LIVE MUSIC I'VE SEEN

Randy Newman played most of his well known songs and many other lesser know songs. His dry sense of humor and stories between songs added a lot to the show.

David Wax Museum and Sons of Bill

11/07/14

The previous time that I saw David Wax Museum, they had a full band, but this time it was just husband and wife duo David Wax on guitars & Suz Slezak on violin (and jawbone). Still, they were able to put on an energetic and entertaining performance with their unique "Mexo-Americana" style. I had not seen headliner Sons of Bill before. The band consists of three brothers on guitars and keyboard, along with a drummer and bassist. They performed their Americana/country flavored rock songs well with nice harmony vocals and good musicianship, but somehow they didn't really grab my attention.

Gogol Bordello

11/01/14

Highly entertaining fun performance by this wild gypsie punk band. Here are some photos from the show.

Shovels & Rope, Hayes Carll, and Shakey Graves

10/30/14

An excellent show by three talented alt folk/country acts. Here is a review and some photos from the show.

Suzanne Vega

10/18/14

Nice concert by this talented singer song-writer. She was backed only by guitarist Gerry Leonard who played interesting textured leads, scratches, distortions, and bass riff loops.

Texas Choral Consort, The Normans, and Convergence

10/16/14

The Blanton Museum

The Texas Choral Consort joined forces with vocal ensemble Convergence and indie power pop band, The Normans, to present arrangements from Beck Hanson's sheet music album "Song Reader". The performance is part of the Blanton Museum of Art's Beat the Rush concert series. It was a very interesting and eclectic performance in a cool environment.

Widespread Panic

10/15/14

Fine typical concert by this jam band. Lead guitar player Jimmy Herring tore it up, JoJo Hermann was excellent on keyboards, and Dave Schools on bass is always one of the best. I particulary liked their encore perormance of the Talking Heads' song "City of Dreams". Here is a review with some photos and the setlist. You can listen to a stream of the entire show here.

Buckandi's Austin City Limits Music Festival 2014 photoset

*Highlights*
Mike & the Moonpies	I opened the day with this Austin old-school country band.
Spanish Gold	Psychedelic rock by all-star band that includes Austinite and Brownout and former Grupo Fantasma guitarist Adrian Quesada, Hacienda singer Dante Schwebel, and My Morning Jacket drummer Patrick Hallahan.
The Hunts	Young indie acoustic band.
Benjamin Booker	New Orleans based musicians who played an interesting mix of rock and blues. One of my favorite sets of the day.
Mac DeMarco	He was supposed to be clever and amusing, but I guess we missed that part.
Falls	Australian male/female folk duo.
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue	My favorite set of the day. Trombone Shorty played to the audience by bringing up members of the UT Longhorns Marching Band and their mascot Hook-em, and playing the UT Fight Song with them. He also came out into the crowd and stopped just a few feet from my friend Ed and I. But mostly, he played high energy New Orleans R&B backed by his top notch band.
tUnE-yArDs	Very eclectic alternative music that I found pretty interesting
The Head & the Heart	Indie folk band from Seattle. A nice set, but a bit mellow for me.
My Brightest Diamond	A unique rather artsy singer. She kept my attention.
Lucius	Indie pop band fronted by two women keyboard players. Not bad.
The Avett Brothers	Another of my favorite sets. This indie folk band from North Carolina rocked.
Beats Antique	Electronic world music that kept thing interesting with some costumed dancers and a truly giant squid prop for their gand finale.
Major Lazer	Pre-recorded electronic music. Not my thing.
Broken Bells	This indie band was a nice break from the electronica.
Skrillex	More pre-recorded electronic music. Still not my thing.
Eminem	Way offensive, especially when he dedicated a song to all the m*** f*ing ladies in the house.

Ian Anderson

9/26/14

Ian Anderson and band performed many of the well known songs of Jethro Tull, as well as some songs from his new album "Homo Erraticus". The show was good, but not great, although a fine multi-media show did help to keep things interesting.

Redd Volkaert with Rich Harney

9/20/14

Whole Foods Market at The Domain

Part of HAAM Benefit Day Redd Volkert showed once again why he is one of the best guitar players in Austin. He was backed by Rich Harney on keyboards.

The Flatlanders with Colin Gilmore & Nicolette Good

9/20/14

Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock, and Joe Ely played many of their classic West Texas songs, as well as a few that were surprises to some members of the band. Colin Gilmore, who sounds a lot like his father Jimmie Dale, opened with a young female vocalist, Nicolette Good.

