Halloween. Live music. Food. Did we mention all night partying? With a line-up featuring Ekoostik Hookah, Devon Allman’s Honeytribe, DJ Harry, Hot Day at The Zoo, Lovewhip, Charlie Wheeler Band, Sweetwater Meltdown, Zach Deputy, and Moser Woods, festival goers will be grooving through the night. But enough about the music. Having grown up in this part of Ohio, I have to mention this great venue. Knowing the all night craziness that ensues here year-round, Halloween has to be quite the experience at Nelson Ledges Quarry Park. In the warmer months, the former operating rock quarry is home to amazing cliff jumping, swimming, camping, and plain ole good times. Although its a bit to cold for the cliff jumping this time a year, promoters are touting “ tons of wacky costumes, fall colors, great food, decorated campsites, pumpkin carving, incredible music, fire spectacles, and the big costume contest.” Not to mention weekend-long tickets are just $50!!!! If you happen to be in the area, check it out!

Editor’s Note: The following was written by Jackson at ShowSanctuary. ShowSanctuary is two brother’s take on the live music scene, providing the lowdown on the concerts to catch and undiscovered artists to follow. The brothers are devoted contributors to the TicketStumbler Blog.

Editor’s Note: The following is written by Jackson at ShowSanctuary. ShowSanctuary is two brothers’ take on the live music scene, providing the lowdown on the concerts to catch and undiscovered artists to follow. The brothers are devoted contributors to the TicketStumbler Blog.

Here’s some of the shows I’m liking this week. Click on links for tickets!

Loki Music Festival in Mills River, NC 10/10, 10/11, & 10/12

Sorry for the late notice on this one, but with artists like The Roots, Toots and the Maytals, George Clinton, Tim Reynolds, and many, many more, this funky festival is sure to please. For a complete listing of artists, click here. I don’t know about you, but a beautiful fall weekend spent outside listening to music sounds pretty enticing. Click here for tickets!

Ray Lamontagne @ the Boston Opera House 10/9 & 10/10

Ray kicked off his North American tour last week to spread the word of his new album, Gossip in the Grain, which officially drops on 10/14. Demand is high (tickets are $70+), but this ultra-talented man with the one-of-a-kind voice is a definite must see. Additional Ray Lamontagne dates and tickets

Mason Jennings @ the Chicago House of Blues 10/11

After seeing Mason last week, I’d be a fool not to send others his way. Tickets to this House of Blues Chicago show start at $21, which is a true value compared to some of the other venues he’s playing. Mixing in hits from all 6 of his albums, Jennings is sure to play many of his fans’ favorites.  Additional Mason Jennings dates and tickets

Editor’s Note: The following is written by Jackson at ShowSanctuary. ShowSanctuary is two brothers’ take on the live music scene, providing the lowdown on the concerts to catch and undiscovered artists to follow. The brothers are devoted contributors to the TicketStumbler Blog.

Mason Jennings jammed at Washington, DC’s famed 930 Club last night pleasing those who trudged through the downpour to catch the early show. Jennings mixed both new and old, playing songs from his newest album In the Ever as well as many of his older hits. Switching back in forth from his bare bones solo acoustic strumming (sometimes with his harmonica), to his three piece band which included Jack Johnson’s Zach Gill on the keyboard and Adam Topol on drums, Jennings delighted the devoted concert goers. From the light hearted and hilarious “Your New Man” to the more serious “Soldier Boy”, Jennings truly has a gift for songwriting. Mixing in the more mainstream hits “Be Here Now” , “Keepin It Real”, and “Fighter Girl”, as well as the lesser known “Memphis, Tennessee” and my personal favorite, “Living In The Moment”, Jennings gave the crowd a taste of everything.

When he dons the harmonica headpiece and stands alone strumming his guitar, you can’t help but think the picture is very Dylanesque. However, Mason his his own man.  He has his own style.  And, although he’s on Jack Johnson’s Brushfire Records, he deserves no comparisons, just accolades.

What blew me away more than any of his music was how gracious Mason was during the show. Some artists say “thank you” after the audience applause out of habit, but with Mason, the “thank you’s” were sincere. It’s a testament to his ability to stay grounded, even as he travels the world to play hits from his 6 albums. He even played songs as they were yelled out by the more eager fans.

If you want to see a show with an extraordinary talent, you need to catch Mason Jennings!

Upcoming Shows (click on the shows for tickets):

10/4 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club

10/5 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts

10/10 Detroit, MI Saint Andrews Hall

10/11 Chicago, IL House of Blues

All Other Shows

Editor’s Note: The following is written by Roger at ShowSanctuary. ShowSanctuary is two brothers’ take on the live music scene, providing the lowdown on the concerts to catch and undiscovered artists to follow. The brothers are devoted contributors to the TicketStumbler Blog.

Did you hear? Britney’s making a comeback!! That’s right- she dumped KFed, got on drugs, lost some weight, got off drugs, gained some weight, recorded an album, missed some show appearances, and now she’s back and better than ever! Even more frightening: the New Kids On The Block are making a comeback!!!??

