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As a writer, you're often told that a particular artist is great.  "Oh man, you've GOT to check them out -- they're gonna be HUGE!"  Most of the time it turns out to be hype.Cynicism aside, The Daily Vault's own Jason Warburg spoke highly of the Brooklyn-based Chris Cubeta & The Liars Club to me quite some time ago.  He told of Chris' charm and wit and talent, and they do shine through in his songs.  But I would be out of town every time the band would be gigging around town in New York, NY.While I will be out of…

Progressive rock fans – and perhaps especially Yes fans -- are a breed apart.  Deeply devoted and often just as deeply opinionated, they have a tendency to put the fan in “fanatic.”  But what happens when you put two lifelong Yes fans on the phone, one a music writer and the other a longtime prog musician and -- to his own lasting amazement and pride -- former member of Yes? The topic at hand was the new album by Circa, a fresh conglomeration of Yes associates past and present that includes Billy Sherwood on bass and vocals, Tony Kaye on…

Who knew that John Mayer would ever have street cred? Or that lovably nerdy opening act Ben Folds would ever jump up onto his piano in the middle of his set and shake his ass before launching into his hilariously uncharacteristic cover of Dr. Dre’s “Bitches Ain’t Shit?” Along with a fantastic rendition of Whatever and Ever Amen’s quietly gorgeous “Brick” and Folds pausing before his next song to inform the audience, kindergarten teacher-style, about what a synthesizer is (as well as noting that at a certain decibel, it would make you “shart”), his Elton John-esque jangling piano-pop intro was…

It’s not very often that two of my passions intersect, so I take the moment when they do. As a music reviewer, I cheerfully and shamelessly admit I like big-screen, bombastic rock and roll, and Styx – specifically the Crystal Ball to Paradise Theater stage – is one of my favorite bands. As a men’s movement activist and a man with many, many gay and HIV+ friends, I love to support and fight for gay rights and HIV+ rights. In his new autobiography, The Grand Illusion, Chuck Panozzo allows me to share two passions at once -- and even better, he…

In three scant years, The Arcade Fire has gone from playing in bars to headlining music festivals and selling out venues like The Chicago Theatre in a matter of minutes. They are the band of the moment, drawing celebrity sightings at their shows (murmurs of Tim Robbins and Vince Vaughn sightings were heard from some of the crowdgoers for the Friday show).  Opening for The Arcade Fire was St. Vincent, led by singer/songwriter Annie Clark. Appearing solo onstage for a few songs, Clark performed with a blues-heavy swagger. Sadly, as her supporting band came out, St. Vincent’s sound became more one-dimensional…

I am not an avid jam band fan. Bands like Phish and the Grateful Dead are mysterious entities to me. I own nothing by either band -- a fact that I’m not necessarily proud of, but that I mention in the interest of framing this concert review in a clear context. I have no personal interest in whether Umphrey's McGee makes a lot of money on their current tour. I can also tell you that I felt ferociously out of place. I'm 35, married, kids, eight-to-five job in the software industry. My fellow concert goers were all young (under 25),…

Upon first glance, Jamal Joseph's Tupac Shakur biography Legacy looks like a masterpiece.  Legacy is much bigger than the average novel, and includes numerous cutouts and inserts reminiscent of an exciting children’s book. There are very few MCs who have the type of “legacy” Tupac has left behind, which makes his story that much more intriguing. I am a huge Tupac fan and was eager to see the method behind those introspective lyrics. But instead of receiving insight into the recording process of one of hip-hop’s greats, Legacy instead focuses on the life of Tupac’s mother and Tupac’s extracurricular activities outside of…

 Photo © William Hawkins - morphusphotography.comI'm smiling, sitting in the Hawkeye Downs Expo Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Lamb Of God's soundcheck is over and the arena is now filled with various noises. The roadies for the other three bands on the bill work feverishly to set up the stage for the concert. The roster reads Gojira, Machine Head, Trivium and Lamb Of God. It is a great lineup on paper. Satisfied with his drums, Lamb of God drummer Chris Adler walks from backstage to the arena floor to greet me. We find a place to sit down and talk about…