived too late to catch the opening set with David Holt and Malford Milligan.

Dukes of September, featuring Donald Fagen, Michael McDonald, and Boz Scaggs

7/15/12

Featuring a super-tight band, the three vocalists took turns on their hits and soul classics. Diane and I liked Donald Fagen's Steely Dan songs the best, but it was a good show throughout. Here is a review and setlist and some photos from the show.

Indigo Girls and The Shadowboxers

7/13/12

The Indigo Girls sounded as good as ever, and the crowd was as energetic as any I've seen in awhile. Opener/backup band Shadowboxer were not ok, but that's about it. Here's the setlist.

Ponty Bone & the Squeezetones

7/12/12

San Marcos Plaza

A fun evening with friends enjoying Ponty Bone's zydeco and blues at a San Marcos Summer in the Park event.

Shannon McNally

7/11/12

The Saxon Pub

Shannon and band sounded great as usual, as she delivered her mostly original songs in a heartfelt, sincere way with her appealing southern drawl, along with some upbeat, rocking numbers.

Cotton Mather and What Made Milwaukee Famous

7/06/12

Antone's

Cotton Mather reunited recently for the first time since the late '90s to celebrate the re-release of its "Kontiki" album. I had liked their music at the time, and was looking forward to this show. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. All of their Beatle-esque songs sounded alike, and the lead singer had a much bigger rock-star ego than his talent deserved. I've never been a big fan of opener What Made Milwaulkee Famous, and I was didn't care for their noisy rock on this night either.

Kashmere Stage Band and Hard Proof Afrobeat

6/30/12

Antone's

Kashmere is 30+ person jazz funk band from Kashmere High School in Houston who gained fame fame from 1968-1978. They reunited recently, and put on a tremendously high energy show. Here is an article about the show and a video from that night's performance. Hard Proof opened with a good set of afrobeat music.

John Fullbright and Hardin Burns

6/21/12

Threadgill's World Headquarters

John Fullbright is a young songwriter from Oklahoma who really impressed me with his lyrics, melodies, and performance. He plays guitar and harmonica, so is remeniscent of a young Bob Dylan, but it is easy to detect influences from Leon Russell, Merle Haggard, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, and Randy Newman. His songs often tell great stories, with a nice mix of humor, irony, and sadness. His band was also quite good. Opener Hardin Burns were a pleasant singer/songwriter couple.

David Wax Museum and Joe Pug

6/02/12

9:30 Club (Washington D.C.)

I was brought to this show by my friend Tex. I really enjoyed David Wax Museum's blend of Mexican-influenced folk rock. It was especially cool when they came into the crowd an played a totally acoustic song right in the middle of the crowd. I was not as impressed by the supposed headlining act, Joe Pug. He now lives in Austin, and claims to be influenced by people like Townes Van Zandt, Lyle Lovett, and Robert Earl Keen, but I could not see the connection, and found his songs to be pretty boring.

Roger Waters' "The Wall"

5/03/12

The Frank Erwin Center

It was as much a theatrical production as a rock concert. The production included incredible videographic projections on the wall as it built up and came down, giant puppets, and a variety of flying props. The band recreated "The Wall" album note-for-note, and Roger Waters' voice hasn't changed much at all since the Pink Floyd album was released over 30 years ago. An amazing show. Here are some photos of the show taken by a friend.

Los Lobos and The Iguanas

4/28/12

The Republic (New Orleans)

Los Lobos put on a great show as usual featuring their blend of East LA flavored rock. I particularly enjoyed their version of Doug Sahm's "She's About a Mover". Here is the whole setlist.

Lil' Band O' Gold, and Kristin Diable

4/27/12

House of Blues New Orleans Parish

The Lousiana supergroup featuring Warren Storm, Steve Riley, and C.C. Adcock put on a swampy rocking show, and were joined by Tom Petty keyboardist Benmont Tench.

