Is it yesterday already?

Okra and tomato soup at Williams Hardware cafe in TR. Good...

Sun, 12 May 2013 17:28:16 -0400

Okra and tomato soup at Williams Hardware cafe in TR. Good eatin’. (at The Cafe @ Williams Hardware)

Grey-ponytailed Tinsley with the ever-appearing Ted Pecchio on...

Sat, 11 May 2013 22:05:02 -0400

Grey-ponytailed Tinsley with the ever-appearing Ted Pecchio on the bass guitar. (at The Handlebar)

with the Markus King Band flat killing it as openers. (at The...

Sat, 11 May 2013 21:19:43 -0400

with the Markus King Band flat killing it as openers. (at The Handlebar)

I promise to dry off today. I don’t know what smells like...

Mon, 06 May 2013 09:14:37 -0400

I promise to dry off today. I don’t know what smells like wet dog around here…

Swamp Rabbit 5K 2013- Dylan’s first race.

Sun, 05 May 2013 19:20:19 -0400

Swamp Rabbit 5K 2013- Dylan’s first race.

This has been our Shadow for 9 years as of today.

Wed, 01 May 2013 08:06:51 -0400

This has been our Shadow for 9 years as of today.

Split the banana split with Nana last night. (at...

Wed, 01 May 2013 07:01:33 -0400

Split the banana split with Nana last night. (at Dillard’s Ice Cream Parlor)

Spring Skunk 2013. Yes, I’m trying Instagram again. (at...

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:40:35 -0400

Spring Skunk 2013. Yes, I’m trying Instagram again. (at Albino Skunk Music Festival)

Sarah Jarosz Trio Peace Center 2013-04-06

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:32:00 -0400

Sarah Jarosz impresses Peace Center crowd

By Neil Shurley

The lights reflected off the instruments, illuminating in flashes the large Peace Center crowd. It was the closest thing to a special effect on display, but that doesn’t mean there was no spectacle. Fingers dancing, bows flying — three musicians on a bare stage demonstrated the simple joy of hearing stringed instruments masterfully played.

Sarah Jarosz made her first Greenville appearance Saturday night, and was enthusiastically received by an appreciative crowd. Just 21 years old and a month away from college graduation, Jarosz is already a veteran performer, with a Grammy nomination to her name. She’s something of a prodigy, demonstrating impressive banjo, guitar and mandolin skills. She’s also an engaging singer and talented songwriter. On top of all that, she’s got a disarmingly pleasant stage presence. “You guys are awesome!” she told the crowd several times.

Accompanying her were Nathaniel Smith on cello and Alex Hargreaves on fiddle. Together, the three were simply dazzling.

Sounding like a sort of cross between folk, jazz, and bluegrass, Jarosz played her own songs as well as several winning covers, including a fantastic interpretation of Bob Dylan’s “Simple Twist of Fate.” The trio created complex and layered rhythms that seemed to transcend what you typically expect from stringed instruments. Smith’s cello playing, in particular, was nothing short of amazing, shifting from a flashing bow to plucked strings in an instant, propelling the music forward with practiced intensity.

Other highlights included Jarosz’s moving adaptation of an Edgar Allan Poe poem, “Annabelle Lee,” the fiery instrumental “Old Smitty,” and a heartfelt solo performance of Paul Simon’s “Kathy’s Song.”

The variety and virtuosity on display indicated a depth and range that will serve Jarosz well in years to come. In fact, I can see her appeal extending beyond country and roots music fans. It’s not a stretch to imagine Sarah Jarosz winning over classical music crowds and collaborating with imaginative groups like the Kronos Quartet, extending her own range as well as that of the classical repertoire. I look forward to seeing where her career takes her.

Jarosz told us that Saturday night’s crowd was probably the largest she’s ever had, and the Peace Center was certainly the biggest venue she’s ever played. Judging from the crowd’s response, she’d better get used to it.

Listen to the show here:

http://archive.org/details/sarahjarosz2013-04-06.flac24_mrsoul

Full set of pix here: Flickr Set Anders Osborne YLC at the...

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 10:46:00 -0400

Full set of pix here:

Flickr Set

Anders Osborne
YLC at the Square
New Orleans, LA
3/6/13

What a show!

NOLA 2013 with Tricia, a set on Flickr. Our fantastic trip to...

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 10:45:00 -0400

NOLA 2013 with Tricia, a set on Flickr.

Our fantastic trip to New Orleans! Already looking forward to getting back down there one day soon!

The Johnson family make the HIS Radio Winterjam video!

