Concert Reviews | Slide and Banjo

JRAD Strengthens Its Roots

March 4, 2020
Marty Halpern

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead kicked off their 2020 touring schedule with a three-night sold out run at Port Chester, NY’s The Capitol Theatre from February 21-23. The band instantly picked up where they left off in 2019, as the energy the quintet created every night was palpable. While the focus of the weekend was on the band’s continued musical growth, what the weekend really proved was they are expanding their base, and the fans have no problem with it.

Ani DiFranco inspires in Fort Collins

February 19, 2020
Slide & Banjo

Words/Photos: Jake Cudek
One of the hottest tickets over this past weekend in Fort Collins was to the performance of the legendary, revolutionary Ani DiFranco. Performing on February 8 at the newly renovated, intimate Washington’s in the Old Town District, DiFranco’s return was highly anticipated, reflected in the fact that her show sold out the day tickets went on sale.

Trigger Hippy growls its way to the finish line in Memphis

December 31, 2019
Marty Halpern

Words / Photos: Marty Halpern
After spending much of the last two months on the road supporting their latest album Full Circle and Then Some, Trigger Hippy played its next to last concert of the tour at Growlers in Memphis on December 20. While there is no direct connection between the band and Memphis, there seemed to be a familiar, family vibe throughout the venue all night. Before the show, almost every member of the band could be seen shooting pool or just hanging out in the crowd.

Allman Family Revival connects in Denver

December 23, 2019
Slide & Banjo

Words/Photos: Jake Cudek
“Guitarmeggedon!” That is one of the words used by Devon Allman to describe the sheer volume of talent and amplitude displayed at Denver’s Mission Ballroom on December 8. The metropolitan area’s newest venue played host to the Allman Family Revival, a conglomerate of the Allman Betts Band and a rotating stage of support that included 17 faces from the music world, both well-known veterans and some new faces.

Fans flock to Goose in Fort Collins

December 13, 2019
Slide & Banjo

Words/Photos: Jake Cudek
On Thursday, December 5, Connecticut-based quartet Goose found its way back to the familiar nesting grounds of Fort Collins, Colorado and The Aggie Theater. Playing to over 300 patrons, the band and its loyal flock took flight for two sets and nearly three hours of originals, covers, and enough improvised jam in between to suspend the belief that human flight is impossible.

Genre-bending with the Tedeschi Trucks Band in Little Rock

November 19, 2019
Slide & Banjo

Words/Photos: Josh Mintz
There’s not much that can be written about Derek Trucks that hasn’t been said before ad nauseam. The guy’s just a freak. His skill with a guitar is unparalleled. An underrated part of Trucks’s game, though, is his matured skill as a bandleader. Over the course of the Tedeschi Trucks Band’s November 16 show in Little Rock, Arkansas at the Robinson Center, he put on a mesmerizing guitar clinic. Equally compelling, though, was watching Trucks direct the band sharing the stage with him.

Marcus King brings Southern soul to Memphis

November 15, 2019
Marty Halpern

Words: Marty Halpern
Photos: Josh Mintz
Marcus King could not have picked a better song to kick off his much anticipated concert and first headlining gig at Minglewood Hall in Memphis, Tennessee on November 9 then “Where I’m Headed.” Most of the crowd was there to find out the answer to where King is headed as well.

The 23-year old King just kicked off a worldwide tour in support of his debut solo album, El Dorado, that runs through April 2020 with very few breaks in between.

The High Hawks soar into Fort Collins

October 31, 2019
Slide & Banjo

Words/Images: Jake Cudek
Legend is historically born out of greatness. Rarely is it the other way around. The saga of The High Hawks is one such lore that has only just begun. Whether one believes this yarn spun by Vince Herman about how the vision for this band was seeded (read about it here), what is certainly evident is that with three well-attended, high-energy Colorado shows under their belt, The High Hawks are ready to rev up the second leg of their inaugural tour.

Family time with Drew Holcomb in Memphis

October 22, 2019
Slide & Banjo

Words/Photos: Josh Mintz

There are artists out there with nonsensical lyrics, either by design or because they just can’t write. Drew Holcomb, though, wears his heart on his sleeve, and his songs reflect that – especially his latest album, Dragons. Touring behind the release, he took the stage on October 18 at the Germantown Performing Arts Center in the Memphis suburbs, and the show embodied everything Holcomb is about – songcraft, family, and friends.

Up close and personal with Langhorne Slim in Chattanooga

October 14, 2019
Slide & Banjo

Langhorne Slim and the Lost at Last Band
Walker Theatre
Chattanooga, Tennessee
October 11, 2019
Words/photos: Spiegs

Chattanooga, TN’s Walker Theatre is part of the Tivoli Theatre, which opened in 1921. It’s an intimate venue, with a capacity of around 850. Langhorne Slim and the Lost at Last Band played the Walker Theatre on Friday, October 11, and since it wasn’t a sell-out, Langhorne (AKA Sean Scolnick) invited all music goers to come in closer, regardless of their original seat assignments. Langhorne is one of those artists that truly feeds off of his crowd, and close proximity was needed to perform his best.