ZZ Top - Live 5.15.09 - Portsmouth, VA

Legendary. Masterful. ZZ Top is what every other power-trio should strive to be. It is tough to name the best bands of our time without mentioning these boogie-blues-rock veterans. Playing together for nearly 40 years, they are one of the rare groups still composed of the original recording members.

ZZ Top started off their rip-roaring set of tunes at Portsmouth's nTelos Pavilion with 1983 chart-topper "Got Me Under Pressure." From there they took a journey through all of their greatest hits, paying homage to Jimi Hendrix and Muddy Waters along the way with colossal covers of "Hey Joe" and "Catfish Blues."

"Waiting for the Bus>Jesus Just Left Chicago" got the all-ages crowd standing and dancing, with intoxicating guitar work from the Reverend Willie G and bottom-line domination from Dusty Hill and Frank Beard. "Just Got Paid" was a shoo-in for a Friday night show, and my personal highlight. Another winner, "Heard It On The X," was stuck in my head all day Saturday. The fuzzy white guitars made a brief appearance during "Legs," and were then carried offstage by guitar tech Elwood, who Billy Gibbons proclaimed as being "the best guitar guy in the world." Billy handled most of the crowd banter and singing throughout the night, with Dusty taking lead for a few tracks and manning backup vocals for the rest.

When introducing the band, Billy noted the irony of the drummer being "the man without the beard, Mr. Frank Beard." He also made sure to mention that they had gone out for Mexican earlier since he was "about a quart low on hot sauce." Not too long after that comment, the backdrop screens displayed a slideshow of tacos, enchiladas, burritos, etc. that had my mouth watering for queso.

Although the synchronized steps and struts have definitely become less frequent, the beards are still long and the jams are almighty. If you're so fortunate to have ZZ Top tour in your area, do not miss the chance to go. These founding fathers of hard rock are a must-see.

The Dead - Live 4.15.09 - Charlottesville, VA

With our Thai chicken wraps from Zazus and a sixer of Red Stripe in tow, we waited in the long line of cars entering the John Paul Jones Arena parking lots. Once admitted, we were basically told by the parking attendant, "good luck." All of the real spots had been taken and people had begun parking on curbs, in front of fire hydrants, basically wherever a car could fit. So I backed the KIA up on a grassy knoll and let the people-watching/pre-gaming begin. The shakedown scene was exactly as it should've been - lots of dreads, tie-dye, balloons, glassware and kindness.

After we had sufficiently lubricated ourselves, we trekked into the arena. Bathroom was the first stop once inside, and that's the last time I saw my cell phone. Somewhere between the toilets and our seats, that little bugger slipped out of my pocket and he has now hopefully gone to hippie phone heaven. Hence, no pictures.

I was pretty preoccupied with the lost phone, but the sounds of "New Speedway Boogie" made me remember that the music is all that matters. From the first note of set one until the final choruses of the "G-L-O-R-I-A" encore, I was reminded of the magic of the Grateful Dead catalog. They went deep, pulling out lesser known songs from nearly four decades ago. Click Here for Dean Smith's spot-on review at Jambase. There's no way I could describe it better.

Everything about this concert and the overall experience was so perfect that losing my cell phone was a small price to pay. The Dead are ALIVE!

The Curse Has Lifted!

I am feeling better about my three failed attempts to get Phish tickets through their ticket lottery-thing and the public onsales. When the band announced the additional late summer tour dates, I decided to give it one more chance and try for Merriweather Post tickets.

The miracle Hampton ticket must've changed my luck, because according to my checking account I have been charged. it looks like I won the lottery! See ya in the forest this August!

Natalie MacLean's Drinks Matcher

I know this isn't music-related, but wine, food & music are all things that bring me a lot of pleasure. This little widget thingy is just too cool. Let's face it, not everyone is a sommelier. I find myself particularly stumped when pairing wine with ethnic dishes. This tool will definitely come in handy. I was also impressed by the fact that she suggested beer when it was the proper choice (fried chicken, for example).