It’s that magical time of the year where the musical community comes together in Louisiana to perform and collaborate at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Weekend one was filled with amazing performances and collaborations; now it’s time for more. Starting Wednesday May 1st you can watch live shows from venues all over New Orleans exclusively on nugs.tv!
It all kicks off on Wednesday at 9:30 PM CT with Foundation of Funk live at The Fillmore. Starting at 9:45 PM CT we’ll be webcasting Billy Strings with special guest Cedric Burnside at Tipitina’s. Whether you’re in the mood for funk or bluegrass, you’re in luck Wednesday.
Expect plenty of very special guests on Thursday when Ivan Neville takes the stage at Le Petit Theatre. This show will be a journey through his musical history in words, songs, sounds, and stories told through the performance. Galactic are back home at Tipitina’s on Saturday night and if last weekend’s performance told us anything it’s that you’re not going to want to miss this show. The rest of our slate is filled with funk. Dumpstaphunk will be joined by the stellar blues guitarist Marcus King on Sunday night.
Shop Our Jazz Fest Sale!
We’re celebrating the 50th anniversary of Jazz Fest with a 50% off sale on select New Orleans shows from artists like Widespread Panic, Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Dead & Company, and more. Visit the Jazz Fest collection to see all 50 shows on sale!
We’re just 35 days away from the Dead & Company Summer Tour kickoff! To prepare for the tour, we’re looking back at the best moments from last year’s run! Last July Dead & Co. played two spectacular nights at Folsom Field in Boulder, CO to close out the tour. These shows were a perfect cap on a great summer of music, especially the final night. The performance was magical, the crowd was fantastic, and the setlist was packed full of awesome jams.
The band opened the show with a hypnotizing version of “China Cat Sunflower.” The performance is a must watch. The crowd was having the time of their life while Dead & Co. was in peak jam mode. Watch the full set one opener:
Dead & Company returned for their final set of the 2018 Summer Tour with an absolutely mesmerizing “Scarlet Begonias” set opener that led into “Franklin’s Tower” and a breathtaking “Fire On The Mountain”. At the end of the night the band came back for two encores performing “Uncle John’s Band” and “Ripple” to the close out the tour. Watch the full set two opener:
It’s hard to believe it’s been a month since we hosted the first ever concert webcast from the Egyptian Pyramids with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. This show was a massive undertaking start to finish and the end result was spectacular. Over 3.6 million people tuned in to watch the Chili Peppers make history in front of last wonder of the ancient world. Beyond the massive production and historic setting, the best part of the show was simply how much fun it was. Start to finish, the energy was incredible. You could immediately tell this was a special show, one that would live on forever. The beauty of a webcast is that fans all over the world got to enjoy this legendary show in all its glory from the comfort of their couch. It didn’t matter where you were sitting, we were all at the Pyramids. One thing is for sure, we’ll be asking people “Where were you when the Chili Peppers played the Pyramids?” for a long time.
To take a look back, here are a couple of our favorite photos from the trip:
Creating a stage design worthy of standing with the Pyramids is a tall order, but they delivered that and more
It takes some big-time satellite power to beam a show to 3.6 million screens
It all comes together for the big show
Bonus picture of the show’s setlist
Check out over 270 live Red Hot Chili Peppers shows on nugs.net!
It’s that magical time of the year where the musical community comes together in Louisiana to perform and collaborate at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. This year Jazz Fest is celebrating its 50th anniversary and we’re expecting an incredible two weeks of live music. You can watch live shows from Tipitina’s, The Fillmore, and Mardi Gras Word!
It wouldn’t be Jazz Fest without some all-star collaborations, and this year is no exception. The fun starts tonight when Anders Osborne hosts an album release show with help from Dave Malone from the Radiators and Amy Helm!
On Friday, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe will be joined by NOLA stars Naughty Professor. We’ll also have an electrifying webcast with TAUK starting at 10:45 PM CT. The late show Friday will be a special treat with a Jazz Fest exclusive performance from The M&M’s! The supergroup is comprised of legends John Medeski, Stanton Moore, Papa Mali, and Robert Mercurio. When these four get together you know you’re in for something special.
On Friday and Saturday we’ll be hosting very special webcasts with Joe Russo’s Almost Dead. The net proceeds from these webcasts will go to Second Harvest Food Band feeding South Louisiana! Enjoy some fantastic jams and support a great cause.
