Wounded Messenger’s Best of 2009 Week Begins!

With not only a year but an entire decade of music to celebrate, we’ll be bringing you our “Best of” 2009 lists all week long. We begin with our favorite 10 live shows of the year, followed later this week by our favorite albums of the year and our 101 favorite albums of the decade.
Nothing [...]

Hip-Hop Legends Honored at All-Star Salute in Carrboro

One of the most invigorating hip-hop shows of 2009 occurred at Carrboro, NC’s Cat’s Cradle on December 12th, 2009. A chilly, drizzly Saturday night stood in contrast to the heat that was generated by the many fine performances as part of a Salute to DJ Premier and Pete Rock. It’s no exaggeration to say that [...]

Charlottesville Phish Review, Photos, and Videos

My review of the December 5, 2009 Charlottesville Phish show is now up at Glide Magazine, along with some of my wife’s photos and various YouTube videos.

Halloween Concerts Provide Unusual Covers, Inspired Performances

Everyone knows by now that Phish presented The Rolling Stones‘ Exile on Main Street in its entirety for their “musical costume” on Halloween. Featuring the incredible Sharon Jones on vocals, along with the necessary horns, the performance is deserving of the immediate praise it received. But what about the rest of the holiday shenanigans across [...]

Allman Brothers Band & Widespread Panic Raleigh Review on Glide Magazine!

My review of the October 11, 2009 Allman Brothers Band/Widespread Panic show at Walnut Creek is now up at Glide Magazine’s Hidden Track Blog! Go here to read and see Dave Rogers’ amazing photos!

Music on the Mountaintop 2009 Review

My review and photos of the Music on the Mountaintop festival are now up at Glide Magazine’s Hidden Track blog.

Live Review: Phish – Merriweather Post Pavilion, August 15, 2009

Having recently pressed their collective “reset” button after a half-decade of nonexistence, the guys in Phish have so far used 2009 as – to cop a phrase from the sports world -  a “rebuilding year.” The indulgent comeback shows in March served as an enticing prelude to an early summer tour that satisfied but merely [...]

Live Review: Gov’t Mule, Raleigh, NC, July 26, 2009

My review of the Gov’t Mule and Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit show at the Lincoln Theatre Street Stage is up at Hidden Track – Glide Magazine’s Blog. Take a look at it won’t you?

Live Review: Janiva Magness at Blue Bayou, Hillsborough, NC, July 17, 2009

Red-hot blues singer Janiva Magness brought her acclaimed show to Hillsborough’s tiny Blue Bayou Club and treated 100 or so lucky patrons to a performance that was as sultry as the humid southern weather. Many fans were surprised to arrive at the club and find the show sold out in advance, which is a testament [...]

Live Review: Eric Bachmann at Duke Gardens, Durham, NC, July 22, 2009

Near the end of his hour-long set at Duke Gardens, Eric Bachmann appeared to get a little emotional. His voice cracked ever so slightly and his face contorted the way people’s faces do when they’re fighting back tears. As he thanked a few people for helping him “live the dream, which was sometimes a nightmare,” [...]