Slayer – The Fillmore – Philadelphia, PA – March 3, 2016 – Photo by Erik Gibbons © 2016 Slayer, Testament & Carcass – The Fillmore – Philadelphia, PA – March 3, 2016 It was a cold Winter night when Slayer – along with Testament and Carcass – laid waste to The Fillmore, located in the historic Fishtown section of Philadelphia, PA. Once I arrived, just walking in the atmosphere gave me a good taste of what was to come. Up first, Carcass began their set. Carcass are death metal

Dressy Bessy – Boot & Saddle – Philadelphia, PA – February 13, 2016 – Photo by Chris Sikich © 2016 Dressy Bessy, Old Monk & The Not Fur Longs – Boot & Saddle – Philadelphia, PA – February 13, 2016 Despite inhuman wind chill factors outside, Saturday night was a rock and roll workshop inside Boot & Saddle. The garage rock aesthetics of Dressy Bessy brought out a sizable Philly contingent to dance along to a swift 20-song set. Fronted by the electric antics of Tammy Ealom, the

Wilco – DAR Constitution Hall – Washington, DC – February 7, 2016 – Photo by Chris Sikich © 2016 Wilco & Steve Gunn – DAR Constitution Hall – Washington, DC – February 7, 2016 I never even felt the littlest bit like there was a choice — live music would always win out over pigskin, especially when the live experience is in the form of Wilco. Certainly one of the finest modern rock outfits, the Chicago-based six-piece delivered a fine night of music at Washington, D.C.’s D.A.R

So Pitted – First Unitarian Church – Philadelphia, PA – January 12, 2016 – Photo by Chris Sikich © 2016 METZ, Bully & So Pitted – First Unitarian Church – Philadelphia, PA – January 12, 2016 Tuesday night at the First Unitarian Church was a triple ode to punk rock. Opening the show was So Pitted, playing their first ever set of East Coast dates. Based out of Hawaii, they darkened the barely lit room to a blue hue and blasted some thrashing guitars and drums into the ears of t

Mötley Crüe – Staples Center – Los Angeles, CA – December 31, 2015 – Photo ©2016 Cynthia Marie H. All rights reserved. Mötley Crüe & The Struts – Staples Center – Los Angeles, CA – December 31, 2015 All bad things came to an end… Mötley Crüe bids farewell after thirty four years of Sex, Drugs, and Rock n’ Roll. What a way to end 2015. I couldn’t think of a party more raucous, more bombastic, more explosive than Mötley Crüe New Year’s Eve 2015 farewell show. There was a feelin

Aimee Mann & Ted Leo – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA – December 11, 2015 - Photo by Chris Sikich © 2015. Aimee Mann & Ted Leo with Liz Phair, Jonathan Coulton and John Roderick – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA – December 11, 2015 Last Friday, Christmas came early to Union Transfer in the form of The Aimee Mann and Ted Leo Christmas Show. Aimee Mann & Ted Leo – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA – December 11, 2015 - Photo by Chris Sikich © 2015. With their great banter

Okkervil River – Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY – November 23, 2015 – Photo ©2015 Chris Sikich. All rights reserved. Okkervil River – Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY – November 23, 2015 With ten years out in the aural universe, Okkervil River’s Black Sheep Boy seems even more layered and nuanced then when it debuted. And to hear the album live in 2015, it inches ever closer to a live being. This past Monday ended a three-night stand at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City wh

Ani DiFranco – Scottish Rite Auditorium – Collingswood, NJ – November 11, 2015 – Photo ©2015 Chris Sikich. All rights reserved. Ani DiFranco & Mike + Ruthy – Scottish Rite Auditorium – Collingswood, NJ – November 11, 2015 One of the region’s best venues, the Scottish Rite Auditorium in Collingswood, played host to the guitar and lyrical magic of Ani DiFranco last Wednesday. Ani DiFranco – Scottish Rite Auditorium – Collingswood, NJ – November 11, 2015 – Photo ©2015 Chris Siki

Ani DiFranco & Mike + Ruthy – Scottish Rite Auditorium – Collingswood, NJ – November 11, 2015 Click on thumbnails below to see full-sized...

