https://samuelmartin.journoportfolio.comRSS Feed for Samuel MartinenSun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.jambase.com/article/hardly-strictly-bluegrass-10-02-10-04Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival :: 10.02 – 10.04 :: Golden Gate Park :: San Francisco, CA There was a sixth stage added this year, the Towers of Gold Stage, and although Speedway Meadow was pushed to its capacity, it didn’t seem to bother the estimated 500,000 that turned out for this year’s extravaganza. The event felt well organized and with 80 top-notch bands performing for free all weekend, there was hardly anything one could really complain about. Financed by billionaire investmen...Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.jambase.com/article/hardly-strictly-bluegrass-10-02-10-04https://jambands.com/the-loop/2013/03/27/another-take-on-small-fires/The Stone Foxes Small Fires Small Fires? This record must be hot. A lot has changed for the Stone Foxes since their last album which many considered at the time to be their breakout effort, Bears and Bulls. Three years later, now with a keyboardist, the Stone Foxes went into the studio with producer Doug Boehm (The Vines, Dr. Dog) and put together their tightest and most unrestricted record yet.The album stays true to the bands blues-rock sound with Spence Koehler leading most songs with raw an...Wed, 27 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000https://jambands.com/the-loop/2013/03/27/another-take-on-small-fires/https://jambands.com/reviews/shows/2012/12/27/moe-the-independent-san-francisco-ca-12-6/Photo by Carla K. Martin Wrapping up a year full of touring, moe. set off on a final West Coast run consisting of shows in CO, UT and three sold out gigs at the quaint and uniquely accessible Independent in San Francisco. For the first night they came out of gates guns a blazin’ with a lightning fast “Seat Of My Pants” > “Sensory Deprivation Bank,” a great two punch opener that led the way into a masterful “All Roads Lead To Home” which included extended jamming by Al Schnier. The complex layers...Thu, 27 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000https://jambands.com/reviews/shows/2012/12/27/moe-the-independent-san-francisco-ca-12-6/https://jambands.com/features/2012/05/07/a-strange-encounter-with-the-dead-winter-carpenters/Last month I had the chance to meet up with the Dead Winter Carpenters at a local Montana Brewery for a casual chat on the synchronicity of forming a band, enduring growing pains, and what’s next for this quintet that is on perpetual tour. The Dead Winter Carpenters went on to play a revealing and intimate show at VFW in Missoula, MT during which they shared some of their classic songs, covered the Grateful Dead, Neil Young and Phish, and debuted some songs off their upcoming release, Ain’t It...Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100https://jambands.com/features/2012/05/07/a-strange-encounter-with-the-dead-winter-carpenters/https://relix.com/news/detail/bob-weir-will-share-the-stage-with-members-of-the-national/Bob Weir will share the stage with members of The National at California’s TRI Studios on March 24. Produced by HeadCount, a non-profit organization that promotes voter registration and democratic participation, the event is billed as The Bridge Session. According to a statement from HeadCount, “mixing different musical genres, political discussion and a showcase of modern technology, the event aims to ‘bridge the gaps’ between people of various tastes and viewpoints. The name of the event als...Fri, 24 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000https://relix.com/news/detail/bob-weir-will-share-the-stage-with-members-of-the-national/https://jambands.com/reviews/shows/2012/02/03/martin-sexton-the-wilma-theater-missoula-mt-1-26/Photo by Hixon Family Studios (Jacob Hixon) Two days following the release of his latest album, a five song EP called Fall Like Rain, Martin Sexton’s solo tour carried him to the college town of Missoula, MT. Here he took the stage after opener Adam Gontier’s rather soft and quiet set of folk tunes. Sexton, accompanied only by his guitar, and three microphones, one for singing and the other two for vocal effects, gracefully brushed aside the cheers from the packed seated crowd at the Wilma Theat...Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000https://jambands.com/reviews/shows/2012/02/03/martin-sexton-the-wilma-theater-missoula-mt-1-26/https://jambands.com/reviews/shows/2011/08/01/the-stone-foxes-the-top-hat-missoula-mt-7-16/Photo by Matt Riley Some would describe The Stone Foxes music as purely electric, hardcore blues- even something that could crack open the powers of the sky and extract thunder and lightning from an otherwise scenic day. As it turned out something like this happened as the San Francisco rock band arrived in Missoula on Saturday afternoon. Coming off of two heavily attended shows in the college town of Moscow, Idaho, The Foxes pulled into the back of the quaint local venue with wind whipping and...Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0100https://jambands.com/reviews/shows/2011/08/01/the-stone-foxes-the-top-hat-missoula-mt-7-16/https://jambands.com/reviews/shows/2011/05/03/the-dodgy-mountain-men-the-top-hat-missoula-mt-4-15/Photo by Blaine Dunkley of KBD Photography Comprised of four diversely talented musicians who met through various gigs and concerts around Western Montana, The Dodgy Mountain Men have carved out a niche and a reputation for playing what some would call folk, bluegrass, Americana- or as they put it stompgrass. Comprised of Eric Bostrom on acoustic guitar and harp plus a real catchy musical instrument called a stomp box, Scott Howard on a resonator bass, Clyde Netzley on tablas and percussion, an...Tue, 03 May 2011 00:00:00 +0100https://jambands.com/reviews/shows/2011/05/03/the-dodgy-mountain-men-the-top-hat-missoula-mt-4-15/https://jambands.com/reviews/shows/2011/04/14/johnny-winter-the-wilma-theater-missoula-mt-3-29/Photo by Matt Riley Johnny Winter is a living legend, surpassing time and turmoil and the prejudices of life to amass a career of not only great importance but iconic significance. At 67 years of age the Grammy winning bluesman who helped resurrect Muddy Waters’ musical career and has mastered Texas, Memphis and Chicago Blues, is still out on the road non-stop, touring the world and still putting out new albums. His stopover in Missoula was one to be remembered, as he showcased his love of pure...Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0100https://jambands.com/reviews/shows/2011/04/14/johnny-winter-the-wilma-theater-missoula-mt-3-29/https://jambands.com/reviews/shows/2011/03/12/karl-denson-s-tiny-universe-chali-2na-the-top-hat-missoula-mt-2-15/Photo by Matt Riley I am generally not a big fan of horn-centric bands. It takes something quite special to hold my interest throughout such a group’s performance. However, on this evening in Missoula, Karl Denson and his Tiny Universe demonstrated once again why they prove to be an exception. Opening for KDTU was the great MC from Jurassic 5 and founding member of Ozomatli, Chali 2na. From the first beats of his live drummer to the wicked bass lines dropped from a seven string bass guitar, the...Sat, 12 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0000https://jambands.com/reviews/shows/2011/03/12/karl-denson-s-tiny-universe-chali-2na-the-top-hat-missoula-mt-2-15/https://jambands.com/reviews/shows/2011/02/17/conspirator-break-science-the-top-hat-missoula-mt-2-8/Photo by Matt Riley When Aron Magner and Marc Brownstein of the Disco Biscuits formed Conspirator as a drum and bass electronica duo they did so to create a platform in which they could produce long jammed out tracks with a full electronic sound, without singing, just Brownie on bass and synths and Magner on keys as well as producing. This didn’t last too long as over the years they have had a number of notable drummers and guitarists sit in with them making it a livetronic quartet, and for this...Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0000https://jambands.com/reviews/shows/2011/02/17/conspirator-break-science-the-top-hat-missoula-mt-2-8/https://relix.com/reviews/detail/minus-the-bear-the-regency-ballroom-san-francisco-ca-5-26/Photos by Kelsey Winterkorn Hailing from the epicenter of the Grand Northwest, Seattle, Minus The Bear entertained a packed house at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco. A line of fans stretched around the historic building as the usual pat down and ticket scanning took place. The mood was electric with anticipation. Everest, who opened for MTB on the better part of this tour, put on a high-energy show. Having just released On Approach, their second album in mid-April, the depth of new materia...Sun, 06 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0100https://relix.com/reviews/detail/minus-the-bear-the-regency-ballroom-san-francisco-ca-5-26/https://relix.com/reviews/detail/alo-the-fillmore-san-francisco-ca-2-20/Photos by Kelsey Winterkorn Summing up ALO in one word, one simple but definitive word, would undoubtedly be FUN. ALO is currently touring on the heels of their latest release, Man of the World, produced by Jack Johnson, which was just released eleven days before Saturday’s nights show. With such a headliner, you need an equally playful opener and that’s what we were treated to, with the up tempo jam-grass band Poor Man’s Whiskey. They came out playing super-charged bluegrass and country. Heavy o...Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000https://relix.com/reviews/detail/alo-the-fillmore-san-francisco-ca-2-20/https://jambands.com/reviews/shows/2010/03/02/sound-tribe-sector-9-fox-theater-oakland-ca-2-13/Photos by Kelsey Winterkorn The last time Sound Tribe Sector 9 made it to the Bay Area they delivered a four-night run at The Fillmore in San Francisco. This time the group, which is based in Santa Cruz, by way of Atlanta, delivered a single show at Oakland’s beautiful Fox Theater. As the band came out so did their live painters, Jason Garcia, and Kris Davidson, who posted up on either side of the stage. As bookends, who painted throughout the show, they helped frame STS9.Opening with a crowd pl...Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000https://jambands.com/reviews/shows/2010/03/02/sound-tribe-sector-9-fox-theater-oakland-ca-2-13/https://jambands.com/reviews/shows/2010/03/02/sound-tribe-sector-9-fox-theater-oakland-ca-2-13/Photos by Kelsey Winterkorn The last time Sound Tribe Sector 9 made it to the Bay Area they delivered a four-night run at The Fillmore in San Francisco. This time the group, which is based in Santa Cruz, by way of Atlanta, delivered a single show at Oakland’s beautiful Fox Theater. As the band came out so did their live painters, Jason Garcia, and Kris Davidson, who posted up on either side of the stage. As bookends, who painted throughout the show, they helped frame STS9.Opening with a crowd pl...Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000https://jambands.com/reviews/shows/2010/03/02/sound-tribe-sector-9-fox-theater-oakland-ca-2-13/https://jambands.com/reviews/shows/2010/02/24/the-greyboy-allstars-the-fillmore-sf-1-30/Photo by Kelsey Winterkorn The Greyboy Allstars are back together and moving forward. Last year Karl Denson focused on his Tiny Universe and the new Brother’s Keeper release, while Robert Walter toured with his 20th Congress. Both bands are extensions of The Greyboy Allstars but lack the history and notoriety of the original group. Opening the show was So.Cal’s Afro-Funk nine-piece band, Orgone. Whether it was the interplay between the percussionists and the drummer, the tasteful three piece hor...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000https://jambands.com/reviews/shows/2010/02/24/the-greyboy-allstars-the-fillmore-sf-1-30/https://jambands.com/reviews/shows/2009/12/10/wolfmother-fox-theater-oakland-ca-11-23/Photos by Kelsey Winterkorn Entering the Fox Theater in Oakland is always an experience in itself, and tonight was no different and tonight was Wolfmother, a band compared to the likes of Led Zeppelin and AC/DC. Touring on the release of their second and latest album, Cosmic Egg, they had crossed the country and we were to be their second to last stop before they headed back to their home base in Sydney, Australia. The audience knew they were in for some face melting rock and roll. Opening f...Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000https://jambands.com/reviews/shows/2009/12/10/wolfmother-fox-theater-oakland-ca-11-23/https://jambands.com/reviews/shows/2009/12/09/the-disco-biscuits-the-fillmore-san-francisco-ca-11-21-11-22/Photos by Kelsey Winterkorn Once you climb the stairs and enter the main ballroom of the Fillmore, with chandeliers overhead and silver disco ball spinning, it exudes the vibe of a historic venue. The upstairs is equally impressive, with the famous wall of concert posters and a band typically performing in the lounge area; also the small balcony off to the left of the stage gives great perspective on the production as a whole and the crowd below. Friday’s opener, BLVD, was an impressive. The mus...Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000https://jambands.com/reviews/shows/2009/12/09/the-disco-biscuits-the-fillmore-san-francisco-ca-11-21-11-22/