Best Live Bands Right Now

[JCSuperstar]

Seeing a McD post is like seeing Halley's Comet and will always gets a like.

 

[Milo65]

I saw Blackberry Smoke live, great live band.

 

[Fatroony5]

Krasno isnt with Lettuce anymore right? or the soulive guys join once in a while. I've seen Infamous Stringdusters with Ryan Adams and that was a top 3 show of all time.

Correct. Kras stopped touring with them years ago, but he’ll sit in from time to time, he’s still real close with those guys. Lettuce is my favorite live band going right now, they’re on fire.

The dusters are awesome too, my favorite blue grass group going. Anyone looking to get into a blue grass band that aren’t huge blue grass fans, they’re a good place to start.

Marcus king band, the fritz, caamp, sunsquabi, and dumpstaphunk are some other bands I’ve seen lately and liking these days.

 

[Pawsox]

For those of the progressive music bent, I offer the following:
Opeth - just played the Apollo in NYC. Mikael Akerfeldt on guitar and vocals is amzing. And no more "cookie monster" vocals.

Thank You Scientist - New Jersey's own. Unbelievable live.

Steve Hackett - ex Genesis guitarist is still at it. Playing in Northhampton next week.

Big Big Train - if you liked early Genesis, give them a try. First North American tour coming up in May.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I've seen Los Lobos 8 times in the past 35 years.....they are opening for The Mavericks at Tanglewood in June and headlining at The Indian Ranch in Webster, MA in September. A cool, small, old timey venue on Webster Lake.

Thanks for all of the above (and your couple other contributions to the thread).

I will go to one or both of these.

Originally, I thought there'd be little here for me, except to inspire going through my calendar and determining that since last June 21st (Make Music Day), I've gone out and listened to live music 58 times, but rarely in settings or venues or for artists like those discussed here.

I think my total outlay for show admissions has been under $250, though my 3-day pass to Falcon Ridge Folk Fest was a gift from a friend.

Last night, I stopped into New Haven's Three Sheets for a couple of Tuesday Tacos and the last hour of the NHJU Jazz Jam. I've been to house concerts, town greens, parks, restaurants, a yurt, recital halls, bar, clubs, a video store, churches, a furniture store, art galleries, civic festivals, and, yes, the Polish Falcons club grounds.

LOTS of very good to excellent music of MANY types, and a decent list could be made by what I didn't get to.

QUESTION: Who here has gone to the late summer festival at Ninigret Park in Charlestown, RI? Recommended?

 

[8893]

QUESTION: Who here has gone to the late summer festival at Ninigret Park in Charlestown, RI? Recommended?

I've been to Rhythm & Roots almost 20 times, more than 15 of which were consecutive years camping for the full weekend with the family, which grew from two to five over the course of those years. If you liked Falcon Ridge you will love R&R. Highly recommended, and definitely camp. The late night scene in the campground is very cool and there are usually a few great sessions of very talented musicians that you can stumble upon.

The weather is usually stellar, but be prepared for anything from mid-90s and full sun to full-blown Nor'easters or hurricanes, and everything in between.

 

[-McD-]

Yes!!!! When in my Plymouth Volare, my friends in college got a steady dose of beat farmers, los lobos, X, blasters, lone justice and Jason & the scorchers.

Since my wife started up on her concert-going obsession in 2016 I've been filling in my Setlist.fm profile with all the shows that I can remember going to. There are still quite a few that aren't on the list because I haven't been able to figure what the date was. I'm trying to find my envelope with all my old ticket stubs.

 

[sdglast]

Pigeons and goose, good calls. Jrad obviously. Tab is so much fun. Goose really gets jammy, I saw them open for Pigeons.

Totally agree on Goose. They are fantastic. Phish has been amazing these past few years. So tight. Was at the 12/29/18 show at MSG and set 2 was breathtaking. Trey Band is phenomenal. His College Street show last year was awesome!

 

[Kathy]

For those of the progressive music bent, I offer the following:
Opeth - just played the Apollo in NYC. Mikael Akerfeldt on guitar and vocals is amzing. And no more "cookie monster" vocals.

Thank You Scientist - New Jersey's own. Unbelievable live.

Steve Hackett - ex Genesis guitarist is still at it. Playing in Northhampton next week.

Big Big Train - if you liked early Genesis, give them a try. First North American tour coming up in May.

Opeth is great. Get to see Steve Hackett, Jordan Rudess, Marrilion, Flying Colors and more on the cruise I'm going on March 27th.
Big Big Train is good - haven't seen them live yet. Also like Headspace and Anathema.

 

[Pawsox]

Opeth is great. Get to see Steve Hackett, Jordan Rudess, Marrilion, Flying Colors and more on the cruise I'm going on March 27th.
Big Big Train is good - haven't seen them live yet. Also like Headspace and Anathema.

Wanted to do the Cruise to the Edge this year, but the wife killed that idea. Very jealous! Would love to see Riverside, the Flower Kings, Haken, and Glass Hammer again.

I am on a Big Big Train kick now. Will be seeing them in Quebec City and Bound Brook, NJ in May. 600 seat theaters, so it will be very intimate.

