3. Our first time seeing Gillian Welch and David Rawlings was this year at the Newport Folk Fest. We managed to get in as "backstage recycling crew." That was magical.
Happy New Year SOM‚
Ben‚ Jeff‚ Jocie - The Low Anthem
Read our recent piece on The Low Anthem.


Jon Topper - Top Artist Productions (manager of moe.‚ Cornmeal‚ Fatboy Records)
 

Hector (moe. drum tech)‚ Topper‚ Bob Costas
1. moe. with Béla Fleck at moe.down
2. Meeting Bob Costas at Farm Aid (see photo)
3. Presidents of The United States of America at moe.down
4. Cornmeal at The Vic
5. Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson album Rattlin' Bones
6. Levon Helms' album Dirt Farmer
7. JJ Grey and Mofro's album Orange Blossom
8. moe. album Sticks and Stones


Jason Moran -- pianist and composer
 

photo by Clay Patrick McBride
1. Playing in a trio with Chris Potter and Paul Motian at the Village Vanguard.
2. Being totally blown away by Gonzalo Rubalcaba and his group at the Village Vanguard.
3. Learning from Pauline Oliveros about Deep Listening.
4. Scoring the music for a Kara Walker video/puppet piece.
5. Playing with Bill Frisell on a recent completed commission‚ Live:Time.


Dave Migliore -- drummer of BuzzUniverse
 

photo by Jennifer Schrader
18th Annual Stonehenge Music Festival June 21
We drove for six-plus hours and played in upstate New York air so cold we could see our breath at night. We caught five‚ maybe six hours of sleep then drove another six hours to beautiful central Pennsylvania. Our good friends The Jack were playing the best show we had ever heard them play. Despite our lack of sleep and food‚ we played a killer set and had members of The Jack & Stonehenge stalwarts Juggling Suns sit in with us. Definitely worth all the rigmarole getting there.
Mountain Jam IV May 30
Our first time in the big leagues. Never have so many people treated us so well. What a thrill to play on a huge stage in a huge setting with the best sound we've ever had. More thoughts here.
Sullivan Hall June 5 w/ The Lee Boys featuring Marco Benevento
We were the second opener before the Lee Boys/Benevento and played our wham-bam thank you for opening for a national act m'am set. We hung around and witnessed Marco Benevento‚ Soulive's Eric Krasno and Warren Haynes sit in with the Brothers. You might think that with all that high-priced talent onstage‚ it would turn into a soloist's wankfest. Wrong. It was a beautiful lesson in being selfless and brilliant simultaneously. (Never thought we'd see Warren twice in one week.)
The Dave Brubeck Quartet April 18
The Quartet (piano‚ bass‚ drums & sax) played a 70-minute set of pure transcendence. I never heard four musicians LISTEN to each other like these guys did. They took old chestnuts and re-invented them like a band full of twenty-somethings (They are all grandfathers‚ and in Dave's case‚ great-grandfathers) When it came time to drag out the obligatory "Take Five‚" they dutifully played the melody‚ then broke it down into something dark and dissonant. Effin brilliant. I hope I can play with half the grace and artistic courage these guys displayed when I'm in my golden years. After having a triple bypass.


Catherine Herrick -- publicist for Beggars Group: 4AD + Matador Records + Rough Trade + XL Recordings
Here's my live picks:
The Dodos at SXSW March 12
Fucked Up at SXSW March 13
The Breeders at Webster Hall June 10
Mission of Burma at Bowery Ballroom performing Signals‚ Calls‚ and Marches June 14 and Vs. June 15
The Kiss-Off at The Mercury Lounge December 4th


Aron Magner - keyboardist of the Disco Biscuits‚ Conspirator and Electron

photo by C Taylor Crothers
Electron May 2008‚ Quixotes - Denver Colorado
This show was a subtle reminder of how fun it is to play music. It
was a low pressure gig with 3 of my closest friends and most revered
musicians‚ Marc Brownstein‚ Tom Hamilton and Joe Russo. Just a bunch
of dudes with their instruments hanging out on a stage with an
audience in tow. In a band when you cut through all the business and
group dynamics what you're left with is just the music‚ raw and pure.
That's what this evening was.