Category Concert Reviews
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts @ Bridgestone Arena / Nashville TN / May 11, 2015
Seeing Joan Jett and her Blackhearts open for The Who at the Bridgestone may go down as the most pleasant surprise of my musical year. Song after song, Joan and her band rocked the Arena with crisp-and fresh sounding renderings of every recording of hers that you almost forget about. (How could I have not […]
Ryan Adams & the Shining: Ryman Auditorium / Nashville TN / April 28, 2015
The question on my mind about seeing Ryan Adams again live was which one would show up: the snarky seemingly disinterested one or the engaging and exciting one. Having experienced the un-pleasure and pleasure of each, yours truly left the Mother Church this night a happy man—in fact I don’t think I listened to anything […]
Seth Timbs and Friends: McCartney/Costello Co-Writes Show @ The Basement / Nashville TN / April 17, 2015
In the late 80’s, two of the best pop songwriters ever to grace this planet got together to co-write songs. As far as collaborations went, one of them came to the table having been half of the greatest pop songwriting partnership of all time. The other had grown up as a huge fan of the […]
Ron Sexsmith @ City Winery / Nashville TN / April 4, 2015
In my recent blog bit about Lloyd Cole, I described him as perhaps the most under-rated of the artists that I truly admire. Unfortunately, in making that statement I had forgotten about the talented singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith. While Sexsmith is often called a “songwriter’s songwriter,” let’s be honest–that’s just a nice way of labelling someone […]
Lloyd Cole @ City Winery / Nashville TN / March 29, 2015
Of all the singer-songwriters I truly admire, Lloyd Cole is perhaps the most under-appreciated by the general public. Since the first Lloyd Cole and the Commotions record in 1984, this former Brit and current Massachusetts resident has released over a dozen LPs that are all worthy of everyone’s attention. A first-rate lyricist in the classic […]
Steve Earle @ City Winery / Nashville TN / March 6, 2015
Not only do I go back a long way with the music of Steve Earle, but he and I have both lived in the same three metropolitan areas: San Antonio, Nashville and New York City. This gives me a hometown familiarity with his local lyrical references about places like the “speed trap up ahead in […]
Mikky Ekko @ Grimey’s New & Preloved Music / Nashville TN / February 12, 2015
A short time ago, Mikky Ekko was nothing more than a name that I spotted every now and then in Music City’s by-lines and chronicles. All that changed overnight after he joined Rihanna at the 2013 Grammys for a duet of “Stay.” The song which Ekko co-wrote and recorded with the Barbadian pop star became […]
Bebe Buell & the Nashville Aces @ The Bluebird Cafe / Nashville TN / February 5, 2015
I previously used this space to praise the exciting new music being made by Ms. Bebe Buell after seeing her and her crack band at The Basement last July. After a few unfortunate misses, I finally had the pleasure of seeing Bebe and her Aces again—this time at Music City’s hallowed Bluebird Cafe. Since that […]
Evan Dando @ City Winery / Nashville TN / February 6, 2015
I have always enjoyed the melodic poppy sounds of Evan Dando, both solo and with his 90s alternative-labelled band The Lemonheads. But somehow all these years I have missed seeing him play live. I was quite looking forward to finally getting my chance at his solo Nashville show at the City Winery. However, a morning […]
Steve Winwood @ Bridgestone Arena / Nashville TN / September 23, 2014
While I still savor most of Tom Petty’s musical catalog, long ago I gave up on seeing him in concert after several tries. I just find his live show to be drudgingly dull. The opportunity however to see his hand-picked opening act, Steve Winwood, was reason enough for me to accept an invite to […]
Music City Mike 