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 10:33:54 -0500

The Johnson family make the HIS Radio Winterjam video!:

Check us out around the 8 minute mark in an interview with DJ Rob Dempsey from HIS Radio. Great night of music and fun!

Winter Jam 2013, a set on Flickr.Picture gallery from a great...

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 11:42:16 -0500

Winter Jam 2013, a set on Flickr.

Picture gallery from a great night at Winter Jam 2013 with the family!

I guess it’s now time for me to get my genetic profile...

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 21:04:12 -0500

I guess it’s now time for me to get my genetic profile done. What an amazing book and challenge to those of us in the field. Looking forward to hearing the author speak in New Orleans at HIMSS 2013 in a few weeks. Healthcare must and will change and this book does a great job of describing why and how. Check it out.

Me with Derek Trucks New Brooklyn Tavern April 2003 10...

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 17:30:10 -0500

Me with Derek Trucks

New Brooklyn Tavern
April 2003

10 years ago this April. Wow!

Tricia and I celebrated our 17th anniversary on her birthday...

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 07:55:37 -0500

Tricia and I celebrated our 17th anniversary on her birthday last Saturday. We had a great dinner at High Cotton in downtown Greenville by the Reedy river at Falls Park. We then hung out at The Brown Street club for some jazz. I am blessed beyond measure to have a wife like my Tricia. Here’s to many, many more. Love you, honeybunny! Thank you for making my life complete. I look forward to the next steps in our journey together.

Top 5 Shows of 2012

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 20:26:00 -0500

5. Gov’t Mule and Dr. John - Uptown Ampitheatre, Charlotte, NC - June 9, 2012 - great to hear some old school Mule and what a great venue- definitely my favorite in Charlotte. A big deal for me to finally see Dr. John in concert and I had some great seats for that set too. An old high school buddy, Daryl Norman, joined me for the show and I had a blast introducing him to da Mule. A great summer night in Charlotte for music fans.

Check some pictures here

4. Steep Canyon Rangers - Pisgah Brewery, Black Mountain, NC - May 19, 2012 - thanks to WNCW, I scored 2 tickets for this show - the CD release party for their latest CD, Nobody Know You. What a fantastic venue - can I say the best in Black Mountain :-) ? I was able to get a soundboard patch and this was definitely my favorite SCR show, so far. Nice dancing crowd, perfect weather and venue. My buddy, Dave Faucette, and I were treated to a fanstastic hometown show by one of the best bluegrass bands in the land. Thanks again to WNCW!

Check some pictures here

3. Tedeschi Trucks Band - Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, Spartanburg, SC - October 20, 2012 - while I thoroughly enjoyed their set at Wanee 2012 - weather, setting, band were top notch - this was my favorite TTB show, so far. Nice to have the full horn section this round (they were missing the trombone in 2011 when they stopped in Spartanburg - he was off getting married). Brian Thomas and I snagged some seats up in the middle of the balcony which is a perfect spot for the sound in that room. Scrapomatic opened with a focused and funky set that set the stage just right for the Tedeschi Trucks Band. I missed Oteil on bass; but, felt Ted Pecchio held the bottom down just fine. Looking forward to my chance to see George Porter, Jr on bass and vocals one of these days. Thanks again to WNCW!

In the meantime, enjoy this video from the TTB with George Porter, Jr holding it down and funky - Ain’t No Use

2. Rush - Time Warner Arena, Charlotte, NC - October 30, 2012. October was a fantastic month for shows. Miles and I had looked forward to this one since the CD Clockwork Angels delivered in June. I have already discussed how good that performance came across on that CD - just the same, Miles and I were blown out of our seats by the inspired and driven show that Rush delivered. I think you will be hard-pressed to find anyone that can play like they are right now with such a long track record of almost 40 years on the road with the SAME line-up - there is no comparison to a Rush concert in terms of production and performance. Our buddies: Jeff Charlton, Paul Evangelisti & Matt and Elizabeth Hopkins joined us for this show. Matt Hopkins and I saw our first Rush show in Charlotte in 1987 - almost 25 years to the day. My 10th Rush show in 25 years and Miles’ 4th since 2008. I look forward to the next round of this tour at an outdoor venue next summer so Dylan can join us again.