Nathan and the Zydeco Cha-Chas, Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, and Buckwheat Zydeco

4/26/12

Mid City Lanes Rock 'n' Bowl

An awesome night of zydeco at the Rock-n-Bowl.

www.flickr.com

Buckandi's Jazz Fest 2012 Slideshow

Friday, April 27
The Electrifying Crownseekers	High energy gospel to start off the Fest.
Henry Gray & the Cats	Solid Blues by veteran piano man Henry Gray and his band.
Goldman Thibodeaux & the Lawtell Playboys	Old time traditional cajun/zydeco.
Lil' Buck Sinegal Blues Band	Good blues from this Louisiana veteran guitar player, best known for his years with Clifton Chenier.
Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie	Classic zydeco.
Ivoire Spectacle featuring Seguenon Kone	Colorful world music.
Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band	Excellent zydeco.
Gomez	This British band isn't too bad, but they somehow didn't have the Jazz Fest vibe, so I only stayed for a couple of songs.
The Bester Singers & the Dynamic Smooth Family Gospel Singers of Slidell	Colorful gospel group with some nice choreographed dance moves.
Sean Kuti & Egypt 80	Afrobeat music by saxophone player Sean Kuti, the youngest son of legendary Fela Kuti, and his band.
BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet	One of the best modern cajun bands.
Slavic Soul Party	A BalkanSoulGypsyFunk Brass Band.
Irma Thomas' Tribute to Mahalia Jackson	Irma sounded great, as always.
Chuck Leavell & Friends	Keyboard player for the Allman Brothers and Rolling Stones led a good blues band. We missed Bonnie Bramlett but we did see former Austinite Danny Barnes sitting in on mandolin.
The Beach Boys 50th Anniversary	Featured original members Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, and David Marks, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the band, along with a cast of seemingly dozens of back-up singers and musicians. They actually sounded good, and I enjoyed their set more than I expected, although I could have done without the antics of John Stamos, who joined them on several songs. Here is their setlist and a review.
Saturday, April 28
Jeremy Lyons and members of Morphine	I'm a big fan of Morphine, and I was really looking forward to this. The band consisted of Jermy Lyons on bass and guitar along with Morphine's baritone sax player Dana Colley and drummer Jerome Deupree. Unfortunately, although they had a Morphine-ish sound, they lacked the interesting melodies, quirky lyrics, and charisma of Morphine frontman Mark Sandman. We left after just a few songs.
D.L. Menard & the Louisiana Aces	Very traditional cajun music.
Marc Stone	Swampy blues.
Savoy Center of Eunice Saturday Cajun Jam	A fun set that brought to the fairgrounds a typical Saturday jam session in Eunice. At times on the stage there were as many as 5 or 6 fiddle players, 4 or 5 accordians, many guitars, several rubboards, pedal steel, keyboards, and some dancing couples.
Cheikh Lô	Afrobeat from Senegal.
Luther Kent with Allen Toussaint	Luther Kent and his large band played fun New Orleans R&B clasics, and was joined by Allen Toussaint on piano for a couple of songs.
Amanda Shaw and the Cute Guys	She's a popular cajun/country singer and fiddle player, but she was a little too smooth for my taste.
Pine Leaf Boys	A young band who played energetic traditional cajun and creole music.
Voice of the Wetlands All Stars	An all-star band which included Tab Benoit, Cyril Neville, Dr. John, Anders Osborne, George Porter, Jr., Johnny Sansone, Waylon Thibodeaux, Johnny Vidacovich, and Big Chief Monk Boudreaux,
Bobby Rush	Some strong blues, with a little campy humor about large women, along with a couple of not small dancers.
Carolina Chocolate Drops	I was really impressed with this 4 piece bands traditional Appalachian string-band sound.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers	I'm not a big Tom Petty fan. I just stayed for a couple of songs. It sounded like Tom Petty music.
Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas	More fun Zydeco.
Feist	Singer songwriter types don't usually come across too well on big festival stages. Feist gave it a good effort, and it looked like she and her 3 female back-up singers were having a good time. But I could only stay interested for a few songs.
The High Ground Drifters Bluegrass Band	As change of pace, we tried some high quality bluegrass.
Sunday, April 29
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue	One of the best bands around, featuring Trombone Shorty on trumpet and trombone, along with a tight backing band.
Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys	More good Cajun music.
C.J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band	More energetic zydeco.
Lindigo of Reunion Island with special guest Fixi of France	A worldbeat sound with a French accordian player.
Papa Grows Funk	The best in New Orleans funk.
Dr. John & the Lower 911	Another great Dr. John set.
New Orleans Klezmer Allstars	Unique combination of Klezmer and New Orleans Jazz.
Cowboy Mouth	Hard rocking as ever.
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band	One of the largest crowds I've ever seen at Jazz Fest was not disappointed. Bruce and the E-Street played a number of songs from the Seeger Sessions, several from his new album "Wrecking Ball", and plenty of his calssics. A highlight was Dr. John joing the band for "Something You Got". I could have done without "Dancing in the Dark" as part of the encore, but closing with "When the Saints Go Marching In" and "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" was a great conclusion to the festival. Here is their setlist and a review.

