Shokazoba and Superswank at the Elevens, June 11th, 2010, Northampton, MA.

Shokazoba is a ten piece Afrobeat ensemble that blends jazz and old school funk, with a West African beat that sets the foundation for a great community vibe. Their website describes their roots from Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti and our favorite Godfather of funk, James Brown. They have won several regional music awards and one visit to their show last night demonstrated that these were well deserved.

This ensemble was among the hardest working bands I've seen in a long time.

Mary J. Blige, March 20, 2010, Miami Gardens

dsc07062-150wAttended by Melissa Sacco and Amanda Bilancione. Great show !
Review By Melissa Sacco.

I had the pleasure of seeing the one and only Mary J.Blige on March 20, 2010 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Mary was the headliner for the annual Jazz in the Gardens Festival that salutes Jazz and R&B musicians for an entire weekend of music, food, and fun.

U2 LIVE

thumb_dsc06003October 9, 2009
Raymond James Stadium
Tampa, Florida

by Melissa Sacco

I had the opportunity and pleasure of seeing U2 for the very first time on October 9, 2009 in Tampa, Florida. This was U2’s only stop in Florida, so people from all over the state traveled to see the show. I had heard prior to attending this concert that the band spends a fortune on the stage setting, sound, and lighting for every show and tour. However, I did not imagine

thumb_drummer_yes_02-08-2010The Calvin Theatre in Northampton is an historic venue. The antique decor and close quarters with the artists make it an intimate show. The stage set for YES was simple. There was a collection of white canvases flying over the stage like birds. The only YES logo was on the drum set. Vintage. Perfect. 

The crowd, for a Monday night, were lively. Well seasoned rockers, true blue hippies, starched shirts and the Valley's finest artists were there. The intergenerational presence was striking. Parents with teenage kids sporting mod haircuts and grunge wear were common.

Billy Joel/Elton John Face to Face Tour: July 18th, 2009; Foxboro Stadium, Foxboro, Mass.

The stage was set with one side honoring New York and the other depicting London. The show began with references to God Save the Queen for Elton John and Yankee Doodle Dandy to bring in Billy Joel.

The crowd was excited for their arrival. Two pianos face each other and they took the stage, playing each others songs, trading solo voices and piano pieces. Your Song, Just The Way You Are, Don't Let The Sun Go Down on Me (clad with yellow lights, and timed for the pending sunset.

January 16, 2010.

"We know you love cheap, tacky, awful stuff. We do too."

Often it's the who, what, where and when that makes the point of a situation. If you're hanging out with your groovy friend in the city, wearing rainbow mittens and psyched about something to do between the vintage record stores and the fortune teller, call ahead and make reservations at The Duplex for Hole-O-Matic, endearingly known as Gashole.

The Cure

Madison Square Garden
June 20, 2008

The Cure/Set list

"Buy a record, support the artists, preserve the future of music"

Remember to support your favorite artists through buying their products.
A good place to start is searching BestBuy.com and Amazon.com.