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- Written by Bluebird
Dawes at the 2012 Newport Folk Festival
Photography and Review by Bluebird
This year, the Newport Folk Festival was sold out for months in advance of the show. It drew tens of thousands to Newport, Rhode Island, from all over the Northeast US and beyond. Some of these people have been attending this annual event for generations. There was a time when the budget for this global talent gathering was scarce. During these droughts, the loyal music aficionados, rock snobs and bluegrass historians, still came to support local regional music and folk traditions.
In mingling with the crowd this year and talking to fans at this event, I learned it is this core culture that keeps the bar for the acts as they come through. They talk about each band in great detail, including their connections with folk and music history, as well as regional presence. There are many terms that I learned Folk Festers use, to describe if they approve of an artist's music to be in the line-up of the Newport Folk Festival: "appropriate," "in the folk tradition," "in line with the history of folk," and, of course, ~ "Dylanesque."
Simultaneous to the folk and bluegrass that frames the permeable boundaries of this art, is a new wave of younger, Folk Fest revelers, who are jumping right in to hear their contemporary favorites. 'My Morning Jacket" "Deer Tick" and "Conor Oberst" to name a few. In a myriad of harmonies, the generational Folk followers that I spoke to, said they approved of these bands too, and hailed them as fitting into the storytelling chapters that would dawn the days to come. "Eclectic" the generational Folk Festers say of these new infusions of sound, "a fresh perspective."
And then there was DAWES!
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Mountain Park hosted a fundraiser on July 21, 2012, which will forever remain in my mind. It featured four tribute bands, The Rum Runners, Changes in Latitude, The Machine and Get The Led Out. These talented artists came together to offer the spotlight not on themselves, but on all people and their families getting treatment for cancer. The benefit was to support the Jimmy Fund , Dana Farber Institute , Allie's Five O'Clock Fund .These programs, and the families they serve, were the rock stars that night. I felt great about attending this event. What I didn't expect, however, was to witness the impact of these programs on the children who are fighting cancer. Day after day, often for years, these kids are being challenged to endure evaluations, treatments and long hospital stays. The warm summer evening and fun party crowd was perfect to lift the spirits of cancer survivors and their families, while hopefully, adding some funds to the agencies whose mission we may not pay attention to, unless someone in our circle needs them.
THE MACHINE:
The Machine delivered Pink Floyd close to the original, with their own persona, which instantly engaged the crowd.
Joe came out on stage and elegantly said, "We're The Machine. We're from New York City. We're gonna play Pink Floyd music for you."
"... later, another band will play Led Zeppelin ..." Some of the fans in this laid back barefoot crowd jokingly grumbled, because they had traveled several hours, just to see The Machine.
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Fort Adams State Park, Newport, Rhode Island 
July 28, 2012
Review and Photos by Bluebird
Patty Griffin can do anything.
I first saw her at the House of Blues in Boston (2011) with the Band of Joy. Harmonizing with Robert Plant, playing with Darrell Scott and ruckusing with Buddy Miller, her voice was faithfully doing what was best for the bluegrass, slow core, and Zeppelin remake songs that they engaged her to take on. She handled this record and the live set beautifully, with vocal control and wisdom.
When I left that show, after almost passing out, because I was reeling from the image of Robert Plant, hovering over us in the front row, singing "Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down" and "Ramble On," I had two thoughts. First, my husband who witnessed this, will never be the same again. And second, I knew I had to pursue Patty Griffin's music outside of this context, because I could imagine her solo work would be a journey to enjoy.
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- Written by Dave "Bippy" Boyer
The Singing Element of Ms. K. D. Lang, at Turning Stone Casino, Oneida, New York
Wednesday August 15, 2012 
Review by: Dave "Bippy" Boyer, Rochester New York.
Sketch by Dave "Bippy" Boyer.
I'm a newbie. This is my first review. And my first time ever seeing Ms. K. D. Lang perform with the, "Siss Boom Bang" band. But on that, I hope it's not my last. Because basically it was a celebration of everyone just being themselves and accepting of each other.
A dear long time artist friend quickly bought two tickets to the August 15, 2012 K.D. Lang concert. And good she did that. The Showroom at the Turning Stone Casino (Oneida New York) 800 seat capacity filled up very fast. Everyone applauded warmly as K. D. Lang walked down stage dressed in a black suit with a black vest, white blouse and a bright red scarf or cravat. Behind her was her band called, "The Siss Boom Bang" band. They capably played anything from sliding steel guitar for a country sound - to base, drums, lead guitar, and keyboard accompaniment that sounded like "Leslie" spinning speakers sometimes.
Read more: K. D. Lang, at the Turning Stone Casino, Oneida, New York
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~For My Sister Grace, " ... say a prayer for The Pretender ..".
Review and Photos by Bluebird.
The Newport Folk Festival has been running for decades, drawing fans and musicians from New England, but expands its reach around the world. It is an outdoor event, held at the Fort Adams State Park, which is accessible by road and water taxi off the Newport harbor. Fort Adams hosts four stages with vendors and facilities accommodating tens of thousands of people. The festival runs for two full days, starting at 11 am, with the last act hitting the stage around 6 pm. The line-up of this year's festival was an eclectic mix of historic folk that spanned the Guthrie's, a tribute to Levon Helm, and a shot of straight out funk, soul performance by Charles Bradley, making way for a kickin house jam, with the up and coming rock band, Dawes.
The headliners for the festival this year were, My Morning Jacket and Jackson Browne. And right on cue for both nights of performance, just in time for these long awaited acts - RAIN! Now, I don't mean drizzle or a summer mist to cool off the heated, tie dyed, crowd. I mean a heavy, coastal, ruin-your-cellphone-in-your-pocket, kind of rain.
So what do faithful folk fans do when Jackson Browne comes on and the skies open up?
We 'Stay'.
And so does Jackson Browne.
Read more: Jackson Browne at the Newport Folk Festival, 2012
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- Written by Bluebird
July 21, 2012
Many thanks to GET THE LED OUT and Front Row Dave for making this review possible!
Mountain Park, Holyoke, MA.
FINS UP!
Mountain Park hosted a fundraiser called, SUMMER STATE OF MIND, on July 21, 2012, which will forever remain in my mind. It featured four tribute bands, The Rum Runners, Changes in Latitude, The Machine and Get The Led Out. These talented artists came together to offer the spotlight not on themselves, but on all people and their families getting treatment for cancer. The benefit supported the Jimmy Fund, Dana Farber Institute, and Allie's Five O'Clock Fund. It is these programs and the people they serve who were the rock stars that night. I knew the music would be great and the crowd would be generous.
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- Written by Matthew Joel Phillips
SLASH feat. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators
w/ Monster Truck
MONDAY, JULY 30th, 2012
CASINONB
MONCTON, NB
by: Matthew Phillips
Fredericton, NB CANADA
Monday night was alright for headbangin' in Atlantic Canada's mecca for metal
(Moncton, NB) with the return of Slash to the hub city roughly 25 years after
his former band Guns 'N' Roses opened there for The Cult in 1987.