WHAT THE HELL has happened to good music journalism? Do you share a similar sentiment? If so, I have just the band for you.

The John Butler Trio (JBT) is a return to roots, talent, raw power, and dynamic simplicity. Emerging from Fremantle, Australia, they have not been quick to gain acceptance from mainstream American music journalism. Though, this seems somewhat odd, because the band’s frontman, John Butler, was born and raised in California. His family picked up and moved to a small Western Australian town when he was eleven years old. At age sixteen, he picked up the guitar. Since this time, he hasn’t been able to set it down. His perfection on open-tunings and slide-guitar breed an eclectic sound of blues, reggae, funk, Celtic folk and Indian raga. Beyond this, however, it’s the return-to-roots feel that makes this band so remarkable.

The original version of the band released its first album, Three, in 2001. In 2003, they released a second album- Living. Both went platinum in Australia and reached into the top ten of the Australian album charts in those years. Afterwards, band members switched out and JBT found their true identity. Shannon Birchall entered as a new, mean bass player, along with the talented percussionist Michael Barker. Together, they released Sunrise Over Sea in March of 2004. The album soared up to number one in the national album charts and achieved gold record status during its first week of release.

In 2005, while at the music festival known as Bonnaroo, I was strolling around and, just by chance, happened upon JBT . Fresh off the Sunrise Over Sea release, the band was in the midst of an American tour. I heard some melodic guitar picking sounds coming from the tent to my left. I walked towards it like a zombie, as if compelled, and entered the tent to join the audience. The three-piece was on stage, with Birchall playing the upright bass and Butler, who at that time had long dreadlocks, playing slide guitar. At first impression, they seemed different and, very obviously, talented. Next, they began playing a song named ‘Zebra.’ Chills went down my spine. I quickly bought the album upon my return home.

JBT’s next album, Grand National, was released in March of 2007. Everything I had hoped for, the album’s every bit as good, if not better, than the previous. Fittingly, its first single was a catchy tune entitled, Better Than. On this album, however, every track is capable of being a single. Since its release, I’ve seen them live again and they put on another fantastic show.

But, if you can’t see them live, don’t worry. Take my word- what you hear from them in concerts will be exactly what you hear from the studio recordings. You don’t have to be a fan of any particular genre of music. You don’t have to know what talented musicianship sounds like. I said it once and I’ll say it again: Their music is, very simply, powerful.

Editor’s Note: The following is written by Roger at ShowSanctuary. ShowSanctuary is two brothers’ take on the live music scene, providing the lowdown on the concerts to catch and undiscovered artists to follow. The brothers are wannabe rock stars and devoted contributors to the TicketStumbler Blog.

MATISYAHU

Hasidic Jewish dude doing Reggae? Forget about it. I mean, you’re kidding right?

Turns out, he is very serious. For Matisyahu and those that see him live, reggae is a deeply spiritual experience. His performances are unparalleled, reaching beyond the confines of traditional reggae and into refreshing, unchartered territory. See him once and you WILL see him again.

Spittin’ quick-hitting, rhythmic rhymes, his delivery strikes hard at the core of any audience. Spellbounded, some stare in awe while others dance to the groove. Whatever the case, it’s difficult to be anything less than shocked.

If you don’t already know, you’re shocked the minute he walks on stage. A tall, wiry, long-bearded man dressed in the tradtional black garb of his faith. His captivating presence vaguely resembles the image of a scarecrow as he nods his head with the back-beat. Then he grabs the microphone and begins. I damn near drop to my knees. He’s good. Wait a minute…he’s better than good.

His songs blend hip-hop, folk, rock and funk elements to breed a brand of reggae that only he can deliver. The unique ability to both rap and sing simultaneously (did I mention he does a beatbox), his carefully crafted words run and jump through verses and then soar through the chorus. The listener is instantly driven by a furious, frantic, inspirational energy. Still hungry, you’re lifted up once more and then released into melodic, harmonious refuge. A spiritual experience, to say the very least.

But, I’m not the first witness to this spiritual revolution. He began making waves with the release of Live at Stubbs in 2005, an album which showcased his powerful live performance. The sophomore studio effort, Youth, dropped in 2006. Later that year, Billboard named him the Top Reggae Artist of the Year. The next year, his music provided backing to the film “Unsettled,” which won the award for best documentary feature at the Slamdance Festival. More recently, the successful comedy “Knocked Up” made use of his name as a pop culture reference.

For some, this rise into pop culture status would be reason enough to ignore him. After all, the quicker they rise- the harder they fall. However, you should not make the mistake of assuming him another cheap gimmick. Matisyahu’s humble, clean-living, anti-rockstar approach should keep him sitting on top of the charts for as long as he continues to produce.

All too often, we find the book’s cover better than the book itself. An album cover more beautiful than the songs. A pretty face without much going on in the brain. With so many acts today operating on false premises, Matisyahu is a breath of fresh air. His image catches you, but it’s his music that will be remembered.

Upcoming shows: