The night I reached for Starset, but got a tornado

Lightning cracked across the sky as crowds gathered at Delmar Hall to see American rock band Starset on a balmy 70-degree day in December in St. Louis. The ominous weather painted the perfect backdrop for the absolute otherworldly experience that was about to unfold. The small venue felt packed almost immediately, which is uncommon for […]

CHVRCHES lights up The Pageant, St. Louis

CHVRCHES, a Scottish synth-pop trio (consisting of Lauren Mayberry, Iain Cook and Martin Doherty) from Glasgow, rocked The Pageant on a cold December night in St. Louis. The band has come a long way since the first times I saw them at Bonnaroo in 2014 and 2016; the addition of a fourth member, a drummer […]

HIRIE at San Diego’s Observatory North Park

On December 3rd, HIRIE headlined a show at the iconic Observatory North Park in San Diego, CA. They were further supported by two of the greatest local bands, Boostive and Tribal Theory, with live painting being done during each set by another amazing San Diegan, Jimmy Ovadia. Boostive was first… I got in a bit late […]

Postmodern Jukebox brings the swing to Thousand Oaks

Postmodern Jukebox (PMJ), founded by famous New York City pianist Scott Bradlee, took the stage at Fred Kavli Theatre in Thousand Oaks, CA on November 19th, 2021. The band is made of today’s best young jazz musicians, performing modern pop hits into swing and doo-wop sounds. Scott Bradlee’s PMJ is set to complete their nationwide […]

Punk in the Park 2021: Day Two

On November 7th, Punk in the Park Day Two was held at the Oak Canyon Park in Silverado, CA. Saturday was headlined by NOFX, who were supported by 13 other great bands! For those that were over 21, there were over 100 different beers to try from all the different regional breweries that were there. The […]

Thundercat at The Pageant, St. Louis

There was a feeling of funk, rhythm and soul in the air on November 16th at The Pageant in St. Louis, MO. Los Angeles-based road cat Stephen Bruner (also known by his stage name, Thundercat) rolled into town, breaking out his massive, unique signature six-string Ibanez TCB1006 to take his audience for an absolute ride. […]

A night with Satsang at Felton Music Hall

On Wednesday, November 17th, Montana-based quartet Satsang brought their All. Right. Now tour to Felton Music Hall, located up in the Santa Cruz mountains. Self-produced by frontman, Drew Mcmanus, the new album was entirely written and recorded during the bands hiatus from the road. Drew flew the band up to Montana, where they rented a cabin and recorded what is now, All. […]

WORLD TRACK PREMIERE: Qarreo “The Little Drummer Boy”

Rising Nashville band Qarreo is back with an all-time Christmas classic — an ethereal eclectic take on “The Little Drummer Boy”! Everyone knows the original 1941 version by American classical music composer Katherine Kennicott Davis… you know, when the wisemen happened upon a drummer boy on their path to Bethlehem? He ended up leading the […]

Anderson East leaves Nashville audience rejoicing

Friday night in downtown Nashville would be my first opportunity to experience two things I have had on my musical bucket list for quite some time. The first being to attend a concert at Ryman Auditorium, the venue that pretty much birthed Country Music. It’s a place so iconic and legendary they nicknamed it the “Carnegie […]

Neal Francis comments on new ‘In Plain Sight’ LP

The writing process for new music always varies from artist to artist. Some, like Springsteen, can spend days locked inside a studio perfecting snare beats. Others, like Chicago native Neal Francis, can find themselves living inside a church for a year, immersed in “Well Tempered Clavier”. I guess you could say, when creating his sophomore […]

Same Same But Different 2021: Day Three

As the morning of Day Three kept upon the attendees of the funky, flair-approved and freedom-encouraging Same Same But Different festival, the last thing on anybody’s mind was to stop the party early. Lake Perris shimmered in the sunshine, welcoming swimmers and floaters as Red Giant Project and Moontricks played the musical stages. The Coconut […]

Gipsy Kings at San Diego’s Humphrey’s By the Bay

Gipsy Kings put on a great show at Humphrey’s By The Bay on November 3rd! The Latin pop group brought the same energy to San Diego that they started with 40 years ago and had most of the crowd standing and dancing at their seats. Even fans enjoying the show from their kayaks just outside […]

Eclectic Soundtrax Podcast, Ep. 61: James Desautels

Air date: November 24, 2021 On this episode of Eclectic Soundtrax, hosts Victor Ramos and Skunk Manhattan chat with virtuoso violinist, composer, producer, songwriter, arranger and conductor, James Desautels. From concert halls and music festivals to small clubs and intimate recording studios, “Jamie” has performed in 37 countries across five continents over a career spanning […]