Tony Joe White with Ted Roddy & the Backwoods Hipsters

9/12/14

My first time to see this veteran swamp rocker, who is known as "The Swamp Fox". It was just him and his drummer, but he put on a fine show, including his two most well known classics, "Polk Salad Annie" and "Rainy Night in Georgia". Ted Roddy & the Backwoods Hipsters played a good mix of blues, country soul and rock-n-roll.

Crosby, Stills, and Nash

8/28/14

The Long Center

Graham Nash and David Crosby's voices are still excellent, but Stephen Stills' was pretty rough. But as a whole, they still sound really good together, and they played most of their classic songs. Austinite Shawn Colvin joined them on one song. Here is the setlist, and here is a review and some (lame) photos.

Nickel Creek and Sarah Jarosz

8/23/14

Both Sarah Jarosz and Nickel Creek put on excellent acoustic performances. Here is a review and some photos.

Phil and Dave Alvin with The Guilty Ones

8/14/14

David and Phil put on a great show, playing a number of songs from their recent joint album, Common Ground, featuring the songs of Big Bill Broonzy, as well as some Blasters songs.

Shinyribs with special guest Papa Mali , and Tameca Jones

8/13/14

Zilker Park

Part of KGSR's Blues on the Green series. Tameca Jones opened with some funky soul and blues. Shinyribs played his usual eclectic set, assisted by Papa Mali on guitar, and his own trio of dancers.

Deadeye with members of Wood and Wire

8/09/14

Threadgill's World Headquarters

Jerry Fest is a celebration of Jerry Garcia. Deadeye is an excellent Grateful Dead cover band who played a nice set. Members of Wood and Wire joined them in an opening set that featured covers of Old and In the Way songs.

Lyle Lovett and His Large Band and Robert Earl Keen

7/28/14

Red Rocks Amphitheater

I've always wanted to go to Red Rocks and this was a chance. The venue is as fantastic as I had always heard, and the weather was perfect. Both Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen are great singers and storytellers, with lots of great songs and excellent bands. They joined each other on several songs which was really special.

Hard Working Americans and Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

7/22/14

Boulder Theater

Hard Working Americans consists of singer Todd Snider, bassist Dave Schools from Widespread Panic, Neal Casal of Chris Robinson Brotherhood on guitar and vocals, Chad Staehly of Great American Taxi on keyboards and Duane Trucks, younger brother to Derek on drums. I was disappointed that I was going to be on vacation when Hard Working Americans were playing in Austin, but was the excited to hear that they were playing in Boulder when I was visiting there. I really enjoyed Hardworking Americans' long jamming covers about American working folk. Guitarist Neal Casal and bassist Dave Schools were particularly impressive. The crowd loved Jason Isbell and his band's southern rock, but I always find him a bit on the boring side. Here are a review and some photos here and listen to or download the Hardworking Americans' set here.

Paul Osher

7/10/14

C-Boy's Heart & Soul

Paul Oscher is a world-class blues player who played harmonica in Muddy Waters' band. He now has a weeklt residency at C-Boy's. He impressed with his playing on piano, harmonica, and guitar, and with his range of sounds from blues to jazz.

Papa Mali with special guest Shinyribs

5/22/14

C-Boy's Heart & Soul

Papa Mali and Shinyribs had a great time playing one another's songs and a bunch of fun covers.

John Fullbright with Chuck Cannon

5/15/14

The Paramount Theater Stateside

John Fullbright played a number of new songs from his upcoming second album. He showed once again that he is a really talented, up-and coming song writer and performer. Chuck Cannon was new to me, but he performed some very personal songs with entertaining stories in between.

Raw Oyster Cult

4/27/14

Bamboula's Festival Hall

A band made up of Dave Malone, Camile Baudoin, and Frank Bua, Jr. of The Radiators, John Gros of Papa Grows Funk, and Graham Robinson. They played even more Radiators' material than they had at the Fairgrounds, along with their new swampy New Orleans funk.