Check out some pictures here

1. Mark Knopfler and Bob Dylan - Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN - November 7, 2012. Ok, my mecca to the homeland of the North Country bard - Minnesota. I didn’t find out about this show until about 1 week prior to flying to Minnesota for a work appointment - it was less than 7 miles from my hotel in Minneapolis. I walked up to the show and got a $75 ticket for $50 in cash. I ended up at the end of the floor and almost directly between the stage stacks - what a spot. Mark Knopfler (like Dr. John) was on my short list for “want to see” performers and he is now on my “gotta see again” list. I was so moved by his guitar playing and how he engaged with the crowd - one of the best touring bands as well. Knopfler even made some “Prairie Home Companion” references - well-received by the crowd celebrating the long end of a brutal campaign season that had finally wrapped up the night before. Dylan came out focused, yet loose - not too loose as he is sometimes known to do! Dylan’s set had some of my favorites - 3 with Knopfler coming out on stage to add choice guitar runs - “Things Have Changed” really stuck in my head for a few weeks afterwards. ”Don’t Think Twice”, “Blind Willie McTell” and “Tangled Up in Blue” were so good (3 of those had Knopfler too).

I had two more days in Minnesota for work and it was right in line with the whole experience for me to take a trip to Duluth to end the week - Dylan grew up in Duluth. I was also in the middle of reading Dylan’s autobiography “Chronicles Vol. 1” on the trip too. Like I said, everything lined up for this one. Of the 8 Dylan shows I have seen since 1995, this one was elevated in terms of venue, ambiance, performance and song selection. I will cherish these 3 hours of music and words for a long time down the road.

Check the setlists here

That’s my Top 5 of 2012 - there were many to choose from - I am thankful for so many great opportunities to do what I enjoy the most - see LIVE music that came my way in 2012. Tricia and I had so much fun in Asheville for the Warren Haynes Christmas Pre-Jam and Jam, Switchfoot and Drive By Truckers in Asheville, The Skunk Farm shows (Spring and Fall), Trigger Hippy at the Handlebar, the Wanee in April, my first shows at Alpine Valley with Chris, Nolan and crew for my first Phish shows since the late 1990’s -those were just some of the other highlights of 2012. I am blessed.

See ya down the road at a show in 2013!

Top 5 Albums of 2012 - #1 and #1 ~ Both of them!

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 20:45:15 -0500

#1 Anders Osborne Black Eye Galaxy

I wrote about this one earlier this year and I still feel the same way - No other new music was in my iPhone or Mog.com playlists more than this one. Great singer/songwriter with great guitar licks and energy of emotion. Solid effort and I really enjoyed his Christmas Jam performance (and I called it that he would be there this year!). Do yourself a favor and seek out this one.

#2 Rush Clockwork Angels

Yes, indeed. I could not let this one slip out of my Top 5. I had to rank it #1 in some way. A return to form and focus and a late career peak from one of my all time favorite bands. The album is engaging as a story/concept and the performance is harder and more focused than this band has done in a long while. This is the best of the post Neil hiatus Rush and the tour was the best of the 10 Rush shows I have seen in 25 years. While we had 2 of the tracks since 2010 when they released the EP - how they brought all of the tracks together was mighty impressive and moving. Highly recommended for old and new Rush fans and those curious as to what they have been up to lately. I look forward to visiting their new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame exhibit once they are inducted (finally!). Rush!

Well that’s my Top 5/6 of 2012. A fantastic year of tunes. I’ll post my Top 5 shows of 2012 later this week.

What music moved you in 2012? Happy New Year!

Top 5 Albums of 2012 - #2 Tedeschi Trucks Band ~ Everybody's Talkin'

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 20:25:38 -0500

#2 Tedeschi Trucks Band Everybody’s Talkin’

Like the Warren Haynes studio album that was released in 2011, the Tedeschi Trucks Band also had a studio album in 2011, Revelator. Like the Warren Haynes effort, I also prefer this live offering from the Tedeschi Trucks Band over the studio performance. This double live effort has depth and soul (something that never made it out of the studio). Susan and the horns sound great and Derek really stretches out on some of the solos and intros that recall the classic Derek Trucks Band vibe. Nice to hear “Sierra Leone” in the middle of “Darlin’ Be Home Soon” too!

Top 5 Albums of 2012 - #3 Warren Haynes Band ~ Live at The Moody Theater

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 20:15:54 -0500

#3 - Warren Haynes Band Live at The Moody Theater

While I did enjoy last year’s Man in Motion from Warren Haynes - it was this LIVE album that really took root with me. Much more funky and raw than the album. These tunes needed to be stretched out in front of a crowd. I got the LIVE DVD set as well with the double disc set. Great band and a solid performance. If “Pretzel Logic” doesn’t do it for you, it can’t be done.