Heybale

4/15/12

The usual Sunday night twangfest led by the great Redd Volkaert on guitar and Earl Poole Ball on piano.

Papa Grows Funk and Hard Proof

4/13/12

Another great show from New Orleans' premier funk band. Opening act Hard Proof played some decent Afrobeat.

Toni Price

4/10/12

I hadn't been to Hippy Hour in a while. But Toni still sounded great. Her three acoustic instrumentalists, including Warren Hood, were not quite as outstanding as her old threesome of Champ Hood, Casper Rawls, and Scrappy Judd, but they were still quite good, and Toni was just as entertaining as ever, so overall, it was a really fun evening.

The Motts

4/9/12

The White Horse

A pretty good cover band. They did songs by Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton, ZZ Top and Jerry Lee Lewis and other classic blues, rock, and R&B. They are talented enough that I'd like to see them some day with some original material. And oh yeah, they did shots. Lots of them.

Junior Brown

4/08/12

He can still play that git steel, and I still love how he can go from hard-core country to surf music without missing a beat.

Larry Lange and His Lonely Knights with guests Bobby Mack and Joanna Ramirez

4/07/12

Gueros

Music from San Antonio, Southeast Texas, and Louisiana

James McMurtry and Ephraim Owens Experience

4/03/12

The Continental Club Gallery

A James McMurtry acoustic show. I enjoyed his guitar playing, original songs, and great delivery. Ephraim Owens played some quality jazz trumpet along with an excellent organist and drummer.

Experience Hendrix

3/25/12

A tribute to Jimi Hendrix featuring a long list of big-name performers, including original Band of Gypsy bassist Billy Cox. My favorite performances were by David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas of Los Lobos and Doyle Brahmhall II. Chris Layton of Double Trouble delivered an ironman effort on drums for the entire evening. Other performers included (more or less in order of appearance): Eric Johnson, Dweezil Zappa, Taj Mahal, Robert Randolph, Bootsy Collins, Mato Nanji of Indigenous, Eric Gales, Jonny Lang, Brad Whitford of Aerosmith, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Although this is from the previous night, you can get a rough idea of the setlist here.

The Cornell Hurd Band

3/16/12

The Broken Spoke

One final stop on a SxSW evening to see Cornell and his Texas Swing band.

Guitars for the Gulf

3/16/12

Roadhouse Rags

We came to this show hoping to see a promised set by Shannon McNally and a Bobby Charles tribute. Unfortunately, almost no one was there. All we saw was part of a set of a band from San Antonio doing some Doug Sahm-influenced material. They may have been Mitch Webb and The Swindles

Bloodshot Records Showcase

3/16/12

Yard Dog Gallery

JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound was my favorite new discovery of SxSW. JC Brooks is a really charismatic soul / R&B singer. They are great performers and have some very soulful original material. I think we will be hearing a lot from them in the future. Here's a clip from their performance. The Waco Brothers played their usual completely frenzied out-of-control style of roots rock, this year joined by guest guitarists Paul Burch and Bill Kirchen.

South by San Jose

3/16/12

Jo's Coffee

J Roddy Walston & the Business delivered some refreshing, piano-driven rock. Veteran left handed blues-guitarist Barbara Lynn and the South Congress All-Stars played with an all-star band that included Meshell Ndegeocello on bass. Here's a clip of Barbara performing "Don't Be Cruel". We tried to see buzz band The Alabama Shakes , but when we got there 30 minutes after they were scheduled to start, they were already done (which is weak). Here is a clip of what we missed.

Jimmy Cliff

3/16/12

Waterloo Records

A nice set featuring some new and old material from this reggae veteran. His voice was a bit rough, but the spirit was there. Here's a clip from SxSW of Jimmy performing "The Harder They Come" with Bruce Springsteen.

Seasons

3/15/12

Wahoo's Fish Tacos

A talented young band who played interesting experimental psychedelic rock at a SxSW event.

Mouth by Mouthwest

3/15/12

Authentic Smiles Dental Studio

A SxSW showcase at a downtown denist's office. The music was excellent, especially Shannon McNally, and the sound was surprisingly good. Plus it was a benefit for HAAM, so it was for a good cause. The bands included Shannon McNally, The Iguanas, Suzanna Choffel, Sheridan & The Heartfelts, and Runaway Dorothy.