Buckandi's New Orleans Jazz Fest 2014 photoset

*Highlights*
Honey Island Swamp Band with Bonerama Horns	A nice mix of bluesy, swampy rock, backed by the Bonerama Horns for some extra energy.
The Infamous Stringdusters	High energy bluegrass.
Santana	Carlos Santana played most of his classics and he and his band sounded good.
Public Enemy	I'm not really a rap fan, but but I couldn't pass up the chance to see Chuck D and Flavor Flav.
The Avett Brothers	I expected fairly mellow folk rock, but they were much more rocking than I expected.
Raw Oyster Cult	A band made up of three members of The Radiators along with Papa John Gros. They played a bunch of Radiators material and some new swampy New Orleans funk.
Royal Southern Brotherhood	A band featuring Cyril Neville and Devon Allman, son of Gregg
Buckwheat Zydeco	A "Lifetime Tribute" to zydeco legend Buckwheat Zydeco. Buckwheat played, and was joined by other zydeco stars Terrance Simien, C.J. Chenier, and Rockin' Dopsie, Jr. It was a unique Jazz Fest experience seeing all of these greats playing together.
Big Freedia	A cross-dressing male hip-hop performer, known for popularizing "Bounce" music. He was doing "booty-dancing" or "twerking" way before Miley Cyrus, and they definitely showed how it is done.
The Mavericks	Probably my favorite set of the festival. Raul Malo and his talented band kept the crowd dancing with their unique blend of Latin and country music.
Robert Plant and the Sensational Shape Shifters	Robert Plant was in good voice, and his band played African influenced versions of a number of Led Zepellin songs and his solo material.
Jambalaya Cajun Band with D.L. Menard	Traditional Cajun music.
Bombino	Bombino is a Tuareg guitarist and singer-songwriter from Niger. He and his band played trance-like, hypnotic music with a bluesy feel.
John Hiatt	John Hiatt played with a small band and performed many of his well known songs.
Eric Clapton	Eric Clapton didn't interact much with the audience, but he did play most of his well known songs, and sounded good on both electric and acoustic material.
*Other Friday Performers* Rotary Downs Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys Laura Mvula New Orleans Klezmer Allstars Shamarr Allen & the Underdawgs with John Popper Lisa Knowles & the Brown Singers Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas
*Other Saturday Performers* Davell Crawford with Wendy Colonna John Mooney & Bluesiana Anders Osborne
*Other Sunday Performers* Chris Smither Meschiya Lake & the Little Big Horns Bonerama Irma Thomas Rockin' Dopsie, Jr. & the Zydeco Twisters Keith Frank & the Soileau Zydeco Band Galactic

Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie, Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience, Chubby Carrier, and Rockin' Dopsie, Jr.

4/24/14

New Orleans Rock 'n' Bowl

Kicked off N.O. Jazz Fest weekend with a fun night of zydeco. Guests included members of Bonerama on trombone and Shamarr Allen on trumpet.

Buckandi's Old Settlers Music Festival 2014 photoset

*Highlights*
Peter Rowan's Twang an' Groove	Peter Rowan was joined by Cindy Cashdollar on slide guitar and Tibetan vocalist Yungchen Lhamo.
Elephant Revival	A nice blend of jam, bluegrass and folk music.
John Fullbright	An excellent songwriter and performer from Oklahoma
Tim O'Brien and Darrell Scott	Great bluegrass instrumentalists on mandolin and guitar.
Sarah Jarosz	Another talented songwriter and banjo/mandolin player along with an excellent sidemen on cello and fiddle.
The Devil Makes Three	A fun, high-energy bluegrass threesome.
Shinyribs	Unique and original music led by Kevin Russell, former member of The Gourds.
*Other Performers* There really was not a bad performance. Other acts that I saw included: Della Mae The Gibson Brothers Alexander Nobles - Youth Competition Winner Lily & Madeleine The Del McCoury Band Gaelic Storm Robert Randolph & the Family Band

Local Natives

4/9/14

One of Diane's favorite current bands. They feature nice melodies and vocal harmonies. You can read a review of the show here.

Lettuce

4/6/14

Emo's

A good funk show, although they had more of a jam band sound than I would have preferred. Their guest vocalist Alecia Chakour provided some of the best moments. You can listen to or download the show here.

Funk by Funk Fest

3/14/14

Sahara Lounge

We missed Topaz and the Golden Dawn Arkestra whom we heard put on a wild costumed show of jazz and funk. But we did catch Papa Mali and his fine band play some excellent swampy soul music and Grateful Dead covers.

Brass House Battle of the Bands

3/14/14

Brass House

We came to see The Bare Feat compete in the battle of the bands, but were unfortunately too late. But I did find this video of their performance. We did see Hogan Sullivan, a young Austin pop rocker who wasn't too bad.

South by San Jose

3/14/14

Jo's Coffee

I only saw The Black Lips and Dum Dum Girls. The Dum Dum Girls played an interesting blaend of punkish pop, while the Black Lips just rocked.

Bloodshot Records Showcase

3/14/14

Yard Dog Gallery

As usual, Bloodshot Records put on one of the best shows of SXSW. Ha Ha Tonka put on a good set, but I prefer their older alt-country songs to their newer material. Lydia Loveless was pretty good, but she and here band had trouble being loud enough to be heard well in the noisy environment. Barrence Whitfield set the place on fire with his soul shouting and hot band. The Waco Brothers burned the place down with their usual killer hard-rocking set..