Saturday night, tune in to see Roosevelt Collier join Galactic at Tipitina’s. As the new owners of Tipitina’s, you can bet Galactic have a fantastic show in mind. After Galactic, stay tuned for an awesome late night performance from The Disco Biscuits!
Sunday is all about The Subdudes. They’ll be joined by Andrew Duhon at Tipitina’s Sunday night. There’s no better way to end a weekend than unwinding on the couch and watching a Sunday night concert.
Shop Our Jazz Fest Sale!
We’re celebrating the 50th anniversary of Jazz Fest with a 50% off sale on select New Orleans shows from artists like Widespread Panic, Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Dead & Company, and more. Visit the Jazz Fest collection to see all 50 shows on sale!
This weekend the musical world came together for the 15th annual SweetWater 420 Fest in Atlanta, Georgia and it was one to remember. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were jam-packed with amazing performances from some of our favorite artists like Widespread Panic, Billy Strings, The Avett Brothers, Turkuaz, and more! April 20th may have come and gone, but these shows will live on for a long time.
Friday
Billy Strings Mesmerizes the Crowd
The festival kicked off Friday with a full day of incredible performances, including this show from Billy Strings. The psychedelic infused bluegrass that defines Billy Strings was the perfect match for the 420 Fest atmosphere. Featured in the set is a dreamy cover of The Grateful Dead’s “China Doll” and a nice “Playin’ in the Band” tease after “And Your Bird Can Sing.”
BIG Something was a crowd favorite this weekend. They hit the stage Saturday afternoon and took the audience on a musical journey. To cap off the show, they brought down the house with a fantastic cover Black Sabbath’s “Sweet Leaf.” Start to finish, this is a 420 Fest must-listen.
Jason Isbell joins Widespread Panic to Cover ZZ Top
Panic fans were in for a special treat Sunday evening when Jason Isbell sat in for a mesmerizing Easter Sunday cover of “Jesus Just Left Chicago.” Sunday’s performance hits its climax with an incredible “Bowlegged Woman,” followed by “Night” and a three song encore.
We’re just 42 days away from the Dead & Company Summer Tour kickoff! 42 is of course famous for being baseball legend Jackie Robinson’s jersey number. It’s only fitting then that we revisit Dead & Company’s 2018 stop at LA’s Dodger Stadium, the team Robinson called home.
The band opened the show with “Playin’ in the Band”, a first-time opener for the summer tour. The unique take on the Grateful Dead classic slowly unfolded over 11 captivating minutes. Check out this cut from our webcast of “Playin’ in the Band” in its entirety below:
Dead & Company returned for their second set at a packed Dodger Stadium with a fantastic “Sugar Magnolia.” Check out our video of the jam below:
The 15th annual SweetWater 420 Fest kicks off tomorrow in Atlanta, Georgia! Expect three jam-packed days filled with mesmerizing performances from Widespread Panic, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Keller Williams, Big Something, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, and more!
Can’t make it to Atlanta? No problem, you can watch the free live stream from the festival on nugs.tv. The first show starts @ 1 PM PT. Full schedule below.
We’re celebrating 420 with a huge sale on select MP3 downloads from Dead & Company, Umphrey’s McGee, Greensky Bluegrass, plus Widespread Panic, Billy Strings, Keller Williams, and other artists performing at this weekend’s SweetWater 420 Fest. All shows are only $4.20. Sale starts Friday and ends Sunday at 11:59 PM PT. SHOP THE SALE >
20 epic shows from Dave Matthews Band’s ‘Live Trax’ series are now available to download and stream. These historic live show compilations were named after the Trax Nightclub where the band found their sound and got their groove, playing over a hundred shows in their early touring years. DMB has been releasing the coveted Live Trax series since 2004. Now we’re making them available to stream for the first time ever! You can hop onto the nugs.net app and listen to classic Dave Matthews Band shows spanning over the course of fifteen years. From a small New York City nightclub in 1993 to the St. Louis Cardinals’ Busch Stadium in 2008, this collection has everything. Be on the lookout for even more DMB Live Trax releases on nugs.net soon!
DMB Live Trax Vol. 2: Golden Gate Park – 9/12/2004
The show took place in the Polo Fields of Golden Gate Park and was a benefit concert for Bay Area Charities. From the moment the band hit the stage, the concert immediately became one of the highlights of Dave Matthews Band’s career. Carlos Santana sits in as a special guest for several songs, including the recently written Sugar Will. The 3 disc set also features two additional previously unreleased songs, Joyride and Hello Again.
