Leslie Hall and her LY’s brought their feline, gem-sweater-loving magic to the Bluebird Theater on Friday to open for Stereo Total. Photos by Tina Hagerling.
Leslie Hall has the best tour bus. Ever. Well, it’s more of a tour van. Walking to the Bluebird on Friday, the bright photos of the band on the vehicle popped out among the rest of the cars at Paradise Cleaners, proudly proclaiming “Jams, Gems and Beautiful Gifts” in neon letters. Seeing the license plate, which really reads “SHAZAM,” got me [...]

Singer-songwriter Trace Bundy (above) and Rob Drabkin drew fans to the Oriental Theater on Friday despite the previous day’s blizzard. Photos by Brian Carney.
Even with the uncertainty in the aftermath of last week’s brief blizzard — and long lines in freezing temperatures — crowds packed the Oriental Theater for Friday’s show with Trace Bundy and Rob Drabkin. It was worth the trek, as the evening ended up being full of laughter and dance in addition to the music.
Bundy captivated the audience with his storytelling, guitar [...]

The Rosebuds performing at the Mohawk in Austin, Texas, on March 20 during the South by Southwest music festival. Mediocre photos by John Wenzel.
Whether it’s your first time visiting Austin, Texas, for South by Southwest or your tenth, you swiftly realize two things are required to enjoy the insanity: tolerance and self-discipline. If you can hang with the consumption of live music, Tex-Mex/BBQ, vice (alcohol, cigarettes, etc.) and endless, blistering walks in the Texas sun for four days in a row — on little sleep [...]

New York buzz band Vivian Girls were one of nearly 2,000 bands at 60 different venues during the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, last week. Photo by Laurie Scavo.
As has been the tradition for over two decades, the streets of Austin were sodded with Converse All-Stars, Tevas and other sensible hoofin’ shoes for 2009′s South By Southwest. Among the gentle seas of foam hats, foam coozies and brightly burned shoulders of tank-topped gig-hoppers, legions of squirrely journalists and equally squirrely musicians bobbed nervously, [...]

Disturbed singer David Draiman holds court at the Fillmore on Wednesday. Photos by Tina Hagerling.
Reverb contributing photographer checks in with this report and photo essay from Wednesday’s Disturbed show:
“A menacing red light filled the atmosphere as vocalist David Draiman rolled onto the the Fillmore’s stage Wednesday night. Fully adorned in Hannibal Lector fashion, the front man quickly emerged from his straightjacket and mask to begin rousing the full house with the rest of Chicago-bred hard-rockers Disturbed.
Aside from the occasional awkward squeak (courtesy of the the [...]

He may have a strong bite, but the ladies loved Pitbull at the Ogden on Wednesday.
When I entered the Ogden for Pitbull’s show Wednesday night, I noticed two black and red patterned bras strewn across the monitors like the theater was a boudoir. Coincidentally, I observed a larger quotient of ladies in the building than the usual rap show, as dozens of primped and pretty women lined the stage awaiting the Florida rapper’s appearance.
Once Pitbull emerged from behind an elaborate conga set up, it was [...]

Cute? Sure. Good? Nah… Photos by Brian Carney.
Cute Is What We Aim For hit their mark at the Gothic on Wednesday, but not much else. Headlining the Sub City Take Action Tour, the band of still-cute, still-teens played a set of anthemic but sadly generic emo-powerpop in front a small but respectable teen crowd.
The tour, in its eighth year and now winding down after two months on the road, is an endeavor to raise funds and awareness, and to “…inspire young people to make a [...]

Brian Jonestown Massacre flouted smoking laws and curfews at the Ogden on Tuesday. Photos by Lindsay McWilliams.
A Brian Jonestown Massacre concert is nothing if not an exercise in bated breath. The seasoned fan basks in the sunny sonic psych of BJM’s repertoire, a ghoulish glee lying coiled within for the first signs of a fracas. Whereas the actual music does well in the private, domestic setting of a stereo or fat pair of headphones, a concert positions any prospects for drama about the stage like [...]

John McLaughlin (left) and Chick Corea offered a little something for everyone at the Paramount on Wednesday. Photo of previous show from the Ann Arbor District Library.
Chick Corea’s music means many different things to many different people.
For some, it’s his work with the Miles Davis supergroup in the late ‘60s. I once caught some footage of one of the band’s live shows from this period: Imagine the patients in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” being given musical instruments instead of their meds one day. [...]

Abe Vigoda acted as the meat in a tasty noise-rock sandwhich at Rhinoceropolis on Wednesday. Photos by Joe McCabe.
The imagery the word “Rhinoceropolis” suggests is nearly perfect: a safari spot in the world of pop culture for catching glimpses of endangered species — bands playing rare and elusive styles of music. It can be a place of danger, excitement and adventure.
But the “endangered” metaphor might also suggest a musical space for an elite few, and that’s an important distinction I want to seriously shut down. [...]