The Bare Feat

3/13/14

West 6th Street (on the street)

We saw this band of high school kids playing some great rhythmic world music on the sidewalk. We listened to several songs, as a larger and larger crowd gathered. That is until the cops came by and shut them down for playing amplified music without a permit. You can see Ed and I briefly in the background of this video of the Bare Feat talking to the cops. They really are a talented band and I plan to keep my eye on them in the future.

Mouth by Mouthwest

3/13/14

Authentic Smiles

The only act we were able to see was Amy Lavere, but she put on a good show as she sang and played standup base along with Will Sexton on guitar.

Jimi Hendrix Tribute

3/13/14

Butler Park

A tribute to Jimi Hendrix celebrating the release of a postage stamp in his honor. Performers included Dave & Phil Alvin, Robby Krieger (The Doors), Slash (Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver), Wayne Kramer (MC5), Rusty Anderson (Paul McCartney), Perry & Etty Farrell, Doug Pinnick (King's X), Mary Bridget Davies, Jesse Malin, with Los Lonely Boys and Vintage Trouble as opening acts.

C.C. Adcock & The Lafayette Marquis with Bobby Rush and WIFEE and the HUZz BAND

3/12/14

C-Boy's Heart & Soul

WIFEE and the HUZz BAND, which featured Ruby James, played some fun R&B and Soul, Bobby Rush played soulful solo blues. Unfortunately it got late and I did not stick around to see C.C. Adcock and his swampy Louisiana band.

Guitartown/Conqueroo Present Kickoff 2014

3/12/14

The Dogwood

An outstanding line-up, including Los Lonely Boys, Dave and Phil Alvin, Rosie Flores, and Billy Joe Shaver

Dr. Dog with Saint Rich

2/21/14

Dr. Dog remains one of my favorite live bands. They have great songs, harmonies, musicianshipn and both they and the crowd have a great time. Here is a review and some photos. The opener Saint Rich was not as good as I had hoped. One good song and the rest I found pretty boring.

Poi Dog Pondering

2/14/14

I haven't seen Poi Dog in probably 20 years. They had pretty much the full original line-up, and the really impressed me with their songs, energy, and musicianship. I had forgotten that Abra Moore and Bruce Hughes were in the band. They even did some interesting covers of Talking Heads, Elvis, Sam Cooke, and Thirteenth Floor Elevators. Here is the setlist

Barrence Whitfield and the Savages with Modern Don Juans and Eve and the Exiles

1/17/14

Barrence Whitfield is a classic soul shouter with high energy. He recently reunited with his equally energetic band after being apart for over twenty years. Now in their 50's, they put many younger bands to shame. The Modern Don Juans played classic sounding rockabilly. Eve & the Exiles opened with some fun garage rock.

Old 97's, The Hickoids, and Sealion,

12/27/13

Old '97s rocked with their mix of alt country and power pop. The Hickoids were crazy and obscene but entertaining. They were more puck and less country than when I saw them last many years ago. Opener Sealion did not impress me with their mediocre "art-punk".

Papa Mali and the Hardcore Jolly, with special guests Carolyn Wonderland and Joe Faulhaber from Deadeye

12/26/13

The Sahara Lounge

A really fun show at a cool location put on by Funky Batz. Papa Mali played some of his original New Orleans funky blues, some Seven Walkers tunes, and a bunch of Grateful Dead covers. Carolyn Wonderland sounded great singing and playing guitar with the band. Other band members included Matt Hubbard on keyboards and trombone, Robb Kidd on drums, and Brad Houser on bass.

Bob Schneider and Lonelyland

12/16/13

The Saxon Pub

A pretty loose but fun set.

Marcia Ball, Carolyn Wonderland, Emily Gimble, and more

12/16/13

A retirement party for Nancy Coplin, who helped make Austin the "Live Music Capital of the World".

Los Lobos and Los Lonely Boys

11/15/13

Republic Square Park

This show was part of the Formula 1 Fan Fest. Los Lobos was in fine form, and in a good mood, just having completed their 40th Anniverary celebration. They played lots of older rocking numbers, and finished up with "La Bamba". Los Lonely Boys doesn't really do that much for these days, but it was cool when Steve Berlin and the David Hidaldo from Los Lobos joined them on a number of songs.

Sarah Jarosz and The Milk Carton Kids

11/10/13

Sarah Jarosz has it all. At the age of 18 she is an excellent singer, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with excellent bandmates on cello and violin, she displayed her talents on mostly original jazzy folk-pop songs. Here is a review and some photos. The openers Milk Carton kids were also impressive. They were two young men who played acoustic guitar and harmonized like Simon and Garfunkel. They were also pretty funny in between songs.

Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis, and Bob Livingston

11/09/13

Mingea's in Lockhart

At the wedding of Michele Fitzgerald & Robert Mingea. Bruce & Kelly played following the wedding ceremony. Bob Livingston played solo acoustic Beatle's tunes prior to the ceremony.

Government Mule, and Vintage Trouble

11/08/13

A really good show featuring Warren Haynes' voice and guitar work on original and a wide range of covers of artists ranging from Pink Floyd to Ray Charles to Humble Pie. Two of my favorites were covers of The Door's "People Are Strage" and John Lennon's "Working Class Hero". Here is the setlist and a review and some photos. The opener Vintage Trouble performed some energetic soul and R&B, led by dynamic front man Ty Taylor. But I would have enjoyed them more if they hadn't asked for crowd participation on virtually every song.

John Fogerty

10/19/13

Fogerty sounded good, and had a tight band, as always backed by the great Kenny Aronoff on drums. But the show was a bit overproduced with a big focus on videos and unique lighting for each song. I would have rather just seen him play. Here is the setlist and some photos.

Buckandi's ACL Festival 2013 photoset

Friday, October 4 \| Saturday, October 5 \| Sunday, October 6
*Highlights*
The Mavericks	Hot, Hot, Hot! The best set by far Here is a review.
JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound	Smokin' R&B and Soul.
Shovels & Rope	Impressive husband and wife duo trading off on drums & acoustic guitar. Lots of energy. Here's a review.
Colin Lake	New Orleans guitar led blues & R&B.
Portugal, the Man	My favorite act on a big stage - good melodies and energetic rock. Here's a review.
Little Green Cars	Fun Irish folk trio Here's a review.
Twin Forks	Rootsy Americana
Red Baraat	High energy World Music - a combination of Indian drums backed by New Orleans-style horns.
Shinyribs	Fun band led by Kevin Russell of the Gourds. Here's a review.
White Denim	Austin based unique sounding rock with their own rhythms. Here's a review.
*Other Favorites*
Asleep at the Wheel	As usual, my first set of the festival. They sounded especially good this year
Fun.	My second favorite big stage set. Just like the name describes -- fun! Here's a review.
Blind Boys of Alabama	Sound as good as ever. Gospel R&B as it should be.
JD McPherson	Oklahoma roots rock
Reignwolf	A nice taste of I usually don't go for the rock guitar hero type, but this guy is good. Like a young Johnny Winter.
Valerie June	Eclectic black woman with dreadlocks playing traditional old-timey sounding retro music on banjo and guitar.
Lissie	She and her band surprised me with how hard they rocked.
Greensky Bluegrass	Jam band bluegrass
The Stapletones	A pair of strong gospel blues singers backed by the young Austin guitar/bass playing Peterson Brothers.
The Lone Bellow	Brooklyn folk Americana
Peterson Brothers	Amazing 14 and 16 year old brothers from Austin who play blues with maturity way beyond their years.
*Enjoyed*
Brooke Waggoner	Eclectic piano led original music
Thao & the Get Down Stay Down	Quirky band led by young oriental woman playing banjo, lap-steel, and guitar
Pacha Massive	Latin dub - danceable, but not that distinctive
Electric Six	Crazy 60's sounding garage-rock
Jake Bugg	18 year-old British kid who's a big deal over there. He definitely has potential, but didn't wow me.
Wild Belle	Band led by a brother and sister that plays alternative music with Reggae and soul influences
Passion Pit	Danceable alternative - the crowd was loving it
The McCrary Sisters	A quartet of Gospel and soul singers, with a good Austin-based backing band
Neko Case	Good solid set, marred by bleed-over from Atoms for Peace
*Wish I'd Seen More*
Dana Falconberry	Only heard the final song of this young Austin-based singer
Deap Vally	Rocking female duo
*Unremarkable*
Savages	Hard rock
Houndmouth	Young roots rock quartet - not bad, but not very distinctive
Electric Guest	Garage rock - not bad, but not very memorable
The Cure	Sounded like the Cure - good if you like them, but I'm not a big fan
Typhoon	A bunch of people on stage, but they didn't create a very memorable sound
The Mowgli's	Too bubblegum for me, although the younger crowd loved them
Roadkill Ghost Choir	Indie folk rock band - not bad, but didn't impress me
Dawes	They are very talented, but after a while, their songs all started sounding like Eagles/Jackson Browne after a while
The Wild Feathers	A Nashville roots band. I heard them right after Dawes, and they kind of reminded me of The Eagles too.
Atoms for Peace	Supergroup featuring Radiohead lead singer Thom Yorke and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. They played kind of crazy, jagged rock. I didn't really dislike it, but didn't love it either. But the crowd that was their to see them was really enthusiastic.
Lionel Richie	I'm not much of a fan. But I suppose he did what he does well, and he had the crowd "Dancing on the Ceiling"
*Disappointing*
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion	Lots of noise - not much blues
Depeche Mode	I just don't like their sound
Kings of Leon	One song was more than enough. They were decent early in their careers, but get worse the more popular they are.
Shuggie Otis	My biggest disappointment of the festival. He was built up to be an amazing performer, and the long-lost link between Sly Stone and Prince. Unfortunately, he was low energy, his voice didn't sound good, his band did not impress, and the music just wasn't very interesting to me, or much of the crowd, which left in droves after a few songs.
*Wish I Hadn't Missed*
Fidlar
Local Natives
The Black Angels
Parquet Courts
The Joy Formidable
Vintage Trouble
The Shouting Matches
Kristin Diable
The Band of Heathens
Noah and the Whale
Divine Fits

Big Sandy and his Fly-Rite Boys, and Noel McKay

9/27/13

The White Horse

Big Sandy played a swinging mixture of country, rockabilly, and roots music.

Cowboy Mouth, Honey Island Swamp Band and Dr. Zog

9/20/13

A fun evening of New Orleans rock, R&B, and Zydeco.

Darden Smith and Erin Ivey

09/06/13

Stateside at The Paramount

The first time we had seen Darden Smith play with a band in a while. It sounded really he good. He played songs from his new album, "Love Calling", as well as many old favorites. Opener Erin Ivey played some pleasant acoustic songs, and also provided some backing vocals for Darden.

Buddy Guy and Tom Hambridge

08/31/13

Buddy Guy is till an amazing blues performer at the age of 77. His singing and guitar playing are as good as ever. Here is a review and some photos Opener Tom Hambridge played some acoustic blues.

Steely Dan and Deep Blue Organ Trio

08/28/13

Bass Concert Hall

As usual, Donal Fagen and Walter Becker were backed by a top notch band. Fagen's voice isn't quite what it used to be, and the setlist was not my favorite, but it was still a very good show. Here is the setlist and a review. The opener was a bluesy organ trio who didn't do much for me.

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

08/19/13

An ACL TV show taping. I thought that his brand of southern rock was OK, but it's not my favorite.

Camper van Beethoven and Cracker

7/26/13

The Mohawk

An unexpectedly great show that I was invited to by an out-of-town friend. Camper played some fun, eclectic music. And then Cracker closed with a hard rocking set.

Marcia Ball with guest Cindy Cashdollar

7/25/13

The Belmont

A typical excellent Marcia show, enhanced by the addition of Cindy Cashdollar on slide guitar for a good part of the show.

The Gourds and Shakey Graves

7/24/13

Zilker Park

Part of KGSR's Blues on the Green series. Shakey Graves opened. I liked his bluesy solo playing. The Gourds closed and were as entertaining as ever. I especially enjoyed a Doug Sahm number they did as one of their encores.

Willis Alan Ramsey and Tate Mayeux

7/12/13

Threadgill's World Headquarters

Willis Alan pretty much sounded like he did on his 1972 classic album. He also played some new material, mixed in with many of his old favorites. His web site says he is working on an album, so we'll have to see. He played one song with his wife, Alison Rogers, and I wish they had done more together. Opener Tate Mayeux is a talented young singer/songwriter, accompanied by a fine female violin player.

Bob Schneider

7/10/13

Zilker Park

Part of KGSR's Blues on the Green series. A good, but typical Bob Schneider show, including the Westside Horns, except that someone brought their baby goat, which gave it an extra taste of Austin Weirdness.

Texas Tornados with Joe King Carrasco

7/06/13

Flaco Jimenez on Accordion and Augie Meyers on organ still can play, and Shawn Sahm does a credible job on vocals and guitar of representing his father, Doug Sahm. Joe King's set was not bad, but I preferred the show that I saw around a year ago that was a reunion of the original Crowns, with Kris Cummings on organ, although I was impressed with his sax player.

Robert Plant Presents the Sensational Space Shifters with Lil' Band O' Gold

06/23/13

One of Robert Plant's first performances in Austin since he moved here. He and his band played a number of Led Zeppelin songs, but with interesting new arrangements which had a bit of an Eastern sound to them. I liked opening act Lil' Band O' Gold's set, although they definitely missed former vocalist and drummer Warren Storm, the "God Father of Swamp Pop". Here is a review and some photos and a review and the set list.