DMB Live Trax Vol. 6: Fenway Park – 7/7 & 7/8 2006
Memories of the Dave Matthews Band shows in Fenway Park are certain to burn bright for a long while in the minds of the fortunate fans that were in attendence. Dave Matthews Band was on the top of its game in the historic ballpark performing back-to-back nights of shows exploding with energy. Additional highlights of the 7.7 Fenway Park show include the Bartender jam and the high-energy Ants Marching closer. An awesome Don’t Drink the Water, old favorite Dancing Nancies and the crowd-pleasing show ender, Two Step are some of the favorites from the 7.8 Fenway Park show.
DMB Live Trax Vol. 18: GTE Virginia Beach Amphitheater – 6/4/1996
This concert was DMB’s first show in the States after their European tour. Dave notes how the band is still taking in “this thing that’s been going on with us”, referring to the success achieved with the release of Crash. Highlights of the 96 show include Too Much, followed by never-before-released in the Live Trax series, “Deed Is Done” into So Much To Say. Carter’s intro to #36 is also noteworthy. The VA Beach home state show has long been a summer tradition.
Dave Matthews Band performed at Vivo Rio in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on September 30, 2008 in front of many South American fans seeing the band live for the first time. The audience in Brazil was ecstatic which comes through in the recording and DMB really plays up to their exuberance. Highlights include Carlos Malta on the wood fife in Say Goodbye, his influence bringing a distinct flavor and Brazilian sound. Burning Down the House followed by an arresting Two Step are also noteworthy as is an emotional The Stone. The synergy between the band members is evident throughout the show. Other songs of the note on the Rio release are the show-opener, Bartender as well as Grey Street which makes its first official live release performed by the new formation of band members.
We’re just 50 days away from the Dead & Company Summer Tour kickoff! To celebrate we’ll be sharing some of our favorite moments from last year’s tour. The band opened their 2018 summer tour on the east coast, including a two-night stop in Camden, New Jersey. They opened the show with “Jack Straw”, “Cold Rain and Snow”, and “Deep Elem Blues”. Later in the set the band played a 10-minute “Cassidy” followed by a reprise of “Jack Straw” to close out the first set. You can watch the entire “Jack Straw” set opening performance below:
The band launched into their second set with a cover of The Crickets’ “Not Fade Away” followed by an impressive extended jam on “Dark Star” totaling over 20 minutes. The jam-filled night in Camden continued with “Black Muddy River,” “Drums,” and “Space” all appearing in the second set. You can watch the set opening “Not Fade Away” performance below:
We’ve got another 20th anniversary Disco Biscuits release this week. Back in 1999, The Disco Biscuits brought down the house at The Trocadero in their hometown of Philadelphia. The extended jams on “Above the Waves” and “M.E.M.P.H.I.S” will blow you away. The performance was so legendary that the band did an exact recreation of the first three songs of the ‘99 show when they returned to The Trocadero in 2014.
The first leg of TAUK’s Let It Ride tour was a high-energy romp packed with sold-out shows. As excitement builds for the second part of the tour, the band has hand-picked seven of their favorite tracks from the first leg to release for free. These stellar jams come from TAUK’s shows in Ardmore, Baltimore, Boston, and Newport News.
March 29th & 30th 2019 – Nashville, TN + VIP Exclusive Set
We’ve got a special release for Umphrey’s McGee fans. In addition to both nights’ audio, we’ve also added their intimate 6 song VIP-only set from before the show on 3/30. The 3/31 show also includes a rare bustout of Led Zeppelin’s “Ten Years Gone” that they haven’t played live in over 15 years.
Returning to Durham for the first time in 25 years, Widespread Panic played three rarity packed shows. On night three (March 31st) they dusted off “Bayou Lena” for the first time in nearly 350 shows. This show is full of classic jams and memorable covers, including their version of the Rolling Stones classic “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”
Playing their second sold-out night at The Paramount Theatre in Rutland, Twiddle brought down the house in their home state of Vermont. From “Lost in the Cold” to “JamFlowMan” there’s a lot of hits in this show. To close out the evening, Rick Reddington sat in on guitar and vocals for a cover of The Grateful Dead’s “Eyes of the World.”
Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, 1985 represents the apex of Bruce Springsteen’s mass popularity. No concerts performed before or since represent the same level of mainstream cultural impact inherent in the final four performances that wrapped the mammoth Born in the U.S.A. tour.
According to the LA Times, on September 27, opening night of the sold-out stand, Bruce and the band played to 83,000 people. That means over the course of four sold-out shows, more than 330,000 people clicked the turnstiles at the site of two Olympic Games, to see not world-class athletes but the world’s greatest live performer. Staggering.
Springsteen long factored for the person in the very last row at his concerts, but now that fan was 100-150 yards from the stage. Scaling up production elements at stadiums to deliver a comparable level of band-to-fan connection was crucial, and that affected everything from the sound of Max’s drums and the quality and size of the stage-side video screens to the clothing the band wore on stage, which was brightly colored to help boost the visibility and discernibility of individual members from far away.
Los Angeles 1985 starts as it must with a dazzling “Born in the U.S.A.” Jon Altschiller’s zoomed-in mix (with a notably livelier audience levels) dials in a difficult-to-achieve balance of synthesizer and guitar. The deepest notes of the former provide a sternum-compressing whoosh that anyone who saw a BIUSA stadium show will remember; the latter more forward and clearer than we often hear on 1985 recordings. As Bruce sings, “long gone daddy in the U.S.A.,” we get some real chugga chugga licks, followed later by an extended solo that’s up there with the great ones that append the song on the 1988 Tunnel of Love tour. As for Max Weinberg, he absolutely crushes one of the best live versions of “Born in the U.S.A.” ever released.
At this point of the 1984-85 tour, the E Street Band was a machine in the best sense of that word, operating under both Bruce’s and the individual players’ master control. The transition from “U.S.A.” to “Badlands” is lush with Danny Federici organ swirls, and we can hear every band member in sharp detail right down to Clarence Clemons’ percussion.
LA 1985 is rife with distinct moments worth highlighting: Bruce singing out, “debts that no honest man could pay” with particular passion on “Atlantic City,” and matching that energy again for the last line of “Downbound Train”; the happiness in his voice ahead of “Glory Days” as he talks about turning 36 four days prior; Patti Scialfa’s soaring high notes that raise “Trapped” to full crescendo; Clarence’s under-appreciated solo on the same song releasing the pent-up tension that makes the arrangement so mesmerizing; the heightened peaks of the extended “Cover Me” that finally relent to the breakneck release of “Dancing in the Dark” (the exclusion of which from Live/1975-85 still puzzles); Roy’s best Jerry Lee Lewis impression splashing all over a rip-roaring and rarely played “Stand On It.”
But the E Street MVP this night is Nils Lofgren. LA 1985 is an opportunity for reappreciation of how much of the load he carried on the tour and the many spots when he shined. His intro to “Seeds” oozes dirtier than you might recall, and the hypnotic prelude to “I’m on Fire” alters the tone of the song significantly.
As Nils plays, Springsteen’s spoken introduction to “I’m on Fire” (omitted on Live/1975-85) subtly shifts the song’s narrative, too. He speaks of the struggles endured by his father and mother, and of his fear that, if he didn’t get out, whatever sense of hope and happiness was figuratively dying inside his dad would be his fate as well. Lying awake in bed, thinking dark thoughts like one of the characters he wrote about on Nebraska, the narrator confesses he understands how one could snap. It makes the “Hey little girl is your daddy home” that follows more of a disturbing dream.
What’s commendable given the circumstances and stakes surrounding LA 1985 is that Bruce is still taking risks and using his status to make a statement. The night marks the daring debut of Edwin Starr’s righteous anthem “War,” written by Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield. With lyrics taped to his forearm, Springsteen tears into the anti-war cry, in a version appealingly raw compared to the finished track that would later become the first single released from Live/1975-85. For a man whose messages and political views had been co-opted and misinterpreted of late, “War” allows zero ambiguity, no more so than when Bruce implores, “Tell your mama!” Nils adds another compelling guitar intro here, as Bruce sounds his solemn warning that “blind faith in anything…will get you killed.”
The bulk of LA 1985 is made up of what might be called a refined stadium setlist, optimized for maximum impact in venues of this scale. Over the last 34 years, so-called stadium friendly material suggested something that couldn’t compare to the greatest theater and arena performances that preceded it. Yet listening today, one marvels at how skillfully the band is playing in front of 83,000, not merely showing themselves up to the task of reaching that distant back row but retaining the tightness, power, and nuance that made them the best live act in the world. In other words, don’t sleep on ‘85.