 

[Kathy]

Wanted to do the Cruise to the Edge this year, but the wife killed that idea. Very jealous! Would love to see Riverside, the Flower Kings, Haken, and Glass Hammer again.

I am on a Big Big Train kick now. Will be seeing them in Quebec City and Bound Brook, NJ in May. 600 seat theaters, so it will be very intimate.

Small venues - those are the best kind. I'll let you know how the cruise goes- first time. If it goes well would be looking at 70,000 tons of metal next January.

 

[Kathy]

Wanted to do the Cruise to the Edge this year, but the wife killed that idea. Very jealous! Would love to see Riverside, the Flower Kings, Haken, and Glass Hammer again.

I am on a Big Big Train kick now. Will be seeing them in Quebec City and Bound Brook, NJ in May. 600 seat theaters, so it will be very intimate.

Too bad it's May 17th - already have tickets for Symphony X in Philly that day.

 

[superjohn]

Oh man.... I've loved the Blasters since the early 80s.... finally saw them a few years back at a club in Collinsville, CT. They opened for Rev. Horton Heat. I think i was the only one there to see the opening act.

Collinsville, CT. has clubs? Reverend Horton Heat was in Collinsville?

 

[superjohn]

I've been to Rhythm & Roots almost 20 times, more than 15 of which were consecutive years camping for the full weekend with the family, which grew from two to five over the course of those years. If you liked Falcon Ridge you will love R&R. Highly recommended, and definitely camp. The late night scene in the campground is very cool and there are usually a few great sessions of very talented musicians that you can stumble upon.

The weather is usually stellar, but be prepared for anything from mid-90s and full sun to full-blown Nor'easters or hurricanes, and everything in between.

I went to Falcon Ridge a few summers ago and right when we waked in there was a hippie with his junk hanging out of a mini skirt.

 

[80shusky]

The Mavericks. For 30 years....this 9 piece mixes tex mex, cuban, rockabilly, 60s soul, country and rock into their 2 1/2 hour shows.... and Raul Malo has one of the greatest voices in music, compared often to Roy Orbison....

This is awesome. Not sure I would agree "Best live band" because there are so many to choose from (of course this is subject to what kind of music people like not trying to harsh on you) but their sound is great, they are entertaining and different. Thanks for posting this! I'm going searching...

 

[80shusky]

I went to Falcon Ridge a few summers ago and right when we waked in there was a hippie with his junk hanging out of a mini skirt.

That was you walking in? Why didn't you say hi?

 

[coloradohusky]

Totally agree on Goose. They are fantastic. Phish has been amazing these past few years. So tight. Was at the 12/29/18 show at MSG and set 2 was breathtaking. Trey Band is phenomenal. His College Street show last year was awesome!

I agree. I was at the 12/29/18 show and the Tab College st. Seeing Tab again in may, and seeing pigeons with Goose at the Cap in April i think. 2 nights. Between 18 and 19 plus Mexico, ive seen 41 Phish shows...saw 4 Ghost of the Forest, 2 Trey solos at Carnegie, MGB, and a ton more... Im gd broke now... lol

 

[Huskybass]

U2.

The first time I saw U2 was at Woolsey Hall on the Yale campus. I saw them twice that year.

 

[Mano]

Local jammers Dead Show with Jeff Martinson.

Overblown karaoke.

 

[alexd]

Collinsville, CT. has clubs? Reverend Horton Heat was in Collinsville?

Yep. Bridge St. Live....right on the Farmington River.

It was Dec. 2017. The Reverand's annual Holiday Sleighride Tour.

 

[alexd]

The first time I saw U2 was at Woolsey Hall on the Yale campus. I saw them twice that year.

Saw them at stage west/agora in W. Hartford. Maybe 250 people there.

 

[August_West]

Lake Street Dive

Rachael is a fricking queen.

 

[8893]

Lake Street Dive

Rachael is a fricking queen.

Yes she is, but the weakness of the band is exposed when they play on a larger stage imo. They were one of the headliners at Rhythm and Roots a few years ago and I was so psyched to see them because I had been a fan for a few years already by then but had yet to see them live. I loved the videos I had watched, all of which were from tiny venues (or street corners). A then relatively unknown band, Dustbowl Revival, preceded them on the same stage at R&R and it was unanimous among our krewe and all the people with whom we spoke that Dustbowl Revival put on a better show on that stage. I've since seen Dustbowl Revival at Cafe Nine and they were also great in that tiny room.

Rachel is a great talent, but I think she deserves a better band.

 

[notadime11]

Have enjoyed seeing Tedeschi Trucks Band the last few summers. Before that used to love to see Dave Matthews Band and as always Phish. Does anyone have any recommendations for good touring acts at the current moment?

A CT based band that has recently been surging on the festival scene incl. opening for Dead & Co. in Mexico is called Goose. Highly recommend.

Here's a recent live show:

 

[Dove]

Overblown karaoke.

I'll agree they mail it in sometimes. Especially at The Front Porch in old Saybrook.