Monday evening October 13th, Angaleena Presley played her first solo show in NYC at Rockwood Music Hall in preparation for the release of her strong solo debut album American Middle Class which was released the following day. Playing with her extremely talented band, who had only been together a brief amount of time, the small crowd in attendance was privy to an intimate performance of her new material as well as many anecdotes from Angaleena herself. 

Slightly shy at first, by the second song of the set she seemed to relax and start to enjoy herself (her band, especially her drummer definitely enjoyed himself from the get go). In true story teller fashion, prior to each song, she gave us its backstory and by doing so, we learned a bit about Angaleena herself. Vocally, she has an airy, light quality to her voice that sounded equally at home on the footstompers ("Pain Pills) as well as the more somber songs. And those songs are her stories, whether they are about getting pregnant before marriage ("Knocked Up"--a song she said her son loves), small town characters ("Grocery Store") or growing up in Kentucky ("Better Off Red"). 

These narratives make for a traditional country album with songs that might not find their way to terrestrial radio, but should easily find a home on your playlist.

For more information visit her official website
Purchase American Middle Class here

It has been said that Chris Knight is a man of few words, and that may have been the case at Hill Country Live on Saturday night, but no one took issue as Chris's music clearly does the talking. And eight albums in, there is plenty to say. 

Knight, who hails from Kentucky, came to Brooklyn and played to a full house for an hour and a half set. His only real comments of the night were to thank people for coming and to comment to the guys who cheered when he drank a beer: "I don't understand why people cheer when I drink. I hope to get the same response for my music." I don't understand the whole cheering when an artist drinks either, but he need not worry as the cheers for his music were much louder and more frequent. 

From older tunes ("Hard Candy," "It Ain't Easy Being Me") to more recent, from his 2012 release Little Victories, Chris, accompanied by Chris Clark on mandolin, guitar and banjo, held the listening audience's attention with an acoustic set of honest story telling. Meaningful, sometimes melancholy songs about love, regret, and small town American life-sung by the unique voice of one of the most esteemed singer songwriters in the country-that connected with the listener and evoked a broad spectrum of emotion. Exactly what good music is all about. 

For more information visit his official website

The Casey Donahew Band and the Josh Abbott Band made a return trip to NYC on September 9th (both were in the city this past February for the Texas Tailgate and Four on the Floor respectively) to play a show at the Bowery Ballroom.

Casey and his band were up first performing a solid hour's worth of tunes that had everyone in the crowd singing along. From his latest single "Lovin' Out of Control" to "Whiskey Baby," "Twelve Gauge," and "Go To Hell" Casey and his talented band brought a good time. Only drawback: their set was too short.

Apparently, there are a lot of displaced Texans in the NYC area because when Josh asked the crowd if there were any Texans there that night, he was met with hoots and hollers from the TX t-shirt wearing, two stepping, here for a good time crowd. Josh and his band, again an incredibly talented group, performed many of their hits from "My Texas" to "Flatland Farmer" as well as songs from their new EP Tuesday Night including "Tuesday Night," "Hangin' Around" and a song that Josh said was the sequel to "She Will Be Free," a song titled "She Don't Break."

Both of these bands always put on terrific, energetic, engaging and fun live shows. They can bring Texas to NYC anytime.

Tuesday Night will be released on September 23rd
To find out more visit their official websites:
CDB
JAB

Apologies for not having any photos of CDB, as I could not get a good photo of them from the floor of the venue during their set.

What is there to say about a Will Hoge show that I have not already told you previously? Will is an incredibly talented singer-songwriter who consistently puts out quality albums. As for his live shows, well, hands down his is one of the best around (take my word for it as I attend many shows). 

For over an hour and a half, Will performed songs that spanned his entire catalog and ranged from all out rockers ("Sex, Lies and Money") to ballads ("Baby Girl") to the well known, "Strong" and his latest, "Middle of America." Will has an energy, a presence and a voice that you just have to see (and hear) for yourself live. Make a point to get to a show.

As always, after the show Will greeted anyone and everyone in line for conversation, hugs, handshakes, and photos. He's the real deal and a class act.

Local band Bobby McGrath and the Brothers opened and since the previous time I saw them, I can say they have only gotten better (and they were good before!). The six piece group's sound was tighter with Trevor demonstrtaing some serious guitar chops. And of course watching Aaron on the keys is quite a treat. They performed two new songs that the went over well with the crowd who were left chanting "one more song" after their final number.

For more information on Will Hoge visit his official website
For more information on Bobby McGrath visit here

It may just be the best festival you are not attending (and maybe have never even heard of), The Braun Brothers Reunion Festival was held this past August 7-9th in scenic Challis, Idaho. The festival, billed as the 11th, but around for much longer, was founded by Muzzie Braun with his brothers Billy and Gary. What started as a one day affair blossomed into three and continues to grow.