The Wheeler Brothers

6/12/13

Zilker Park

Part of KGSR's Blues on the Green series. The Wheeler Brothers played a broad range of rock, folk, and roots styles, some of it fun and enegetic, and some a bit on the slow side.

Michael Kiwanuka

06/10/13

Although we had seen Michael Kiwanuka the day before, we jumped on the chance to see our first Austin City Limits taping, thanks to a couple of friends. This much smaller venue was a far superior way to appreciate his quiet mix of mostly original soul, folk, and pop. Here is a description of the performance and some photos.

Mumford & Sons , with Michael Kiwanuka, and Mystery Jets

6/09/13

Austin 360 Amphitheater

Our second concert at this new venue. At least this time, the sound was good. And actually, Mumford and Sons put on a really good show -- great harmonies, musicianship, and energy. The opening act Mystery Jets played some pleasant pop/rock, and second act Michael Kiwanuka played some soulful folk rock. Here is are some photos and the setlist.

Paul McCartney

5/22/13

Frank Erwin Center

One of the best concerts I ever attended. Sir Paul sounded great, he had a great setlist, his band was excellent, and the sound, lighting, and effects were all top notch. My favorite songs were probably his version of "Something" he dedicated to George Harrison, "Hey Jude", and "Helter Skelter" Here is a review and some photos and another review and the setlist, and and another review and setlist. And here is a cool 4 minute video with a little taste of many of the songs, and another review that includes videos of "Something" and "Helter Skelter".

The Lumineers , with Sam Doores + Riley Downing & the Tumbleweeds, and Jack Wilson

4/26/13

Austin 360 Amphitheater

Our first concert at this new venue at Austin Formula 1 racetrack. We were not impressed. Problems included poor sound, the closest seats (non-standing room) were something like 30 yards from the stage, a long walk from the parking lot, and expensive drinks with a crummy beer selection. We did enjoy the Lumineers, at least what we could hear between the bad sound and the whole audience singing most of the songs louder than the band. The first opener, Jack Wilson, wasn't too bad of a singer/songwriter. The second act was a bit too country for us. Here is a review and some photos and more photos and the setlist.

Southern Culture on the Skids and Jungle Rockers

4/04/13

SCOTS still plays some crazy, entertaining Southern fried surf rock. Opening act Jungle Rockers rocked as well.

Final Night at Antone's on 5th Street

3/18/13

Although it was not my favorite Antone's location, I must admit feeling a bit of nostalgia as so many of the great performers got together and played there one last time. I missed the earlier acts, which included The Bluebonnets and Jimmie Vaughan with Lou Ann Barton. I arrived just in time to see a fine women's set with Marcia Ball, Emily Gimble, and Georgia Bramhall, followed by Carolyn Wonderland and Shelley King. Next were Malford Milligan with Chris Layton and Scott Nelson. One of my highlights was Bill Carter with David Holt & Will and Charlie Sexton. The rumor was that Eric Clapton would show up because he had played at the Erwin Center one night earlier. He did not, but two members of his band, former second guitarist Doyle Bramhall II and current drummer Steve Jordan did. Other players throughout the evening included Derek O'Brien, Denny Freeman, Sarah Brown, Riley Osbourn, Eve Monsees, Mike Buck, Mike Flanigin, and Mark Kazanoff. Bob Schneider did a late set, and the closers were young performers Jason Moeller, Johnny Moeller, Mike Keller, and Cory Keller.

My Photos from SxSW 2013

Buckandi's SXSW 2013 photoset

SxSW Levon Helm Tribute and Benefit

3/16/13

Auditorium Shores

An all day concert to benefit Keep It Goin', the initiative to continue Levon Helm's legacy and create a musical landmark at his barn in Woodstock, home of The Midnight Ramble. The event was headlined by The Midnight Ramble Band fronted by Levon's daughter, Amy Helm performing songs by The Band. Special guests included many of the day's performers, plus Austin's Carolyn Wonderland, Ivan Neville, and members of the North Mississippi Allstars. Highlights included Carolyn Wonderland's performance of "Don't Do It", Steve Earle leading a rocking version of Rag Mama Rag", and stage filled closer, "The Weight". Here are videos of "Don't Do It" and "The Weight", along with a setlist. Earlier performers included the The James Hunter Six, who played some smooth British R&B. JJ Grey & Mofro featured swampy southern funk and soul from their upcoming album. Steve Earle played a solo acoustic set. And Robert Randolph and The Family Band tore it up with bluesy sacred steel.

