When Archie Brownlee, the legendary founding leader of The Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, died of pneumonia while on tour in New Orleans in 1960, the group that had formed in the mid-1930s was coming […]
Who Was That Random Man Glen Hansard Invited Onstage at Newport?
Earlier this week, I posted a few of my favorite moments from this year’s Newport Folk Festival. But there’s one more that I thought deserved a little extra attention. Unannounced performances in Newport aren’t unusual. […]
Kaitlin Chow’s Newport Sketch Book
After seven straight years of covering the Newport Folk Fest, I’ve gotten to know a bunch of folks that also make it every year. One of those fine festivarians is the fantastic illustrator, designer and photographer Kaitlin […]
RECAP: Perpetual FOMO at the 2016 Newport Folk Festival
Margo Price at Newport – Photo by Jamie Reiley of our friends at Music Savage The anxiety that comes with navigating the Newport Folk Festival’s overlapping sets is something that gets worse for me every […]
2016 Newport Folk Festival Preview
After many months of a much needed hiatus, we’re back just in time for this weekend’s Newport Folk Festival. As in the past, this year’s lineup consists of a genre-spanning and well-curated melting pot of […]
Back in the Spring
I’ve been taking some guilt-free time to focus on my new business. See you in April!
VIDEO PREMIERE: Joseph & Maia – “I Know”
When Joseph Thompson & Maia Potier signed with Sony New Zealand back in 2013, the label tried to get the duo to change their poppy alt-country sound. Refusing to succumb to their Sony’s heavy hand, the young Kiwi duo, […]
SHOW OF THE WEEK: Spirit Family Reunion at Threes Brewing
Photo: Richard Kluver/grass clippings blog Longtime gcb-favorite Spirit Family Reunion is performing every Monday in January at Threes Brewing in Park Slope. The band, which released Hands Together last April and is currently pulling together some […]
Bennett Sullivan Releases New Banjo Instruction App of Licks
Chances are that later this week a bunch of folks will get a new banjo under the tree. While a special moment, a holiday of steady banjo playing without decent teaching and new inspiring material […]
SHOW OF THE WEEK: The Gregory Brothers 10th Annual Christmas Extravaganza
Photo by Denny Renshaw Ten years ago, there were (relatively) few who knew of The Gregory Brothers. But four years before Evan, Michael, Andrew and Evan’s wife Sarah began auto-tuning the news, and five years […]
SONG OF THE WEEK: “Novembervals” – Lena Jonsson & Brittany Haas
Earlier this year, celebrated Swedish fiddler Lena Jonsson, also of The Goodbye Girls, teamed up with Californian fiddler Brittany Haas, member of Haas Kowert Tice and Crooked Still who also recently performed on David Rawlings […]
2016 Newport Folk Festival Tickets for Saturday Sell Out In Hours
Photo: Richard Kluver/grass clippings This morning the Newport Folk Festival began selling tickets for next year’s festival. Without any tips about the headliners, Saturday tickets were gone in just a few hours. Friday and Sunday tickets […]