The three day event features singer songwriters, alternative country, bluegrass and red dirt artists including Muzzie's sons, Cody and Willy of Reckless Kelly and Micky and Gary of Micky and The Motorcars. The BBR has an intimate and familiar feel with many (artists and attendees) returning year after year. There is a friendship and a genuine warmth among those in the crowd (sharing seats, blankets, food, and stories....and making sure that you had a clear view of the stage!) that also extends to the artists who seamlessly join one another on stage where the camaraderie is more than evident.

Thursday saw the event kicked off by Idaho native Jeff Crosby and the Refugees followed by an acoustic set from Chris Knight. Both artists are gifted songwriters whose performances held everyone’s attention. Following Chris came the Turnpike Troubadours, definite festival favorites, who brought just as much (if not more) joy, energy and talent to the mountains of Idaho as they did a NYC club a few weeks prior. Closing out the evening was Micky and The Motorcars who really gave a high energy, crowd pleasing performance of old favorites as well as new songs from their stellar July 31st release Hearts From Above.

Friday brought Radney Foster, Hayes Carll, and The Departed. The rains and winds came during the Departed’s set but no one seemed to mind (especially the streaker!). When things got a bit too wet, Cody Canada plowed on and performed acoustic and those who stayed through saw the terrific Rodney Crowell close out the night.

Saturday was an entire day filled with music for music lovers. There was a guitar pull (and stories) with members of the Braun family, Hayes Carll, George DeVore and Johnny Chops of the Randy Rogers Band, to name a few. The day also included a highlight of the festival: all of the Braun family (Muzzie, his brothers, the "boys," and their aunt) performing together. They were followed by the phenomenal Black Lillies, who made more than a few new fans, Son Volt and The Greencards, whose music just soothes the soul. The Randy Rogers Band “opened” for Reckless Kelly who closed out the three days with a pretty perfect set, including an acoustic solo of "Idaho" from Willy, under a beautiful moon.  Many of the artists, including Cody Canada, Kym of the Greencards and Brady Black of RRB joined Reckless for various songs throughout their set. The festival concluded with everyone on stage for a giant sing a long of “You Ain’t Going Nowhere” leaving many already thinking of, and planning for, next year.

For more information visit the Braun Brothers Reunion official website.

I could go on and on and say how great the festival was, how I made many new friends, how the beer was cheap, the food was more than passable and the opportunity to meet the artists was pretty cool, but I'll just encourage you to check it out yourself. And if you cannot make the trip to Idaho, go give a listen to the artists who I mentioned above....your ears will be happy you did.

NB The trip from NYC to Challis was a trek, don’t be fooled. Two flights and a (beautifully scenic) 3 hour drive (four or so if you fly into Boise), but it was well worth it and I definitely plan on doing it again in 2015.

As any live music junkie knows, a good show can leave you on a high that lasts for quite some time; this is definitely the case with the the American Aquarium and Turnpike Troubadours show in NYC this past Thursday night.

Initially set to occur at Irving Plaza, the venue was changed to the smaller Gramercy Theatre, which raised concerns about potential turnout. Thankfully, the venue was near capacity with a raucous crowd eager for a good time.

American Aquarium, from Raleigh, NC have been together for a little under ten years. The band members, "brothers, friends and family" as frontman BJ Barham referred to them, are a solid group of musicians. From Whit Wright's pedal steel to Kevin McClain's keeping the beat on the drums to the three guitarists Ryan, Bill and new member Colin (keep an eye on him, he's incredibly enjoyable to watch) who seem to be vying for who has the most fun on stage. The music, sonically veering more towards rock and roll than country, is emotionally honest and filled with substance; stories of regret, failure, addiction and of course, relationships. BJ's facial expressions and weathered voice convey the emotions of the lyrics in an always effective, yet sometimes sad, pensive manner that make you really feel what he sings (even more so live than on record). Songs included "The Man I'm Supposed To Be," "I Hope He Breaks Your Heart," "Jacksonville," and "Burn.Flicker.Die."

There's most definitely a reason Turnpike Troubadours won Live Act of the Year at this year's Lone Star Music Awards. The minute they walked onto that stage and started playing the energy level of the venue went through the roof. The five members, especially front man Evan Felkner, quite honestly exuded a sense of pure joy throughout their hour and a half set that was filled with their story songs such as "Blue Star," "Down on Washington," "Wrecked" (with a little help from a lyric sheet) and "Gin Smoke and Lies." All are fierce musicians who through the upright bass, fiddle, banjo, guitar and harmonica brought to life their infectious sound that had the somewhat rowdy crowd enjoying a rollicking good time.

Evan performed an acoustic solo of Garth Brooks's "I'm Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old"). Then R.C. Edwards took the lead on "This Land is Your Land" on which the American Aquarium boys joined. Honestly, this is the sort of thing I absolutely love and may have been the highlight of the night. There is something about having bands come together on stage and being able to sense the friendship and camaraderie among them that makes you feel that you are a part of something special too, even for a little bit. 

They closed the place down with a venue sing along of "Long Hot Summer Day." which had them thanking the crowd for one of the best dates on the tour.
American Aquarium will return to NYC in September 9th. Turnpike Troubadours have no other area dates on their tour page, but after this show, I have a feeling they will be back.


Note: As of 7/20 the website is having difficulties uploading photos. We are working on resolving the issue. To see some pics of the show, head over to my Instagram.

Fresh off of his Letterman debut the previous night, Sturgill Simpson played two sold out shows at Joe's Pub in NYC on July 15th. 

The room was full of an eclectic mix of people, from NYC hipsters to self proclaimed rednecks, to couples on dates. The one thing that unified them though was the love of the music (as evidenced by the many singing along) and/or their desire to see a much talked about artist up close and personal. The fact that the shows were sold out was a bit of a turn around from his show in the fall (at a different venue) when attendance was slim and people weren't really paying attention. When he emerged onto the stage, everyone quieted down and paid attention; and he genuinely seemed pleasantly surprised by the turnout, as he thanked everyone for coming more than once.

Sturgill and his three piece band played songs from both of his albums, which he proudly noted were put out without any assistance from Nashville, as well as a few covers, including Lefty Frizzell's "I Never Go Around Mirrors." The foursome, especially lead guitarist Laur Joamets, are an impressive group who demonstrated their more than adequate skills throughout the little over and hour long set.

Sturgill himself was engaging, funny and seemed very at ease interspersing banter, about anything from psychedelics to encouraging people to check out the Cotton Wood Research Foundation, in between songs. 

He sent out his final song to all of the lonely ladies in the audience and offered his three single band members to anyone who was interested because "you cant come to NYC and play Letterman and...." (you know).

He received two standing ovations and cheers form the audience making it fully known that he is welcome back to NYC anytime....probably in a larger venue.

For more information visit his official website.

Having recently released their fabulous album, Our Year, Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis made a stop at Joe's Pub in NYC on Sunday night as part of the Bruce and Kelly Show Tour. For an hour and a half, they played songs old and new, and traded vocals and banter with one another in front of a more than attentive audience. 

After remarking that they spent the day in NYC, including a stop at Dylan's Candy Bar for their kids, who are along for the ride on this tour, they dove into the music. The set consisted of twenty-two songs plus two encores and included "Motor City Man," "Cradle of Love," "What I Deserve," and Kelly's version of "Harper Valley PTA," which she said she learned in response to Bruce going off the set list with "Me and Bobby McGee." In addition, they included songs Bruce wrote that were hits for others including "Wrapped," (George Strait) and "Travelin' Soldier" (The Dixie Chicks).

Simply put, it was an evening of great music performed by two immensely talented people (and their band) who have a genuine love for what they do. Shows at Joe's feel like you are in your living room experiencing something special and unique; but Sunday night was more. The partners's (in music and marriage) love for one another was evident whether it was the adoring way Kelly looked at Bruce or the compliments that were free flowing from Bruce to Kelly. Their intimacy with one another, through the songs & in their interactions, made the room feel even smaller, and the show even more special.

The applause and enthusiasm of those in attendance far outweighed the number of people occupying seats. However, one particular gentleman summed up the evening perfectly: it was most certainly a "beautiful" one.

For more information on Kelly and Bruce, visit here

It depresses the heck out of me when a good band is in town and few people show up.

The Damn Quails started out the week by doing a damn fine job opening for Reckless Kelly in Brooklyn on Sunday night. The crowd was thin, but quite a few in attendance knew the music, even causing Bryon to comment that there was actually "somebody here that knows our songs." The set was brief, but the band (from Norman, Oklahoma) would remain in the city to play Hill Country NYC and Brooklyn the following two nights.

Hill Country NYC was full with patrons eating their barbecue when The Damn Quails began their hour and a half long set at 930pm. Filled with songs such as "Fool's Gold," "Quicksand" and "Better Place to Stop" from their debut album Down The Hatch, they truly seemed to have the crowd enjoying every minute. With Bryon and Gabe switching off lead vocals, they showcased how they successfully meld folk, rock, country and blues for a unique and enjoyable sound. Their solid songwriting, harmonies, and musicianship combine to make good music, plain and simple.