Bloodshot Records Showcase

3/15/13

Yard Dog Gallery

JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound played a good set of original soul / R&B, but they did not impress me as much as they had the previous year. The Waco Brothers closed with their usual killer hard-rocking set..

South by San Jose

3/15/13

Jo's Coffee

Buddy Miller & Jim Lauderdale played some fine bluesy country. Buddy Miller is one of the finest guitar players around. North Mississippi Allstars played their own hard driving southern blues. Alejandro Escovedo and The Sensitive Boys filled his usual closing spot.

Richard Thompson

3/15/13

Waterloo Records

A SXSW set. As usual, excellent guitar work, nice vocals, and some excellent new new and old material from this British veteran. He showed some class when someone in the audience passed out from the heat, and he stopped in mid-song and did not restart until the person had been helped.

Kalu James and Tony Redman

2/28/13

Cherrywood Coffee House

I wanted to take my brother-in-law Craig and his wife Judy to see some live music while they are visiting us from Ohio. I looked for an early show, and found one by a slide guitarist named Tony Redman who sounded pretty interesting. Little did I know, I was taking them to a classic bit of keeping Austin weirdness - a party celebrating the ban on plastic bags at retail stores called "Bag to the Future". Tony Redman played some mean solo slide guitar, and Kalu James played some original folky rock. Unfortunately had to leave before Bill Oliver and Whiskey Shivers came on. Anyway, it was some classic Austin-taciousness for my in-laws.

Papa Grows Funk with Honey Island Swamp Band

2/23/13

I was sad to hear that Papa Grows Funk is going on hiatus and that this may be their last tour. This also might be the last show that I see at this Antone's location before they move to East Austin. Fortunately it was a great show. Papa Grows played their usual brand of grooving New Orleans funk. Honey Island Swamp band plays original music that at times reminds me of Little Feat, and at times the Allman Brothers, but with a New Orleans feel. At the end, Swamp Band Members came on stage with Papa Grows and joined in on the Meters' "Ain't No Use", and blues classic "Statesboro Blues".

The Funky Meters with T-Bird and the Breaks and and & Austin Knights Brass Band

2/09/13

The show was called the Big Easy Blowout, which was appropriate since in occurred right around Mardi Gras. The Funky Meters put on a good show, but Art Neville is showing his age and isn't quite what he used to be. This was the first time that I had seen T-Bird and the Breaks, and I enjoyed their danceable sounds that ranged from R&B to funk to disco. The Austin Knights opened with some traditional New Orleans second line brass band music.

Wood & Wire

2/08/13

Cactus Cafe

Wood & Wire were celebrating the release of their new self-titled album. It was a fun time, and they once again impressed us with their musicianship on guitar, mandolin, banjo, and bass, their three part harmony vocaks, and catchy songs.

Peter Rowan Twang and Groove with MilkDrive

1/30/13

Twang and Groove consists of some musicians that Peter Rowan fornd in the Austin area: guitarist Carter Arrington, Darrell Commander on piano, bassist Mike Morgan and drummer Jamie Oldaker. Here is more infomation about the band. They played many of Peter Rowan's hits, but extended them into long jams. I enjoyed it, but I think I prefer it when he just plays his songs and gets on to the next one. The opening band MilkDrive is a local bluegrass quartet. They were pretty impressive in that three of them traded off on lead vocals and they all switched between acoustic guitar, mandolin, and fiddle and played them equally well.

Sleepy LaBeef with The Wagoneers

1/26/13

It has been a long time since I had seen Rockabilly Hall of Fame member Sleepy LaBeef perform in Austin. He sounded as good as ever, with the same booming voice and rocking guitar. As usual, he performed a long string of rockabilly, country, and blues classics. He was backed by members of The Wagoneers and Earl Poole Ball on piano. The Wagoneers opened with a set of alt-country. Here is a 55 minute long video of Sleepy LaBeef's very similar show the following night in Houston.

B.B. King with Tameka Jones

1/13/13

B.B. is definitely showing his age. When he performed, his playing and singing were quite good. Unfortunately, he spent most of the show talking about how old he was. The musical highlight was when Jimmie Vaughan and James Cotton sat in with B.B. on guitar and harmonica see photo. Hearing Jimmie play B.B.'s guitar Lucille was pretty cool. Opener Tameka Jones has a great voice and performed a wide range of rocking soul cover tunes. She has a talented band as well, so if she ever comes up with some original music, she could become a well known performer. Here is a review and some photos of the show.

Gregg Allman with John Hiatt and Royal Southern Brotherhood

1/02/13