The Del Vipers

2/17/12

The White Horse

My first time at this casual east side music venue. I liiked the laid-back vibe. The Del Vipers played some fine surf music.

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band

2/16/12

Trombone Shorty and his band put on an incredibly energetic show of New Orleans jazz, funk, and blues. He has always been a great instrumentalist on both trombone and trumpet, and he is now turning into a great showman. His band displayed their versatilty by switching instruments on the last song, and playing better than most bands on theit normal instruments. The Dirty Dozen opened with a solid New Orleans brass performance. Here is a short review with lots of photos, and another review here.

Joe Krown Trio and Lost Counts

1/27/12

Ruta Maya

A Funky Batz presentation. A great trio led by Joe Krown on Hammond B-3, with Walter "Wolfman" Washington on guitar and vocals, and Russell Batiste (of Funky Meters) on drums. They played high quality, funky New Orleans R&B all night long. The Lost Counts played a nice opening set with some bluesy grooves of their own.

Tedeschi Trucks Band and BoDeans

1/19/12

The talented husband and wife team of Susan Tedeschi on bluesy vocals and Derek Trucks on guitar, along with their 9 piece backing band band put on a strong show. Their material and performance was enjoyable, but the show finally took off for me when they closed with Sly and the Family Stone's "Take You Higher". Here is a review and some photos, and more photos here. The Bodeans, led by original member Kurt Neumann sounded good, but lacked their signature harmonies now that co-founder Sam Llanas has left the band.

Aaron Neville and Nakia

12/13/11

This was billed as a Christmas Show, but pleasantly for me, Aaron played plenty of Neville Brothers music, and also allowed plenty of opportunities for Charles Neville to shine on sax. Nakia opened up with a nice soul/blues set.

Dave Alvin & the Guilty Ones and Leroi Brothers

12/10/11

Dave Alvin and his band were great as usual. I had not seen the Leroi Brothers in a while, but they have changed some members and were not what they used to be.

David Hidalgo and Marc Ribot

11/30/11

Bass Concert Hall

A slightly jazzy take on Los Lobos with their leader David Hidalgo, New York guitarist Marc Ribot, and a quality band.

Paul Simon and The Punch Brothers

11/05/11

Cedar Park Center

Paul Simon and his band sounded really good. He played many old favorites including "Mother & Child Reunion", "Graceland", "The Sounds of Silence", and "Late in the Evening", and some nice covers including "Here Comes the Sun" in tribute to George Harrison, "Mystery Train", and Bo Diddley's "Pretty Thing". Opener the Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile played a short set of tight modern bluegrass. There are a couple of reviews here and here.

moe. and Great American Taxi

11/03/11

La Zona Rosa

moe. was excellent, playing some eclectic original music with lots of long guitar driven jams. But I actually enjoyed opener Great American Taxi more. They played folky, twangy blue-rock that reminded me of New Riders of the Purple Sage. You can see the .moe setlist, hear clips, and purchase the .moe show audio here.

The New Mastersounds and Fox Street All Stars

11/02/11

The Parish

A New Mastersounds are from Leeds England, and they play a mostly instrumental Jazz-Funk, heaviliy influenced by the original Meters. They are all excellent musicians and were very impressive. Opener Fox Street All Stars played some bluesy funk that at times had an Allman Brothers feel.

7 Walkers and The Trim

10/15/11

Kenny Dorham's Backyard

A very cool show by this band made up of Papa Mali, Bill Kreutzmann, George Porter, Jr., and Matt Hubbard. Unfortunately there were a lot of sound problems at first, but once that was cleared up there was a lot of good funky, bluesy music mixed in with Grateful Dead covers. My favorite moment was when George Porter sang lead on "Sugaree". Read a review, see some photos, or stream or download the show. Opening act The Trim played some original and interesting jam-band style tunes.

k.d. lang and Teddy Thompson

10/12/11

A great show by k.d. lang and her band. She still has one of the strongest and most expressive voices in the music business. This show was a bit more rocking than some previous shows of hers that I've seen. I especially enjoyed her versions of The Talking Head's "Heaven" and Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". Teddy Thompson, son of Richard and Lina Thompson, played a pretty good set of original acostic songs to open.

