Imagine Dragons at...

When Imagine Dragons‘ breakthrough hit “It’s Time” first started to climb the charts late last summer,  its lyrics about never changing who you are immediately hit home for me.  Before long, it had become my anthem for a tumultuous 2012. Over the course of the year that followed, I downloaded Night Visions, became a full-fledged fan, [&hellip

John Mayer &...

Ladies and gentlemen, the John Mayer of old is back. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you probably know why I say this.  Either way, I’ll start (briefly) from the beginning anyway. Mr. Mayer & I go way back: I was first introduced to his music just before his [&hellip

Counting Crows &...

Imagine a terrible day: you’re sick.  You’ve been fighting with one of your best friends all day.  You’re late to an important appointment because traffic is insane, and there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it.  Said lateness makes you miss  a fantastic opportunity, so you’re even more upset than you already were.  Oh, and it’s [&hellip

The Package Tour:...

In the little world that exists between the New Kids on the Block and their fans, I’m what’s affectionately referred to as a “BH:” a Blockhead. I don’t say this with any level of chagrin or irony, and there’s nothing I feel guilty about in the pleasure I take from this group. The fact of [&hellip

Sara Bareilles at...

It’s been two and a half years since Sara Bareilles released her last fantastic record, Kaleidoscope Heart. Now she’s got a great new single, “Brave,” and is challenging herself to be just that by touring solo. The “Brave Enough Tour” challenges Sara to play not only alone on stage, but without the support of an [&hellip

Crystal Bowersox at...

Once upon a time, teenagers in Napa (myself included, back in the 90s) used to complain that there was “nothing to do here.” These days, while I’m sure kids get bored no matter where they live, we certainly have more to do and far less to complain about in this fair valley. And how better [&hellip

Aaron Lewis at...

Forgive the obvious: I mean it when I say that for some of us, it really has been a while since we’ve heard much from Aaron Lewis. For me, for example: I didn’t know he’d been doing anything other than rocking with band Staind until I saw that he was coming to town. Having loved [&hellip

M. Ward at...

It didn’t take long for my friend Kerri (my date for this particular evening) to comment on M. Ward’s persona when his show got underway at the Uptown last month: “he’s a little cutie pie!” That he is, and so much more. For those who may not yet be familiar with Mr. Ward’s tunes, he’s [&hellip

Petty Fest SF...

If you’ve never experienced The Cabin Down Below Band, you quite literally don’t know what you’re missing. My advice? Remedy this error as soon as is possible! This week I got my chance to do just that with a night to remember: Petty Fest’s first ever stop in San Francisco! The evening was hosted by [&hellip