The Neighbourhood – Electric Factory – Philadelphia, PA – October 6, 2015 – Photo ©2015 Isa Barnett The Neighbourhood, The Bad Suns and HUNNY – Electric Factory – Philadelphia, PA – October 6, 2015 The Perfect Alternative Combo. On October 6th, 2015, the Neighbourhood brought their #TheFlood2015 tour to town, performing at The Electric Factory in center city Philadelphia. Opening for NBHD were two bands — HUNNY and Bad Suns. Fans wrapped around the building waiting all day to

Lemmy of Motörhead at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby, PA. Photo copyright 2015 Erik Gibbons. Motörhead, Anthrax & Crobot – Tower Theater – Upper Darby, Pennsylvania – September 22, 2015 Out of all of the venues that I’ve been to over the years, Tower Theater is by far my favorite. From the history of who has played there in the past (including Bowie, Springsteen, Reed, Elton, Paul Simon, Genesis with Peter Gabriel) to grand look of the venue itself, I really enjoyed my tim

Christina Perri at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts – July 11, 2015. Photo copyright 2015 Jim Rinaldi. Christina Perri & Colbie Caillat – The Mann Center for the Performing Arts – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – July 11, 2015 The name of the tour is “Girls Night Out… and the Boys Can Come, Too!” and that pretty much sums up the recent dual tour appearance by Colbie Caillat and Christina Perri. The estrogen level may have been a touch high in the Mann for this summer nigh

Sabrina Carpenter at the Show of the Summer in Hershey, PA. Show of the Summer – Shawn Mendes, Fifth Harmony, R5, Jack & Jack, Jacob Whitesides & Sabrina Carpenter – Hersheypark Stadium – Hershey, Pennsylvania – June 28, 2015 Summer is the ideal time for outdoor music festivals. When warm breezes meet bright sunny skies and then turn into clear, starry nights, the music can be magical. Last weekend’s Show of the Summer in Hershey, PA was just that for easily ten thousand scr

John Fogerty – The Mann Center for the Performing Arts – Philadelphia, PA – June 27, 2015 – Photo copyright ©2015 Steve Furco. Courtesy of Mad Ink PR. All rights reserved. John Fogerty – The Mann Center for the Performing Arts – Philadelphia, PA – June 27, 2015 1969 was a huge year for John Fogerty. His old band Creedence Clearwater Revival exploded that year, releasing three albums with eight top forty hits, performing on The Ed Sullivan Show and at Woodstock, touring the w

Aerosmith Rocks Donington 2014 AEROSMITH ROCKS DONINGTON 2014 (2015) Featuring Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton, Brad Whitford, Joey...

ETC(!) ETC(!) vs. Heroes X Villains TWURKAHOLICS VS. MOOMBAHOLICS EDITION – District N9NE – Philadelphia, PA – January 23, 2015...

Toby Lightman – World Café Live – Philadelphia, PA – December 3, 2014 – photo copyright 2014 Jim Rinaldi. Toby Lightman – World Café Live – Philadelphia, PA – December 3, 2014 The first we ran across Toby Lightman was when we were asked to interview her in 2004. She was a young Philly-based artist who had been discovered by Wyclef Jean and producer Peter Zizzo, who was red hot from discovering Avril Lavigne and Vanessa Carlton. Lightman was targeted for the same heights, he

Pokémon Symphonic Evolutions at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, September 19, 2014 Pokémon Symphonic Evolutions – The Mann...

Goo Goo Dolls – Susquehanna Bank Center – Camden, NJ – August 17, 2014 Photo by Ally Abramson © 2014 Goo Goo Dolls, Daughtry and Plain White T’s – Susquehanna Bank Center – Camden, NJ – August 17, 2014 Going to a concert of just a single band is usually a memorable experience. When you add two more terrific bands to the equation, the concert is on a whole new level. The Plain White T’s, Daughtry, and the Goo Goo Dolls teamed up on August 17th for a memorable night. The conce

The Fray – The Music Box – Atlantic City New Jersey – July 26, 2014 – photo by Ally Abramson © 2014 The Fray – The Music Box – Atlantic City New Jersey – July 26, 2014 When a great band is coupled with a great venue, the results are astounding. Returning to New Jersey where they first performed a decade ago with Weezer, The Fray recently played the Borgata of Atlantic City in the Music Box Theatre. And it was just that, astounding. The theatre is set up as a spacious mini sta