Reviewed by Harry Kaplan

It was good to see a “big” show in Baltimore. Most artists go to Philly, skip Baltimore completely, and head right to DC. It happens all the time, so much so that it hardly registers. But maybe the tide is turning. I was surprised to see a sold out crowd on a Tuesday night right here in Baltimore, hon. Especially an artist such as Tyler that gets no airplay on terrestrial radio. He is played on Sirius XM Outlaw Country. But this movement is grass roots. It’s word of mouth and it is very powerful now that it has built up momentum. The crowd last night was not your typical Federal Hill crowd. People traveled for this show coming from distances over 60 miles. On a school night!

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Reviewed by Harry Kaplan

Was it a concert? Yes and no. There was live music being played, but it was so much more than just a garden variety concert. It wasn’t a lecture, but it sure had some elements of a lecture. In fact, Thomas said that being at Center Stage was the next best thing to being in one of his classes that he teaches at Johns Hopkins University. Professor Dolby pulled the curtain back so we could all witness the genius and the creative process of a legend and pioneer in rock music. When I am at a loss for words, I default to the simplest form of writing. It was a wonderful evening, let’s leave it at that.  (more…)

Review by Harry Kaplan

A life can be compared to a jigsaw puzzle. Each odd shaped piece of a different size represents a decision, choice, or life event. It is our job as humans to fit those pieces together to create something that resembles a beautiful picture. Some peoples’ puzzles look like pristine landscapes, while others look like a jumbled mess of random pieces with huge gaps where the fragments should fit together. Paul’s puzzle already resembles a portrait of the Grand Tetons, majestic and fairly complete.  (more…)

Reviewed by Harry Kaplan

Sometimes the stars align just right to create magic. And tonight was one of those evenings. It was, well……..magical. I am at a loss for alternate words because magical is the best way to describe the visual and auditory sensations I experienced. Lukas Nelson And The Promise Of The Real are some damn good musicians with a stage presence rivaling the greats.  (more…)

Reviewed by Harry Kaplan

Before I even discuss the music, some time needs to be dedicated to describing the venue, Club 603. The setting is an oasis in Baltimore City with mature tress and no indication that you are within city limits. It is a complete escape for the drudgery and stress of daily life. The grounds are pristine and beautiful. Almost too beautiful to fathom that it is real. I got the feeling that I was actually on a movie set, not a private home.  (more…)

Review by Harry Kaplan

Seeing Scott live is like going to church. It is only fitting that The Southgate House Revival is in The Grace Methodist Episcopal Church built in 1866. Scott, of course was on stage in the main sanctuary giving us all of his Sunday learning. I know it was a Friday night, but it was a great service, nonetheless. To see Scott Biram live is the only way to properly explain the way he plays and how much sound he makes for one person. Well, that is why he is the self described “The Dirty Old One Man Band”. It really is a religious experience.  (more…)

Review by Bill Tokash

Seems fitting that the David Rawlings Machine played Thalia Hall this time around. This amazing venue, originally modeled after the Prague Opera House when constructed in 1892, was the center of Pilsen’s Bohemian community for 70 years until it was shuttered in the 1960s. Since this landmark status venue reopened in 2013, it has become the musical epicenter of a gentrified Pilsen by continually hosting, what I would argue, is the most diverse blend of quality musical acts in Chicago. (more…)

Reviewed by Bill Tokash

When long-time Bloodshot Records recording artist Wayne “The Train” Hancock comes to town, you just know he’s gonna swing. And you know he’s gonna swing in a way that takes you straight back in time to the juke joints of Denton, Kilgore and Austin, Texas, where Wayne is from.  Hancock’s unique blend of Hank William’s honkytonk blues coupled with Bob Wills-fueled western swing and a dash of rockabilly, which he calls Juke Joint Swing, is a perfect fit for Berwyn, Illinois’ legendary FitzGerald’s Nightclub. FitzGerald’s, one of my all-time favorite music venues in the Greater Chicagoland area, is ground zero for American Music, as its been coined here in Chicago, and with the recent announcement that Bill FitzGerald is trying to sell the club after 40 years and retire, this show became an absolute must-see for me. (more…)