Sadly though, as people finished their food, they didn't stay to finish hearing the music. Undoubtedly, this will be one of those nights years from now when they are playing bigger venues that one can look back and say "I saw The Damn Quails when they played NYC for under ten people and look at them now." I look forward to it.

Here's hoping they make a return trip to the Northeast at some point.

For more information visit their website

What do you do when a favorite band announces multiple dates near you? You buy tickets and go of course!

Reckless Kelly did a six date run in the northeast last week to support their September release Long Night Moon. The trek took them from North Carolina to D.C., CT, PA and Boston. We had the good fortune to attend four shows, all of which were unique, memorable and fun.

Built in 1883, Infinity Hall in CT is a lovely, intimate, seated venue in the middle of sprawling farmland. The history and the ambience of the room really set the tone for what would be a very special evening. The over two hour set (without an opening act) began with Willy performing “Thelma,” solo and acoustic. Then, almost one by one the other members emerged on the stage to join in “Wicked Twisted Road.” Throughout the show, they demonstrated their versatility and reach whether they dug deep from their own catalog to play “I Still Do” and “Back Around” or performed one of their staples, a cover of “Castanets.” They added in a new tune, Corb Lund’s 'Mein Deutsches Motorrad' (German Motorcycle) to “balance out” their favorite British motorcycle song (and fan favorite) “1952 Vincent Black Lightning.” A special moment, for both the audience and the band, whose pride was evident on their faces, was when Jay's father, Tom, joined them on stage and sang “Kansas City.” The pinnacle of the evening though was a true unplugged version of “Weatherbeaten Soul” where a quiet, peacefulness settled the room as everyone listened to what came pretty close to a religious experience. After serious applause, they returned to the stage and “rediscovered electricity” for two encores.

Night two was at The Sellersville Theater in PA, a venue with a rich and colorful history. Willy started off with “Outta Left Field” (yes indeed, a Percy Sledge cover folks) then the rest of the guys joined for “Weatherbeaten Soul.” Usually displaying his skills on the fiddle or mandolin, Lone Star Musician of the Year Cody took on lead vocals for a cover of “Windfall.” Throughout the night, their sound was powerful and polished whether they played old songs (“Mersey Beat”) or new (“Irish Goodbye”), ballads or out and out rockers (“Sixgun”). For a seated venue, the crowd was a lively one…calling out their praises and even dancing along the aisle for “Nobody’s Girl” and “Motel Cowboy Show.” At the end of both shows, the guys came out to meet, sign and take photos; something you don’t see many doing after eighteen years together.

Sunday brought them to the Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun Casino in CT. The set, which started out with “Good Luck and True Love,” was short and sweet, but never lacking, and included a Springsteen cover of “My Love Will Not Let You Down,” as the Boss himself was playing the arena that night.

Finally, Monday found them in Boston at the Sinclair. A 10pm Monday night show is a tough spot, and the venue was sadly not full, but arguably it was this night where they really seemed in their element. For a little over two hours, the audience got to experience a show that never lacked energy and enthusiasm and was just pure fun. They truly have a good time up there, not only with each other, but with the audience as well, as interaction via smiles, nods or even a guitar right in front of you is a pretty regular occurrence. 
From Willy's vocals (which just seem to keep getting better) to Dave Abeyta’s insane guitar solos and Cody’s emotive fiddle, to Jay keeping the beat (which he can do pretty well even with his eyes closed) and Joe on bass, Reckless Kelly really is all about the music. Prior to “Save Me From Myself” Willy reminisced on younger days and spoke of how the “whippersnappers” of today are too involved with their electronics. He commended the crowd for not being on their cell phones all night and encouraged people to stay off of them, make friends, have fun, be in the moment and really experience the music. From "Ragged As The Road' to "Seven Nights in Eire," to "Crazy Eddie's Last Hurrah," that's exactly what the crowd did. The night closed out with a crazy good, extended version of “Running Down A Dream,” which was quite possibly better than the original.

Four shows that were completely different, with songs pulled from every one of their eight albums. Now how many bands have you seen that you can say that about? Reckless Kelly more than delivers on all counts. Versatility, true musicianship, and story songs by a band that never gives less than 110%. Plus, it’s always a heck of a good time.

Really, there is no amount of verbiage I can put on this page that gives justice to their live shows. Just take yourself to one when they are near (or far) from you and experience it for yourself….and keep your phone in your pocket.

RK posts their set lists on Facebook, make sure you check them out not only to see what they played, but also for Willy’s artwork which is show specific.