Chris Thile & Michael Daves - Rocky Road Blues at Newport Folk Festival

Thile & Daves had already played their set to a highly appreciative crowd that packed the tent and the surrounding area and an hour later they were being filmed by Paste Magazine. Chris Thile told the few people standing at the fence watching his session in the Paste Magazine ruins that if we waited he'd play a song for us. Word spread quickly and the small area was suddenly packed. To everyone's surprise The Seeger Clogging Allstars joined in for what turned out to be one of the highlights of this year's Newport Folk Festival. Being at the right place at the right time has never been so rewarding.

Chris Thile & Michael Daves 

The Seeger Clogging Allstars 

Newport Folk Festival

Audio from the video:

 Chris Thile & Michael Daves - Rocky Road Blues

Bluegrass for Beginners

While every other blogger is busy posting the new Girls track (which is awesome even though I'm not a huge fan their last album) or the M83 song (less than awesome), and whatever else is generating a buzz, all I can think about and listen to at the moment are bluegrass tunes. If Bluegrass was a season, it'd be summer. It is best enjoyed outside, preferably near a river and a campfire. Recently, I've been voluntarily taking heavy aural doses of mandolin and banjo. I had a hard time resisting doing a jig while waiting for a train when my favorite Trampled by Turtles song came up on shuffle. What I'm poorly trying to say is that this weather/music combo is perfection. Not to mention the summer always brings multitudes of cheap (as in free) and enjoyable folk/bluegrass festivals. I happen to have fond memories from childhood of my mom dragging my sister and I to some local festivals. Sure, it was the first time I saw women with armpit hair, but it was a healthy dose of something new and different and some of the first live music I ever saw which might explain my obsession with the combination of fiddle, mandolin, and banjo.

Boston Concert Roundup 5/23 - 5/29

Last week I wasn't feeling so great and more than anything I was concert-ed out. As a result I missed some big ones like Tune-Yards, Fleet Foxes, and Lykke Li, but at least my wallet is happier. Now that I haven't seen a concert in 10 days, I feel ready to get back out there. This week provides some good ones and Wednesday is full of tough choices and amazing talent. There'll be some good weekend concerts too in case standing in back yards at memorial day barbeques becomes redundant or too rainy. Specific venue information and links can be found on the Boston links tab.




Monday 5/23
Stay in tonight. Get ready for the week ahead.

Tuesday 5/24 
Chris Thile & Michael Daves @ Brighton Music Hall
Chris Thile & Michael Daves - My Little Tennessee Girl (cover)
Major Lazer @ Middle East downstairs
Allison Weiss @ Middle East Upstairs

Wednesday 5/25 I genuinely want to see each and every one of these bands at some point.
Hey Rosetta! w/ Old Abram Brown@ Great Scott
Hey Rosetta! - Yer Spring
Austra w/ Trust @ Brighton Music Hall
Austra - Lose It
Cloud Cult with Wilderness of Manitoba @ Paradise
Wilderness of Manitoba - Orono Park
Diego Garcia @ Cafe 939
The Booze @ O'Briens Pub
The Booze - Down On Your Luck
Coyote Kolb @ Precinct

Thursday 5/26 
Times New Viking w/ The Babies @ Great Scott
Times New Viking - Fuck Her Tears

Friday 5/27
Friendly Fires w/ Wise Blood @ Paradise
Friendly Fires - Blue Cassette

Saturday 5/28
Stornoway w/ Sea of Bees @ Brighton Music Hall
Stornoway - On the Rocks I saw them a few months ago and this song was amazing live
Sea of Bees - Wizbot
Man Man @ Paradise their live shows are supposed to be a whole other level of insanity
Mean Creek, Hands & Knees, and more @ Great Scott local show full of awesomeness

Sunday 5/29
I got nothing. Enjoy your weekend. Be Safe. Wear seatbelts when applicable.