Stadium staples aside, let’s not overlook the second of the night’s world premieres. “Alright, let’s try it” serves as the rallying cry to the live debut of “Janey, Don’t You Lose Heart,” the charming Born in the U.S.A. outtake and “I’m Goin’ Down” b-side that is a kindred spirit to another equally enchanting leftover, “Be True.” Both share a certain mid-tempo melodic romanticism that marks a lot of the songs Bruce often left on the cutting room floor. It’s a winning version that curiously omits The Big Man’s recorded sax solo in favor of piano solo by The Professor. Listen for Bruce hooting encouragement and howling with glee as Roy takes the spotlight. He clearly likes Janey.
The show wraps fittingly with a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Travelin’ Band,” resplendent with Clarence’s baritone sax, Roy’s piano fills, and nearly a dozen tour-stop namechecks. It’s the perfect selection for the end of the line, recalling the mystery train that left the station at a St. Paul arena 15 months earlier and wound up conquering the world by the time it came to a halt in LA, playing to an audience more than five times the size.
Last weekend Bob Weir and Wolf Bros wrapped their second tour together. The legendary Grateful Dead guitarist has been touring with Don Was and Jay Lane since this past fall. For those that have never seen or listened to a Bob Weir and Wolf Bros show, they play a mixture of Grateful Dead classics, Bob Weir solo material, and some awesome covers. These shows are a fantastic listen for Grateful Dead fans new and old. Every show from the tour is now available for download or streaming with a nugs.net subscription. Below we’ve got a recap of some of the best tour highlights:
February 28th: Ithaca, NY – The State Theatre
The trio kicked off their tour in Ithaca, New York by dusting off a pair of rarities. This was the first night Bobby had played “Bombs Away” and “The Winners” in nearly 5 years. The rest of the show was filled with Grateful Dead hits like “Peggy-O”, “Let It Grow”, and “Scarlet Begonias”. There were also a pair of great Bob Dylan covers toward the end of the show with “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” and “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue”.
The next week the band played a special show in Don Was’ hometown of Detroit, Michigan. Playing at The Fillmore on March 5th, the trio were joined by another Detroit native- saxophonist David McMurray. He sat in on five songs throughout the night including “Bird Song”, “Eyes of the World”, and a cover of The Temptations’ “Shakey Ground”.
March 8th: Philadelphia, PA – The Metropolitan Opera House
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead guitarist and vocalist, Tom Hamilton, joined the band in Philly for a rousing Friday night. Hamilton joined the band for 4 songs including a reprise of “Man Smart, Woman Smarter”. The King Radio song made its way into the setlist twice on International Women’s Day. The band opened their second set with the tune and then later brought it back for the reprise with Tom Hamilton toward the end of the show. Our webcast of the set-opening cover is available to watch on YouTube.
Arguably the most special night of the tour was the surprise one-night show at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York. The trio announced the show only a day in advance with tickets being distributed via a lottery system. The intimate venue only holds 200 people, notably smaller than the large theaters the band typically plays. To ensure the maximum amount of people got to watch the show, the band rotated audiences between sets. To help out eager fans who weren’t lucky enough to score one of the 400 lotteried tickets, we offered free webcasts of both sets on nugs.tv, YouTube, and Facebook. The setting wasn’t the only unique part of the show- longtime RatDog Saxophonist Kenny Brooks joined the trio for four songs throughout the night. It was a fitting jazz flare for a show at a historic jazz club. You can watch our webcast of the full show right now:
Following the last-minute show in New York, Bob Weir and Wolf Bros made it to New Jersey- and they weren’t done bringing out surprise guests. Sasha Dobson, of Puss N Boots fame, joined the band for the final two songs of the night. Together they performed “Easy Answers” and covered Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”. “Knockin” was the second Dylan cover of the show, earlier in the second set the trio performed their version of “All Along the Watchtower”.
Phish fans are in for a pleasant surprise when listening to the second set of the band’s stop at the Fillmore in Miami. Page McConnell sat in with the band at the opening of their second set. The quartet performed two Grateful Dead tunes: “Hell in a Bucket” and “Scarlet Begonias”. To close out the show, Bob Weir and Wolf Bros played a “U.S. Blues” encore.
March 30th: North Charleston, SC – North Charleston Performing Arts Center
This band closed out the tour this past weekend in South Carolina with a pair of new debuts. First, the trio played their take on Bob Dylan’s 1965 track “Desolation Row”. At the end of the night, the band played the Grateful Dead hit “Black Muddy River” for the first time as the show’s sole encore. The only Bob Weir solo piece in Saturday night’s show was “Lay My Lily Down”. To close out the first set, the band played the Jerry Garcia classic “Deal”. This was the perfect setlist to close out the run.