David Lindley

10/08/11

Texas Union Theater

A fun show. David Lindley played a wide range of stringed guitar-like instruments, and entertained with his dry, eclectic humor.

www. flickr.com

Buckandi's ACL Festival 2011 photoset

Schedules: Friday, September 16 \| Saturday, September 17 \| Sunday, September 18
*Favorites*
Stevie Wonder	Fortunately I was able to sit up close, and Stevie Wonder's set was everything I had hoped. He sounded great, had a tight band, and played just about all of the songs I had hoped to hear.
Charles Bradley	Definitely my discovery of the festival. Charles Bradley is an old time soul shouter in the style of James Brown. He wailed and danced and shook and put on a great show.
The Lee Boys	I love their "sacred steel" blend of gospel, soul, and rock.
Randy Newman	It was great being able to see Randy Newman up close in the tent. He played many of his hit songs and prefaced most of them with humorous and ironic commentary.
Roddy Walston & the Business	Roddy Walston plays hard pounding piano in the style of Jerry Lee Lewis and early Leon Russell. He and his hard rocking band were a refreshing change after the many mellow sets at this year's festival. Some videos from ACL here.
Daniel Lanois & Black Dub	I enjoyed Daniel Lanois and his band's sort of dreamy, spacy rock. Trixie Whitley, daughter of the late Chris Whitley, was excellent on vocals.
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings	Gillian and David as usual played an excellent set of acoustic country folk featuring great vocal harmonies and excellent guitar and banjo picking.
Mavis Staples	Mavis Staples and band were in fine form as she belted out her old gospel and sould classics.
Manu Chao & La Ventura	I didn't see a whole lot of the set, but I really enjoyed the danceable world music that had the whole crowd jumping.
Brandi Carlile	Her version of "Folsum Prison Blues" was one of my highlights of the festival.
*Other Highlights*
Ha Ha Tonka	Enjoyed their rocking Ozark sound, which had us doing the first happy rain dance of the festival early on Friday.
Fool's Gold	This band was a pleasant surprise. They had an eclectic sound that had elements of African and Middle Eastern sounds mixed in sort of a jam band style.
The Cave Singers	A very rootsy, gutsy sound from this trio
The Belle Brigade	A fun young band led by a very charismatic sister/brother combo
Iron & Wine	A bit higher energy than I expected
Alison Krauss & Union Station	Sounded great as usual, especially their version of "Man of Constant Sorrow"
Ryan Bingham & the Dead Horses	Hard driving Texas country rock
Bomba Estereo	Heavy duty electronic beats combined with traditional Columbian styles had the tent shaking
Gomez	This band has lots of good songs and harmonies, but somehow did not have the energy for me to really make it a great set
*Enjoyed*
Asleep at the Wheel	My traditional first set of the festival, and as usual great western swing
Reptar	Jangly Talking Heads style rock
The Secret Sisters	Two Patsy Cline-ish young country vocalist with great voices & harmonies
Francisca Valenzuela	American-born Chilean singer who played pleasant mix of Latin-flavored jazz and pop
Beardyman	Solo hip-hop guy with lots of looping electronics
The Moondoggies	Rootsy Americana music from Seattle
Cee Lo	Wasn't bad, but lower energy than I hoped for. I saw the expected appearance of Nakia.
Courtney Jaye	Nashville based female vocalist who mixes in Hawaiian guitar with country songs
Nick 13	Nick is lead singer in what is described as a psychobilly band, but this set was pretty basic alt-country
Elbow	Rocking alternative band from the UK.
*Wish I'd Seen More*
Foster the People
Young the Giant
Alexander
Fitz and the Tantrums
Joseph Arthur
*Unremarkable*
Delta Spirit
Smith Westerns
Electric Touch
Nas & Damian "Jr Gong" Marley
Kanye West
Coldplay
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
*Wish I Hadn't Missed*
Ray LaMontagne
North Mississippi Allstars
Gary Clark, Jr.
Abigail Washburn
My Morning Jacket
Wanda Jackson
Preservation Hall Jazz Band & The Del McCoury Band
The Greencards
The Head and the Heart
Fleet Foxes
Social Distortion
Hayes Carll

Papa Grows Funk and Funkotron

09/08/11

As usual, a great show from New Orleans' premier funk band. Opening act Funkotron was a pleasant surprise with some good funk along with Grateful Dead and Frank Zappa influences.

Los Lonely Boys and The Bandulus

08/03/11

Zilker Park Rock Island

I was a big fan of Los Lonely Boys in their early days, but they haven't done much lately that impresses me. Still, they put on a prett good show. The opening act The Bandulus wasn't bad with their mix of soul, reggae, and ska. Part of KGSR's Blues on the Green series. Here is a video of the complete Los Lonely Boys set and a nice photo gallery.

Old '97s and Suzanna Choffel

08/03/11

Zilker Park Rock Island

The Old '97's really rocked. Suzanna Choffel was OK, but didn't grab me as much as her Blues-on-the-Green set earlier in the summer. Part of KGSR's Blues on the Green series. Here is a video of the complete Old '97s set and a nice photo gallery.

Shannon McNally & Hot Sauce and The Wagoneers

07/30/11

The highlight was supposed to be the first reunion show of The Wagoneers in over 20 years, but I enjoyed Shannon McNally and her band more. Shannon played a nice mix of ballads and rockers and looked and sounded great. Although Monte Warden, Brent Wilson, and Craig Pettigrew all seemed enthused about their reunion, their alt-country seemed dated and un-inspiring to me.

Women's Show For Clifford with Marcia Ball, Cindy Cashdollar, Shelley King, Sarah Brown, Lisa Pankratz, and special guest Emily Gimble

Marcia, Cindy, Shelley, Sarah, and Lisa photo

07/28/11

A fun show with an all-star women's band, in celebration of Antone's 36th Anniversary. Unfortunately I arrived too late to see Ruthie Foster, Rosie Flores, and others whom I would have loved to have seen.

Kasey Chambers

7/14/11

Momo's

An oustanding show by Kasey Chambers (who was 6 months pregnant) and her talented band, which features her father Bill Chambers on guitar. She still has that wonderful voice, and her songs combine the attitude of Australian outback where she was raised with traditional American country and bluegrass. My highlight was a song she had written the day before when her tour bus broke down in Greenville, Texas as her band made it way from Boston to Nashville to Austin. A review and a few photos and a bunch more photos here. I arrived too late to see opener Warren Hood and the Goods.

Steve Earle and the Dukes (and Duchesses)

7/07/11

A fine performance of Steve Earle's country rock and folk. He has a really strong band, with each member, including his wife Allison Moorer, able to play a wide range of instruments and sing as well. A review and some good photos here.

Marcia Ball and Nakia

07/06/11

Zilker Park Rock Island

Nakia opened with some solid blues and soul, fresh off of his success on TV reality Show, "The Voice". Marcia and band played her usual fun mix of blues and Louisiana R&B. KGSR's Blues on the Green series.

Miss Lavelle White, The Resentments, and Bri Bagwell

7/03/11

The Saxon Pub

An eclectic night with a nice variety of styles. Miss Lavelle White celebrated her birthday in style with her high eneergy R&B. The Resentments opened up with a mixed bag of original and cover tunes. Bri Bagwell finished off the evening with some pleasant original country rock.

John Hiatt and Lyle Lovett

6/29/11

A great evening of acoustic picking and singing. Both of these guys were hilarious between songs and played song after song from their extensive catalogs. Some good photos here.

Joe King Carrasco and The Original Crowns

06/25/11

Antone's

A Party Party Weekend blast from my past as Joe King reunited with his original band for the first time since the early 80's. I was surprised how good their high-energy Tex-Mex New Wave music sounded after all of these years. In particular, Kris Cummings impressed me with her Farfiasa/Vox organ playing. Here is a good article with some photos about the reunion and what the bandmembers are doing these days.

The Bright Light Social Hour and Suzanna Choffel

06/22/11

Zilker Park Rock Island

Suzanna Choffel opened with some pleasant and sometimes funky singer-songwriter material. The Bright Light Social Hour closed with their high-energy psychedelic-funk style. Part of KGSR's Blues on the Green series.

Nosotros

6/04/11

Pajarito Mountain, Los Alamos, NM

Enjoyable danceable Latin music at the Pajrito Mountain SummerFest. The event also featured the New Mexico Brewers Festival with beers to sample from 16 different New Mexico Microbrewers. The lifts were open and we went to the top for a beautiful view.

Eric Sardinas Band and Big Motor

6/03/11

Ashley Pond Park, Los Alamos, NM

Visiting friends in Los Alamos, they took us to this outdoor blues show on a lovely evening. Eric Sardina and his band played some hard-driving blues that reminded me of Johnny Winter. This was part of the Los Alamos Summer Concert Series.

Eric Clapton & His Band and Andy Fairweather Low and the Low Riders

5/18/11

Royal Albert Hall, London

I happened to be in London for work and visiting my brother Eric & his family for a week. I decided to see what music was around, and I saw that Eric Clapton was doing a week-long residency at Royal Albert Hall. I didn't expect to be able to get tickets, but it turned out that tickets were available for that night only - all the other nights are sold out. Not only did I get in, but my brother and I sat off to left hand side 7 rows up and about 30 feet from the edge of the stage. The venue is a beautiful and cool place to see as show, and judging from some reviews of people who had seen multiple nights, this was one of the best shows of the week. It was truly a great experience and one of my most memorable rock shows ever. Clapton's band included long-time touring partners Steve Gadd (drums), Willie Weeks (bass), and Chris Stainton and Tim Carmon (keyboards)along with Michelle John and Sharon White as backing vocalists. You can see some fan reviews and the setlist here. Here's a decent YouTube video of "Layla" from the show. The opening band led by veteran guitar player Andy Fairweather Low played a decent set of blues rock.

www.flickr.com

Buckandi's
Eric Clapton
RAH 5/18/11
photoset

New Monsoon and Dimitri's Ascent

5/12/11

Ruta Maya

Two jam bands. Enjoyable show.

Fleet Foxes and The Cave Singers

5/10/11

Stubb's Bar-B-Q

Fleet Foxes are known for their great harmonies, and although they were fairly mellow, they still impressed me with their energy and musicianship. A review and photos here.

Femi Kuti & The Positive Force

5/6/11

24th Annual Old Settler's Music Festival

An excellent Afrobeat show. You can see some photos from the show here . It reminded me that I had seen his father, Fela Kuti in an epic performance at the old City Coliseum around 25 years ago.

Flogging Molly and Drowning Men

4/27/11

Stubb's Bar-B-Q

Energetic Irish rock. A review and photos here.

04/16/11

Salt Lick Pavilion

A fun outdoor festival at a nice venue. Acts I saw included: Sahara Smith, Tim O'Brien, The Bridge, Sonny Landreth, beatlegras, Sam Bush, and The Richard Thompson Electric Trio. Highlights included Eric Johnson joining Sonny Landreth for much of his set, (see "The Milky Way Home" on YouTube here), Sam Bush playing "Billy Bob Marley's" "One Love" with Sonny Landreth (see "One Love" on YouTube here), and Richard Thompson's great closing set (see some of his songs from that night on YouTube: "1952 Vincent Black Lightning", "Hard on Me", and "Among The Gorse, Among The Grey" and "Haul Me Up").

Gogol Bordello and Brownout

4/14/11

Stubb's Bar-B-Q

Energetic gypsy punk by Gogol, and latin funk by Grupo Fantasma spin-off Brownout. A review here, and good photos here.

2011 Louisiana Swamp Thing & Crawfish Festival

04/09/11

Buda City Park

A fun annual Louisiana music event, this year featuring George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic and Doug Kershaw , Zydeco from Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Band and Dog Hill Stompers, and Funk/Soul from Papa Grows Funk.

www.flickr.com

Buckandi's
Swamp Thing 2011
photoset

Quiet Hooves and Bubbly Mommy Gun

3/18/11

The Dogwood

Two eclectic bands that both include mt friend Ed's cousin.

Bonneville Country Pine Box

3/18/11

Snack Bar

An interesting blue-grassy band at the SxSnackbar event.

Dave Alvin and The Lucky Tomblin Band

3/18/11

Threadgill's World Headquarters

Dave Alvin played as part of the Music Fog Marathon broadcast. He and his band were on fire. It was won of the best sets I've seen at SxSW, with lots of new material from an upcoming album. Lucky Tomblin played a strong set of wide-ranging Texas music with his all-star band that included Earl Poole Ball, Red Volkeart, John X. Reed, and Sarah Brown.

North Mississippi Allstars , The Belle Brigade, and The Autumn Defense

3/18/11

Jo's Coffee

The annual South by San Jose show on South Congress at SxSW. Just caught the end of North Mississippi Allstars, and they rocked.

Waco Brothers , Ha Ha Tonka , and Exene Cervenka

3/18/11

Yard Dog Gallery

The annual Bloodshot Records Party on South Congress at SxSW. Exene & Ha Ha Tonka were good, but the Waco Brothers just tore it up with their Clash meets Rockabilly style.

The Funky Meters and Big Chief Goodman and the Funky Flaming Arrows

3/4/11