2023 Music Highlights

 After a hiatus of 8+ years I'm going to try to revive my live music blog. I'm not sure if I'll have the discipline to keep it up, but it seems like a good resolution for 2024. I'll kick things off with a summary of my favorite concert experiences from 2023. 

In January I saw a wonderful performance by the quartet of Sam Bush (mandolin/violin), Mike Marshall (mandolin), George Meyer (violin) and Edgar Meyer (bass) at the Fox Theatre in Tucson. They played works from the celebrated album Short Trip Home along with new music written for the tour. I was really impressed with the expressive, almost lyrical, bass playing by Edgar Meyer. 

Gem & Jam Festival 2023

At the end of January, for the third straight year we went to the Gem & Jam Festival at the Tucson Fairgrounds. We didn't camp this year, simply a day trip to this festival that leans heavily on electronic music and DJs. Highlights for me were Dogs in a Pile and Pixie & the Partygrass Boys. We also enjoyed the set by KR3TURE and even had a nice conversation with him after his performance.

One of our favorite music venues in Tucson is Monterey Court and we caught several good shows there throughout the year, including local artists the Porch Rockers, the Morpholinos and Heather Hardy.

Toasting farewell to Dead & Co. and Anchor Steam Beer, both of which claimed that 2023 was their final year. 

Dead & Co. (Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann/Jay Lane, Jeff Chimenti, Oteil Burbridge, John Mayer) announced that 2023 would be their final year of touring, so we signed up for the show in Phoenix (May 23) and 2 out of 3 of the final shows in San Francisco (July 14 and 15). We tried to get tickets for the July 16 show but they sold out too fast. The band was in fine form (although it was a shame that Bill Kreutzmann decided to opt out), they continue to breathe new life into the Grateful Dead catalog and their improvisational explorations are so much fun. A special shout out to Gerard and Julie who hosted us in San Francisco and made all of the logistics so easy. It will be interesting to see what some or all of them do for 2024, there are rumors of a stint at the new Sphere in Las Vegas. 

Fresh on our return from San Francisco we caught Old Crow Medicine Show at the Fox, high energy as ever and hot on the heels of their new album, Jubilee, this was a barn burner of a show. 

August 5 was the KXCI House Rockin' Blues Review at the El Casino Ballroom. This year's headliner was "The King of Bollywood Blues" Aki Kumar who delivered a blistering set of hybrid traditional blues and Indian music. Sounds weird but he really pulls it off. Opening was the always reliable Heather Hardy and the Dusty City Blues Band.

Durango Blues Train

Later in August we went to Durango Colorado for the Durango Blues Train where an old narrow gauge train runs from Durango to Silverton (and back) with a different blues act on each rail car. You can roam from car to car and catch all of the musicians, beautiful scenery, and a raucous crowd of fun loving folks. Beer is involved. Thanks to Gary and Laura for hosting us and introducing us to this unique event. 

Calexico

The University of Arizona kicked off their football season with a big tailgate party and Calexico delivered a rocking performance on the university lawn. I have to admit that ever since moving to Tucson I have enjoyed listening to Calexico, I have several of their albums, but I had never seen them live. I was most impressed and immediately grabbed tickets for their upcoming performance with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra coming up in a couple of weeks. 

Buddy Guy

At age 86, Buddy Guys is a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, a major influence on rock titans like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughn, a pioneer of Chicago's fabled West Side sound, and all around jamming dude. Somehow I had never seen him before, and his show in September at the Casino del Sol amphitheater was a real blast. He's funny, still got great chops and he knows how to entertain a crowd. 

We caught a fun event on October 1 at the Hotel Congress. It was a fundraiser for a mobile shower facility for the homeless population of Southern Arizona. We could move between the outdoor plaza and the indoor club to catch local acts like Black Cat Bones, Mark Insley, and Tom Walbank. 

Also in October we sat front row center to enjoy Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band at the Rialto Theatre, we also caught a nice show there by Rodney Crowell. 

The Steel Wheels 

One of the best musical experiences for us was at the Hotel Congress Plaza in November. The Steel Wheels is a band that we've followed for years, we were first exposed to them at the Red Wings Roots Festival in Virginia. Their show in November was the best we've seen with great musicianship, tight harmonies and new songs that will be on their next album scheduled for release in February.

Kevin Pakulis Band with Heather Hardy

Finally, we celebrated New Year's Eve with the Kevin Pakulis Band at the Borderlands Brewery. On most Sunday afternoons you can find us at Borderlands enjoying Kevin and his band, he always puts on a good show. For New Year's Eve the event was moved inside and into the evening and he was joined by Heather Hardy and a guitar player (whose name I missed).  There were definitely some Allman Brothers vibes coming from them at various points and everyone was dancing and it was a great way to finish the year!