E2TG Live Review: Sunshine Boys at Basement East 1/18/2020

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Sunshine Boys wasted no time establishing themselves as a formidable power pop force. This should not have been a surprise given that their combined credits include Blake Babies, Poi Dog Pondering, The Slugs, Big Hello, and more.

The trio featuring Dag Juhlin (guitar), Freda Love Smith (drums), and Jacqueline Schimmel (bass) powered through a set opening for Love Smith's old bandmate Juliana Hatfield at The Basement East in Nashville.

They featured songs from their previous album, 2018's Blue Music, a few new songs, their latest single "Infinity Girl", and a choice cover of R.E.M.'s "Sitting Still" which served as a wonderful showcase for the band's sound.

Highlights of their set included the aforementioned R.E.M. cover, the powerful new single, "Schoolyard Bully", "Billy Boy", and "Tripping Through Time", but the whole set was solid - the three musicians forming a tight unit. Dag Juhlin's humor helped keep the audience engaged, and the trio performed as a tight unit: noting his mostly bald head, he joked that the R.E.M. cover was obvious since his haircut resembled Michael Stipe. Later, he joked that he and Schimmel had just learned about Love Smith's connection to Hatfield on the drive down to Nashville. Then, he mentioned a surprise (apparently not a well-kept secret).

Following the Sunshine Boys' set, Freda Love Smith and Juliana Hatfield were joined by now Nashville resident John Strohm for a two song, impromptu reunion of the trio's band Blake Babies. It was a nice treat.

Juliana Hatfield played an entertaining set with her own band. Drawing heavily on her Police and Olivia Newton John cover albums and well as her extensive solo catalog.

Sunshine Boys - Basement East - Nashville 1/18/2020

Sunshine Boys - "Infinity Girl"

E2TG Live Review - JD & Straight Shot with Matt Costa and Matt Hartke at City Winery

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It has been a bit since I have written a live review, and I am grateful to have been given this opportunity.

As way of a disclaimer, I was not very familiar with any of the artists performing at City Winery on Wednesday June 12, 2019. I say this simply to indicate the perspective from which I writing this review.  As I was asked to write a review of J.D. and the Straight Shot - so that part of my review is longer.

Background: This was the final stop on the first leg of the tour which was sponsored by the SiriusXM station The Coffee House - featuring Matt Hartke, J.D. and the Straight Shot, and Matt Costa.  The Coffee House is a station that plays singer-songwriters and acoustic versions of popular songs.

I think that is enough with disclaimers and background.  My review begins after the jump.

Dale Watson and the Lonestars with Rosie Flores – Exit/In Nashville 1/9/2015

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It’s been a particularly interesting week to live in Nashville and be someone who writes about music.  This week, a mashup of six top Country songs went viral.  The songs were virtually identical besides not being very good. It was concrete proof of what many of us know already that mainstream (so called) Country music is in a pitiful state. So, maybe it is fitting that I ended my week at the legendary Exit/In for the opening night of the Baddest of the Bad Tour which included the return of Dale Watson to the same Music City that over 20 years ago told him he was "Too Country for Country."